Wrestlers from high schools in Union County excelled at this past weekend’s Region 4 competition at Union, with six winning championships.
Two others placed second, three third and four fourth.
The top four wrestlers in each of the 14 weight classes from all eight regions advanced to the NJSIAA Tournament, which will be contested March 2-4 at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.
The seeding will take place Feb. 27.
Winning championships were CJ Composto of Westfield at 106, Luke Hoerle of Westfield at 113, Matt Armamento of Roselle Park at 120, Owen Smith of New Providence at 152, Quinn Haddad of Gov. Livingston at 170 and Sam Wustefeld of Scotch Plains at 195.
Second-place qualifiers include Christopher Fuschetto of Johnson at 138 and Rob Schork of Cranford at 220; third-place qualifiers are Gabe Leo of Roselle Park at 106, AJ Bencivenga of Cranford at 145 and Sebastian Iakouchevitch of Johnson at 182 and fourth-place qualifiers are Mark Montgomery of Roselle Park at 126, Jon Mejia of Roselle Park at 132, Jack Cannon of Scotch Plains at 152 and Devin Hilburn of Roselle Park at 182.
Roselle Park – which finished 24-2, won the Union County Conference’s Watchung Division perfect at 6-0, captured North 2, Group 1 for the first time since 2014, placed second in the Union County Tournament at Union, was second at District 15 at Westfield and also produced the program’s 1,000th win – has the most wrestlers of any Union County high school going to the states, with five.
Westfield, Scotch Plains, Cranford and Johnson have two each and New Providence and GL one.
Composto repeated as Region 4’s 106 champion. Earlier this year the sophomore captured his first UCT championship.
Hoerle, also a sophomore, won his second UCT crown this year and first Region 4 title.
Westfield was the only school to have more than one Region 4 champion, with Composto and Hoerle winning back-to-back. There were champions from 13 different schools among the 14 weight classes.
Composto and Hoerle both won their weight classes as the top seed.
Matt Armamento of Roselle Park, a senior who previously wrestled at Queen of Peace before the North Arlington school closed last year, came back in thrilling fashion to win as the top seed at 120. Also a UCT champ this year, Armamento trailed second-seeded David Loniewski of South Plainfield 6-1 with just 30 seconds to go.
Armamento used a headlock for the first time and produced a five-point move for the win.
At 170, Gov. Livingston senior Quinn Haddad – who gave up football this year to concentrate more on wrestling – continued to excel as he captured his first Region 4 title. He enters the state tournament with an impressive 41-0 record that also includes his first UCT crown.
In last year’s Region 4 final at 120, Joe Heilmann of South Plainfield was defeated by Michael Kelly of St. Peter’s Prep. This time, in the 126 final, top-seeded Heilmann defeated second-seeded Kelly 3-2. Heilmann enters the states at 43-0.
Scotch Plains senior Sam Wustefeld, who won his second UCT title this year, captured his second Region 4 championship, winning this time at 195. He was the 182 champion in 2017.
Roselle Park junior Mark Montgomery advanced by placing fourth at 126. He was the Region 4 champ last year at 113.
Rahway junior Rhise Royster, who won his second UCT crown this year, was the top seed at 145. However, Royster did not advance to the NJSIAA Tournament like he did last year when he was the Region 4 champion at 126.
Only one wrestler from a Union County high school – Westfield senior Christian Barber winning the 152 title in 2011 – has captured a state championship in the past nine seasons – from 2009-2017.
The previous champion from a Union County high school was Brearley senior Jesse Boyden winning the 215 title in 2008.
WRESTLERS FROM
UNION COUNTY SCHOOLS
AT REGION 4 AT UNION:
REGION 4 SEMIFINALS:
15 wrestlers from high schools in Union County advanced to this round:
106-CJ Composto, Westfield; 106-Patrick Phillips, Brearley; 106-Gabe Leo, Roselle
Park; 113-Luke Hoerle, Westfield; 120-Matt Armamento, Roselle Park; 126-
Mark Montgomery, Roselle Park; 132-Jon Mejia, Roselle Park; 138-Christopher
Fuschetto, Johnson; 145-Rhise Royster, Rahway; 152-Owen Smith, New
Providence; 152-Jack Cannon, Scotch Plains; 170-Quinn Haddad, Gov. Livingston;
182-Sebastian Iakouchevitch, Johnson; 195-Sam Wustefeld, Scotch Plains; 220-Rob
Schork, Cranford.
106: 1-CJ Composto, Westfield, dec. 5-Patrick Phillips, Brearley, 17-4.
106: 2-Anthony White, South Plainfield, dec. 6-Gabe Leo, Roselle Park, 5-1.
113: 1-Luke Hoerle, Westfield, dec. 5-Sean Rendiero, St. Peter’s Prep, 6-1.;
120: 1-Matt Armamento, Roselle Park, dec. 5-Aidan Taylor, Voorhees, 17-2.
126: 2-Michael Kelly, St. Peter’s Prep, dec. 3-Mark Montgomery, RP, 4-1.
