OWEGO– This past weekend, January 29 and 30, Owego Free Academy played host to the STAC Championships in Section IV wrestling, consisting of 16 different teams.
Chenango County’s Norwich sent their squad of 16-wrestlers to the tournament, pulling off an impressive third place team finish, only being edged by Johnson City and state ranked Vestal.
“We were leading both days. They (Vestal) were not even in the picture, then out of nowhere,” said Norwich head coach Bob Hagenbuch. “We were battling Elmira and Johnson City. Johnson City eventually edged us by four.”
Equally impressive as than the third place finish for The Tornado, they also boasted a tournament high six wrestler in the finals. Two of whom, Ty Rifanburg at 126-pounds and Zach Mills at 132-pounds, went on to win.
Out of the impressive 16 wrestlers who wrestled for The Tornado this past weekend, two would win their weights, four would place second, two would battle back through wrestle backs to earn the third place spot, and one would place fourth.
Ty Rifanburg would once again have an impressive tournament showing on the year, as he would come into the tournament seeded second. Ty would earn two pin falls on his way to the finals against the number one seed Derek Osman of Vestal. In epic fashion Ty would secure a takedown at the buzzer in the third period to edge Osman 2-1 and earn first.
Zach Mills at the very next weight class, 132-pounds coming in as the number one seed, made his way to the finals by way of a pin fall, a major decision and 7-5 win over Windsor’s Nick Kennedy in the semi-finals. Mills would own the match at 9-2 over Susquehanna Valley’s Paddy Lupole, the number two seed.
“Mills wrestled real well, and Ty had a takedown at the buzzer against Osman, ranked one,” explained Hagenbuch.
At 99-pounds Eli Rodriguez was made to battle with fellow teammate Mikey Squires in what proved to be a dogfight, Rodriguez only edging Squires 3-0. Rodriguez would suffer a loss in the finals to Horseheads and number two seed Devin Woodworth. Squires would go on to win his next two in the wrestle backs to earn third.
At 106-pounds, Nick Glanville would see success on the weekend when he earned two pins, followed by a match in the semi-finals where he would upset the number one seed Rick Chastine from Union-Endicott. Glanville would suffer a 6-2 loss to Erick Rigal of JC in the finals.
Dalen Geislinger would earn a third place finish at 120-pounds, over Chenango Forks Pat Borelli, after suffering a 8-1 loss to the number two seeded wrestler, Noah Carpenter of Elmira.
Cole Rifanburg would earn the first place seed in the tournament at 138-pounds, as well as two pins and a 9-2 victory en route to the finals against number two Isaiah Colgan of Johnson City. Colgan would edge Rifanburg in a heartbreaking loss 4-3.
Brennen Slater at 170-pounds would make the finals after earning two pins and 8-4 victory over Vestal’s Conan O’Brien in the semi-finals. Slater would suffer another close one to the number one seed, Micah Miller of Maine Endwell at 10-8.
Jake Franklin would suffer an early loss to the number one seed at the 182-pound weight class only to fight his way back through the wrestle backs earning a fourth place finish.
Norwich would finish at 196, just four points out of second as a team behind Johnson City who had 200 on the weekend.
The Tornado wrestlers are now preparing for the Section IV Class B Tournament this Friday, Feb. 6.

A full report and brackets of the STAC championships can be found on cnywrestling.com.

Team scores in order of place: Vestal- 222.5; Johnson City- 200; Norwich- 196; Elmira- 184; Horseheads- 145; Maine Endwell- 139.5; Chenango Valley- 129; Windsor- 118; Union-Endicott- 117; Chenango Forks- 100.5; Owego Free Academy- 99; Susquehanna Valley- 76.5; Corning-Painted Post- 48; Oneonta- 44; Ithaca- 42; Binghamton- 36.5.