Wantagh HS Wrestling History
PETE VENIER: 130 lbs 1956
1st Long Island Champion in Wantagh History. There were no states at the time Pete placed 1st. Apparently, at this time they had a Long Island Championship. They changed this to a Section 8 County Championship and you could advance to the Long Island Championships as you continued to win. They was no state tournament in place until 1963.
HERB WOLF 141 LBS 1957 – 1958
Herb placed 3rd two years in a row during 1957 and 1958. He was the first Wantagh wrestler to place in two straight years.
JOHN CODIGNOTTI 134 LBS 1960
John placed 1st at 134 pounds in the Section 8 Tournament and then 1st in the Long island Chaampionships.
DOUG EDWARDS HWY 1957
Mr. Edwards placed 4th at the Mepham Wrestling Tournament for Section 8. There was no Long Island Championship or States at the time.
JOHN KELLY 158 LBS 1960
Mr. Kelly wrestled at 158 lbs and placed 1st in the Section 8 Tournament and 2nd in 1960. In 1961 at he place 4th at the Section 8 Tournament at 161 lbs
WALLY ROLL 1960 HWY
Wally was a three sport athlete and one of the best in every sport he played including Football, Baseball and Wrestling. Wally placed 4th in 1959 in the Section 8 Tournament and 1st at HW in his senior year of 1960 and won the award for the most pins in the least amount of time. He is currently living in Montana.
WERNER KELLER 1960 128 LBS
This wrestler placed 3rd at 128 lbs in 1960 at the Long Island Championships and helped Wantagh take second place among the Long Island Teams. In 1962 he won the Section 8 Championships.
Other wrestlers from this era who placed:
TOM PRESCOTT 2nd place at the 1960 Tournament at 140 lbs.
JAY SCHERLINE 116 lbs placed 1st at the Section 8 Tournament in 1962
LOUIE ( MICKEY ) ZIMMER 122 lbs placed 4th in 1962
RAY STEGMEIER: Placed 3rd in 1962 at the Nassau County Tournament.
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Profiles of NY State Place Winners
1963 PETE HENNING 98 lbs. 1st (sophomore)
After losing to Ron Russo of Seaford in the season opener, Pete ran off 25 in a row to become the 1st NY State champ ever crowned at 98 lbs. Pete would place twice more in the Counties, losing to the eventual state champ both as a junior and senior. Pete went on to Lehigh University where he placed 2nd in the EIWAs at 130 lbs. in 1968 finishing out his career as Lehigh captain in 1969. He served 30 years in the US Navy and retired as a Captain. Pete now resides in Edmond, Oklahoma. An interesting tidbit: at the 1968 NCAAs held at Penn State, 3 Wantagh alums were entered in the same weight class (130 lbs.) Pete Henning, Lehigh, Billy Germann, Moorhead St (MN) and Steve Comiskey, Navy.) A truly rare occurrence.
1965 BILLY GERMANN 115 lbs. 2nd (senior)
Billy was a part of what became known as ‘The 3 Musketeers’ which included classmates Steve Comiskey and Pete Henning. All 3 made the Nassau County finals in 1965 at 115, 123 and 130 – Wantagh finished #2 behind Mepham. Billy placed 3rd in the Counties as a junior, although he was behind Steve Comiskey (also at 115) on the depth chart. As a senior Billy made the hard cut to 115 again and helped end Mepham’s 44 match win streak at Wantagh by breaking open a tie bout with a stunning fall which provided the 2-point margin of victory. Billy went on to the NYS finals losing a close 2-1 decision in the finals as his last second take down was waved off by the referee. Billy wrestled for Moorhead State (MN) and placed 3rd in the NAIA as a true freshman. Billy was a decorated Viet Nam veteran who settled in Minnesota after his service to teach and coach wrestling.
1968 JOHN HENNING 130 lbs. 2nd (junior)
John went unbeaten at 130 during the season and was the #1 seed at the Counties where he won a close decision in the semi-finals over current Wantagh coach Paul Gillespie of Baldwin. John advanced to the state finals where he dropped a 3-2 decision in the finals on a take down with under 10 seconds remaining.
