UNION COUNTY, NJ — A decade of dominance.
No school has ever pinned down the wrestling Union County Tournament the way the Cranford Cougars have.
Since winning the championship in 2015, no school other than Cranford High School has managed to capture the team title.
At the 49th annual UCT at Union High School’s Louis J. Rettino gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 18, the Cougars will attempt to become the first school to win the event for the 10th straight time.
Cranford won the crown in 2015, 2016, 2017 behind four-time champion Thomas DiGiovanni, 2018, 2019 and 2020 before the 2021 UCT was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cougars picked up where they left off by winning the title again in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Governor Livingston High School has been right on Cranford’s back the past three tournaments, each time finishing second. Last year, the Highlanders were just 6.5 points away.
While Cranford has won the last nine team titles and Governor Livingston has been second the past three years, there are – which may be a record – 11 returning champions from seven different schools.
Cranford has four returning champions, including Rahway transfer Eoghan O’Hara; Governor Livingston two and Scotch Plains–Fanwood, Summit, Rahway, Arthur L. Johnson and New Providence high schools have one each.
Returning UCT champions
Scotch Plains–Fanwood senior John Boyle, 190 – Boyle won at 190 last year;
Governor Livingston senior Nathan Faxon, 215 – Faxon won at 215 last year;
Governor Livingston senior Jake Kreisberg, 157 – Kreisberg won at 157 last year;
Summit senior Samuel Henry, heavyweight – Henry won at heavyweight last year;
Cranford junior Mike Daly, 113 – Daly repeated as the 106 champ last year;
Cranford junior Luke Scholz, 150 – Scholz won at 132 last year, his second title;
Cranford senior Jordan Chapman, 190 – Chapman won at 165 last year, his second title;
Cranford senior Eoghan O’Hara, 144 – O’Hara won at 144 for Rahway last year;
Rahway senior Chris Valerio, 138 – Valerio won at 126 last year;
Arthur L. Johnson senior Zachary Belverio, 113 – Belverio won at 113 last year; and
New Providence junior Braeden Valley, 144 – Valley won at 138 last year.
Last year’s senior champions were Daniel Collin of Union High School at 175, who was his school’s first champ since 2017; Max Rotter of Westfield High School at 120 and Joey Ortega of Arthur L. Johnson, the repeat winner at 150.
The competition on Saturday, Jan. 18, should commence at approximately 9 a.m., with the finals scheduled for between 2:30 and 3 p.m.
Some of the top records as of Monday, Jan. 13, included Union County Conference–Watchung Division leader Cranford at 9-2 and Mountain Division leader Union at 8-3.
Remainder of Watchung Division: Westfield 8-5, Governor Livingston 6-5, Arthur L. Johnson 5-5, David Brearley 6-2, Rahway 6-3, Scotch Plains–Fanwood 3-3.
Remainder of Mountain Division: Linden 2-2, Elizabeth 8-3, New Providence 4-8, Plainfield 1-8, Summit 4-5, New Providence 0-9, Abraham Clark 0-4.
UCT wrestling team champions from 2024 to 1990
2024: Cranford
2023: Cranford
2022: Cranford
2021: No tournament (COVID-19)
2020: Cranford
2019: Cranford
2018: Cranford
2017: Cranford
2016: Cranford
2015: Cranford
2014: Roselle Park
2013: Roselle Park
2012: David Brearley
2011: David Brearley
2010: David Brearley
2009: David Brearley
2008: David Brearley
2007: David Brearley
2006: David Brearley
2005: Rahway
2004: Scotch Plains–Fanwood
2003: Roselle Park
2002: Roselle Park
2001: Roselle Park
2000: Roselle Park
1999: Roselle Park
1998: Roselle Park
1997: Roselle Park
1996: Rahway
1995: Rahway
1994: Union
1993: Roselle Park
1992: Roselle Park
1991: Union
1990: Westfield
Four-time UCT champions
Two from Union, two from Roselle Park, one from Rahway, two from David Brearley, one from Cranford, one from Westfield
Larry Guarino, Union, Class of 1988
1985: 158 final: maj. dec. Ken Weeks of Summit 13-2
1986: 158 final: defeated Tony Coleman of Westfield
1987: 170 final: dec. Jim O’Donnell of Cranford 4-0
1988: 171 final: defeated Randy Wojcik of Westfield
Dave Bubnowski, Union, Class of 1996
1993: won championship at 103
1994: won championship at 103
1995: 121 final: dec. Bill Crecca of Roselle Park 5-4
1996: won championship at 135
Craig Frost, Roselle Park, Class of 1999
1996: 103 final: dec. Shawn Stueber of Rahway 10-4
1997: 112 final: maj. dec. Rich Sachsel of New Providence, 21-8
1998: 130 final: dec. Shawn Stueber of Rahway, 6-0
1999: 135 final: pinned Jeff Bubnowski of Union in 2:48
Dan Appello, Roselle Park, Class of 2002
1999: 103 final: dec. Dare Ajibade of Union, 8-3
2000: 112 final: tech. fall Tom McDermott of Arthur L. Johnson 21-6 (3:08)
2001: 119 final: maj. dec. William Banks of Elizabeth, 17-5
2002: 125 final: dec. William Banks of Elizabeth 11-4
Darrion Caldwell, Rahway, Class of 2006
2003: 103 final: pin Rob Mench of Westfield in 1:05
2004: 119 final: pin Ross Baldwin of New Providence in 2:44
2005: 135 final: pin Steve Mineo of Scotch Plains in :54
2006: 160 final: pin Hany Elshiekh of Brearley in 1:26
Jesse Boyden, Brearley, Class of 2008
2005: 215 final: dec. Julio Loperena of Linden, 10-4
2006: 215 final: pin Trevor Martin of New Providence in :43
2007: 215 final: major dec. Richard Tabor of Elizabeth, 12-3
2008: 215 final: dec. Mike Lefano of Roselle Park, 5-2
Kenny Knapp, Brearley, Class of 2009
2006: 103 final: pin Juan Herrera of Rahway, 3:46
2007: 103 final: pin Anthony Casselli of Roselle Park, 4:23
2008: 119 final: pin Anthony Zangari of Roselle Park, 3:40
2009: 130 final: maj. dec. John Barnes of Westfield, 9-1
Tom DiGiovanni, Cranford, Class of 2017
2014: 113 final: dec. Philip Angelo, Summit, 2-1
2015: 120 final: dec. Carmine Boccellari, New Providence, 5-0
2016: 120 final: dec. Nic Mele, Gov. Livingston, 4-3
(3-3 UTB – ultimate tie breaker)
2017: 138 final: dec. Philip Angelo, Summit, 2-1
Luke Hoerle, Westfield, Class of 2020
2017: 106 final: maj. dec. Gabe Leo, Roselle Park, 10-3
2018: 113 final: dec. John Ojeda, Linden, 9-4
2019: 120 final: maj. dec. Chris Dalmau, Rahway, 8-1
2020: 126 final: dec. Brandon Bowles, Scotch Plains, 8-5