Joel Lomax's 28th win of the season helps North Babylon to first dual meet wrestling championship
North Babylon’s Joel Lomax defeats Connetquot’s Connor D’Ambrosio in the 190-pound weight class during the Suffolk Division I dual meet finals on Saturday at Bay Shore. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Joel Lomax had no words. His smile told the story.
The North Babylon senior contributed a first period pin at 190 pounds in the Bulldogs' exciting 29-22 win over Connetquot in the final of the Suffolk Division I dual meet wrestling championship at Bay Shore High School Saturday.
It was Lomax’ 28th win this season and none felt better.
“I really can’t find the words,” he said before finally describing the title. “It’s so emotional. It’s satisfying. It’s about our team and community and the great atmosphere that the fans brought to the finals. I’m just happy I was locked in and got the pin.”
North Babylon won its first dual meet championship in school history in the 10th year of the tournament. The Bulldogs had never advanced beyond the quarterfinal final round of the Division I bracket.
“They were never allowed to take a second off in the practice room and that was the difference maker today against a very good Connetquot team,” said North Babylon coach Vin Innes. “We were prepared for this moment. There’s no place to hide against our lineup. We’ve been very consistent all season and never really had any lineup changes. I’m so proud of this group, they put in the work and really earned it.”
North Babylon, the top seed, improved to 16-1 this season, the lone blemish on the Bulldogs' record coming in a close tournament loss in New Jersey. Connetquot, the three seed, advanced with a 26-22 semifinal win over East Islip, the defending champion. Connetquot entered the championship round with a 20-0 record, suffering their first loss of the season in the school’s first trip to the finals.
North Babylon, which advanced earlier in the day with a 41-13 semifinal win over Whitman, won two close bouts at 124 and 170. James Figueroa edged Rauri Moore, 2-1 at 124 and Dante Oleaga beat Nick Theodoulou, 8-7 in overtime at 170.
“These guys saw firsthand why conditioning is so important,’ Innes said. “And when they needed a little extra, they had it.”
Heavyweight Alex Seger turned in the clinching win with an 8-1 victory over Mike Feramola at 285.
“I knew I could clinch the team win when I walked out there,” Seger said. “My coaches told me to stick to my game plan. I waited to hit my move and caught him with a cement mixer and locked it in. But this isn’t about me. It’s about our team, our coaches, especially Coach Innes, who helped me improve all season and built my confidence."
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.