Cliffton Wang made Edgemont proud last week as he travelled down to Virginia Beach to be Edgemont?s first representative in the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals.
Wrestling at 160 pounds, up one weight class from where he competed this past season, Cliffton faced the nation?s toughest sophomores and came away with a 3-2 record and perhaps more importantly the experience of wrestling in a national tournament under his belt.
Ciffton began his tournament in the Round of 32 against eventual 4th place-finisher Avery DiNardi of New Jersey where he grinded out a 3-2 decision, advancing to the Round of 16. His next opponent was Delaware?s Zeke Marcozzi, just coming off a 3rd place finish at 160 pounds in the Delaware State Championships. Cliffton controlled the match and worked to a fall at 2:27.
In the quarterfinals, Cliffton came up against Angel Solis from California?s Lemoore High School. It was a battle but Solis came out on top 7-0, dropping Cliffton into the consolation bracket.
There Cliffton met fellow New Yorker Shawn Mosca from Wheatley High School in Nassau County. Cliffton dominated the match enroute to a 12-0 major decision.
Finally Cliffton wrestled eventual All-American Shane Sosinsky of Northern Highlands High School in New Jersey. Sosinsky secured a 4-0 victory, ending Cliffton?s tournament.
Cliffton had a tremendous season and will no doubt reach even greater heights in his remaining to years!