Overall:  15-8  / Shore Conference:  10-8  /  B-North:  5-2

 

2024 Record: 15-8
2nd Place District 21
3rd Place B-North
10th Place Shore Conference Tournament
5th Place Hunterdon Central Tournament

ShoreConferenceWrestling.com Wrestler of the Year
(So) Tornick Kajaia - 175
Record: 30-8
2nd Place Region 6  /  3rd Place District 21
4th Place Shore Conference Tournament
Hunterdon Central Tournament Champion
2nd on Team with 30 wins

 

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2024 Season

 

NJSIAA STATE TOURNAMENT
WB2: Tornick Kajaia (175)
WB1: Daniel Ramirez (144)

The season ended for the Green Wave at this year's State Tournament. 

 

REGION 6 TOURNAMENT
Long Branch (2 Medal Winners)
2nd: Tornick Kajaia (175)
3rd: Daniel Ramirez (144)
5th: Cristian Cunalata (165)
WB1: Javier Guzman (138)  /  Nick Miller (150)
PQ: Matt Munson (132)  /  Devon Smith (157)

After a two year drought with no Region medalists, Long Branch made it back-to-back seasons with a pair of medal winners as sophomore Tornick Kajaia earned his 2nd medal by finishing as the runner-up at 175, and senior Daniel Ramirez placing 3rd at 165.

 

DISTRICT 21 TOURNAMENT
Long Branch  (2nd Place  /  7 Medal Winners)
2nd: Javier Guzman (138)  /  Daniel Ramirez (144)  /  Nick Miller (150)  /  Cristian Cunalata (165)
3rd: Matt Munson (132)  /  Devon Smith (157)  /  Tornick Kajaia (175)

The Green Wave were held without a District Champion for the first time since 2012, but will be sending at least of their lineup the Regions for the 11th consecutive season with four 2nd-place finishers and three 3rd-place finishers. Among their 3rd-place finishers was sophomore Tornick Kajaia, who defeated Robbinsville's Richard Esterly, in what was likely the weekend's only 3rd-place match between returning State Qualifiers.

 

2/10: MANALAPAN QUAD
Holmdel  37  -  Long Branch  34  (BOX SCORE)
Long Branch  39  -  Princeton  30  (BOX SCORE)
Long Branch  54  -  Manalapan  25  (BOX SCORE)

2/3: OAKCREST QUAD
Long Branch  80  -  Oakcrest  0  (BOX SCORE)
Long Branch  55  -  TR North  13  (BOX SCORE)
Long Branch  72  -  Holy Spirit  6  (BOX SCORE)

1/31: NON-DIVISION
#4 Rumson  48  -  Long Branch  20  (BOX SCORE)
Rumson: H Skove (25-0); Delaney (23-4); Smith (24-3); Fry (21-6); Bayne (15-6)
Long Branch: 175 - #5 Kajaia md. #9 Dougherty; Miller majors

1/30: B-NORTH
Long Branch  41  -  Manasquan  22  (BOX SCORE)
Long Branch: Rodriguez, Miller, Smith, & Cunalata win by pin; DeSouza & Kajaia major
Manasquan: Princiotta & Havard pin; O'Connor majors

1/27: TR EAST DUALS
#1 CBA  48  -  Long Branch  15  (BOX SCORE)
#6 Howell  54  -  Long Branch  18  (BOX SCORE)
Long  Branch 54  -  Freehold Twp  18  (BOX SCORE)
Long Branch  47  -  TR East  24  (BOX SCORE)

1/25: NON-DIVISION
Long Branch  36  -  Lacey  35  (BOX SCORE)
Long Branch: 175 - #4 Kajaia d. #9 Davis; Vieria, Munson, Ramirez, Smith, & Cunalata win by fall
Lacey: Koehler, Flynn, & Gauthier pin; Schuler techs

1/24: B-NORTH
Long Branch  57  -  Neptune  18  (BOX SCORE)
Last Season: Long Branch won (57-6)

1/17: B-NORTH
#10 Ocean Township  45  -  Long Branch  24  (BOX SCORE)
Ocean Twp: James Farina (20-1); B Volek (18-4); D Volek (16-7); D Farina (14-5); Penta (13-2)
Long Branch: (175) #4 Kajaia d. #6 Poniros, 7-4; Cunalata (14-4); Ramirez (13-5); Taylor (11-6)

1/13: JACKSON LIBERTY QUAD
Jackson Liberty  51  -  Long Branch  23  (BOX SCORE)
Long Branch  56  -  Westfield  18  (BOX SCORE)
 

1/10: B-NORTH
Long Branch  60  -  Matawan  21  (BOX SCORE)

1/6: SHORE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
Long Branch - 10th Place
4 Medal Winners
3rd: Cristian Cunalata (165)
4th: Dan Ramirez (144) / Tornick Kajaia (175) / Tyler Taylor (190)

The Green Wave matched their highest medal winner total with four, led by 3rd-place finisher Cristian Cunalata at 165 and a trio of 4th-place finishers. Their 10th-place finish as a team is their 2nd Top 10 finish at the SCT, and first since 2018.
 

