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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22nd
NEWS: With his win tonight, Wall's Robert Kanniard tied the Shore Conference record for career wins with 158. He goes for 159 in tomorrow morning's semis.
That wraps up tonight's Quarterfinals. We are back, bright and early, tomorrow with all the action from the semis, wrestlebacks, and medal rounds. Then I get to close the book on live updates for the year. bOOOm! Holla!
The Shore Conference has 154 wrestlers still in the hunt for Top 4 in the Region, and a trip to AC. 81 Shore Conference wrestlers are in the semifinals, needing just one more win in either the semis, or the wrestlebacks should they lose in the semis, in order to move on. The 73 Shore Conference wrestlers that lost tonight are now in the wrestlebacks, and need two wins to punch a ticket to Boardwalk Hall.
For those that keep track, had the old Region 6 remained in tact, the most the Shore Conference would have been able to send to States is 56, a number that was easily topped the first two seasons of realignment. So 56 is the magic number again.
REGION BRACKETS & MORE
DISTRICT RESULTS
MATGUARD Wrestler of the Week Nominees
Nick Addison - Rumson
Became just the 2nd 3-time District Champion in Rumson history, and tied the program record for career wins.
Michael Conklin - TR East
Avenged a SCT Finals loss by defeating Howell's Neiko Malone in the D25 final at 126, to win his 2nd District Title in as many years.
Darby Diedrich - Howell
Diedrich won his 4th District title, becoming the 3rd Rebel to accomplish that feat, by defeating 3-time State qualifier, Anthony Croce of Camden Catholic, in the finals.
Michael Jannucci - Colts Neck
Avenged a loss from the SCT to Middletown North's Nico Cerbo, by defeating him in the 182-pound D22 final, to become the Cougars' first ever 3-time District Champ.
Nico Messina - Freehold Boro
Became the 2nd wrestler in Freehold Boro history to win 3 District Titles, joining Hall of Famer, Carlos Fontanez, who did it from 1962-1964.
Aidan Meyler-McAuliffe - RBC
Scored a 1st period pin in the finals to win the 160-pound D22 Title, and become the Casey's first District Champ since 2014.
Nick Reilly - TR North
Made history for the Mariners by winning the D26 120-pound crown, to become the program's first ever 4-time District Champ.
Paul Santomarco - Manalapan
Won his 3rd District Title, the Braves 1st 3-timer since 2004, and 7th overall, and in the process became the 100th District Champion in program history.
Jason Sherlock - Pt Beach
Had 2 pins, and a tech, including a fall over defending District Champ Dante Morris of Lakewood in the finals, to win the D23 182-pound bracket.
Ryan Zimmerman - Long Branch
Recorded his 100th career victory en route to winning the D23 126-pound title.
DISTRICT BLURBS
(# of Medal Winners in parenthesis)
Asbury Park (1): For the 3rd year in a row, the Blue Bishops had a wrestler reach the District podium, with senior Daniel Simmons placing 3rd at 132 in District 24.
Barnegat (2): Junior heavyweight, Griffin Jackstadt, became the 4th District Champion in program history, and the Bengals first since Jeff DeLuise and Greg Moran won titles in 2014. Senior Charlie Cotton placed 3rd at 195, advancing to the Regions for the 2nd time.
Brick Memorial (7): The Stangs extended their Shore Conference record streak to 38 consecutive seasons with a District Champion, crowning four champs in all: Ryan Smith (106), Vin Santaniello (113), Michael Robertson (126), and David Szuba (182).
Brick Twp (2): After having a streak of 9 straight seasons with a District Champ snapped last year, freshman Evan Tallmadge reached the top of the podium for the Dragons at 106 in D24, defeating the top-seed in the Finals. He is the first freshman to win a District Championship for the Dragons since Nick Melon in 2010.
CBA (3): With Sam LaCorte (132) and Derek Smith (170) both winning titles, the Colts extended their streak to 9 seasons with multiple District Champs, a program best.
Central (1): Junior Tyler Pepe placed 3rd at 126 in D25; his 3rd District medal in as many seasons.
