Galante Tabbed as Interim Wrestling Coach at TCNJ
Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey's Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation, John Castaldo has announced the appointment of Joseph Galante as the interim head wrestling coach. Galante has served as an assistant coach for the Lions since 2007 and will begin his new post on September 1, 2011.
Galante takes over for David Icenhower, who earlier this summer announced his retirement after guiding the program for 35 seasons. Galante becomes only the third varsity head coach in program history joining Mike Curry (1966-76) and Icenhower.
"Having the opportunity to coach at my alma mater is a dream come true. The resources and support that TCNJ offers are encouraging and set our student athletes up for success after college," Galante said.
The 2007 graduate of the College has been serving as a health and physical education teacher at Alexandria Middle School the past three years.
Galante will make his mat-side debut in Packer Hall on Tuesday, November 8 when the Lions host Stevens Institute of Technology at 7 p.m.
"Our goal as a staff is to continue the great academic and athletic tradition that the TCNJ/TSC wrestling program has built over the past 45 years," the new coach said. "We will offer a championship wrestling experience while emphasizing the importance of academics and character."
As a wrestler at TCNJ, Galante was three-year letter winner and claiming All-American honors in 2005 and 2007. He finished fourth at the 2005 NCAA Championships and was then a national runner-up his senior season in 2007. Galante won the 157-pound weight class at the Metropolitan Conference Championships in each of his three seasons and was a three-time national qualifier as well. He finished his standout career with a record of 84-15 and served as a team captain his final two seasons. His success wasn't limited to the mat as he was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Scholar Team in 2007.
"Joe has been involved with our TCNJ wrestling program for the past seven years," Castaldo said. "His prior experience as TCNJ wrestler and as a member of Dave Icenhower's coaching staff will serve him well in taking over our nationally-ranked wrestling program."
#12 The College of New Jersey Wrestlers Dominate King's College, 42-3
Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey wrestling team collected its fourth straight dual-meet victory taking nine of 10 weight classes as the Lions coasted past visiting King's College 42-3 on Wednesday.
The win put the 12th-ranked Lions at a perfect 4-0, while the Monarch dropped to 0-9.
TCNJ never trailed in the match as Dan Hughes (Delran, NJ/Delran) opened the night with a forfeit win at 125 pounds , while Dan Herr (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) followed with a 12-3 major decision at 133 bumping the team score to 10-0.
The Monarch's got the on board at 141 pounds as Anthony Dietrick (West Ornage, NJ/West Orange) secured a 9-3 decision over TCNJ's Enrique Romero (Weehawken, NJ/Weehawken).
The Lions responded with a string of victories as John Darling (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) won 11-0 at 149, John Barnett (Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson Township) earned a 4-1 triumph at 157, while Justin Bonitatis (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) won by forfeit at 165. Those three wins extended TCNJ's lead to 23-3.
The wins continued for the Lions as Brian Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) posted a 12-2 major decision at 174 pounds.
In the best match of the night, third-ranked Mike Reilly (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood) of King's and fourth-ranked Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) from TCNJ squared off at 184 pounds. The pair battled through a scoreless opening period before Reilly led 2-0 after two periods. The pair combined for 12 points in the third with Denver scoring the last five points for a 9-5 victory.
TCNJ closed out the win as Adam Koziol (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) won by fall at 197 in 2:02 and Jeff Furbish (Chatham, NJ/Chatham) also won by pin in 4:15 at heavyweight.
TCNJ closes out the first semester this Saturday heading to York (PA) College to compete in the New Standard Corporation Invitational.
#12 TCNJ 42 King's College 3
Weight-by-weight T - K
125: Dan Hughes (TCNJ) by forfeit 6 - 0
133: Dan Herr (TCNJ) maj. dec. Rich Biesadesky (K), 12-3 10 - 0
141: Anthony Dietrick (K) dec. Enrique Romero (TCNJ), 9-2 10 - 3
149: John Darling (TCNJ) maj. dec Gordon Custer (K), 11-0 14 - 3
157: John Barnett (TCNJ) dec. Tommy Desir (K), 4-1 17 - 3
165: Justin Bonitatis (TCNJ) by forfeit 23 - 3
174: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) maj. dec. Jerry Robbins (K), 12-2 27 - 3
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) dec. Mike Reilly (K), 9-5 30 - 3
197: Adam Koziol (TCNJ) pinned Matt Steltzer (K), 2:02 36 - 3
285: Jeff Furbish (TCNJ) pinned Anthony Corigliano (K), 4:15 42 - 3
Exhibition match:
149: Chris Mazzochi (K) medical forfeit over Chris Lombardi (TCNJ)
#11 College of New Jersey Wrestlers Win Twice at MET/New England Duals
Williamstown, MA... The College of New Jersey wrestling team came away with two wins in three matches at the annual Metropolitan Conference/New England Duals hosted by Williams College on Saturday.
