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Persistence pays off: Alex Nini of CBA prevails over Evan Tallmadge for region wrestling crown

TOMS RIVER - The adage "if at first you don't succeed, try and try again" paid off for Christian Brothers Academy sophomore 120-pounder Alex Nini in the NJSIAA Region 6 120-pound championship bout against Brick Memorial's returning state champion Evan Tallmadge Saturday at RWJBarnabas Health Arena.

"If I kept shooting, I was going to score on one of them,'' Nini said.

Nini scored the tying takedown with seven seconds left in regulation, rode out Tallmadge early in the first tiebreaker period and then escaped with 18.6 seconds remaining in the second part of the second tiebreaker to record a 4-3 win.

"I think the volume of shots increased my chances of scoring, obviously,'' said Nini, who was in on a couple of shots earlier in the third period including one on Tallmadge's leg for about 30 seconds.

CBA's Alex Nini (white singlet) recorded a dramatic 4-3 win over Brick Memorial's Evan Tallmadge in the NJSIAA Region 6 120-pound championship bout.
CBA's Alex Nini (white singlet) recorded a dramatic 4-3 win over Brick Memorial's Evan Tallmadge in the NJSIAA Region 6 120-pound championship bout.

What it means

Nini, who avenged a 2-1 defeat in tiebreaker period No. 1 to Tallmadge on Jan. 8, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. He was also one of a school-record seven champions from CBA and nine Colts to qualify for the NJSIAA Individual Championships, which will take place March 3-5 at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.

RESULTS: Results from the Region 6 wrestling tournament in Toms River

STATEWIDE: Complete coverage, results from all 8 region championships in NJ

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ATLANTIC CITY QUALIFIERS: Complete list of all 448 NJ wrestling state tournament qualifiers by weight class

The state eighth-place finisher at 113 pounds last season, Nini also kept Tallmadge on the defensive with his aggressive approach.

"He was kind of backing up a little bit,'' Nini said.

Nini also probably made a smart decision by letting the single leg takedown attempt that Tallmadge fended off for about 30 seconds eventually result in a restart with 33 seconds remaining.

"I knew I was just wasting a lot of time and not coming close,'' Nini said. "I knew if I kept firing, I'd get to him eventually.''

The rideout portion is normally a strength of Tallmadge's, but Nini said he used a different plan than on Jan. 8.

"Last time, I let him roll around a little bit. This time, I just got the boot in and had an arm,'' Nini said.

A potential Round 3

It is very likely when the state tournament is seeded on Tuesday, Nini and Tallmadge will be in the bottom part of the bracket as the No. 2 and 3 seeds and be in line to meet in the semifinal.

"It's a fun match, always. I'm ready to wrestle,'' Nini said. "We had two rideout matches. I'm down for Round 3. I don't mind. It's a good match. He's a good competitor.''

Southern's Conor Collins, the runner-up to Tallmadge at 113 pounds last season, will likely be the No. 1 seed. He defeated Tallmadge 3-2 on Jan. 6.

Santaniello is ready

There is no question Brick Memorial's Anthony Santaniello has been waiting for the state tournament ever since he was defeated 6-5 by Delbarton's Tyler Vazquez in the Beast of the East 132-pound final on Dec. 19.

"Live or die. I need it. He (Vazquez) wants it,'' Santaniello, last season's 120-pound state champion and a two-time state finalist said, after he won his third region championship with a win by technical fall over Shore's Gabe Scalise in the 132-pound final. "It's live or die for me. I'm not dying next week. I'm living for a while.''

Santaniello, who recorded three technical falls in the tournament, said the defeat to Vazquez, which is one of two he has had in a 95-2 scholastic career so far, is something he is constantly thinking about.

"I think about it every night. It's hard,'' Santaniello said. "(Friday night), I couldn't sleep until about 12 because I was thinking about that match over and over in my head. It's probably not a good thing. It's probably obsessive a little bit. I've gone through 10,000 scenarios and every match I could have in the states. I know who I'm probably going to see in the semis, maybe in the quarters.

"It's Vazquez, for the most part. "Every time, it goes through my head, I'm winning every time.

But, as Santaniello has constantly said, the defeat to Vazquez might have served as the wakeup call he needed. Vazquez, who is a two-time state third-place finisher, is someone who Santaniello knows he will have to be aggressive to defeat.

