From left, Columbia’s Jared Van Allen, Reid Ordower, Kenji Shimizu and August Katz are all smiles after winning their respective weight classes at the Buccaneer Classic in Belleville on Saturday, Jan. 6.
MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School wrestling team has high hopes for the season.
“We are very excited about the upcoming season,” CHS head coach Mike Freedman said. “I would anticipate, if we stay healthy, this will be the best Columbia High School wrestling team in the last decade.”
Reid Ordower has 89 career victories. The senior will wrestle between 126 and 132 pounds. Freedman felt Ordower would have been in a position to qualify for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state individual championships in Atlantic City last year, but he suffered a season-ending injury at the NJSIAA’s state District 11 tournament. Ordower finished with an impressive 33-6 record on the season.
Jared Van Allen, a senior who will vie at 120 pounds, has 87 career victories. Van Allen was a state District 11 champion at 120 and finished 31-10 last season.
August Katz, a junior who has 69 career wins, will wrestle at 144 or 150 pounds. Katz last season took fifth place in the NJSIAA’s state Region 4 tournament at 138. He just missed qualifying for the state individual championships – the top four in each weight class in the region earned berths – finishing with a stellar 36-8 record.
Freedman said the team returns two really good sophomores in Oliver Kreizman and Milan Connolly. Both took fourth place in the districts last season. Kreizman went 17-6 and Connolly went 16-12.
The Cougars began the season at the Dover Holiday tournament on Saturday, Dec. 14. Kreizman took second place in the 113-pound class to lead the Cougars. Van Allen (120) Connolly (126), Katz (150), and senior Sam Memo (175) each took third place; and senior Ed Bonsu (157) placed fourth.
Van Allen, Ordower, Katz, Memo and senior Kenji Shimizu are the team captains. Memo was impressive in his first year last season, going 15-11. Shimizu won the Belleville Tournament title last year before his season was cut short due to an injury.
Anchoring the upper weights are junior John Parker and senior Lou Thelemaque, who won 10 and 11 matches, respectively last season.
Senior Christian Venescar will compete at 106. Freedman feels Venescar, who won eight matches a year ago, will have a breakthrough season.
Bonsu, at 157, also looks to build on his first year with the team last season, when he won 13 matches.
Freedman outlined the team’s goals for the season.
“Our team goals are to make the state sectionals and advance as far as possible,” he said. “We are looking to win the conference after taking second the past two seasons. Individually, we are looking to send a few wrestlers to the state tournament in Atlantic City.”
The Cougars were scheduled to host Irvington on Wednesday, Dec. 18, after press time.
Schedule
Dec. 21: at Mountain Lakes, 7 a.m.
Dec. 27-28: Sam Cali Tournament, at Morristown National Guard Armory.
Jan. 3: at Scotch Plains–Fanwood, 7 p.m.
Jan. 4: at Belleville, 9 a.m.
Jan. 10: at Belleville, 5 p.m.
Jan. 11: at Saddle Brook, time to be determined.
Jan. 13: at Livingston, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 15: St. Benedict’s Prep, 7 p.m.
Jan. 18: at Cedar Grove, time tbd.
Jan. 22-23: Essex County Tournament, at Richard J. Codey Arena, in West Orange.
Jan. 25: at Millburn tri meet, 9 a.m.
Jan. 29: at Newark East Side, time tbd.
Jan. 30: at Secaucus, 5 p.m.
Jan. 31: Orange, 7 p.m.
Feb. 1: at Bloomfield, time tbd.
Feb. 5: Bayonne, 7 p.m.
Feb. 7: at Westfield, 5 p.m.
Feb. 10 and 12: state sectional tournament.
Feb. 14: Elizabeth, 7 p.m.
Feb. 15: at Montclair, time tbd.
Feb. 22: state district tournament, at Scotch Plains.
Feb. 28-March 1: state region tournament, at Union.
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