The 11th-ranked Lions started with a 42-3 victory over Worcester Polytechnic Institute and then defeated Roger Williams University 28-12. The day's final match proved to be the tightest as host and 17th-ranked Ephs held off TCNJ for a 22-21 win on their home mat.
In the loss to Williams, TCNJ trailed 16-3 before battling all the way back to take the lead at 18-16. The Ephs, however, regained the lead during the 197-pound bout and then held off the Lions in the final match
Following the three matches, the Lions are 17-3 on the season.
TCNJ had four wrestlers boast perfect 3-0 records on the day starting with Dan DiColo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mt. Olive) competing at both 157 and 165 pounds. Those three wins gave DiColo 31 for the season marking the third time in his career that he has hit the 30-win plateau.
Freshman Brian Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) won all three of his matches at 174 pounds, while junior Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional), ranked fifth nationally at 184, also won each of his three bout giving him a team-leading 35 wins on the season.
Junior Ed Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) won two of his three matches at heavyweight by fall, with his second win of the day being his 50th as a Lion.
TCNJ closes out the regular season on Saturday, February 6 heading to Oswego State to take on the Lakers in a noon start.
Weight by weight summary
#11 TCNJ 42, Worcester Polytechnic Institute 3
125: C. Anderson (WPI) dec. Dan Franke (TCNJ), 6-0
133: Dan Hughes (TCNJ) major dec. D. Metcalf (WPI), 17-5
141: James Olivo (TCNJ) dec. A. Pitera (WPI), 8-2
149: John Darling (TCNJ) major dec. K. Adams (WPI), 10-0
157: Chris Lombardi (TCNJ) pinned S. Donelly (WPI), in :53,
165: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) major dec. C. Spinelli (WPI), 18-4
174: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) major dec. D. Cardenas (WPI), 14-5
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) by forfiet
197: Kenny Amponsa (TCNJ) tech. fall over D. Billings (WPI), 17-0
285: Ed Broderick (TCNJ) pinned J. Pasquarelli (WPI), in 1:23
#11 TCNJ 28, Roger Williams University 12
125: Dan Franke (TCNJ) dec. Jou Lemoine (RW), 5-3
133: Dan Herr (TCNJ) major dec. Mahoney (RW), 16-4
141: Mitchell Martin (RW) dec. Robert Micheliche (TCNJ) TC, 6-1
149: John Darling (TCNJ) dec. Kevin Edward (RW), 6-1
157: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) dec. Kyle D'Urso (RW), 9-2
165: Kyle Rodgers (RW) by forfeit
174: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) dec. Chris Nadaeu (RW), 8-2
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) pinned Jon Manwaring (RW) in 2:05
197: Nick Cambi (RW) dec. Kenny Amponsa (TCNJ), 2-0
285: Ed Broderick (TCNJ) pinned Ben Kissane (RW) in 4:16
#17 Williams College 22, #11 TCNJ 21
125: Josh Mattana (W) major dec. Dan Franke (TCNJ), 14-2
135: Dan Herr (TCNJ) dec. Ces Antista (W), 6-4
141: Dylan Rittenburg (W) pinned Robert Micheliche (TCNJ) in :57
149: Corey Paulish (W) dec. John Darling (TCNJ), 7-0
157: Carl Breitenstein (W) dec. Chris Lombardi (TCNJ), 4-1
165: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) tech. fall over Jon Foster (W), 20-5
174: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) pinned George Sullivan (W), 3:50
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) dec. Andrew Gatewood (W), 14-5
197: Ryan Malo (W) pinned Kenny Amponsa (TCNJ) in 3:48
285: Ed Broderick (TCNJ) dec. Tom Foote (W), 8-2
#16 Wilkes Holds Off #7 College of New Jersey Wrestlers, 20-18
Ewing, NJ... Faced with a 17-point deficit after the first four weight classes, The College of New Jersey wrestling team saw its furious rally come up two points short as visiting Wilkes University held on for a 20-18 win over the Lions on Friday.
