Josh Lowe, InterMat High School Analyst
Heading into the 2009 Schoolboy Greco-Roman National Duals, one wondered whether it would again be a battle between Minnesota and Pennsylvania for the title. In each of the last two years, those squads met in the final. Minnesota won in 2008, while Pennsylvania prevailed in 2007 to win the back end of consecutive titles in this event.
However, New Jersey — not exactly a traditional Greco-Roman power — surprised the field with a 9-0 run through the championships. The Garden State squad was anchored by a pair of wrestlers that went 9-0 for the competition, Dylan Milonas (120) and Cory Damiana (190). Milnoas is raned 11th nationally in the recently released Junior High rankings by InterMat.
The run was not without challenges. In Pool A competition, defending champions Minnesota actually took 9 of the 17 matches from New Jersey. The difference in the 37-36 New Jersey victory was getting five victories by pin and technical fall, while Minnesota only mustered three. A pin by Damiana, technical fall by Jeffrey Miller (210), and pin by Gregory Webb (265) in the last three matches of that dual meet turned a 35-23 deficit into the one-point victory. Then, in the last match of championship pool competition, New Jersey needed a last match pin from Webb to knock off Wisconsin, 39-38.
Despite losing a match in preliminary Pool D to Missouri, Illinois cleared the other championship pool with a 3-0 record to advance to the first place match against New Jersey. The Land of Lincoln squad would fall short in the final, as they could not hold a 28-18 lead that they had secured heading into the last six matches of the dual meet. David Williams (152), Anthony Ferraro (160), Kenneth Bradley (175), Damiana, and Webb would win their matches to rally the Garden State squad to the gold medal.
Placement matches:
1st place: New Jersey defeated Illinois, 40-33
3rd place: Missouri defeated Minnesota 1, 39-30
5th place: Pennsylvania Red defeated Wisconsin, 40-29
7th place: Michigan 1 defeated Minnesota 2, 42-33
9th place: Kansas defeated Florida, 44-26
Undefeated wrestlers (at least six wins in contested matches):
70 pounds: Jabari Moody (IL) 6-0
77 pounds: KeShawn Hayes (MO) 9-0
84 pounds: Dylan Lucas (FL) 8-0
91 pounds: Coy Ozias (MD) 7-0, Luke Zilverberg (MN-2) 6-0
98 pounds: Bryce Brill IL 9-0
105 pounds: Brogan Humprhey (KS) 6-0
112 pounds: Russell Coleman (MO) 9-0, Jarred Johnson (KS) 6-0
120 pounds: Dylan Milonas (NJ) 9-0, Levi Eck (KS) 8-0
128 pounds: Eric Morris (PA) 9-0
144 pounds: Joe Cortese (IL) 8-0
152 pounds: Tommy Longendyke (MN-1) 8-0, Dominick Flock (WI) 7-0, Nick Corba (OH) 6-0
160 pounds: Luke Kisselback (PA) 9-0
190 pounds: Cory Damiana (NJ) 9-0, Adrian Bolognani (IL) 7-0
215 pounds: Alex Lennarston (WI) 9-0
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