Wrestlers of the Week, 1/20-1/26
Shore Sports Network Wrestler of the Week
Jesse Bauta, Sr., 220, Southern
Bauta bumped up to heavyweight and defeated Brick Memorial standout freshman Nick Rivera, 10-7, to help give Southern, ranked No. 2 at the time, a 25-22 win over the No. 1 Mustangs last Thursday. Southern had a 22-19 lead with two bouts left, and Bauta's victory over Rivera, who entered the bout 9-1, clinched the match for the Rams. Brick Memorial had won the last three meetings between the teams, including a 34-27 victory in last season's NJSIAA Group IV final. Bauta is 15-4 this season and ranked fifth at 220 pounds by theshoreconference.com.
Divisional Wrestlers of the Week
Class A North
Joey Schultz, Sr., 170, Howell: Schultz defeated Middletown South's Kevin Fisher, 10-5, to secure his 100th career victory. He went 3-0 during the week, including an 8-6 decision over Phillipsburg's Broderick Bupivi. Schultz is the ninth wrestler in Howell history to reach 100 wins and is 21-0 this season.
Class A Central
Marcus Iwama, Jr., 132, Rumson-Fair Haven: Iwama, the District 22 runner-up and Region VI third-place finisher at 126 pounds last season, defeated Raritan's Dylan Seidenberg, the District 22 runner-up at 120 pounds, 9-5 in a dual with the Rockets for his 14th straight win. Iwama is 15-2 this season.
Class A South (Beside Bauta)
Alec Donovan, Jr., 145, Brick Memorial: Donovan, a two-time District 23 champion and the third-place finisher in the Region VI tournament at 138 pounds last season, defeated Southern's Zach Wilhelm, a two-time District 24 champion and a state medalist in 2011, 4-2, with a third-period spladle that erased a 2-1 deficit. Donovan is 16-0 this season.
Class B North
Connor Mullan, Sr., 182, Long Branch: Mullan went 4-0 with two pins, a major decision and a decision to help the Green Wave capture the title at the Jack Welch Duals at Moorestown High School. In the final, Long Branch defeated Hunterdon Central, 30-20, and Mullan delivered an 11-3 major decision over Dave Furmato at 182 pounds. Mullan is 16-4 this season.
Class B Central
Tore Capriglione, Sr., 145, Point Beach: Capriglione defeated Shore's Sam Koenig, a two-time District 23 third-place finisher, 5-3, to help the Garnet Gulls defeat the Blue Devils, 39-15, to clinch at least a share of the division title. Capriglione is 16-1 this season.
Class B South
Mike Russo, Jr., 120, Jackson Liberty: Russo, a two-time District 21 champ and the Region VI 106-pound champion and fourth-place finisher in the state tournament last season, went 4-0 during the week with two pins and decision victories over Toms River East's Yoseph Borai and Freehold Township's Nick DePierro, the latter of whom was a state qualifier last season. Russo is 21-0 this season.
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