Empire State Shines at Journeymen Fall Classic as LaPlante, Mangano, and Downes Headline Champions in New York

New York wrestlers stole the spotlight on Day Two of the Journeymen Fall Classic, capturing three titles and the Outstanding Wrestler award as some of the nation’s top high school grapplers battled in Schenectady

Griffin Laplante from St. Francis (NY), ranked No. 13 nationally, won the 160-pound weight class. / John Meore/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sunday morning into the afternoon, champions were crowned on Day Two of the Journeymen Fall Classic at Union College in Schenectady, New York. Some of the weights were broken into pools that led into placement brackets. Others were straight bracketed. Some weights had a “B” Division. We are focusing on the A-Listers.

From the event flier:

The event that everyone wants to see! The best of the best from across the country squaring off in a preseason modified round-robin format. Last year, our 10th year, was spectacular. We had more than 900 competitors from 30-plus states, 45 of whom were nationally ranked. We anticipate an even more competitive environment in 2025!

Best of the Best: This is a true national battleground for wrestlers. It’s all meat and potatoes! 8-, 15-, and even 24-man round-robin brackets (new) with all decorated and accomplished opponents (three to four matches for each wrestler). National, State or New England place finishers, followed by state qualifiers (if applicable), get preference.

Standard to be considered: National HS placer (depending on event and division), State High School Placer (New England placer for applicable states). A coaches’ committee from around the country ranks the wrestlers, which determines the groupings. Even though you may have been in an A bracket competition previously, doesn’t mean you’re automatically back there this year.

New York’s LaPlante, Mangano, and Downes Lead the Way

A New Yorker came up big in the 160-pound bracket as St. Francis’ Griffin LaPlante (KD6 Trained), who was carrying the No. 13 ranking, won a final bout of two wrestlers ranked at 157 pounds in High School on SI’s National Rankings with No. 8 Reagan Milheim (m2TC, Pennsylvania).

LaPlante overwhelmed Milheim early on with quick attacks resulting in three takedowns and a 10-3 edge before Milheim fought back a bit in the third to make it 11-6. LaPlante took out North Carolina’s Lorenzo Alston (No. 8 at 150 pounds) in the semifinals, 4-2.

The Empire State claimed two more titles with No. 10 Devin Downes (215, Vhw) and No. 8 Gavin Mangano (KD6) at 140 pounds. Downes (Plainedge) won an overtime encounter with a Post-Graduate from Michigan, Conor Bercume, who is attending New Jersey’s Blair Academy, 4-2. Bercume will be eligible to compete in Prep School events only on the high school level.

Mangano (Shoreham-Wading River) encountered a Jersey Grappler of his own, but mudslided his, tuning up Seach Hibler (Apex Wrestling) with a 16-1 technical fall. That outcome along with his earlier deeds led to Mangano being named the Outstanding Wrestler. Mangano posted two technical falls in the pool rounds, then a major decision of Pennsylvania’s Tanner Guenot, 11-3, and a quarterfinal, 4-3, win versus New Jersey’s Jack Abramson.

Pennsylvania’s Depth Shows with Five Champions

Pennsylvania claimed five titles with three coming from Wyoming Seminary wrestlers, No. 7 Dale Corbin (135 pounds), No. 7 Michael Turi (152), and heavyweight Anderson Palian. The two other titlists come from public schools, Northampton’s Brayden Wenrich (119 pounds) and Hazleton Area’s Jake Benyo (113).

Jake Benyo faced his brother, Gabe, who is an honorable mention entry, and won an overtime struggle to end a scoreless bout, 7:30 in ultimate tiebreaker. Wenrich is an honorable mention guy at 120 pounds and upset New York’s No. 22 Cooper Merli (Iron Horse), 6-0, in a savvy match that saw him rack up four back points on a leg ride to a reverse half, then added two in the final frame on a reversal.

Sticking with the upsets, Seminary’s Palian gained revenge on No. 26 Isaiah Taylor (AIM Academy, PA) with a 10-4 decision. A year ago, Taylor had Palian’s number as he beat him at the Pennsylvania National Prep Qualifier and at the National Prep Tournament.

Marcus Heck gave his teammate, Corbin, a battle that resulted in a single escape point that was earned by Corbin in the third period of a 1-0 loss for Heck. Turi faced a tough honorable mention wrestler from Maryland, Brooklyn Picket (Capital Wrestling Club) and came away with a 7-2 win. Pickett (Mt. St. Joseph) was coming off a third-place finish at the Grappler Fall Classic that earned him a spot in the numbers of the 150-pound ratings in the next update.

New Jersey Stands Tall with Four Gold Medalists

New Jersey’s four titlists were propped up by three from Blair, No. 11 Vincenzo Anello (130 pounds), Barry Norman (170 pounds, and No. 2 at 175 pounds, Salah Tsarni (185 pounds). Garden State power St. Joseph Regional provided the fourth gold medalist, Mikey Bautista (125 pounds). Bautista handled Nevada’s Abe Coronado (McQueen), 12-4.

Anello and Tsarni were favored and delivered. Anello shutout Honorable Mention CJ Caines (Hanover, PA), 5-0, with a takedown on a butt-drag in the first and a third period reversal. Tsarni wore down then overpowered California’s Mason Savidan (Monster Garage) for the fall in the third, 4:21. Tsarni was up 10-3 at the time of the decking.

Norman showed up big with a sweet single leg to kick off the bout versus Liberty’s No. 25 Ryder Schulte (Red Dot Wrestling, AZ). It was 4-1 headed to the third when Norman gave up a point on a technical violation and an escape, with the match ended with a 4-3 tally.

Norman’s biggest win came in the quarterfinals when he picked off No. 8 Arment Waltenbaugh (Hill School, PA), 8-7. Norman has been hovering on the outside of the rankings with a few “bad” losses outweighing some of his other wins. Today’s performance ensures Norman will have a home in our next update.

California and Oklahoma Add National Winners

California’s lone title came from No. 16 Luke Loren (Monster Garage), who won a battle of ranked wrestlers at 106 pounds over No. 26 Connor Maddox of Indiana, 7-4. Loren and Savidan do their wrestling at St. John Bosco during the season.

At 145 pounds, No. 22 Thomas J Verrette (Edmond North) used a first period takedown to defeat New York’s Matthew McDermott (Smithtown East), 3-0. Hanging tough with Verrette was not surprising from McDermott given his semifinal win over Honorable Mention Christian Jelle of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, 7-2.