Massapequa wrestling's James Mulhern earns key pin at 285 pounds, helps secure Division I wrestling crown
Massapequa celebrates winning the Nassau Division I boys wrestling dual meet team final against Long Beach on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 at Clarke High School. Credit: Kelvin Loarca
Massapequa has a few wrestlers that coach Mike McCann would handpick to wrestle with a dual meet title on the line.
James Mulhern is one of them.
The Nassau Division I dual meet championship match was tied heading into the final match at 285 pounds. That just so happens to be the LIU commit’s weight class.
Mulhern pinned David Cruz in 3:40 to give top-seeded Massapequa a 39-33 win over Long Beach in the finals of the Nassau Division I dual meet tournament Saturday at Clarke High School.
“I knew it would be a close one and I’m glad it came down to me because I knew I could handle it,” Mulhern said. “I know I’ve worked the hardest out of all these heavyweights and this was my opportunity to shine.”
Mulhern opened the second period with a reversal to extend his lead to 5-0. He worked an armbar to secure the pin and blew a kiss to Massapequa’s section in the bleachers before pointing toward his elated teammates.
“It was the greatest feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life,” the senior said. “People talk about graduating from high school. I don’t think anything tops this feeling right now. That was better than passing my road test.”
It’s Massapequa’s ninth county title and first since 2019. Massapequa (22-1) advances to the dual meet state tournament, which begins at 9 a.m. next Saturday at SRC Arena and Events Center in Syracuse.
Jake Nieto defeated Matthew Diamond, 19-4, by technical fall in 5:53 at 144 pounds to cut Massapequa’s deficit to 24-15. It started a run of five straight wins for Massapequa.
Johnny DiGiorgio followed with a pin at 150 pounds and Kai Tiringer won a 7-2 decision over Jordan Andreula at 157 to tie the score at 24. Joseph Brooks earned a technical fall, 15-0, over Brody Juan at 165 and Kieran Connolly won a 12-1 major decision over Jeremy Ogando to take a 33-29 lead.
Long Beach (16-3) struck back, as Gavyn Vicente won an 8-2 decision over Tanner Tutku at 190 and Kasir Morgan pinned Matthew Wipperman in 3:11 at 215 to tie the match at 33 heading into the final bout.
“(Mulhern’s) track record speaks for itself,” McCann said. “He’s a county runner-up. He’s one of the best kids in New York. He just took third at Eastern States. We were more than confident with him going in.”
During Massapequ’a senior night last January, McCann took a moment to address the crowd full of parents, relatives and students. He noted that the wrestling program hadn’t been what it once was – a powerhouse. But McCann, now in his fourth year, reassured the crowd that the future was bright for Massapequa wrestling.
A year later, his team proved him right.
“It’s pretty special,” McCann said. “We finished 15th or 16th my first year, but we knew if we stuck to the script, we would get to where we are right now.”
“The program has grown drastically,” said Brooks, a senior. “We knew it was going to be a step back at first with a new head coach, but he did a great job. My freshman year was tough. We took a few really bad losses. But the coaches have really turned it around and got us back to where we should be.”
Massapequa won the Division I state title in 2019. Mulhern has his eyes on bringing the program back to the top of the mountain.
“Our job is not done yet,” Mulhern said. “We’re coming for that state title.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
