Champions and players who seek to become champions highlighted the local athletic landscape over the past few days.
Sebastian Rivera captured the 113-pound title at the NJSIAA Individual Wrestling Championships held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. His title snapped a 47-year NJSIAA championship drought for CBA. The Colts only other state champion was Pete Black in 1969.
Rivera beat the weight division’s top-seed, Delbarton’s Pat Glory, by a pin in the final seconds.
The Colt senior finished the year 31-1.
Rivera joined his father, Steve Rivera, as an NJSIAA champion. Steve won the 98-pound championship in 1987 wrestling for Manalapan High School.
St. John Vianney’s Luke Ecklof broke a drought at his school as well. He became the first Lancer since 2004 to medal at the wrestling state championships when he finished in eighth place in the 106-pound division.
Anthony Castro was the last Lancer to place back in 2004.
Ecklof, a junior, went 34-8 this year.
Brendan Clarke hit an off-balance baseline jumper as time expired lifting the Colts Neck High School boys’ basketball team to a 45-44 victory over Freehold Township in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV final played in Colts Neck on March 7.
Clarke received a pass from Lloyd Daniels, who had scored a game-high 18 points for the Cougars.
This was the first state sectional crown won by head coach Lou Piccola’s Cougars, who improved to 25-4 on the season.
Stephanie Karcz (18) and Isla Brennan (16) combined for 34 points to lead the Middletown South High School girls’ basketball team to its third consecutive NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group III championship.
The Eagles defeated Neptune, 55-40, in the final played March 7 in Middletown.
Karcz had 10 rebounds, three assists and seven steals in the triumph. Middletown South is the defending Group III state champion.
Kelly Campbell scored 17 points including three three-point shots as defending champion St. John Vianney advanced to the NJSIAA Non-Public, A South final with a 59-33 victory over arch-rival Red Bank Catholic in the section semifinal. The game was played in Holmdel on March 7.
The Lancers are scheduled to play Gloucester Catholic in the sectional final on March 9 at Jackson Liberty High School.
SJV is the top seed.
Monroe High School’s girls’ basketball team has reached the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV final for the second straight year thanks to a 31-point effort from Ashyln Petersen in the section semi-final.
The Falcons topped South Brunswick, 60-39, in the semi and were scheduled to play Hunterdon Central for the CJ IV title on March 8 in Monroe.
Katie Foos scored a game-high 15 points as three Rumson-Fair Haven High School players scored double-figures in the Bullodgs 71-41 triumph over New Providence in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group II semifinal played in New Providence on March 5.
RFH was scheduled to play at Manasquan in the state sectional final on March 8.