Lawrence indoor track
By: John E. Powers
Other challenges will be ahead for the Lawrence High School wrestling team dual meets against Hightstown and North Hunterdon, the defense of the Cardinals’ Mercer County Tournament the weekend of Feb. 4 and 5 but last week was a pretty good sign as to how strong this team is.
The Cardinals, who were scheduled to face Hopewell Valley on Wednesday and Allentown and Hamilton on Saturday, thumped Notre Dame 41-23 and Hillsborough 47-27 on consecutive nights.
Lawrence improved to 5-0. Both victories were started by junior Dan Williams, who put the momentum right in the Cardinals’ hands with a leadoff 35-second fall against Notre Dame sophomore Sheamus O’Connor at 152, then opened the Hillsborough match at 160 with a 4:13 fall over Joe Ambrose, a Somerset County Tournament finalist.
"It was hard to judge Notre Dame and Hillsborough," Lawrence coach Chris Lynne said. "I think we might have over-estimated some of the kids who we thought were better and under-estimated some kids we thought weren’t as good. Hey, I worry about everything."
The Cardinals won eight of the 14 bouts against Notre Dame.
"I don’t think Danny’s pin was totally unexpected, but I didn’t think he would pin the kid in 35 seconds either," Lynne said.
Lynne did some early juggling, using Jason Burroughs at 189. Notre Dame senior Ed Chudlowski won 7-1, but Burroughs limited the loss to a regular decision. Senior Neal Amato, 6-5 but not normally a pinner, packed Louis Galasso at 171 in 4:38. Senior Drew Madsen then bumped up to 215 and put the Cardinals up 18-6 with a fall over Chris Weidl. Senior Adam Oliszewski (8-2) then made it 21-6 by beating sophomore Ben Grant 6-1.
"We matched up well with them," Lynne said. "I think our team this year has a little more balance than some of the teams we’ve had in the past."
Notre Dame’s impressive freshman, Dave DeCamp, 10-1, stopped Larwrence’s run with a fall at 103 over Ricky Scott. But the Cardinals took command for good when junior Matt Friedeborn (9-2) scored a technical fall over Andrew Roberto at 112, and junior Alex Dehart (9-1) majored Irish freshman Chris Leva at 119. The other two Lawrence winners were senior Matt Friedman (10-1) at 130 and senior Chris Floyd (9-2) at 145. Friedman won by technical fall, while Floyd won by fall.
Hillsborough, which has slipped since winning a Somerset County and District 18 title last season, forfeited three bouts to Scott at 103, Floyd at 152 and Madsen at 275. Hillsborough actually won six of the 11 bouts wrestled. But Williams (160), Oliszewski (215), Friedeborn (112) and DeHart (125) won by fall, and Friedman won by technical fall at 130.
"Danny really has his focus now," Lynne said of Williams.
Lynne also had praise for Amato, who fell to Hillsborough junior Ernie Guaimano 5-1 at 189.
"Neal hyper-extended his elbow during the match, but hung in there tough and didn’t give up bonus points," Lynne said.
At press time, Amato was scheduled to have an MRI. The Cardinals are scheduled to face Allentown and Hamilton in a triangular meet at Lawrence at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Lawrence then has a whole week off before facing off in another triangular with Trenton and West Windsor-Plainsboro North a week from Saturday.

