Courier News area has 12 boys state wrestling medalists
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ATLANTIC CITY – Nicholas Duarte is a smart guy but he’s learned the best thing during a wrestling match is to simply have a blank mind.
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“Don’t think too much about it, just go out there and just do what you know how to do,” the Hillsborough senior said. “Let the results show. The practice is the time you think. Practice is when you go over any possibilities that can happen. Match time, it becomes second nature to you – you just do it.”
That was evident two weeks ago when he pinned the top seed in the Region 5 heavyweight final in 34 seconds via an outside trip. He became the program’s first region champ since current head coach Rhys Weinberger won a title in 2013.
Duarte then had an impressive showing at Boardwalk Hall with a fifth-place finish at 285 after going 0-2 in last year’s tournament. This time, Duarte went 5-2 with five pins – a rare feat in AC – four of which were under a minute. That includes falls of 11 and 19 seconds during the three-day tournament which ended Saturday, March 14.
“I knew what to expect going into this tournament,” Duarte said. “Last year, I definitely was intimated by the big crowd and everything but this year my nerves were under control and I just kept my mind focused on what I wanted to do. I went out there, I did it.”
The Courier News area of Hunterdon, Somerset and parts of Union counties had a dozen boys wrestlers earn medals (top eight finish). Immaculata and Ridge each had three medalists and Bridgewater-Raritan had two.
Here is a look at some of the finishes and a list at the bottom.
Ridge has strong showing
The Red Devils had four wrestlers reach the fourth consolation round (top 12) with three medalists (top eight).
Tanner Connelly had a nice comeback story. He reached the third consolation round in the state tournament as a sophomore at 106 but missed the 2025 postseason with an injury. This winter, a healthy Connelly took seventh while doing it the toughest way possible – winning four straight matches after losing in the first round.
Ryan Engle nearly placed in 2025 when he reached the third consolation round. Last week, he broke through by taking seventh at 175. He lost 10-2 in the quarterfinals to eventual state champion Santino Rodriguez (Don Bosco).
Dominic Dorrman had one of the unlikeliest stories of the tournament by finishing seventh as the 29th seed at 190. Ryan Yang fell just short of a medal with by reaching the fourth consolation round at 144.
Immaculata tastes the podium
Immaculata not only had its first state placewinner in the three-year program but the Spartans had three medalists and another finished in the top 12.
Rhett Washleski earned his second state medal with a fifth-place finish at 150. The senior took seventh last year while wrestling at Hunterdon Central. The fifth seed got upset 10-1 against No. 12 William Sakoutis (Christian Brothers Academy) in Friday night’s pre-quarterfinals. The senior dug down and won three straight to clinch a medal.
Nate Keller and Forest Rose each broke through with a podium spot after coming close last season. The junior Keller finished in the top 12 last season. This time, the No. 8 seed at 144 surpassed his seed with a fourth-place medal. After losing to CBA’s Robert Duffy, the eventual state champion, in the quarters, Keller won his blood round match 3-0 to clinch a medal.
Rose, a sophomore, reached the third consolation round last year at Princeton at 106. Now wearing a Spartans singlet, the fifth-seeded Rose reached the semifinals with a 3-2 win over No. 4 Cayden Wadle of North Hunterdon to avenge an earlier defeat. That secured a medal and he wound up taking fifth.
Sophomore Landan Riddell reached the blood round for the second straight year at 138 for a top 12 finish.
Bridgewater-Raritan has drama show
At 165, Panthers junior Matthew McCann had a drama-filled three days. Six of his seven matches were decided by three points or less, either way. After losing 2-0 in the pre-quarterfinal, the 13th-seeded McCann bounced back to win matches by 1-0 and 4-2 to advance to the fourth consolation round.
You want pressure? The blood round is win and you get a medal. Lose and you miss a medal. It’s that simple. He trailed Mt. Olive’s Justin Bullock 7-0 in the first period. McCann rallied to force overtime fueled by a takedown and three near fall points in the second period. He wound up winning 10-7 in sudden victory to secure a medal en route to taking eighth.
Junior heavyweight Trent Levash took sixth but gave the Bridgewater-Raritan fans a tad less gray hair. He scored a pin in the blood round after dropping his quarterfinal match.
Courier News area boys medalists
Second Place
132: Anthony DiAndrea (Watchung Hills)
Third Place
144: Nate Keller (Immaculata)
Fifth Place
106: Forest Rose (Immaculata)
150: Rhett Washleski (Immaculata)
285: Nicholas Duarte (Hillsborough)
Sixth Place
285: Trent Levash (Bridgewater-Raritan)
Seventh Place
175: Ryan Engle (Ridge)
190: Dominic Dorrman (Ridge)
Eighth Place
106: Cayden Wadle (North Hunterdon)
113: Tanner Connelly (Ridge)
126: Terrance Fearon (Hunterdon Central)1
165: Matthew McCann (Bridgewater-Raritan)
Top 12 (reached fourth consolation round)
138: Landan Riddell (Immaculata)
144: Ryan Yang (Ridge)
285: Raymir Brighton (Plainfield)
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Wrestling Courier News area state medalists