Region 5 Tournament
at Franklin Twp

REGION 5 TRACK WRESTLING PAGE
 

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Schedule

 

Shore Conference Teams

 3 Qualifiers: 150: #7 (Jr) AJ Todisco (D-1st / 26-8)  /  175: #7 (Fr) Alex Reyes (D-1st / 32-3)  /  190: #6 (Sr) John Steele (D-2nd / 23-4)

 Notes: With 3 participants at this year's tournament, the Hornets will have multiple representatives at the Regions for the 8th consecutive season. Alex Reyes, who has been one of the top freshman at the Shore this season, gives the Hornets a freshman qualifier for the 2nd straight season. 2022-graduate Luke DuPont medaled last season, so Holmdel will be looking for back to back seasons with a State qualifier for the first time since the 2018 & 2019 seasons.

 

 

 

 6 Qualifiers: 106: #1 (Jr) Brady Klinsky (D-1st / 33-1)  /  120: #10 (So) Jacob Portman (D-3rd / 27-9)  /  132: #6 (So) Justin Fearon (D-3rd / 25-7)  /  138: #4 (Sr) Colin Oden (D-2nd / 30-7)  /  157: #6 (Jr) Matt Castelli (D-2nd / 24-5)  /  215: #4 (Sr) Lucas Ainbinder (D-1st / 30-5)

 Returning Placers: Klinsky (3rd-2022)  /  Fearon (4th-2022)  /  Oden (5th-2022) 

 

 8 Qualifiers: 106: #12 (Fr) Joey Veniskey (D-3rd / 11-13)  / 126: #1 (Sr) Jack Zaleski (D-1st / 35-3)  /  144: #3 (Jr) Alec Holland (D-2nd / 24-11)  /  150: #14 (Sr) Mike Simoniello (D-2nd / 19-8)  /  157: #2 (Sr) David Hussey (D-1st / 31-6)  /  165: #9 (Sr) Kyle Smith (D-3rd / 17-11)  /  190: #9 (Sr) Chris Taddeo (D-3rd / 10-12)  /  Hwt: #10 (Sr) Thomas Whyte (D-2nd / 26-10)

 Returning Placers: Zaleski (1st-2022, 2nd-2021, 1st-2020)  /  Hussey (1st-2022, 3rd-2021, 4th-2020)

 Notes: The Eagles have had 4 Region Champions, including 3 last season, in the span of three years. While prior to that, they had 4 titles over a 20 year span. Zaleski, a 3-time State Medalist who is in search of his 3rd Region Title, enters the Regions with 124 career victories, just one win shy of tying the school record. Hussey, a 3-time Region medal winner who is looking for his 2nd title, is one victory away from 100 for his career.

 

 

 10 Qualifiers: 106: #10 (So) Nick Sheldrick (D-2nd / 17-18)  /  113: #8 (Jr) Aiden Davis (D-3rd / 23-13)  /  126: #3 (Sr) Ryan Mansueto (D-2nd / 33-4)  /  132: #4 (So) Alex Delaurier (D-1st / 31-2)  /  138: #2 (Jr) Zach Reilley (D-1st / 35-1)  /  144: #2 (Sr) Braden Kmak (D-1st / 33-4)  /  150: #6 (Jr) Logan Acevedo (D-3rd / 22-9)  /  165: #7 (Sr) Bobby Mulligan (D-2nd / 23-11)  /  190: (Sr) Kieran Falzon (D-2nd / 29-7) - OUT  /  215: #15 (So) Jon Gazerwitz (D-3rd / 5-15) 

 Returning Placers: Mansueto (3rd-2022)  /  Reilley (2nd-2022)  /  Kmak (4th-2022)

 Notes: The Rockets 10 entrants into the Regions ties for their most since they sent 12 in 2018. This is the 4th Region appearance for Mansueto, who placed 3rd last season. Reilley, who is making his 3rd appearance, was a runner-up last year. It's the 2nd appearance for Kmak, who placed 4th last year, Mulligan, and Falzon, who made it in 2021.

