Derek Mingmongkol, right, is shown at the district tournament.
MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Columbia High School wrestlers Reid Ordower, Jared Van Allen, August Katz and Derek Mingmongkol gave exemplary efforts at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Region 3 state tournament at West Orange High School on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25.
Ordower, a sophomore seeded 10th in the 106-pound weight class, posted a 9-4 decision win over seventh-seeded Mark Montuore of West Morris Central High School in the first round, but lost by pin to second-seeded Aiden Scheeringa of Hackettstown High School in 1 minute, 06 seconds in the quarterfinals on Friday.
The next day, Ordower dropped a 10-0 major decision to sixth-seeded Carmine Sipper of Caldwell High School in the consolation first round to become eliminated.
Van Allen, a sophomore seeded seventh in the 113-pound weight class, pinned 10th-seeded Anthony Lizama of Bloomfield High School in the first round, but lost by pin to second-seeded Rafe Fonte of West Morris Central in 1:41 in the quarterfinals. Van Allen then lost to sixth-seeded Nicholas Adams of West Orange High School by an 11-5 decision in the consolation first round to become eliminated.
Katz, a freshman seeded seventh in the 126-pound weight class, dropped an 11-7 decision to 10th-seeded Franco Graffeo in the first round to become eliminated.
Mingmongkol, a senior seeded seventh in the 144-pound weight class, lost by pin to 10th-seeded Michael Marzano of Bloomfield High School in 3:50 in the first round to become eliminated.
The Region 3 tournament consisted of the top three finishers in each weight class from district 9, 10, 11 and 12 tournaments on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17-18. Columbia competed at the District 10 tournament at Phillipsburg High School. Van Allen and Katz each took second place, and Mingmongkol and Ordower each took third place at the district tournament.
Photos Courtesy of Columbia HS head wrestling coach Mike Freedman
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