ATLANTIC CITY -- Kittatinny senior Ethan Dalling would have preferred to just skip ahead of those opening state tournament matchups. They didn't go well for the most part, but his remarkable ability to bounce back was the catalyst for becoming the third member of his immediate family to medal.
Dalling also made legendary Cougars coach John Gill awfully proud by capping his fine career with a fifth-place finish at 175 pounds in the 92nd State Wrestling Championships on Saturday afternoon at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. He was among nine placewinners overall for the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area.
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| Dalling (2nd from right) is Kittatinny's 49th placewinner |
Indeed. Dalling rebounded from a 10-3 loss to Brock Oizerowitz of Christian Brothers Academy in Saturday morning's consolation semifinals to deck Anthony Verdi of St. Peter's Prep in 4:30 to earn a fifth-place medal. Dalling, who hadn't been past the third round of wrestlebacks in his three previous AC appearances, joined his father, Steve, a three-time state finalist and champion in 1990 and '91, and older brother, Steven, who placed eighth at 152 pounds in 2021, as placewinners for Gill and the Cougars.
"It feels great since all three of us placed," said Dalling, who also avenged one of his regular-season losses by pinning St. Benedict's Prep star Temuulen Mendbileg in the fifth round of wrestlebacks. "It sucked not to place last year, I had a really bad [state] tournament, lost to the 32 seed [3-0 to Benjamin Garcia of Don Bosco Prep at 165 pounds] in the Round of 16. Horrible. I was completely out of it. I knew this was the year I had to place."
Gill, who just wrapped up his 47th season (45 as head coach) at the Sussex County school, wore a huge smile as he talked about Ethan's accomplishments with pride having promised Steve, the first of his eight state champs and 48 medalists who as Gills says, "Put Kittatinny on the wrestling map," to not retire until both of his kids came through the program.
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| Gill and the team celebrate 700 in the N1, G1 semis |
"Family staying where they grew up and bring the next set of kids up. It is fun. [Steve] could have gone anywhere else -- even then [in the late 1980s], people were switching schools. It's quite flattering and honorable that he trusts me enough. I don't take it for granted. It's very special.
"I was at their parents' wedding so maybe I'll be at the kids' wedding some time. As an educator it's a good feeling."
Ethan Dalling, who will continue his wrestling career at Bucknell University in the fall, is one of only six, including his dad, to win four district titles for Kittatinny. A three-time region runner-up, he also finished sixth on the school's career wins list at 136-26 -- behind leader Tom Spellman (149), Will Livingston, Derek Valenti and Troy Hernandez (all with 145), and Zach Mafaro (137).
Dalling, a HWS Tournament champ this season, hopes that being the first Kittatinny state medalist since his brother and Jackson Crawn (fourth at 220 in 2021) will help inspire others coming up through the program to keep adding on to the list after producing only five medal winners since 2016. Derek Valenti has the distinction of being the eighth and last champion in 2008, while Hernandez, a runner-up the following year, is the last finalist.
"It's great because Steven was a part of that last group," Dalling said of ending the latest state drought. "Sussex County in general has had a couple of bad years [at states] so hopefully this can get our team going again and get these kids wrestling in the offseason."
Third-place consolations
106 -- Fr. Sean Kenny (32-6), Christian Brothers Academy, d. So. Santino DiMatteo (32-9), Brick Memorial, 4-2.
113 -- Jr. Carmine Sipper (44-5), Caldwell, d. Jr. Anthony Mason (39-6), Southern, 1-0.
120 -- Fr. Tommy Marchetti (33-8), Delbarton, d. So. Richard DeLorenzo II (27-4), Toms River East, 7-5.
126 -- Jr. Anthony DiAndrea (39-3), Watchung Hills, d. Jr. Colton Hagerty (37-8), Washington Township, 3-2.
132 -- Sr. Vincent Paino (33-4), St. Joseph-Montvale, d. Jr. Giovanni Schinina (28-6), St. Peter's Prep, 4-0.
138 -- Sr. Chase Quenault (33-10), Delbarton, d. Jr. Chase Hansen (43-2), Lower Cape May, 5-2.
144 -- So. Sonny Amato (45-2), Rumson-Fair Haven, d. Jr. Anthony Depaul (34-9), St. Augustine, 6-0.
150 -- So. Jackson Weller (42-4), Delran, d. Jr. Michael Craft (36-6), Camden Catholic, 3-1.
157 -- Jr. Kage Jones (39-6), Camden Catholic, d. Sr. Maxwell Nevlin (35-8), St. Peter's Prep, 7-3.
165 -- Jr. Santino Rodriguez (36-6), Don Bosco Prep, d. So. Jake Clayton (41-3), Point Pleasant Boro, 4-0.
175 -- So. Brock Oizerowitz (26-7), Christian Brothers Academy, d. Jr. Jaden Simpson (35-7), 8-2.
