Metropolitan Wrestling Association

Fostering the sport of wrestling in the New York Metropolitan Area

Mayors Cup Wrestling Champions 2007 PHOTOS

date: 2007-02-04
by: Venetsian / Bill Crum

Mayor's Cup 1st Place Champions MSGR FARRELL TEAM

From L-R: Ken Podziba, NYC Sports Comissionner; Setrak Agonian, Past President MWA presents the award

The Metropolitan Wrestling Association, along with the NYC Sports Commissioner's office and in conjunction with the Public Schools Athletic League, the Catholic High Schools Athletic Association and the Independent Schools Coaches' Association, conducted the 3rd Annual Mayor's Cup for High School Wrestling. The event was held on Feb 3 and 4 at Mount Saint Michael High School in the Bronx before a capacity crowd. The following were the highlights of the event. ...

Event open to all High Schools. For the first time, all high schools in New York City were invited to participate. In past years only the top 4 wrestlers in each division (Public, Independent and Catholic) were entered. This year, all schools were invited to send their entire team to participate.

First Novice Division. In addition to the varsity division, there was a second tournament conducted for novice wrestlers. Novice wrestlers are those in their first or second year of wrestling.

First Girl' Division. For the first time in New York City History, there was a Girl's Division in the Mayor's Cup. 9 girls from throughout the city competed in three round robins, each girl getting two matches.

Largest Tournament in NYC History. With over 550 entries in the three divisions, the 2007 Mayor's Cup was the largest tournament in New York City Histor, surpassing the 2003 World Championship of Freestyle Wrestling, whose competition was also managed my the MWA.

Sports Commissioner Podziba in attendance to present awards. Ken Podziba, Sports Commissioner for the City of New York was in attendance to present the awards and address the crowd. Representing the Mayor, Mr. Podziba has been a friend to the sport of wrestling for many years now and is responsible for making the arrangements with the City to name the event as the Mayor's Cup. MWA President John Welch assisted Ken with the presentations and addressed the crowd as well.

Team Title. For the first time, the Mayor's Cup Varsity Division crowned a team title. Monsignor Farrell High School from Staten Island won the title with 211.5 points.

Championship Plaque named for MWA Visionary. In addition to the traveling Mayor's Cup that will pass from school to school each year (in Stanley Cup fashion) the First Place team receives the �Setrak Agonian Award.� The award is named in honor of the founder and past president of the MWA whose vision it was years ago to have a citywide championship. Mr. Agonian was in the house to present the award in his name.

Top scorers awards by division named for Mayor's Cup Founding Fathers. Awards were presented to the top scoring teams in each division for the first time. The awards are named in honor of the leader for each division who was instrumental in the development of this event. Four years ago, Jim Regan from the Independent Schools Coaches Association, Bob McLaughlin from the Catholic Schools Athletic Association and Larry Cantor, Commissioner of Wrestling for the Public Schools Athletic League, created the vision for and guided their respective divisions through the process of getting all the schools in NYC to be available on the same weekend to have this city wide event. In honor of this not so small task, the highest scoring team in each division will receive an award each year named in honor of their respective founding father. The awards for 2007 were as follows:

Larry Cantor Award (Highest Scoring Public School) � Grand Street Campus HS (Brooklyn)
Jim Regan Award (Highest Scoring Independent School) � Horace Mann (Bronx)
Bob McLaughlin Award (Highest Scoring Catholic School) � Msgr. Farrell (Staten Island)

Announcing the Mayor's Cup Awards

New York City Sports Commissionner Ken Pozdiba presents the Mayors Cup 2007 Awards

John Welch, President of the Metropolitan Wrestling Association presents the event (MWA is organizes each year the Mayors Cup Wrestling Tournament NY)

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 96 lbs.

