Matt Ciasulli

Matt Ciasulli ’02

Career Record: 156-17, 3x D11 Champ, 3x Regional Champ, 3x State Champ

Tournament Championships: Reno Champ, 3x Manheim Champ

College: Lehigh (4x NCAA Qualifier)

Best Career Wins: Darrell Vazquez (4x California state champ, 2x All American at Cal-Poly), Ryan Lang (4x Ohio state champ, 2x All American and NCAA finalist at Notthwestern), Jared Herzog (Pennsylvania state champion), Dan Rooney (Ohio state champion), Clay Cresswell (2x Oklahoma state champ), Jamie Muir (2x Montana state champ), Gregg Romano (National Prep champ and 3x finalist), Matt Kocher (Pennsylvania state champ, All American at Pittsburgh), Johnny Brooks (Oklahoma state champ), Cory Garis (Pennsylvania state champ), Jeremy Lawley (3x Oklahoma state champ), Morgan Atkinson (California state finalist, NCAA qualifier at Cal State Fullerton), Charlie Aggozzino (Ohio state finalist, Ironman and Beast of the East champ), Dan Burkholder (Pennsylvania state champ)

Rivalry: Aaron Suranofsky (Northampton)

Defining Match: 15-5 major over Darrell Vazquez, Bakersfield (Reno TOC Finals)

2002 – 125 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Champ, State Champ (43-1)

2001 – 119 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Champ, State Champ (43-3)

2000 – 112 lbs.: District Runner-Up, Regional Champ, State Champ (41-5)

1999 – 103 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Fourth (29-8)

Maybe the best mat wrestler in school history, Matt Ciasulli put together one of the most decorated careers of the modern era and became the third Easton wrestler to win three PIAA titles, and the first to do so at a weight higher than 98/105.

Broke into the lineup as a freshman, and his only dual meet loss of the regular season came to Corey Cooperman (Blair Academy NJ) at the Elite Duals. He did not place at Reno and was a third-place finisher at Manheim. Posted dual wins over future state finalist John-Henry Zarzycki (Pleasant Valley) and four-time medalist Joey Rivera (Stroudsburg). Lost to Aaron Suranofsky (Northampton) in the D11 Dual semifinals, the first battle in their epic, three year series against each other. Ciasulli won his first D11 title, going through Rivera in the semis before a 2-0 overtime win over Suranofsky in the final. Ciasulli was the only Red Rover to win a title that year and extend “The Streak”. The following weekend, Ciasulli lost his Northeast Regional semifinal match to Chris Provencher (Milton), which set up Suranofsky-Ciasulli III for the right to go to the state tournament. This time, it was Suranofsky who pulled out a 2-0 decision. He would take third at the state tournament the following weekend while Ciasulli sat at home.

As a sophomore, Ciasulli took third at Reno, winning his bronze medal bout over 2A state champion Jarod Herzog (Northern Lehigh). Pinned his way to the Manheim final before blanking Neil Maggi (Canon McMillan), 1-0. Dropped a pair of bouts in January to national foes Cooperman and Mark Moos (St. Edward OH), but defeated Ohio state champion Dan Rooney (Walsh Jesuit OH) hours after the Moos match. Suranofsky would take the first three rounds of Suranofsky-Ciasulli in 2000, with a 2-2 rideout win in the regular season dual, and 2-1 win in the District 11 Dual finals, and a 4-3 win in the D11 finals to deny Ciasulli his second state title and extend his winning streak to four in the rivalry. However, Ciasulli turned the tables at Northeast Regionals with a 3-1 overtime win to claim his first Regional title. It was widely anticipated that the two would meet for a state title in Hershey, and Ciasulli held up his end of the bargain, with 5-0, 11-0, and 6-2 wins to punch his ticket to Saturday night. But Suranofsky was ridden out in double overtime by Chris Lape (West Allegheny) to lose his quarterfinal match. Ciasulli hammered Lape 5-0 for his first PIAA title.

