QUEENSBURY — Pat McKinley has shown a knack for the dramatic over the course of this wrestling season for Saratoga Springs.
The Blue Streak senior captain has posted a 25-3 overall record as a 215-pounder, but it hasn’t been easy.
McKinley has seen five of his matches go to extra-time, and he’s come out on top in four of them.
McKinley’s Overtime Victories
On Dec. 2 at the Ballston Spa Duals, he won a 3-2 decision in an ultimate tiebreaker over Shaker’s Nickolas Whyte, and then defeated Minisink Valley’s Kevin Crowe-Bailey 4-3 in the sudden-victory round.
Later in the month on Dec. 16, McKinley topped Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake’s Santino Mareno 2-1 in a tiebreaker. On Dec. 20, the Blue Streak saw Whyte once again, winning 3-1 in a sudden victory.
“I just know that I have the ability to outlast my opponents,” McKinley said of his overtime victories. “Whether I’m up or down by one with 30 seconds left, I know that my work in practice has given me the ability to get it done late.”
McKinley’s only overtime loss came against Jamesville-Dewitt/CBA’s Bryce Dadey, when he dropped a 2-1 decision in an ultimate tiebreaker.
Upcoming Championships
This past weekend, McKinley earned a first-place finish as a 215-pounder at the Schenectady Invitational.
On Tuesday, Saratoga Springs will head to the Section 2 Division I dual championships, where it is the No. 2 seed and will take on No. 3 Averill Park in the semifinals.
Gianni Delgado has also posted a stellar season for the Blue Streaks, going 24-2 at 170 pounds.
“Going into Tuesday, I think we all expect to win,” said Delgado, a junior. “Last year we lost in the semis by, like, three points, so I know a lot of us were motivated to get back there and finish the job.”
Young Talent
The Blue Streaks have relied heavily on a trio of sophomores. Danny Dacey (145) has posted a record of 24-5, while Luke Stoutenburg (131) is 23-6 and Chase Matter (124) is 23-5.
“Chase Matter has been doing a great job,” Delgado said of his teammate. “He placed third in the section last year and I know he’s trying to come back and prove what he can do at the state qualifiers and to go to states.”
“Brendan Stoutenburg, our eighth grader, he’s also doing a great job and proving that age doesn’t really matter,” Delgado added. “We’ve been practicing hard and working with coach Polcare on a lot of mindset training, making us believe that we can come in and win.”
AVERILL PARK
The Warriors are led by senior 160-pounder John Welcome, who is 18-3 this season, as well as junior 131-pounder Jacob Hanlon, who boasts a 24-3 record.
Jamie Bartlett, a senior at 138 pounds has posted a strong 17-5 season, while juniors Reese Bunney (131) and Alex Salsbury (215) are at 22-10 and 22-7 respectively.
QUEENSBURY
Queensbury is one of the more experienced teams in Section 2, and is led by Lucas Schell, a 160-pounder who went to the state championships last year. He is currently 23-2, with both of his losses coming this past weekend at the Eastern States Classic.
Noah Smith (116) and Benjamin Killingsworth (215) are also seniors and hold respective records of 20-2 and 20-4. Timothy Paculavich’s (138) record may not be as appealing, at 10-12, but the senior is as battle-tested as anyone.
BURNT HILLS-BALLSTON LAKE
While Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake certainly has its work cut out for them against Queensbury, it is led by one of the top wrestlers in Section 2 – Liam Carlin.
Carlin, a junior who came in third place over the weekend as a 152-pounder at the Eastern States Classic, is 24-3 this season.
DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Section 2 Division II dual meet championships will be held on Wednesday at Johnstown High School. No. 1 Fonda/Johnstown will take on No. 4 Cobleskill-Richmondville in the at 6 p.m., while No. 2 Hudson Falls will face No. 3 Duanesburg/Schoharie. The two winners will advance to the championship round at 7:30.
Some standouts for Fonda/Johnstown this season have been Matthew Livingston, who is 20-13, primarily as a 138-pounder, and Johnny Swartwout, who is 20-11 mostly in the 124-pound weight class.
Cobleskill-Richmondville has plenty of tough wrestlers to watch out for as well, including five who already have 20-plus wins on the season.
Ashten Haley (124) boasts a 21-6 record as a freshman, while juniors Dominic Scolaro (152) is 20-8 and Kyber Henry (160) is 20-4. Dylan Gallagher (170), a sophomore, and junior Jake Lesage (285) each own a record of 20-6.
Hudson Falls is led by a strong group of seniors, including Jesse Mullis (190), who boasts a 31-4 record this season, Colin Diffee (145/152) at 27-3 overall and Lukas Ross (215) with a 16-16 record. The Tigers also have a pair of standout sophomores, Levi Wilson (124) at 24-5 and Justin Mullis (131) at 29-9. Additionally, Tehren West (101) has been tearing up the mat and a seventh grader, with a 22-8 record.
Duanesburg/Schoharie heads into Tuesday’s dual championships led by senior Scott Nicolella (131), who has a 27-4 record, and Daniel Stealey, has put up a 21-8 record across four weight classes (145, 152, 160, 170). Dalton Cooper (215), a senior, is 18-4 overall, while junior Carson Killenberger (131) is 18-7. Jacob Schweigard (152) is 23-7 in his junior season, while eighth-grader Wyatt Rock (124) is 14-11.
Agree. McKinley’s dramatic performance showcased his incredible talent and added excitement to the championships.
Great performance, McKinley! You really know how to captivate the audience with your dramatic flair. Keep up the amazing work!
Great performance, McKinley! Keep up the amazing work! #agree