Centenary Athletics Holds Annual Banquet

: Freshman Owen Vernon with Centenary Athletics Director Billie Jo Blackwell.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (May 5, 2009) – Centenary athletics held its annual banquet Tuesday night, handing out awards for the 2008-09 season. Coach of the Year honors went to first-year men’s basketball coach Enrico Mastroianni, Rookie of the Year went to Caitlin Veverka (Bayonne, N.J./Holy Family Academy) and Owen Vernon (Great Meadows, N.J./Hackettstown), the Scholar Athlete winners were Bianca Santulli (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater) and Adam Achillies (Lanoka Harbor, N.J./Lacey Twp.) and the Cardy Gemma Award went to Jolyn Veres (Denville, N.J./Morris Knolls) and Chris Hill (Flanders, N.J./Gil St. Bernard's).

Vernon led the wrestling team with 24 victories and was a three-time placewinner in 2008-09. He finished third at the Metropolitan Championships, fifth at Ithaca College Bomber Invitational and fourth at Springfield College Invitational. He was named Second Alternate to NCAA Wrestling Championships.

Centenary Wrestling Hosting Flag Sale To Aid Ethiopia Reads

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (March 25, 2009) – The Centenary wrestling team will be hosting a flag sale event in front of Tilly’s, on the school campus in Hackettstown, N.J., Wednesday and Thursday, April 2 and 3, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day. The Cyclones will be selling three by five flags from all Nationalities, with 50 percent of the profit going to Ethiopia Reads.

“Professor Bob Quade’s granddaughter is a member of the Peace Corps in Ethiopia,” said head coach John Garriques. “Professor Quade asked if we would be interested in helping out raising money for the children in Ethiopia and we jumped at the opportunity.”

Ethiopia Reads was founded by Yohannes Gebregeorgis, a native of the country, to create a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books. By planting libraries for children, creating culturally appropriate reading materials and training educators to nurture a love of books, Ethiopia Reads brings hope and educational skills to this generation of Ethiopians. The charity earned CNN’s 2008 Hero Award. For more information, log on to www.ethiopiareads.org.

Centenary wrestling will also be accepting donations of new or used children’s books to be sent to Ethiopia.

Centenary Wrestling Earns Scholar Team Award With 22nd-Best GPA In Division III

: Sophomore Jonathan Stillo was named to the Scholar-Athlete All-American Team.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (March 10, 2009) – The Centenary wrestling team earned a Scholar Team Award, it was announced Tuesday. The Cyclones were one of 34 schools to receive the honor, posting the 22nd-best GPA in Division III. All teams with a GPA of 3.0 or better were given the award. The Cyclones boast a team-GPA of 3.209. Williams College is first in the nation with a team-GPA of 3.545.

“It is a great honor to have our team picked as the top-22 Scholar Academic team in the country,” said head coach John Garriques. “This is one of the most dedicated teams that I have been a part of. They worked hard on the mat and off, had a great year with a record of 10-6 and then ended the season with their best showing ever in the Metropolitan Conference by placing fourth behind three nationally ranked squads. I would like to thank our Athletic Director Billie-Jo Blackwell for her hard work and guidance throughout the year.”

Individually, Centenary sophomore Jonathan Stillo (Alpha, N.J./Phillipsburg) was named to the Scholar All-American team with a GPA of 3.708. A Criminal Justice major, Stillo’s GPA is tied for the 25th-best in Division III. He finished the season 23-10, taking third-place at 149 in the Metropolitan Championships. As a team, the Cyclones were 10-6 in Garriques’ third year as head coach, with one second-place and three third-place finishers in the conference tournament.

2008-09 Scholar Athlete Awards

Centenary Wrestling Finishes Fourth In Metropolitan Championships

: Freshman Owen Vernon was named second alternate after taking third place at 157-pounds in the Metropolitan Championships.

YORK, Pa. (February 22, 2009) – The Centenary wrestling team finished fourth out of nine schools in the Metropolitan Championships, Sunday on the campus of York College in York, Pa. The team scored 42 points, trailing only Wilkes, College of New Jersey and York. Freshman Owen Vernon (Great Meadows, N.J./Hackettstown) took third at 157-pounds and was named the second alternate.

Sophomore Matt Regan (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) had the best finish for Centenary, falling in the championship bout at 165 to take second. Three Cyclones finished third in their respective weight classes, sophomore Jay Giuricich (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) at 133, junior Dave Alsieux (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) at 141 and sophomore John Stillo (Alpha, N.J./Phillipsburg) at 149-pounds,

A pair of freshmen finished in the semifinals of wrestlebacks, JJ Mitchell (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) at 184 and Tim Tomaino (Highlands, N.J./Middletown South) in the heavyweight class.