Colts Neck (7): Michael Jannucci defeated Middletown North's Nico Cerbo, avenging a loss from the Shore Conference Tournament, in the 182-pound final to become the Cougars' first ever 3-time District Champion. Logan Waller (120), Nicholas Moldaver (126), and Luke Rada (145), also won titles, giving the Cougars a program record 4 District Champs.
Donovan Catholic (2): Junior Jacob Maroukis (126) took 2nd, and freshman heavyweight Dom Brogna placed 3rd, giving the Griffins multiple District medal winners for the 4th straight season.
Freehold Boro (4): Nico Messina became the 2nd wrestler in Freehold Boro history to win 3 District Titles, joining Hall of Famer, Carlos Fontanez, who did it from 1962-1964.
Freehold Twp (5): Senior Christian Mangini came all the way from the 5-seed to win the 138-pound title at D21. He was one of two wrestlers from the Shore to win from the 5-spot, and gives the Patriots a streak of six seasons in a row with a District Champ.
Holmdel (4): Michael Pavlinetz won the 220-pound crown, avenging a regular season to Rumson's Von Factor in the finals. His title makes it 4 years in a row with a District Champ for the Hornets, after having gone the previous 18 years without one.
Howell (10): The Rebels crowned 5 champs, making it 15 years in a row with multiple champs. Darby Diedrich won his 4th title, becoming the 3rd Rebel to accomplish that feat. Shane Reitsma and Christian Murphy won their 3rd titles; the 6th & 7th 3-timers in program history.
Jackson Liberty (4): Jaden Lowe won the D24 220-pound championship, becoming Liberty's 15th District Champion in their history.
Jackson Memorial (12): The Jags added six more District Champions to their wall, giving them a Shore Conference leading 194 all-time. The Jags also cruised to their 27th District Team Title, 2nd best all-time in the Shore behind Brick Memorial's 29.
Keansburg (1): Liam Riecks became the Titans first 3-time District medal winner since Tyree Sutton in 2015. It is the 9th season in a row with a medal winner for Keansburg.
Keyport (1): After going without medals in 2016 & 2017, senior Mike McCahon made it 2 years in a row with a District medal for the Red Raiders, by finishing 3rd at 182 in D20.
Lacey (6): While they did send a solid six wrestlers to the podium, the Lions had a 4-year streak with at least 1 District Champ snapped on Saturday. Although Hunter Gutierrez came up short in his bid to become the first 4-time District Champ in program history, he did break the school record for career wins. He currently stands at 131 wins heading into the Regions.
Lakewood (2): Dante Morris placed 2nd, and Dymtro Lakusta took 3rd, as the Piners had multiple medal winners at the Districts for the first time since 2015.
Long Branch (10): The Green Wave crowned for 4 champs for the 2nd straight season, and had 10 medal winners in all, which matches their highest total since 2013, on their way to running away with the District 23 Team Title, their 3rd in a row, and 13th overall. Kevin Cerruti was named Outstanding Wrestler, Joseph Conlon knocked off the #1 and #2 seed to win his title, Jack Friedman won his title out of the #5 seed, and Ryan Zimmerman won his 100th career bout on way to his championship.
Manalapan (10): Paul Santomarco won his 3rd District Title, the Braves 1st 3-timer since 2004 and 7th overall, and in the process became the 100th District Champion in program history. Alex Baran improved to a perfect 39-0 on his way to winning his 2nd title, and is now one win away from tying the school record of 120 career wins, held by John Appice (2010-2013) . The 39 wins also ties Appice's single season record for the Braves, set in 2013. Also winning titles for the Braves were junior Matt Benedetti, his 2nd and the 101st overall for the Braves, and junior Hunter Konstantoulas, who won his first.
Manasquan (1): Ethan Dzenis placed 3rd at 138 in D21. It is the 2nd District medal for Dzenis, and I believe he is their first 2-time medalist since 2004.
Manchester (3): Syrus Colon became the Hawks first District Champ since Will Farparan in 2016. Connor Ferrino, seeded 7th, finished 2nd, and Blaise Lawson, seeded 5th, placed 3rd, to give the Hawks three medal winners, matching their most since 2016.
