East Aurora’s Putney Becomes First Blue Devil 200 Match Winner

East Aurora’s defending Section VI champion Johnny Putney added another milestone to his impressive wrestling resume winning his 200th career match at last weekend’s Eastern States Classic.

Putney is already the Blue Devils’ career wins leader after breaking Kevin Kot’s program record 167  wins mark in the first weekend of the 2018-2019 season. Johnny just missed placing at Eastern States after competing in one of the event’s toughest brackets at 145-pounds. However, he’s had All-Tournament performances at the Queen City Duals, Lancer Duals, and Grand Island Duals this season and became East Aurora’s first four-time ECIC champion in December.

Currently, Putney holds a season record of 34-3. With over a month left of wrestling, Putney has a chance to continue to extend his program-leading wins record.

“It couldn’t have happened to a better kid” stated East Aurora head coach Jeff Michel after Putney’s milestone win. “You can find a lot of great wrestlers, but rare is it that you find a young man like Johnny. And, he’s just as focused on wrestling as he is his academics. He’s kind, he’s polite, and you couldn’t ask for a better role model.”

At Eastern States, Putney dropped one of his only matches of the season to Central Valley Academy’s (III) former NYS champion Hunter Shaut by a close 3-1 score. Also in the weight class was Marcellus’s (III) three-time sectional champion and state finalist Cahal Donovan. Shaut, Donovan, and Putney should be the favorites for the 145-pound Div. II NYS title next month.