By Wayne Witkowski
Four Jackson Memorial High School wrestlers and four from Jackson Liberty High School moved on to the Region 6 championships at Toms River High School North this week.
One wrestler from each school upheld his No. 1 seed in the District 21 championships and another upended a No. 1 seed in the finals.
Tanner Kelly (17-2) from Jackson Memorial won the 182-pound weight class as the top seed. He prevailed in a 3-0 decision over St. John Vianney High School’s Steve Giannios.
Mike Spino (22-1), the No. 2 seed for Jackson Memorial at 120 pounds, upended top-seeded Nick Ciaccia of Howell High School, 9-2, for the title.
Jackson Memorial has 184 district champions in 50 varsity seasons — the most champions of any team in the Shore Conference.
Also advancing to the region tournament with runner-up finishes were Matt McGowan (24-3) at 126 pounds, who dropped a 6-2 decision to Freehold Township High School’s Mike Plaska, and Adante Davis (21-7) at 190, who lost, 8-0, to St. John Vianney’s Calvin Beatty in the finals.
All played a role in Jackson Memorial’s 15-6 season and repeat NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championship. Jackson Memorial finished third as a team in District 21.
The top three finishers in the district tournament advance to the region tournament, and three Jackson Memorial wrestlers lost in their consolation finals for an opportunity at the final qualifying spot in the regions: Mike Christie at 138 pounds, Jay Epperly by injury default at 152 and Chris Mondello in a close 3-2 decision at 220.
All weight-class champions have byes into the quarterfinals Feb. 26, and the others wrestled in the qualifiers Feb. 24.
As for Jackson Liberty, top-seeded Tyler Kalmowitz (34-2) won a 3-2 decision over Matawan Regional High School’s Derrick Wiley in the 160-pound finals. Jeremy Bollard lost a 3-2 decision to Manalapan High School’s Ron Gaida in the 152 finals. Nick Pellegrino (27-7) was pinned at 4:36 by Howell’s Kyle Shendorn in the 113 finals. Heavyweight Jared DiZenzo (25-2) pinned Manalapan’s Peter Benedetti at 2:36 in the third-place consolation bout.
At 190 pounds, Jerald Goodman (27-5) lost a chance to join those four at the region tournament when he dropped a 3-2 decision in the consolation finals on a takedown by Colts Neck High School’s Steven Barsky in the closing seconds.
Jackson Liberty finished fifth in the team standings.
“I thought we could’ve gotten one or two more. But for the most part, we did pretty well,” said Jackson Liberty coach Mike Eddy, who was especially disappointed with Goodman’s loss. “Kalmowitz has a good shot at placing in the region if he wrestles like he’s been doing it. Pellegrino and Bollard are possibilities. Both have a shot and it [started] for them on [Feb. 24]. The same with DiZenzo. Anything can happen in the regions.”
All figured in a 16-11 season for Jackson Liberty, highlighted by a Shore Conference B North Division championship.
Eddy said with the tougher competition in the region tournament, getting off to a solid start is vital.
“You have to be aggressive, scoring points right away. You can’t sit back,” Eddy said.