Cohen leads Baldwin wrestlers

Senior Dylan Cohen, with a record of 34-1, leads Baldwin’s wrestlers into the Nassau County Qualifying Tournament at Syosset where he figures to be a handful for the competition this Saturday.

The Bruins, who split 26 dual meets during the regular season including a pair of playoff matches last Friday, will try to make their share of noise at the most important time of the season.

“We’re a young team, and the peaks and valleys we’ve had this season have been far apart,” first-year coach Jim Murphy said. “We faced a very challenging schedule that I feel will benefit the kids in the next two weeks. We started off well with a nice win against Locust Valley, but we never put that same lineup on the mat again.”

Cohen has been a model of consistency, however. A year ago he placed fifth in the county in the 140-pound class. He’ll compete at 145 this weekend after spending most of the regular season at 160 or 152. “He’s got a very good chance of winning it all,” Murphy said. “Dylan’s been wrestling lights-out while going up against bigger kids. He’s been a trooper and doing whatever the team needed him to do. He’s got the strength and stamina it takes to win a demanding tournament.”

The only loss Cohen has suffered this season came against MacArthur’s Steve Schneider, who ranks third in Nassau at 152. Cohen is ranked No. 2 at 145 behind Garden City’s Matt Schmelzinger. “Being battle-tested is always good,” Murphy said. “I’m hoping we can get anywhere from 12 to 14 kids qualified for the county tournament.”

The Nassau Division I championships are Feb. 11-12 at Hofstra. The top four finishers in each weight class at each of the six qualifying tournaments will advance to the big stage.

Murphy also has high hopes for juniors Quinn Knauer (138), who has defeated 31 of 38 opponents, and Victor Robinson (132), who carries a record of 26-11 into a qualifier that includes host Syosset, Long Beach, Jericho, Herricks, South Side, and Great Neck North.