Wrestling: Atlantic City by the numbers

Let's go inside the numbers for the 84th New Jersey State Wrestling Championships at Boardwalk Hall:

41 -- Number of wins for Lenape Valley senior Nick Palumbo -- the most victories for any wrestler in this year's field. Palumbo (41-0), the top seed at 145 pounds and who finished third last season at 145, looks to become his school's fourth state finalist and its first champion. Patriots coach Doug Vetter (1990), along with Chris Ressa (2001) and D.J. Russo ('06), were runners-up for the Sussex County school.

20 -- Palumbo is also among 20 unbeaten wrestlers in this year's tournament, along with Rutherford's Omar Abdelhamid (39-0 at 152), Northern Highlands' Shane Sosinsky (39-0 at 182), Delbarton's Patrick Glory (38-0 at 120), Woodstown's Travis Layton (38-0 at 138), Bound Brook's Mekhi Lewis (38-0 at 160), Gateway-Woodbury's Dante Mininno (38-0 at 106), Howell's Shane Reitsma (38-0 at 170), Woodstown's Chad Watt (38-0 at 195), Lacey's Hunter Gutierrez (37-0 at 106), St. Joseph-Hammonton's Michael Mascioli (36-0 at 220), Wall's Joseph McKenzie (35-0 at 195), Toms River South's Cole Corrigan (33-0 at 145), Union City's Elyezer Oliviery (33-0 at 285), East Brunswick's Mitchell Polito (33-0 at 113), Brick Memorial's Gianni Ghione (32-0 at 132) and Nick Rivera (31-0 at 285), Rahway's Rhise Royster (32-0 at 126), Cinnaminson's Keith Swartley (32-0 at 285) and Cranford's Alex Esposito (29-0 at 285).

10 -- Regions 2 and 5 had the most returning state placewinners competing in those tournaments the past weekend with 10 in each, including state champions Gerard Angelo (138) and Shane Griffith (152) of Bergen Catholic, as well as Paramus' Kyle Cochran (160) and DePaul's Brandon Kui (182), housed in Region 2. Returning champs Stephan Glasgow (152) and Mekhi Lewis (160) of Bound Brook were among the state medalists in Region 5. Region 3 was next with nine, while no other region had more than six. Phillipsburg senior Robert Melise, who was second at 220 last year, is looking to add his name to the Stateliners' list of state champs, which stands at 33. Brandon Hull is the last, winning at 220 in 2012. The Warren County school ranks fourth all-time on the list of champions behind Newton (82), Washington/Warren Hills (46) and Union (40).

8 -- Griffth is among eight returning champions -- four are from non-public schools -- and will look to three-peat at Boardwalk Hall -- winning at 132 pounds as a freshman and 138 as a sophomore. Don Bosco Prep's Eric Chakonis will aim to repeat at 285, while Seneca's Joe Manchio, who won at 106 pounds last year, returns at 113.

7 -- Hanover Park is one of 10 schools with seven state champions in their program's history. The Morris County school advanced six of its wrestlers out of Region 3 -- including talented sophomore Nick Raimo, a state runner-up last season and a major contender for this year's 126-pound title, as is Brick Memorial's Ghione at 132. Last year, Raimo scored a 9-3 win over Ghione in the quarterfinals before knocking off Angelo, 3-1, in the semis. Angelo was the last champ for Hanover Park -- winning at 106 in 2015.

47 -- Pope John leads the way with seven wrestlers as the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area will have 47 representatives this weekend at Boardwalk Hall. Hunterdon Central is next with six, while P'burg has five qualifiers, followed by Voorhees with four. Speaking of the Vikes, congrats to former state champion John Brienza, who was the school's last winner at 130 pounds in 1998, on his induction into the Region 5 Hall of Fame on Saturday. He was a four-time district and a region champ in '98, while compiling a career mark of 115-11 from 1994-98. Well deserved and long overdue.

36 -- It's been seven years since Hunterdon County produced a state champion -- Hunterdon Central's Alex Shaffer was the 36th and last in 2010 -- but could this be the year to end the drought? Delaware Valley junior Kyle Lightner (195) figures to be a contender as the Terriers, who haven't had a finalist since Bobby Stevely in 2010, look to get their ninth champ overall and first since Dan Kelly won at 112 pounds in 2007.

23 -- Atlantic City will host the state tournament for a 23rd time this year -- one more than Princeton University's Jadwin Gym (22 from 1970-91). The event shifted to AC in '92 where it's been ever since, sans a two-year move to the Meadowlands in 2000 and '01, when Boardwalk Hall underwent renovations. Others sites include the Elizabeth Armory (nine times, 1947-55), Rutgers (seven from 1959-65) and Asbury Park Convention Hall (four from 1966-69). Ten high schools have hosted the tournament -- Union, Somerville, Roselle Park, Teaneck, Grover Cleveland Jr. (Elizabeth), Springfield, Thomas Jefferson, Rahway and Belvidere (1946). Union hosted the first four tournaments from 1934-37.

129 -- State champions produced by Union County, by far the leader. Westfield's Christian Barber (2011) is the last champ from the county. Union's Leo Moorman was the first at 95 pounds in 1935. Next up is Bergen with 119, passing Sussex (113) for second place with six winners in 2016. Ethan Orr is the last Sussex winner after capping High Point's amazing four-champion run in '11. Warren County ranks fourth with 85, followed by Somerset (63), Ocean (62), Morris (61), Gloucester (59), Camden (57), Middlesex (41), Monmouth (39), Hunterdon (36), Essex (34), Burlington (26), Passaic (23), Atlantic (20), Cumberland (12), Salem (8), Hudson (7), Cape May and Mercer (4).

1,002 -- Total number of state champions in New Jersey history. Last year, Bergen Catholic's Nick Suriano, now at Penn State, became No. 1,000 in winning his fourth title. This year's tournament is the 84th overall since 1934 -- when Newton's Leo Snover won the first state title and started the Sussex County school's run to a state record 82 champions. The last for the Braves was Andy Iliff, who won his second title in 1987. Now a coach at his alma, mater, Iliff was named the Region 2 assistant coach of the year on Saturday.

Wrestling: State Tournament schedule, stats

What: 84th State Wrestling Championships.

Where: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.

When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday's schedule: Preliminaries, 2:30 p.m.; pre-quarterfinals, to follow.

Saturday's schedule: Wrestlebacks (first three rounds), 9 a.m.; quarterfinals, noon; semifinals, plus fourth and fifth round of wrestlebacks, 6 p.m.

Sunday's schedule: Sixth round of wrestlebacks, 10 a.m.; consolation finals (third through eighth places), to follow; championships, 3 p.m.

Returning state champions (8, 2017 weights): Jr. Joe Manchio, Seneca (113); Jr. Gerard Angelo, Bergen Catholic (first-2015, third-2016, 138); Jr. Shane Griffith, Bergen Catholic (first-2015, first, 2016, 152); Sr. Stephan Glasgow, Bound Brook (second-2015, first-2016, 152); Sr. Mekhi Lewis, Bound Brook (seventh-2014, third-2015, first-2016, 160); Sr. Kyle Cochran, Paramus (eighth-2015, first-2016, 160); Sr. Brandon Kui, DePaul (eighth-2015, first-2016, 182); Sr. Eric Chakonis, Don Bosco Prep (first-2016, 285).

