ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The SUNY Oneonta wrestling team will hit the mats and begin their 2022-23 campaign with a long trip away from home starting in Williamsport, PA for the Lycoming Invitational this Sunday. On November 13, the team will travel to Scranton, PA for the Electric City Duals before they end the month with the ECWC Championships in Oswego. The Red Dragons will not look to host until the end of the season when they close out with a dual match against Oswego on February 8, and the Dragon Duals on February 11, where they will host RIT and Penn College.  

After finishing the 2021-22 season with a 9-7 record, Head Coach Duane Ritter returns for his 19th year with the program.  

"This year's team while still in a rebuilding/recovery phase from the devastating effects of the COVID shutdowns has plenty of talent, both new and old, and will look to make its own unique mark among the 64 years of awesome varsity wrestling team traditions and records here at SUNY Oneonta," Ritter stated. "The team will be led by several experienced upperclassmen with All-Conference, NCAA All-Regional, and NYS Collegiate All-State experience and joined by numerous talented newcomers." 

The Red Dragons have a deep roster with most of the starting lineup returning from the previous season. Michael Blando (Massapequa/Massapequa) and Jhordyn Innocent (Spring Valley/Ramapo) are set to return after earning All-Region honors at the Mideast Regionals at Elizabethtown last season. Blando received the honor in the 141 division while Innocent earned his in the 197 division.  

A few other returners include Anthony Romero (Spring Valley/Ramapo), Nick Vadenburg, Ryan Meisner (Lindenhurst/Lindenhurst), Nick Florin (Pine Bush/Pine Bush), Kenneth Sauer (Franklin/Franklin), Noah Kennedy (Greene/Greene), Jacob Pine (Hoosick Falls/Hoosick Falls), and Diego Orellana (Ossining/Ossining). Last season, Romero was the main guy at 133, Meisner stuck around 157, while Vandenburg and returning sophomore Anderson Klosner (Ilion/Central Valley Academy) bounced around 149 and 157. Sauer, Florin, and Kevin Jorgensen (Bohemia/Connetquot) provided depth at 174 and 184, and Innocent joined Pine, Orellana, and Noah Kennedy (Greene/Greene) as the anchors in the heavyweight classes.  

Last season, Blando, Romero, and Pine earned the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American Honors, while Romero and Pine also received All-State honors at the New York State Collegiate Championships. In 2020, when the NWCA hosted an Open Nationals in Mt. Pocono, PA, Pine was named an All-American.  

At the ECWC Championships, Blando, Pine, and Sauer were named alongside seniors Tyler Fairly, Nino Prisco (Mount Kisco/Fox Lane), junior Peter Sacco (Vestal/Vestal), and sophomore Giovanni Russo (Cortlandt Manor/Walter Panas) as All-Conference wrestlers.  

Joining the experienced crew is a list of newcomers that can make an early impact in their Oneonta careers. Freshman Dominic Seminera (Islandia, NY/Saint Anthony's) (141) joins the team as a NY Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) State Champion. Freshman Jonathan Zenny (Valley Stream, NY/G.W. Hewlett) is a four-time All-Conference and two-time All-County wrestler that will look to make an impact at 149, and Ayden DeForest who was fifth in NYS All-State will help the Red Dragons at 165. Jack Ryan (Trumbull, CT), a Connecticut State Champion and All-New England honoree, will work around 174 and 184, and freshman Nicholas Aliani (Bayshore, NY/West Islip) a three-time All-League and two-time All-County honoree will wrestle 184. Oneonta also has a couple transfers joining the team, Adonis Morano () and Kenneth Jackson (New Orleans, LA). Jackson a heavyweight from Delgado Community College was fourth All-State in Louisiana and Morano will wrestle 174 and is an NJCAA National Qualifier from Ulster County Community College.  

Proud alumni assistant coaches James Bethel and Tyler Brazinski (Johnson City/Johnson City) will help Coach Ritter lead and mentor these talented young men as they strive to achieve success both on and off the mats.