1968 TERRY PHELAN 141 lbs. 2nd (senior)
Terry blitzed through the regular season unbeaten with his infamous ‘hip-toss’ pinning most opponents, including in the finals of the Counties. That performance resulted in Terry being named Section 8 OW. Terry advanced to the NY state finals where he dropped a close bout. It was Terry, as a freshman in 1965, who upset his heavily favored opponent 6-5 that started Wantagh on its way to ending Mepham’s 44-match win streak. Terry will go down as one of Wantagh’s all-time most exciting wrestlers. Terry went on to win the SUNY title at 150 lbs. for Brockport before his long and distinguished Hall of Fame career as head coach at William Floyd HS where his team won a Section 11 title.
1969 TOMMY CAMPANELLI 98 lbs. 1st (senior)
Tommy may have been short in stature but had the heart of a lion. He never weighed 98 lbs. until his junior year and then just barely. It didn’t stop him from upsetting a returning NY State place winner in the finals of the Counties in 1968. Tommy continued to lift and built himself into a dynamo. Tommy won the NY state title after defeating future NCAA finalist Jack Spates in the semifinals with a late reversal. Tommy, who could leg press 800 lbs. went on to a career as a professional jockey before taking a job in the Treasury Dept. He was in the North Tower on 9/11 and escaped unharmed.
1969 JOHN HENNING 141 lbs. (senior)
John entered the County tournament unbeaten and had a difficult match in the semifinals before meeting up with top seed and old rival Paul Gillespie, also unbeaten, in the finals. John overcame a 5-1 deficit to win 6-5 on just barely over a minute riding time. At the states, John had to get by the Section 11 OW in the semifinals and did by scoring back points in the last 15 seconds. John went to Lehigh University to wrestle followed by a long career in the business world, most recently in financial services and banking. John has written blogs for over 20 years on college wrestling, formerly publishing NCAA D1 rankings for WrestlingReport.com. As college editor for WR.com, John attended several NCAA tournaments as a member of the media.
Tom Ryan 1985 – 1987 119 – 138 lbs
Tom Ryan was a 3x All-Nassau County wrestler and 3x All-New York State wrestler for Wantagh high school. In 1985, he placed 1st in the County and 4th in NYS. In 1986, Tom won the Counties and placed 3rd in NYS. In his senior year of 1987, Tom won the Counties for the third time and defaulted to place 6th in NYS after suffering an injury in which he could not wrestle further in the tournament. After graduating from Wantagh, Tom wrestled for 2 years at Syracuse University where he was the 1989 EIWA Champion. Tom transferred to the University of Iowa where he wrestled for legendary coach Dan Gable. At Iowa, Ryan was a 2x Big Ten Champion. Tom was a 2x NCAA All-American, taking 2nd in the 1991 NCAA Tourney and 3rd in 1992. Following graduation from Iowa, Tom spent 2 years as an assistant coach at Indiana University. In 1995 Ryan became the 9th head wrestling coach at Hofstra University.
Career Coaching Dual Record: 294-145-2 (.669)
Ohio State Coaching Dual Record: 185-63 (.746)
Hofstra Coaching Dual Record: 109-82-2 (.570)
HIGHLIGHTS:
Led the Ohio State wrestling program to unprecedented heights, capturing the 2015 NCAA National Championship
• NCAA team runner-ups in 2008, 2009, 2017, 2018 and 2019
• Seven top-3 NCAA Championships team finishes and five consecutive (2015-19)
• Top-8 team finishes in 11 of the last 12 NCAAs
• Three-time Intermat National Coach of the Year (2008, 2009, 2015)
• Two-time NCAA Head Coach of the Year (2009, 2015)
• Three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2015, 2017, 2018) after capturing three B1G titles in four-year stretch (2015, 2017, 2018)
• Head coach at Hofstra University from 1995-2006
• Earned seven conference coach of the year awards as the Pride head coach
• Two-time New York State Coach of the Year
• Led Hofstra to six consecutive conference crowns and a 47-match league unbeaten streak (46-0-1) in dual action during the 2001-06 seasons
• Served as an assistant coach at Indiana University (1992-94)
• Earned bachelor’s degree in education from Iowa in 1993
• He and his wife, Lynette, have four children; Jordan, Jake, Teague and Mackenzie
Paul Standwill 1985-1987 155 lbs
I tried to gather as much information as possible but the records were dated in the eighties. I can say that Paul wrestled with Tom Ryan and he won the Counties in 1987 at 155 pounds defeating and pinning Corrello of Baldwin in 1:44 to earn his trip to the States. Paul wrestled a great tournament and placed 4th in New York. Paul attended Old Dominion University in Virginia. He is currently working in living in Islip in private business.
