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LINCOLNDALE, N.Y. – Somers senior Dylan Realbuto was in a state of shock after an upset loss in a quarterfinal match at the 2013 New York State Wrestling Championships.
But Realbuto, who was the 2012 New York State Division 1 champion at 113 pounds, immediately dismissed the loss and regained his focus. Realbuto ran off four consecutive wins to conclude his brilliant career with a third-place finish in the 126-pound weight class.
Realbuto’s performance has earned him The Somers Daily Voice February Student-Athlete of the Month.
He was the 2013 Section 1 Division 1 champion at 126 pounds. Realbuto, a five-year varsity wrestler, finished with a record of 190-25. That was second in program history behind his older brother, Brian.
“After the loss, I wanted to prove that me losing was a fluke and the only way I could do that was wrestling back hard,” said Realbuto, who will attend Cornell in the fall and continue wrestling. “I remember looking at the bracket and thinking how unlucky it was that out of me, Chris Arraoz and Mark West, that only one of us could place, and I was determined for that to be me.”
Arraoz is from Wantagh and West from Hauppauge. Realbuto beat Arraoz, 9-7, in a decision in overtime to advance to the placing round.
“I knew that after I beat the winner of their match, I was going to place third,” Realbuto said.
He closed out his Somers career as the only other three-time state-place-finisher, along with his brother.
“Being a state champ and three-time state-place-finisher means a lot and is also a reminder of how close I was to being a three-time state champion,” Realbuto said.
Realbuto missed his brother, who was his teammates for four years, but he continued to establish himself as one of New York’s elite wrestlers. It also gave him the opportunity to become the team leader.
“It’s been a really fun season and one I will definitely remember,” he said. “My teammates, I treasured the moments I’ve shared with them more than winning.”
The student athlete of the month is chosen by the sports reporters and editors of The Daily Voice.
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