Andrew Lenzi hasn’t exactly mellowed with age.
Since winning a state wrestling championship in March as a sophomore, Lenzi hasn’t taken much time to reflect on his accomplishment.
Although he was the first wrestler from Fordham Prep – or any other New York City school – to win a state championship, the aggressive 16-year-old remains hawkish, almost to a fault.
During a match on Saturday, Lenzi built up a 4-1 lead over his opponent in the King of the Mountain tournament at Central Mountain HS in Mill Hall, Pa.
Rather than protect the lead by adopting a more defensive posture, Lenzi went for the kill and attempted an attack that backfired and cost him five points. Lenzi, the top seed at 135 pounds, lost the semifinal, 7-6, and spent a moment after the match contemplating whether he should have been more careful.
“Being aggressive in that moment kind of hurt me,” he said a day after the loss. “I took a shot at getting more points even though I didn’t need to, but I’m not going to change my approach. I’m an aggressive wrestler, and having that mindset is what’s gotten me to this point. I’m always looking to dominate.”
Lenzi may be learning to measure his combativeness, but his success so far has been anything but intermittent. For his achievement on the mats in 2008, the Daily News has named Lenzi the Bronx Sports Person of the Year.
His quarterfinal win on Friday, the opening day of the King of the Mountain tournament, was the 100th victory of his high school varsity career. It’s a milestone that is all the more impressive because of the speed with which he reached it.
“It’s a defining moment in my career,” he said. “I’m proud of the accomplishment. I know it’s a cliché, but matches are won and lost in training, and I’ve worked hard to get to this point.”