Returning medal winners (47, previous finishes, 2017 weights): Jr. Dante Mininno, Gateway-Woodbury (seventh-2016, 106); Jr. Richie Koehler, Christian Brothers (sixth-2015, 113); Sr. Mark Schleifer, East Brunswick (sixth-2016, 120); Jr. Hunter Graf, Hunterdon Central (eighth-2016, 120); Jr. Patrick Glory, Delbarton (second-2015-16, 120); So. JoJo Aragona, Pope John (third-2016, 120); Jr. Joe Heilmann, South Plainfield (fifth-2016, 120); Jr. Michael Kelly, St. Peter's Prep (sixth-2016, 120); So. Lucas Revano, Camden Catholic (sixth-2016, 120); So. Nick Raimo, Hanover Park (second-2016, 126); Sr. Shane Metzler, West Morris (fourth-2015, fifth-2016, 126); Jr. Carmen Ferrante, Bergen Catholic (eighth-2015, fifth-2016, 126); Sr. Daniel Percelay, DePaul (seventh-2016, 126); Sr. Gianni Ghione, Brick Memorial (second-2015, fourth-2016, 132); Jr. Quinn Kinner, Kingsway (third-2016, fifth-2015, 132); Sr. Ray Wetzel, Queen of Peace (eighth-2016, 132); Sr. John Burger, New Milford (seventh-2015, 132); Sr. Lou Raimo, Hanover Park (eighth-2016, 132); Sr. Trace Kinner, Kingsway (sixth-2015, 138); Sr. Travis Layton, Woodstown (sixth-2016, 138); Sr. Robert Cleary, Bound Brook (seventh-2016, 138); Sr. Nick Palumbo, Lenape Valley (third-2016, 145); Sr. Nicholas Santos, St. Peter's Prep (sixth-2016, 145); Jr. Cole Corrigan, Toms River South (seventh-2016, 145); Jr. Joe Casey, Bound Brook (seventh-2015, seventh-2016, 145); Jr. Garrett Beam, Queen of Peace (eighth-2016, 145); Jr. Michael O'Malley, Hasbrouck Heights (fifth-2015, second-2016, 152); Sr. Avery DiNardi, Holy Cross (sixth-2016, 152); Jr. Michael Petite, Piscataway (eighth-2016, 160); Sr. Andrew Meyers, Toms River East (second-2016, 160); Sr. Jake Maxwell, Buena (sixth-2015, 160); Sr. Dominick Mandarino, Don Bosco Prep (seventh-2015, third-2016, 170); Jr. Bill Janzer, Delsea (third-2016, 170); Sr. Bryan McLaughlin, Woodbridge (fourth-2016, 170); Sr. Shane Sosinsky, Northern Highlands (second-2016, 182); Sr. George Walton, Bound Brook (fourth-2016, 182); Sr. Dominic Mainiero, Queen of Peace (seventh-2016, 182); Sr. L.J. Castellano, Delbarton (eighth-2016, 182); Sr. Joseph McKenzie, Wall (sixth-2015, 195); Sr. Robert Melise, Phillipsburg (fifth-2015, second-2016, 220); Sr. Victor Lacombe, Hunterdon Central (fifth-2016, 220); Jr. Joe Soreco, DePaul (fifth-2016, 220); Sr. Sean O'Malley, Hasbrouck Heights (sixth-2016, 220); So. Zach DelVecchio, South Plainfield (seventh-2016, 220); Sr. Eric Keosseian, Howell (eighth-2016, 220); Sr. Nick Rivera, Brick Memorial (second-2015, 285); Sr. Dylan D'Amore, Montgomery (fifth-2016, 285).

Returning medal winners by region:

Region 1 (5, Aragona, Burger, Mandarino, Sosinsky, Chakonis)
Region 2 (10, Ferrante, Percelay, Angelo, Palumbo, Griffith, M. O'Malley, Cochran, Kui, S. O'Malley, Soreco)
Region 3 (9, Glory, N. Raimo, Metzler, Wetzel, L. Raimo, Beam, Mainiero, Castellano, Melise)
Region 4 (5, Kelly, Heilmann, Santos, McLaughlin, DelVecchio)
Region 5 (10, Schleifer, Graf, Cleary, Casey, Glasgow, Lewis, Petite, Walton, Lacombe, D'Amore)
Region 6 (5, Ghione, Koehler, McKenzie, Keosseian, Rivera)
Region 7 (5, Manchio, Revano, Corrigan, DiNardi, Meyers)
Region 8 (6, Mininno, Q. Kinner, T. Kinner, Layton, Maxwell, Janzer)

Wrestling: Regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 by the numbers

We're nearing the end of the high school season, but before we start to focus on the 84th State Championships in Atlantic City, let's take a look at some of the highlights from the five region tournaments that house teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area.

47 -- We have that many wrestlers from Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex moving on to next weekend's state tournament, including seven from Pope John, In all, 16 advanced out of Region 1, while Region 3 produced 11. Over in Region 5, Hunterdon Central and Delaware Valley combined for nine qualifiers, while Region 4 had seven between North Hunterdon and Voorhees, leaving four to come out of Region 2 with Hopatcong and Lenape Valley.

12 -- Lenape Valley ace Nick Palumbo is among the 11 region champions from the area -- winning his first title at 145 pounds in Region 2 at Mount Olive. Palumbo (41-0), who is the lone unbeaten wrestler in the area, is the 12th champion for the Patriots and first since Matt Benvenuto in 2013.

Robert Melise was the OW at Region 3.

120 -- Speaking of champions, Phillipsburg now has 120 overall after junior Brian Meyer (145) and senior Robert Melise (220) won their second consecutive titles, as the 'Liners advanced an area-best five wrestlers in the new-look Region 3 Tournament at West Orange High School. Melise, a state finalist last season, earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award, steamrolling the field with three pins in a total of 3 minutes, 58 seconds. They are also just the fourth and fifth Stateliners to go back-to-back since 2000 -- joining current coach Dave Post (2002-03), Jon Gregory (2005-06) and Brandon Paetzell (2013-14). Matt Lane won two non-consecutive titles in 2009 and '11, while Paetzell got his third in '16.

14 -- Hackettstown junior Alex Carida continued his strong postseason run by winning the 138-pound title at Region 3 -- becoming the Tigers' 14th champion. Carida (37-2), who also won his first district title a week earlier, is five wins shy of becoming the 11th wrestler at the Warren County school to reach 100, as heads to Atlantic City for a second straight season with a career mark of 95-24.

5 -- Pope John cleaned up at Region 1, crowning a school-record five champions and advancing seven wrestlers -- the most of an school in the Open Mike area -- to AC. Freshman Eddie Ventresca (113), sophomore Robert Garcia (132) and juniors Jake Rotunda (126) and Reece Mulduun (160) all won their first titles, while sophomore JoJo Aragona (120), who ended the program's 11-year drought last season, is the first to repeat since Devin Perez (2002-03). It's also the most champions in a single season for the Sussex County school since 1975, when Steve Opitz, John Frick, Ted Hawke and Hugh Albora won for the Lions, who now have 23 overall.

43 -- Delaware Valley ended its three-year drought without a champion as junior Kyle Lightner won the 195-pound championship at Region 5. The Terriers advanced three wrestlers as seniors Connor Mills (132) and Matt Kolonia (138) finished fourth and second, respectively. Lightner, who looks to become the school's first state finalist since 2010 (Bobby Stevely at 125), should be in contention to finish high on the podium in AC, is the seventh winner under coach Andy Fitz in his 10 seasons at the helm of his alma mater.

3 -- Voorhees has had its share of talented brothers over the years, but senior Michael Fernandes (160), junior Scott Fernandes (182) and sophomore Lewis Fernandes (195) could eventually rank among the best. The quality trio were among the top-four finishers in their weight classes at Region 4. Michael and Lewis were finalists, while Scott placed fourth at Union High School.

97 -- Hunterdon Central had some tough luck in the championship round at Region 5, but senior Victor Lacombe came through with his second straight title at 220 and the program's 97th overall. Jack Bauer (113), Hunter Graf (120), Peter Nace (126) and Michael Iodice (182) all finished second, while Bryce Hall (138) took third to give the Red Devils six state qualifiers.

70 -- North Hunterdon didn't get its 71st champion overall, but junior Andrew Gapas (132) and senior Charlie Tordik (285) finished fourth, while senior Cole Marra (152) finished third for the Lions. Tordik (32-2), the HWS champ at heavyweight, took his first two losses of the season.

46 -- For only the third time since 2005, High Point did not have a champion in Region 1, but the 'Cats are sending three wrestlers to Atlantic City as sophomores Brandon LaRue (106) and Devin Flannery (113) and junior Shane Kobis (138) will make their first trips to states after runner-up finishes in the region. Head coach John Gardner (1987-90) and assistant Billy Smith (2010-11) combined to win six regions titles at the Sussex County school and it shouldn't be long until it adds more names to the list of 46 region winners.

20 -- Sparta has enjoyed one of its best seasons in recent years and a big reason why it won the program's first sectional title in 17 years is a talented group of upper weights -- led by state qualifiers Robert Gennat (195) and Zach Herbert (285), who finished second and third, respectively in Region 1. The Spartans will look to break an 11- year run without a region champ -- Phil Takacs-Senske was their last and 20th overall in 2007 -- next season.

Wrestling: Streaks' trio set to make their move in AC

WEST ORANGE -- Warren Hills wrestlers Jarod Ostir and Matt Valli experienced very different endings to their seasons at this time last year.

