The 33rd Beast of the East will take place at the University of Delaware on Saturday and Sunday and once again New Jersey will have a significant presence.
Below we take a look at some storylines to keep an eye on as well as the New Jersey wrestlers seeded in the top 12 of their respective weight classes, the Garden State schools attending and the schedule for the weekend.
Can this be a breakthrough tournament for Tanner Hodgins?
Howell junior 215-pounder Tanner Hodgins is a two-time state placewinner and this summer moved into No. 2 in the country in his weight class while committing to national power Oklahoma State. Hodgins finished sixth at this tournament last year and comes into this tournament as the No. 1 seed at the weight – joining Jack Anello (106) and Vincent Anello (132) as New Jersey wrestlers on top of brackets.
Who else could make a name for themselves?
Blair’s Michael Batista (120), Rumson-Fair Haven’s Sonny Amato (150), St. Peter’s Prep’s Josh Piparo (165), Don Bosco’s Santino Rodriguez (175) and Woodstown’s Mateo Vinciguerra (285) are all No. 2 seeds.
Amato is in a bracket with arguably the best wrestler in the entire tournament, Bo Bassett of Bishop McCort (Pa.) – and it might not be arguable.
Other than the No. 2 seeds, there are other New Jersey standouts lurking including Lacey’s Killian Coluccio (113), Delran’s Jackson Weller (150) and Camden Catholic’s Kage Jones (157) that could make run and finish high up on the podium and there’s plenty of other potential podium contenders if not dark-horse champions.
Will Blair return as the top dog?
Blair finished fourth as a team last year, ending a streak of being the dominant team at the Beast. The Bucs won 26 tournament championships including 22 in a row when they participated.
Blair should be in the mix again with nine seeded wrestlers included top seeds Jack and Vincent Anello.
N.J. seeds
106 pounds
1-Jack Anello, Blair; 3-Will Cruz, Paulsboro; 8-Stephen Bogacius, Camden Catholic; 11-Forest Rose, Immaculata; 12-Frank Albright, Washington Twp.
113 pounds
3-Killian Coluccio, Lacey; 11-Anthony Riotto, Bergen Catholic
120 pounds
2-Michael Batista, Blair; 8-Carmine Sipper, Caldwell; 11-Michael Daly, Cranford
126 pounds
5-Finnegan O’Brien, Blair; 8-Augie Szamreta, Warren Hills; 9-Matthew Mulligan, Bergen Catholic; 12-Christian Ramirez, St. Peter’s Prep
132 pounds
1-Vincent Anello, Blair; 5-Anthony DiAndrea, Watchung Hills; 6-Colton Hagerty, Washington Twp.; 7-Dalton Weber, Pope John; 8-Richard DeLorenzo, Toms River East; 9-Sal Borrometti, St. Peter’s Prep; 11-Joey Rizzuto, DePaul
138 pounds
3-Gino Schinina, St. Peter’s Prep; 10-Armani McCann, Jackson Liberty.
144 pounds
4-Weston Borgers, Blair; 5-Gideon Gonzalez, Bergen Catholic; 11-Lauden Henry, St. Peter’s Prep; 12-Nate Keller, Immaculata
150 pounds
2-Sonny Amato, Rumson-Fair Haven; 6-Jackson Weller, Delran; 9-Michael Craft, Camden Catholic.
157 pounds
3-Kage Jones, Camden Catholic; 9-Joseph Schnider, Blair; 11-Wyatt Fry, Rumson-Fair Haven
165 pounds
2-Josh Piparo, St. Peter’s Prep; 7-Morgan Schwarz, St. Joseph (Met.); 8-Ryan Gavrish, St. John Vianney.
175 pounds
2-Santino Rodriguez, Don Bosco; 3-Ryan Meier, Blair; 5-Tyler Whitford, St. Joseph (Met.); 9-Cole Dunham, Pope John; 10-Anthony Verdi, St. Peter’s Prep; 12-John Saraiva, St. John Vianney
190 pounds
1-Tanner Hodgins, Howell; 4-Salah Tsarni, Blair; 5-Alexander Reyes, Holmdel; 6-Jaden Simpson, Camden Catholic; 7-Nevin Mattesich, Don Bosco; 11-Carmen Marano, St. Peter’s Prep; 12-Jared O’Neill, Christian Brothers
215 pounds
4-Tyler Palumbo, Crhistian Brothers; 5-Thomas Kellas, Blair; 6-Rocco Salerno, Seton Hall Prep; 10-Tim O’Rourke, Howell; 11-Mason Marck, Bergen Catholic
285 pounds
2-Mateo Vinicguerra, Woodstown; 5-Cael Milknick, Blair; 10-Ralphie Barca, Bergen Catholic.
N.J teams
Bergen Catholic; Bergenfield; Blair; Caldwell; Camden Catholic; Christian Brothers; Clearview; Colts Neck; Cranford; Delran; Demarest; DePaul; Don Bosco; Hackettstown; Haddonfield; Hanover Park; Howell; Hunterdon Central; Immaculata; Jackson Township; Kingsway; Kinnelon; Lacey; North Brunswick; Northern Burlington; Old Tappan; Paramus; Parsippany; Passaic Tech; Paulsboro; Paul VI High School; Pingry; Pompton Lakes; Pope John; Ridgefield; River Dell; Roselle Park; Rumson-Fair Haven; Saint Augustine; Saint John Vianney; Saint Joseph (Met.); Saint Peter’s Prep; Schalick; Seton Hall Prep; Shawnee; Toms River East; Union; Warren Hills; Washington Township; Watchung Hills; West Morris; Westfield; Williamstown; Woodstown.
Schedule
Saturday
- Championship Round 1, 8:30 a.m.
- Championship Round 2, 11 a.m.
- Consolation round 1, 1 p.m.
- Consolation round 2, 3 p.m.
- Championship round 3, 5 p.m.
- Consolation round 3, 6:30
- Consolation round 4, 7;30
Sunday
- Championship quarterfinals, 8:30 a.m. 10:30
- Consolation round 5, 8:30 a.m.
- Consolation round 6, 10:30 a.m.
- Championship semifinals, 11 a.m.
- Consolation quarterfinals, 11:30 a.m.
- Consolation semiifinals, 1:30 p.m.
- Finals and medal matches, 3:15 p.m.
