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Mount Olive senior moves a step closer to gold at NJ state wrestling tournament

nick gantaifis, morristown daily record
·4 min read

ATLANTIC CITY − Tyeler Hagensen used his knowledge and years of experience to his advantage as he maneuvered his way through the first two days at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Now, the Mount Olive senior is one win away from rewriting school history.

Hagensen stunned the crowd by defeated freshman sensation Paul Kenny of Christian Brothers Academy, 4-3, in a 113-pound semifinal match on Friday evening.

“I knew I had more experience than him. He’s a freshman and he’s never been down here before. I know he’s been to other big tournaments, but this is different. It’s a lot of pressure,” said Hagensen, a three-time state qualifier and now two-time medalist. “I let loose and wrestled it like just another match and relieved a lot of pressure.”

Live results: NJ state wrestling tournament 2024 in Atlantic City

Mt Olive, NJ -- January 27, 2024 -- Tyeler Hagensen of Mt. Olive won this 113 lb. semi-final, defeating Isa Kupa of Boonton in the Morris County Wrestling Tournament held in Mt. Olive, NJ on January 27, 2024.
Mt Olive, NJ -- January 27, 2024 -- Tyeler Hagensen of Mt. Olive won this 113 lb. semi-final, defeating Isa Kupa of Boonton in the Morris County Wrestling Tournament held in Mt. Olive, NJ on January 27, 2024.

Trailing 3-2 late in the third period, Hagensen (39-4) scored a takedown in the waning seconds to hold off Kenny, the U17 World champion.

“The first plan was to just win the match. One match at a time. You can’t look into the future. You just don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s a lot of upsets in this tournament,” said Hagensen, a Buffalo pledge. “We watched some film on each kid before every match to get an idea of what’s going to happen. I pushed through and dug deep. I knew I was going to win.”

Hagensen, the No. 2 seed, is the second straight Mount Olive wrestler to reach a state final and just the fourth in school history. Hagensen joins Jack Bastarrika (2023), Seamus McGuinness (2000) and Anthony Guidi (1988). He now has his sights set on becoming just the second state champion since Guidi won the 152-pound title 36 years ago.

Earlier in the afternoon in the quarterfinals, Hagensen defeated Matt Gould of St. John Vianney, 3-1. Hagensen will meet Johnathon McGinty of St. Joseph (Montvale) in the championship finals on Saturday afternoon. It will be the second meeting between the two in the last week. Last Saturday, Hagensen defeated McGinty, 2-1, in overtime in the Region 2 finals.

Hagensen is one of 10 Morris/Sussex competitors to win their semifinal matches. Delbarton advanced seven to the finals with Cameron Sontz (106), Ryan DeGeorge (126), Jayden James (138), Alessio Perentin (165), Louis Cerchio (175), Vincent Lee (215) and Connor Martin (285) shooting for state titles on Saturday. Perentin and Cerchio are going for their second straight crowns.

Sontz paved his way into the finals by defeating nemesis Killian Coluccio of Christian Brothers Academy, 10-3, in the semifinals. It was the third meeting between the freshmen in the last year with Coluccio having the upper hand the first two times.

“He beat me in the summer and a few weeks ago, but this one is what matters,” Sontz said. “The environment here is like no other. I love the crowd, my fans and my team. Our coaches create a great atmosphere. The bigger the scene, the better I am.”

Pope John junior Carson Walsh advanced to his first state final when he defeated Bryce Manera of Southern, 3-2, in the 132-pound semifinals. Walsh, a three-time state qualifier and now three-time medalist, is the first Lions wrestler to reach a state final since Nick Lodato won the 195-pound crown in 2021. He'll meet two-time state medalist and 2022 state champion Adrian DeJesus of St. Joseph (Montvale) in the finals.

“This is my third time in the semifinals. The last two years didn’t go my way. It’s a non-stop grind that’s got me to where I am. Everybody has played a part,” Walsh said. “When I get to my offense, no one can beat me. Keeping my mental game was the biggest thing for me.”

Feb 24, 2024; West Orange, NJ, USA; Region 3 Wrestling Finals at West Orange High School. (Left) Vincenzo LaValle (Hanover Park) and Pantaleo Varga (Bergen Catholic) in their 190 pound match.
Feb 24, 2024; West Orange, NJ, USA; Region 3 Wrestling Finals at West Orange High School. (Left) Vincenzo LaValle (Hanover Park) and Pantaleo Varga (Bergen Catholic) in their 190 pound match.

Hanover Park junior Vincenzo LaValle advanced to the 190-pound final by avenging a loss to Mount Olive senior Tyler Bienus in the Morris County Tournament final in January. LaValle, a three-time state qualifier and two-time medalist, scored a 4-2 decision over Bienus on two second-period takedowns.

LaValle will meet two-time state finalist and 2022 state champion Harvey Ludington of Brick Memorial in the finals.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Tyeler Hagensen: Mount Olive one win from NJ state wrestling title