Princeton, Hopewell Valley take district qualifiers to Region 5

In terms of the seeding its pretty much slim pickings for Colonial Valley Conference wrestlers for this weekend’s Region 5 Tournament at Franklin High.

The one notable exception is Princeton’s Blaise Mele, who has a record of 31-3 and has received the No. 3 seed at 132 pounds. One of those losses was in last week’s District 17 final to St. John Vianney’s top-seeded Patrick O’Keefe.

Hopewell Valley advanced nine wrestlers to regions out of District 18, which was only one short of the program’s record 10 regional qualifiers.

The Hopewell district champs were sophomore 106 pounder Dean Meissner and 157-pound senior Tim McKeown. Meissner has been seeded sixth and McKeown is fifth.

In order to finish in the top four and advance to the states in Atlantic City, all the other Princeton and Hopewell wrestlers along with West Windsor North’s Kieran Sattiraju are going to need an early upset in order to put themselves in a strong position.

The top seed in the area went to Hunterdon Central’s Anthony Rossi, who sits atop the 113-pound bracket.

The following are the pairings and seeds for the tournament, which gets underway Friday night and concludes Saturday afternoon:

106: 1. Brady Klinsky (Middletown North) vs. winner of 9. Thomas Nielsen (South River) vs. 8. Julian Arango (St. Joseph (Metuchen); 12. Joseph Veniskey (Middletown South) vs. 5. Logan McDermid (Hillsborough); 13. Sean Bayer (Marlboro) vs. 4. Ryan Sherlock (Hunterdon Central); 3. Eamon Fry (Rumson-Fair Haven) vs. 6. Dean Meissner (Hopewell Valley); 10. Nicholas Sheldrick (Raritan) vs. 7. Dominick Lezark (East Brunswick), winner vs. 2. Matthew Gould (St. John Vianney).

113: 1. Anthony Rossi (Hunterdon Central) vs. winner of 9. Tommy Kester (Hillsborough) vs. 8. Aidan Davis (Raritan); 12. Andrew Roy (Woodbridge) vs. 5. John Whitacre (St. Joseph (Metuchen), winner vs.

4. Richard Gomez (Matawan); 3. Andrew Mucciolo (Manalapan) vs. winner of 11. Dylan Hersh (Hopewell Valley) vs. 6. Cole Rose (Princeton); 10. Jake Gujski (East Brunswick) vs. 7. Kevin Ruland (Red Bank), winner vs. 2. Logan Roman (Old Bridge).

120: 1. Anthony Knox (St. John Vianney) vs. winner of

9. Garv Sen (South Brunswick) vs. 8. Jeremy Negron (Edison)); 5. Anthony Vitola (Manalapan) vs. winner of 13. Nate DeCoite (Metuchen) vs. 4. Noah Michaels (Red Bank Catholic); 3. Zachary Beadling (St. Joseph (Metuchen) vs. winner of 11. Zach Iannaci (Hillsborough) vs. 6. Luke Caldwell (Hopewell Valley); 10. Jacob Portman (Middletown North) vs. 7. Jayden Moore (Franklin), winner vs. 2. Lawrence Liss (Matawan). 126: 1. Jack Zaleski (Middletown South vs. 8. Aedan Samson-Huggins (East Brunswick); 12. Rex Peters (Hopewell Valley) vs. 5. Julian Dawson (Edison), winner vs. 4. Morgan Schwarz (St. Joseph (Metuchen);

3. Ryan Mansueto (Raritan) vs. 14. Alexander Liss (Matawan); 11. Christian Spezio (Manalapan) vs. Jesse Koczon (Old Bridge); 10. Corey Iannucci (Hillsborough) vs. 7. Johan Aguilar (Franklin), winner vs. 2. Jake Zaltsman (St. John Vianney).

132: 1. Patrick O’Keefe (St. John Vianney) vs. 8. Brian Butler (Piscataway); 12. Joseph Lepore (South River) vs. 5. Dominic Terracciano (Keansburg), winner vs. 4. Alexander Delaurier (Raritan); 3. Blasé Mele (Princeton) vs. 14. Brandon Castro (South Brunswick); 11. Maton Atkins (St. Joseph (Metuchen) vs. 6. Justin Fearon (Middletown North); 10. Brandon Koczon (Old Bridge) vs. 7. Evan Thompson (Hunterdon Central), winner vs. 2. Vincent DePierro (Manalapan).

138: 1. Giovanni Alejandro (St. Joseph (Metuchen) vs. 8. Omar Elhomossy (North Brunswick); 5. William Cella (Hunterdon Central) vs. winner of 13. Robert Connelley (Red Bank Catholic) vs. 4. Colin Oden (Middletown North); 3. Cole Pangborn (RumsonFair Haven) vs. 14. Sean Love (Piscataway); 11. Anthony Mucciolo (Manalapan) vs. 6. Martin Brophy (Princeton); 10. Michael Meissner (Hopewell Valley) vs. 7. Chris Spinelli (Hillsborough), winner vs. 2. Zach Reilley (Raritan).

