Greater Mercer County Tournament champs
Millstone Middle School wrestlers finish stellar year
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writer
The Millstone Township Middle School wrestling team has finished its 2009 season as county champs.

The Millstone Township Middle School wrestling team celebrates a stellar season and holds up the first-place trophy it won at the Greater Mercer County Wrestling Tournament Feb. 8.

When featured in the Examiner earlier this year, the team was already well on its way to a stellar season. The team finished out its year with an overall record of 11 wins and one loss, a conference record of eight wins and no losses and as winners of the Greater Mercer County Wrestling Tournament.

The team started the month of February by defeating Upper Freehold Regional Middle School wrestlers in a Feb. 4 conference meet. The eighth-grade wrestlers from both teams who go on to wrestle next year will wrestle together on the Allentown High School team. The Millstone team bested the Upper Freehold team 56-21.

During the first week of February, Millstone wrestlers also hosted the Pond Road Middle School from Robbinsville for their final conference match of 2009. A large crowd gathered Feb. 6 in hopes of witnessing the Millstone team go undefeated in the Tri-County Conference and were not disappointed when Millstone won, clinching the title with an 8-0 record.

The win set the stage for the team's final event of the season, The Greater Mercer County Wrestling Tournament held at Robbinsville High School Feb. 8.

Sixteen teams participated in the event that highlights champions from each weight category and crowns one team as champion. The Millstone team started the day with a setback, as Justin Miller, one of its undefeated wrestlers, had to withdraw from the competition due to the flu. The day quickly turned around when the team performed well in the early rounds and then continued a strong showing throughout the day.

Toward the conclusion of the final round of the tournament, the Millstone team had two matches going on simultaneously. Frank Jubo pinned his opponent and Joe Mangrella put his opponent on his back dur- ing the final period to seal their victories.

At the end of the day, the Millstone squad won the tournament with 232 points and got to raise the 4-foot first-place trophy in the air before the large crowd in attendance.

Head Coach Anthony Stillitano said the win was a complete team effort with contribution coming from wrestlers in all the weight categories. During the event, Zack Hankinson, Frank Juba, Joe Mangrella and Mike May took first place, Rob Beck, Colin Pecci and Chris Weitz took second place, Jack Giglia took third place, Mike Mangano took fourth place, and Zak Bicho took fifth place in their respective weight classes.

Parents of the Millstone wrestlers said Stillitano did a great job working with their kids this season, noting that he stresses the fundamentals of wrestling, working hard on and off the mat, and good sportsmanship. The parents said the coach uses his knowledge of the sport to set high standards that challenge the boys while allowing them the opportunity to enjoy themselves.

The wrestlers also credit the partnership Stillitano formed with assistant coach Rich Giglia, who heads up the Millstone Township Recreation Wrestling Program with Rich Williams, to create a synergy between the school and the recreation programs that didn't exist in the past. Many of the wrestlers said that it's no coincidence that the new cooperation between the two programs resulted in the middle school wrestlers landing their first county championship this year.

Brian McNamara also helped coach the middle school team this year.