They are among three Blue Streaks -- along with senior Rashon Wade Taylor -- to qualify for the 84th State Championships that begin on Friday afternoon at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Ostir was the lone finalist, finishing second at 170 pounds, while Valli took third at 132 on Saturday in the Region 3 Tournament at West Orange High School. Wade Taylor earned his first state berth with a fourth-place finish at 152.

Ostir is a repeat state qualifier after a third-place finish in the former Region 1. But he was unable to wrestle in AC after sustaining an elbow injury that later required Tommy John surgery. He was replace in the draw by fourth-place finisher Al Falco of Sparta.

On Saturday, Ostir scored the opening takedown against West Morris junior Marco Gaita, but gave up two in the process in a 6-3 loss.

"It feels good because last year I was unable to compete," said Ostir, who underwent surgery on March 21 to repair a torn UCL.

Ostir (29-9), a District 12 champion, gave up a second-period takedown off a scramble, and nearly hit a dump in the third that would have wiped out a 4-3 deficit. Instead, Gaita got the takedown with seven seconds left on the clock.

"I thought I was going to get [the takedown], but I couldn't hook his back leg," said Ostir. who needed just 31 seconds in the first period to get a takedown for a 2-0 lead. "After he was able to escape [in the first period], I lost my focus. I wanted to control him on the mat."

Peaks and Vallis

Valli, after qualifying as a freshman and missing the postseason as a sophomore with a knee injury, fell short again as a junior -- going 1-2, including a 9-5 loss to Pope John's Robert Garcia in the quarterfinals of a brutal 126-pound weight class. Valli had beaten Garcia to capture his first Hunterdon-Warren Sussex title earlier in 2016.

"It was terrible. I cried in the car on the way home [from Wallkill Valley, the former site of Region 1]," said Valli, who appreciated the change in scenery for Region 3 after a radical district realignment that took effect for the 2016-17 season. "I hated Wallkill ... too many bad memories there."

Valli dropped a 5-3 decision in the semifinals to eventual champion Ray Wetzel of Queen of Peace before storming back to take third with a 3-1 win over Frank Gabriele of Verona. Even though his place in AC was secure, as the top four finishers advance this season, Valli wanted to leave no doubt.

"The pressure was off and I wrestled relaxed, but I wanted to take a true third," said Valli (33-6), now fifth on the school's all-time wins list with 103.

Ostir and Valli are hoping to bring home more hardware in Atlantic City, and both are heading down there with a lot of confidence.

"I honestly believe I can place," Valli said. "I feel I'm right there with everyone. I'm strong on my feet. I worked all summer with [former Delaware Valley and Voorhees assistant coach] Steve Barkman on leg attacks and defense. I want to thank my Warren Hills coaches -- KC Wanamaker and Chris Greenwald -- and Jeff Balas, my middle school coach, who taught me how to be tough."

Seater in the house

Belvidere sophomore Quinn Melofchik joined the party in Atlantic City after falling short last season by earning a third-place finish at 106 pounds.

Melofchik (34-3), who was fourth in Region 1 as a freshman, scored a 3-1 win over Queen of Peace freshman Will Grater for the bronze after punching his ticket with an 8-2 decision over Jake Bursese of Hanover Park in the wrestleback semifinals.

It was a tough day for Melofchik's teammates as senior Nick Cassidy (138) and junior Ryan Kokawski (182) bowed out in the first round of wrestlebacks. It was the fourth straight season without a region champion for Belvidere, which has produced 19 overall, since J.B. Lawson (220) and Ryan Appleby (285) won titles in 2013.

Back points

Phillipsburg was voted No. 2, while Warren Hills was the No. 5 team in the Region 3 Top 10 that was announced after the championship round. Delbarton was No. 1 and Mendham was No. 3, followed by No. 4 Hanover Park. West Morris (6), Queen of Peace (7), Caldwell (8), North Bergen (9) and Randolph (10) rounded out the poll, which was voted on by the region representatives.

If you think seeds don't matter, take a look at some of the brackets involving Warren Hills. Had a few wrestlers landed in the other half of the draw, the Blue Streaks may have added to their total of three state qualifiers. No. 1 seed Zach Nauta finished fifth at 138, while Hackettstown junior Alex Carida, the No. 2 seed, won the title. Nauta is the last to beat Carida -- 6-4 in a dual meet on Jan. 7.

"I was a little surprised," Carida said of not getting a rematch with Nauta in the Region 3 finals. "He's a good wrestler. But I have to give credit to [Hanover Park junior Sean Conley], he beat Nauta [4-3 in overtime in the semifinals]."

At 285, senior Taylan Zafis also finished fifth while watching a Hackettstown wrestler he defeated move on as junior Joe Andes took second. Zafis beat Andes, 2-1, in that same January dual meet and 5-1 for third place in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament the following weekend. In fact, Zafis owns a 3-1 lead in their series, as the two split last season, with Andes winning their third-place bout in District 1.

Phillipsburg sophomore Cody Harrison had an interesting weekend en route to a third-place finish at 126. On Friday, Harrison dropped a 6-5 decision to Morris Catholic junior Sebastian Cornejo in the quarterfinals, before bouncing back to beat Cornejo, 8-2, for the bronze. Cornejo is his school's first state qualifier since 1977 (Jim Babinski second at 101 pounds) and its highest placewinner since '93 (Eric Storz fourth at 189).

District 11 was the big winner on Saturday by advancing a tournament-best 20 wrestlers to Atlantic City. District 9, which includes P'burg and Hackettstown, was next with 15, followed by District 10 with 13 and District 12 with just eight, including three from Warren Hills.


Third-place consolations

106 -- 2-So. Quinn Melofchik (33-3, D11-1), Belvidere, d. Fr. Will Grater (25-7, D11-2), Queen of Peace, 3-1.
113 -- 3-Jr. Enrique Sanchez (29-6, D11-1), Queen of Peace, tf. 6-So. Travis Jones (27-10, D9-1), Phillipsburg, 15-0, 5:20.
120 -- 2-Jr. Yousef Salem (34-3, D12-1), North Bergen, p. 4-Sr. Jimmy Loudon (31-11, D10-2), Verona, 1:45.
126 -- 3-So. Cody Harrison (23-5, D9-1), Phillipsburg, d. 6-Jr. Sebastian Cornejo (28-10, D11-3), Morris Catholic, 8-2.
132 -- 5-Sr. Matt Valli (33-6, D12-1), Warren Hills, d. 4-Jr. Frank Gabriele (38-3, D10-1), Verona, 3-1.
138 -- 3-Jr. Travis Tavoso (25-12, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 7-So. Alex Winant (32-11, D9-2), Mendham, 11-4.
145 --  3-Sr. Aaron Dunn (30-5, D10-1), Nutley, d. So. Justin LeMay (30-12, D11-2), West Morris, 5-3.
152 -- 3-Sr. Kade Loughney (35-8, D11-2), West Morris, p. 6-Sr. Rashon Wade Taylor (23-15, D12-1), Warren Hills, 4:45.
160 -- 1-Jr. Matthew Liberato (24-10, D11-1), Hanover Park, md. 5-Sr. Al Taha (33-7, D12-1), North Bergen, 10-2.
170 -- 1-Jr. Cole Kreshpane (24-8, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 8-So. Jacob Cardenas (27-8, D11-2), Queen of Peace, 3-2.
182 -- 3-Sr. Christian Dalla Riva (33-5, D9-1), Caldwell, p. 7-Sr. Kasson Quince-McGee (30-10, D9-2), Montclair, :31.
195 -- 5-Sr. Cruz Donato (33-5, D12-2), North Bergen, d. 4-Sr. Jordan Colon (18-6, D10-3), Becton, 5-1.
220 -- 7-Jr. Trey Zgombic (25-10, D10-2), Delbarton, d. 3-Sr. Adam Lutick (32-7, D9-3), Bloomfield, 1-0.
285 -- 3-Sr. Kyriakos Kostidakis (30-4, D12-1), Madison, d. 5-Jr. John Murphy (28-7, D9-1), Caldwell, 2-1.

Wrestling: Carida, Meyer, Melise are golden in R3

WEST ORANGE -- Phillipsburg senior Robert Melise was in a class by himself once again on Saturday, putting another check mark next to the list of postseason goals in winning a second straight region title at 220 pounds.