From L-R: Larry Cantor, Wrestling Commissioner; 1st: BRIAN TRAUB (PETRIDES); 2nd: NOVRIC REESE (GRAND STREET); 3rd: ROBERT MAZZARELLA (SUSAN E WAGNER); 4th: DEVONTAE MURPHY (SHEEPSHEAD BAY); 5th: ANTHONY MIRRA (TOTTENVILLE HS); 6th: SEAN HIBBERT (HARRY S TRUMAN); 7th: JOSHUA JUNG (MARTIN LUTHER); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 103 lbs.

From L-R: Larry Cantor, Wrestling Commissioner; 1st: PETER MORALES (GRAND STREET); 2nd: CONNOR HANAFEE (MSGR FARRELL); 3rd: ANGEL RIVERA (PETRIDES); 4th: ANTON YAROSEVICH (JAMES MADISON HS); 5th: AMDAD ARSHAD (BRYANT H.S.); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 112 lbs.

From L-R: 1st: NICK IACONO (XAVERIAN); 2nd: RICH BENIGNO (MSGR FARRELL); 3rd: CARLOS SOTO (SHEEPSHEAD BAY); 4th: WILFRED HILLMAN (FDR); 5th: CARLOS PIJUAN (HERBERT H LEHMAN); 6th: ADAM STEVENS (COLLEGIATE SCHOOL); 7th: JOSH ASCHHEIM (HORACE MANN); 8th: CHRIS BENNETT (FORDHAM PREP); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 119 lbs.

From L-R: Larry Cantor, Wrestling Commissioner; 1st: BEN VILLARET (MSGR FARRELL); 2nd: MATT GOLDBERG (POLY PREP); 3rd: RAY COOPER (PETRIDES); 4th: MARK DALESSANDRO (HORACE MANN); 5th: CARLOS SANTIAGO (HERBERT H LEHMAN); 6th: JUNIOR DEGRAVIER (SHEEPSHEAD BAY); 7th: VICTOR MALDONADO (GRAND STREET); 8th: MIKE FERLAZZO (CURTIS); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 125 lbs.

From L-R: 1st: VINNY VITADAMO (CURTIS); 2nd: JESSE CARO (HORACE MANN); 3rd: ANDREW LENZI (FORDHAM PREP); 4th: OLIVER LOPEZ (MCKEE - SI TECH); 5th: WILLIAM SPINELLI (PETRIDES); 6th: BEN AMOO (COLLEGIATE SCHOOL); 7th: LENNY PROSKUROVSKY (MIDWOOD); 8th: JONATHAN LORENZO (GRAND STREET); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 130 lbs.

From L-R: Larry Cantor, Wrestling Commissioner; 1st: ANTHONY ALBANESE (FDR); 2nd: RUBEN ROSALES (HERBERT H LEHMAN); 3rd: JESUS MARIN (LONG ISLAND CITY); 4th: ANTHONY SCHIANO DI COLA (MCKEE - SI TECH); 5th: JUSTIN MELTZER (HORACE MANN); 6th: DARREN MCGREGOR (COLLEGIATE SCHOOL); 7th: GILBERT VASQUEZ (GRAND STREET); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 135 lbs.

From L-R: ??; 1st: JASON ZIGELBAUM (HORACE MANN); 2nd: WILLIAM SLOTKIN (TRINITY SCHOOL); 3rd: JOSEPH MERCADO (BRYANT H.S.); 4th: NICHOLAS FRINQUELLI (SHEEPSHEAD BAY); 5th: JOE CALCAGNO (CURTIS); 6th: ALADINE THORNE (GRAND STREET); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 140 lbs.

