New York City high school stars to compete at Western Junior Regionals in Las Vegas as part of MWA “

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
04/24/2005


A total of 23 of the finest PSAL wrestlers from New York City, along with their coaches will join Larry Cantor, PSAL Commissioner/Team Leader in participating in the upcoming USA Wrestling Western Junior Regional Championships to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 26-29.     This major high-school age wrestling tournament features many of the nation's best athletes who are competing in the two Olympic styles of the sport, freestyle and Greco-Roman.    The Western Junior Regional Championships will be held in conjunction with the Las Vegas/ASICS U.S. National Wrestling Championships, which is the annual national championship for Olympic-caliber athletes. In the U.S. Nationals, several members of the powerhouse team from the New York Athletic Club will also be participating.    The PSAL program has had wrestlers participating in off-season training and competitions provided through the Metropolitan Wrestling Association's "Beat the Streets Program".      The "Beat the Streets Program" is a grass roots initiative developed through USA Wrestling, the National Governing Body for  amateur wrestling in the United States. The New York City  "Beat the Streets Program" received its beginning from the successfully conducted 2003 World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling held at Madison Square Garden in New Your City.    The Metropolitan Wrestling Association through the USA Wrestling sanctioned "Beat the Streets" program has partnered with contributors to target 303 middle schools in New York City as "feeder programs" to the existing 23 PSAL programs.  The creation of new middle school programs will increase the base of high school programs in New York City, enabling the PSAL to compete on an equal basis with traditionally powerful teams from Long Island and upstate New York. In this proposed program, each participating middle school will receive a two-year grant providing the infrastructure of mats, equipment, USA Wrestling membership cards and coaching stipends.      Beginning April 26th, the MWA Beat the Streets Spring Program will begin their third annual High School Training Program at Hunter College, 250 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York inviting all wrestlers in grades 7-12.  USA Wrestling membership is required and there are no additional fees to participate.    For more information, call Al Bevilacqua, Chairman of the MWA Beat the Streets Program, at 631-598-2281.    New York City/USA Wrestling/MWA roster for Las Vegas trip  98 lbs. Peter Morales, Brooklyn, New York  105 lbs. Jonathan Soto, Brooklyn, New York  112 lbs. Carlos Soto, Brooklyn, New York  119 lbs. Hassan Mahmood, Brooklyn, New York  125 lbs. Eric Babekov, Queens, New York  125 lbs. Stephen Perez, Queens, New York  130 lbs. Vlad Davydov, Brooklyn, New York  130 lbs. Rafael Oszczapinki, Staten Island, New York  135 lbs. Jimmy Verardi, StatenIsland, New York  135 lbs. Vitaly Simkin, Brooklyn, New York  135 lbs. Jesse DiOrio, Staten Island, New York  140 lbs. Jake Villaret, Staten Island, New York  140 lbs. Corey Ranno, Staten Island, New York  140 lbs. Matt Cartusciello, Staten Island, New York  152 lbs. Will Couchon, Staten Island, New York  152 lbs. Jimmy Kielty, Staten Island, New York  152 lbs., Alex Gizersky, Brooklyn, New York  160 lbs. Brandon Stroud, Bronx, New York  160 lbs,. Tornike Ivanashvili, Brooklyn, New York  171 lbs. Dan Feliciano, Staten Island, New York  215 lbs. Peter Suszczyviski, Staten Island, New York  215 lbs. Garet Lynch, Queens, New York  275 lbs. Michael Stanley, Bronx, New York