Melise stuck Montclair senior Sam Mellow with an arm bar in just 58 seconds -- earning the Outstanding Wrestler Award with three pins in a total time of 3 minutes 58 seconds -- as he was among three wrestlers from the Open Mike area to claim Region 3 championships at West Orange High School.

Robert Melise displays his OW Award.

Phillipsburg junior Brian Meyer also won his second title at 145, while Hackettstown junior Alex Carida rolled to his first at 138 pounds. In all, 11 area wrestlers advanced to the 84th State Championships that begin on Friday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

"Every match is one at a time. ... Another step," said Melise (33-2), who set the single-season record for pins with his 28th in the finals, surpassing former heavyweight Zach Miers (27 in 1998), while racking up three in a total time of 3:58.

Melise, who also pinned Mellow (32-2) with a bar a week earlier for the district title, now has 22 falls among his last 26 wins, including four forfeits. Now in the best shape of his career, Melise points to the two losses on his record, in addition to last year's runner-up finish in the states, as his main source of motivation heading to AC.

"I feel like I've got a good streak going," said Melise, who may get a chance to avenge his only in-state loss -- 3-2 in overtime to Region 1 champion Peter Acciardi of Don Bosco Prep on Dec. 18 -- next weekend. "You can't look past anyone, that's when you caught. I have two losses, so it has happened. I don't like the feeling of defeat, and I do plan on re-writing those losses -- at least one."

Meyer on fire

Phillipsburg went 2-1 in the finals as junior Cullen Day (106) settled for a runner-up finish, while Meyer scored a 3-1 win over Queen of Peace state placewinner Garrett Beam. They are among an area-best five Stateliners who punched their tickets to Atlantic City. Travis Jones (113) was fourth, while sophomore Cody Harrison (126) rebounded from a loss in the quarterfinals to place third.

Meyer (33-7), a three-time district champ and the school's 120th region gold medal winner, used a first-period takedown en route to the win, while fighting off a deep single-leg attempt by Beam in the final seconds. Meyer and Melise are among just five P'burg wrestlers to win back-to-back region titles since 2000, joining head coach Dave Post (2002-03), Jon Gregory (2005-06) and Brandon Paetzell (2013-14), one of just five 'Liners to win three times. Matt Lane is the only other to win two titles in that stretch (2009, '11).

That win over Beam, who placed eighth in last year's state tournament, will help Meyer tremendously from a seeding standpoint in the 145-pound bracket, which will be announced on Monday.

Day (31-7) gave up a decisive takedown with 17 seconds left in the third period in a 3-1 loss to talented Delbarton freshman Anthony Clark in their 106-pound final.

Tigers settle for split

Carida is another local wrestler on a roll of late, converting two takedowns en route to an impressive 5-1 win over former champion Sean Conley of Hanover Park. In the process, Carida, who won his first district title last weekend, became just the 14th Hackettstown wrestler to win a region title -- nine of those coming since 2007.

"It means I'm doing something right," Carida said with a big smile after learning he joined an exclusive club at the Warren County school. "I've been working on the little things, I just want to improve every single match. Being on my feet is really paying off, working on my shots and angles, and moving my feet and pushing the pace."

Carida (37-2) said working with assistant coach Jim Berringer -- a region champ for Hopatcong at 140 pounds in 2000 -- has also helped from the neutral position.

"I take after him I guess," said Carida, now 95-24 overall.

Junior Joe Andes (285) made a nice run to his first region final, pushing unbeaten Elyezer Oliviery of Union City, a state qualifier last season, in a 1-0 loss. Andes, the District 9 runner-up, earned his first trip to states with a 2-1 win in the semis over Zack Sieb of Morris Catholic.

Championships

170 -- 5-Jr. Marco Gaita (39-2, D11-1), West Morris, d. 3-Jr. Jarod Ostir (29-9, D12-1), Warren Hills, 6-3.

182 -- 1-Sr. Dominic Mainiero (28-1, D11-1), Queen of Peace, d. 2-Sr. L.J. Castellano (29-8, D10-1), Delbarton, 3-1.

195 -- 2-Sr. Thomas Rigas (35-2, D12-1), Whippany Park, d. 1-Sr. Rory DeLuca (30-7, D11-1), Hanover Park, 8-4.

220 -- 1-Sr. Robert Melise (33-2, D9-1), Phillipsburg, p. 2-Sr. Sam Mellow (32-2, D9-2), Montclair.

285 -- 1-Sr. Elyezer Oliviery (33-0, D10-1), Union City, d. 6-Jr. Joe Andes (30-10, D9-2), Hackettstown, 1-0.
106 -- 7-Fr. Anthony Clark (32-2, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 1-Jr. Cullen Day (31-7, D9-1), Phillipsburg, 3-1.

113 -- 2-Sr. Victor Lopez (32-1, D10-1), West Orange, d. 4-So. Dom DiFrancescantonio (33-10, D11-2), Hanover Park, 10-6.

120 -- 1-Jr. Patrick Glory (38-0, D10-1), Delbarton, p. 3-Jr. Matt Armamento (22-6, D11-1), Queen of Peace, 1:40.

126 -- 1-So. Nick Raimo (32-1, D11-1), Hanover Park, d. 2-Sr. Shane Metzler (35-3, D11-2), West Morris, 5-2.

132 -- 1-Sr. Ray Wetzel (25-5, D11-1), Queen of Peace, d. 2-Sr. Lou Raimo (32-9, D11-2), Hanover Park, 5-2.

138 -- 2-Jr. Alex Carida (37-2, D9-1), Hackettstown, d. 5-Jr. Sean Conley (28-6, D11-1), Hanover Park, 5-1.

145 -- 2-Jr. Brian Meyer (33-7, D9-1), Phillipsburg, d. 1-Jr. Garrett Beam (25-4, D11-1), Queen of Peace, 3-1.

152 -- 2-Sr. Omar Abdelhamid (39-0, D11-1), Rutherford, d. 1-Jr. Gerald Jones (25-7, D9-1), Caldwell, 7-0.

160 -- 4-Sr. Troy Navarino (39-1, D9-1), Mendham, d. 2-Fr. Kieran Calvetti (19-9, D10-1), Delbarton, 4-0.
Outstanding Wrestler Award -- Robert Melise, Phillipsburg.
Coach of the Year -- Steve Baig, Mendham.
Assistant Coach of the Year -- Anthony Dietrich, Orange.

Wrestling: Region 3 championship results

The top four finishers in each weight class advance to the 84th State Wrestling Championships held March 3-5 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

State qualifiers by school

Delbarton 2+2+3+0=7; Queen of Peace 2+2+1+2=7; Hanover Park 1+4+1+0=6; Phillipsburg 2+1+1+1=5; West Morris 1+1+1+1=4; Warren Hills 0+1+1+1=3; North Bergen 0+0+2+1=3; Caldwell 0+1+1+1=3; Hackettstown 1+1+0+0=2; Mendham 1+0+0+1=2; Montclair 0+1+0+1=2; Verona 0+0+0+2=2; Belvidere 0+0+1+0=1; Becton 0+0+0+1=1; Bloomfield 0+0+0+1=1; Madison 0+0+1+0=1; Morris Catholic 0+0+0+1=1; Nutley 0+0+1+0=1; Rutherford 0+1+0+0=1; Union City 1+0+0+0=1; West Orange 1+0+0+0=1; Whippany Park 1+0+0+0=1; Belleville 0+0+0+0=0; Cliffside Park 0+0+0+0=0; Kearny 0+0+0+0=0; Livingston 0+0+0+0=0; Lyndhurst-North Arlington 0+0+0+0=0; Randolph 0+0+0+0=0; Secaucus 0+0+0+0=0; Orange 0+0+0+0=0; Columbia 0+0+0+0=0; Morristown 0+0+0+0=0; Barringer 0+0+0+0=0; Chatham 0+0+0+0=0; East Orange 0+0+0+0=0; East Side 0+0+0+0=0; Glen Ridge 0+0+0+0=0; Wood-Ridge 0+0+0+0=0.

Qualifiers by district

District 11=20; District 9=15; District 10=13; District 12=8

Championships

170 -- 5-Jr. Marco Gaita (39-2, D11-1), West Morris, d. 3-Jr. Jarod Ostir (29-9, D12-1), Warren Hills, 6-3.

182 -- 1-Sr. Dominic Mainiero (28-1, D11-1), Queen of Peace, d. 2-Sr. L.J. Castellano (29-8, D10-1), Delbarton, 3-1.

