Fargo wrestling tournament produces 5 All-Americans from Long Island
Bellport's Caitlin Maragioglio took 6th at 125 pounds at USA Wrestling National Championships at Fargo, North Dakota. Credit: George A Faella
Long Island was represented by 51 wrestlers at last week’s USA Wrestling National Championship in Fargo, North Dakota. Five came home as All-Americans.
Rising sophomore Camryn Howard won the 16U men’s freestyle title at 157 pounds to become Bellport’s first Fargo national champion. Finnegan O’Brien (Chaminade), Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez (Long Beach), Jake Nieto (Chaminade) and Caitlin Maragioglio (Bellport) all placed within the top eight of their respective weight classes to earn All-American status.
“On the national level, the name ‘Fargo’ is synonymous with the best of the best,” said Bellport coach Chuck Maragioglio, Caitlin’s father. “That’s where the best go to prove themselves on the mat, to challenge themselves. To win this tournament is a big deal. There’s thousands of kids there . . . Nationally ranked kids and it’s not like you wrestle them in the final round. You get them right off the bat and it’s grueling.”
Howard won a 5-0 decision over Asher Bacon (Pennsylvania) to win the title. After placing third in last year’s 144-pound 16U freestyle, Howard went 7-0 and outscored his opponents 62-7 this year.
“I think if anything, (last year) helped me, just knowing that I took third and I could come back this year in the same age group and as long as I keep working, I’ll improve,” Howard said. “It definitely felt better knowing that I fell short the year before and got it done this year."
Eighth-seeded O’Brien was the runner-up at 132 pounds. The Locust Valley product scored a takedown with 15 seconds left in the semifinals for a 4-3 decision over No. 5 Gabe Bjerga (Minnesota). O'Brien then lost a 5-2 decision in the final to Arizona’s Angel Cejudo Jr., nephew of Olympic gold medalist and former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo.
Sibomana-Rodriguez took fourth at 120 pounds in the Junior men’s Greco Roman tourney to earn a spot on the Fargo podium for the third time in the last two years. He advanced to the semifinals with an 8-0 technical fall over Joshua Enoch (Oregon).
He lost a 7-5 decision to eventual champion Roman Luttrell (New Mexico) but won his first consolation match to secure a top-four finish. The UNC commit was last year’s 113-pound champion in the Junior freestyle and took fifth in the Greco Roman tourney.
Nieto took sixth in the 138-pound 16U Greco Roman. He lost in the quarterfinals but won two straight consolation matches to earn a spot on the podium.
After losing in the round of 16, Caitlin Maragioglio won four straight consolation matches to lock up All-American status. She took sixth at 125 pounds in the 16U women’s freestyle. She won an 8-1 decision over Ranelle Smith (Oklahoma) to guarantee a spot on the podium and followed it up with an 11-6 decision over Claire Lancaster (Oklahoma) to reach the top six.
“It was a completely different feeling, knowing that that match is what made me an All-American,” she said.
Maragioglio took second in the inaugural Suffolk girls wrestling tourney and fourth at the state tournament at 126 pounds last season.
“Going into this next school season," Maragioglio said, "I feel like I won’t be as nervous to wrestle some of these girls knowing that I just wrestled some of the best girls in the country.”
