Girls wrestling among fastest growing sports on Long Island
Girls wrestling continues to be among the fastest-growing sports on Long Island.
Mixed competition will be a thing of the past in 2025-26, according to state guidelines. The sport of girls wrestling, offered in the winter season, has exploded in similar fashion to flag football, which is played in the spring. Girls who want to compete will have to choose between the boys’ and girls’ teams by next season.
“Now that girls wrestling is an officially sanctioned sport this is the last year that girls can wrestle in mixed competition according to state rule,” said East Islip assistant coach Ken Corcoran. “Next year, they’ll have to either wrestle with the boys or girls, but not both. Right now, they aren’t tasked with declaring one team over another.”
Suffolk had 207 girls weight-certified for this season and Nassau had 103 wrestlers weight-certified. Suffolk had an increase of 43% this season, and Nassau saw a jump of 84% from last season's total of 56 wrestlers.
There were 165 registrants for the Huntington girls tournament on Sunday. The same tournament hosted 60 wrestlers a year ago.
“We almost tripled registration for the Huntington tournament,” Corcoran said.
“It was amazing at Huntington to see how all the hard work behind the scenes set the foundation to move this sport forward around the state and here on Long Island,” Rocky Point wrestling coach Darren Goldstein said. “And the governing body of New York State had the foresight to have girls wrestle freestyle, instead of folkstyle so they’d be ready for college.”
The featured bout at the Huntington tournament came at 126 pounds where two national champions squared off in the championship bout.
Fargo National champion Haley Gonzalez of Hicksville was beating 15U National champion Julianna Hernandez of Rocky Point, 9-6, when Hernandez suffered an ankle injury and the bout was stopped by injury default. According to Goldstein, Gonzalez had hit a four-point move and Hernandez's ankle folded in an awkward position causing the stoppage.
“She’s uncomfortable for sure,” Goldstein said. "We’re hoping for the best.”
The Huntington tournament also featured two state-ranked opponents. Taylor Aiello of Glenn pinned Caitlyn Maragioglio of Bellport in 6:00 for the 138-pound crown.
In other notable bouts, East Islip’s Makenna Corcoran pinned Rylee Carpenter of Bellport in 3:15 for the 145-pound crown. And Rocky Point’s Ava Capogna beat Jaylee Escobar of Bellport, 11-2 for the 132-pound title.
The next girls’ tournament will be held in Bay Shore on Sunday, Dec. 29.
“The girls fill teams from Bay Shore, Bellport, Huntington, Rocky Point and Copiague/Lindenhurst but they practice with the boys at their home schools,” Corcoran said.
East Islip head wrestling coach Mike Longobardi said the camaraderie in the gym was inspiring.
“They cheer for one another, and they support each other,” he said. “The sport is really something special. And it continues to grow.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