190 -- So. Tanner Hodgins (37-8), Howell, d. Jr. Carl Betz (36-4), Delbarton, 6-4.
215 -- Jr. Salvatore Marchese (42-5), Delsea, d. Jr. Nicolas Gonzalez (37-6), Mount Olive, 5-3.
285 -- Jr. Mateo Vinciguerra (43-3), Woodstown, d. Sr. Benjamin Shue (35-8), Bergen Catholic, 8-5.
Fifth-place consolations
106 -- So. Peter Terranova (34-8), Delbarton, d. So. Luke Johnston (38-8), Howell, 7-0.
113 -- Jr. Michael Daly (35-10), Cranford, d. Sr. Zachary Belverio (37-3), Johnson, 10-4.
120 -- Sr. Aundre Hill (40-8), Paulsboro, p. Jr. Joseph Rizzuto (33-9), DePaul, 3:23.
126 -- Jr. Joaquin Duque (41-8), Rumson Fair-Haven, p. Jr. Salvatore Borrometi (35-10), St. Peter's Prep, 1:39.
132 -- Jr. Robert Duffy (28-10), Christian Brothers Academy, forfeit, Sr. Patrick O'Keefe (38-6), St. John Vianney.
138 -- Sr. Adrian DeJesus (16-5), St. Joseph-Montvale, d. Sr. Scottie Sari (37-10), Southern, 7-0.
144 -- Sr. Jake Zaltsman (37-5), St. John Vianney, d. Fr. Nicholas Schwartz (26-17), Delbarton, 6-2.
150 -- Sr. Dezmond Lenaghan (26-7), St. John Vianney, md. Jr. Joseph Ruiz (31-11), St. Peter's Prep, 13-0.
157 -- Jr. Sean Love (36-4), Piscataway, forfeit, Jr. Morgan Schwarz (37-7), St. Joseph-Metuchen.
165 -- Jr. Tyler Whitford (36-6), St. Joseph-Metuchen, d. Sr. Cole Stangle (29-9), St. John Vianney, 4-1.
175 -- Sr. Ethan Dalling (41-5), Kittatinny, p. Jr. Anthony Verdi (35-10), St. Peter's Prep, 4:30.
190 -- Jr. Alexander Reyes (41-6), Holmdel, forfeit, Sr. Kaleb Jackson (25-7), St. Joseph-Montvale.
215 -- So. Anthony Jackson (34-2), Paul VI-Haddonfield, p. Jr. Tyler Palumbo (18-10), Christian Brothers Academy, 2:33.
285 -- Sr. James Lynch (38-5), Toms River East, p. Sr. Ben Szuba (38-9), Brick Memorial, 2:42.
Seventh-place consolations
106 -- Fr. Cade Collins (40-10), Southern, md. Fr. Matthew Mulligan (29-9), 10-2.
113 -- Sr. Dom Digiacomo (19-3), Camden Catholic, md. Jr. Augie Szamreta (37-7), Warren Hills, 13-4.
120 -- Sr. Anthony Pellegrino (23-7), Seton Hall Prep, md. Sr. James McGinty (35-7), Parsippany Hills, 13-2.
126 -- Sr. Jaden Perez (39-5), Delaware Valley, tf. Sr. Joseph DeAngelo (16-3), Point Pleasant Boro, 15-0, 4:59.
132 -- Sr. Jackson Slotnick (25-3), Williamstown, d. Jr. Dalton Weber (26-6), Pope John, 5-2.
138 -- Fr. Gideon Gonzalez (33-7), Bergen Catholic, d. Jr. Armani McCann (21-5), Jackson Liberty, 7-1.
144 -- Sr. Luke Geleta (40-3), Phillipsburg, d. Jr. Seach Hibler (23-7), Paramus Catholic, 10-9.
150 -- Jr. Rhett Washleski (41-5), Hunterdon Central, d. Jr. Sowzrawca Tsay (25-11), Bergen Catholic, 4-1.
157 -- So. Ryan Gavrish (31-11), St. John Vianney, forfeit, Jr. Trevor Jones (32-9), Delbarton.
165 -- Sr. Jordan Ayyash (30-6), Jackson Liberty, d. Sr. Cristian Gioia (40-6), Governor Livingston, 4-2.
175 -- Sr. Temuulen Mendbileg (40-5), St. Benedict's Prep, d. Sr. Genti Idrizi (26-13), 13-6.
190 -- Jr. Nevin Mattessich (36-5), Don Bosco Prep, p. Jr. Jake Zemsky (38-5), Westfield, 2:43.
215 -- Sr. Nathan Faxon (41-3), Governor Livingston, forfeit, Jr. Rocco Salerno (26-3), Seton Hall Prep.
285 -- Jr. Thomas Borgia (43-3), West Morris, md. Sr. Clifford Dirkes (36-5), Ocean City, 9-1.
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