The match dropped seventh-ranked TCNJ to 15-2 on the season, while the Colonels improved to 19-4.
Wilkes opened the match winning four consecutive bouts, but the Lions stormed back to claim five of the final six.
The match was the final home one for the Lions this season and the program took time to honor its four grapplers in their last home match. Recognized for their commitment to the program were Tyler Branham (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny), Dan DiColo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mt. Olive), Danny Franke (Jackson, NJ/Freehold Boro), and Robert Micheliche (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South).
Following the four wins that gave the Colonels that 17-0 lead, TCNJ notched its first win of the dual meet as sophomore Kyle Packer (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) rallied for the 3-2 decision at 157 pounds. DiColo followed with another win by decision at 165 posting an 11-4 victory trimming the deficit to 17-6.
Freshman Brian Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional), competing at 174 pounds, then knocked off fifth-ranked Frank Heffernan (Slatington, PA/Northern Lehigh), 3-1, scoring a takedown in overtime for the deciding points. Junior Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) kept TCNJ's rally going as he won by 19-4 technical fall at 184 closing the gap to 17-14.
Wilkes ended TCNJ's run of wins at 197 putting the difference at six points, but junior Ed Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) gave the Lions a win in the final bout via an 11-3 major decision.
The Lions have a break in the schedule returning to the mat next weekend competing in the New England Duals on Saturday, January 30. The event is being hosted by Williams College.
Weight by weight summary
#16 Wilkes University 20, #7 TCNJ 18 T - W
125: Scott Mantua (WU) pinned Joe Trause (TCNJ), 6:12 0 - 6
133: Ryan Wilson (WU) dec. Dan Herr (TCNJ), 6-1 0 - 9
141: Kristopher Krawchuk (WU) tech. fall over Robert Micheliche (TCNJ), 17-1 (6:20) 0 - 14
149: Anthony Dattolo (WU) dec. John Barnett (TCNJ), 7-6 0 - 17
157: Kyle Packer (TCNJ) dec. Nathan White (WU), 3-2 3 - 17
165: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) dec. James Histed (WU), 11-4 6 - 17
174: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) dec. Frank Heffernan (WU), 3-1 OT 9 - 17
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) tech. fall over Jesse Villella (WU), 19-4 14-17
197: Zach Pizarro (WU) dec. Kenny Amponsa (TCNJ), 7-1 14-20
285: Ed Broderick (TCNJ) dec. Jake Weinrich (WU), 11-3 18-20
#7 The College of New Jersey Finish Strong in 35-10 Win at Centenary
Hackettstown, NJ... The College of New Jersey wrestling team closed out its dual meet with host Centenary College by winning four straight weight classes to secure a 35-10 win over the Cyclones on Wednesday.
The seventh-ranked Lions (15-1) held a slim 13-10 lead heading into the 174 pound weight class where freshman Brian Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) won by fall before junior Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) posted a 15-5 major decision at 184 quickly increasing the advantage to 23-10. The Lions continued their strong finish at 197 as Kenny Amponsa (East Windsor, NJ/Hightstown) needed less than a minute to win by fall and junior Ed Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) capped things off at heavyweight winning by a medical forfeit to make the final 35-0. In all, TCNJ reeled off the match's final 22 points.
With the win, head coach David Icenhower raised his career title to 514, tying him for second place on the all-time win list for Division III coaches John Reese from Wilkes University.
Also scoring wins for the Lions were Dan Hughes (Delran, NJ/Delran) by decision at 133, Robert Micheliche (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) by major decision at 141, and Dan DiColo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mt. Olive) by fall at 157.
TCNJ returns home on Friday, January 22 to host 16th-ranked Wilkes University in a 7:30 p.m. start at Packer Hall.
