All odds were against Dan deLalla ’07 midway through the New England Championships last weekend. Stepping off the mat after Mark DeCicco, his main rival from Springfield College, defeated him by pin, things looked bleak. To win the tournament, deLalla would have to win three consecutive matches, the last two against DeCicco. Ever determined, deLalla pulled off an emphatic comeback and roared back from the brink of elimination. After defeating Mike Martini of Rhode Island College, deLalla exacted revenge on DeCicco, defeating his Springfield rival in the final two matches of the tournament to claim the New England Championship in the 157-pound weight class for the second consecutive year.
Entering the tournament, deLalla knew the road to the New England Championship would run through DeCicco, the two-time New England Champion in the 149-pound weight class. Earlier in the season, at the Doug Parker Invitational, deLalla was defeated by the Springfield senior by an 11-5 margin.
“In the Invitational and going against DeCicco, I wasn’t in the best shape,” deLalla said. “Part of the reason was that Wesleyan restricts its wrestlers from practicing until November 1st, while all schools outside the NESCAC start training on September 25th. For my teammates and I to be ready to compete at the top of our game at that point is not the easiest.”
deLalla, the sixth-ranked wrestler in Division III, remained optimistic at his chances to repeat as New England Champion, even after suffering a hard fought defeat to DeCicco in the finals of the winner’s bracket over the weekend. After deLalla’s 5-4 defeat of Martini, deLalla readied to face DeCicco for the second time over the weekend, the third match-up between the two over the course of the season.
“Entering the final rounds against DeCicco, I had in my mind a match I wrestled earlier in the year to give me some confidence,” deLalla said. “I remembered I beat Joe Galante, a top wrestler in the country from the College of New Jersey earlier in the year. I knocked him out of the rankings at the time. I also knew that Galante pounded DeCicco earlier in the season, and I knew I beat the kid who beat DeCicco. That gave me a lift in the final rounds.”
Falling behind 6-3 in the third period, deLalla extended his season in thrilling fashion with an 8-6 overtime victory, leading to a final match with DeCicco with the New England Championship on the line. Trailing 4-2 in the finals, deLalla once again sent the match into overtime and again prevailed in the second extra session by an 8-7 decision, defending his New England Championship crown.
“In the first match [against DeCicco], I wrestled tight and conservative,” deLalla said. “I was kind of nervous. But in the second and third matches, I went in more loose and relaxed. There was no reason for me to be nervous, there was nothing for me to lose. By the third time I faced him over the weekend, I wore him down because I was physically stronger.”
According to teammate Tomi Uyehara ’08, the match between deLalla and DeCicco came down to which wrestler had enough energy and extra reserves in the deciding matches.
“When it came time for overtime, both had equal talent, but Dan proved he had more heart and wanted it a little more than the other guy,” Uyehara said. “He saw that Dan would keep going after him. Dan broke him in a way, and then the guy gave up.”
For Uyehara, the key to deLalla’s success over the past two seasons has been his tireless work ethic and deLalla’s ability to keep himself in tremendous shape over the course of the grueling wrestling season.
“He just always works, he is never satisfied with his conditioning or technique,” Uyehara said. “He’s always trying to get better. When he’s not in the wrestling room, he gets his work done. He gets a workout in whenever he can in the morning. He gets an edge whenever he can. He keeps himself in really good shape, better than almost all the competition.”
With the New England Championship under his belt, deLalla will travel to Loras College next weekend to participate in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Last year, deLalla qualified for the tournament but suffered two losses in his first three matches and was eliminated in the early rounds. This year, as the number six seed, deLalla should see an easier draw in the opening round. If the seeds hold any meaning, deLalla should be in prime position to become an All-American, as the top eight finishers in the National tournament earn the distinction.
“I’m going to the Nationals to win it all,” deLalla said. “Since the beginning of the season, though, my ultimate goal has been to become an All-American. I’ve been working towards that for four years.”
Although there are five wrestlers ranked ahead of deLalla, the senior isn’t the least bit intimidated by the players ahead of him in the rankings.
“There is no kid in the tournament who is unbeatable,” he said. “I’ve wrestled the top competition in the country, I know what to expect. Earlier in the season, I was even up on the top wrestler in the country. I saw the competition in the National tournament last year as well, it’s nothing new for me. I’m excited and relaxed for my last tournament ever.”
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