The Verona wrestling team has not always been on the winning end of its matches this season, but one of its athletes generally has. Tom Cundari has come away the victor against Belleville, Millburn, Union, Parsippany Hills and Madison of late, pinning his opponents in each. In fact, he has had only one loss this season, when he himself was pinned in a pre-Christmas match against Bloomfield. For his achievements,Cundari is this week’s Verona Sports Boosters Senior Athlete of the Week.
Cundari has played many sports during his school years in Verona. He was on the Verona High School football team in his freshman year, and returned to the team at guard this past fall, aiding in the victories over Jonathan Dayton, Montclair Immaculate and Newark Academy. But wrestling has been a passion since elementary school, a passion confirmed at VHS. Last year, he made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Region 4 wrestling tournament and took second place at 140 pounds in the Essex County Tournament.
Now wrestling at 152, Cundari took out O’Brayan Ramirez during the Belleville match with a pin in 1:07. It took him just 21 seconds to defeat his Millburn opponent. At the Union quad, he pinned Union High School’s Patrick Rangel in 2:30 and Rob Vasquez of Parsippany Hills in 1:23.
During the 2011-2012 school year, the Verona Sports Boosters will be recognizing a different senior athlete at Verona High School every week. The Boosters support male and female athletes in all VHS sports through a variety of fundraisers and recognition events.
