St. Anthony's heads to state tournament after winning eight league titles
Frankie Theroux of St Anthony's wins in the 160-pound weight class at the Long Island CHSAA league wrestling championships on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022. Credit: Howard Simmons
The strength of the St. Anthony’s wrestling team can be found in the middleweights. It is there that opponents find a gauntlet of championship-caliber wrestlers.
"We have a very strong core of wrestlers," said St. Anthony’s coach Tony Walters, in his 24th year with the varsity. "This is a special group that has been together for four years and worked their tails off to be in a position to win."
Walters is sure the winning won’t stop at the local level. A senior-laden St. Anthony’s team copped eight league championship titles at the Nassau-Suffolk Catholic High School Athletic Association tournament held in South Huntington on Sunday. St. Anthony’s scored 415.5 points to win its first title since 2019.
"We have five returning Catholic state champions," Walters said. "And we head out to the Buffalo area next weekend to defend those titles. And I’m confident that we could have as many as eight or nine Catholic state champs. We’re peaking performance wise at the right time. This is the best team we’ve ever had – I just love working with these guys."
The Friars are led by senior Frankie Theroux, who earned the Joe Cloonan Champion of Champions Award at 160 pounds. Theroux, the defending CHSAA state champion, pinned Teddy Leavy of Chaminade in 40 seconds, the quickest pin in the final round.
"He’s been going non-stop all year with the rest of these guys," Walters said. "They’re so focused. The summer workouts included lifts, drills and lots of wrestling."
St. Anthony’s captured five consecutive weights in the NSCHSAA tournament. It started with state champ Mick Brown at 138 pounds. Brown pinned St. Anthony’s teammate Joshua Jorgge in 47 seconds. Jake Podolsky decisioned Chaminade’s Joe Edelman, 9-2, at 145 and state champ Dominic Seminera beat the Friars’ Tom Mancini by technical fall for the 152-pound crown.
St. Anthony’s won seven of the final eight weight classes. Defending Catholic state champions, Griffin Goldstein at 172 and Andrew Bardak at 215 were also victorious.
"It’s a long trip to the Buffalo area but it’s going to be worth it," Walters said. "It’s a business trip for our guys for sure."
Chaminade, which had won the previous two league titles, finished in third place with 350 points and junior Shane Meenaghan at 118 and Claudio Pinto (189) were the Flyers two champs. Meenaghan, a two-time defending CHSAA champion, will look to win a third title Sunday afternoon at St. Mary’s High School in Lancaster. He placed seventh at the NYSPHSAA tournament as a freshman. Pinto pinned all four of his opponents in 5:11 to win the most pins/least time award.
Kellenberg was the runner-up for the team crown with 386 points and three champions. Firebirds senior Ryan Paladino earned the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award at 132 pounds.
NSCHSAA Finals
At St. Anthony’s High School, South Huntington
102 - Jacob Kennedy (StA) dec. Niason DaCosta (Cham), 9-7. 110 - James Perrotta (KM) dec. William Casey (SJB), 7-4. 118 - Shane Meenaghan (Cham) TF EJ Alizio (Cham), 5:15 (15-0). 126 - Brendan Martin (KM) pinned Rob Serviss (KM), 1:22. 132 - Ryan Paladino (KM) md. Jonathan Hoffman (KM), 15-3. 138 - Mick Brown (StA) pinned Joshua Jorgge (StA), 0:47. 145 - Jake Podolsky (StA) dec. Joe Edelman (Cham), 9-2. 152 - Dominic Seminera (StA) TF Thomas Mancini (StA), 4:53 (15-0). 160 - Frankie Theroux (StA) pinned Teddy Leavy (Cham), 0:40. 172 - Griffin Goldstein (StA) dec. Nick Matos (StA), 2-1. 189 - Claudio Pinto (Cham) pinned Jack Gallagher (Cham), 1:36. 215 - Andrew Bardak (StA) pinned Tim McGrath (KM), 2:41. 285 - Carson Ciancuielli (StA) pinned Garrett Wolff (KM), 2:18. Most Outstanding Wrestler: Ryan Paladino (Kellenberg, 132). Joe Cloonan Champion of Champions: Frankie Theroux (St. Anthony's, 160). Most Pins Least Time: Claudio Pinto (Chaminade, 189), 4 in 5:11. Quickest Pin: Nick Matos (St. Anthony's, 172), 0:17.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
