SOURCE: www.flowrestling.org

July 20, 2023

SOURCE: New York Wrestling News

"NO DIAKOMIHALIS HAD EVER WON THE FARGO STOP SIGN...."



That all changed on Wednesday night as baby boy #3 of Gina, ELIJAH DIAKOMIHALIS is your 2023 USMC 182-pound 16U FS King!!!!

Prevailing in a barnburner that was considerable much more competitive than the 7-1 score indicates, the 2x NYSPHSAA DI medalist (2023 runner-up) for the Hilton Cadets will have bragging rights at the dinner table!!

Squaring off in the finale with 2023 Georgia State Champ/2023 NHSCA National titlist, Ryder Wilder, Diakomihalis would actually trail for the first time all tournament when he was hit for a 1pt shot clock violation with :33 remaining in the opening period to head into the break trailing 1-0...

The aggressor and/or one instigating the action for the majority of the 4:00 duration, the Section V superstar evened the bout at 1 apiece when it was his turn to be rewarded with a passivity point with 35 ticks remaining in regulation...Then things got interesting....

With Wilder desperately in need of some offense, he'd try to snap + spin off of a front-headlock...

Diakomihalis, who is certainly no stranger to counter wrestling and scrambles, would be able to dive through the middle, got height on the sequence and was close to converting the TD when the action was stopped because his knee was wrenched....

The mat officials immediately calling the 1pt penalty for an illegal scissor to make it 2-1 in favor of the Empire Stater (0:18 to go), the Georgia corner unsuccessfully tossed the brick (not even sure the nature of their challenge) to make it 3-1!!

The scoreboard now his best friend, NYWN's #4 ranked 2025 prospect received equally good news when the aforementioned caution +1 yielded him choice of starting positions!!

Not one to just cruise, Diakomihalis opted to begin the last :20 in par terre and when Wilder stood up, Lij was all too happy to lift and plant him for the 4-pointer with :09 showing on the clock to account for the cited tally!!

The 'ship being the only contest in which he went the distance (techs in all six of his prior appearances), Diakomihalis concluded his week having outscored his foes by a total of 67-3!!!

Bringing the stop sign home to the Rochester area for the first time since 2016 (Penfield's Frankie Gissendanner; 152 Cadet), the win by Diakomihalis made it three years running that at least one NY gentlemen seized the 16U/Cadet freestyle hardware!!!

He joins Minisink Valley teammates---Zack Ryder (2021; 152) & PJ Duke (2022; 138) in having achieved the feat!!!

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PATH TO THE PRIZE:

- RD128: 10-0 TF vs. Amiri Mumba (2023 NM State 4th)
- RD64: 10-0 TF against John Mengel (FL)
- RD32: 11-0 TF over Caleb Close (2x PIAA State placer)
- RD16: Fall in 0:55 vs. Peyton Callis (Oklahoma)
- Quarters: 10-0 TF over Evan Perez (2023 Colorado State Champ/2022 USAW Kids Triple-Crown recipient)
- Semis: 11-1 TF against Aiden Peterson (2023 NHSCA National Champ)
- Finals: 7-1 decision versus Ryder Wilder (2023 Georgia State Gold/2023 NHSCA titlist)