 

 

 7 Qualifiers: 120: #4 (Jr) Noah Michaels (D-2nd / 26-8)  /  138: #13 (So) Robert Connelley (D-3rd / 22-9)  /  144: #9 (Jr) Marco Conroy (D-3rd / 20-7)  /  165: #6 (So) Frank Romeo (D-1st / 29-7)  /  175: #1 (Sr) Sabino Portella (D-1st / 14-0)  /  190: #5 (Sr) Michael Palmieri (D-1st / 26-8)  /  Hwt: #1 (Jr) Lorenzo Portella (D-1st / 24-1)

 Returning Placers: S Portella (2nd-2022, 1st-2021, 1st-2020)  /  L Portella (1st-2022)

 Notes: Over the first 50+ years of the program's history, the Caseys had just three Region Champions, they've since added one championship a year for the last three seasons. The Portella Brothers are responsible for all three, with Sabino winning in 2020 and 2021, while Lorenzo won in 2022. The two will attempt to each win one in the same season, which would make them the first brothers in the Shore Conference to win Region Titles in the same season since Anthony and Vincent Santaniello of Brick Memorial in 2021, and joining names like Worthy (Central), Stout (Lacey), Rivera (Jackson Mem), Johnson (Jackson Mem), Russo (Jackson Liberty), Roy (Wall), and of course Skove (Long Branch), who did it 5 times with 3 different combinations of brothers .

 

 

 4 Qualifiers: 113: #7 (So) Kevin Ruland (D-2nd / 31-6)  /  157: #9 (Sr) Jonathan Cohen (D-3rd / 20-12)  /  175: #8 (Fr) Tyler Palumbo (D-2nd / 30-7)  /  215: #12 (Jr) Evan Eckerstrom (D-2nd / 18-13)

Notes: The Bucs have 4 representatives at this year's tournament, one from each grade. This is the most Region qualifiers they have had since 2009, when they had six.

 

 

 5 Qualifiers: 106: #3 (Fr) Eamon Fry (D-1st / 24-8)  /  138: #3 (So) Cole Pangborn (D-2nd / 24-9)  /  144: #8 (So) Evan Ridgway (D-3rd / 21-8)  /  190: #3 (So) Conor Delaney (D-2nd / 24-10)  /  215: #1 (Jr) Hudson Skove (D-1st / 32-1)

 Returning Placers: Pangborn (6th-2022)  /  Delaney (6th-2022)  /  Skove (1st-2022, 2nd-2021)

 Notes: The Bulldogs have had at least one Region Champion in each of the last four seasons. Over that period of time, the Bulldogs have claimed 7 of the program's 12 overall   titles. Hudson Skove will be looking to become the Bulldogs' 4th 2-time Region Champion, joining Shay Addison, Marcus Iwama, and Bryan Heller. 

 

 
 10 Qualifiers: 106: #2 (Fr) Matt Gould (D-1st / 22-5)  /  120: #1 (So) Anthony Knox (D-1st / 31-0)  /  126: #2 (So) Jake Zaltsman (D-1st / 27-8)  /  132: #1 (So) Patrick O'Keefe (D-1st / 17-3)  /  144: #6 (Fr) John Saraiva (D-2nd / 18-12)  /  150: #2 (So) Cole Stangle (D-1st / 21-6)  /  157: #4 (Sr) Kevin McBride (D-1st / 23-12)  /  165: #1 (Sr) Jasiah Queen (D-1st / 33-3)  /  175: #3 (Sr) Thomas Cleary (D-3rd / 22-10)  /  215: #3 (Sr) Michael Foley (D-1st / 24-7)

 Returning Placers: Knox (1st-2022)  /  Zaltsman (2nd-2022)  /  O'Keefe (1st-2022)  /  Stangle (3rd-2022)  /  McBride (4th-2022)  /  Queen (2nd-2022, 2nd-2021, 3rd-2020)  /  Foley (5th-2022)

 Notes: Of the 13 Region Titles won by the Lancers in the program's history, 11 of them have come during the team's current streak of 7 straight seasons with at least 1 champion. SJV has crowned four 2-time champs over that span, and can add a pair this weekend with returning champions Knox and O'Keefe going for their 2nd.