1/3: B-NORTH
Colts Neck  42  -  Long Branch  24  (BOX SCORE)
Colts Neck: Russ (12-0); Michaels (11-0): Shakhnavazov (10-2); Kaplan (9-2); Barone (8-2) 
Long Branch: Kajaia, Munson, & Cunalata win by pin
 

12/30: HUNTERDON CENTRAL INVITATIONAL 
Long Branch - 5th Place
1st: Tornick Kajaia (175)
2nd: Tyler Taylor (190)
3rd: Daniel Ramirez (144)
4th: Jordan Viera (106) / Javier Guzman (138) / Cristian Cunalata (165)
5th: Aiden McVey (120)
 

12/23: MIDDLETOWN SOUTH TRI
Long Branch  38  -  Middletown South  31  (BOX SCORE)
RBC  50  -  Long Branch  15  (BOX SCORE)
 

12/20: B-NORTH
Long Branch  43  -  Red Bank  23  (BOX SCORE)
Long Branch: Kajaia d. Palumbo; Vieria, Miller, Smith, Cunalata, & Sunnerville win by pin; Ramirez techs
Red Bank: Sessa & Ruland win by fall; Lopez-Castro majors
 

12/14: NON-CONFERENCE
Long Branch  49  -  Monsignor Farrell (NY)  24  (BOX SCORE)
Long Branch: Rodriguez, Ramirez, Miller, Smoth, & Cunalata (pin); Kajaia (major)

 

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2024 Long Branch Wrestling

CLICK HERE FOR SCHEDULE

Head Coach: Billy George (3rd Season / Career: 25-16)
B-North / CJG4 / District 21 / Region 6

Where They Open: 12/14: vs Monsignor Farrell (NY)
Opening Tournament: 12/16: Robin Leff Tournament

 

Five District medal winners, including State qualifier Tornick Kajaia, return for the 2023 B-North Champion Green Wave.

Kajaia's 27 wins were the most for an LB freshman since Ryan Zimmerman's 33 wins in 2017. Zimmerman was also the Green Wave's last freshman to advance to AC that season, until Kajaia matched that feat in 2023. Kajaia headlines what looks to be a very solid group of upperweights for the Green Wave, as he's joined by a pair of returning District placers in senior Christian Cunalata and junior Tyler Taylor. Taylor showed a huge jump from his freshman to sophomore seasons, going from 5-10 his first season, to 25-11 in year two. 

Four starters return in the middle stretch from 138-157. Like Taylor, senior Daniel Ramirez is another who had a big turnaround season, going from a 2-11 record in 2022, to winning 22 matches in 2023, and placing 2nd at Districts. Fellow senior Nick Miller was a District medalist in 2022, while junior Devon Smith won 12 bouts in his first season in the lineup. Also returning for the Green Wave is Javier Guzman, who finished 3rd at the Districts as a freshman last season.There's depth to this group as well, with seniors Kenny Oliva and Kanyah Williams, and juniors Zayire Mason and Pedro DeSouza all having varsity experience under their belts. 

Down low is where the Green Wave took their biggest hit to graduation with Ryan Beharry, and James & Josh Renna, their starters at 106-120 having departed. All three were District medalists, and combined for 73 wins. Junior Matt Munson is the lone returning starter and will see several newcomers battling for the lineup spots around him.

Despite their losses to graduation, the Green Wave still figure to be in the hunt to defend their B-North title. That group up top has potential to be very good, and will be able to rack up bonus against teams that don't have that kind strength to match. They also have good depth in the middle, which will give them plenty of maneuverability. They'll have all of the December schedule to break in the newcomers to the lineup, but they have a big divisional matchup right out of the holiday break as they host Colts Neck on January 3rd.

 

Possible Lineup

 

 

 

 

Long Branch High School
404 Indiana Avenue
Long Branch, NJ 07740
(732) 229-7300
(Monmouth County)
~ SCHOOL WEBSITE ~

Mascot
Green Wave

Colors
Green & White

Head Coach
Billy George
(3rd Season in 2024)

Assistants
Doug Cornell 
Luke Balina

Section
CJ Group 4

Division
B-North

District
21

Region
6

 

#1 Team in New Jersey
2009

3 - Group Titles
Last: Group 2 in 2010

6 - Sectional Titles
Last: CJG4 in 2018

14 - District Team Titles
Last: D23 in 2020

3 - SCT Titles
Last: 2010

25 - Division Titles
Last: B-North in 2023

9 - State Champions
Last: Scott Festejo & 
Nick Visicaro in 2010

36 - State Medalists
Last: Joey Giordano - 2023

39 - Region Champions
Last: Ryan Zimmerman in 2020

150 - District Champions
Last: Ryan Beharry, James Renna, Joey Giordano, & Mark Godsil - 2023

1 - SCT Champions
Last: Peter Wersinger in 2018

12 - SCT Medalists
Last: 4 in 2024

Career Wins Record - 153
Nick Visicaro (2007-2010)

Season Wins Record - 43
Billy George (2009)

 

100 Career Wins

 

 

MR = Includes wins earned at Monmouth Regional

SR = Includes wins earned at Shore Regional

 

 

NCAA All-Americans