Weight by weight summary
#7 TCNJ 35, Centenary College 10
125 - Jose Vega (CC) 12-0 maj. dec. Danny Franke (TCNJ)
133 -Dan Hughes (TCNJ) 4-2 ot dec. Cody Mooney (CC)
141 - Robert Micheliche (TCNJ) 12-2 maj. dec. Anthony Bachmann (CC)
149 - Jon Stillo (CC) 3-2 dec. John Barnett (TCNJ)
157 -Dan DiColo (TCNJ) pins Garrett Meagher (CC) 4:47
165 - Matt Regan (CC) 9-8 dec. David Kiley (TCNJ)
174 -Brian Broderick (TCNJ) pins Michael Montgomery (CC) in 6:50
184 -Mike Denver (TCNJ) 15-5 maj. dec. JJ Mitchell (CC)
197 - Kenny Amponsa (TCNJ) pins Nick Marchiafava (CC) :46
HWT -Ed Broderick (TCNJ) wins via med. for. Mike Hall (CC)
#7 The College of New Jersey Wrestlers Fall to #4 Ithaca in Whitehill Finals
win streak halted at 19
Williamsport, PA... Ithaca College brought an end to The College of New Jersey's winning streak on the wrestling mat as the Bombers pulled out a 25-11 win over the Lions in the championship match at the 2010 Budd Whitehill Duals on Saturday.
TCNJ, which entered the tournament ranked seventh in the national poll for Division III programs, won its first four matches in the two-day event extending its winning streak to 19 straight dating back to last season. The Lions started the day with an 18-16 victory over SUNY Cortland putting the streak at 19 before running into the fourth-ranked Bombers.
The Lions are now 14-1 on the season.
In the finals, Ithaca won the first four bouts to claim a 13-0 lead. TCNJ countered by winning three of the next four closing the gap to 19-11, but the Bombers earned the title with wins in each of the final two weight classes.
Graduate student Dan DiColo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mt. Olive) won both of his matches on the day as did Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) at 184. Denver's two wins made him the first Lion to hit the 30-win plateau this season and it is also a career best for wins in a season for the junior.
Last season, the Lions placed third in the tournament.
The Lions return to the mat on Wednesday, January 20 as they head to Centenary College to take on the Cyclones in a 7 p.m. start.
Weight by weight summary
#7 TCNJ 18, #15 SUNY Cortland 16
125: Jared Lemke (C) dec. Dan Franke (TCNJ), 7-3
133: Dan Herr (TCNJ) pinned Aljarmain Sterling in 6:32
141: Mark Arcara (C) maj. dec. Anthony D'Amico (TCNJ), 13-4
149: Stephen Perez (C) dec. John Barnett (TCNJ), 6-2
157: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) dec. Kevin Sackett (C), 5-3 SV
165: Kyle Packer (TCNJ) dec. Will Brodfuehrer (C), 5-2
174: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) dec. Mike Ciaburri (C), 5-1 TB-2
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) dec. Jared Myhrberg (C), 4 - 2
197: Carl Korpi (C) dec. Adam Koziol (TCNJ), 4-0
285: Joe Murphy (C) dec. Ed Broderick (TCNJ), 7-4
#4 Ithaca College 25, #7 TCNJ 11
125: Jon Gregory (Ithaca) maj. dec. Dan Franke (TCNJ), 10 - 1
133: Chad Winowich (Ithaca) dec. Dan Herr (TCNJ), 3 - 0
141: Jeremy Stierly (Ithaca) dec. Robert Micheliche (TCNJ), 6 - 1
149: Blaine Woszczak (Ithaca) dec. John Barnett (TCNJ), 4 - 2
157: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) dec. William Horwath (Ithaca), 3 - 1
165: David Kiley (TCNJ) dec. Derek Brenon (Ithaca), 3 - 2
174: David Priest (Ithaca) pinned Brian Broderick (TCNJ) in 6:18
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) tech. fall Keith Dickey (Ithaca), 19 - 4
197: David Sbriscia (Ithaca) dec. Kenneth Amponsa (TCNJ), 6 - 1
285: Joseph Goetz (Ithaca) dec. Ed Broderick (TCNJ), 6 - 1
The College of New Jersey Wrestlers Go 4-0 at North/South Duals
Collegeville, PA... The College of New Jersey wrestling team was perfect at the North/South Duals hosted by Ursinus College on Saturday as the Lions won all four of their dual meets to remain undefeated on the season.
