The top youth wrestlers in New York took the mat at the NYWAY State championships.  For more, see this link.

In each division, a Most Outstanding Wrestler was selected.  Those honorees are:

Division 1: Presley McDowell, Tri-State Warriors

Division 2: Gavin Mangano, Barn Brothers WC

Division 3: PJ Duke, Iowa Style Wrestling

Division 4: Anthony Conetta, Barn Brothers WC

Division 5: Nick Fea, Underground

Division 6: Zachary Redding, Barn Brothers WC

Girls Division 1: Raelee McDowell, Ruthless Aggression Wrestling

Girls Division 2: Hailey Gladle, Evolution Wrestling

Girls Division 3: Elizabeth Hines, Cattaraugus Little Valley Youth Wrestling

Girls Division 4: Joye Levendusky, Slingshot Wrestling Club

Division 2 Most Pins: Austin Fesinger - The Square Wrestling Academy

Division 5 Most Pins: Parker Ashley - Indian River Pee Wee Wrestling

Division 6 Most Pins: Antonio Cutrie - Title Town Fight Club

Let's take a closer look at some of the standouts below.

Anthony Conetta

Division 4, 80 Pounds

Club Team: Barn Brothers WC

Path to MOW:

• Won by fall over Joseph Florance (Gorilla Grapplers Wrestling Club) (Fall 0:47)
• Won by fall over Brayden Wall (Ogdensburg Youth Wrestling Association) (Fall 2:21)
• Won by fall over Nate Merwin (Empire Elite Wrestling Club) (Fall 2:38)
• Won by fall over Joshua Warland (Journeymen Wrestling Club) (Fall 1:23)
• Won by fall over Angelo Centrone (Mahopac Wrestling Club) (Fall 3:14)

New York Wrestling News (NYWN): What was the best part of wrestling at the NYWAY State tournament over the weekend?

Anthony Conetta (AC): It was wrestling kids from different parts of the state and winning the NYWAY singlet.                                    

NYWN: You pinned your way through the event. What’s your favorite pinning combination?

AC: Highly classified!

NYWN: How long ago did you start wrestling?

AC: I started wrestling when I was 3 years old.

NYWN: What’s your favorite wrestling memory?

AC: Traveling with dual meet teams to wrestle kids from other states.

NYWN: What wrestling accomplishment are you most proud of?

AC: Winning the NUWAY Summer Nationals.

NYWN: Who are your favorite wrestlers to watch?

AC: Kyle Snyder, Jordan Burroughs, J’den Cox, Tony Ramos.

NYWN: What’s your favorite wrestling team?

AC: Penn State

NYWN: What’s the next tournament you plan to enter?

AC: War at the Shore

Presley McDowell

Division 1, 43 Pounds

Club Team: Tri-State Warriors

Path to MOW:

• Won by fall over Anthony DeRidder (Fall 0:45)
• Won by fall over Wyatt Jones (Fall 1:58)
• Won by fall over Owen Bliss (Fall 0:17)
• Won by fall over Daniel McCarthy (Fall 0:42)

New York Wrestling News (NYWN): What was the best part of wrestling at the NYWAY State tournament over the weekend?

Presley McDowell (PM): Wrestling, seeing many of my friends I made in wrestling, watching my teammate's friends and brother and sister wrestle, cheering them on. Getting my state singlet.

NYWN: You pinned everyone you faced. What’s your favorite pinning combination?

PM: Half to a cradle and spladle

NYWN: How long ago did you start wrestling?

PM: Almost 3 years ago, with my dad, brother and sisters

NYWN: What’s your favorite wrestling memory?

PM: Traveling with my family all over to many states wrestling, staying in hotels, swimming, going to Ocean City, MD for MAWA, eating clams, going to Ocean, lots of buffets, winning lots of clothes and singlets, going to Rob’s house on the boat, seeing many different things while riding and learning new things.

NYWN: What wrestling accomplishment are you most proud of?

PM: Taking 1st place at NYWAY, winning over 200 matches, 2 MOWs this year - 1 at states and 1 at the Canisteo Youth Tournament.

NYWN: Who are your favorite wrestlers to watch?