Paul Liguori 2004-2009 99 – 132 lbs
The reemergence of the Wantagh wrestling team coincided with the rising of a young wrestler named Paul Liguori. Paul’s Father, Jerry and Uncle Bill both wrestled for Wantagh. Jerry was one of the founding members of the Wantagh Wrestling Youth Club. Paul’s Grandfather was a Long Island Champion years earlier ( There were no states at that time ) in 1939 at Mepham HS. The background was set and he did not disappoint. Paul was a six year varsity wrestler and started every year. He was the first of two wrestlers in Wantagh history to make All State four times. Paul was an All American at the HS Nationals in Virginia Beach losing in the finals in overtime to Olympian, Kyle Dake, 1-0 as a 10th grader. Paul was also an All American in Fargo in 2008 capturing 6th place in Greco-Roman. In 2005 Paul placed 1st in the Qualifiers and 2nd in the County. In 2006, he placed 1st in the Qualifiers, 1st in the County and became a State Champion at 99 lbs while in 9th grade !!! In 2007, Paul replicated his efforts and won a second straight Championship. In 2008, Paul won the Qualifiers and Counties. At the states, Paul had his first loss but wrestled back and finished in third. In his senior year of 2009, Paul once again won the Qualifiers and Counties and placed third for the second year in a row becoming a 4x placer. Paul was a two year Captain of the team. Paul attended and graduated Harvard University where he was a member of the wrestling team. At the time of his graduation from HS Paul had the most wins in Nassau County over taking P.J. Gillespie for the lead. His HS record was 216-16.
John Greisheimer 2006-2009 -149 lbs to 152 lbs
John started wrestling at Oceanside High School and later transferred to Wantagh, HS where he was a two-time State Champion in 2008 and 2009. He finished his Junior year 49-1 and his Senior year 42-0. John was a Senior Captain of the team. He was also a 3X All American at the Virginia Beach Nationals. During his time at Wantagh, he helped the team capture a NYS Team Championship. Upon graduation from HS, John wrestled at Edinboro University where he completed five years of wrestling making the Division 1 Championships three times and making the round of 12 during, one year. He served as a Captain in College for three years. As a senior Edinboro University finished 5th in the Country. Currently he is working as a Florida State Trooper. He is serving as an assistant coach at St. Thomas College in Miami, Florida.
Matt Loew 2006-2010 – 189 lbs
Matt transferred over from Baldwin, New York and started wrestling on the 7th grade Middle School Team in Wantagh. In eighth grade, Matt made the varsity team and started. In 10th grade, Matt placed second in the County finals following up with County Championships in 2009 and 2010. Matt placed 2nd in the High School states during that time period. Matt served as a Captain of the team. Matt was a 7 time All American placing three times in Virginia Beach at the HS Nationals, twice in Fargo and twice in Freestyle and Greco at for his age group at the FILA Nationals. Matt finished his career with 175 wins. Matt lived and trained with the US Olympic Team for one year in Colorado before continuing his wrestling career at Hofstra University starting and earning a 4th place finish at the CAA Championships as a Freshman. He is an Assistant Coach at Nassau Community College. Matt is serving as a Suffolk County Police Officer awaiting a promotion to Sergeant. His brothers are Christopher Loew a Nassau County Police Officer ( 125 wins at Wantagh ) and Jonathan Loew.
Joseph Kavanagh 2009-2011 -171 lbs
Joseph Kavanagh was a great wrestler before attending Wantagh HS. Joe wrestled at Division HS in 2008 at 152 lbs and placed 1st at the Qualifier and 2nd in the County losing 8-6 in overtime to Kerron Williams of Baldwin. In 2009, Joe would change singlets and start for the Warriors where he placed 2nd in the Qualifiers and 1st in the County earning a trip to the states in 10th grade. In 2010, Joe continued to improve taking 1st in the Qualifiers and Counties and taking 2nd in the State. In his last year serving as a Captain in 2011, Joe won everything placing first in the Qualifier, 1st at the County and 1st in NYS. He was also a multiple All American at the Virginia Beach Nationals.