Those four wins put the sixth-ranked Lions at a perfect 8-0 on the season.
TCNJ started the day by doubling up 19th-ranked Wesleyan University by the score of 26-13 and came right back to beat another ranked opponent topping 18th-ranked United States Merchant Marine Academy, 30-13. The Lions then defeated Messiah College 25-15 and then capped the day with their most lopsided victory in the form of a 43-6 triumph over Morrisville State College.
The Lions had a trio of grapplers finish the day with perfect 4-0 records. Sophomore Dan Herr (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) accomplished that feat at 125 pounds, junior Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) and 184, and junior Ed Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) at heavyweight. Denver, who is ranked sixth nationally in his weight class, and Herr each reached the 20-win plateau during the tournament as Denver has picked up 23 victories on the year and Herr has an even 20.
TCNJ returns home on Tuesday, January 12 taking on both Elizabethtown College and York (PA) College. Action gets underway at 1 p.m.
The College of New Jersey Wrestlers Win Three Weight Classes at Sunshine Open
Palm Coast, FL... Some rest and relaxation on the beaches in Florida was well earned by The College of New Jersey wrestling team on Tuesday as the Lions wrapped up the Augsburg College Brute/Adidas Sunshine Open with three champions with six other grapplers placing in the event.
The Lions, ranked sixth in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Brute/Adidas Division III poll, boasted six finalists in the tournament put on by the second-ranked team in the country held at Flagler Palm Coach High School.
TCNJ's first champion was junior John Barnett (Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson Twp.) at 141 pounds as he was a perfect 4-0 at 141 pounds. He won the title in dramatic fashion pulling out a 3-1 overtime win against Cody Hansen of Augsburg.
Freshman Brian Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) came up big at 174 pounds taking first place with an 8-5 decision over Dan Jonhenry in the finals. He also finished the tournament winning all four of his bouts.
The final champion for the Lions came at 184 pounds as Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) had a big tournament with four wins. He won his weight class with a 6-0 triumph over Sheldon Francis.
Senior Tyler Branham (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny) claimed second at 149 pounds winning four straight bouts to move into the final. In that final match, Branham fell to second-ranked Tony Valek of Augsburg by a narrow 5-4 margin.
Junior Justin Bonitatis (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) also finished second as he reeled off four straight wins to start the tournament at 165 pounds before falling Orlando Ponce of Augsburg in the finals. Bonitatis went 4-1 in the tournament putting him at 23 wins for the season.
At heavyweight, junior Ed Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) moved into the finals with two wins and nearly pulled an upset in the championship bout. Broderick fell to fourth-ranked Andy Witzel of Augsburg 6-3.
Adding to the strong showing by the Lions was graduate student Dan DiColo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mount Olive) at 157 pounds and junior Adam Koziol (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) at 197 pounds as both wrestlers battled back to place third. DiColo went 5-1 in the tournament, while Koziol garnered three wins in four matches.
Senior Al Wonesh (Columbus, NJ/North Burlington) added a seventh-place finish at 165 pounds.
#12 The College of New Jersey Wrestlers Rout King's College, 39-3
Wilkes Barre, PA... The College of New Jersey wrestling team extended its season-opening win streak to four straight as the Lions started fast before beating King's College by the score of 38-3 on Tuesday.
The Lions, ranked 12th in the latest Brute -Adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III poll, started strong winning the first seven weight classes and won nine of 10 overall.
TCNJ's Danny Franke (Jackson, NJ/Freehold Boro) opened the dual meet with 13-4 major decision at 125 pounds and sophomore Dan Herr (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) then posted a 17-0 win by technical fall at 133 giving the Lions a 9-0 lead.
Sophomore Jim Somma (Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck) followed with a 9-7 triumph at 141 and senior Tyler Branham (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny) ran the score to 18-0 winning by fall in 3:54 at 149. With that win, Branham remained undefeated on the season at 11-0 and is now three wins shy of 100 for his career.
At 157, Dan DiColo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mount Olive) collected a 5-0 win and junior Justin Bonitatis (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) made it six straight wins for the Lions picking up a 7-4 decision at 165 pounds. That win gave Bonitatis a team-leading 15 wins on the season.