Marlboro (4): Harrison Gordon (106) and Evan Brown (160) both won titles, giving Marlboro multiple champs for the first time since 2011 when Vinnie Leone and Mitch Seigel did it. The Mustangs four medal winners matches their most since 2015.
Matawan (3): The Huskies' talented sophomore trio down low all punched Region tickets, with Kamrin O'Neill winning the 120-pound D19 Title, and David Rubin (106) and Lee Rubin (113) both placing 2nd.
Middletown North (9): The Lions won their 14th District Team Title, and their first since 2002. Tyler Klinsky won his 3rd District Title and improved to a perfect 36-0 on the year. Jacob Anderson won his 2nd title, and Chris McCarthy brought home his first, as the Lions crowned multiple champs for the 5th straight year.
Middletown South (3): Brady Smith made it back to back seasons with a District Champ for the Eagles by winning the D19 220-pound title. Junior Michael Holland won his third District medal, placing 3rd at 113, while the Eagles' freshman Robert Generelli was a the runner-up at 120.
Monmouth Regional (2): Both Kevin Cartagena-Walsh (6th) and Victor Olimpia (5th) came from seeds outside the Top 4, to finish 3rd in their weight classes, giving the Falcons multiple District medal winners for the first time since Mike Montefinese and Shannen McCue in 2015.
Neptune (3): Felipe Garcia placed 2nd at 170, and Nate Levie (126) and Naijere Hutchinson (182) finished 3rd, as the Fliers had multiple District medal winners for the 4th straight season.
Ocean Township (12): A program record 12 Spartans won medals, headlined by champs Demetri Poniros and Joe Teresi, as Ocean won their 3rd consecutive District Team Title, and 17th overall, the most for any Monmouth County school.
Pinelands (3): Evan Burton won the D29 182-pound title, while Travis Brown finished 2nd at 132, and Gavin Stewart took 3rd at 160, giving the Wildcats multiple District medals for the 6th straight year.
Pt Beach (8): Jesse Bowers, Jason Sherlock, and Liam Buday won District Titles, matching the program record of 3 champs in a season. The Gulls had 8 medal winners in all for the 2nd straight season.
Pt Boro (6): Four Panthers (Jack Bailey, Ty Bailey, Spencer Robinson, and Billy Borowsky) won titles, giving the Panthers an even 100 District Champions all-time. It was the 2nd title for both Borowsky, still perfect this year at 34-0, and Robinson, and the first for the Bailey brothers. So for those keeping score at home, that's 1 for Ty, 1 for Jack, and zero for Uncle Brian! TWOOOOOOO TAKEDOWN! The Panthers now have a 23-season streak with at least one District Champ.
Raritan (8): Michael Lonnay made it 18 years in a row for Raritan's streak of years with at least one District Champ. The Rockets sent 8 wrestlers to the podium in all, including five 2nd-place finishers, on their way to winning their 3rd consecutive District Team Title, and 10th overall. Allen Mui won Raritan Assistant Coach of the Year, and it really wasn't even close.
RBC (3): Aidan Meyler-McAuliffe won the D22 160-pound title, becoming the Casey's first District Champ since Shawn McCord in 2014, and the first junior to win a District Title for RBC since Mike Schower in 2000.
Red Bank Regional (2): Senior heavy Justin Gooding took 2nd, and freshman Phil Stolfa broke seed to take 3rd at 120, as the Bucs sent two to the podium.
Rumson (6): Nick Addison joins Patrick Berger (2001-2003) as the 2nd 3-time District Champ in Rumson history. Addison also tied Marcus Iwama for the program record for career wins with 132. The Bulldogs also received championship performances from sophomores Max Brignola and Jack Kelly, and advanced six wresters overall to the podium.
St John Vianney (6): Senior heavyweight Paul Liseno won his 3rd District Title, while sophomores Dean Peterson and Blake Clayton claimed their 2nd, as the Lancers crowned multiple champs for the 4th straight season.
St Rose (0): The Purple Roses did not get a medal, but senior heavyweight Alex Nappi became their first District semifinalist since the program returned to varsity status in 2016.