 

Predictions

106
#1 (Jr) Brady Klinsky (Middletown North)  -  33-1 (NJ-NWB3 in 2022)
#2 (Fr) Matt Gould (St John Vianney)  -  22-5
#3 (Fr) Eamon Fry (Rumson)  -  24-8
#4 (Jr) Ryan Sherlock (Hunterdon Central)  -  20-7

You always like to give a slight edge to experience in the lower weight classes, and Klinsky has experience AND talent. He was 3rd in this weight class last season, and was two wins away from a medal in AC last year. He defeated Gould in the SCT Finals, 3-2, and his only loss this season came up at 113 to Matawan's Ricky Gomez, who is seeded 4th up at 113. Gould has probably wrestled the toughest schedule of anyone here, and he's already shown he can hang with Klinsky. Gould has a pair of decisions over Fry, 2-0 in a dual, and 7-2 a few days later in the SCT semis. 
PREDICTION: Klinsky (Middletown North)

113
#1 (Jr) Anthony Rossi (Hunterdon Central)  -  31-3 (2-time R5 runner-up at 106; NJ-WB4)
#2 (Jr) Logan Roman (Old Bridge)  -  37-1 (R5 runner-up at 113 in 2022; NJ-WB4)
#3 (Jr) Andrew Mucciolo (Manalapan)  -  35-4 (R-WB1)
#4 (Sr) Ricky Gomez (Matawan)  -  32-4 (R-4th in 2021)

This weight opened up a bit with St John Vianney's Patrick O'Keefe heading up to 132 after growing out of the weight class. Rossi and Roman both placed 2nd in Regions last year, with Rossi finishing 2nd at 106 for the 2nd consecutive year, while Roman was the runner-up at 113. Both wrestlers finished a win short of a medal in AC last year. They met back in December in the finals of the Hunterdon Central Invitational, with Rossi taking a 5-3 W. This is the 2-time D18 Champion Mucciolo's 2nd appearance at the Regions. He defeated Gomez via pin at the Shore Conference Tournament. Gomez was a State qualifier in 2021, but missed on a repeat trip last season after finishing 6th at 106. There's a few sleepers here, including one from the Shore in Red Bank's Kevin Ruland at the #7 seed. who split a pair of decisions with Gomez this year. 
PREDICTION: Roman (Old Bridge)

120
#1 (So) Anthony Knox (St John Vianney)  -  31-0 (NJ-1st)
#2 (Jr) Lawrence Liss (Matawan)  -  32-5 (NJ-WB2)
#3 (So) Zachary Beadling (St Joe's - Metuchen)  -  25-7 (R-5th)
#4 (Jr) Noah Michaels (RBC)  -  26-8 (2-time R5 qualifier)

There are some strong favorites out there, but Knox is as pretty solid a favorite as they come. The returning State Champion's only loss in his career came last season in sudden victory of the Escape The Rock Tournament, and it's not very likely he takes another one this weekend.
PREDICTION: Knox (St John Vianney)

126
#1 (Sr) Jack Zaleski (Middletown South)  -  35-3 (3-time State Medalist)
#2 (So) Jake Zaltsman (St John Vianney)  -  25-9 (NJ-WB2)
#3 (Sr) Ryan Mansueto (Raritan)  -  33-4 (NJ-WB2) 
#4 (Fr) Morgan Schwarz (St Joe's - Metuchen)  -  28-7

Zaleski has finished in the Top 5 at States in each of his first three seasons. The 2-time Region 5 Champ enters the Regions needing two victories to break the school record for career wins. Zaltsman was the Region 5 runner-up last season, he defeated Mansueto, 3-1, in the Lancers dual against Raritan. Mansueto, who currently has 94 career wins, will be talking part in his 4th Region Tournament. He was 3rd at 120 last season to punch a ticket to AC. Mansueto opens up on Friday with a familiar foe in Matawan's Alexander Liss, who Mansueto pinned in the opening round of the Shore Conference Tournament. Manalapan's Christian Spezio opens with Old Bridge's Jesse Koczon, a Region qualifier last season who could be a very dangerous 6-seed.
PREDICTION: Zaleski (Middletown South)

