Section V Wrestling Championships: 34 locals advance to NYS Qualifier

Sean Curran, The Evening Tribune
·4 min read

By Saturday evening, there were 34 local wrestlers who stood atop the Section V Championship podiums with a medal around their neck and another week tacked onto their season with a trip to the New York State Tournament Qualifier on Saturday at SUNY Brockport.

It was a dominating performance on the mats, but the most dominating performance of the weekend came from the Canisteo-Greenwood Redskins, who not only brought back six individual Section V champions, but also won the team championship as well.

The Redskins were simply unstoppable in the lower weight classes, as five of their six first-place finishes came from the under-138 pound divisions.

Cael Stewart started off the wins at 102 pounds by pinning all three of his opponents. Austin Hall got a pair of pins and then won a championship via a 6-3 decision at 110 pounds. Xavier deJesus-Remchuk continued his unbelievable season with a first-place finish at 118 pounds, grabbing two pins and a 10-major decision in the finals.

Gavin Bob then stepped up at 126 pounds and grabbed Canisteo-Greenwood another first with three pins and 9-0 major decision. Colton Havens then wrapped up the lower weight classes at 132 pounds with four straight pins to come home with the fifth C-G Section V championship.

Luke Kilmer won the final individual championship for Canisteo-Greenwood at 145-pounds, cruising through his four matchups with three pins and a 7-0 decision in the finals.

The Canisteo-Greenwood Redskins celebrate their 5th straight Section V Wrestling Championship as a team.
The Canisteo-Greenwood Redskins celebrate their 5th straight Section V Wrestling Championship as a team.

Canisteo-Greenwood’s dominance was about more than just the championships, however, as all 13 of their wrestlers qualified for the NYS Qualifier on Saturday by finishing in the top six of their respective classes.

Lucas Mason finished second at 138 pounds while Braidon Woodward finished second at 152 pounds. Keegin Christian added another second-place trophy to the tally with a strong effort at 160 pounds. Beau Zeh and Carson Turner each added a third-place finish at 145 and 160 pounds, respectively. Jacob Evingham grabbed a fourth-place finish at 189 pounds and was followed by Trevor Mochol’s third-place finish at 215 pounds. Ethan Ross added a sixth-place finish at 285 pounds and Dominic Dennis earned a sixth-place finish at 172 pounds.

Hornell also had several great performances in the Class B1 tournament, coming home with a pair of first-place finishes, a school record and six participants who will advance to the NYS Qualifier. Mason Drew had an unbelievable performance on the mat over the weekend, pinning all three of his opponents in the first round to win a Section V championship. In the process, he also secured the most wins in Hornell High School history, taking the mantle away fromOwen House.

Hornell's Mason Drew stands atop the podium after his stellar Section V Championship run.
Hornell's Mason Drew stands atop the podium after his stellar Section V Championship run.

Patrick Robords also had a great day, pulling off a huge performance in the championship round to earn a sudden death victory and a Section V championship at 152 pounds. Also qualifying for the NYS Qualifier was Dominic Lockwood, who finished second place at 285 pounds. Breydon Drew added a third-place finish at 138 pounds. Robert Ranger finished fifth at 285 pounds and Jacob Ponticello came in sixth at 172 pounds.

Elsewhere in the area, Dansville's Gavin Hart also added a Section V championship, winning at 160 pounds. Evan Pruonto also had a strong day, finishing sixth in the 160-pound division and earning his own trip to the NYS Qualifier.

In Class B3, Alfred-Almond had one champion and sent five others to the NYS Qualifiers. Ben Lloyd delivered the Eagles' lone championship, running through the 145-pound class with a pair of big decisions, including a 10-0 win in the finals. Scott Mills came in second place at 152 pounds while Blake Ledbetter and Zack Ledbetter each earned fourth-place finishes. Kanye Cumberbatch finished fifth at 138 pounds while Peyton Barnes earned a trip to the NYS Qualifier with a sixth-place finish at 126 pounds.

From Avoca/Prattsburgh, Nathan Young finished second at 118 pounds, while both Peyton Hoad and George Drake came in fourth place at 110 and 152 pounds, respectively. Jeremiah Robbins also earned a sixth-place finish at 285 pounds. And for Arkport-Canaseraga, Ruben Diaz finished fourth overall at 285 pounds and Tyler Pestle was fifth overall at 126 pounds in order to stamp their tickets to the NYS Qualifier.

This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Section V Wrestling Championships: Hornell, Canisteo-Greenwood compete