Senior Al Wonesh (Columbus, NJ/North Burlington) extended TCNJ's margin to 29-0 at 174 pounds as he won a by technical fall with a score of 15-0.
In the Monarchs ended TCNJ's run of wins in the 184-pound bout as nationally-ranked Mike Reilly held off Lion junior Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional), 8-4.
The Lions capped the victory with two final wins as Adam Koziol (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) won 7-3 at 197 pounds and heavyweight Ed Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) followed with pin in 3:41.
TCNJ returns to the mat this weekend competing at the Spartan Invitational hosted by York (PA) College.
Weight by weight summary
#12 TCNJ 38, King's College 3
125: Dan Franke (TCNJ) major dec. Michael Tabasco (KC), 13-4
133: Dan Herr (TCNJ) tech. fall over Anthony Dietrick (KC), 17-0
141: Jim Somma (TCNJ) dec. Franklin Davis (KC), 9-7
149: Tyler Branham (TCNJ) pinned Noah Blackwell (KC), 3:54
157: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) dec. Taylor Green (KC), 5-0
165: Justin Bonitatis (TCNJ) dec. Jerry Robbins (KC), 7-4
174: Al Wonesh (TCNJ) tech. fall over Frank Marinucci (KC), 15-0
184: Mike Reilly (KC) dec. Mike Denver (TCNJ), 8-4
197: Adam Koziol (TCNJ) dec. Peter Dwyer (KC), 7-3
285: Ed Broderick (TCNJ) pinned Christopher Rash (KC), 3:41
#12 The College of New Jersey Wrestlers Win Oneonta Invite
Crown Four Champions
Oneonta, NY…Led by four individual champions, The College of New Jersey wrestling team won the 2009 Oneonta State Invitational on Saturday racking up 152 team points on Saturday.
TCNJ ran away with the title with SUNY Cortland finishing a distant second place with 105-.5 points in the 122-team field.
The Lions excelled in the upper weight winning titles at 174, 184, and 197 pounds, with the fourth top finish coming at 141. Sophomore Jim Somma (Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck) earned that title at 141 giving him his second tournament crown in as many weeks. Last week he won his weight class at the Ursinus College Fall Brawl. Saturday he won all four of his matches as the top seed in his weight class.
At 174, freshman Brian Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) also won his second straight tournament as he went 3-0 on the day.
Junior Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) had a banner day winning his bracket as the second seed going a perfect 5-0 with three wins by fall. Denver's efforts didn't go unnoticed as the Lion was voted as the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Junior Adam Koziol (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) was TCNJ's fourth individual champion as he went 4-0 as the top seed at 197.
The Lions had three more wrestlers garner valuable team points battling back to place third. Posting third-place finishes were sophomore Dan Herr (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) at 133 pounds, junior Justin Bonitatis (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) at 165, and sophomore Ed Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) at heavyweight.
Branham excels at East Stroudsburg
Senior Tyler Branham (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny) came away the winner at 149 pounds competing at the East Stroudsburg Open. Branham went an impressive 7-0 in the tournament winning his weight class that featured more than 70 grapplers.
Graduate student Dan DiColo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mount Olive) also competed in the tournament and went an even 2-2 at 157 pounds.
The College of New Jersey Wrestlers Roll Past NYU, 31-6
Ewing, NJ... For the second straight dual meet, The College of New Jersey wrestling team finished strong as they won six of the final seven weight classes as the Lions rolled to a 31-6 over New York University on Thursday.
TCNJ had won the final seven bouts the previous night in a win over Hunter College.
The Lions are now a modest 3-0 on the season, while the Violets dropped to 2-3.
The Lions opened the bout in exciting fashion as junior Dan Hughes (Delran, NJ/Delran) won at 125 pounds scoring a takedown in the final minute of the match to claim a 2-1 victory. Sophomore Dan Herr (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) made it a 7-0 TCNJ lead at 133 pounds with a 10-2 major decision win.
Following a win by the Violets at 141 pounds, senior Tyler Branham (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny) put TCNJ back on the winning track with an 18-5 major decision at 149. Dan DiColo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mount Olive) followed with another major decision, this time by the score of 11-1 at 157.