195 -- 2-Sr. Thomas Rigas (35-2, D12-1), Whippany Park, d. 1-Sr. Rory DeLuca (30-7, D11-1), Hanover Park, 8-4.

220 -- 1-Sr. Robert Melise (33-2, D9-1), Phillipsburg, p. 2-Sr. Sam Mellow (32-2, D9-2), Montclair, :58.

285 -- 1-Sr. Elyezer Oliviery (33-0, D10-1), Union City, d. 6-Jr. Joe Andes (30-10, D9-2), Hackettstown, 1-0.
106 -- 7-Fr. Anthony Clark (32-2, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 1-Jr. Cullen Day (31-7, D9-1), Phillipsburg, 3-1.

113 -- 2-Sr. Victor Lopez (32-1, D10-1), West Orange, d. 4-So. Dom DiFrancescantonio (33-10, D11-2), Hanover Park, 10-6.

120 -- 1-Jr. Patrick Glory (38-0, D10-1), Delbarton, p. 3-Jr. Matt Armamento (22-6, D11-1), Queen of Peace, 1:40.

126 -- 1-So. Nick Raimo (32-1, D11-1), Hanover Park, d. 2-Sr. Shane Metzler (35-3, D11-2), West Morris, 5-2.

132 -- 1-Sr. Ray Wetzel (25-5, D11-1), Queen of Peace, d. 2-Sr. Lou Raimo (32-9, D11-2), Hanover Park, 5-2.

138 -- 2-Jr. Alex Carida (37-2, D9-1), Hackettstown, d. 5-Jr. Sean Conley (28-6, D11-1), Hanover Park, 5-1.

145 -- 2-Jr. Brian Meyer (33-7, D9-1), Phillipsburg, d. 1-Jr. Garrett Beam (25-4, D11-1), Queen of Peace, 3-1.

152 -- 2-Sr. Omar Abdelhamid (39-0, D11-1), Rutherford, d. 1-Jr. Gerald Jones (25-7, D9-1), Caldwell, 7-0.

160 -- 4-Sr. Troy Navarino (39-1, D9-1), Mendham, d. 2-Fr. Kieran Calvetti (19-9, D10-1), Delbarton, 4-0.
Outstanding Wrestler Award -- Robert Melise, Phillipsburg.
Coach of the Year -- Steve Baig, Mendham.
Assistant Coach of the Year -- Anthony Dietrich, Orange.

Third-place consolations

106 -- 2-So. Quinn Melofchik (34-3, D11-1), Belvidere, d. Fr. Will Grater (25-7, D11-2), Queen of Peace, 3-1.
113 -- 3-Jr. Enrique Sanchez (29-6, D11-1), Queen of Peace, tf. 6-So. Travis Jones (27-10, D9-1), Phillipsburg, 15-0, 5:20.
120 -- 2-Jr. Yousef Salem (34-3, D12-1), North Bergen, p. 4-Sr. Jimmy Loudon (31-11, D10-2), Verona, 1:45.
126 -- 3-So. Cody Harrison (23-5, D9-1), Phillipsburg, d. 6-Jr. Sebastian Cornejo (28-10, D11-3), Morris Catholic, 8-2.
132 -- 5-Sr. Matt Valli (33-6, D12-1), Warren Hills, d. 4-Jr. Frank Gabriele (38-3, D10-1), Verona, 3-1.
138 -- 3-Jr. Travis Tavoso (25-12, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 7-So. Alex Winant (32-11, D9-2), Mendham, 11-4.
145 --  3-Sr. Aaron Dunn (30-5, D10-1), Nutley, d. So. Justin LeMay (30-12, D11-2), West Morris, 5-3.
152 -- 3-Sr. Kade Loughney (35-8, D11-2), West Morris, p. 6-Sr. Rashon Wade Taylor (23-15, D12-1), Warren Hills, 4:45.
160 -- 1-Jr. Matthew Liberato (24-10, D11-1), Hanover Park, md. 5-Sr. Al Taha (33-7, D12-1), North Bergen, 10-2.
170 -- 1-Jr. Cole Kreshpane (24-8, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 8-So. Jacob Cardenas (27-8, D11-2), Queen of Peace, 3-2.
182 -- 3-Sr. Christian Dalla Riva (33-5, D9-1), Caldwell, p. 7-Sr. Kasson Quince-McGee (30-10, D9-2), Montclair, :31.
195 -- 5-Sr. Cruz Donato (33-5, D12-2), North Bergen, d. 4-Sr. Jordan Colon (18-6, D10-3), Becton, 5-1.
220 -- 7-Jr. Trey Zgombic (25-10, D10-2), Delbarton, d. 3-Sr. Adam Lutick (32-7, D9-3), Bloomfield, 1-0.
285 -- 3-Sr. Kyriakos Kostidakis (30-4, D12-1), Madison, d. 5-Jr. John Murphy (28-7, D9-1), Caldwell, 2-1.

Fifth-place consolations

106 -- 5-Fr. Matt DeStefanis (38-3, D12-1), Randolph, d. 4-Fr. Jake Bursese (26-16, D11-3), Hanover Park, 7-1.
113 -- Fr. Alex Strashinsky (24-8, D10-2), Delbarton, d. 1-Jr. Anthony Petrillo (28-5, D12-1), Livingston, 9-6.
120 -- 5-Jr. Matthew Daub (23-11, D9-1), Lyndhurst-North Arlington, d. 6-Jr. Kyle Wulff (28-12, D12-2), Warren Hills, 5-3.
126 -- 4-So. Sean Savercool (31-7, D12-1), Whippany Park, p. 5-Sr. Eric Jensen (28-16, D12-2), Randolph, 1:12.
132 -- 6-Jr. Elijah Flores (30-11, D12-2), North Bergen, d. 3-Fr. Alex Jones (27-5, D9-1), Caldwell, 3-1.
138 -- 1-Sr. Zach Nauta (28-9, D12-1), Warren Hills, p. 4-Sr. Phil Ruiz (22-8, D10-2), Becton, 1:35.
145 -- 5-Sr. Mike Mejia (32-8, D12-1), North Bergen, forfeit over 8-Sr. Brad Murillo (5-4, D11-3), Belleville,
152 -- 5-Sr. Joseph DiPasquale (31-10, D10-2), Nutley, forfeit over 4-So. Vincent Andreano (22-16, D10-1), Delbarton.
160 -- 3-Sr. Nick Fierro (31-9, D10-2), Verona, d. Jr. Michael Pillot (17-10, D11-3), Queen of Peace, 6-2.
170 -- 2-Sr. Barak Pipkins (27-6, D9-1), Bloomfield, d. 6-Jr. Kyle Schaffer (21-10, D9-2), Caldwell, 3-2 TB.
182 -- 4-So. Nick Galka (28-12, D12-1), Warren Hills, d. 5-Sr. Lukasz Glazewski (34-5, D11-2), Kearny, 6-2.
195 -- 3-Jr. Noah Tandy (34-4, D10-1), West Orange, forfeit over 7-Jr. Anthony Siragusa (15-12, D10-2), Delbarton.
220 -- 4-Sr. Brody Oberly (21-12, D12-1), Warren Hills, p. 5-Sr. Saummy DeJesus Duran (25-9, D12-2), Secaucus, 1:27.
285 -- 4-Sr. Taylan Zafis (28-13, D12-2), Warren Hills, p. 7-Sr. Zack Sieb (25-7, D11-1), Morris Catholic, :21.

Second wrestlebacks

106 -- Fr. Will Grater (25-6, D11-2), Queen of Peace, p. 5-Fr. Matt DeStefanis (37-3, D12-1), Randolph, 1:05; 2-So. Quinn Melofchik (33-3, D11-1), Belvidere, d. 4-Fr. Jake Bursese (26-15, D11-3), Hanover Park, 8-2.

113 -- 3-Jr. Enrique Sanchez (28-6, D11-1), Queen of Peace, md. Fr. Alex Strashinsky (23-8, D10-2), Delbarton, 18-5; 6-So. Travis Jones (27-9, D9-1), Phillipsburg, d. 1-Jr. Anthony Petrillo (28-4, D12-1), Livingston, 9-4.