132
#1 (So) Patrick O'Keefe (St John Vianney)  -  17-3 (NJ-2nd)
#2 (Sr) VIncent DePierro (Manalapan)  -  25-4 (NJ-WB3)
#3 (So) Blase Mele (Princeton)  -  31-3 (NJ-WB1)
#4 (So) Alex Delaurier (Raritan)  -  31-2

O'Keefe, the State runner-up at 106 last season and a returning champion, spent most of the season wrestling down at 113 before growing out of the weight class. He abviously has the talent, but the question will be how far along he is at adapting to the much more sizable opponents he was previously accustomed to. DePierro, participating in his 4th Region Tournament was 3rd in this weight class last season, and was two wins away from reaching the podium at Boardwalk Hall last year. Mele, a State qualifier last year after finishing 2nd in the Region at 126, pushed O'Keefe to the limit in the D17 final, losing 5-3 in sudden victory. Delaurier would likely be making his 2nd Region appearance, but suffered a season ending injury midway through his freshman campaign. He will open with the winner of the #5 Dominic Terracciano of Keansburg, who was 5th in R5 at 132 in 2022, vs #12 Joseph Lepore of South River. Delaurier defeated Terracciano 3-1 in the D20 finals last week. Another returning State qualifier from the Shore checks in at the #6 seed in Middletown North's Justin Fearon. Terracciano has a pair of wins over Fearon, including an 8-4 win in the D20 semis. This could be a very interesting weight class, and since you always have to go with at least one upset somewhere along the way...
PREDICTION: Delaurier (Raritan)

138
#1 (Sr) Giovanni Alejandro (St Joe's - Metuchen)  -  33-2 (NJ-WB4)
#2 (Jr) Zach Reilley (Raritan)  -  35-1 (NJ-WB2)
#3 (So) Cole Pangborn (Rumson)  -  24-9 (R-6th)
#4 (Sr) Colin Oden (Middletown North)  -  30-7 (R-5th)

Alejandro, who finished in 6th place at Regions his first two seasons, and 4th last year, was a win away from a State medal last season. He defeated Reilley, 10-8, back in early January, and has a pair of bonus wins over Pangborn. Reilley was the R5 runner-up at 138 last season. He has pinfall victories over Pangborn and Oden. Pangborn decisioned Oden, 6-0, in the SCT quarterfinals. Oden opens with RBC's Robert Connelley. The two have met twice this season with Oden winning by pin and major. The winner of that match gets a very tough #5 seed in William Cella of Hunterdon Central.
PREDICTION: Reilley (Raritan)

144
#1 (Fr) Tyler Whitford (St Joe's - Metuchen)  -  29-6
#2 (Sr) Braden Kmak (Raritan)  -  33-4 (NJ-WB1)
#3 (Jr) Alec Holland (Middletown South)  -  24-11 (R-PQ)
#4 (Jr) Vincent Kain (Manalapan)  -  23-4 (R-WB1)

A pretty young weight class with four freshman, including the #1 seeded Whitford. Whitford defeated Kmak, 10-3, back in St Joe's dual win over the Rockets, which helped earn him the top seed. Kmak, a returning State qualifier, defeated Holland, 9-4, in the D20 final. Holland defeated Kain, 5-3 in sudden victory, in a dual meet, which helped him secure the #3 seed here. Kain, a 2-time District Champ, is matched up in the quarters with #5 Rhett Washleski of Hunterdon Central, another talented freshman in this field, the D17 Champ. Shore on Shore action to open things up in the 8/9 slot as Rumson's Evan Ridgway faces RBC's Marco Conroy. The two met all the way back on the opening night of the season, with Ridgway taking a 5-3 decision.
PREDICTION: Whitford (St Joe's - Metuchen)