Junior Charles Cannella (Kunkletown, Pa./Pleasant Valley) at 174 and freshman Nicholas Marchiavava (Haddon Twp., N.J./Haddon Twp.) at 197 also competed for Centenary.

Brackets Team Scores

Centenary Wrestling Team Still Alive In Metropolitan Championships

YORK, Pa. (February 22, 2009) – All members of the Centenary wrestling team are still alive in the Metropolitan Championships, taking place on the campus of York College in York, PA. Sophomore Matt Regan (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) is in the finals of the 165-pound class.

The rest of the Cyclones, freshman Owen Vernon (Great Meadows, N.J./Hackettstown) at 157, sophomore John Stillo (Alpha, N.J./Phillipsburg) at 149-pounds,sophomore Jay Giuricich (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) at 133, junior Dave Alsieux (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) at 141, junior Charles Cannella (Kunkletown, Pa./Pleasant Valley) at 174, freshman JJ Mitchell (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) at 184, freshman Nicholas Marchiavava (Haddon Twp., N.J./Haddon Twp.) at 197 and freshman Tim Tomaino (Highlands, N.J./Middletown South) in the heavyweight class are all still alive in wrestlebacks.

Brackets

Centenary Wrestlers Ready For Metropolitan Conference Championships

: Head coach John Garriques has the team ready for the 2009 Metropolitan Conference Championships.

YORK, Pa. (February 21, 2009) – Members of the Centenary wrestling team (10-6, 4-3 Metropolitan) will compete in the conference championships, Sunday, Feb. 22, on the campus of York College in York, Pa. The tournament serves as a regional qualifier to the 2009 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament on March 6 and 7, 2009 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The Metropolitan Championships will send 16 wrestlers to the national championships. The ten weight class winners will be joined by six wild card selections, which will be picked by the coaches at the conclusion of the tournament on Sunday night.

The action kicks off in Charles Wolf Gymnasium on Sunday at 9:30 am with the preliminaries and the quarterfinals. The semifinals and first round consolation round starts at approximately 11:30 am. The consolation semifinals are scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm followed by the finals and consolation finals are set for two mats at 4:00 pm.

The doors will open for spectators at 9:00 am with admission prices set at five dollars for adults, two for seniors aged 60 and up, and two for students with ID.

Going into the qualifiers, Centenary has eight student-athletes ranked in the latest conference wrestling poll, led by sophomore Matt Regan (Boonton, N.J./Boonton), who is No. 2 at 165-pounds.

The Cyclones have two wrestlers ranked at No. 2 in their respective weight classes in sophomores Jay Giuricich (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) at 133 and Jonathan Stillo (Alpha, N.J./Phillipsburg) at 149, and also a pair ranked at No. 4 in freshman Owen Vernon (Great Meadows, N.J./Hackettstown) at 157 and sophomore Dave Alsieux (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) at 141.

Freshman Mike Hall (Madison, N.J./Madison) is No. 5 in the heavyweight class while sophomore Charles Cannella (Kunkletown, Pa./Pleasant Valley) (No. 7 at 174) and freshman JJ Mitchell (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) (No. 7 at 184) round out the rest.

Centenary Wrestlers Among Conference Leaders

: Sophomore Matt Regan is ranked No. 2 at 165-pounds in the latest Metropolitan Conference poll.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 19, 2009) – Going into the Metropolitan Qualifiers on Sunday, Feb. 22, the Centenary wrestling team (10-6, 4-3 Metropolitan) has eight student-athletes ranked in the latest conference wrestling poll, led by sophomore Matt Regan (Boonton, N.J./Boonton), who is No. 2 at 165-pounds.

The Cyclones return to the mat on Sunday, Feb. 22, for the Metropolitan Qualifiers at York College in York, Pa.

Centenary Wrestling Battles, But Falls To No. 3 Delaware Valley 41-3

: Freshman Owen Vernon picked up his team leading 21st victory in Centenary's loss to No. 3 Delaware Valley.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 11, 2009) – The Centenary wrestling team battled against the No. 3 ranked team in the country, but still fell 41-3 to Delaware Valley, Wednesday night in Hackettstown, N.J. Freshman Owen Vernon (Great Meadows, N.J./Hackettstown) picked up the lone win for the Cyclones, defeating his opponent 5-2 at 157-pounds.

After Centenary forfeited at 125, sophomore Jay Giuricich (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) fell by way of major decision at 133, 14-1 to No. 3 ranked Brandon Clemmer. Although they lost the next two bouts, the Cyclones battled hard. Leading 1-0 in the third period, junior David Alsieux (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) allowed a late escape and then suffered a takedown, losing 3-1 to Eric McCann at 141. Then at 149, sophomore Jon Stillo (Alpha, N.J./Phillipsburg) trailed 3-2 late, before a takedown with under a minute remaining by DVC’s Dale Fava made the final score 5-2.

