Fifteen Division 2 wrestlers from New York City will be competing at the state tournament in Albany this weekend. While they are all capable of doing well, below are some of the wrestlers who enter the tournament with top credentials.
99 – Dolan McColgan, Petrides
The 7th-seeded McColgan is a returning state qualifier, going 1-2 last year. He comes in with a 35-1 record including wins over Chris Martorello of Fordham Prep, John Luke DeStefano of Poly Prep, and D1 PSAL Champ Malik Grant of Curtis. If he wins his first round match he will run into returning state place winner Andrew Flanagan in the quarterfinals. McColgan has a lot of experience in big tournaments, having competed at Fargo this summer, and if he can capitalize on that experience, he has a chance to earn a state medal this weekend.
113 – Cheick Ndiaye, Brooklyn International
Cheick is a returning state finalist and the top seed at this weight, but he couldn’t have picked a tougher bracket to try to win, as there are six returning state medalists at 113 lbs. In the opening round he will face Matt Morris of Albany Academy who is 41-1 on the year. Should he get by him he will likely face Andrew Marra, who placed 4th at 106 last year. Next Cheick could see Nick Casella in the semis - Casella was a state finalist last year, but Cheick beat him 7-2 at Eastern States. The other side of the bracket features Austin Keough - who has split matches with Cheick this year - and Dillon Stowell.
170 – Adis Radoncic, Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy
Adis, a Junior, is making his third trip to Albany this weekend. Last season he went 2-2, narrowly missing a medal, and has earned the 6th seed this weekend. Adis’s first test may come in the quarterfinals, when he will likely face 3rd seed Geno Bracati of Hudson Falls. In his last trip to Albany, Adis also faced Brancati and emerged victorious with a second period pin. Should he advance, he would probably face 2nd seed Troy Seymour of Peru in the semifinal. Seymour place 4th at this weight last year and will be a tough test for Radoncic. The top seed at this weight is Christian Dietrich of Greene who beat Adis at the Eastern States.
