State wrestling tournament moves on to semifinals Saturday

Jon Rathbun, Times Telegram
·4 min read

ALBANY, NY - Two Central Valley Academy wrestlers are among four area athletes who made it through the first day of competition at New York's state wrestling championships and find themselves in the lineup for the semifinals Saturday morning at MVP Arena.

Teammates Sixx Cook and Gene Edwards from Central Valley Academy are joined in the final push for Division II championships by Canastota's Culley Bellino and Owen Hicks from Section II Fonda-Fultonville/Johnstown.

The semifinals for divisions I and II will be contested during a morning session with the doors opening at 8:30 a.m. Wrestlebacks and consolation semifinals will follow with the consolation finals finishing the early session at 2 p.m.

The doors will open again at 5:15 p.m. to admit spectators for the finals starting at 6:05 p.m following opening ceremonies for the finalists.

Central Valley Academy's Sixx Cook (right) lifts Camden's Sean Seymore during the 152-pound title bout at Section III's Division II championship meet in Syracuse. A third place finisher at the state meet last year, Cook is a semifinalist again. Seymore lost his first match Friday but won his first wrestleback in consolation competition.
Central Valley Academy's Sixx Cook (right) lifts Camden's Sean Seymore during the 152-pound title bout at Section III's Division II championship meet in Syracuse. A third place finisher at the state meet last year, Cook is a semifinalist again. Seymore lost his first match Friday but won his first wrestleback in consolation competition.

More:7 area wrestlers have state titles in their sights this weekend in Albany

More:Live results: 2023 New York Division II (small-school) wrestling tournament (Feb. 24-25)

Cook trying to join brother as champ

Cook, a three-time state qualifier and third-place finisher as a junior last year, is trying to join older brother Tanner Cook as a state champion. He and Edwards are pursuing a sixth - and potentially seventh - Central Valley Academy state championship.

Tanner Cook won at 145 pounds in 2017, Jon Charles won at 99 in 2016, Marek Bush win at 113 in 2018 and Hunter Shaut won twice - 138 pounds in 2017 and 145 in 2019,

Seeded third, Cook was seeded into the 152-pound semifinals and followed that script. He had a first round bye and recorded a technical fall in his third period of his first match against fellow senior Gage Burgess from Section V Palmyra-Macedon. Cook made quick work of his quarterfinal match, pinning Dante Corriveau from Section II Warrensburg/Lake George, the No. 11 seed and an upset winner over No. 6 Anthony McMilan from Section IV Lansing.

Cook meets No. 2 Vandavia Way, a junior from Section X Gouverneur, in Saturday's semifinals. Way also recorded one pin and one technical fall Friday. He also beat Cook 3-0 at the Valley Duals in Ilion early in the season.

The other 152-pound semifinal pits Sean Tansey, the No. 1 seed, against No. 4 Devone Bogie from Eagle Academy.

Edwards, Nevills meet again

Edwards finished second at Section III's Division II tournament and Chase Nevills, the 118 pound champion, is the No. 1 seed at the state tounament. Edwards and Nevills will meet again in a Saturday semifinal.

Edwards, the fifth seed as a freshman, pinned Justin Mullis from Section II Hudson Falls in 47 seconds in his first bout then defeated No. 4 seed James Carlock from Collegiate School in his quarterfinal.

Central Valley Academy's Gene Edwards (left) and Copenhagen's Chase Nevills compete in the 118-pound Division II final at the Section III championship meet Feb. 11. The pair will meet again Saturday in the semifinals at New York's state tournament.
Central Valley Academy's Gene Edwards (left) and Copenhagen's Chase Nevills compete in the 118-pound Division II final at the Section III championship meet Feb. 11. The pair will meet again Saturday in the semifinals at New York's state tournament.

Corriveau squares off against Camden's Sean Seymore when the wrestlebacks resume. Seymore, the sectional runner-up to Cook, lost his first match following a bye Friday defeated Kyber Henry from Cobleskill-Richmondville 7-1 in his first consolation match.

Nevills advanced with a technical fall and a 13-6 decision.

Edwards was fifth in the state at 102 pounds last year and Nevills placed third at 118.

The other semifinal has No. 2 Joey Florence from Section IV Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton/Harpursville and No. 3 Cade Sands from Section V Addison.

Canastota's Bellino advances at 132 pounds

Bellino's loss in Section III's 132-pound final was the first of his senior year. The Canastota Raider went back to work as the No. 6 seed in Albany and advanced to Saturday's semifinals with two wins.

Canastota Raider Culley Bellino (right) rolls Beaver River's Seth Garrison Feb. 11 during a true second match at Section III's Division II championships at SRC Arena. Bellino, Section III's runner-up, is a Division II semifinalist at 132 pounds at the state tournament.
Canastota Raider Culley Bellino (right) rolls Beaver River's Seth Garrison Feb. 11 during a true second match at Section III's Division II championships at SRC Arena. Bellino, Section III's runner-up, is a Division II semifinalist at 132 pounds at the state tournament.

Bellino scored 12-7 and 13-9 decisions against Evan Shriberg, the 11th seed from Section VIII Locust Valley and No. 3 Tyler Roe from Section IV Tioga. His semifinal opponent will be Aidan Gillings, the No. 2 seed from Section VI Newfane. Gillings pinned both of his Friday opponents in the first period.

The other 132-pound semifinal features No. 1 Brayden Fahrbach, a junior from Section XI Mt. Sinai, and Jazz Spaulding, the fourth seed from Honeoye Falls-Lima in Section V.

Lowville Academy's Patrick Grimsey, the most outstanding wrestler as the 132-pound champion at the Section III tournament and the No. 5 seed for states, was beaten 5-4 by Spaulding in the quarterfinals.

Hicks returns to semifinals at 145 pounds

Hicks finished fourth with a loss to Cook in the third-place match at 145 pounds last year. The Fonda-Fultonville/Johnstown senior is back in the semifinals at the same weight this year as the No. 3 seed.

Hicks scored a major decision against Ryley Monica from Section III South Jefferson/Sandy Creek in his first match Friday and defeated No. 6 Austin Chase from Section VI Falconer/Cassadaga Valley in the quarterfinals.

Hicks' opponent for the semifinals is Colton Havens, the No. 2 seed from Section V Vanisteo/Greenwood. The other semifinal has Caleb Sweet, the No. 1 seed from Section V South Seneca, and No. 5 Drew Macumber from Section IV Tioga.

Tickets must be purchased online through Ticketmaster at https://www.mvparena.com/events/detail/nysphsaa-wrestling-championships.

This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: State wrestling tournament moves on to semifinals