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Ballston Spa’s Tyler Barnes was giddy because he had a chance to wrestle. Mechanicville-Stillwater’s Michael Gaudette was overjoyed to have a chance to get to states for the first time.
Their matches were two of the major storylines to come out of Saturday’s Section II state qualifier at Glens Falls Civic Center.
Barnes just happens to be one of the best wrestlers in the state — he finished fifth last year and is committed to attend up-and-coming power North Carolina State next year — but he had received about 10 victories by forfeit this season. That included the key Suburban Council matchup against Columbia, which clinched the Scotties’ first league title in about a decade. Then he reluctantly accepted one at last weekend’s Class A finals.
“It’s just more frustrating. People come to watch, and then it’s a waste of time for them,” Barnes said.
La Salle’s Anthony Altomer became a quick pin victim in the Division I final, but the win elicited cheers from Ballston Spa fans, who also had Jake Cook (182) and Jake Stangle (220) capture championships, while Harvey Staulters received a Coach of the Year recognition.
“Guys just kept working hard,” Barnes said.
The same could be said of Gaudette, who went from fourth last year at sectionals to winning by pin four minutes into a Division II final. The senior at 220 pounds is getting his first state berth for the meet in two weeks at Times Union Center.
“Sort of, but not really,” Gaudette said when asked if he could have imagined this result at the beginning of the season. “Maybe top three (at sectionals). It was a great feeling, but I just had to think of the finals as just another tournament. I’m glad I finished it off, though.”
The tournament was a one-day format this year, after several years of being split into a Saturday and Sunday. Coaches and wrestlers generally approved.
But the new format left some finalists having to wrestle three matches to compete for championships that would lead to automatic state bids.
Sure, there was some expected domination. Defending state champion Orion Anderson (Schuylerville’s 120-pounder) earned a pin, but not before stoking the crowd’s awe and ire with a two-point penalty for what was viewed by officials as too harsh of a pick-up and take-down.
Brock Delsignore, a 99-pounder from South Glens Falls, earned the fastest finish of the night — a pin in 40 seconds.
“I’ve just got to keep training hard and getting better,” said the state finalist of a year ago as a seventh-grader. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do to hopefully get that state title.”
Kyle Jasenski sees himself getting some wins in downtown Albany this time. His confidence is flourishing after a rugged 160-pound final win against Eoghan Sweeney from Niskayuna. After the 5-4 outcome, the Albany Academy standout ran out of the floor area to a back hallway, where he unleashed some primal screams. He finished second here last year and is 0-4 at states in two appearances.
“This year I worked three times as hard,” Jasenski said. “It was tough, though. From (the final) 15 seconds to four seconds left, it went really fast. Then the last four, it was like, ‘Dang'”
That’s how opponents of Columbia’s fearsome foursome had to be feeling.
Michael Gonyea (113), Trent Nadeau (120), John Devine (126) and Dylan Dubuque (195) were relentless on their combined opponents, not even allowing a point that wasn’t conceded voluntarily (usually at the start of periods to get to neutral position).
“Their goals were extremely high coming into the season,” Blue Devils coach Anthony Servidone said. “I hate to say this, because this is definitely a big event. But this was more or less just a tune-up for these guys. Now we need to put in a good two weeks to get where we want to be.”
Of note, Queensbury won the Division I title — highlighted by Antoine Grace’s title at 106 pounds. Warrensburg-Bolton won the D-II crown despite having no finalists.
jfranchuk@timesunion.com
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