STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— The Monsignor Farrell Lions completed a three-peat of team titles at their marquee home tournament, the 40th Dave Ironman Invitational, in Oakwood on Saturday, as a spectacular seven of Peter Hamm’s wrestlers captured victories in their respective weight classes.
“It’s always good to win, especially at home. This is my favorite tournament, and you get a lot of alumni and parents coming back, so it’s great. It’s very much a family affair,” Hamm said following the Lions collecting their hardware.
Among the Lions to earn individual victories were Kaiden Noia (103 pounds), Jake Censi (118), Brennan Sprague (126), Alan Biktyakov (144), Sebastian Georges (150), John Bonura (175), and A.J. Lombardi (285), which was more than enough to secure first place as a squad.
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40th Dave Ironman Invitational
Several Islanders also reached the finals in their respective weight classes, including Farrell’s Albert Lula (132 pounds), Richie Purpura (138), Quinn Hunt (165), and Robbie Wieser (175), Petrides’ Marco Michielli (150) and St. Joseph by-the-Sea’s Justin Stassi (190). The Vikings also captured third place as a team, capping a highly successful day of wrestling for the borough.
Also on hand to add to the Lions’ festivities was the tournament’s namesake, Dave Ironman—the longtime Farrell coach often credited with building the program into what it is today—who helped distribute awards and soak in a day of outstanding wrestling.
“I’m very glad to have the tournament here and for the tremendous support we get from Monsignor Farrell, Lou Tobacco, and Anthony Garofalo. When you run tournaments like this, you need the parents, the wrestlers, and the administration, and that’s why we’ve been able to hold it for 40 years,” Ironman said.
“Very few tournaments last this long because it’s hard work and people get tired, but Farrell does it, and I appreciate it. Having my name attached to it may be a little overkill, but if it’s good for wrestling, that’s fine,” he added with a laugh.
Farrell’s Brennan Sprague poses with his 100th win banner following the milestone at the Dave Ironman Invitational on Jan. 3, 2026.Michael O’Brien
Amid a banner day for Farrell, two Lions in particular stood out, as Sprague recorded the 100th win of his career and Biktyakov was named lightweight MVP—much to Hamm’s pleasure.
“Brennan is a state-level wrestler; at times he even competes like a national-level wrestler, so I’m not surprised by his performance. He was pretty dominant all tournament,” Hamm shared.
As for his own milestone, Sprague said, “It feels really good knowing that all the work I put in to achieve this really paid off.”
“I’m beyond blessed to be able to wrestle for Farrell and to have a great group of kids around me who support and care for me, along with coaches who stay after to help me out. Coach Hamm helps me with everything—my weight, my descents, my technique, my wrestling—so it’s really all about the team.”
Speaking on his MVP wrestler, Hamm said, “Alan is starting to break through. He’s a sophomore with a particularly strong pedigree—his father is an Olympic bronze medalist for Uzbekistan in Greco-Roman—and he projects at a much higher level. We’re just starting to see the beginning of it.”
Biktyakov himself said, “Today’s performance came from working very hard for this.”
“You’ve got to stay strong. A lot of training and cardio go into it—a lot of work. I thank my coaches and my teammates for pushing me. Overall, the season’s going great, and I’m expecting much more next season. I believe that if you put enough work into anything, it can always work out.”
Farrell’s Alan Biktyakov poses with his lightweight MVP plaque following the Dave Ironman Invitational on Jan. 3, 2026.Michael O’Brien
When asked which of his other wrestlers caught his attention, Hamm highlighted Censi, who “wrestled very well all day and is getting better and better,” and Lombardi, noting that “it’s always good to have a strong athlete at the heavyweight spot. It just makes everybody feel better for some reason.”
Lastly, speaking to how such a big team win will impact the squad going forward, Hamm said, “We have many more goals to accomplish, but winning this meet every year is always one of them. We’re going to pat everybody on the back on Monday, and then we’re going to move to the next one.”