Joseph Barbato 2009-2011 – 103 lbs
Joseph was a transfer from Garden City HS wrestling on the Varsity as a 7th and 8th grader for the Grappler’s. Joe moved into Wantagh, in his Sophomore year and he did not disappoint. Joseph finished 5th in New York State in 10th grade followed up by a 2nd place finish in 11th grade. He made the states his senior year only to suffer a broken foot. Joe served as a Captain his senior year. After HS, Joe wrestled for Harvard University. Upon graduation, Joe joined the business sector and is currently working for a company in California and Oregon.
Thomas Hall 2008-2011 – 215 lbs
Thomas wrestled at a few different weights working his way up to 215 lbs. He helped the team reach a National Ranking in WIN Magazine in 2009-2010. In 2009, he took 2nd at the Qualifiers and 2nd in the County. In 2010, Thomas won the Qualifiers and finished 5th at the Counties. In his senior year of 2011, Thomas won the Qualifiers and the Counties making the NYS Championships and taking home a 6th place finish. He was a team Captain in his senior year. Thomas attended American University then transferring to Maryland University.
Danny McDevitt 2008 – 2013 138 – 170 lbs
Danny wrestled for six years on the varsity level. He started out at the lower weights but was best between 138 pounds and 170. He served as a Captain during his last year. Danny took 5th in the Qualifiers as a 7th grader in 2008. In 2009 he placed 2nd at the Qualifier and 1st in the County. In 2010, he was 1st in the Qualifier and 3rd in the County. In 2011, Dan finished 1st at the Qualifier and 2nd at the County. In 2012, McDevitt won the Qualifier and the County and placed 5th in NYS. In his last year in 2013, Danny placed 1st in the Qualifiers, 1st at the Counties and 3rd in NYS. He was an All American in Virginia Beach several times. Danny went graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and currently works in Manhattan in Finance.
James Corbett 2010-2013 – 160 – 182 lbs
James was a huge part of the Wantagh run during his four years as a starter. In 2010 he placed 6th at the Qualifier. In 2011, he placed 1st at the Qualifier.. In 2012, James placed 2nd at the Qualifier and 4th at the County. In 2013 which was his senior year, he was a Captain of the team and won the Qualifier and the Counties. He placed 2nd in New York State losing in the finals in overtime 5-3. James went onto Brown University and completed his degree and is living and working in the Boston, MA area.
Vinny Turano 2010-2013 126 – 132 lbs
Vinny was the master of the Tech Fall. He would win by 15 points more often than not. He had an engine and would not stop until he turned you. He served as a Captain in his senior year. In 2010, Vinny plaved 2nd in the Qualifier. In 2011, he finished 1st at the Qualifier and 4th in the County. In 2012, he placed 2nd at the Qualifier and 2nd in the County. There was a steady progression going up. In 2013, justice was served. Vinny placed 1st in the Qualifiers, 1st in the County and 4th in NYS. Vinny wrestled at LIU in College.
Jose Rodriguez 2011-2012 – 99 Lbs
Jose came to Wantagh from Glen Cove Middle School. Jose went 99 pounds for his two year brief stay but boy did he pay dividends… In 2011, Jose placed 3rd at the Qualifiers and 4th in the County. The following year he came roaring back and was 1st at the Qualifiers and Counties reaching the NYS finals finishing 2nd. Jose later moved to Ohio where he was a two time State Champion. He wrestled at The Ohio State University for one year reaching the NCAA and then transferred to Notre Dame University in Ohio where he won a Division 2 National Championship.
Kyle Quinn 2011 thru 2015 99, 106 and 113 lbs
Kyle started his HS career in 2011 and finished 2nd in the Qualifier. In 2012, he placed 1st at the Qualifier and 3rd in the County. In 2013, Kyle placed 1st in the Qualifier, 1st at the County and was a New York State Champion in 10th grade. In 2013, Kyle swept the Qualifiers and Counties returning to the State Championships placing 2nd in New York. In his last year of 2015, Kyle one the Qualifiers and the Counties and placed 3rd in New York State. Kyle wrestled in college and graduated at Notre Dame in Ohio along with Jose Rodriguez for a brief period of time.
