A Resurgence in Cornwall-on-Hudson: New York Military Academy

A RESURGENCE IN CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON: NEW YORK MILITARY ACADEMY

Something great has been getting built on the Hudson River over the course of the last eight years. While Army West Point continues to build itself into a powerhouse Division I wrestling institution, the New York Military Academy's wrestling program is turning into a premier National Prep destination under the leadership of head coach Justin LoPresti.

Back in 2017 when LoPresti took over the helm at NYMA the program had five individuals on their wrestling team, and none of those individuals had any significant wrestling experience. The program did not have a wrestling room on campus and hadn't hosted a home dual meet in over a decade. The team had to practice on the gym floor and split time with the basketball team. Eventually around 2020, with the help from alumni, the wrestling team was able to have a small (but dedicated) space for wrestling.

Fast forward to the 2024-25 wrestling season and the New York Military Academy was the 3rd best National Prep team in the New England area and finished 7th at the National Prep Tournament with competition from Lake Highland Prep (FL), Blair Academy (NJ), Wyoming Seminary (PA), Green Farms Academy (CT), and other schools that continue to crack the national team rankings each year. NYMA has now completely outgrown their room, but LoPresti mentioned they had broke ground on a brand new state of the art wrestling facility which will open at the end of October, just in time for the wrestling season. This wrestling facility will comprise two and a half wrestling mats in addition to a team lounge, small weight room, and other strength and conditioning equipment. This facility will look and feel similar to a college wrestling room.

At New York Wrestling News we oftentimes highlight our NYSPHSAA wrestlers, but it is impossible to turn a blind eye to the resurgence in Cornwall-on-Hudson from the New York Military Academy's wrestling program.

COACHING STAFF

Justin LoPresti is the main man at the helm of the New York Military Academy wrestling program and enters his 7th year as the Head Wrestling Coach. LoPresti is a graduate of the New York Military Academy and hails from the Class of 2006. LoPresti grew up in the Cornwall youth program, and also holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Darius Womack has been LoPresti's right hand man at the Academy for the last five years as the Assistant Coach. Womack wrestled for Newburgh in high school before he had a short stint at SUNY Sullivan. He's helped coach at Deep Roots Wrestling Club in Newburgh and also holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

The newest addition to the New York Military Academy's staff is Mike Rodgers, and it is his first year with the program. Rodgers is currently an RTC athlete at West Point and wrestled collegiately at NC State. He notably placed 5th at the Olympic Team Trials in Greco-Roman just a year ago. He was a 2x National Prep Champion and 3x National Prep All-American in high school, and primarily works with their upper-weight wrestlers.

CADET AND POST GRADUATE LIFE

Oftentimes many people wonder what the structure at a Military Academy may look like. At the New York Military Academy there are two different routes that individuals are able to take, both of which can be extremely advantageous. For NYMA undergraduates there is a structured military program that teach the Cadets discipline, how to live in a structured environment, and how to earn military rank. The military program is ran by Sergeant Major Mike Lavigne, the Director of Cadet Life. He is apart of the Class of 1993 at the Academy.

There is also a Post Graduate program which allows fifth year high school seniors to wrestle at the New York Military Academy. These individuals have the option to opt into the military program as a Cadet, or they can also simply be a Post Graduate on campus without the Cadet component of the Academy. The Post Graduates on campus wear polos and khakis to class, and are normally finished with classes around noon. Some people in the wrestling community may be familiar with the term "Grey Shirting." This program is similar to Grey Shirting, but these individuals are able to compete in all of the team duals, the New England Prep Tournament, and the National Prep Tournament. This in particular can be advantageous to wrestlers who may not have had star-studded results in high school, and are looking to wrestle more esteemed high school competition and get on college coaches radars. It is also advantageous for those who are younger and want to take a gap year, which they are essentially doing while also training in a college level room before transitioning to navigating the college curriculum and scheduling.

Whether part of the Cadet or Post Graduate program at the New York Military Academy, all of these individuals are able to train at West Point Wrestling Club and West Point Prep Academy throughout their year. Those part of the Academy are also able to attend the RTC practices on Sunday's as long as those individuals qualify through USA Wrestling.

RECENT ADDITIONS AND CONTINUED SUCCESS

With recent momentum the program has gained we've seen many credentialed wrestlers land at the New York Military Academy, have continued success and recognition, and then go on to their next adventure at a premier Division I wrestling institution. Just last year the Academy helped send Oumar Tounkara to Drexel, Musa Tamaradze to Appalachian State, Ben Smith to Army West Point, Jordan Joslyn to Buffalo, Owen Hicks to Army West Point and Isael Perez to Little Rock.

