Kellenberg Memorial sponsors a very popular and competitive wrestling program with over 70 boys grades 7-12 participating annually. For the High School there is a Varsity and a Freshman team for the boys to compete on, while for the Brother Fox Latin School their is a Middle school team for the 7th and 8th Graders. The high school team competes in the New York Catholic High School Athletic Association and wrestlers can wrestle in the New York State Federation Tournament with the top wrestlers in the state from both public and Catholic schools if they qualify.
The high school teams compete in league matches and tournaments against the other Catholic Schools on Long Island and New York State. In addition to league competition there is a very vigorous non-league schedule of competition. In the 2015-2016 season the team competed in some of the most prestigious tournaments in the area, the Long Beach Battle at the Beach, the Jerry McGuire Dual Meet Tournament at North Rockland H.S., the Maisel Dual Meet Tournament at Amityville High School, the East Meadow Holiday Tournament, and The Rocky Gilmore Classic at East Islip. Annually the team also schedules non-league dual meets with many of the top programs on Long Island. The middle school team does not wrestle in a league but schedules matches against other middle school programs in the area and attends tournaments as well.
Beginning in 2012 the Kellenberg Memorial Wrestling Program annually hosts the Ed Solosky Memorial Wrestling Tournament in the memory of our late Athletic Director. The 5th edition of this ever growing event is being wrestled on Saturday January 16th, 2016 and features over 10 teams from Nassau, Suffolk, the Hudson Valley and NYC. Over the past few years over 200 wrestlers have participated annually in the event. Every year this event grows and attracts premier teams from the area and the competition amongst the athletes is a great way to honor our former Athletic Director.
The 2014-2015 season proved to be a very successful one for the Firebirds. In the NSCHSAA League Tournament to start the postseason the Firebirds put 9 wrestlers into the finals including 2 champions and qualified 18 wrestlers for the New York CHSAA Sectional Tournament. At the Sectional Tournament we placed 4th overall as a team finishing ahead of two of the top ranked teams in the Western New York Section and the New York City Section. Along the way to this finish the Firebirds placed 11 out of their 18 wrestlers in the Top 6 earning All CHSAA Honors.
Over the course of the schools 28 year history the program has been quite successful boasting 36 New York Catholic High School State Champions, and 5 of those wrestlers went on to earn “All State” honors at the prestigious New York State Federation Tournament. In addition to this Kellenberg Wrestling has produced 2 National High School Coaches Association All Americans.
Follow the team on Twitter & Instagram for updates on matches, tournaments, team events, and alumni happenings @KbergWrestling.