150
#1 (Sr) Evan Mendez (St Joe's - Metuchen)  -  21-8 (NJ-WB2)
#2 (So) Cole Stangle (St John Vianney)  -  21-6 (NJ-WB2)
#3 (Sr) Francesco Rossiter (Metuchen)  -  31-4 (NJ-WB1)
#4 (Sr) Henry Wilkinson (Hunterdon Central)  -  19-3 (R-PQ)

Mendez was the Region Champ at this weight last season. He defeated Rossiter, 3-1, in the D19 final. Stangle finished 3rd in the Region last season at 144. He will face #7 AJ Todisco of Holmdel in a quarterfinal matchup between a pair of District Champs. Stangle and Todisco met on February 7th with Stangle winning by tech fall. Rossiter, who finished 4th at 138 in the Region last year, opens with Middletown South's Michael Simoniello. If Wilkinson wins his opener, he will face 5th-seeded Colin Palumbo of Matawan, the District 20 Champion.
PREDICTION: Whitford (St Joe's - Metuchen)

157
#1 (Sr) Tyler Sagi (Old Bridge)  -  35-1 (NJ-WB3)
#2 (Sr) David Hussey (Middletown South)  -  31-6 (NJ-WB2)
#3 (Sr) Vincent Genna (St Joe's - Metuchen)  -  22-7 (NJ-WB1)
#4 (Sr) Kevin McBride (St John Vianney)  -  23-12 (NJ-WB1)

Sagi and Hussey are both 3-time State qualifiers with a Region Title to their credit. Sagi was the Central Region Champ during the 2021 season, while Hussey won his Region Title last season. Sagi has a pair of wins over Genna, a tech in the Districts and a pinfall in the GMC Tournament semis. Hussey will enter the tournament with 99 career wins, putting him one shy of becoming the 7th Eagle to hit the century mark. Hussey pinned Genna last season to win his Region Title in the 144-pound final. McBride is in his 3rd Region Tournament. He punched a ticket to AC last season with a 4th place finish at 150. McBride, the D17 Champ will open in the quarters with Hopewell Valley's Tim McKeown, the D18 Champ, who placed 5th in the Region last year at 150.
PREDICTION: Sagi (Old Bridge)

165
#1 (Sr) Jasiah Queen (St John Vianney)  -  33-3 (NJ-5th)
#2 (Sr) Jack Miller (Hillsborough)  -  34-4 (NJ-WB3)
#3 (Sr) William Wilson (North Brunswick)  -  31-0 (NJ-WB1)
#4 (Sr) Jake Zargo (St Joe's - Metuchen)  -  15-4 

Queen is a 3-time State qualifier, and was 5th in NJ last year. He's twice been to the Region finals, but is still looking for his first title. He teched Miller in the D17 finals last week. Only two of the undefeated Wilson's wins have not come via bonus this season. He was 4th in the Region last year. He opens with RBC's Frank Romeo, who is the D20 Champ.
PREDICTION: Queen (St John Vianney)

175
#1 (Sr) Sabino Portella (RBC)  -  14-0 (2-time State Medalist)
#2 (Jr) Thomas Brunetti (Hunterdon Central)  -  26-5 (NJ-WB2)
#3 (Sr) Thomas Cleary (St John Vianney)  -  22-10 (R-WB1)
#4 (Sr) Peter Quandt (Hillsborough)  -  24-13 (R-PQ)

Portella is a 2-time State Medalist, finishing 4th last season, and 2nd in 2021. He's attempting to become the first 3-time Region Champion in RBC's history. He's missed about half of the season due to to injury, so it will be interesting to see how he fares with the competition level now ramped up. Brunetti was the R5 Champion at 165 pounds last season. He split a pair of bouts with Quandt this year, winning by decision during the regular season, but losing by fall in the D17 finals. Brunetti also has pinfall wins over Cleary, and the 5th-seeded Avery Mack of Old Bridge. Brunetti opens with one of the Shore's top freshman, Holmdel's Alex Reyes, the D18 Champ. Cleary is now a 4-time Region qualifiers, and will be making a bid for his first trip to AC to close out his career. The 4/5 quarterfinal bout will be a matchup of District Champs in Quandt (D17) and Mack (D19). There's an All-Shore matchup in the 8/9 bout in Red Bank's Tyler Palumbo, another very promising freshman upperweight, and Matawan senior Lance Santos.
PREDICTION: Portella (RBC)

