WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange High School wrestlers Justin Barr and Arthur Rosu each took fourth place in their weight classes at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Region 3 state tournament on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25, at WOHS.
As a result, Barr and Rosu earned berths in the NJSIAA’s state tournament at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Thursday to Saturday, March 2-4. The top four finishers in each weight class at the eight region tournaments earned state tournament berths.
Barr, seeded fifth in the 144-pound weight class, pinned 12th-seeded Jake Simone of Caldwell High School in 2 minutes, 38 seconds in the first round and won a 6-4 overtime decision against fourth-seeded Jason Candelario of Madison High School in the quarterfinals on Friday. The next day, Barr lost by a 10-2 major decision to top-seeded Joseph Davi from Delbarton in Morristown in the semifinals. Barr pinned 10th-seeded Michael Marzano of Bloomfield High School in 2:46 in the consolation semifinals to clinch a state tournament berth. Barr dropped a tough 5-3 sudden victory decision to eighth-seeded Patrick Day of Phillipsburg High School in the third-fourth place bout.
Rosu, seeded fourth in the 190-pound weight class received a first-round bye before posting a 14-1 major-decision victory over fifth-seeded Alejandro Mendoza of Union City High School in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Rosu lost a 4-0 decision to top-seeded Vincenzo LaValle of Hanover Park High School. Rosu posted a 4-1 decision over sixth-seeded Chris Whitehead of Warren Hills High School in the consolation semifinals to earn a state tournament berth. In the third-fourth place bout, Rosu lost an 8-5 decision to third-seeded Caleb Rivera of Phillipsburg.
Nicholas Adams and Jaiden Mendez were the other WOHS competitors at the region tournament, which consisted of the top-three finishers in each weight class from the district 9, 10, 11 and12 tournament from the previous weekend. West Orange competed in District 11 at Livingston High School.
Adams, seeded sixth, placed fifth in the 113-pound weight class at the region tournament. After winning in the first round, Adams lost in the quarterfinals before winning in the consolation first round. Adams’ bid for a state tournament berth was denied when he lost to Logon Brzozowski from neighboring Seton Hall Prep in the consolation semifinals by a 17-3 major decision. Adams then decisioned Dawson McWilliams of Phillipsburg in the fifth-sixth place consolation.
Mendez, seeded fifth in the 157-pound weight class, won in the first round before losing in the quarterfinals and consolation first round to become eliminated.
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