2025 Eastern States Classic Results:

This year’s Eastern States Classic was a memorable one for the CHSAA. We had several teams representing the Red and Black this weekend and oh boy did they show out! We had three teams fall in a Top 15 Team finish as well as 12 Wrestlers collecting a Top 8 Podium Finish. So, let’s not stall and get right into the news! 

Congratulations to the St. Francis Red Raiders who won the Team Title this past weekend at Impact Athletic Center. The Red Raiders fell just short of a team title at last year’s event when Minisink Valley ran away with a 97pt team score over St. Francis’ 83.5pts. Determined to add an ESC Team Title to their list of accolades the Red Raiders went on a roll at this year’s event with a total team points of 146.5 blowing out runner up Minisink Valley’s 99.5 Team Score. Coach Lorenz and Coach Messore are creating something absolutely special in the St. Francis Wrestling Room as they have in a short amount of time made strides into creating a State Wrestling Powerhouse!

The Red Raiders who nabbed podium honors are as follows:

101lbs Tanner Catrabone (3rd Place)

116lbs Cullen Edwards (4th Place) 

152lbs Rory White (7th Place)

160lbs Griffin Laplante (2nd Place) 

215lbs Zachary Caldwell (4th Place)

285lbs William Wortkoetter (1st Place)

The Iona Prep Gaels were not to be counted out of the team race this past weekend. The Gaels were in tight contention with Minisink Valley for a Runner-Up Finish. Ultimately the Gaels fell just 2.5pts short with 97pts to Minisink Valley’s 99.5pts. The Gaels improved from their team finish from last year as well. At last year’s event the Gaels finished in 7th place as a team and improved to a 3rd place finish at this year’s event! Since 2020 Iona Prep has become one of the top programs in the state. Coach Straehle, Coach Degl, Coach Cipriano, and Coach Fama have elevated the program to tremendous heights in their recent tenure and continue to add accolades to their program. 

Three Gaels hold podium honors and are as follows: 

138lbs Vincent Tripaldi (3rd Place) 

145lbs George Johnson (3rd Place) 

170lbs Paolo Ciatto (3rd Place)

The Chaminade Flyers represented Long Island CHSAA very strongly with a Top 15 Team Finish! With 46.5pts the Flyers edged Central Catholic by just .5pts but narrowly fell behind Newtown by 1pt in Team Placement. The Flyers finished up with a 14th Place finish and had 2 Flyers nab Individual Podium Finishes. Congratulations to Coach Cole and Coach Accordino on yet another accomplishment!

The 2 Flyers who hold podium honors are as follows:

131lbs Finnegan O’Brien (8th Place)

138lbs Jake Nieto (5th Place)

Monsignor Farrell represented Staten Island proudly with a 30th Team Place Finish and even had a Lone Lion nab a podium finish. The Farrell Lions have had success on the Eastern States Stage before with a former champion and other place winners. Last year it was Kyle Jacobs who stepped up as first Lion to place at the tournament since Mike Adams in 2020. Congratulations to Coach Hamm and Coach Seitz on such an accolade!

This year the Lone Lion to earn Podium Honors is:

116lbs Brennan Sprague (8th Place)

Brennan Sprague was also awarded the Tournament’s Most Pins Award for having the most pins out of any wrestler in the tournament with 5 pinfalls! What an impressive feat!

This year’s Eastern States Classic was a fun one for the CHSAA indeed. We had 3 Teams finish in the Top 15, 4 Teams fell in the top 50, and 12 Wrestlers earned honors in their respective weights. Our section is growing at a rapid rate and is becoming a state powerhouse. Being able to call yourself one of the best teams not only in your state, but across multiple states in your region and coast is a whole other feat. This tournament features Nationally ranked wrestlers and teams and our wrestlers and programs can call themselves the best of them. Congratulations to all Teams who competed this weekend at Impact Athletic Center. Next stop, post season…February is approaching.