190
#1 (Jr) Brian Christie (St Joe's - Metuchen)  -  30-5 (NJ-WB2)
#2 (Sr) Joey Witcoski (Hillsborough)  -  35-2 (R-5th)
#3 (So) Conor Delaney (Rumson)  -  18-6 (R-6th)
#4 (Sr) Kenny Wines (Manalapan)  -  27-9 (R-WB1)

Christie is the only one in this field to have previously advanced to States. He was 3rd in R5 at this weight a year ago. He majored Delaney during the regular season, and pinned him in the D19 final. Witcoski was 5th in the Region last season. Delaney, who was 6th in R5 up at 215 last season, received a bye into the quarterfinals with Raritan's Kieran Falzon withdrawing to injury and the bracket being reshuffled. He could potentially face a familiar opponent in the quarters if Holmdel's John Steele can win his opener against Hopewell Valley's Nate March. Delaney decisioned Steele, 6-2, back in December. The 4/5 quarterfinal matchup is set as it is a meeting between two Shore Conference opponents who both won their Districts. Wines, the D18 Champ, faces D20 Champ #5 Michael Palmieri of RBC. Palmieri defeated Wines, 10-5, in the Shore Conference Tournament, but there is a triangle that involves Steele that kept Wines a slot ahead of Palmieri. 4, 5... 5, 4... tomato, tomato.
PREDICTION: Christie (St Joe's - Metuchen)

215
#1 (Jr) Hudson Skove (Rumson)  -  32-1 (NJ-WB4)
#2 (Sr) Lucas Allen (Montgomery)  -  28-3 (NJ-WB1)
#3 (Sr) Michael Foley (St John Vianney)  -  24-7 (R-5th)
#4 (Sr) Lucas Ainbinber (Middletown North)  -  30-5

Skove was the R5 Champ last season, and is a 2-time finalist. He came just short of reaching the podium at Boardwalk Hall last season, losing in the Blood Round. Skove has decision victories over Foley and Ainbinder this season. Allen who finished 3rd in D17 after being defeated in the semis by Matt Jones of Hillsborough, who is seeded 5th here. Foley is now a 4-time Region qualifier, and is looking to make his first trip to Atlantic City. He came a win away last year, finishing 5th at 190 in R5. Ainbinder was 1-3 in varsity action his sophomore season, and is now a 30-win District Champ as a senior for the Lions. He'll get the winner of Jones vs Evan Eckerstrom of Red Bank, in his quarterfinal bout. Ainbinder defeated Jones, 5-3 in overtime, on North's dual against Hillsborough.
PREDICTION: Skove (Rumson)

Hwt
#1 (Jr) Lorenzo Portella (RBC)  -  25-1 (NJ-7th)
#2 (Sr) Jake Tulli (St Joe's - Metuchen)  -  28-6 (NJ-WB1)
#3 (Sr) Christian Quandt (Hillsborough)  -  33-4 (R-WB1)
#4 (Sr) Artem Reinikov-Jouk (Manalapan)  -  29-4

Portella is the returning champion at this weight, and was a 7th place finisher at States last season. He's looking to become the 3rd Region Champion in RBC history, joining his brother Sabino, and Tom Seitz in 1973 & 1974. Tulli made it to AC last season after finishing 4th in R5 last year. Quandt is a 2-time D17 Champ. Reinikov-Jouk has been outstanding for the Braves in his first varsity season with the Braves, winning the D18 Championship and winning 29 bouts.
PREDICTION: Portella (RBC)