Shoreham-Wading River wrestler Gavin Mangano verbally commits to Penn State
Gavin Mangano of Shoreham-Wading River wins the state Division II boys wrestling championship at 138 pounds on March 1 at MVP Arena in Albany. Credit: Newsday/William Perlman
Gavin Mangano’s future just got even brighter.
The Shoreham-Wading River junior has spent the last three years establishing himself as one of the best wrestlers in the country. When his high school career comes to end, he’ll get to wrestle for the best collegiate program in the nation.
Mangano announced his verbal commitment to Penn State on Instagram Sunday night.
“I’m still kind of in shock. I didn’t know if I was going to go to Penn State, just because it’s such a prestigious school, especially for wrestling,” Mangano said. “But I’m mostly excited because I know I’m going to be able to get a lot better there.”
Mangano was recruited by several Division I schools, including the University of North Carolina, NC State, Oklahoma, Lehigh, Cornell and West Virginia.
“Penn State was the best fit for me,” Mangano said. “When I was in the room, watching the wrestlers practice… when I picture myself there, I see myself winning NCAA titles.”
The Nittany Lions have won 12 NCAA championships and produced 101 All-Americans and 40 national champions since Cael Sanderson became head coach in 2009. Penn State crowned two national champions and won its fourth straight NCAA title in March.
“When Cael called us, Gavin’s question was, ‘Where do I fit in here? I want to wrestle. I want to be the guy,’” said Nick Mangano, Gavin’s father. “Cael said, ‘We wouldn’t be recruiting you if we didn’t think you were the guy.’ Gavin wouldn’t be going there if he didn’t think he’s gonna be able to contribute to that Penn State legacy.”
Mangano is coming off a dominant sophomore season. He won his third straight Eastern States Classic championship and his third consecutive Suffolk Division II title.
Despite suffering a broken right ankle in the first minute of the Division II state final at 138 pounds, Mangano gutted out a 6-3 win over Ashten Haley (Cobleskill-Richmondville) for his second straight state title. Mangano was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
He went 50-0, improving his career record to 167-3 and was named Newsday’s Suffolk Wrestler of the Year.
“He’s a special talent. I don’t think schools like Penn State would waste their time if he wasn’t worth it,” Shoreham-Wading River coach Joe Condon said. “Kids like Gavin don’t come along very often.”
In 2024, Mangano won the 126-pound title in the freshman division of the Virginia Beach Nationals and placed third at 132 pounds in the Fargo 16U Men’s Freestyle.
Mangano resumed wrestling about 2 ½ months after he suffered the broken ankle. Back at full health, he will compete in the Journeymen Fall Classic in Schenectady this weekend.
He’ll head to Greensboro, North Carolina Oct. 18-19 for the Super 32 Challenge, widely considered the toughest folkstyle tournament in the country. He took 6th place at 132 pounds last fall.
Winning a Super 32 title is on the list of things Mangano wants to accomplish before his high school graduation in 2027. He also wants to become Shoreham-Wading River’s second four-time state champion, along with Jesse Jantzen, who won four titles from 1997-2000.
“When we started this journey 12 years ago, the only thing that [I] hoped for was that he would stay on a good path and it would teach him good qualities in life, to be resilient and work hard,” Nick Mangano said. “And hopefully, [he’d] be able to possibly get into a good college. To see how far it’s come and to the extent that it is, it’s just amazing.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