From L-R: Larry Cantor, Wrestling Commissioner; 1st: JAKE VILLARET (CURTIS); 2nd: JON DIMOLA (XAVIER); 3rd: JOSH PARKER (HORACE MANN); 4th: MIKE LUONGO (MSGR FARRELL); 5th: NICK KAU (TRINITY SCHOOL); 6th: LUCIANO ACUNA (GRAND STREET); 7th: YOHANNES CONSTABLE (FORDHAM PREP); 8th: MAXWELL SHNAPER (MCKEE - SI TECH); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 145 lbs

From L-R: Larry Cantor, Wrestling Commissioner; 1st: MATT CARTUSCIELLO (PETRIDES); 2nd: SEAN ZIGELBAUM (HORACE MANN); 3rd: RICHIE NOZIK (MIDWOOD); 4th: BEN HELLIER (FORDHAM PREP); 5th: JESSIE DIORIO (TOTTENVILLE HS); 6th: HARRY STIMMEL (COLLEGIATE SCHOOL); 7th: PETER VALLIMARESCU (DALTON SCHOOL); 8th: ANTHONY GIGANTI (XAVIER); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 152 lbs.

From L-R: Larry Cantor, Wrestling Commissioner; 1st: MIKE DIGIORGIO (MSGR FARRELL); 2nd: ALEJANDRO ZAPATA (NEWTOWN); 3rd: MITCH MEYERS (TOTTENVILLE HS); 4th: DAVID BLACK (TRINITY SCHOOL); 5th: CHARLES THOMAS (HERBERT H LEHMAN); 6th: KADIEM WHEATLE (GRAND STREET); 7th: JESSE FAHY (POLY PREP); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 160 lbs.

From L-R: ??; 1st: A.J. ROCCASALVA (POLY PREP); 2nd: DAVON JOHN (SHEEPSHEAD BAY); 3rd: MARCUS HENDERSON (HORACE MANN); 4th: MIKE LEON (COLLEGIATE SCHOOL); 5th: STEVE MASSEY (FORDHAM PREP); 6th: VICTOR GUADNIGNO (XAVERIAN); 7th: FERID SHABANI (PETRIDES); 8th: JOSHUA ROMERO (GRAND STREET); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 171 lbs.

From L-R: ??; 1st: JAMES LAMONICA (MSGR FARRELL); 2nd: JOSEPH TROVATO (XAVERIAN); 3rd: ANTHONY NOTO (FORDHAM PREP); 4th: CAM WERTHEIMER (HORACE MANN); 5th: MAC MUNK (POLY PREP); 6th: EDGAR URILOV (MIDWOOD); 7th: SHONARI EDWARDS (COLLEGIATE SCHOOL); 8th: HUMBERTO SOTO (GRAND STREET); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 189 lbs.

From L-R: ??; 1st: KADEEM SAMUELS (FORDHAM PREP); 2nd: JOHN NEWMAN (MSGR FARRELL); 3rd: EVAN ATHANASSIOU (HORACE MANN); 4th: BRIAN MACKEY (GRAND STREET); 5th: CALEB GREEN (POLY PREP); 6th: OLEKSANDAR KARLIYCHUCK (SUSAN E WAGNER); 7th: BRANDON MCCALL (HERBERT H LEHMAN); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 215 lbs.

From L-R: Larry Cantor, Wrestling Commissioner; 1st: EDDIE LUGO (POLY PREP); 2nd: LOU MUSTO (MSGR FARRELL); 3rd: DAN ARGAST (FORDHAM PREP); 4th: DESMOND DALEY (HARRY S TRUMAN); 5th: ERIC BERRIOS (SUSAN E WAGNER); 6th: ANGELO GELARDI (ST JOES BY THE SEA); 7th: ANDRE MEDWINTER (SPFLD GARDENS); 8th: DEVON LAPPIERE (GRAND STREET); John Welch, President MWA

Mayor's Cup Champions Division 275 lbs.

From L-R: ??; 1st: FREDDY SANTANA (GRAND STREET); 2nd: JOE CANOVA (TOTTENVILLE HS); 3rd: TYRELL ROSS (NAZARETH); 4th: BRETT KANTOR (DALTON SCHOOL); 5th: TIM LEE (POLY PREP); 6th: CONNOR ONEILL (FORDHAM PREP); 7th: ROBERT FABIEN (SPFLD GARDENS); 8th: GLEN BURGESS (HERBERT H LEHMAN); John Welch, President MWA