Long Island produces nine individual state wrestling champs
Walt Whitman's Terron Robinson celebrates his win in the finals of the 220-pound class (Division I) during the NYSPHSAA 2016 State Wrestling Championships held at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016. Credit: Adrian Kraus
ALBANY — Once again, Long Island wrestlers turned in brilliant performances at the state tournament at the Times Union Center. Strong Island crowned nine individual state champions, including eight in Division I competition.
Suffolk reeled off three straight winners at 106, 113 and 120 before Nassau crowned two at 126 and 132. Matteo DeVincenzo of Port Jefferson at 126 pounds was the lone Division II state champion from the Suffolk sectional team.
Suffolk won the Division I team title with 260 points and punctuated the grand evening as all three of its wrestlers in the upper weight classes captured gold.
Ward Melville senior Christian Araneo edged Michael DiNardo of Mahopac, 3-1, to win the 195-pound title. Araneo (42-0) won his second state crown.
Whitman junior Terron Robinson beat Ryan Ellefsen of Goshen, 9-5, to earn the 220-pound state title. Robinson (44-1) is Whitman’s first state wrestling champion since Mike Guistizia won the 126-pound title in 1978.
And to put the polish on another Suffolk team crown, Glenn senior Edwin Rubio outlasted Irondequoit’s Cameron Rohr for an exciting 3-2 win in three overtimes. Rubio’s escape 19 seconds into the sudden-victory period gave him an undefeated season at 42-0 and his first state crown.
Rubio lost in overtime in the state final as a junior. “This one feels so much better,” he said as he celebrated with his coaches.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