Junior Justin Bonitatis (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) remained undefeated on the season at 165 pounds as he posted an 8-3 decision over NYU's Matt Magill (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) to improve to 7-0 on the season. His win also extended the hosts lead to 18-3.
Freshman Brian Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) kept things rolling for the Lions as he won by technical fall at 174 pounds by the score of 21-5. TCNJ's string of wins continued at 184 as junior Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) won by major decision by the count of 19-7. That win put TCNJ out to commanding 27-3 lead.
The Lions closed out the match with one more victory as Adam Koziol (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) won 14-0 at 197, while NYU took the final bout of the night as Michael Cunningham (Rancho Sante Fe, CA/Torrey Pines) won by a narrow 2-1 margin for the Violets.
TCNJ is on the road this weekend competing at the Oneonta State Invitational on Saturday, November 21.
Weight by weight summary
#12 TCNJ 31, New York University 6 TCNJ - NYU
125: Dan Hughes (TCNJ) dec. Kyle Christensen (NYU), 2-1 3 - 0
133: Dan Herr (TCNJ) major dec. Steven Contino (NYU), 10-2 7 - 0
141: Gregg Martino (NYU) dec. Jim Somma (TCNJ), 7-3 7 - 3
149: Tyler Branham (TCNJ) major dec. Gabriel Gleason (NYU), 18-5 11 - 3
157: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) major dec. David Rice (NYU), 11-1 15 - 3
165: Justin Bonitatis (TCNJ) dec. Matt Magill (NYU), 8-3 18 - 3
174: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) by tech. fall over Steve Massey (NYU), 21-5 (6:19) 23 - 3
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) major dec. Sabino Galassi (NYU), 19-7 27 - 3
197: Adam Koziol (TCNJ) major dec. Michael Cunningham (NYU), 14-0 31 - 3
285: Justin Murberg (NYU) dec. Ben Ostner (TCNJ), 2-1 31 - 6
#12 The College of New Jersey Wrestlers Beat Visiting Hunter College, 37-7
Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey wrestling team improved to a modest 2-0 on the young season in dual meet action as the Lions bested visiting Hunter College by the score of 37-7 on Wednesday at Packer Hall.
The Lions, ranked 12th in the latest Brute -Adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III poll, trailed early in the match before reeling off seven straight victories to close out the match.
The Hawks took the initial lead winning at 125 as Greg Pollock (Milburn, NJ/Milburn) outlasted TCNJ's Danny Franke (Jackson, NJ/Freehold Boro) 3-1 in three overtimes.
That lead was short lived as Lion sophomore Dan Herr (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) won by fall at 133 recording the pin in 2:24.
Hunter took the lead right back as Sean Messina (West Islip, NY/West Islip) topped TCNJ's Anthony Damico (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) with a 15-3 major decision.
The lead changed hands for the final time at 141 pounds as senior Tyler Branham (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny) beat Hunter's Shabazz Bailey (Walden, NY/Valley), 10-2, putting the hosts back in front by the score of 10-7.
The Lions continued to roll through the middle weights as Dan DiColo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mount Olive) posted 7-2 win at 157, followed by pin by Al Wonesh (Columbus, NJ/North Burlington) at 165 extending TCNJ's lead to 19-7.
Junior Justin Bonitatis (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) made it four straight wins for the Lions at 174 collecting an 11-7 decision against Emman Sarwari (Coram, NY/Longwood).
At 184, Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) won by fall in 1:59, with Adam Koziol (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) earning another win got the Lions at 197. Koziol's win came via a 14-7 decision.
In the meet's final bout, TCNJ's James Ostner (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Boro) pinned Dan Heydebrand (New York, NY/Leadership) in 5:08 to close out the win.
TCNJ is right back on the mat tomorrow, November 19 facing New York University at 7 p.m. in Packer Hall.
