Cooper Merli’s final match in the blue and gold may not have ended exactly as he would have liked, but nothing that happened at MVP Arena over the weekend did anything to change the legacy he is leaving behind at Newburgh – it only continued to build it.

Merli is a junior at Newburgh Free Academy who is set to graduate a year early, as he plans on attending the New York Military Academy next year. He is committed to continue his wrestling career in college at Army West Point, the following season.

On Friday, Merli made the trip to Albany for the NYSPHSAA Division 1 wrestling championships, looking to become a three-time state champion.

Despite having two state titles under his belt, the Section 9 116-pound champion entered the state bracket as the No. 2 seed, under Long Beach’s Dunia Sibomana.

Sibomana narrowly topped Merli at the Eastern States Classic in January, in an ultimate tiebreaker, providing him the advantage in the seeding.

In Merli’s first match on Friday, he won via a 15-0 technical fall, as the match was called in the second period. He then won a 12-0 major decision in the quarterfinals, securing his spot in the semifinals at Day 2 of the tournament on Saturday.

A first-period takedown against St. Francis’ Cullen Edwards helped propel Merli to a 4-0 decision in the semifinals, placing him in the 116-pound state final against Sibomana.

In 2024, Merli used an escape and held on for a 1-0 decision over Sibomana for the 108-pound state title.

This time around, the match may have been even more dramatic, but the end result favored the wrestler from Long Beach.

Merli was able to score first, as he escaped midway through the first period, but a reversal by Sibomana early in the third provided him with a 2-1 advantage.

In the final seconds of regulation, Merli escaped Sibomana’s grasp to tie things 2-2.

“Coop’s a grinder. He knew that if he kept coming to his feet, he’d eventually get out,” said Newburgh head coach Will Parks.

“He got out with a couple seconds remaining in the period, which forced overtime.”

Shortly into the first overtime period, Sibomana was able to catch Merli for a takedown, and then finished off the move for a dramatic sudden-victory pin.

“It’s unfortunate the way the overtime ended,” Parks said. “Cooper and Dunia are close friends. They train together and have wrestled each other a bunch of times. We got the better of him last year and he got the better of us this year.”
Back in 2023 when Merli won the 102-pound state title as a freshman, it was the first time a Newburgh wrestler was able to stand at the top of the podium in 55 years.

“He’s one of the greatest wrestlers in Newburgh history. He was our first state champ in 55 years. Last year when he beat Dunia in the finals, that was probably the greatest match I’ve ever seen,” Parks said. “I thought he was going to do it again, and we came close. But he’s a three-time state finalist, a two-time champ, he’s been such a role model to the younger kids on the team and just a great teammate. He’s truly an example that we can use to get more kids to come out and try the sport.”

Perhaps the person who will miss Merli the most in the Newburgh wrestling room is Will Soto, who won his second straight state title for the Goldbacks on Saturday.

“I’m going to miss having my training partner. He’s bigger than me and stronger than me and he pushes me to my limits,” Soto

said of Merli. “Even on the days I’m not feeling it, he keeps pushing me. He’s made me a better wrestler.”

“The two of them have been working together the last three years, and it’s been so much fun watching them train together in the room,” Parks said. “Coop’s moving on, graduating a year early. Will is always putting in the work, regardless, so he’s going to be alright. It’ll be a little different, but he’s going to be fine.”

Soto went on for his 108-pound state title match just before Merli. Although he won, watching Merli fall in overtime made the day bittersweet.

“It was heartbreaking to see Cooper lose like that,” Soto said. “Him and I work really hard together, practicing together everyday. Seeing him lost, it was definitely upsetting.”

Despite dropping his final match, Merli will be a name that those at Newburgh, in Section 9 and lacrosse New York State wrestling remember for a very long time.

“He put our program on the map,” Parks said. “We’ve had all-state guys before, but up until Cooper Merli and now Will Soto, we’ve never had wrestlers of this caliber, who absolutely dominate.”