Jonathan Loew 2012-2018 -99 lbs, 106 lbs, 126 lbs, 195 lbs ( to finish )
Jonathan started wrestling for Wantagh HS as a 7th grader making the Counties. He helped Wantagh, capture the Team Championship at the U/E Dual’s in overtime in the last match of the meet vs Islip in January of 2013. Jonathan helped the team win a second NYS Championship at Syracuse, NY in 2018 pinning his opponent and propelling the team past Minisink Valley. Jonathan placed all County five times taking 2nd one year and also winning twice in 2017 and 2018. Jonathan was a three time representative at the HS States were he lost in the blood round in 8th grade and then placing 3rd in his Junior and 1st in his senior year. He was a two time Captain of the team. Jonathan was a three time AA in Virginia Beach placing third in Middle School followed by a 4th place finish his Junior year and 1st in his senior year when he completed the season at 53-1. He was a two year Captain. Jonathan finished his HS career with a record of 240-41 and 122 pins. Jonathan is attending Cornell University and obtained AA status at 184 pounds ( 2022 ) with two years of wrestling left. He is majoring in Business. His siblings are Matt and Christopher.
Justin Vines 2014 – 2018 99 – 132
Justin was a five year varsity wrestler and served as a Team Captain his senior year. Justin was an All American two times in Virginia Beach. In 2014, he placed 2nd at the Qualifier and 5th at the County. In 2015, Justin finished 1st at the Qualifier and 5th at the Counties. In 2016, Justin broke thru and finished first at the Qualifier and the Counties and placed 4th in the State. In 2017, Mr. Vines put together a great season winning the Qualifier, the Counties and the NYS Championship. In his last year of 2018, Justin won the Qualifier, the Counties and finished 2nd in NYS. At the Nationals. Justin won his weight class along with Jonathan Loew as Wantagh became the first school in Virginia to have two winners at the Senior Nationals.
Josiah Encarnacion 2016-2020 99 lbs – 113 lbs
Josiah was a welcome addition to the Warriors wrestling team along with his brother Christian. Josiah wrestled and started for five years. He served as a Captain during his senior year. He is only the second wrestler in team history to be a four time State place winner. In 2016, he won his Qualifier. In 2017, Josiah won the Qualifiers and the Counties earning a trip to the states where he placed 6th. In 2018, Josian moved up the ladder once again taking 1st at the Qualifier and Counties but this time moved up to 4th in NYS. In 2019, Josiah won his Qualifier and placed first at the Counties for the third straight year and place 2nd in New York State. In 2020, his senior year Josiah won the Qualifiers, placed 2nd at the Counties earning a wild card to the States and once again showed his determination placing third in the state. Josiah is currently enrolled at the University of Virginia wrestling for Coach Steve Garland.
Matthew Rogers 2016 – 2022 120 – 182 lbs
Matt was a five year varsity wrestler and starter. He served as a Captain for two years. Matt was a stand out youth wrestler and he was destined to wrestle with the varsity early on. In 2016, Matt wrestled at 120 lbs and placed 3rd at the Qualifier. In 2017, Matt moved up in weight to 138 lbs and placed 3rd at the Qualifier and 5th in the County as a 9th grader. In 2018, Matt was a vital member of the team and helped Wantagh, capture the State Championship at the 1st Dual Meet Championships held in Syracuse as well as at the Individual NYS Championships. Matt won the Qualifiers as well as the Counties. He placed 4th in the State as a 10th grader at 170 lbs. In 2019, wrestling at 170 lbs, Matt once again won the Qualifiers and Counties placing 5th in NYS. In 2020, Matt came out with a burning desire to win and nothing would stand in his way. Mat placed 1st in the Qualifiers and 1st at the County. He swept his way to a state championship becoming the 13th State Champion in Wantagh’s history. Matt spent one year at the Naval Academy before taking his talents to Hofstra University.
