Jets crown four qualifier champions

Who says hard work, dedication and determination pay off?

The East Meadow Jets, that’s who. And few are going to argue after the way they wrestled at last Saturday’s Nassau County qualifier hosted by Massapequa.

East Meadow turned in a blistering semifinal round, winning 10 of 11 matches, and ultimately had 11 wrestlers finish among the top four of their respective weight classes to qualify for next weekend’s Division I championships at Hofstra University.

“We stayed focused on training for the last couple of weeks and we were out at 6 a.m. doing extra work,” coach Chris Critchley said. “We got competition and wrestled the best kids we could find. The dual meets battle-tested us.”

And the proof is in the pudding.

The Jets were extended to overtime in six different matches last Saturday, and they won them all. None was bigger than senior Vinny Pannullo’s rebound from an eight-point hole in the semifinals against Farmingdale’s Chris Phelps at 120 pounds. After chipping away for three points, Pannullo scored a stunning reversal and three back points in the last 30 seconds of the match that brought the crowd to its feet and the score to an even, 8-8. He scored a point in the second overtime on an escape and went on to pin the Dalers’ Naquan Warren at the 0:53 mark of the finals to win the title.

Joining Pannullo in the winner’s circle were seniors Michael Tropiano (152 pounds), Chris Whitenack (160) and Evan Pantofel, who earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors with a pin and a pair of thrilling overtime victories at 170 pounds. Pantofel was extended to OT by Farmingdale’s Harry Rosen in the finals but scored the winning point on an escape after Rosen chose the top position. Tropiano, ranked No. 1 in his weight class, steamrolled Massapequa’s Andrew Hoffman, ranked third, in the finals. The 12-1 victory had the same margin as the first meeting between the two during a regular season dual meet, also won by Tropiano, 11-0. “He’s like a freight train coming at you and doesn’t stop,” Critchley said.