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CVA wrestlers get top seed for Section 3 Duals

jon rathbun, times telegram
·4 min read

Section III will crown its team champions this week as the area's wrestlers approach the biggest events of their season.

Central Valley Academy, the five-time defending champion and winner of the sectional dual meet tournament each year since Section III switched from a singe division to the tournament's current two-division format, enter Division II as the No. 1 seed among 10 teams and Ilion will be one of two sites for the early rounds of competition Tuesday.

While the top half of the Division II bracket competes at Central Valley Academy Tuesday, the lower bracket heads to Canastota. All seven Division I teams gather in Syracuse for the early rounds at Henninger High School while both championship duals will be contested Thursday at Cicero-North Syracuse.

Adirondack and Camden will be among the teams competing in Ilion — they meet in one quarterfinal match — along with Lowville Academy and General Brown. Holland Patent, Homer, Mexico Academy and Altmar-Parish-Williamstown will compete at Canastota.

Central Valley Academy's Cooper Reed throws Camden Blue Devil Joseph Golombek to the mat during Wednesday's dual meet in Ilion. Reeds pinned his opponent in the first period that day, and Camden returns to town Tuesday for the Section III's Division II dual meet tournament.
Central Valley Academy's Cooper Reed throws Camden Blue Devil Joseph Golombek to the mat during Wednesday's dual meet in Ilion. Reeds pinned his opponent in the first period that day, and Camden returns to town Tuesday for the Section III's Division II dual meet tournament.

More:Section 3 wrestling results for 2022-23 season

How They Got Here

Central Valley Academy is 22-1 in duals with a single loss at the Mountain Duals in Johnstown in late December. The Thunder have held the No. 1 ranking in the section all three weeks that have been announced and defeated Camden, ranked second, 35-27 in a Tri-Valley League dual last week. The same teams met in last year's championship round of the sectional tournament with Central Valley Academy winning 41-25.

Central Valley Academy's Aden Mead tries to work free of Camden Blue Devil Bradley Reader's grasp Wednesday. Mead won a 7-2 decision at pounds at the teams' dual.
Central Valley Academy's Aden Mead tries to work free of Camden Blue Devil Bradley Reader's grasp Wednesday. Mead won a 7-2 decision at pounds at the teams' dual.

The Thunder's season includes four tournament wins so far. Central Valley Academy finished fourth at Camden's Blue Devil Invitational over the weekend while four team members traveled to SUNY-Sullivan for the Eastern State Classic where Ethan Randall placed fifth and Cooper Reed eighth.

The loss in Ilion last week was the first this season for Camden (9-1) which enters the tournament seeded fourth, one spot ahead of Adirondack (14-6). General Brown (6-5) and Lowville Academy (4-3) are seeded eighth and ninth and will compete for the quarterfinal spot opposite Central Valley Academy.

At Canastota, the host school is 3-8 and seeded 10th; the Raiders wrestle No. 7 Altmar-Parish-Williamstown (6-4) for the spot as the opponent for No. 2 Homer (13-2). Homer was ranked third in the section before Central Valley Academy beat Camden.

The other quarterfinal in Canastota pits No. 3 Holland Patent (8-2) against No. 6 Mexico Academy (8-3).Competition starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday while Thursday's competition is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Cicero-North Syracuse is the No. 1 seed for Division I and has the lone bye into the quarterfinals.

Who to Watch

Central Valley Academy's Sixx Cook has Camden Blue Devil Jack Chase (foreground) wrapped up at Wednesday's dual meet. Cook and the Thunder defeated Camden in the final round of last year's Section III dual meet tournament.
Central Valley Academy's Sixx Cook has Camden Blue Devil Jack Chase (foreground) wrapped up at Wednesday's dual meet. Cook and the Thunder defeated Camden in the final round of last year's Section III dual meet tournament.

Central Valley Academy's Sixx Cook (152 pounds), Homer's Talan Hubbard (118) and Sam Sorensen (215), Canastota's Culley Bellino (132), Altmar-Parish-Williamstwn's Conner Shaw (160) and Holland Patent's Jordan Koenig (172) are the section's top-ranked Division II contestants at their respective weights.

For Central Valley Academy, Jacob Hurd and Jeremy McRedmond are ranked second at 102 and 285 pounds, respectively; Gene Edwards and Randall are No. 3 at 118 and 189; Reed is No. 4 at 132; Aden Mead, Cole Wheet and Sal Fresco are No. 5 at 138, 160 and 215.

Central Valley Academy's Cole Wheet and Camden Blue Devil Lyle Walker (from left) lock up during their 172-pound bout Wednesday in Ilion.
Central Valley Academy's Cole Wheet and Camden Blue Devil Lyle Walker (from left) lock up during their 172-pound bout Wednesday in Ilion.

Camden has Sean Seymore (No. 2 at 152), Joshua Salsman (No. 3 at 215); Talan Kimball (No. 4 at 110), Keith Seaton (No. 4 at 118), Kolton Kelley (No. 4 at 126), Lyle Walker (No. 4 at 160); and Carson Mantelli (No. 5 at 118). Trey Kimball is ranked second at 132 pounds but has not had a math in the new year and was out of the lineup for both the Central Valley Academy dual and the annual Leo J. Sammon Memorial Tournament earlier this month.

Adirondack brings Raymond Hennessey (No. 2 at 160), Colin White (No. 2 at 215), Seth Strain (No. 3 at 102), Cole Croniser (No. 3 at 110) and Isaac Croneiser (No. 5 at 189).

Holland Patent features Trent True (No. 3 at 160), Andrew Juliano (No. 4 at 102) and Eli Doxstader (No. 5 at 110).

This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Seeds set for Section 3 dual meet wrestling championship tournament