Wrestler testifies how school match went wrong
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Former Massapequa wrestler Patrick Schmidt leaves Supreme Court after opening remarks in his civil suit in Mineola. (June 9, 2011) Credit: Howard Schnapp
Vincent D'Agostino said he was knocking Massapequa High School wrestler Patrick Schmidt to the mat during a practice match in 2008 when he realized -- too late -- that Schmidt's legs were entangled with his own.
Schmidt screamed in pain, and D'Agostino, a volunteer coach for the varsity team, said he knew something had gone terribly wrong.
Still, D'Agostino, a once nationally ranked wrestler, testified Friday that he was not unnecessarily rough with Schmidt.
"I would wrestle down to their [the students'] level," he testified.
Schmidt, now 20, is suing D'Agostino, his former high school and his former school district in State Supreme Court in Mineola, saying it was negligent to pit him against the 275-pound D'Agostino.
Schmidt fractured his ankle in three places on that day and has two metal plates and eight screws in his ankle permanently, he said. He said the injury has limited his participation in sports and may keep him from realizing his goal of becoming a police officer.
He is seeking unspecified damages in a case now under way before State Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Brown. D'Agostino testified in the trial's second day.
Schmidt's lawyer, Brian Gunn, of Garden City, has said Schmidt and D'Agostino were grossly mismatched. Schmidt was a 255-pound high school senior with no hope of wrestling at the college level, Gunn said. D'Agostino was a 27-year-old, 275-pound "wrecking machine" who had been ranked 19th in the country in college, Gunn said.
"Did anyone ever say, 'You're a big, strong guy. These are kids. Don't pick them up and slam them on the mat?' " Gunn asked. D'Agostino said no.
But D'Agostino said he did not slam Schmidt to the mat the day he was injured, nor did he fall on top of him.
In cross examining D'Agostino, Robert Krause of Uniondale, who represents both the Massapequa school district and D'Agostino, pointed out that Schmidt was the only student on the varsity team in his weight class that year. "If he didn't have you to wrestle, he wouldn't have had anyone within 50 pounds of him," Krause said. D'Agostino said that was correct.
Krause asked D'Agostino, a Massapequa High School alum, why he volunteered his time wrestling with high school students.
"I really wanted to become a coach," D'Agostino said.
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