144: 1. Tyler Whitford (St. Joseph (Metuchen) vs. winner of 9. Marco Conroy (Red Bank Catholic) vs. 8. Evan Ridgway (Rumson-Fair Haven); 5. Rhett Washleski (Hunterdon Central) vs. 4. Vincent Kain (Manalapan);

3. Alec Holland (Middletown South) vs. 14. Kieran Sattiraju (West Windsor-Plainsboro); 11. Mustafa Oudeh (South Brunswick) vs. 6. John Saraiva (St. John Vianney); 10. George Crostewitz (East Brunswick) vs.

7. Jake Tenebruso (Old Bridge), winner vs. 2. Braden Kmak (Raritan).

150: 1. Evan Mendez (St. Joseph (Metuchen) vs. winner of 9. Jomar Mena (North Brunswick) vs. 8. R.J. Stradling (Middlesex); 5. Colin Palumbo (Matawan) vs. winner of 13. Michael Kurilla (South Brunswick) vs. 4. Henry Wilkinson (Hunterdon Central) 3. Francisco Rossiter (Metuchen) vs. 14. Michael Simonello (Middletown South); 11. Christian Paul (Princeton) vs. 6. Logan Acevedo (Raritan); 7. Alexander Todisco (Holmdel) vs. 2. Cole Stangle (St. John Vianney).

157: 1. Tyler Sagi (Old Bridge) vs. winner of 9. Jonathan Cohen (Red Bank) vs. 8. Shahnawaz Asif (South Brunswick); 5. Tim McKeown (Hopewell Valley) vs. 4. Kevin McBride (St. John Vianney); 3. Vincent Genna (St. Joseph (Metuchen) vs. 14. Garrett Pech (Piscataway); 11. Daniel Orsen (Manalapan) vs. 6. Matthew Castelli (Middletown North); 10. Jacob Saus (Hunterdon Central) vs. 7. Lucas Velando (Manville), winner vs. 2. David Hussey (Middletown South).

165: 1. Jasiah Queen (St. John Vianney) vs. winner of

9. Kyle Smith (Middletown South) vs. 8. Malik Reid (Franklin); 12. Matt Varga (Spotswood) vs. 5. Daniel Hennessey (Old Bridge), winner vs. 4. Jake Zargo (St. Joseph (Metuchen); 3. William Wilson (North Brunswick) vs. 6. Frank Romeo (Red Bank Catholic); 10. Tyler Boelhower (Woodbridge) vs. 7. Robert Mulligan (Raritan); 15. Logan Schafer (Hopewell Valley) vs. 2. Jack Miller (Hillsborough).

175: 1. Sabino Portella (Red Bank Catholic) vs. winner of 9. Lance Santos (Matawan) vs. 8. Tyler Palumbo (Red Bank); 5. Avery Mack (Old Bridge) vs. 4. Peter Quandt (Hillsborough); 3. Thomas Cleary (St. John Vianney) vs. 14. Jude Adekanye (Piscataway); 11. Sergey Zavalnik (Manalapan) vs. 6. James Boelhower (Woodbridge); 7. Alexander Reyes (Holmdel) vs. winner of 15. Yisreal Thomas (East Brunswick) vs. 2. Thomas Brunetti (Hunterdon Central).

190: 1. Brian Christie (St. Joseph (Metuchen) vs. winner of 9. Geoffrey Mathis (Manville) vs. 8. Patrick Kaczmarek (Hunterdon Central); 5. Michael Palmieri (Red Bank Catholic) vs. 4. Kenny Wines (Manalapan);

3. Conor Delaney (Rumson-Fair Haven) vs. 14. Nate March (Hopewell Valley); 11. Ossie Hillard (Piscataway) vs. 6. Kieran Falzon (Raritan); 10. Christopher Taddeo (Middletown South) vs. 7. John Steele (Holmdel), winner vs. 2. Joey Witconski (Hillsborough).

215: 1. Hudson Skove (Rumson-Fair Haven) vs. 8. Yasir Johnson (New Brunswick); 12. Evan Eckerstrom (Red Bank) vs. 5. Matt Jones (Hillsborough), winner vs. 4. Lucas Ainbinder (Middletown North); 3. Michael Foley (St. John Vianney) vs. winner of 11. Benjamin Erlich (East Brunswick) vs. 6. Richard Boateng-Baah (Piscataway); 10. Constantine Kilaras (Manalapan) vs.

7. Robert Orzol (Old Bridge); 15. Jonathan Gazerwitz (Raritan) vs. 2. Lucas Allen (Montgomery).

HWT: 1. Lorenzo Portella (Red Bank Catholic) vs. winner of 9. Adam Derbala (South Brunswick) vs.

8. Evan Hartel (Franklin); 12. Jon Trainor (Hopewell Valley) vs. 5. Connor Walsh (Sayreville), winner vs. 4. Artem Reinkov-Jouk (Manalapan); 3. Christian Quandt (Hillsborough) vs. winner of 11. Michael Menture (Keansburg) vs. 6. Malachi Wyatt (Piscataway); 10. Thomas Whyte (Middletown South) vs. 7. Nicholas Caruso (Old Bridge), winner vs. 2. Jake Tulli (St. Joseph (Metuchen).