Oyster Bay freshman Colton Schmiesing wins 108-pound state Division II wrestling title
Colton Schmiesing of Oyster Bay beat Andrew Juliano of Holland Patent at 108 pounds to win the Division 2 state title on Saturday. Credit: Newsday/William Perlman
ALBANY — Colton Schmiesing was powered by nightmare fuel.
Though the Oyster Bay freshman had a dream that he lost both of his matches before Day 2 of the state wrestling championship, he knew what his advantage would be heading into the final match.
“I have a good gas tank,” Schmiesing said. “I don’t get tired — that’s my mentality — and I was ready to go in overtime when that time came.”
With the score tied, the ninth-seeded Schmiesing jumped out at the start of the first overtime period and took down second-seeded Andrew Juliano, a junior from Holland Patent, to earn a 10-7 decision in the 108-pound state Division II final at MVP Arena on Saturday.
“I got cradled and I knew I was being sloppy and that I needed to find a way to come back,” Schmiesing said. “I knew I would break him and get him tired. I just kept going and kept putting the pressure on him.”
Schmiesing (36-3) advanced to the final after using three takedowns to defeat No. 4 Seth Strain (Adirondack) by a 17-8 major decision. He also upended top-seeded Mason Tanner (Jordan-Elbridge) by a 7-3 decision in the quarterfinals.
“That was a confidence boost,” Schmiesing said of defeating Tanner. “I gassed him out, too, so that was something I knew I was capable of doing again in the finals.”
Schmiesing finished eighth at 101 pounds in last year’s state tournament.
“I started at the bottom and made my way to the top,” he said. “It feels so great.”
For Plainedge junior Devin Downes, returning as the top seed after clinching the 170-pound state Division I title last season fueled his determination to go back to back.
Devin Downes, left. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The Maryland commit used three takedowns to defeat No. 3 Trent True (Holland Patent) by a 10-1 major decision in the 190-pound Division II final to earn his second straight state championship.
“I expect myself to win any match no matter who I’m wrestling,” Downes said. “I was a lot more calm and had a lot more fun this year. I just had to show everyone what I do best.”
The top-seeded junior with a 46-4 record advanced to the 190-pound final with a 21-5 technical fall over No. 4 Yanni Drapaniotis (Unatego-Unadilla Valley-Franklin) in 4:09.
Plainedge senior Luke Nieto, last year’s Division I runner-up at 138 pounds, was prepared and determined to clinch the crown this season.
This time wrestling at 152 pounds, the top-seeded Nieto held off No. 3 Gabe English (Berne Knox Westerlo/Middleburgh) for a 4-2 decision to earn his first state title.
“I remember coming into every single match last year with nerves and negative thoughts,” Nieto said. “This year, I knew I did everything right, practicing twice a day, not cutting a pound, and could be a state champion.”
Luke Nieto, top. Credit: Newsday/William Perlman
Nieto (46-3) advanced to the final with a 19-2 technical fall over No. 4 Caden Inkley (Randolph) in 3:36.
Despite Plainedge moving to Division II this season, the program — led by Rob Shaver — continues to dominate. Shaver was named both the state and regional National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year on Saturday.
Since taking over the program in 1996, Shaver has turned Plainedge from having one county place-winner to 25 county champions and 23 state place-winners. He also coached Plainedge to back-to-back state dual meet championships this season.
“It’s been great being both the wrestling and football coach and one of the formulas for our success is having those guys go back and forth,” Shaver said. “Both sports, I think, complement each other.”
On top of that, the 2024 Newsday All-Long Island Coach of the Year developed quality coaching talent over the past 30 years, as many of his assistants and former wrestlers went on to coach or run their own programs, eight of which are active head coaches in Nassau, according to Shaver.
“I’ve had tremendous assistant coaches. Some try to do things on their own, I’m not like that,” Shaver said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have my righthand men that have brought this program to where it is today.”
