Ten Verona High School wrestlers competed in the District 10 championship at Randolph High School today and seven of them came away with medals–and a trip to the Region 3 championship.
Derek Bernardino (113 pounds), Dean Palmer (126) and John Pavia (170) all earned the distinction of District champion, while PJ Shaw (120) and Jayden Czupak (152) won second place, and Matt Steitz (106) and Sam Zamloot (132) took third.
Bernardino pinned Zaire Younger of Irvington in the semifinals in just 1:44, and then delivered an 11-3 major decision over Grayson Jurado of Lyndhurst. Palmer battled his way through three rounds, pinning Zachary Sukel of Columbia in the quarterfinals and getting another pin on Irvington’s Malachi Purkett after a long match before scoring a sudden victory against Joshua Dabon of Belleville in the finals. Pavia had a bye in the quarterfinals and then earned two pins: Daniel Kelly of Randolph in the semis and Andre Portalatin-Rivera of Cliffside Park in the finals.
Czupak opened with a 16-4 decision over Cristhian Loret De Mola of Randolph in the quarterfinals and pinned Cliffside Park’s Armani Nunez in the semis before coming up short against Dylan Weaver of Lyndhurst.
The Region 3 championship will be held at West Orange High School from Wednesday, February 26, through Saturday, February 29.
