The Niagara-Wheatfield wrestling program has been showered with praise over the past 10 years. But Monday’s announcement that the Falcons are Western New York’s Division I (large school) Team of the Decade caused coach Rick Sweney to get a little emotional.

“It’s awesome — quite an honor,” he said upon getting the news. “This is a combination of a lot of people putting in a lot of time. It’s very special.”

Sweney, who has more than 30 years of coaching experience in the sport, joined the program with former varsity coach Tim Lukasik eight seasons ago. After a year or two of rebuilding, Wheatfield quickly ascended to the top of the Section VI rankings. Sweney then took over as head coach three seasons ago.

The Falcons have won six consecutive Niagara Frontier League championships, five straight Section VI Division I titles and have been ranked in the Wrestling Review of Western New York Division I rankings every season since 2000.

“It takes a lot of work to build something like that and then stay there,” Sweney said, while praising numerous wrestlers, coaches, administrators, boosters, parents, alumni and fans for the program’s success.

Some of the top wrestlers for N-W over the past decade were Eric Wiseman, Bill Hetherington, Kyle Schmelzle, Josh Lange, Zech Lange, Matt Daniels, Rob Koshinski, Jake Koshinski, Jeff Mitchell, Joe Malvestuto, Angelo Malvestuto, Bob Malvestuto, Jehad Ali, Antonio Ventry and Jim Donner.

Those on the coaching staff over the past decade were Sweney, Lukasik, Mitchell, Vince Schiffert, Josh Eagan, Bill Dixon Sr. and Bill Dixon Jr.

Rounding out the top five Teams of the Decade in Division I were Lancaster, Iroquois, Niagara Falls and Cheektowaga. Fredonia was named the Division II Team of the Decade, followed by Falconer, Southwestern, Newfane and East Aurora.

The selections were made by a committee formed by former Royalton-Hartland and Newfane wrestling coach Dick Lang and Niagara County Community College coach Eric Knuutila. Also involved in the selection process was former Southwestern coach Walt Thurnau and long-time wrestling advocate Bob Koshinki.

The committee used a tournament-style scoring system, awarding points for top 10 finishes in the final Wrestling Review of Western New York rankings for each year from 2000-01 to the current 2009-10 season.

The Falcons will be honored prior to the Division I finals at Friday’s Section VI state qualifier at NCCC and again at the Section VI coaches banquet next month.

The committee plans to announce the team of the 1990s prior to next season and continue through the 1950s.

Contact reporter Nate Beutel at 282-2311, ext. 2262.