Brick Memorial's Anthony Santaniello (right) won the NJSIAA 132-pound Region 6 championship with a win by technical fall over Shore's Gabe Scalise.
Brick Memorial's Anthony Santaniello (right) won the NJSIAA 132-pound Region 6 championship with a win by technical fall over Shore's Gabe Scalise.

"I'm working harder than ever. I'm more confident than ever after that loss,'' Santaniello said. "I'm trying to get to my offense more and doing everything I can to not have that happen again.''

There is always the chance Santaniello - by constantly thinking about the defeat to Vazquez - could put himself in a position of analysis by paralysis.

"I can't stop it. I'm doing whatever I can to win this match,'' Santaniello said. "I'm enjoying every part of this season. Cutting weight, the late night practices. It's delayed gratification.''

Hunter Mays primed for another championship

Howell senior 165-pounder Hunter Mays said he is as ready as he could be to become the school's first two-time state champion.

"I feel awesome. I think I've been outworking everybody,'' May said after he won his second region champion with a win by technical fall over Freehold's Brandon Smith in the 165-pound final. "I feel so ready to go.''

Howell's Hunter Mays (right), won the NJSIAA Region 6 165-pound with a win by technical fall over Freehold's Brandon Smith.
Howell's Hunter Mays (right), won the NJSIAA Region 6 165-pound with a win by technical fall over Freehold's Brandon Smith.

Mays has had to challenge himself through much of the season because, except for the Powerade Tournament Dec. 29-30, where he sustained his only defeat to Blair Academy's Lorenzo Norman, he has rarely been tested.

"I do conditioning after every match,'' Mays said. "I'm doing sprints in the hallway. I'm doing shadow wrestling. I try to pushing myself to keep myself ready.''

Mays said he is not going to put any extra pressure on himself.

"Of course, I believe I'm going to win. If I win, it's great. If I don't, I already have everything I need,'' Mays, who will wrestle collegiately at Rider University, said. "I don't really care where everybody is at. I respect everybody, but if I'm going to win a state title, I have to beat everybody.''

Introducing Mr. Luddington

Brick Memorial's talented and ballyhooed freshman Harvey Ludington showed he is ready to make noise in the state tournament with a pin of Howell's returning state qualifier D.J. Henry in the 175-pound final.

Brick Memorial freshman Harvey Ludington (top) pinned Howell's returning state qualifier D.J. Henry to win the Region 6 175-pound championship.
Brick Memorial freshman Harvey Ludington (top) pinned Howell's returning state qualifier D.J. Henry to win the Region 6 175-pound championship.

"I'm hyped for it (the state tournament),'' Ludington said. "It's my chance to kind of shine and put a stamp on the first year of my high school career.''

Ludington had stamped himself as a contender last fall when he won the championship at the prestigious Super 32 Tournament. He has had several qualify and impressive wins during the season and avenged his only defeat to Mount Olive's Hunter Perez in a Mustang Classic semifinal with a win in Brick Memorial's defeat to Mount Olive in the NJSIAA Group 4 championship match.

"I know states are going to be hard. I have a lot of tough competition,'' Ludington said. "I think I go with my head in it and I work hard, I can go win.''

Ludington was leading 4-1 when he put Henry on his back with a power half nelson midway in the second period.

"I don't want give them (his opponents a chance to breath. No breaks,'' Ludington said.

Big day for CBA

CBA's other champions were Tyler Venet (106), two-time state seventh-place winner Garrett Totten (126), returning state eighth-place finisher Julian George (138), Tyler Barrett (150), Zander Silva (157) and Robert Canterino (215).

Barrett defeated Brick Memorial's Ryan Smith to win his second region title. Silva defeated Ocean's Shane Cartagena-Walsh 4-3 on a takedown with 14 seconds remaining.

Other champions were Howell's Xavier Ortega (113), Wall's Donovan DiStefano (144), Ocean's Jared Tracey (190) and Colts Neck's Matt Jannucci (heavyweight), who remained unbeaten with a 2-1 win over Northern Burlington's Jule Dolci in tiebreaker period No. 1.

Freehold Township's Jesse Heubel was the Region 6 Coach of the Year and Freehold's Colin Monahan was the Region 6 Assistant Coach of the Year.

By the numbers: Shore qualfiiers from Region 6

CBA 9; Howell e8; Brick Memorial 7; Ocean 4; Jackson Memorial 4; Freehold 3; Point Pleasant Boro 3; Wall 2; Shore 2; Toms River North 2.

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This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore NJ Wrestling: Alex Nini of CBA wrestling defeats Evan Tallmadge