Whatever disappointment Baldwinsville wrestler Joe Nasoni felt upon his defeat in the Section III Division I 220-pound championship match on Feb. 15 at SRC Arena was quickly eased.
Nasoni’s full season of accomplishments was rewarded with a wild card berth in next weekend’s Ne York State Public High School Athletic Association championship meet at Albany’s Times Union Center.
Both Nasoni and Connor Ross, who wrestles at 145 pounds, were chosen as wild cards, but Nasoni was given a spot in the tournament, while Ross is an alternate who will participate if one of the wrestlers in the main draw pulls out.
With a 42-3 record this season, Nasoni won 22 consecutive bouts after taking a loss to South Jefferson’s Logan LaFlamme in the Dec. 27 Mountain Duals at Dolgeville, earning the sectional Class AA title before a 7-4 defeat to Whitesboro’s Tyler Hudson in the Division I sectional final.
Ross, meanwhile, accumulated a 42-6 mark, starting the season by winning his first 25 bouts before Homer’s Matt Norris beat him 5-1 in the finals of the Cazenovia Invitational Jan. 11. A 10-7 defeat to Central Square’s Brendan Engebretsen cost him a shot at the sectional title as Engebretsen did gain a wild card to join sectional champion Tristan Broddus (Fayetteville-Manlius) in the field.
Three B’ville wrestlers – Kevin Paul (138 pounds), Chad McArdell (152 pounds) and Gunnar Sutphen (189 pounds) – won at the sectional meet. That trio, plus Nasoni, will start at the state meet in Albany next Friday at 10 a.m. Championship bouts are next Saturday at 6:30.
Paul opens against Kevin Parker (Section II, Shenendehowa), while McArdell faces Addrian Ferrarie, from Mount Saint Michael (Catholic Association). Sutphen drew Nick McShea (Section IX, Monroe-Woodbury) for his first bout as Nasoni faces James Bethel (Section IX, Saugerties).
