H.S. WRESTLING: TIOGA'S SINDONI DOES IT AGAIN, REPEATS AS NHSCA HIGH SCHOOL NATIONALS CHAMP; BELLIS, DUNCANSONS, SILVESTRI WIN MEDAL-ROUND MATCHES (2023-03-26)

Valley Sports Report
VIRGINIA BEACH — Tioga senior Emily Sindoni lived up to her No. 1 national ranking by repeating as the 126-pound champion here Sunday morning at the National High School Coaches Association High School Nationals.

All five of Tioga’s wrestlers in action Sunday won their medal-round matches. Junior Caden Bellis finished third at 138 pounds, while junior Ousmane Duncanson placed fifth at 152 pounds, and junior Gianni Silvestri and freshman Jayden Duncanson each placed seventh at 126 pounds.

All five clinched All-American status (top eight in each weight class) Saturday.

Sindoni, ranked No. 1 in the nation at 132 pounds, went 6-0 on the weekend. She won three of her first five matches by fall, and the other two via major decisions.

In the finals, Sindoni registered a dominant 7-1 decision over Lexy Pabon, a two-time state finalists in Maryland.

Sindoni scored a takedown just 14 seconds into the first period, and rode top the remainder of the opening stanza.

She recorded an escape 20 seconds into the second period, then scored a pair of takedowns for a 7-1 lead before riding top the final 37 seconds of the middle two minutes.

The wresters spent the final two minutes on their feet.

Sindoni has signed to wrestle collegiately at Utica University under former N.Y. State champ and Lansing grad Connor Lapresi.

JUNIOR DIVISION
Bellis earned a hard-fought, 4-2, decision over PIAA sixth-place finisher Gunnar Myers of Wallenpaupack, who was an NHSCA national champ in 2022, in the 138-pound third-place match.

After a scoreless first period, Bellis rode top for the entire second period.

Bellis chose bottom to start the third period, and Myers elected to start the period neutral, giving Bellis a 1-0 lead.

Bellis scored a takedown with 1:15 remaining in the match to up his advantage to 3-0, and rode top for 50 seconds.

Myers scored a reversal with 25 seconds remaining to close the gap to 3-2, then cut Bellis loose, but was unable to score in the final 20 seconds.

Ousmane Duncanson turned in a dominant performance in the 152-pound fifth-place match, pinning Jacob Zearfoss, a sixth-place state finisher in New Jersey, in 3:09.

Duncanson opened the scoring with a five-point move midway through the first minute, and kept Zearfoss on his back for the final 30 seconds to take a 5-0 lead into the second period.

Duncanson scored a quick escape to up his lead to 6-0, then took Zearfoss to his back for the fall midway through the period.

Silvestri used a trio of third-period takedown to win a 7-2 decision over Daniel Aranda of Florida in the 126-pound seventh-place match.

After a scoreless first period, Silvestri rode top for the entire second period.

Aranda cut Silvestri loose to start the third period, and the Tioga junior quickly made it 3-0 with a takedown.

Silvestri added two more takedowns, including one with 1 second remaining to seal the victory.

FRESHMAN DIVISION
Jayden Duncanson took control early and won a 10-1 major decision over Benjamin Kohler, a Utah state runner-up, in the 126-pound seventh-place match.

Duncanson hit a five-point move midway through the first period, and took a 5-0 lead into the second period.

Kohler rode top the entire second period, then chose neutral to start the third period, but Duncanson added another takedown, and three more near-fall points to extend his lead to 10-0 before Kohler broke on to the scoreboard with a late escape.

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IN PHOTO: Tioga’s Emily Sindoni.