By Wayne Witkowski
Few student-athletes compete in both wrestling and boys lacrosse. Tyler Kalmowitz of Jackson Liberty High School excels in both as a definitive exception to that notion.
Kalmowitz comes off a wrestling season that far exceeded expectations and is preparing for his senior season on Jackson Liberty’s lacrosse team as its leading scorer last spring.
“[Lacrosse] is a fast-paced game. A lot of things can happen, just like wrestling,” said Kalmowitz, who scored a team-leading 25 goals and had seven assists as an attackman last season.
He hopes that the upcoming lacrosse season is as memorable for him as his recently completed wrestling season, where he flourished after a quiet junior year and ended up 37-5 with a trip to the state championships at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Kalmowoitz won his weight class (160 pounds) in District 21 and finished second in Region 6, losing in overtime to Wall High School’s Josh Glantzman. Kalmowitz lost his state championship opener, 7-0, to eventual champion Kyle Cochran of Paramus High School and won in the wrestlebacks by injury default over West Morris Central High School’s Caleb Isemann before getting eliminated, 8-1, by Cherry Hill High School West’s Connor Rogovich.
“It was really, really awesome,” Kalmowitz said emphatically of the state championships. “It’s the atmosphere, so many people. I like wrestling; it depends on you. That’s why there are upsets.”
Kalmowitz was named his team’s TheShoreConference.com Wrestler of the Year after he sparked the Lions to their third Shore Conference B North Division championship in four years, and he also won his weight class in the Walter Woods Tournament and lost in the finals of the Icebreaker Tournament at Old Bridge High School, 1-0, in overtime to Allentown High School’s Jordan Rugo, who reached the state championships for a second straight year after an unbeaten regular season.
“That made me really confident,” Kalmowitz said of the match against Rugo. “And I was especially confident beating [Jackson Memorial High School’s] Tanner Kelly, [2-1, on a tiebreaker in a dual meet at midseason]. That gave me a lot of confidence.”
He said he saw early indications of a big wrestling season last summer when he went unbeaten in the Rutgers Camp.
Now he takes that confidence into the lacrosse season, where most of the team returns from an 11-7 season, punctuated by its first victory over Jackson Memorial, 8-7.
“A lot of people are saying we should be good this year,” Kalmowitz said.
Last year’s Jackson Liberty lacrosse team qualified for both postseason tournaments and won its opening-round game in the Shore Conference Tournament, beating Howell High School in overtime before losing to Manasquan High School. The team won its NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group III opener convincingly over Absegami High School before losing decisively to perennial power Shawnee High School.
“We have wonderful senior leadership,” coach Anthony Dzienkiewicz said of the seven returning seniors. “These kids step up and help the younger kids. We can take B South. We have a lot of talent with the seniors and the younger guys. We have one of the best goalies in the Shore. These kids have been playing together a long time from youth leagues.”
Matt Ferullo was a big part of last year’s success, along with Kalmowitz, as Ferullo fired in game-winning goals in three overtime victories over Howell, Jackson Memorial and St. Rose High School.
“It’s about not really giving up, to keep on pushing,” Kalmowitz said of his keys to success in lacrosse.
He said scoring and riding the ball on defensive players looking to clear it out are his strengths.
Kalmowitz has been wrestling since fifth grade and did not start playing lacrosse until he got to high school, where he got interested in it because some of his friends played it, he said. Ironically, he is leaning toward a college career in lacrosse at Kean University, which does not have a wrestling program.
For now, he is eagerly preparing for the season that begins with a 10 a.m. opener March 30 at home against Long Branch High School, followed by an April 1 home match against Howell.
The team has scrimmaged Shore Regional High School, St. John Vianney High School and Freehold Township High School. Dzienkiewicz has some holes to fill with the departures via graduation of two defenders, including standout Pat Gahagan, a group of middies led by Jack Trubiano and Shawn DeJesus and attackman Mike Roche, who was the team’s No. 3 scorer.
But there is a solid returning nucleus, including Kalmowitz, with five players decided on college careers in lacrosse: long stick middie Chris Stefanowivz, who is headed to NCAA Division III power Cabrini College; goalkeeper Chris Mulholland, who will go to Georgian Court University in the fall; faceoff middie Christian Pongracz, who is committed to Manhattanville College; middie Walter Mathies, who is going to DeSales University; and defender Austin Doel, who is going to Bridgewater College.
Also looking to make an impact are starters Gio Golandrea on defense; junior Brad McKelvey, a defensive midfelder; junior Randy Venegen, who was out last year with an injury; and junior Dylan O’Connor.
There’s also sophomore middies Max Matthies and Tom Ferullo.