As a junior, Ciasulli opened the season with a 2-1 win over 2A state champion Cory Garis (Wilson) and a pin of state bronze medalist Eric Frick (Nazareth). He took fourth at Reno, losing his semifinal to Oklahoma state champion Clay Cresswell (El Reno OK) and dropping the bronze medal match to two-time Montana champion Jamie Muir (Ronan). Ciasulli won Manheim the following week, with a highlight 8-7 win over future state finals opponent Brian Sticca (Greensburg-Salem). He dropped a match at Elite Duals to Pat Atkinson (St. Mark’s DE), but had the biggest statement win of his career to that point against Ryan Lang (St. Edward), beating the four-time Ohio state champion and future NCAA finalist 4-3 in Easton’s continued cross-state rivalry with the Eagles. Hours later he also beat Oklahoma state champion Johnny Brooks (Midwest City OK). He also posted a national win over National Preps champ Gregg Romano (Blair Academy), 8-7. In the D11 dual finals, Easton advanced to the PIAA State Duals tournament for the first time with a 28-21 win over Northampton, highlighted by Ciasulli’s 7-6 win over Suranofsky. Ciasulli went 3-0 at State Duals, including a 4-0 win over future state champion and All American Matt Kocher (State College), 4-0 in the state final. At the D11 tournament, Ciasulli beat Suranofsky for the third straight time, this time a 5-2 decision, the widest margin of victory in their rivalry. The following weekend at regionals, Ciasulli blitzed the field with every match ending early by tech or pin. His stated goal in Hershey was to shut out the field, which he successfully did, winning 9-0, 8-0 (over his 2000 finals opponent Chris Lape), 4-0, and an 8-0 major decision in the finals over Dan Pacitti (Moon). For his efforts, he was awarded the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the PIAA tournament as Easton ran away with the team title.

As a senior, Ciasulli started his season with a fall over state medalist Joe Provini (Nazareth) then blanked state champ Cory Garis (Wilson) as Easton rolled through December. At the Reno Tournament of Champions, Ciasulli was named Outstanding Wrestler after a headline-making weekend. He pinned California runner-up Morgan Atkinson (Temecula), then shutout three-time Oklahoma champ and ASICS All American Jeremy Lawley (Tulsa EC), setting up a national #1 vs. #2 battle with four-time California state champ Darrell Vazquez (Bakersfield). Ciasulli was all over the California star, turning him four times in a 15-5 major decision. Easton won the team title at Reno, solidifying their top 5 national ranking. Back in Pennsylvania, he won his third Manheim title. He cruised through January, including a pin of Ohio state runner-up Charlie Aggozzino (St. Edward) as Easton knocked off the Eagles and ascended to a #2 national ranking as a team. Ciasulli beat Romano for the second straight year in a tight 1-0 win in the national #1 vs #2 dual against Blair Academy. He ended his regular season on a sour note in a highly anticipated match up with fellow state champion Jeff Ecklof (Northampton), as the KKid cement mixed Ciasulli in the first minute for 2+2, then held him off the rest of the way in a 4-3 win. At District 11 Duals, Ciasulli majored future three-time state champion Joey Ecklof (Northampton) as Jeff stayed up at 130 pounds. Ciasulli collected a pair of falls and a pin of future state champion Dan Burkholder (Trinity) as Easton captured their second straight State Duals championship. At D11 duals, Ciasulli joined Dick Finelli, Malcolm Purdy, Bob Ferraro, Rocky Creazzo, Greg Shoemaker, Bobby Wever, Moss Grays, and Jamarr Billman as three-time champions by blanking Provini and Joey Ecklof for the title. At Northeast Regionals, Ciasulli won his third title by pinning Provini and shutting out future state finalist Jay Morrison (Whitehall). Morrison and Provini took 3rd and 6th in Hershey, making the Regional at 125 the rare three-medalist producing region. Ciasulli put together a memorable state tournament, pinning Aaron Kitchel (Warren), Mark Throckmorton (Waynesburg), and Provini to advance to his third state final. He met Brian Sticca (Greensburg-Salem) in one of the greatest state finals of all time. Ciasulli reversed Sticca in the second period and rode him for all of the second and third, but a pair of stalling calls tied the match and forced the two-time champ to defend his title in overtime. At one point in OT, Sticca had Ciasulli lifted completely off of the ground, but Ciasulli was able to scramble to an ankle and ultimately score his third-title winning takedown, to a standing ovation in old Hershey Arena. Easton became the first school with three three-time champions.

Ciasulli signed with Lehigh after Easton, where he was a three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time EIWA champion.