120 -- 2-Jr. Yousef Salem (33-3, D12-1), North Bergen, tf. 5-Jr. Matthew Daub (22-11, D9-1), Lyndhurst-North Arlington, 20-4; 4-Sr. Jimmy Loudon (31-10, D10-2), Verona, p. 6-Jr. Kyle Wulff (28-11, D12-2), Warren Hills, 1:30.

126 -- 6-Jr. Sebastian Cornejo (28-9, D11-3), Morris Catholic, d. 5-Sr. Eric Jensen (28-15, D12-2), Randolph, 4-3; 3-So. Cody Harrison (22-5, D9-1), Phillipsburg, p. 4-So. Sean Savercool (30-7, D12-1), Whippany Park, :21.

132 -- 4-Jr. Frank Gabriele (38-2, D10-1), Verona, d. 3-Fr. Alex Jones (27-4, D9-1), Caldwell, 7-0; 5-Sr. Matt Valli (32-6, D12-1), Warren Hills, d. 6-Jr. Elijah Flores (29-11, D12-2), North Bergen, 5-1.

138 -- 3-Jr. Travis Tavoso (24-12, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 4-Sr. Phil Ruiz (22-7, D10-2), Becton, 6-5; 7-So. Alex Winant (32-10, D9-2), Mendham, d. 1-Sr. Zach Nauta (27-9, D12-1), Warren Hills, 6-5.

145 -- 3-Sr. Aaron Dunn (29-5, D10-1), Nutley, d. 8-Sr. Brad Murillo (5-4, D11-3), Belleville, 5-3; So. Justin LeMay (30-11, D11-2), West Morris, md. 5-Sr. Mike Mejia (31-8, D12-1), North Bergen, 12-2.

152 -- 3-Sr. Kade Loughney (34-8, D11-2), West Morris, d. 5-Sr. Joseph DiPasquale (30-10, D10-2), Nutley, 3-0; 6-Sr. Rashon Wade Taylor (23-14, D12-1), Warren Hills, injury over 4-So. Vincent Andreano (22-16, D10-1), Delbarton, 4:50.

160 -- 5-Sr. Al Taha (33-6, D12-1), North Bergen, d. 3-Sr. Nick Fierro (30-9, D10-2), Verona, 4-1; 1-Jr. Matthew Liberato (23-10, D11-1), Hanover Park, d. Jr. Michael Pillot (17-9, D11-3), Queen of Peace, 10-6.

170 -- 1-Jr. Cole Kreshpane (23-8, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 2-Sr. Barak Pipkins (26-6, D9-1), Bloomfield, 2-1 TB; 8-So. Jacob Cardenas (27-7, D11-2), Queen of Peace, d. 6-Jr. Kyle Schaffer (21-9, D9-2), Caldwell, 5-2.

182 -- 3-Sr. Christian Dalla Riva (32-5, D9-1), Caldwell, md. 5-Sr. Lukasz Glazewski (34-4, D11-2), Kearny, 14-2; 7-Sr. Kasson Quince-McGee (30-9, D9-2), Montclair, d. 4-So. Nick Galka (27-12, D12-1), Warren Hills, 4-3.

195 -- 5-Sr. Cruz Donato (32-5, D12-2), North Bergen, p. 3-Jr. Noah Tandy (33-4, D10-1), West Orange, 2:51; 4-Sr. Jordan Colon (18-5, D10-3), Becton, d. 7-Jr. Anthony Siragusa (15-12, D10-2), Delbarton, 8-1.

220 -- 3-Sr. Adam Lutick (32-6, D9-3), Bloomfield, p. 5-Sr. Saummy DeJesus Duran (25-8, D12-2), Secaucus, 3:22; 7-Jr. Trey Zgombic (24-10, D10-2), Delbarton, d. 4-Sr. Brody Oberly (20-12, D12-1), Warren Hills, 6-3.

285 -- 3-Sr. Kyriakos Kostidakis (29-4, D12-1), Madison, d. 4-Sr. Taylan Zafis (27-13, D12-2), Warren Hills, 5-0; 5-Jr. John Murphy (28-6, D9-1), Caldwell, d. 7-Sr. Zack Sieb (25-6, D11-1), Morris Catholic, 8-5.

First wrestlebacks

106 -- 5-Fr. Matt DeStefanis (37-2, D12-1), Randolph, tf. 8-Fr. Michael Rodriguez (27-10, D10-2), Becton, 20-5, 4:45; 2-So. Quinn Melofchik (32-3, D11-1), Belvidere, d. Fr. Darren Jones (24-11, D9-3), Caldwell, 5-1.

113 -- Fr. Alex Strashinsky (23-7, D10-2), Delbarton, d. 5-Jr. Michael Caso (28-12, D11-3), West Morris, 9-4; 6-So. Travis Jones (26-9, D9-1), Phillipsburg, p. 7-Fr. Charlie Treston (20-14, D12-2), Randolph, 1:47.

120 -- 5-Jr. Matthew Daub (22-10, D9-1), Lyndhurst-North Arlington, d. 8-Jr. Michael Rubin (24-13, D11-2), Hanover Park, 3-1; 6-Jr. Kyle Wulff (28-10, D12-2), Warren Hills, d. So. Edgar Moreno (23-9, D10-3), West Orange, 5-4.

126 -- 5-Sr. Eric Jensen (28-14, D12-2), Randolph, d. 8-Jr. John Cumming (10-14, D10-1), Delbarton, 4-2; 3-So. Cody Harrison (21-5, D9-1), Phillipsburg, d. 7-Jr. Alex Schlegel (22-17, D9-2), Mendham, 8-7.

132 -- 4-Jr. Frank Gabriele (37-2, D10-1), Verona, tf. 8-So. Kyle Tino (15-17, D9-2), Phillipsburg, 17-1, 3:24; 6-Jr. Elijah Flores (29-10, D12-2), North Bergen, d. 7-Fr. Dante Stefanelli (23-12, D10-2), Delbarton, 3-2.

138 -- 4-Sr. Phil Ruiz (22-6, D10-2), Becton, d. 8-Sr. Nick Cassidy (25-12, D11-2), Belvidere, 4-1; 7-So. Alex Winant (31-10, D9-2), Mendham, d. 6-Sr. Naseem Elayan (25-8, D12-2), Cliffside Park, 10-4.

145 -- 8-Sr. Brad Murillo (5-3, D11-3), Belleville, forfeit over 4-So. AJ Lonski (24-10, D10-2), Delbarton; So. Justin LeMay (29-11, D11-2), West Morris, md. Sr. Connor McClellan (18-21, D9-2), Mendham, 14-1.

152 -- 5-Sr. Joseph DiPasquale (30-9, D10-2), Nutley, p. 8-Fr. Thomas Stigliano (29-7, D12-3), Whippany Park, 4:29; 6-Sr. Rashon Wade Taylor (22-14, D12-1), Warren Hills, md. Fr. Gage Armijo (21-18, D9-2), Mendham, 14-6.

160 -- 5-Sr. Al Taha (32-6, D12-1), North Bergen, d. Sr. Christian Trimarchi (26-15, D11-2), West Morris, 5-1; Jr. Michael Pillot (17-8, D11-3), Queen of Peace, d. So. Victor Jorge (19-12, D9-3), Lyndhurst-North Arlington, 5-4.

170 -- 1-Jr. Cole Kreshpane (22-8, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 4-Jr. Sebastian Rawls (30-7, D10-2), West Orange, 2-0; 6-Jr. Kyle Schaffer (21-8, D9-2), Caldwell, d. 7-Jr. Robinson Reyes (27-10, D12-2), Secaucus, 5-2.

182 -- 5-Sr. Lukasz Glazewski (34-3, D11-2), Kearny, p. Jr. Ryan Kokawski (26-9, D11-3), Belvidere, 1:29; 7-Sr. Kasson Quince-McGee (29-9, D9-2), Montclair, p. 6-Sr. Joe Lesho (22-13, D10-2), Becton, 1:36.

195 -- 5-Sr. Cruz Donato (31-5, D12-2), North Bergen, p. Jr. Giuseppe Canino (26-13, D9-2), Mendham, 1:17; 7-Jr. Anthony Siragusa (15-11, D10-2), Delbarton, d. 6-Sr. Kyle Connelly (29-9, D9-1), Hackettstown, 5-3.

220 -- 5-Sr. Saummy DeJesus Duran (25-7, D12-2), Secaucus, p. 8-Jr. Keyon Means-Bowman (9-11, D11-1), Queen of Peace, 3:40; 7-Jr. Trey Zgombic (23-10, D10-2), Delbarton, md. 6-Sr. Luis Pontier (22-8, D10-1), Becton, 12-1.

