Rebuilding Lynbrook shows promise

Without any seniors and an unusual glut at one weight class, the Lynbrook wrestling team likely won’t make a big splash in the rugged Conference 3B. But the Owls still should make some ripples with a handful of youngsters. 

Lynbrook graduated 12 seniors and two All-County wrestlers (Ralph Caputo, Dylan Vanegas) from last season’s .500 squad. The good news is the varsity and JV is stocked with a combined 42 grapplers. 

“We are in a rebuilding year,’’ said Rich Renz, who has coached in the Lynbrook wrestling program for 34 years, first as a longtime assistant. “I’m very happy with the work ethic they put in. They seem very dedicated. That’s key to getting better in wrestling. Each time we wrestle, we’re getting better. It’s going to take time.’’

Let’s start with an eighth-grader, a 108-pounder, Elias Vandoros. He’s been brought up to the varsity this year with high expectations. He made a spectacular debut when he took first place in the Uniondale Knights Classic. Vandoros also took a respectable fifth place in the Long Beach Battle of the Beach. 

Renz said there hasn’t been this much hype about an eight-grade wrestler at Lynbrook since Matt Swanson’s debut 11 years ago. Swanson only became the program’s winningest wrestler ever. 

“We are expecting big things from Elias,’’ Renz said. “He is a very dedicated, hard-working wrestler. He wrestles all year and he’s very good technical wrestler.’’

Probably the most accomplished wrestler on the roster is junior Elias Vanegas at 152 pounds. He was fifth in the Nassau County qualifiers last year. In early December, Vanegas placed third at the Uniondale Knights tournament and fifth in Long Beach. Following in his brother’s footsteps, Vanegas also one of the captains. 

 “He has very good technique one of our best wrestlers,’ Renz said. “He almost made the county tournament, and he could be All-County this year (top 6). He will have to wrestle his best.’’

 The conundrum for Renz is having three quality wrestlers all in the 131-pound class with junior captain Ryan Benson, sophomore Anthony Caputo and junior captain Zachary Tinyes. While they all can compete at tournaments and counties, Lynbrook is compromised in dual meets as he can only to start one of the trio.

 “There’s wrestlers in the same weight class and they’re good wrestlers,’’ Renz said. “Right now I can’t separate them.’’

One of the three may drop weight to 124. “That’s the plan,’’ Renz said.  Benson might have the edge of the three. “He’ll be a solid wrestler for us this year,’’ Renz said. “He’s a leader and a tough kid.’’

 Renz said the younger Caputo “is a very strong athlete and should perform well for us this year.’’

 Then there’s Tinyes, sixth in the county qualifier last year who took second in Uniondale. “He has good technique and am looking forward to seeing him do well this season,’’ Renz said.

In the upper weight classes, Lynbrook feels it can do respectably. At 170 pounds, Emmett O’Grady was sixth place in the county qualifiers last year. “He’s very strong and should do well this season,’’ Renz said. 

Lynbrook will send out a freshman at 190 -  Fabian Vanegas, another Vanegas with good technique.

 In the heavy weight division of 215 pounds, Toni Lazri will return after being sixth in the qualifiers last year. “He is a strong athlete and should do well this season,’’ Rentz said.

Lynbrook has no easy ride in the conference that has state power Wantagh and county studs, Plainedge and Hewlett. In the early going at tournaments, Lynbrook took fifth as a team at Uniondale out of 12 teams and was eighth out of 13 teams in Long Beach. 

“We have a lot of young kids and a very competitive conference,’’ said Renz, who’s been head coach for 16 years. “Probably the toughest in the state.’’