Season on the line for 52 Section V wrestlers. Who's heading to the state championships?

James Johnson, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

There is a lot of work that goes into a wrestler's journey to the state meet., a process for some that stretches back to the previous year's championships.

Like a long-term work or school project, the buildup to the high school season finale is slow.

Day after day of drills to tinker with styles on the mat. Workouts to stay in shape. Matchups against wrestlers who can hand out losses like unwanted advice.

There are 52 wrestlers from Section V in Albany, and all of that type of work continues through Feb. 24.

The only way to win a Division I for large school or Division II state weight class championship is to go undefeated during a tournament. One loss moves wrestlers into the fights for third-place. Two losses ends their weekend on the mats inside MVP Arena.

Here are the wrestlers from schools in Section V who worked their way to downtown Albany:

Impressive seasons

Minisink Valley's Zach Ryder wrestles Hilton's Elijah Diakomihalis in theDivision 1 189-pound championship match at the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships at MVP Arena in Albany, on Saturday, February 25, 2023.
Minisink Valley's Zach Ryder wrestles Hilton's Elijah Diakomihalis in theDivision 1 189-pound championship match at the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships at MVP Arena in Albany, on Saturday, February 25, 2023.

  • Harrison Aguirre (McQuaid senior - Div. 1 215 - 37 wins-3 losses)

  • Dino Battisti (Brockport senior - Div. 1 145 - 39-3)

  • Dylan Depew-Cappadonia (Canisteo-Greenwood junior) - Div. 2 116 - 43-2)

  • James Chase (Avon/Geneseo eighth-grader - Div. 2 - 40-3)

  • Elijah Diakomihalis (Hilton junior - Div. 1 190 - 42-0)

  • Jackson Koppers (Rush-Henrietta junior - Div. 1 152 - 29-1)

  • Noah Leitten (Perry junior - Div. 2 160 - 44-1)

  • Tavyn MacDonell (Bolivar-Richburg junior - Div. 2 170 - 44-3)

  • Samson McKissick-Staley (Pittsford sophomore - Div. 1 131 - 35-0)

  • Jacob McVige (Honeoye Falls-Lima sophomore - Div. 2 - 30-3)

  • Christopher Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima sophomore - Div. 2 - 37-0)

  • Coy Raines (Churchville-Chili senior - Div. 1 215 - 39-2)

  • Gael Sanchez (Churchville-Chili senior - Div. 1 285 - 36-2)

  • Cade Sands (Addison senior - Div. 2 138 - 58-1)

  • Wyatt Sartori (Dansville/Wayland-Cohocton eighth-grade - Div. 2 101 - 42-2)

  • Joe Scott (Letchworth eighth-grader - Div. 2 108 - 43-0)

  • Malachi Smith (Byron-Bergen senior - Div. 2 190 - 37-1)

  • Casper Stewart (Attica/Batavia senior - Div. 2 145 - 48-3)

  • Richard Wood (Brockport junior - Div. 1 124 - 42-1)

  • Braidon Woodward (Palmyra-Macedon senior - Div. 2 170 - 50-1)

Back again

William Wood of Brockport, left, maintains control as Churchville-Chili's Cael Raines tries to get to his feet and escape during their 138-pound final at the 2023 Monroe County Championships.
William Wood of Brockport, left, maintains control as Churchville-Chili's Cael Raines tries to get to his feet and escape during their 138-pound final at the 2023 Monroe County Championships.

Like some of the wrestlers listed above, here are more who returned to the state championships this winter after they qualified and wrestled in Albany in 2023.

  • Caden Allen (Bolivar-Richburg senior - Div. 2 215 - 39-5)

  • Ryan Cieslinski (Spencerport junior - Div. 1 116 - 31-5)

  • Mason Depew (Canandaigua junior - Div. 1 190 - 35-4)

  • Connor Guffey (Webster Thomas freshman - Div. 1 108 - 39-4)

  • Colton Havens (Canisteo-Greenwood junior - Div. 2 145 - 43-6)

  • Jared Haers (Palmyra-Macedon junior - Div. 2 215 - 40-11)

  • Luke Herendeen (Palmyra-Macedon senior - Div. 2 285 - 44-4)

  • Holden Kelly (Perry junior - Div. 2 131 - 38-2)

  • Landon Lazarek (Hilton senior - Div. 1 170 - 15-2)

  • Trey LeChase (Fairport sophomore - Div. 1 124 - 34-8)

  • Cael Raines (Churchville-Chili senior - Div. 1 138 - 39-5)

  • Jon Testa (Hilton sophomore - Div. 1 108 - 13-2)

  • Waylan Winseman (Honeoye Falls-Lima junior - Div. 2 152 - 30-7)

  • Beau Zeh (Canisteo-Greenwood - Div. 2 160 - 39-6)

More SuperSectional champions

McQuaid's Casey Liess goes head-to-head with Eastridge's Nkodia Ndongala in a 160-pound match earlier this season.
McQuaid's Casey Liess goes head-to-head with Eastridge's Nkodia Ndongala in a 160-pound match earlier this season.

  • Casey Liess (McQuaid sophomore - Div. 1 160 - 37-5)

  • Zachary Rooks (Palmyra-Macedon junior - Div. 2 131 - 43-8

  • Blaze Waters (Fairport junior - Div. 1 285 - 31-12)

  • John Winseman (Honeoye Falls-Lima freshman - Div. 1 101 - 31-8)

  • Teague Wolcott (Fairport junior - Div. 1 116 - 37-6)

  • William Wood (Brockport sophomore - Div. 138 - 37-4)

  • Lukas Yeager (Hilton freshman - Div. I 101 - 30-8)

More qualifiers

Pittsford’s Zach Gerby celebrates his win over Brockport’s Paul Rose in the final of the 152-pound weight class during the Monroe County Wrestling Championships, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.
Pittsford’s Zach Gerby celebrates his win over Brockport’s Paul Rose in the final of the 152-pound weight class during the Monroe County Wrestling Championships, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.

  • Rudy Antonucci (Pittsford senior - Div. 1 160 - 26-9)

  • Keegin Christian (Palmyra-Macedon senior - Div. 2 152 - 44-10

  • Zach Gerby (Pittsford junior - Div. 1 145 - 32-8)

  • Hunter Jewell-Smith (Holley/Kendall junior - Div. 2 285 - 37-5)

  • Koray Kocaoglu (Pittsford freshman - Div. 1 101 - 34-6)

  • Zane Kropman (Penfield freshman - Div. 1 170 - 10-2)

  • Connor McCaffrey (Canisteo-Greenwood eighth-grader - Div. 2 108 - 40-7)

  • Braiden Salter (Wayne junior - Div. 2 116 - 26-5)

  • Philip Testa (Hilton junior - Div. 1 - 36-7)

  • Joseph Trieste (Spencerport senior - Div. 1 131 - 24-7)

  • Luke VanGorden (Palmyra-Macedon junior - Div. 2 190 - 44-4)

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Section V wrestling: 52 athletes headed to NY state championships

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