Weight by weight summary
#12 TCNJ 37, Hunter College 7 TCNJ - HC
125: Greg Pollock (HC) dec. Dan Franke (TCNJ), 3-1 (3OT) 0 - 3
133: Dan Herr (TCNJ) pinned Ariel Guerrero (HC), 2:24 6 - 3
141: Sean Messina (HC) major dec. Anthony Damico (TCNJ), 15-3 6 - 7
149: Tyler Branham (TCNJ) major dec. Shabazz Bailey (HC), 10-2 10 - 7
157: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) dec. Eduardo Delgado (HC), 7-2 13 - 7
165: Al Wonesh (TCNJ) pinned Jesse Capello-Colon (HC), 2:41 19 - 7
174: Justin Bonitatis (TCNJ) dec. Emman Sarwari (HC), 11-7 22 - 7
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) pinned Ryan Baxter (HC), 1:59 28 - 7
197: Adam Koziol (TCNJ) dec. RJ Klotz (HC), 14-7 31 - 7
285: James Ostner (TCNJ) pinned Dan Heydebrand (HC), 5:08 37 - 7
College of New Jersey Opens 2009-10 Season in Historic Fashion
Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey wrestling team started their season off with a 53-0 win over visiting Norwich University on Saturday, but its impact of the victory was felt by every former Lion to don a singlet as the program reached a pair of prestigious milestones.
The win was the 600th dual meet win in program history making TCNJ the 28th collegiate program to reach that mark at any level. The win was doubly important as veteran head coach David Icenhower became only the fourth coach in NCAA history to garner 500 career wins.
Many of the former Lions returned to Packer Hall for the dual meet supporting and cheering the program in which they help build as well as their former coach.
Since the Lion program began back in 1966, the program has compiled an impressive record of 600-121-5.
Among the schools with that many victories and competing under NCAA classification, the Lions rank second in winning percentage at .830, trailing only NCAA Division I powerhouse Oklahoma State University (.892). To recognize the feat, the program unveiled a banner that will hang permanently in Packer Hall with Icenhower and former Mike Curry taking center mat for the ceremony. Curry guided the Lions through their first 100 wins from 1966 through 1976, before Icenhower took over the program. Don Williams, who founded the program when it competed at the club level, also participated in the ceremony.
To add to the celebration, Icenhower reached the 500-win plateau raising his career mark to 500-74-4 making him only the only the third coach at the Division III level to reach the milestone and fourth overall. Those who previously reached that milestone are Dale Thomas from Oklahoma State University (616), Jare Klein from Olivet College (569), and John Reese of Wilkes University (514).
On the mat, the current Lions set the one early against the Cadets as Danny Franke (Jackson, NJ/Freehold Boro) won by forfeit at 125, while sophomore Dan Herr (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) collected a 15-3 major decision at 133 staking TCNJ out to a 10-0 advantage.
At 141, John Barnett (Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson Twp.) scored a 3-1 win over Norwich's Nick Monaco (Nassau, NY) followed by a pin from Tyler Branham (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny). Branham's win by fall came in 5:20 and pushed TCNJ's lead to 19-0.
The wins continued for the Lions at 157 as Dan DiColo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mount Olive) posted a 15-6 major decision and junior Justin Bonitatis (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) followed with a pin in 4:13 at 165.
Freshman Brian Broderick picked up his first collegiate win at 174 pounds scoring a pin in 2:46. That pin stretched TCNJ's lead to 35-0.
At 184, Mike Denver (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) won by injury default and Adam Koziol (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) won by pin in 5:56 at 197.
Sophomore heavyweight Ed Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) capped off the with one final pin as TCNJ
The Lions return to the mat next weekend participating in the annual Fall Brawl hosted by Ursinus College on Saturday, November 14.
Weight by weight summary
#12 TCNJ 53, Norwich University 0 TCNJ - NU
125: Dan Franke (TCNJ) by forfeit 6 - 0
133: Dan Herr (TCNJ) major dec. Scott MacLean (NU), 15-3 10 - 0
141: John Barnett (TCNJ) dec. Nick Monaco (NU), 3-1 13 - 0
149: Tyler Branham (TCNJ) pinned Ryan Crosby (NU), 5:20 19 - 0
157: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) major dec. Adam Edgerton (NU), 15-6 23 - 0
165: Justin Bonitatis (TCNJ) pinned Zach Wetzel (NU), 4:13 29 - 0
174: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) pinned Matt Valnoski (NU), 2:46 35 - 0
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) by injury default over Ray Gauthier (NU) 41 - 0
197: Adam Koziol(TCNJ) pinned Michael Monica (NU), 5:56 47 - 0
285: Ed Broderick (TCNJ) pinned Raistlin Delisle (NU), 1:56 53 - 0