Benny Rogers 2016 – 2022 99 – 152 lbs
Thank goodness for siblings. Benny was a two year Captain. He was a multiple time Virginia Beach All American ( 4 x ) reaching the finals and taking 2nd in 2021. Benny followed his brother, Matt everywhere and had no choice but to become a great wrestler. Benny joined the Warriors in 2016 and started for six years on the varsity. In 2017, at 99 lbs he placed 5th at the Qualifier. That was it for Benny finishing out of the money. In 2018, Benny placed 2nd at the Qualifiers and 4th in the County. In 2019, he placed 2nd at the Qualifier and 2nd at the County. Never satisfied, Benny came back in 2020 and placed 1st at the Qualifier, 1st in the County and 6th in NYS. In 2021, with Covid reaching its peak Benny took his talents to Florida for one year and sure enough placed 2nd in the state. He also placed 3rd in the un-offical NYS Championship where the divisions were combined and wrestled in PA. Returning for his senior year, Benny placed 1st in the Qualifiers, 1st in the County and 2nd in NYS in 2022. Benny also placed in the Beast of the East Tournament during his senior year. He is attending Cornell University.
Noah Corwin 2018-2023 106 lbs thru 172 lbs
Noah wrestled for Wantagh for six years. Each year he improved and moved up the ladder. In 2018, he placed 3rd at 106 lbs at the Qualifier and was part of the 2018 Team Championship for NYS. In 2019, he placed 4th at 132 lbs at the Qualifier. In 2020, he placed 1st at 145 lbs at the Qualifier. In 2021, there was no season due to Covid. In 2022, Noah won the Section 8 Counties at 170 lbs and lost in the wrestle backs at the states just missing a medal. He capped his senior year as one of the Captains and placed 7th in New York State at 172 lbs. In 2023, Noah finished 2nd in the County but showed his never say lose attitude and made All State.
Honarable Mention Wrestlers:
Chris Arroz 126 to 132 lbs
Chris was a five year varsity wrestler. He was a Captain in his Senior year. In 2009, he finished 4th at the Qualifier. In 2010, Chris moved up and placed 3rd at the Qualifier. In 2011, he finished 4th at the Qualifier and 5th in the County. In his Junior year of 2012, Chris placed 2nd at the Qualifiers and 2nd at the County but also won the Junior Nationals earning All American Honors in Virginia Beach. In 2013, Chris placed 1st at the Qualifiers and 3rd in the County. Chris wrestled and graduated from Columbia University. He is currently married and working in Naval Intelligence.
Chris Loew 2007-2012 145 to 171 lbs
Chris is the middle brother of Matt and Jonathan. Chris was a member of the varsity for five years. He had 125 wins. He served as a Captain in his senior year. He was an All American in Greco Roman in Fargo. In 2008-2009, he placed 6th at the Qualifiers. In 2009-2010, he placed 5th. In 2010-2011, Chris finished 1st at the Qualifiers. In 2011-2012, he placed at the Eastern States, 1st at the Qualifiers and 3rd in the County. The team in 2012 had an amazing record. Chris wrestled at Columbia University and graduated. he is currently a Nassau County Police Officer.
Ryan Arbeit 2019-2023 106 lbs up to 132 lbs
Ryan started wrestling and placed 3rd at the Qualifiers at 99 lbs in 2019. In 2020, he placed 1st at the Qualifiers at 106 lbs and 5th in the County. In 2021, the season was cancelled due to Covid. In 2022, Ryan competed at 126 lbs and won the County title and made the trip to Albany for the states. In 2023, Ryan placed second at the County Tournament and made his second trip to the Albany. He served as a Co-Captain and was a true leader. Ryan will be wrestling at Hofstra University in 2024.
Thomas Bonasera 2019-2023, 106 lbs to 138 lbs
Thomas had the heart of a lion. He was hurt a few times while wrestling at Wantagh but would always come back stronger. In 2019, Tommy placed 1st at the Qualifier at 106 lbs. In 2020, he won the Qualifiers for the second time moving up in weight to 113 lbs. In 2021, the season was cancelled due to Covid. In 2022, Thomas won the Qualifiers and finished 3rd in the County at 132 lbs. In his senior year 2023, while serving as a Co-Captain, he won the Qualifiers at 138 lbs, won the Counties and and punched his ticket to the States.