COLUMBUS: Two Greyhounds win district titles

By Ken Weingartner, Special Writer
   Wayne Stinson and Cody Melton are closing in on the century mark, but the two Northern Burlington County High wrestlers have a few other marks on their minds as well.
   Both would like to leave their marks as state champions.
   Stinson and Melton took their first steps toward that goal by winning titles at the District 25 Tournament last weekend at Steinert High School. For Stinson, a junior wrestling at 160 pounds, it was his third district championship. For Melton, a senior heavyweight, it was his second in a row.
   Their tournament successes also brought them nearer to 100 career wins apiece. Melton has won 99 times while Stinson’s career total sits at 96 as the duo prepares for this week’s Region 7 Tournament at Robbinsville High. The top three finishers in each weight class advances to the state tourney in Atlantic City.
   Northern Burlington, which finished fourth in the district’s team standings, only 3½ points behind winner New Egypt, had five wrestlers advance to Region 7. In addition to Melton and Stinson, Sam Jones advanced with a second-place finish at 138 while Zach Verity (113) and Lloyd Terry (220) were third.
   Stinson won his title at 160 with a 15-5 over New Egypt’s Brad Schwarze. Stinson won his previous championships at 135 as a freshman and 140 as a sophomore. He was a regional champion two years ago and finished second last season, when he battled illness and was knocked out of the state tourney by two eventual place-winners.
   ”I feel amazing,” said Stinson, who is 35-3 this season. “Last year I was sick all year and I got my tonsils taken out in April. This year I’m not getting sick and I’m not cutting weight at all. I’m eating four or five times a day and I’m still under weight. It’s great.”
   As a district champion, Stinson receives a bye into the region’s quarterfinals, which will be contested Friday. Second- and third-place finishers wrestle Wednesday night in pre-quarterfinal action.
   ”It’s great,” Stinson said about the extra time off. “Monday and Tuesday I’m going to have two great practices. Wednesday I’m going to start slowing down and focus on getting ready for Friday.”
   Stinson won his first two district matches with first-period pins before winning over Schwarze.
   ”I just want to get some momentum going,” Stinson said. “Schwarze was 30-1, so it’s not like he’s a slouch. I want to win regions and I want to win states. I just want to get my confidence going.”
   Melton, who is 29-2 this season, pinned his way to the district title. He took less than a minute to defeat each of his first two foes before stopping Steinert’s Mike Remboski at 3:55 in the title bout.
   ”I’m real happy with myself right now,” Melton said. “I just want to keep attacking. I don’t think a lot of kids want to wrestle me right now. I haven’t had a kid come at me in a long time.”
   While heavyweight matches can often turn into sluggish affairs, Melton is most happy with his ability to push the action. He had 12 pins in his most recent 13 wins on the mat.
   ”It’s real easy wrestling a heavyweight match, and I was guilty of it a lot of time, to get content with a 1-1 match,” Melton said. “That’s not what I like doing. I’m just real happy with the way I’m attacking.”
   The district program failed to list Melton as last year’s heavyweight champion, but there is no doubt people will remember his name now.
   ”I looked at (the program) and it had the kid I wrestled as winning,” Melton said. “It upset me a little, actually. You work hard to win it and that happens. But it’s all right.
   ”This feels good. I had a lot of confidence coming into it, but to get it done and over with and move onto regions is good. I feel I’m wrestling easily the best I have all year, better than I was last year at this time. I’m happy with myself and my conditioning, so it’s good.”