Here is a look at this year’s returning Union County Tournament wrestling champions and the event’s only seven 4-time winners.
The 42nd annual wrestling Union County Tournament is scheduled to take place this Saturday – Jan. 14 – at Union High School’s Louis J. Rettino Gymnasium.
Competition will go from – roughly – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cranford senior Tom DiGiovanni, now wrestling at 138, will have the opportunity to become the UCT’s eighth 4-time champion and first from his school.
Cranford, which begins the week 5-0 after stunning previously undefeated Phillipsburg 36-32 at home this past Saturday night, is the prohibitive favorite to capture its third straight UCT
championship.
Last Wednesday at Roselle Park, Rahway defeated the host Panthers 36-23 for either its first win over Roselle Park or its first win in some time. Rahway improved to 5-0, while handing Roselle Park its first loss after the Panthers were 2-0. Roselle Park begins the week 3-2 after beating Linden and falling to Watchung Hills.
Rahway fell to 5-1 Friday night after falling at Cranford 60-11.
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2017 RETURNING UCT CHAMPIONS (8):
106: Sabri Murray, Rahway, sophomore – now at 120 as a junior
113: Anthony Capece, Cranford, junior – still at 113 as a senior
120: Tom DiGiovanni, Cranford, junior – now at 138 as a senior
126: Chris Fuschetto, Johnson, sophomore – now at 132 as a junior
132: Chris Scorese, Cranford, junior – still at 132 as a senior
152: Brian McGovern, Cranford, junior – now at 160 as a senior
220: Alex Esposito, Cranford, junior – now at heavyweight (285) as a senior
HWT: Dan Tomlinson, Gov. Livingston, junior – still at heavyweight (285) as a senior
4-TIME UCT CHAMPIONS (7):
Larry Guarino, Union, class of 1988
1985 – won championship at 158
1986 – won championship at 158
1987 – won championship at 170
1988 – won championship at 171
Dave Bubnowski, Union, class of 1996
1993 – won championship at 103
1994 – won championship at 103
1995 – won championship at 121
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 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.