If there is only one word to describe Dominick Giacolone's season, it's “exciting”.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Cato-Meridian sophomore Dominick Giacolone is The Citizen's Wrestler of the Year.
Cato-Meridian sophomore Dominick Giacolone is The Citizen's Wrestler of the Year.
Finishing the season with a 43-3 record and a Section III title, Giacolone dominated the 96/103-pound weight class for the Cato-Meridian wrestling team.
“I felt pretty accomplished with everything I did this season,” the sophomore said. “Winning sectionals was the biggest thing of the year.”
Giacolone's success on the mats is what earned him the title of The Citizen Wrestler of the Year for the second consecutive year.
Taking the title in stride and with modesty, Giacolone gives most of the credit to his teammates who also had a great season with a 23-3 team record and three wrestlers, including Giacolone, making it to the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Tournament.
The tournament, where Giacolone was a favorite to win, is a sore spot for Giacolone who suffered a knee injury that took away his possibilities of winning a championship. He fell to Peru's Arik Robinson for the second time this season, by a 3-1 decision, in his second match at states.
Despite his shortcomings in the tournament Giacolone said, “I'm not too disappointed. I'm glad I made it to states, I gave it all I had.”
Giacolone is hoping for redemption in another tournament appearance next season.
“I am pretty confident about next season,” Giacolone said. “I want to build off of what happened this year.”
And this year was a dominant one for Giacolone, who only allowed nine points all year, while scoring 226. He also racked up 16 pins in the lightweight's gigantic win total, proving that one of Section III's most underrated wrestlers is also one of the toughest. Giacolone says that he plans to keep improving and since he is still an underclassmen, he has time in his favor for achieving his goal of bringing home a state title.
Building on past successes is something Giacolone has already proven he can do. As a freshman, Giacolone placed fourth in sectionals and used what he learned from that experience to get him to his success this past season, a method he intends to keep using.
“I was a lot stronger this year,” Giacolone said.
“I set goals for every tournament and achieved every goal I wanted. I plan to keep that strategy and go further and further. The whole team was really successful and I am confident next season will be even better.”
“I felt pretty accomplished with everything I did this season,” the sophomore said. “Winning sectionals was the biggest thing of the year.”
Giacolone's success on the mats is what earned him the title of The Citizen Wrestler of the Year for the second consecutive year.
Taking the title in stride and with modesty, Giacolone gives most of the credit to his teammates who also had a great season with a 23-3 team record and three wrestlers, including Giacolone, making it to the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Tournament.
The tournament, where Giacolone was a favorite to win, is a sore spot for Giacolone who suffered a knee injury that took away his possibilities of winning a championship. He fell to Peru's Arik Robinson for the second time this season, by a 3-1 decision, in his second match at states.
Despite his shortcomings in the tournament Giacolone said, “I'm not too disappointed. I'm glad I made it to states, I gave it all I had.”
Giacolone is hoping for redemption in another tournament appearance next season.
“I am pretty confident about next season,” Giacolone said. “I want to build off of what happened this year.”
And this year was a dominant one for Giacolone, who only allowed nine points all year, while scoring 226. He also racked up 16 pins in the lightweight's gigantic win total, proving that one of Section III's most underrated wrestlers is also one of the toughest. Giacolone says that he plans to keep improving and since he is still an underclassmen, he has time in his favor for achieving his goal of bringing home a state title.
Building on past successes is something Giacolone has already proven he can do. As a freshman, Giacolone placed fourth in sectionals and used what he learned from that experience to get him to his success this past season, a method he intends to keep using.
“I was a lot stronger this year,” Giacolone said.
“I set goals for every tournament and achieved every goal I wanted. I plan to keep that strategy and go further and further. The whole team was really successful and I am confident next season will be even better.”