Riverhead wrestlers eye podium spots ahead of county championships

With the Suffolk County wrestling championships on the horizon, a trio of Riverhead wrestlers have been making names for themselves on the mat in hopes of landing a podium spot.

Miiko Foster, a Riverhead sophomore who competes for the Bellport Surge girls wrestling team — which includes students from Bellport, Riverhead, Longwood, Patchogue-Medford, William Floyd and Westhampton — won a Suffolk County championship last year in the 185-pound weight division as a freshman. But two early losses this season set her back in the rankings.

“Once you win a championship, you have the target on your back,” Surge wrestling coach Edwin Perry said. “You’re going to get everyone’s best effort. But I think losing those two matches got her back in the right mentality. You have to be your best every time out.”

Those losses dropped Foster to fifth place in her weight class, according to the Long Island Wrestling Association rankings.

Following the losses, Foster has been on a rampage. After losing at a December tournament to Kyleigh Kershner of East Islip, the wrestler she defeated in last year’s Suffolk County finals, Foster slipped in the rankings while Kershner vaulted into first place. A few weeks later, Foster got her revenge, pinning Kershner in a league match.

The wins have been stacking up week after week. On Sunday, Jan. 18, Foster won the 2026 Bellport Surge Wrestling tournament, knocking off Taiwo Olusemie of Sewanhaka West, who was ranked third.

“We’re working with her every week to keep adding things to her arsenal,” Perry said. “She has a signature move that works a lot for her. The problem is everyone knows it’s coming. You have to keep adjusting constantly as an athlete, and she’s starting to evolve into a more well-rounded wrestler. She’s not the unknown freshman anymore.”

There could be some shakeups in the rankings heading into the Suffolk County championships on Feb. 8.

Another Riverhead wrestler making waves for the Bellport Surge is Mackenzie Roche. The junior has started at the 114-pound weight class all season and has been on a strong run. Perry believes she has the ability to win on any given night.

“Mackenzie is a fierce competitor,” he said. “She’s been dealing with a knee injury all year, but that hasn’t stopped her from getting results. It shows the type of athlete she is.”

Roche figures to be in the mix for a Suffolk County championship this season. The Long Island Wrestling Association ranks her fifth in her weight class across Long Island. She has lost only three matches this season and finished third at the Bellport Surge Tournament on Sunday.

While the Riverhead boys wrestling team has not produced a Suffolk County champion since Eddie Matyka in 2014, Zachary Gevinski could be poised to change that. Wrestling at 126 pounds this season, Gevinski has compiled a 26-5 record.

“He’s developed attacks from both in neutral and on top positions, which I think has made a massive difference from last year,” Riverhead wrestling coach Jake Benedetto said. “He’s constantly on the attack, and he’s testing most of the guys he gets up against on the mat.”

Gevinski has steadily improved throughout the season, winning first place in two tournaments, including the annual Anthony Cipriano Memorial Tournament at Copiague High School. He has 76 career wins.

“Gevinski works very hard and puts in the extra work every night,” Benedetto said. “He’s in the gym, he’s running, he eats right, and he wants it this year. He’s beaten a couple really good wrestlers this season. That shows he belongs on the podium in the counties.”