The Academy brings in a solid group of returning individuals who should play a key part in the teams success. The team captain is Andrew McCarthy, who won a Rhode Island state championship and previously earned All-American honors at NHSCA Nationals. McCarthy also has earned National Prep All-American honors and placed third at the New England Prep tournament earlier in the year. Another state champ on the team is Landon Herdic, who competed for Team New York at Fargo and had a respectable 2-2 showing in Freestyle and 3-2 showing in Greco. Herdic sat behind former nationally ranked Oumar Tounkara last year, and should be primed for a great season. The other two key returners we see are Aiden Morris and Shea Morris, with both having previously placed at the New England Prep Tournament.

NYMA's newest class brings in a ton of talent, and is a testament to the work that LoPresti and staff continue to put in to ensure the wrestling program becomes a premier National Prep destination. A familiar face will now have a short drive from Newburgh to Cornwall-on-Hudson as Cooper Merli joins the program and is the gem of the class. Merli is a 2x State Champion (3x State Finalist), 3x NHSCA All-American (2x Finalist), a Top 100 recruit in the entire country for the Class of 2026, and has been ranked as high as 5th in the nation at his respective weight class.

Two other star-studded adds include Braeden Simoneaux (Turlings Catholic, LA) and Johnny Green (Aurora, OH). Simoneaux racked up three Louisiana state titles and holds a 4.0 GPA. He is actively being recruited by Ivy League schools and other service academies. Simoneaux notably wrestled a great match at the 2024 Super 32 against former nationally ranked NYMA wrestler Ben Smith, where Smith won a close 3-0 match. Johnny Green was a 4x Ohio state medalist and has formerly earned All-American honors at NHSCA Nationals. Green is currently committed to Army West Point and is in the Post Graduate program.

Three other New Jersey state qualifiers join the program in Anthony Moreno (St. Mary), Lerrod Smalls Jr. (Bridgewater), and Timothy Williams (Plainfield). Of those three, Smalls made the blood round at NHSCA Nationals this spring while Moreno compiled a 37-5 record wrestling New Jersey's best wrestlers. Williams finished with a record of 26-10 and will be a great addition to the squad.

Lastly, there are two other 2x New York state medalists that will join the team in Waylan Winseman (Honeoye Falls-Lima) and Matthew Mercado (Newburgh). Winseman capped off his senior year with a fourth place finish at the state tournament, then came two matches shy of placing at NHSCA Senior Nationals (his only losses coming to those that took 3rd and 6th). Shortly after he went an unblemished 9-0 at NHSCA Duals, which is very difficult to do. Mercado finished his final year at Newburgh with his second consecutive 8th place medal. Both of these individuals will be Post Graduates this year.

The New York Military Academy should be on the verge of cracking the top 50 in the high school team rankings throughout the 2025-26 season. Cooper Merli is already a favorite to win National Preps this year with Braeden Simoneaux, Johnny Green, Andrew McCarthy, and Anthony Moreno contenders to land on the National Prep podium this year.

MEATGRINDER SCHEDULING

One of the biggest benefits to wrestling at the New York Military Academy is the meatgrinder scheduling of a National Prep school.

This preseason we will see all individuals that are still in the undergraduate program compete in a ton of preseason wrestling events including the Grappler Fall Classic, Journeymen Fall Classic, and Super 32. All three of which ensure nationally ranked matchups with premier Division I institutions checking the results. Other significant individual tournaments the undergraduates will attend include the Beast of the East, Escape the Rock, Western New England Championships, New England Prep Championships, and the National Prep Tournament. Some individuals in the undergraduate program will also attend college opens such as the Princeton Open, Millersville Open, Rhode Island Collegiate Open, the Clarion Open, and some individuals will also compete in the West Point Open on November 16th.

The Post Graduate individuals are not eligible to compete at any of the aforementioned high school tournaments, however, will be able to able to compete in the Seabrooke Duals, West Point Prep Dual, and all of the college opens mentioned below in addition to the National Prep tournaments (Western New England Championships, New England Prep Championships, National Prep Tournament). This is why taking the Post Graduate route can be so benefical for some kids, as it can prove that you are a competitive wrestler and can compete with some of the best high school recruits in the country, and will put you on a college coaches radar.

LoPresti mentions that with New York Military Academy competing at such a high level over the course of the last few years they've been able to put together their best national schedule ever, and will continue to look at duals and tournaments their wrestlers can attend to ensure that they get the best competition available. He also echoes our statement above, saying that the high octane competition they get results in more attention and recruitment opportunities that others may not have been able to receive at their respective public schools.

THE FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM

LoPresti mentioned that the program has a few different things coming into the fold in the next couple years from facility upgrades, faculty additions, and alumni support to ensure the New York Military Academy continues to become one of the best institutions in the New England area for a serious wrestler to turn into a legitimate Division I wrestling prospect. With the West Point Wrestling Club nearby to provide college and senior level training partners, every opportunity exists for an individual to become one of the best wrestlers in the area at the New York Military Academy. The Academy surely has the blueprint to churn out nationally recognized wrestlers, and with the continued upward trajectory we've seen with LoPresti and staff at the helm, expect that to happen very quickly!

Those interested in learning more about the New York Military Academy can contact coach Justin LoPresti at jlopresti@nyma.org.