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Yorktown Wrestlers Bring Home Titles From Bethpage

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. – Following a loss to Mahopac in the Section 1 Division I Dual-Meet Wrestling Championships to open the season, Yorktown was eager for its next competition.

Seniors, from left, Kyle Santucci, Steven Sabella, Jimmy Kaishian, Thomas Murray, Joe Mastro and David Varian were among seven finalists for the Yorktown wrestling team at the Bethpage Tournament.

Seniors, from left, Kyle Santucci, Steven Sabella, Jimmy Kaishian, Thomas Murray, Joe Mastro and David Varian were among seven finalists for the Yorktown wrestling team at the Bethpage Tournament.

Photo Credit: Tony Pinciaro

Yorktown returned to wrestling in the Bethpage Tournament Saturday and had a dominant showing. The Cornhuskers had seven finalists, including four champions – Jimmy Kaishian (126 pounds), Thomas Murray (182), Steven Sabella (195) and David Varian (285). Sabella was voted the champion of champions.

Joe Mastro (152), Kyle Santucci (132) and Avik Mohan (220) all finished second.

“If anything, Tuesday's loss made us more aware of our strengths and weaknesses, as a whole,” Sabella said. “We all came ready to wrestle at Bethpage. I don’t feel as if we needed to make a statement to anyone other than ourselves. At the end of the day, we had 10 wrestlers in the semis, seven finalists and four champs. Especially after the loss Tuesday, coach was happy to see the team regroup and refocus so quickly.”

Sabella credited the entire team with wrestling well, especially Mohan.

“Avik really stepped up his wrestling after Tuesday’s performance at Mahopac,” Sabella said. “He never got much attention last year because of a bad late-season injury, but he has always had the potential. He made it to the finals and wrestled his heart out.”

Sabella pinned his first two opponents before registering a technical fall, 20-5, in the final.

“I worked a ton in the off-season on pushing the pace and on my offense,” Sabella said. “Winning the champion of champions award was great,  but I feel it could have easily gone to Jimmy, Tom or David.”

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