WINDSOR – BGAH came out of the first day of the 59th annual Windsor Christmas Tournament with a slight lead, 64, over fellow Chenango County team Norwich, who sat at 61.5.

The morning saw a continued weather advisory from the night before, which held back the start of the second day of the two-day tournament an hour, to 12:30 p.m.

Despite this delay, BGAH wasted no time in separating itself from the rest of the pack, racking up a massive 160.5 total team points. Second place being claimed by Vestal who was almost 40 points behind BGAH, at 122.5.

BGAH saw eight of it’s wrestlers stand on the podium at the conclusion of the tournament, with four of them winning their respective weight brackets, Chris Cirigliano (113); Ben Bivar (138); Madison Hoover (152); and Dylan Mondore (220). Cirigliano has now won his second consecutive outing at the Windsor Christmas Tournament.

However, Norwich saw its second place standing at the end of the first day slip away, as all five wrestlers who were in the semi-finals subsequently lost. All five, Eli Rodriguez (99); Dalen Geislinger (120); Ty Rifanburg (126); Cole Rifanburg (138); and Nick Murphy (145); would end up placing for Norwich, despite suffering semi-final losses. Brennon Slater (170) the sixth member of the Tornado team would take the long road through wrestle backs to ultimately place, as he was the only other Norwich wrestler to place despite not making a semi-final appearance.

“We wrestled not to lose, but not to win at times, and we didn’t wrestle to the whistle,” said Norwich Head Coach Bob Hagenbuch.

Norwich placed second as a team overall last year at the 2014 Windsor Christmas Tournament, ultimately losing to Huntington. 2015 saw Norwich stay in the top 10, while breaking the 100-point mark scoring 101, however, dropping to seventh as a team.

“I didn’t have them ready, today is on me,” said Hagenbuch.

The only other Chenango County team to place in the top 10 of the 28-team tournament was Sherburne-Earlville who scored 63 team points to tie with Walton.

S-E was represented by Jack Buell, (195) as their lone 2015 tournament winner, pinning his opponent Sean DeGroat from Vestal in an impressive 1:24 into the first period of the finals. Buell has now won his second consecutive Windsor Christmas Tournament.

Hunter Owen (152); and Cole Mikalunas (285) would also stand on the podium for S-E.

Greene would see three represent their school receiving awards, with their standout Nate Banks (152) losing in the finals to BGAH’s Madison Hoover in a close match at 6-4.

Oxford would see two of its wrestlers stand on the podium. Despite being an early tournament favorite, Kordell Huntley (285) would suffer a loss by pin at the hands of Deposit-Hancock’s Zach Gifford.

Greene and Oxford as a team would place 13th and 18th, scoring 56.5 and 42 points respectively.

JP Puca (160) of Huntington would receive the award of Most Valuable Wrestler for the tournament as he would pin his first three opponents all within the first period, only to tech fall his opponent Austin Carr of BGAH in the finals at a time of 4:09.

The sportsmanship award was given to Homer’s Isaac Cline (113).

Final team scores from first to last:

BGAH, 160.5; Vestal, 122.5; Deposit-Hancock, 119; Huntington, 116; Indian River, 115.5; Towanda, 109.5; Norwich, 101; Canandaigua, 75; Tioga, 69; Sherburne-Earlville, 63; Walton, 63; Colonie, 58.5; Greene, 56.5; Liberty, 55.5; Homer, 55; Watkins Glen, 51.5; Saratoga Springs, 47.5; Oxford, 42; Whitney Point, 36; Susquehanna Valley, 33; Unatego, 32; Waverly, 29; Chenango Forks, 28.5; Spencer VanEtten, 27.5; Union Endicott, 22.5; Corning, 10.5; Lansing, 5.5.

Place winners from 1st to 6th:

99: Logan Patterson (IR); John Worthing (TIO); Eli Rodriguez (NOR); Evan McWilliams (CAN); River Burgess (DH); Brody Oleksak (BGAH). 106: AJ Burkhart (WAL); Austin Lamb (TIO); Ryan Mock (HUN); Caleb Robinson (WAL); Tristan Biviano (SS); Rick Chastine (UE). 113: Chris Cirigliano (BGAH); Isaac Cline (HOM); Corey Swartz (WIN); Devin Todd (DH); Co-de Petticrew (VES); Preston Rogers (TOW). 120: Dean Raymond (DH); Ethan Dwyer (HUN); Dalen Geislinger (NOR); Jordan Sartin (SS); Pat Borrelli (CF); bryant Sexton (SVE); 126: John Arceri (HUN); Derek Osman (VES); Tucker Amato (IR); Ty Rifanburg (NOR); Michael Bryden (WAL); Nick Kennedy (WIN). 132: Brandon Gould (WG); Kyle Mock (HUN); Stephan Colbert (IR); Ryan Castle (GRE); Kevin Hubbard (BGAH); Levi Wormuth (DH). 138: Ben Bivar (BGAH); Colby Hall (DH); Dylan Wood (WAL); Cole Rifanburg (NOR); DJ Knolles (TOW); Hunter Beck (VES). 145: Nathaniel Grubham (WP); Max Kilmer (VES); Jake DiSanto (COL); Shane Hoover (BGAH); Nick Murphy (NOR); Grady Alpert (SVE). 152: Madison Hoover (BGAH); Nate Banks (GRE); Noah Curreri (LESW); Dakota Coffey (WAL); Stephen Yates (TOW); Hunter Owen (SE). 160: JP Puca (HUN); Austin Carr (BGAH); Breycin Fulmer (TOW); Jake DeJoy (UNA); Taylor Pfaff (COL); Mason Wolfe (SS). 170: Sonny McPherson (IR); Thaddeus Jeffries (CAN); Dayton Wickwire (TOW); Matt Depersis (SV); Caleb O’Brien (VES); Brennan Slater (NOR).182: Ian Chedzoy (WG); Kevin Morgans (LESW); Braxton Howell (GRE); Fred Daniely (CAN); Garrett Sylstra (OX); Clay Mosier (TOW). 195: Jack Buell (SE); Sean DeGroat (VES); Michael Johnson (TOW); Hunter Gerasimovich (COL); Chris Davis (IR); Robert Clegg (CAN). 220: Dylan Mondore (BGAH); Dylan Hotchkiss (HOM); Mitchell Peters (TOW); Tanner Folk (TIO); Will DePaolo (LESW); Dustin Gould (CF). 285: Zach Gifford (DH); Kordell Huntley (OX); Dylan Ashwood (IR); Zach Kintner (VES); Jacob Morrison (UNA); Cole Mikalunas (SE).