Miller Place wrestling's Andrew Bennett-Guma propels team to Suffolk Division II dual meet championship
Miller Place after winning in the Suffolk Division II dual team finals on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 in Bay Shore. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Senior Andrew Bennett-Guma never flinched. The confident Miller Place wrestler was asked to move up in weight to give the Panthers a chance at winning the Suffolk Division II dual meet title.
The senior worked his way out of James Como’s cradle and stepped over the Shoreham-Wading River opponent and into his own pinning combination. Bennett-Guma secured the pin in 5:47 at 215 pounds to give Miller Place a seven-point lead with one bout left in a 43-30 victory over Shoreham-Wading River to claim the Suffolk Division II championship Saturday night in Bay Shore.
Miller Place heavyweight Bradyn Ellis pinned Connor McAlvin in 1:38 for the final margin at 285 pounds.
“These are the moments where you need to rise to the occasion,” Bennett-Guma said. “That’s what senior leaders do. I’d wrestled him before and I wasn’t worried.”
Bennett-Guma has been wrestling since he was 4 years old with his father Tony Guma, who runs the Miller Place KID wrestling program.
“It’s very emotional for me,” he said. “To be a part of this team and win a title is the biggest moment of my life.”
Miller Place trailed 30-25 after John O’Neil pinned Francesco Sigismondi in 4:52 at 175 pounds. The Panthers regained the lead 31-30 after Jack Miller pinned Jer’Shawn Coffey in 1:41 at 190 pounds.
“We wrestled for the league dual meet title last week and it was so close,” Miller Place coach Matt Kaszubski said. “And we felt winning the prematch coin toss and being able to dictate who goes on the mat in what weight class would help in critical matchups.”
Shoreham-Wading River coach Joe Condon agreed that the coin toss was crucial to capturing this title.
“That’s how close these dual meets are,” Condon said. “The matchups are so important.”
Kaszubski said the focus on the title always comes down to the heavyweight bouts especially when a team, like Miller Place, can reel off three pins in a row to put an exclamation point on the championship.
“When you look deep into the dual meet you’ll find the key match,” Kaszubski said. “Ours came at 132 pounds. That was a turning point, a pivotal bout.”
The Panthers’ Brett Winslow decisioned Shane Hall, 10-0, to win at 132 pounds. Hall had beaten Winslow last week, 8-3.
“That’s a comeback,” Kaszubski said. “We have a very consistent lineup with no superstars. They’re good wrestlers and all great kids.”
Miller Place (21-3), which has placed second in the Division I dual meet tournament but never won it, was wrestling in Division II for the first time.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
