Columbia HS wrestlers pin down Super Essex Conference honors

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School wrestling team featured several All–Super Essex Conference–Colonial Division.

First Team

• 113 pounds: Oliver Kreizman, sophomore.
• 120: Jared Van Allen, senior.
• 126: Reid Ordower, senior.
• 132: Milan Connolly, sophomore.
• 150: August Katz, junior.
• 157: Ed Bonsu, senior.

Second Team

• 106: Christian Venescar, senior.
• 150: Sam Memo, senior.
• 175: John Parker, junior.
• 144: Kenji Shimizu, senior.

Honorable Mention

• Penn Shapiro, sophomore.

Katz won Essex County Tournament and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s District 13 titles, and took second place at the NJSIAA’s Region 4 tournament to qualify for the NJSIAA’s state individual finals in Atlantic City, where he went 1-1 to end his run. At the district tournament, he earned his 100th career victory. He now has 105 victories.

Katz was the Cougars’ first county champion in nine years.

Kreizman also qualified for the state finals after taking fourth place at the region tournament. He lost both of his matches in the state finals.

Van Allen, Ordower, Memo and Bonsu also qualified for the region tournament. Van Allen ended his career as the program’s all-time wins leader with 120 wins. Ordower also finished his career with 106 victories.

The Cougars, under eighth-year head coach Mike Freedman, went 13-9 on the season, including winning a share of the SEC–Colonial Division title with Newark East Side, with both teams having 4-1 divisional records. It marked their first divisional title of any kind since 1989. In addition, they defeated Elizabeth in the NJSIAA’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 state tournament quarterfinals for their first team postseason win since 1991. 

Freedman was named the District 13 Coach of the Year. He also was named SEC Coach of the Year by NJ.com.

Photo Courtesy of Mike Freedman

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