The Newburgh Free Academy wrestling team had a strong showing at the Mid Hudson Tournament last week, sending five wrestlers to the second day of competition, four of which reached the podium when the tournament ended on Dec. 28 at Arlington High School.

Overall, the Goldbacks, who placed two wrestlers in the finals, finished sixth with 100 points.

Both finalists finished second. Their eighth-grader Cooper Merli was pinned in the championship match by

Valley Central’s Luke Satriano, and Anthony Manzi lost, 6-0, to Miller Place’s Robert Cunningham.
Miller Place won the overall team championship.

Joseph Ponesse took third at 189 pounds with a pinfall victory over Mattituck-Greenport-Southold’s Hunter Anderson.

Jackson Merli took fourth at 145 pounds, after getting pinned by Edgemont’s Sander Miller.
Kevin Segali (132) also advanced to the tournament’s second day and wrestled to an eighth-place finish.
The Goldbacks finished the tournament’s first day in seventh place.

Mid Hudson Tournament Results
Team results: 1. Miller Place – 202; 6. Newburgh - 100
Championship
102: Luke Satriano (VC) pinned Cooper Merli (NFA), 3:49
160: Robert Cunningham (Miller Place) def. Anthony Manzi (NFA), 6-0

Consolation Finals
145: Sander Miller (Edgemont) pinned Jackson Merli (NFA), 2:46
189: Joseph Ponesse (NFA) pinned Hunter Anderson (MGS), 2:00

Consolation Semifinals
145: Jackson Merli (NFA) def. Matt Ferrucci (Xavier), 8-2.
189: Joseph Ponesse (NFA) pinned Nicholas York (Kingston), 1:35

Semifinals
102: Cooper Merli (NFA) def. Carlos Salazar (Hewlett), 11-3
160: Anthony Manzi (NFA) def. Logan Smith (Highland), 7-0
189: Jabali Zoia (Longwood) pinned Joseph Ponesse (NFA), 4:50.

Consolation Round 2
132: Demetrius Massey (Red Hook) def. Kevin Segali (NFA), 4-3.
145: Jackson Merli (NFA) pinned Simon Kiluba (Kingston), 2:34

Quarterfinals
102: Cooper Merli (NFA) def. George Johnson (Mahopac), 4-2
132: Joseph Sparacio (MGS) tech. fall Kevin Segali (NFA), 21-4.
145: Angelo Centrone (Mahopac) tech. fall Jackson Merli, 17-2, 4:53.
160: Anthony Manzi (NFA) def. Joe Peretta (Arlington), 4-2.
189: Joseph Ponesse (NFA) pinned Hunter Anderson (MGS), 2:00

Round 5
102: Cooper Merli (NFA) pinned Spencer Bruno (Miller Place), 1:19
126: Viktor Banda (Wallkill) def. Matthew Mercado (NFA), 13-11)
145: Jackson Merli (NFA) pinned Ryan Fitzsimmons (Ward Melville), :30
152: Connor Mulcahy (John Jay Cross River) def. Alec Grogan, 8-5.
160: Anthony Manzi (NFA) pinned Kyle Grant (Cornwall), 1:51; Benjamin Hewitt (John Jay East Fishkill) pinned Hunter Hecht (NFA), 1:02
189: Joseph Ponesse (NFA) pinned Jake Ventimiglia (Ward Melville), :53
215: Jayden Calloway (Beacon) pinned Aiden Harrison (NFA), 1:56

Round 4
126: Matthew Mercado (NFA) pinned Bradley Morrison (John Jay-East Fishkill), 3:30
145: Jackson Merli (NFA) pinned Anthony Russo (John Jay East Fishkill), :57
152: Michael Clarke (Briarcliff-Byram Hills-Valhalla-Westlake) pinned Alec Grogan, 5:38.
160: Anthony Manzi (NFA) pinned Patrick Cosgrove (Cornwall), 2:26; Jacob Levesque (Xavier) def. Hunter Hecht (NFA), 9-4
172: Christopher Leggett (NFA) pinned Anthony Annacone (Wallkill), 4:00
189: Joseph Ponesse (NFA) pinned Alex Khalil (Beacon), 1:18

Round 3
132: Matt Pernicone (Ward-Melville) tech. fall Kevin Segali (NFA), 15-0
126: Mark Milano (Miller Place) def. Matthew Mercado (NFA), 10-7.
145: Jackson Merli (NFA) tech. fall Eric Nesser (Mamaroneck), 17-2, 3:35.
152: Alec Grogan (NFA) pinned Brody Timm (Beacon), 3:10
160: Anthony Manzi (NFA) pinned Skylar Chen (John Jay Cross River), :35; Jai Barnett (Wallkill) def. Hunter Hecht (NFA), 13-2.
172: Christopher Leggett (NFA) pinned Shane Babcock (Cornwall), 4:00
189: Joseph Ponesse (NFA) pinned Harvey Mathis (Cornwall), :11
215: Aiden Harrison (NFA) pinned A.J. Lollo (3:20)

Round 2
152: Colin Loria (Xavier) pinned Alec Grogan (NFA), 5:38
160: Anthony Manzi (NFA) won by medical forfeit over Ethan Holmes (Mamaroneck); Robert Cunningham (Miller Place) pinned Hunter Hecht (NFA), :21
172: John Hucke (Miller Place) pinned Christopher Leggett (NFA), 4:26
215: Gavin Furst (Cornwall) pinned Aiden Harrison (NFA), 3:31.

Round 1
102: Cooper Merli (NFA) tech. fall (Ward-Melville), 15-0.
132: Kevin Segali (NFA) def. Zachary Fong (Xavier), 8-4.
145: Justin Klein (Miller Place) def. Jackson Merli, 5-1.
152: Luke Leahy (Miller Place) def. Alec Grogan (NFA), 9-1.
160: Anthony Manzi (NFA) pinned Brandon Lantos (Wallkill), 1:52; Hunter Hecht (NFA) pinned Isaac Hansen, 2:54.
172: John Rettig (Ward Melville) pinned Christopher Leggett (NFA), 4:26
189: Joseph Ponesse (NFA) pinned Joe O’Brien (Xavier), :28
215: Thomas Lunt (Xavier) pinned Aiden Harrison (NFA), 3:41.