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Wrestling: Top Union, Somerset and Hunterdon county performers of the week

andy mendlowitz, mycentraljersey.com
·2 min read

The week had two major events with the boys Union County Tournament and the girls Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament. Throw in some big Skyland duals, and there were eventful action heading toward the stretch run.

Union County

Jake Kreisberg, Governor Livingston: The junior produced two falls and won 6-3 in the finals to claim the 157-pound title at the UCT after placing second last season. The Highlanders finished third for the third-straight season to Cranford (223.5 to 217 points).

Nathon Faxon, Governor Livingston: The junior remained undefeated (23-0) in dominating the 215-pound division at the UCT. Faxon wrestled a combined 2:06 in his three pins to earn the UCT gold medal.

Max Rotter, Westfield: How’s this for the senior’s improvement – Rotter placed fifth at 113 last season. Saturday, he claimed the 120-pound UCT title with a pin and two decisions for the Blue Devils’ lone championship.

Braeden Valley, New Providence: Valley had a strong freshman season with a fourth-place finish at 132 in 2023. This season, he stormed to the 138-pound UCT title with two pins and a 7-5 decision in the final.

John Boyle, Scotch Plains-Fanwood: The junior upset second-seed Andrew Avent (pin 5:04) in the semifinals and won 13-9 in the finals to earn the 190-pound title.

Skyland

Fabian Acuna, Somerville: The senior 175-pounder had a 4-0 week, including edging Monroe’s Omar Cholula-Conde, a returning district champion, by 3-2 UTB.

Gavin Duran, Ridge: The junior beat returning state placewinner Matt Roche of Delaware Valley, 5-4, at 132 in a high-level meeting in the teams’ dual. Duran went 34-9 last season and qualified for the state tournament.

Nick Villani, Bernards: It was a Somerset County Tournament champ vs. champ meeting in last Wednesday’s dual at 150. Villani, the 144-pound winner, emerged with a pin in 5:45 over Pingry’s Charles Levine, the 150-pound SCT champion.

Edison’s Fernando Avellan (red) takes on Bernards’ Nick Villani (green) in the 144 lb. weight class on Dec. 28, 2023 afternoon in the 2023 East Brunswick Bear Invitational at Churchill Junior High School gymnasium in East Brunswick.
Edison’s Fernando Avellan (red) takes on Bernards’ Nick Villani (green) in the 144 lb. weight class on Dec. 28, 2023 afternoon in the 2023 East Brunswick Bear Invitational at Churchill Junior High School gymnasium in East Brunswick.

Girls

North Hunterdon had an impressive third-place finish in the 13-team H/W/S Tournament. The Lions roared to 145, points just behind Vernon Township (150 points) and champion Newton/Kittatinny (211.5). Leading the way for North Hunterdon were a trio of second-place finishers in Allie Borzelli (100), Autumn Connolly (152) and Riley Dunn (165).

Emmy Hotz, Delaware Valley: Hotz had the Terriers’ highest finish as the runner-up at 235. The freshman had a pin to advance to the finals.

Annemarie Thompson, Hunterdon Central: The senior had a pair of pins to advance to the 114-pound final and took second.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ wrestling: Top Union, Somerset and Hunterdon performers of the week