285 -- 5-Jr. John Murphy (27-6, D9-1), Caldwell, d. So. Ryan Knox (21-12, D12-3), Randolph, 2-1 TB; 3-Sr. Kyriakos Kostidakis (28-4, D12-1), Madison, d. 2-Sr. Ezechiel Conserve (33-8, D10-2), Orange, 6-1.

Wrestling: Region 3 semifinal results

Finalists by school

Hanover Park 5; Delbarton 4; Queen of Peace 4; Phillipsburg 3; Hackettstown 2; West Morris 2; Warren Hills 1; Caldwell 1; West Orange 1; Whippany Park 1; Mendham 1; Montclair 1; Rutherford 1; Union City 1; Becton 0; Belvidere 0; Belleville 0; Bloomfield 0; Cliffside Park 0; Kearny 0; Livingston 0; Lyndhurst-North Arlington 0; Madison 0; Morris Catholic 0; North Bergen 0; Nutley 0; Randolph 0; Secaucus 0; Orange 0; Columbia 0; Morristown 0; Barringer 0; Chatham 0; East Orange 0; East Side 0; Glen Ridge 0; Verona 0; Wood-Ridge 0.

Semifinal winners by district

District 11=12; District 9=8; District 10=6; District 12=2

106 pounds

1-Jr. Cullen Day (31-6, D9-1), Phillipsburg, p. 4-Fr. Jake Bursese (26-14, D11-3), Hanover Park, 3:31.

7-Fr. Anthony Clark (31-2, D10-1), Delbarton, d. Fr. Will Grater (24-6, D11-2), Queen of Peace, 6-1.

113 pounds

4-So. Dom DiFrancescantonio (33-9, D11-2), Hanover Park, d. 1-Jr. Anthony Petrillo (28-3, D12-1), Livingston, 9-6.

2-Sr. Victor Lopez (31-1, D10-1), West Orange, p. 3-Jr. Enrique Sanchez (27-6, D11-1), Queen of Peace, 6:50 SV.

120 pounds

1-Jr. Patrick Glory (37-0, D10-1), Delbarton, p. 4-Sr. Jimmy Loudon (30-10, D10-2), Verona, :27.

3-Jr. Matt Armamento (22-5, D11-1), Queen of Peace, md. 2-Jr. Yousef Salem (32-3, D12-1), North Bergen, 11-2.

126 pounds

1-So. Nick Raimo (31-1, D11-1), Hanover Park, p. 4-So. Sean Savercool (30-6, D12-1), Whippany Park, :45.

2-Sr. Shane Metzler (35-2, D11-2), West Morris, d. 6-Jr. Sebastian Cornejo (27-9, D11-3), Morris Catholic, 5-1.

132 pounds

1-Sr. Ray Wetzel (24-5, D11-1), Queen of Peace, d. 5-Sr. Matt Valli (31-6, D12-1), Warren Hills, 5-3.

2-Sr. Lou Raimo (32-8, D11-2), Hanover Park, d. 3-Fr. Alex Jones (27-3, D9-1), Caldwell, 3-2.

138 pounds

 5-Jr. Sean Conley (28-5, D11-1), Hanover Park, d. 1-Sr. Zach Nauta (27-8, D12-1), Warren Hills, 4-3 TB.

2-Jr. Alex Carida (36-2, D9-1), Hackettstown, d. 3-Jr. Travis Tavoso (23-12, D10-1), Delbarton, 8-3.

145 pounds

1-Jr. Garrett Beam (25-3, D11-1), Queen of Peace, d. 5-Sr. Mike Mejia (31-7, D12-1), North Bergen, 3-1.

2-Jr. Brian Meyer (32-7, D9-1), Phillipsburg, md. 3-Sr. Aaron Dunn (28-5, D10-1), Nutley, 11-1.

152 pounds

1-Jr. Gerald Jones (25-6, D9-1), Caldwell, d. 4-So. Vincent Andreano (22-15, D10-1), Delbarton, 4-2.

2-Sr. Omar Abdelhamid (38-0, D11-1), Rutherford, p. 3-Sr. Kade Loughney (33-8, D11-2), West Morris, 2:39.

160 pounds

4-Sr. Troy Navarino (38-1, D9-1), Mendham, d. 1-Jr. Matthew Liberato (22-10, D11-1), Hanover Park, 4-2.

2-Fr. Kieran Calvetti (19-8, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 3-Sr. Nick Fierro (30-8, D10-2), Verona, 3-0.

170 pounds

5-Jr. Marco Gaita (38-2, D11-1), West Morris, d. 8-So. Jacob Cardenas (26-7, D11-2), Queen of Peace, 6-4.

3-Jr. Jarod Ostir (29-8, D12-1), Warren Hills, d. 2-Sr. Barak Pipkins (26-5, D9-1), Bloomfield, 8-6.

182 pounds

1-Sr. Dominic Mainiero (27-1, D11-1), Queen of Peace, d. 4-So. Nick Galka (27-11, D12-1), Warren Hills, 3-1.

2-Sr. L.J. Castellano (29-7, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 3-Sr. Christian Dalla Riva (31-5, D9-1), Caldwell, 5-1.

195 pounds

1-Sr. Rory DeLuca (30-6, D11-1), Hanover Park, d. 4-Sr. Jordan Colon (17-5, D10-3), Becton, 5-4.

2-Sr. Thomas Rigas (34-2, D12-1), Whippany Park, d. 3-Jr. Noah Tandy (33-3, D10-1), West Orange, 7-1.

220 pounds

1-Sr. Robert Melise (32-2, D9-1), Phillipsburg, p. 4-Sr. Brody Oberly (20-11, D12-1), Warren Hills, 1:20.

2-Sr. Sam Mellow (32-1, D9-2), Montclair, p. 3-Sr. Adam Lutick (31-6, D9-3), Bloomfield, 2:33.

285 pounds

1-Sr. Elyezer Oliviery (32-0, D10-1), Union City, d. 4-Sr. Taylan Zafis (27-12, D12-2), Warren Hills, 3-0.

6-Jr. Joe Andes (30-9, D9-2), Hackettstown, d. 7-Sr. Zack Sieb (25-5, D11-1), Morris Catholic, 2-1.

Wrestling: Region 3 quarterfinal results

Semifinalists by school

Hanover Park 7; Queen of Peace 7; Warren Hills 6; Delbarton 6; Phillipsburg 3; Caldwell 3; West Morris 3; Hackettstown 2; Bloomfield 2; Morris Catholic 2; North Bergen 2; Verona 2; West Orange 2; Whippany Park 2; Becton 1; Livingston 1;  Mendham 1; Montclair 1; Rutherford 1; Union City 1; Nutley 1; Belvidere 0; Belleville 0; Cliffside Park 0; Kearny 0; Madison 0; Lyndhurst-North Arlington 0; Randolph 0; Secaucus 0; Orange 0; Columbia 0; Morristown 0; Barringer 0; Chatham 0; East Orange 0; East Side 0; Glen Ridge 0; Wood-Ridge 0.

Quarterfinal winners by district

District 11=20; District 10=13; District 9=12; District 12=11

106 pounds

1-Jr. Cullen Day (30-6, D9-1), Phillipsburg, p. 8-Fr. Michael Rodriguez (27-9, D10-2), Becton, 2:49.

4-Fr. Jake Bursese (26-13, D11-3), Hanover Park, d. 5-Fr. Matt DeStefanis (37-2, D12-1), Randolph, 5-4.

Fr. Will Grater (24-5, D11-2), Queen of Peace, d. Fr. Darren Jones (24-10, D9-3), Caldwell, 2-1.

7-Fr. Anthony Clark (30-2, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 2-So. Quinn Melofchik (31-3, D11-1), Belvidere, 3-2.

113 pounds

1-Jr. Anthony Petrillo (28-2, D12-1), Livingston, d. Fr. Alex Strashinsky (22-7, D10-2), Delbarton, 5-4 UTB.

4-So. Dom DiFrancescantonio (32-9, D11-2), Hanover Park, p. 5-Jr. Michael Caso (28-11, D11-3), West Morris, 4:44.

3-Jr. Enrique Sanchez (27-5, D11-1), Queen of Peace, p. 6-So. Travis Jones (25-9, D9-1), Phillipsburg, 1:52.