132: Charles Cunningham, Seton Hall Prep, dec. Jon Mejia, Roselle Park, 12-0.
138: Christopher Fuschetto, Johnson, dec. Maguire Pecci, SHP, 6-2.
145: Joe Sacco, South Plainfield, dec. Rhise Royster, Rahway, 3-2.
152: 1-Owen Smith, New Providence, dec. 4-Jack Cannon, Scotch Plains, 1-0.
160: None.
170: 1-Quinn Haddad, Gov. Livingston, dec. 5-Alex Garcia, Seton Hall Prep, 9-3.
182: 2-Niccolo Colucci, St. Peter’s P., dec. Sebastian Iakouchevitch, Johnson, 3-1.
195: 1-Sam Wustefeld, Scotch Plains, pin Jonathan Guardado, North Plain., 4:55.
220: 8-Rob Schork, Cranford, dec. Frank Coghan, Carteret, 8-2.
HWT: None.
REGION 4 FINALS:
8 wrestlers from high schools in Union County advanced to this round:
106-CJ Composto, Westfield; 113-Luke Hoerle, Westfield;
120-Matt Armamento, Roselle Park; 138-Christopher Fuschetto, Johnson;
152-Owen Smith, New Providence; 170-Quinn Haddad, Gov. Livingston;
195-Sam Wustefeld, Scotch Plains; 220-Rob Schork, Cranford.
Winners advance to NJSIAA Tournament as 1st-place qualifiers and
non-winners as 2nd-place qualifiers.
106: 1-CJ Composto, Westfield, dec. 2-Anthony White, South Plainfield, 4-0.
113: 1-Luke Hoerle, Westfield, dec. 2-Nicholas Sacco, B-Raritan, 6-1.
120: 1-Matt Armamento, Roselle Park, dec. 2-David Loniewski, South Plain., 7-6.
138: 4-Aaron Coleman, Iselin Kennedy, dec. 2-Chris Fuschetto, Johnson, 8-2.
152: 1-Owen Smith, New Providence, dec. 2-Rob Saurn, Watchung Hills, 2-1.
170: 1-Quinn Haddad, Gov. Livingston, dec. 2-James Cruz, St. Peter’s Prep, 9-3.
195: 1-Sam Wustefeld, Scotch Plains, dec. 2-Scott Fernandes, Voorhees, 12-5.
220: 6-Nick Nyers, Woodbridge, dec. 8-Rob Schork, Cranford, 5-3.
REGION 4 3RD-PLACE CONSOLATION BOUTS:
Winners advance to NJSIAA Tournament as 3rd-place qualifiers
and non-winners advance as 4th-place qualifiers.
106: Gabe Leo, Roselle Park, dec. Patrick Adams, St. Peter’s Prep, 9-3.
126: Danny Miller, Watchung Hills, pin Mark Montgomery, Roselle Park, 4:49.
132: Nick Ciraulo, Watchung Hills, dec. Jon Mejia, Roselle Park, 3-1.
145: AJ Bencivenga, Cranford, dec. Jacob Stasi, Watchung Hills, 12-6.
152: Tucker Kirchberger, North Hunterdon, dec. Jack Cannon, Scotch Plains, 3-2.
182: Sebastian Iakouchevitch, Johnson, dec. Devin Hilburn, Roselle Park, 12-0.
UNION COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
WRESTLERS WHO ADVANCED TO NJSIAA TOURNAMENT
OUT OF REGION 4 AT UNION:
FIRST (6):
106: CJ Composto, Westfield
113: Luke Hoerle, Westfield
120: Matt Armamento, Roselle Park
152: Owen Smith, New Providence
170: Quinn Haddad, Gov. Livingston
195: Sam Wustefeld, Scotch Plains
SECOND (2):
138: Christopher Fuschetto, Johnson
220: Rob Schork, Cranford
THIRD (3):
106: Gabe Leo, Roselle Park
145: AJ Bencivenga, Cranford
182: Sebastian Iakouchevitch, Johnson
FOURTH (4):
126: Mark Montgomery, Roselle Park
132: Jon Mejia, Roselle Park
152: Jack Cannon, Scotch Plains
182: Devin Hilburn, Roselle Park
TEAM-BY-TEAM BREAKDOWN:
ROSELLE PARK (5):
1-Mark Armamento, 120
3-Gabe Leo, 106
4-Mark Montgomery, 126
4-Jon Mejia, 132
4-Devin Hilburn, 182
WESTFIELD (2):
1-CJ Composto, 106
1-Luke Hoerle, 113
SCOTCH PLAINS (2):
1-Sam Wustefeld, 195
4-Jack Cannon, 152
CRANFORD (2):
2-Rob Schork, 220
3-AJ Bencivenga, 145
JOHNSON (2):
2-Christopher Fuschetto, 138
3-Sebastian Iakouchevitch, 182
NEW PROVIDENCE (1):
1-Owen Smith, 152
GOV. LIVINGSTON (1):
1-Quinn Haddad, 170