The winter scholastic season is nearing the finish line with state tournaments in full force.
Wave so long to the wrestling season on the boardwalk …
New Jersey wrestling’s faithful followers will converge in Atlantic City and pack themselves into Boardwalk Hall to watch the final chapter of the season: the state tournament March 3-5.
The preliminary and pre-quarterfinal rounds will mark the opening day of action March 3. The wrestling will start at 2:30 p.m. when the preliminaries go off, followed by the pre-quarterfinals.
A busy day will follow March 4, when the wrestleback rounds go off at 9 a.m., followed by the quarterfinals at 12 p.m. The semifinals and the fourth and fifth rounds of the wrestlebacks are at 6 p.m.
The final day of the tournament — and the season — March 5 will start at 10 a.m. with the final wrestleback consolation rounds to determine places third through eighth. The championships of the 14 weight classes will be settled starting at 3 p.m.
Sectional basketball tournaments are heating up …
The NJSIAA sectional tournaments for both the boys and girls enter the semifinals March 3 and 4. The sectional semifinals for boys and girls in the non-public division are March 4 and 6.
The championship games for the public schools in boys and girls are March 6 and 7, while the non-public sectional titles will be played March 7-9.
The final laps in the pool are on tap …
The Gloucester County Institute of Technology, which is housed in Sewell, offers the pool each year when the boys’ and girls’ Meet of Champions state swim meets are contested.
On March 4, the preliminary heats for girls will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the boys’ preliminary races at 2:30 p.m.
The championship races will then be staged March 5. The girls will bid for Meet of Champions titles at 10 a.m., while the boys compete at 2:30 p.m.
The final drops of the puck are on the agenda …
The Prudential Center in Newark, which is the home to the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, was the scheduled site to hold the NJSIAA ice hockey state championship games.
But due to scheduling conflicts, the state finals in the three divisions have been shifted to the Mennen Arena, which is located in Morris Township.
The Public A championship game will be played March 5 at 6:30 p.m. On the following day, the Non-Public title game will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by the Public B championship tilt at 7:30 p.m.