Cooper Merli’s name will be forever etched in the Newburgh Free Academy wrestling record book when, last year, he became the Goldbacks’ first state champion in over a half-century.

This weekend he will have a chance to make further history if he can repeat as champion. This year he will have some company as four other wrestlers will join him on Friday and Saturday at the New York State Federation wrestling tournament at the MVP Arena in Albany.

Merli will compete at 108 pounds, and teammates William Soto (101), Jordan Busby (116), Matt Mercado (131) and Christopher Leggett (215).

It will be Merli’s third trip to the state meet.

“I think it just makes me more comfortable up there,” Merli said. “I know the feeling of the mat and of the arena having been up there before. It’s going to be the same thing over again.”

This year will be different because the Goldbacks have the opportunity to crown multiple state champions. Last year, Soto and Merli both competed in the same weight class.

When Merli won the championship, Soto finished third.

After having beaten Valley Central’s E.J. Vass in the 101-pound championship at the sectional tournament, Soto, a freshman, is feeling confident heading into his second trip to the state tournament.

“It’s just lots of hard work,” Soto said. “I dedicate a lot to the sport so being able to finally see the results of all that work is good.”

Mercado, a junior, was the Goldbacks’ third section champion after beating Middletown’s Jacob Roger in the 131-pound championship match.

He will be attending his first state tournament. He finished fifth in Section 9 last year and has been part of the program since his freshman year of high school.

“Matt has been with me since I first came on the team,” Merli said. “We came on the team together. Watching him slowly improve each year – first year he didn’t place; last year he took fifth; this year winning – that was awesome for me. I always like watching my teammates win.”

Busby and Leggett also will be making their first trip to the state tournament. Busby finished second with a loss to Warwick’s Brody Judd at 116 pounds.

Leggett had to earn his trip to states in the consolation finals. Due to Section 9 Division I’s success over the last several years, the section had more power points than any other section and are sending their top three wrestlers to the state meet.

That opened the door for Leggett, who lost his semifinal match to Washingtonville’s Jacob DeJesus. However, he came back in the consolation finals to beat Middletown’s Julani Graham to earn his first trip to the state meet.

“It brings the spirit up,” Merli said. “Everybody will be closer. We’ll have more people to hang out with or just be in one room, and we can move back and forth. People who cut weight can cut weight together. It’s going to make more of a team feel instead of an individual one.”

NYS Federation Championships
MVP Arena, Albany

Saturday
9:30 a.m. – Semifinals/Consolations
12:30 p.m. – Wrestlebacks/Consolation Semifinals
2 p.m. – Consolation Finals