Sky’s the limit for N-W wrestlers

by Eric Keppeler
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, December 7, 2006

It’s hard to imagine that the Niagara-Wheatfield wrestling team could come up with a better season than the one the Falcons enjoyed in 2005-06, but N-W coach Tim Lukasik says his team will give it its best shot.

As a team, the Falcons dominated the Niagara Frontier League with a perfect 7-0 record and went 9-0 overall. They cracked the state rankings and made it as high as 15th before season’s end. Individually, they had good success at the sectional and state competitions.

Lukasik thinks they can do even better this season.

“We’re hoping to improve on what we did last year,” he said. “We’ll have some tough matches in our own section, and we’ve also scheduled some very challenging tournaments that should help to improve our ranking. We’ll get to see some teams from across the state that we don’t usually get to see. And that will just make us better.”

Leading the way will be seniors Jake Koshinski and Zack Lange. Koshinski is the defending sectional champion and went on to place second in the state at 171 pounds. He’ll wrestle at either 171 or 189 this year. Lange won the sectional crown at 130 pounds last year and he also went to states, although he didn’t place. He also went to states as an eighth grader, and Lukasik says Lange has a great shot at breaking the school record for career victories, competing this season at 135 pounds.

Eighth grader Joey Malvestuto moves up from the junior varsity to start at 96 pounds, while freshman Ysean Ali also moves up from the JV at 103 pounds. Freshman Antonio Ventry is back for a third varsity season, and he moves up a class from 103 to 112.

Junior Jehad Ali was third at the state qualifier last year at 112 pounds, and he now moves up to 119. Junior John Golden also returns at 125, while junior Joe Silluzio moves up from the JV at 130.

Senior Josh Sorley won 30 matches last year at 140 pounds and finished third in the state qualifier. Junior Chad Leadingfox came up to the varsity last year, and he now gets the nod at 145 pounds.

Sophomore Bob Malvestuto at 152 pounds and freshman Angelo Malvestuto at 160 both return. Juniors Andrew Rickard and Emmett Printup both move up from the junior varsity, and both have looked good at 171 pounds.

Senior Darren Sneed at 215 was hurt much of last year, so junior Josh Kraft saw some time in that slot. Kraft can also wrestle at 275, as does returning senior Joe Rickard.

Lukasik also credits assistant coach Rick Sweney with much of the program’s success. Sweney, a longtime varsity coach at Niagara Falls High School, makes sure the Falcons’ junior varsity wrestlers are ready to compete at the next level when they get the opportunity.

“We’ve got the makings of a good team,” Lukasik said. “We need to keep our heads on straight. You’ve got to be blessed to win a championship because a lot of things have to go right. We’ve had some success, but now people are gunning for us.”