At 157-pounds, Vernon finally put the Cyclones on the board, defeating Rob Hickman 5-2. But the Aggies won the final five bouts, including two pins, two major decisions and one technical fall, to win going away 41-3.

Prior to the match, the two teams held three exhibitions, with Delaware Valley winning all three. Freshman James Valcius (Orange, N.J./Orange) was pinned by Zach Andrews in 6:11 at 141, fellow classmates Chris Boyle (Manchester, N.J./Manchester) and George Mack (Manchester, N.J./Manchester) also competed and lost, Boyle 10-2 to Matt Lindsay at 149 and Mack by way of pin in 3:18 by Jeff Sicilliano.

The Cyclones finish the regular season 10-6, while Delaware Valley improves to 20-1-2.

Delaware Valley 41 – Centenary 3

125 – No. 3 Chris Sheetz (DVC) wins by forfeit     6-0 DVC
133 – No. 3 Brandon Clemmer (DVC) 14-1 maj. dec. over Jay Giuricich (CC) 10-0 DVC
141 – Eric McCann (DVC) 3-1 dec. over David Alsieux (CC)   13-0 DVC
149 – Dale Fava (DVC) 5-2 dec. over Jon Stillo (CC)    16-0 DVC
157 – Owen Vernon (CC) 5-2 dec. over Rob Hickman (DVC)   16-3 DVC
165 – Justin Barowski (DVC) 12-0 maj. dec. over Matt Regan (CC)   20-3 DVC
174 – No. 6 Rocky Mantella (DVC) 27-11 maj. dec. over Charles Cannella (CC) 24-3 DVC
184 – No. 2 Michael Wilcox (DVC) 21-6 tech. fall over JJ Mitchell (CC)  29-3 DVC
197 – Martin Porter (DVC) pins Chris Sharma (CC) in :55    35-3 DVC
HWT – No. 3 Kyle Bilquist (DVC) pins Tom Tomaino (CC) in 1:21   41-3 DVC

Centenary Wrestling Ready For No. 3 Delaware Valley College

: Sophomore Jonathan Stillo and freshman Owen Vernon lead the Cyclones with 20 victories apiece.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 10, 2009) – In its last regular-season match of 2008-09, the Centenary wrestling program will face its toughest task when No. 3 Delaware Valley College comes to Hackettstown, N.J., Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. The Cyclones (10-5) last wrestled in a 24-17 loss at King’s College on Feb. 3. DVC (19-1-2) finished in a 17-17 tie with No. 2 Wartburg on Jan. 31 and defeated Division I school East Stroudsburg 24-16 on Feb. 5.

The Cyclones have been led by a pair of 20-match winners in sophomore Jonathan Stillo (Alpha, N.J./Phillipsburg) at 149 and freshman Owen Vernon (Great Meadows, N.J./Hackettstown) at 157. Vernon is ranked as an honorable mention in his weight class. 133-pounder Jay Giuricich (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) has 19 victories on the season for Centenary.

The Aggies’ lineup features nine wrestlers ranked among the top 10 of their respective weight classes by d3wrestle.com, led by Michael Wilcox, who is No. 2 at 184. Chris Sheetz at 125, Brandon Clemmer at 133 and Kyle Bilquist in the heavyweight class are each ranked No. 3, while Rocky Mantella is No. 6 at 174. DVC also boasts three contenders in Eric McCann (141-pounds), Justin Barowski (165-pounds) and Jeff Sicilliano (197-pounds), while Dale Fava is an honorable mention at 149.

Centenary Falls At King’s College, 24-17

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (February 3, 2009) – The Centenary wrestling team dropped a tough dual match to King’s College, falling 24-17 Tuesday in Wilkes Barre, Pa. The Cyclones (10-5, 4-3 Metropolitan) led 17-6 but were unable to hold the advantage as King’s College (9-13, 2-4 Metropolitan) rallied for the victory.

The match started at 133-pounds, where Centenary Jay Guiricich (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) earned a quick five points for his team with a 19-3 technical fall over Anthony Dietrick. After David Alsieux (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) fell 6-4 in overtime at 141, John Stillo (Alpha, NJ/Phillipsburg) picked up an extra-point victory at 149, pinning Frankie Davis in 2:49. Chris Boyle (Manchester, N.J./Manchester) lost a tightly contested 5-4 match at 157, but then the Cyclones reeled off consecutive victories as Matt Regan (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) and Charles Cannella (Kunkletown, Pa./Pleasant Valley) earned decisions at 165 and 174, respectively.

