STATEPREVIEW140-275

140 lbs. - Heading this class should be returning bronze medalist Derek Ostrowski of Lancaster-6. He will be pushed by Dan Miracola (137-10 career mark) of Shoreham-Wading River-11 and could face returning place-winner James Strouse (36-0) of state power MacArthur-8 in a rugged semi-final bout. Potential finalist appears to be Treavor LaBlanc (35-4) of Morrisville-Eaton-3.

145 lbs. - Tough opening bout pairing Stephon Sair (30-0) of Huntington-11 and Eric Biccum (33-3) of Port Jervis-9 in the lower bracket. In an all Long Island first round match Chaminade's-C Michael Diamond (17-4) will battle MacArthur's-8 Adam Molano (37-3). Emerging from the upper bracket should be Chris Horning (42-0, 166-16), of Baldwinsville-3, a three-time sectional champ and a returning third place-finisher or unbeaten Tom Cuppernell (27-0) of Canandaigua-5. Look for Sair and Horning in a frenetic final Saturday night.

152 lbs. - Section Five's OSW Cory Lawrence of Hornell will meet Jose Viera (25-1) of Central Islip-11 in an opening bout. Another tough draw will see Charlie Clark of Canton-Potsdam-10 square off with MacArthur's-8 Rob Stubbs (37-4, 87-27). Also to watch will be tough junior Sherwood Fendryk of Greene-4, as he is matched with Chaminade's Neal Franciotti (23-3). Unheralded junior Gene Lang (36-6) of Baldwinsville-3 could reach the finals.

160 lbs. - Perhaps the Empire State's top wrestler is here, as Matt Herrington (45-0, 240-9) of LaSalle-2 will attempt to win his second consecutive state title. Potential finalists could be Carlos Patrick (20-1, 100-9) of Freeport-8 or Tom Sforza (98-28 career) of Lindenhurst-11, both could meet in an all-Long Island semi-final bout.

171 lbs. - Returning state runnerup Greg Lawrence (37-0, 104-17) of Calhoun-8 will vie for the state crown. Formidable challenges could be highly regarded Paul Van Thof (35-0, 113-32) of East Rochester-5 and Jeff Peebles (41-3) of Lowville-3. A possible semi-final could see Sean Coffin (30-2) of Smithtown-11 meeting highly touted Ben Haradon Keane (39-1, 115-37) of Corning-4.

189 lbs. - Slight favorite Chris Weidman (39-1, 106-14) of Baldwin-8, hopes to improve on his fourth place finish at the 2001 state meet. He could face a tough semi-final opponent in Joe Fingler (38-0, 117-43) of Fairport-5. In the upper bracket watch for unbeaten Chris Parris (31-0, 24 pins) of North Babylon-11 to battle with Matt Guthinger of Niskayuna-2 or Ryan Feltz of Springville-6.

215 lbs. - Section Three's OSW Mike Hadley (37-1) of Carhage-3 will meet Jon Andriac (37-1) of Port Jervis-9 in a first round pairing. The winner will meet MacArthur's-8 unbeaten Gian Villante (34-0) in a loaded upper bracket. Looking to reach the finals from the lower bracket will be Islip's Derrick Whitfield (26-1, 22 pins), Jim Nelson of Southwestern-6 or Harrison's Mark Fiore from Section One.

275 lbs. - Returning fifth-place finisher Jason Forrest (12-0, 59-5) is a slight favorite. He will be tested in the quarterfinals by talented Charles McCullough (22-0, 61-11) of Glen Cove-8, with the winner probably reaching the finals. In the upper bracket, returning state meet qualifier Chris Cowen (26-0) of Mexico-3 could meet heralded Justin Crisci (31-2) of William Floyd-11. The last bout of the evening could be another all Long Island epic battle.

TEAM TITLE - Boasting two returning state champions and an experienced lineup, look for Section Eleven to capture its 14th sectional title. Top contenders will be Section Four, Section Eight, Section Three, Section Six and Section Five.