By: Ken Weingartner
Al Rotundo’s weekend at the Region 5 Tournament didn’t last as long as he would have liked, but he was nonetheless pleased with seeing a different part of the event this year.
Last season, Rotundo reached the tourney but lost in the mid-week pre-quarterfinal round. This time, he reached Friday’s quarterfinals by virtue of winning the District 20 championship at 112 pounds.
"I was happy just to get here," said Rotundo, a junior who missed part of the season because of a separated shoulder. "I’d never made it to Friday before, so that was good. It was something.
"I wasn’t as nervous as I was last year. I think I wrestled well, but the kids were tough. Hopefully, I can come back next year now that I have more experience."
Rotundo lost in the quarterfinals to fourth-seeded Dan Boemio of Bridgewater-Raritan, the eventual third-place finisher, before being beaten by Somerville’s Jim Kirchner in the opening round of wrestlebacks.
After finishing his injury-interrupted season 9-9 he was 23-7 as a sophomore Rotundo said he plans to do a lot of lifting and running in the offseason. He also will participate in several tournaments and camps over the summer.
"I want to work on my shots," Rotundo said. "Hopefully, I can get better on my feet. Other than that, I just want to stay in shape."
Rotundo was among a school-record six Monroe wrestlers to reach this season’s Region 5 tourney. Seniors Justin Bauman (125), Anthony Mancini (130) and Mike Tuhy (171) lost in pre-quarterfinal matches, as did junior Grant Herring (171).
Heavyweight Mike Goff, a senior, won the regional title at heavyweight and advanced to the state finals, which begin tonight and run through Sunday in Atlantic City.