2-Sr. Victor Lopez (30-1, D10-1), West Orange, p. 7-Fr. Charlie Treston (20-13, D12-2), Randolph, 1:26.

120 pounds

1-Jr. Patrick Glory (36-0, D10-1), Delbarton, p. 8-Jr. Michael Rubin (24-12, D11-2), Hanover Park, :58.

4-Sr. Jimmy Loudon (30-9, D10-2), Verona, d. 5-Jr. Matthew Daub (21-10, D9-1), Lyndhurst-North Arlington, 10-3.
3-Jr. Matt Armamento (22-5, D11-1), Queen of Peace, d. 6-Jr. Kyle Wulff (27-10, D12-2), Warren Hills, 8-6.

2-Jr. Yousef Salem (32-2, D12-1), North Bergen, d. So. Edgar Moreno (23-8, D10-3), West Orange, 5-2.

126 pounds

1-So. Nick Raimo (30-1, D11-1), Hanover Park, injury over 8-Jr. John Cumming (10-13, D10-1), Delbarton.

4-So. Sean Savercool (30-5, D12-1), Whippany Park, d. 5-Sr. Eric Jensen (27-14, D12-2), Randolph, 1-0.

6-Jr. Sebastian Cornejo (27-8, D11-3), Morris Catholic, d. 3-So. Cody Harrison (20-5, D9-1), Phillipsburg, 6-5.

2-Sr. Shane Metzler (34-2, D11-2), West Morris, md. 7-Jr. Alex Schlegel (22-16, D9-2), Mendham, 15-5.

132 pounds

1-Sr. Ray Wetzel (23-5, D11-1), Queen of Peace, md. 8-So. Kyle Tino (15-16, D9-2), Phillipsburg, 23-9.

5-Sr. Matt Valli (31-5, D12-1), Warren Hills, d. 4-Jr. Frank Gabriele (36-2, D10-1), Verona, 3-0.

3-Fr. Alex Jones (27-2, D9-1), Caldwell, d. 6-Jr. Elijah Flores (28-10, D12-2), North Bergen, 6-2.

2-Sr. Lou Raimo (31-8, D11-2), Hanover Park, d. 7-Fr. Dante Stefanelli (23-11, D10-2), Delbarton, 7-0.

138 pounds

1-Sr. Zach Nauta (27-7, D12-1), Warren Hills, d. 8-Sr. Nick Cassidy (25-11, D11-2), Belvidere, 2-0.

5-Jr. Sean Conley (27-5, D11-1), Hanover Park, d. 4-Sr. Phil Ruiz (21-6, D10-2), Becton, 4-1.

3-Jr. Travis Tavoso (23-11, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 6-Sr. Naseem Elayan (25-7, D12-2), Cliffside Park, 9-4.

2-Jr. Alex Carida (35-2, D9-1), Hackettstown, d. 7-So. Alex Winant (30-10, D9-2), Mendham, 9-3.

145 pounds

1-Jr. Garrett Beam (24-3, D11-1), Queen of Peace, p. 8-Sr. Brad Murillo (5-3, D11-3), Belleville, 5:03.

5-Sr. Mike Mejia (31-6, D12-1), North Bergen, medical forfeit over 4-So. AJ Lonski (24-10, D10-2), Delbarton.

3-Sr. Aaron Dunn (28-4, D10-1), Nutley, d. Sr. Connor McClellan (18-20, D9-2), Mendham, 5-1.

2-Jr. Brian Meyer (31-7, D9-1), Phillipsburg, p. So. Justin LeMay (28-11, D11-2), West Morris, 2:12.

152 pounds

1-Jr. Gerald Jones (24-6, D9-1), Caldwell, md. 8-Fr. Thomas Stigliano (29-6, D12-3), Whippany Park, 11-3.

4-So. Vincent Andreano (22-14, D10-1), Delbarton, d. 5-Sr. Joseph DiPasquale (29-9, D10-2), Nutley, 4-2 SV.

3-Sr. Kade Loughney (33-7, D11-2), West Morris, p. 6-Sr. Rashon Wade Taylor (21-14, D12-1), Warren Hills, 2:37.

2-Sr. Omar Abdelhamid (37-0, D11-1), Rutherford, d. Fr. Gage Armijo (21-17, D9-2), Mendham, 7-0.

160 pounds

1-Jr. Matthew Liberato (22-9, D11-1), Hanover Park, d. Sr. Christian Trimarchi (26-14, D11-2), West Morris, 1-0.

4-Sr. Troy Navarino (37-1, D9-1), Mendham, d. 5-Sr. Al Taha (31-6, D12-1), North Bergen, 5-0.

3-Sr. Nick Fierro (30-7, D10-2), Verona, d. So. Victor Jorge (19-11, D9-3), Lyndhurst-North Arlington, 4-1.

2-Fr. Kieran Calvetti (18-8, D10-1), Delbarton, d. Jr. Michael Pillot (16-8, D11-3), Queen of Peace, 4-3.

170 pounds

8-So. Jacob Cardenas (26-6, D11-2), Queen of Peace, d. 1-Jr. Cole Kreshpane (21-8, D10-1), Delbarton, 7-2.

5-Jr. Marco Gaita (37-2, D11-1), West Morris, d. 4-Jr. Sebastian Rawls (30-6, D10-2), West Orange, 7-0.

3-Jr. Jarod Ostir (28-8, D12-1), Warren Hills, d. 6-Jr. Kyle Schaffer (20-8, D9-2), Caldwell, 7-6.

2-Sr. Barak Pipkins (26-4, D9-1), Bloomfield, md. 7-Jr. Robinson Reyes (27-9, D12-2), Secaucus, 11-3.

182 pounds

1-Sr. Dominic Mainiero (26-1, D11-1), Queen of Peace, d. Jr. Ryan Kokawski (26-8, D11-3), Belvidere, 9-2.

4-So. Nick Galka (27-10, D12-1), Warren Hills, d. 5-Sr. Lukasz Glazewski (33-3, D11-2), Kearny, 8-7.

3-Sr. Christian Dalla Riva (31-4, D9-1), Caldwell, p. 6-Sr. Joe Lesho (22-12, D10-2), Becton, 5:08.

2-Sr. L.J. Castellano (28-7, D10-1), Delbarton, p. 7-Sr. Kasson Quince-McGee (28-9, D9-2), Montclair, 1:14.

195 pounds

1-Sr. Rory DeLuca (29-6, D11-1), Hanover Park, d. Jr. Giuseppe Canino (26-12, D9-2), Mendham, 3-2.

4-Sr. Jordan Colon (17-4, D10-3), Becton, d. 5-Sr. Cruz Donato (30-5, D12-2), North Bergen, 3-2.

3-Jr. Noah Tandy (33-2, D10-1), West Orange, p. 6-Sr. Kyle Connelly (29-8, D9-1), Hackettstown, 6:55 SV.

2-Sr. Thomas Rigas (33-2, D12-1), Whippany Park, p. 7-Jr. Anthony Siragusa (14-11, D10-2), Delbarton, 1:25.

220 pounds

1-Sr. Robert Melise (31-2, D9-1), Phillipsburg, p. 8-Jr. Keyon Means-Bowman (9-10, D11-1), Queen of Peace, 1:40.

4-Sr. Brody Oberly (20-10, D12-1), Warren Hills, d. 5-Sr. Saummy DeJesus Duran (24-7, D12-2), Secaucus, 6-4.

3-Sr. Adam Lutick (31-5, D9-3), Bloomfield, p. 6-Sr. Luis Pontier (22-7, D10-1), Becton, 1:52.

2-Sr. Sam Mellow (31-1, D9-2), Montclair, d. 7-Jr. Trey Zgombic (22-10, D10-2), Delbarton, 7-2.

285 pounds

1-Sr. Elyezer Oliviery (31-0, D10-1), Union City, p. So. Ryan Knox (21-11, D12-3), Randolph, 1:03.

4-Sr. Taylan Zafis (27-11, D12-2), Warren Hills, d. 5-Jr. John Murphy (26-6, D9-1), Caldwell, 2-1 TB.

 6-Jr. Joe Andes (29-9, D9-2), Hackettstown, d. 3-Sr. Kyriakos Kostidakis (27-4, D12-1), Madison, 3-2.

7-Sr. Zack Sieb (25-4, D11-1), Morris Catholic, p. 2-Sr. Ezechiel Conserve (33-7, D10-2), Orange, 5:42.