Lupi Finishes 5th in State Mat Tournament
Nick Lupi battled through some tense moments to capture fifth place at 220 lbs. in the state wrestling tournament at the Times Union Center in Albany this past weekend. The Huntington High School junior won four close matches, including two in overtime, en route to All-State honors.
The unseeded Lupi topped Somers High School senior Dom Devita in overtime in the opening round, 3-2 before dropping a 7-5 decision to Indian River senior Derrek Dalton in the quarterfinals.
The Huntington teenager, who earned a wild card into the state tournament after placing third in Section XI, won consecutive matches in the consolation bracket, edging Warwick Valley junior Connor Leavell, 6-3 and then nipping Uniondale senior Andrew Cole in a bout with a wild finish, 2-1.
Lupi fell 7-1 to Brooklyn Tech senior Patryk Kopcynski in the consolation semi-finals before winning a thrilling triple overtime rematch with Devita, 3-2.
Huntington sophomore Corey Jamison wasn't as fortunate as Lupi. Seeded second at 113 lbs. after winning the Section XI crown, Jamison dropped a 3-2 decision to Chenango Forks junior Jake Green in the tournament's opening round. The Blue Devil star defeated Green earlier in the season, 4-2.
Thrown into the consolation bracket, Jamison responded by shutting out two opponents on Friday. The teenager beat Fulton junior Thomas Hill, 3-0 and then grabbed a 6-0 decision over Kenmore East junior Ron Duguay.
Jamison never wrestled during the tournament's second day after failing to make weight during the early Saturday morning weigh-in.
Section XI-Suffolk ran away with the team title, far outdistancing runner-up Section VIII-Nassau , third place finisher Section V-Rochester and the rest of the 13 section field.