PM: Yianni and Greg Diakomihalis, my brother and sister and all of my friends. I learn something new every time I watch someone wrestle.

NYWN: What’s your favorite wrestling team?

PM: My team, Tristate Warriors/Bolivar Richburg

NYWN: What’s the next tournament you plan to enter?

PM: NUWAY Nationals in Michigan, MAWA, Tournament of Champions

Gavin Mangano

Division 2, 55 Pounds

Club Team: Barn Brothers WC

Path to MOW This Weekend:

• Won by fall over Harrison Schwab (Fall 1:12)
• Won by fall over Bobby Pullen (Fall 0:55)
• Won by fall over Ryder Reese (Fall 0:29)
• Won by fall over Kole Haseley (Fall 2:34)
• Won by decision over Abdul-Jamil Zaggout (Dec 1-0)

New York Wrestling News (NYWN): What was the best part of wrestling at the NYWAY State tournament over the weekend?

Gavin Mangano (GM): The best part of wrestling at the NYWAY states was competing against the best kids in NY and then making friends with them.

NYWN: You pinned four opponents at the event. What’s your favorite pinning combination?

GM: I used the gator roll to pin several opponents at the tournament, but my favorite pinning combination is the cement mixer.

NYWN: How long ago did you start wrestling?

GM: I started wrestling when I was in kindergarten 4 years ago.

NYWN: What’s your favorite wrestling memory?

GM: My first away tournament in Connecticut was probably one of my best memories. It was the CTWAY duals and I wrestled as part of a team.

NYWN: What wrestling accomplishment are you most proud of?

GM: Taking 1st at the 2017 NYWAY states is definitely my most proud moment.

NYWN: Who are your favorite wrestlers to watch?

GM: My favorite wrestler to watch [at the college level] is Kyle Snyder and at the [high school level] Anthony Cirillo and Adam Busiello.

NYWN: What’s your favorite wrestling team?

GM: My favorite wrestling team [in college] is Ohio State and I love to watch Rocky Point High School and Eastport-South Manor High School.

NYWN: What’s the next tournament you plan to enter?

GM: The next tournament that I plan on wrestling in is the War at the Shore in New Jersey.

PJ Duke

Division 3, 80 Pounds

Club Team: Iowa Style Wrestling

Path to MOW This Weekend:

• Won by fall over Dakota Ward (Fall 0:21)
• Won by fall over Caden Bellis (Fall 2:33)
• Won by fall over Brady Lynch (Fall 2:28)
• Won by fall over Tavyn MacDonell (Fall 0:39)

New York Wrestling News (NYWN): What was the best part of wrestling at the NYWAY State tournament over the weekend?

PJ Duke (PD): The best part of NYWAY States is that they give you a singlet if you win. This way wherever I compete wearing that singlet my opponent will know they are wrestling one of best wrestlers in New York.

NYWN: You pinned your way through the event. What’s your favorite pinning combination?

PD: A bar with a far wrist or the bar with a half Nelson. Pretty much any combination off the bar.

NYWN: How long ago did you start wrestling?

PD: I have been wrestling since I was about 3 years old, so about 7 years. I have also recently started doing Judo and hope to win Judo Nationals this year.

NYWN: What’s your favorite wrestling memory?

PD: My favorite memory is wrestling at the Penn State tournament and having Cael Sanderson, David Taylor and Nico Megaludis sign my trophy.

NYWN: What wrestling accomplishment are you most proud of?

PD: I am most proud of winning Tulsa Nationals this year. I worked really hard to get ready for that tournament. I wrestled 6 matches and only gave up 1 point the whole tournament.

NYWN: Who are your favorite wrestlers to watch?

PD: Zain Retherford, Penn State; Brian Realbuto, Cornell; Kevin Jack, NC State; Jay Albis, Johnson and Wales University

NYWN: What’s your favorite wrestling team?

PD: That is hard to choose but Penn State and Cornell.

NYWN: What’s the next tournament you plan to enter?

PD: Reno Worlds and G2 King of the Mat Nationals

One More Thing from PJ Duke ...

PD: I would like to thank my Mom and Dad for driving me everywhere and all of my coaches at Iowa Style Wrestling and Total Form Fitness Judo. Without them pushing me everyday, none of this would be possible!