ALBANY – Danny Gormley’s five-year climb up the awards podium ended one step short of the summit, while Tristan Rifanburg, the best in the state a year ago, had to settle for second best at the 49th Annual New York State Wrestling Championships, Saturday night at the Times Union Center in Albany.

Gormley, a Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton senior, was making his fifth New York State tournament appearance. He progressively improved at the tournament the past three years moving from sixth to fifth, and to a career-best third a season ago.

Facing Section II’s Andy Lyman in the 125-pound finals, a controversial stalling call on Gormley in the third period with a minute to go coupled with a Lyman escape shortly thereafter gave Lyman the edge in a 2-1 victory.

Neither wrestler aggressively sought takedowns in the first two periods, and neither wrestler ever came close to a two-point takedown. It was a bitter disappointment for Gormley, who came in as the tournament’s top seed. The post-match emotion from Gormley was matched by his head coach, Brandon MacNaught.