Shoreham-Wading River's Gavin Mangano captures 144-pound title at Eastern States Classic
Gavin Mangano of Shoreham-Wading River after defeating Samson McKissick-Staley of Pittsford in the 144 weight class in the Eastern States High School boys wrestling Tournament in Halfmoon, NY, on January 10, 2026. Credit: /Stephen Weaver
CLIFTON PARK – Shoreham-Wading River’s Gavin Mangano is on a rare run. Coach Joe Condon just hopes people don’t take it for granted.
Top-seeded Mangano defeated No. 2 Samson McKissick-Staley (Pittsford), 17-3, by major decision to claim the 144-pound title at the Eastern States Classic Saturday afternoon at Impact Athletic Center. It’s the junior Penn State commit’s fourth straight title in the prestigious tournament.
Mangano joins Long Beach’s Jacori Teemer (2015-2018) and Syosset’s Vito Arujau (2014-2017) as the only wrestlers to win four Eastern States titles. Per tournament director Jeff Cuilty, there has never been a five-time Eastern States champion. Mangano will have the chance to make history next year.
“I want to be as humble as possible, but I think it’s pretty amazing,” Mangano said. “Not a lot of people have done it. I’m proud myself and of course thankful for all the help from my coaches and my dad.”
“You just have to appreciate it while you can because this type of dominance at this tournament might never happen again,” Condon said.
It was a rematch from last year’s 138-pound final, in which Mangano won a 6-3 decision. The two-time state champion totaled four pins in 2:24 and a technical fall on his way to the final and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the middleweights on Saturday.
“To know that you got better from a year ago is a really good feeling,” Mangano said. “Every now and then, you need something to show that you got better and you’re not just staying in the same place. This definitely boosts my confidence a lot.”
Downes dominates
Plainedge senior Devin Downes can finally mark an Eastern States title off his list of goals. The Maryland commit defeated Minisink Valley’s Zach Filip by 9-3 decision in the 215-pound final.
Devin Downes of Plainedge after defeating Zach Filip of Minisink Valley in the 215-pound final at the Eastern States Classic boys wrestling tournament in Clifton Park on Jan. 10, 2026. Credit: /Stephen Weaver
After a scoreless first period, Filip earned an escape to start the second, but it was all Downes from there. The two-time state champion picked up two takedowns in the second period and added a third with 46 seconds left in the third period to take a comfortable lead.
“He was really strong and had good hand fight positioning, so the first period was almost trying to figure him out,” Downes said. “I was trying to wear on him because I’m real confident in my cardio. I knew that later in the match that would kick in and that’s when my takedowns would come.”
Downes lost an 8-4 decision in last year’s 190-pound final. That match went to the ultimate tiebreaker.
“Last year just left such a sour taste in my mouth,” Downes said. “This tournament was one of those boxes I wanted to check before I leave high school. It means a lot.”
Nieto carving own path
The bar has been set high for Massapequa junior Jake Nieto. His older brother, Luke, claimed the 152-pound titles at last year’s Eastern States Classic and the Division II state tournament as a senior at Plainedge.
Nieto added another title to the family name, defeating Joe Scott (Letchworth), 12-2, by major decision in the 138-pound final. Nieto took a 6-1 lead into the third period before scoring two takedowns to run away with the title.
Jake Nieto of Massapequa after defeating Joe Scott of Letchworth in the 138-pound final in the Eastern States high school boys wrestling tournament in Clifton Park on Jan. 10, 2026. Credit: Stephen Weaver
“I was just trying to sit in ties a little bit less and get to my shots as much as I could,” Nieto said. “I just wanted to get to my stuff and not let my opponent wrestle his style.”
Fourth-seeded Nieto knocked off No. 1 Landyn Shaffer of Deposit-Hancock by 4-2 decision in the semifinals.
“This tournament is a really good checkpoint for yourself to see how you match up against top guys in and around the state,” Nieto said.
Eleven Long Island wrestlers reached the finals. Santino Pascarella (Half Hollow Hills East, 103), Anthony Severino (Lindenhurst, 132), Michael McGuinness (Whitman, 150) and Josh Kama (Farmingdale, 190) all took second place.
Prior to the finals, Cuilty led a moment of silence for longtime Massapequa High School wrestling coach Al Bevilacqua, who died at 85 in August. A National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum inductee in 2012, Bevilacqua was one of the founding members of The Friends of Section IX Wrestling, the organization that has run the Eastern States Classic for the last 22 years.
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
