GLENS FALLS – Ballston Spa’s Steve Paniccia and Joe Shell of Colonie pulled off biggest upsets Saturday in the semifinal round of the Section II Wrestling Championships at the Glens Falls Civic Center, as both fifth seeds took out top-seeded wrestlers.
Paniccia, the fifth seed, beat top-seeded Dylan Clarke of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 4-3, at 160. Shell beat Saratoga’s Ford Plowman, 3-2, escaping from the bottom position in the second 30-second overtime, in their 171 semi. Shell lost to Plowman in last weekend’s Class A final.
Shenendehowa went 5-for-6 in the Division I semis. Colonie advanced four to the finals, LaSalle has three in finals, all top seeds.
Among the others advancing to the finals were John Acors and Zeal McGrew of Burnt Hills; Niskayuna’s Alex Espina, who picked up his 100th win in the 145 semis; unbeaten Chris Ohnsman of Ballston Spa (189); Mohonasen’s Anthony Paturso (145); and state bronze medalist Giuseppi Lanzi of Amsterdam (152)
In Division II, Duanesburg went 5-for-7 in the semis. Whitehall was 5-for-6. Mechanicville went 4-for-4.
The Eagles were led by returning champs Evan Borst (125) and Nick Gwiazdowski (215). Top seeds Josh Harrison (152) and Sam Chase (285), and two seeds David Kohls (160) and Tim Fensterer (189) all moved on for Mechanicville, with Harrison overcoming a 4-0 deficit against Duanesburg’s Ryan Brown.
State finalist Vince Gallo of Schalmont (189) and Cobleskill-Richmondville’s Donny Radliff (119) pinned in the semis; and Ravena state placer Andy Lyman (130) moved into his fourth sectional final.
Semifinal results
DIVISION I
96 –Brandon Lapi (Ams) dec. Tyler Wood (Qby), 10-3; Shawn Berman (Alb) dec. Cody Meissner (AP), 12-6. 103 –Cody Mosely (AP) pinned Joey Butler (BH), 1:00; Blake Retell (Shaker) dec. Josh St. John (Qby), 9-7 (ot). 112 –Brendan Goldup (LaSalle) pinned Josh Colura (Sco), 4:37; Will Richards (Lan) dec. Brendan Morgan (Colum), 4-3. 119 –Nick Kelley (Shen) pinned James Ronca (BS), :58; Kevin Bates (Guild) dec. Corey Southard (Colum), 11-1. 125 – Connor Sutton (LaSalle) dec. David Almaviva (Shen), 3-1; Steve Anson (Colonie) pinned Mark Hitchcock (Mohon), 2:46. 130 --Jason Chudzinski (Colonie) technical fall over E.J. Hart (Colum), 5:07; Max Miller (Shen) pinned Nick Leffler (Scotia), 5:29. 135 – John Belanger (Shen) dec. Travis Wolanski (Giuld), 14-6; Jon Clemente (LaSalle) dec. Brandon Guthrie (Colonie), 10-2. 140 – Seth Hazelton (Shen) dec. Evan Myers (Qbury), 16-3; Dan Palmerino (Ams) dec, Evan Wallace (Colum), 12-4.145 – Alex Espina (Nisk) dec. Jesse Bolduc (Qbury), 9-4; Anthony Paturso (Mohon) dec. Josh Lyle (BH), 6-0. 152 – Giuseppi Lanzi (Ams) pinned Jared Wojtowecz (BS), :42; Matt Lashway (Qbury) technical fall over Tom Esmann (BH). 160 – Steve Paniccia (BS) dec. Dylan Clarke (BH), 4-3; Zach Zovistoski (Colonie) dec. Austin Schnapp (Lans), 11-1. 171 – Joe Shell (Colonie) dec. Ford Plowman (Sara), 3-2 (sv); Chad Obzud (Lans) dec. Eugene Sellie (Guild), 7-6. 189 – Chris Ohnsman (BS) dec. Matt McCarty (Colonie), 3-1; Tony Fusco (Qbury) dec. Tyler Kraus (Mohon), 5-3. 215 –Mike Almaviva (Shen) dec. Isaiah Earing (Schen), 8-2; John Acors (BH) pinned Josh Barbuto (Beth), 6:51. 285 – Zeal McGrew (BH) pinned Matt McCarthy (Guild), 5:29; Alex Boudreau (AP) dec. Luke Guild (Colum), 8-3.
DIVISION II
96 – John Delaney (Wvt) pinned Carter Merecki (Salem), 2:46; Casey Ballard (Cairo-Durham) dec. Connor Franzese (Cohoes), 6-1. 103 –Zach Marcel (Corinth) pinned Kody Bruno (HudFalls), 3:36; Freddy Pechette (Ravena) dec. Al Aubin (White), 7-2. 112 –Noah Valastro (HudFalls) dec. Tim Ross (Corinth), 8-4; John Diekel (White) pinned Connor Lawrence (Duanes), 1:39. 119 –Danny Radliff (Coble) pinned Zack Winney (HudFalls), :31; Curt Rowley (Duanes) dec. Donavan Santisteban (Warr), 1-0. 125 – Evan Borst (Duanes) dec. Kyle Mulcahy (Corinth), 13-3; Curt Thompson (White) dec. Taylor Treadgold (Voor), 8-1. 130 – Andy Lyman (Ravena) dec. Paul Billings (Cohoes), 12-4; Gus Clark (Duanes) pinned Andrew Etman (Wvt), 1:30. 135 – Randy White (Duanes) dec. Kyle DiCaprio (Alb. Acad.), 5-2; Tyler Nicholson (Corinth) dec. Chris Disonnel (Cohoes), 7-1. 140 – Brian Walsh (Wvt) pinned Zach Wilder (C/FP), 2:49; Karl Palmer (Gran) dec. Davin LeClair (Corinth), 9-0. 145 – Jake Oswald (Tamarac) dec. Robert Flemming (Salem), 9-1; Aaron Dudley (HudFalls), 3:30. 152 – Josh Harrison (Mech) dec. Ryan Brown (Duanes), 8-6; Brandyn Ainsworth (B-P) dec. Brad Burns (HooFalls), 2-1. 160 – Travis Beayon (White) dec. Nick Waytkus (HudFalls), 4-0; David Kohls (Mech) dec. Joel Murray (Coble), 5-3. 171 – Zach Diekel (White) dec. Erik Franklin (Fonda), 18-6; Dustin Hallock (Cohoes) dec. Kyle McKeighan (Salem), 6-3. 189 – Vince Gallo (Schal) pinned Clint DuMoulin (Corinth), 1:22; Tim Fensterer (Mech) pinned Renel Potter (Alb.Acad.), 3:09. 215 – Nick Gwiazdowski (Duanes) dec. Eric Hastings (Gran), 9-0; Grant Gebo (White) dec. Adam Biron (Johns), 4-1. 285 – Sam Chase (Mech) pinned Jack Clark (Luz), 2:23; Luke Albrecht (HudFalls) pinned Don Case (Voor), 3:32.
