SYRACUSE – Post-season action for the Chittenango and Cazenovia wrestling teams continued at SRC Arena last Saturday when the Section III Division II state qualifying meet, with berths in this weekend’s state championships in Albany at stake.
The Bears’ Eddie Geer got closest to earning an automatic berth through his second-place finish at 160 pounds and the Lakers’ Gabriel Sanchez was third at 152 pounds, but their winning efforts throughout the season meant that both earned at-large bids for this weekend’s state championships at MVP Arena in Albany.
Geer pinned Jackson Wolford (Camden) in 47 seconds, topped Leon Smith (Phoenix) 10-2 and then won his semifinal 8-1 over South Jefferson’s Michael Roberts, whom he beat a week earlier in the sectional Class B meet.
Only in the title bout did Geer slow down, taking a 12-6 defeat to Little Falls’ Matt Verri. Still, Geer’s 29-6 mark this winter merited a state tournament berth.
Cazenovia got its best finish from Gabriel Sanchez, who after a quarterfinal defeat at 152 pounds to Central Valley Academy’s Cooper Reed (the eventual champion) swept every match in the consolation bracket.
Sanchez got a tough 2-1 decision over Jon Paradis (South Jefferson) and a pin of Braden White (Adirondack) before he used an overtime takedown to beat Little Falls’ Colton Wheel for third place and an overall record of 35-13 this season.
Up at 108 pounds the Lakers’ Gryphon Foster lost in the quarterfinals to Sherburne-Earlville’s Jackson Moore but recover with wins over Dawson Millard (South Lewis) 12-0 and Max Pelcer (Cato-Meridian) 8-1 in the consolation bracket.
This, along with a pin over Luke Ackerman (APW/Pulaski/Sandy Creek, helped Foster reach the consolation bracket final before a 10-1 defeat to Adirondack’s Seth Strain left him in fourth place.
Chittenango’s Dan Mahle lost in a closely-fought 131-pound quarterfinal 10-8 to Little Falls’ Nate Verri after beating Cazenovia’s Cullen Arnold 15-0 in the opening round. The Lakers’ Nate Chapman, at 145 pounds, fell in the opening round to Dolgeville’s Bryce Mosher.
