Mike Torriero has spent the better part of his life on a wrestling mat.  As a senior in High School he won a New York state championship for Rocky Point and set a state record for fastest pin in the finals in the process.  He continued his career at West Virginia where he was an NCAA Qualifier.  He then started his coaching career in Suffolk County where he mentored multiple state champions through Journey Wrestling.  In 2009, he started working with Beat the Streets.  Between then and now, he has had a positive influence on the lives of countless New York City wrestlers including our first-ever high school state champion, Adis Radoncic.

What was the biggest challenge unique to NYC wrestling that you encountered when first joining BTS in September 2009?

Read more: Q&A with Mike T

Photo credit: Dave Olah

Kim Cardenas (Petrides) took home 6th place at the 2013 USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle Nationals at 97 lbs. in the Junior Division. 

With a 3-3 record for the tournament, Cardenas won her first match before falling to eventual champion Kaylee Chevez 9-1 in the quarterfinals. Cardenas then won two matches in the wrestlebacks to secure All-American status. She lost her final two matches to place 6th.

No stranger to the big stage, Cardenas won a silver medal at the Pan American Cadet Freestyle Championships in Maracaibo, Venezuela last July.

Here are her match-by-match results from this weekend's folkstyle nationals:

• Kim Cardenas (Panther Wrestling Club) dec Leah Widowski (Team Amarillo) 10-3
• Kaylee Chevez (California Rebel Wrestling) pin Kim Cardenas (Panther Wrestling Club) 3:34
• Kim Cardenas (Panther Wrestling Club) pin Coellet Rangel (California Rebel Wrestling) 4:36
• Kim Cardenas (Panther Wrestling Club) dec Naomi Chavez (Wesley Wrestling) 7-5
• Sariyah Jones (Stockton Elite Wrestling) dec Kim Cardenas (Panther Wrestling Club) 4-0
• McKenzie Bacich (Stockton Elite Wrestling) dec Kim Cardenas (Panther Wrestling Club) 1-0

Congratulations Kim on your outstanding tournament! 

UPDATE: CBS 2 posted a video piece!

BTS Volunteer Hana Askren demonstrates gut wrench technique. The fact that she is 5 months pregnant was a key point of intrigue and inspiration to the girls.

There's a lot of buzz surrounding Beat the Streets and the nascent PSAL Girls Wrestling League.

During this week's Spring Break Wrestling Camp here at the Manhattan Training Center, we've been visited by several media outlets, with more on the way. DNA.info and the NY Post have both run great articles in recent days about the start of the PSAL Girls Wrestling league; NBC and CBS will be here before the week is over. 

(More information and photos after the jump.)

Read more: Girls Program getting lots of media coverage

Ruth speaking at the 2010 BTS Gala

Wingate Alum and current Lindenwood Wrestler Ruth Leger took some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for Beat the Streets. Enjoy!

Ruth, you first wrestled at Wingate High School in Brooklyn and with the Beat the Streets Women's Program -- how did your wrestling experiences in high school prepare you for college wrestling?

Read more: Interview with Ruth Leger

"Things didn't turn out the way I wanted or thought they should. But in the end, wrestling has taught me more than I can remember. I am excited for my future and although hard to truly feel it right now, I am proud of my past. With regards to the perpetual support I and my teammates alike have received, thank you all. It is not taken for granted. I hope to cross paths in the future with each and every one of you so that I can personally thank you. Build and Believe."

Friday night Monsignor Farrell Alum and current Army 141-pounder Connor Hanafee was defeated 5-3 by West Virginia's Nathan Pennesi.  The loss eliminated Connor from the NCAA Tournament.  Connor compiled a record of 21-15 on the year and a career mark of 52-39.  This year Connor placed 4th at the Oklahoma-Gold Tournament, 5th at the New York Collegiate States, 5th at the Southern Scuffle, and 7th at the EIWA's.  Connor was the first Monsignor Farrell Alum to compete in the NCAA Tournament and the first competetor at the tournament with ties to Beat the Streets.

On a personal note, Connor's statement after his loss, posted above, clearly demonstrates what a fine, upstanding man he has become.  He is an excellent representative of Beat the Streets, Monsignor Farrell, USMA, and every other organization he's ever been a part of.  Hopefully, Connor's example will blaze a trail for future generations of New York City wrestlers.

Monsignor Farrell Alum Connor Hanafee, the first wrestler with BTS ties to ever compete in the NCAA Division I Tournament, fell in his opening round match by a score of 12-2 to Joey Lazor of Northern Iowa.  Hanafee now moves into the consolation bracket where he will wrestle Nathan Pennesi of West Virginia.  Pennesi entered the tournament with a record of 21-9 and lost 8-3 in the first round to Luke Vaith of Hofstra.  If Hanafee beats Pennesi he will wrestle Frank Cimato of Drexel.  Hanafee defeated Cimato 8-7 earlier this season.

The match will be broadcast at 7:30pm tonight, tune in to espn3.com to watch the Lions alum.

Starting today, the eyes of the wrestling world will be on Des Moines, IA and the NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament.  The featured weight class for the event is 165 pounds, where Cornell’s Kyle Dake will attempt to become the first wrestler to win four titles at four different weight classes.  His likely finals opponent is David Taylor of Penn State.  The Nittany Lion is 96-2 on his career and is the defending National Champion at 165.  Last season, Taylor cleaned up the individual awards, taking home the the NCAA Championship's Outstanding Wrestler Award, the NCAA season Most Dominant Award, and wrestling's Heisman, Dan Hodge Trophy as the best wrestler in the country.

As much of the country focuses on the 165 lbs. weight class, New York City will look at 141 where Monsignor Farrell’s Connor Hanafee will represent Army.  The Black Knight Senior is 21-13 on the season.  He qualified for nationals by placing 7th at the EIWA Tournament.  Hanafee already owns wins over four of his competitors in the tournament, having beaten Dean Pavlou (Tennesee-Chattanooga), Brandon Nelsen (Purdue), Frank Cimato (Drexel), and Julian Feikert (Oklahoma State).  His wins over Keikert and Pavlou came at the very competitive Southern Scuffle, where Hanafee went 7-2 to place 5th.

Read more: 2013 NCAA Championship Preview