The Roselle Park Recreation Wrestling Team had their season recognized by mayor & council at the May 18th municipal meeting.
First-year head coach Ryan Rooney spoke on behalf of the program to those in attendance Thursday night. He remarked on and appreciated the immense amount support from the community including volunteers, parents, the Dad’s Club, the Roselle Park High School (RPHS) administration, local businesses, alumni, the Roselle Park Middle School and RPHS coaching staff: John Ranieri, Kevin Carroll, Craig Frost, Rich Greco, Keith Appello, Mike Goff; the RPHS Athletic Department, Athletic Director James Foy, Bobby Harms, the Signorello family, the Recreation Department, and residents.
“There is no shortage of people who support this program and its rich tradition,” said Coach Rooney.
The head coach made note of the program entering the New Jersey Grade School Wrestling League (NJGSWL). The league was formed in 1996 in response to the need for a seventh- and eighth-grade league throughout the state and promotes competitive wrestling while creating a connection between youth and high school programs.
Thanking John Ranieri and Craig Frost for getting the program into the NJGSWL, coach Rooney stated, “It not only helped our young wrestlers sharpen their skills, but it also showed them that they could compete with any program in the state, and moving forward this will be a monumental step towards building their confidence for high school, especially down at the state tournament where they’re more likely to see these teams.”
Coach Rooney highlighted the accomplishments of various teams and wrestlers:
- The Central Jersey Wrestling team amassed a 12-6 record and placed 3rd out of 18 teams in the league
- The Middle School team amassed an 8-1 record
- The Grade School Team amassed a 14-6 record and placed 7th out of 32 teams in the league
- The RPHS Park Wrestling Season amassed an 18-5 record, finished 3rd at the Panther Invitational with 5 Champions, finished 2nd at the Paul Finn Duals, took 2nd place at the Union County Tournament (UCT), ranked 7th in the County NJ.com, had ten (10) place winners at the UCT, North II Group I State Section Semi-Finalists, 3rd place finishers in District 15 Tournament, 4 Champions and 9 Region 4 Qualifiers, #9 Ranked team in all of NJ Group 1, and #8 Ranked team in Region 4
- Johnny Amato earned a 6th place finish in CJYWL
- Julian Colon earned a 4th place finish in NJGSSWL was and an NJSIAA State Tournament Qualifier
- Matthew Griffin earned a 1st place finish in the Central Jersey Youth Wrestling League (CJYWL) and a 6th Place finish at the New Jersey State Tournament
- Mayson Harms earned a 1st place finish in CJYWL, an 8th place finish in the NJGSWL, and an NJSIAA State Tournament Qualifier
- Shiloh Joyce earned a 6th Place finish in the tots division at the NJSIAA State Tournament
- Charles Levine earned a 2nd place finish in CJYWL and an 8th Place finish at the NJSIAA State Tournament
- Angel Mejia earned a 1st place finish in CJYWL, a 3rd place finish in the NJGSWL, and a 3rd Place finish at the NJSIAA State Tournament
- Anthony Molinaro earned a 2nd Place finish in the tots division at the NJSIAA State Tournament
- Mark Montgomery, an RPHS Sophomore, had a season record of 37-3, a career high school record of 65-8, took 3rd place at the CBA Tournament, was a Panther Invitational Champion, Paul Finn Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler, County Champion, District Champion, Region Champion, an NJSIAA State Tournament Qualifier, and was elected 1st team All-Conference
- John James Ranieri earned a 1st place finish in CJYWL and a 3rd Place finish at the NJSIAA State Tournament
Jason Weaver earned a 6th place finish in NJGSWL
“The Park Wrestling staff and I are pleased with the team results from this season and we look forward to continuing our proud tradition and to close the gap on many more of our goals for next season, said Coach Rooney, “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the town council and Mayor Hokanson for providing us the opportunity to showcase our Wrestling Program. We truly appreciate you.”