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Island girls’ wrestlers come together to take on rest of the PSAL

League rules create Staten Island Wrestling, featuring grapplers from five schools competing as one

By Posted byStephen Hart

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A group of PSAL island girls' wrestlers in a wrestling ring.
Petrides coach Dave Olah hosts practice Tuesday for Staten Island’s all-girls’ wrestling team that competes in the PSAL. Last season, the squad debuted and reached the city championship match.

Petrides coach Dave Olah was putting nearly 20 young ladies through their paces in the school’s wrestling room in Sunnyside, but these weren’t the Panthers.

Well, yes, some were from Petrides, and some were from Curtis … and New Dorp … and Tottenville … and even one from Susan Wagner.

Welcome to Staten Island Wrestling, an all-borough squad that will be competing for the second straight season in the PSAL.

Curtis has had a girls’ wrestling program since 2013, and coach Chris Alena’s Warriors have won three city championships during that time. But when other schools on the Island wanted to follow suit with a girls’ team, they were denied by the league.

“The PSAL deemed that Staten Island had too many teams, too many sports programs,” said Olah, who recently guided the Panthers to their seventh city title in the boys’ A division.

A group of PSAL Island girls' wrestlers practicing in a gym.
Dave Olah of Petrides directs the wrestlers from in front, while coaches Chris Alena of Curtis, left, and Mike Vaccaro of New Dorp supervise in the back.

Any girls from Island schools other than Curtis who wanted to compete on the mat had to do so on boys’ teams. That changed last year when the PSAL granted all-access status – meaning that if a student-athlete wishes to compete in a sport, but their school doesn’t offer it, that player can participate for a school that does offer it.

“It’s a unique opportunity for the girls,” said Olah.

While the team is technically listed as Curtis, they’re unofficially known as Staten Island Wrestling, wearing the school neutral colors of black and white.

“We’ve embraced it. But it was a tough sell, at first,” admitted Alena of the Warriors’ surrendering their sole identity to welcome usual rivals to their ranks. “Ultimately, we wanted to give these girls [from the other schools] a chance to compete. There was this sense of community, and that’s especially true among wrestlers.”

Alena said the hardest thing about having five schools under one umbrella “is coordinating the paperwork, like getting all the medicals from the kids and setting up the buses for off-Island travel. And everything has to go through Curtis, which has been very supportive of this. A lot of the credit goes to our athletic director, Eric Ritzer. We’ve kept him busy.”

A group of PSAL island girls' wrestlers sitting on the floor.
Petrides coach Dave Olah demonstrates a move to the girls with the help of Curtis boys’ wrestler Aldo Pineda.

Most of the practices and matches will take place at Petrides “because they’re centrally located and have a great facility,” said Alena, who added that the coaches at the different schools have all chipped in with helping.

“But I think the thing that’s impressed us the most has been how dedicated the girls are,” said Alena. “They’re hard-working kids and have been a joy to coach.”

The wrestlers hit it off right away, culminating with last season’s run to the PSAL city championship match where Staten Island lost to Truman.

“The collaboration has been the strength of our team,” said Curtis junior Kiara Ramirez. “There’s only so many chances for girls to compete in combat sports, so it’s important we work together. I just love it, everyone’s been super supportive.”

“I’ve made a lot of friends,” stated Tottenville senior Nanyeli Encinas. “It’s different than competing with boys; that’s more physical, but this is more emotional.”

New Dorp coach Mike Vaccaro instructs two wrestlers, while Chris Alena of Curtis (left) and Dave Olah of Petrides patrol the back.

Petrides sophomore Jayla Chen-Hom said each grappler “has learned new techniques that we’ve picked up from each other, including the different mental aspects of wrestling. Having a new mindset has pushed us to become better.”

“It’s also helped to have six or seven coaches around [from the combined schools]. They’ve also taught us different techniques,” added New Dorp junior Brianna Tenempaguay.

Curtis boys’ wrestler Aldo Pineda, who was at practice on Tuesday to help Olah demonstrate some moves, said while there are differences between the boys and girls, “the one thing the two genders share is the need to be mentally strong.”

The focus for Staten Island Wrestling — which opens the campaign on March 27 hosting James Madison at 4 p.m. — is quite simple.

“We have some unfinished business this season,” said Tenempaguay, in reference to the city championship loss. “Yes, 100 percent.”

A group of PSAL island girls' wrestlers in a gym.
Dave Olah of Petrides looks over the Staten Island Wrestling team during Tuesday’s practice.

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