Shore Regional (9): Al DeSantis joined Luke Bush (2010-2011) as the 2nd 2-time District Champ in Shore Regional history. DeSantis was one of a school record four champs, along with Jack Maida, Michael McGhee, and Taylor Sousa. The Blue Devils also set a new program high with 9 total medal winners.
Southern (11): The Rams matched a program high with 6 District Champs: Robert Woodcock, Nick Pepe, Nick O'Connell, Haven Tatarek, John Stout, and JT Cornelius. The Rams sent 11 wrestlers total to the podium, as they rolled to their 9th consecutive Team Title, and 21st overall.
TR East (4): Michael Conklin avenged his SCT Finals loss to Howell's Neiko Malone, on his way to winning his 2nd District Title. Freshman Joe McCullough also brought home a 1st-place medal, giving the Raiders multiple champs for the first time since 2016, and 75 champs total. East's 4 medal winners matches their highest total since 2012.
TR North (7): Nick Reilly became the Mariners' first ever 4-time District Champ, majoring the top-seed in the finals. Reilly's win, along with Louie Gagliardo and Jack Oleske, gave North multiple champs for the 3rd straight year, and at least one champ for the last 7 years. Although he came up a win shy of winning his 3rd District Title, Nick Boggiano did record career win #100 in the semifinals.
TR South (3): The Indians had a streak of 11 straight seasons with at least one District Champ snapped. Riley Cheong won his third 2nd place medal, while Justin Murray finished 3rd for the 2nd season in a row. They advance to the Regions along with Sam Akinlolu, who also placed 3rd.
Wall (7): Robert Kanniard became the Knights third 4-time District Champ, joining Brett Donner and Blaine Woszczak. Kanniard also picked up three more wins, pushing his career total to 157, which is one away from tying the all-time Shore Conference record. In all, the Knights crowned four champs, improving their streak to 7 years with multiple champs.
DISTRICT MEDAL COUNT
12
Jackson Memorial - 6 / 3 / 3
Ocean Township - 2 / 4 / 6
11
Southern - 6 / 3 / 2
10
Howell - 5 / 3 / 2
Long Branch - 4 / 3 / 3
Manalapan - 4 / 3 / 3
9
Middletown North - 3 / 5 / 1
Shore - 4 / 3 / 2
8
Pt Beach - 3 / 2 / 3
Raritan - 1 / 5 / 2
7
Brick Memorial - 4 / 1 / 2
Colts Neck - 4 / 1 / 2
TR North - 3 / 2 / 2
Wall - 4 / 2 / 1
6
Lacey - 0 / 5 / 1
Pt Boro - 4 / 2 / 0
Rumson - 3 / 2 / 1
St John Vianney - 3 / 1 / 2
5
Freehold Twp - 1 / 3 / 1
4
Freehold Boro - 1 / 1 / 2
Holmdel - 1 / 2 / 1
Jackson Liberty - 1 / 2 / 1
Marlboro - 2 / 2 / 0
TR East - 2 / 1 / 1
3
CBA - 2 / 0 / 1
Manchester - 1 / 1 / 1
Matawan - 1 / 2 / 0
Middletown South - 1 / 1 / 1
Neptune - 0 / 1 / 2
Pinelands - 1 / 1 / 1
RBC - 1 / 1 / 1
TR South - 0 / 1 / 2
2
Barnegat - 1 / 0 / 1
Brick Twp - 1 / 0 / 1
Donovan Catholic - 0 / 1 / 1
Lakewood - 0 / 1 / 1
Monmouth - 0 / 0 / 2
Red Bank - 0 / 1 / 1
1
Asbury Park - 0 / 0 / 1
Central - 0 / 0 / 1
Keansburg - 0 / 1 / 0
Keyport - 0 / 0 / 1
Manasquan - 0 / 0 / 1
If you missed Tuesday's update, below is the link to my picks for the regular season All-Division teams.
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Below is a list of the seeded wrestlers and participants in the Girls Regional Wrestling Tournament.
2018-2019 Calendar
2/20,22-23: Regions
2/28-3/2: State Championships