But Centenary could not hold its 17-6 lead, as King’s won the last four bouts, including two extra point victories, to get the win. JJ Mitchell (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) fell 5-1 at 184, Chris Sharma (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) was pinned at 197 and Tim Tomaino (Highlands, N.J./Middletown South) fell 4-3 in the heavyweight bout. Centenary forfeited at 125 and King’s came away with a 24-17 victory.

Centenary returns to the mat on Wednesday, Feb. 11, when it hosts No. 3 Delaware Valley at 7:00 p.m.

Results

Cyclone Wrestling Provides Community Service

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 29, 2009) - The Centenary wrestling team was scheduled to wrestle at Kings College (Pa.) last night; the Cyclones are currently 10-4 on the season. Due to weather conditions the wrestling match was postponed, but the weather did not stop the Cyclones from going out and giving back to the community. Head coach John Garriques went out after hearing about the canceled match, bought some shovels, and called the entire team down to the gymnasium, reminding them along the way to dress warmly.

Once arriving he informed them that their workout for the day will be giving back to the community. The Cyclones started out from Centenary College headed down West Plane Street, up one side of Main Street to Grand Ave, and then back the other side of Main, turning right at the Quick Chek onto Bells Lane.

The team managed to shovel both sides of the street, while doing individual driveways along the way. The team then continued up Washington Street, turned left back onto West Plane, and headed back to the college. It was a five hour day of giving back to the community. The Cyclones refused any money from residents, and business owners, but encouraged the community to come out to catch a match!!!

No. 18 TCNJ Pulls Away from Centenary

EWING, N.J. (January 22, 2009) - In a match-up of in-state wrestling programs, The College of New Jersey won the final seven weight classes to secure a 34-7 victory over the visiting Cyclones.

TCNJ got the first points of the match on a forfeit at 125, but the Cyclones came right back to get on the board cutting into the deficit as Jay-Anthony Giuricich (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) posted a victory by major decision at 133. Giuricich’s win made it a 6-4 match with the hosts holding the advantage. At 141 pounds, Centenary took its first lead at 7-6 as David Alsieux (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) pulled out a 6-4 overtime win over Bill Tenpenny. Unfortunately for Centenary the advantage did not last long as the Lions jumped right back in front with an overtime win at 149.

TCNJ tacked on another win at 157 to increase its lead to 12-7, while at 165 the Lions scored a 13-4 major decision bumping the hosts advantage to 16-7. The lead continued to grow for TCNJ over the remainder of the evening, as the #18 ranked Lions took the 34-7 win, in route to their 11th victory of the season. The loss drops the Cyclones to 10-4 on the year. Results

Cyclones Fall to No. 28 York (Pa.); Down Elizabethtown

: Oswen Vernon

YORK, Pa. (January 17, 2009) - This weekend the Centenary College Wrestling team split a Metro Conference tri-match at York College (Pa.). In the opener the Cyclones lost a very close match, 24-16 to No. 28 York College 24-16, only to bounce back to record a big win over Elizabethtown College 28-16.

Centenary began the morning match against York down 6 points when they forfeited the bout at 125. Then after a 9-3 loss at 133, the team rallied back with three straight victories, a decision by David Alsieux (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) at 141, a fall by Jon Stillo (Alpha, N.J./Phillipsburg) , and another decision by Owen Vernon (Great Meadows, N.J./Hackettstown) to jump in front 12-9. York then countered by recording a pair of back to back wins jumping back in front 17-13.

Centenary stayed strong at 184 with JJ Mitchell (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) earning a decision brining the Cyclones within striking distance at 18-16. The bout at 197 found Centenary's Anthony Greene (South Orange, N.J./Columbia) tied with ten seconds remaining in the third period. With the time running out Greene tried for a big move, but gave up a takedown and the two point loss. Heading into the final bout, Centenary's heavyweight, George Mack (Manchester, N.J./Manchester) , needed a fall to win the match for the Cyclones. Mack gave it his best shot, having York's Shane Cooley on his back in the second period but could not hold him. Cooley ended up winning the bout, giving York the victory by the eventual final of 24-16.

The second match of the day the Cyclones came out with something to prove and did not allow the forfeit at 125 hinder them. The cyclones received wins from Jay-Anthony Giuricich (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) at 133, David Alsieux at 141, and John Stillo at 149. Then Owen Vernon and Matt Regan (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) answered with a pair of falls at their respective weights. Elizabethtown however did not go away, as they charged back with victories at 174 and 184. The Cyclones Anthony Greene closed out the victory for Centenary at 197 with a decision, before E-town managed a decision in the heavyweight bout moving the final team score to 28-16 in favor of Centenary.

York Match Results
Elizabethtown Match Results