Seton Hall Prep wrestling team advances five to state finals in Atlantic City

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep wrestling team will be sending five wrestlers to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City to compete in the state finals that begin March 5 and end on Saturday, March 7.

Sophomore 106-pound Joseph Sciarrone finished in fourth place, going 2-2 at the Region 4 tournament at Union HS from Feb. 26, 28-29. Junior 138-pound Conner Decker finished in second place after going 2-1 in the regional. Junior 145-pound Cole Carroll was a fourth-place finisher in the regional, going 3-2. Junior 160-pound Jack Wilt finished in second place and was 2-1 in the regional. Senior 195-pound Michael Massa won the regional title and went 3-0.

Decker, Carroll, Wilt and Massa will be making their second consecutive trip to Atlantic City while Sciarrone will be making his first appearance. Other SHP finishers were senior 220-pound Andrew Mitzak, who took fifth place and went 2-2; and junior 120-pound Gabriel Jimenez and 126-pound Larry Melchionda, who each finished in sixth place. Other Pirate wrestlers who competed in the regionals were senior 132-pound Dean Musialowicz, 1-2; senior 152-pound Aidan Cunningham, 0-1; senior 170-pound Zach Merlino, 0-1; and senior 182-pound AJ Hinton, 0-2.

SPECIAL HONOR: Before the finals, Seton Hall Prep assistant coach Louis Mascola was inducted into the Region 4 Hall of Fame. Mascola was an outstanding wrestler at Seton Hall Prep and was a four-time Essex County champion, four-time district champion; four-time region champ; four-time state qualifier and two-time state-place winner — fifth place in 2009 and sixth place in 2011. He also had a great career at the University of Maryland.