Brick Council Honors Bowlers, Wrestlers For Spectacular Seasons

The Brick Township School District had some very successful athletes over the winter, with wrestlers from both high schools going deep into the state tournament and a girls bowling team rising to the very top of the podium.

Because of that, the Township Council took time out to honor the students at two recent meetings.

The Brick Township High School girls bowling team won the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title, which is the overall state high school championship title, defeating top-seeded Jackson Memorial for the championship, according to NJ.com. That title capped a season that included the Dragons’ eighth Group III title, and tournament victories at both the Ocean County Tournament and the Brick Tournament. The Dragons finished second in Shore Conference South A, behind rival Brick Memorial.

Juniors Brianna MacLeod, Nicole Aumack, Vicky Spirio and freshmen Julianna Forbes and Jessica D’Alusio were key members of the team.

Among the wrestlers, Brick Memorial’s wrestling team was honored for winning the NJSIAA Group V championship, the team’s ninth group title in school history, as well as the South Jersey Group V title, the Mustangs’ 15th sectional title, and its ninth straight District 23 title, its 29th district title overall, according to NJ.com. Brick Memorial also was tops in the Shore Conference, winning the conference tournament for the 15th time and the Class A South title, its sixth divisional title.

Individually, the council honored seven wrestlers for their indivdual achievements.

From Brick Memorial state champion Alec Donovan, who won the 145-pound weight class, as well as Gianni Ghione, Cliff Ruggiero and Nick Rivera, who reached the finals of their respective weight classes and finished second. Brick Memorial’s four wrestlers in the individual championships was the most in Shore Conference history. Ghione won the District 23 title at 113 and was second in Region VI. Ruggiero was the district and region champion at 160, and Rivera was the district and region champion at 285.

Brick Township’s trio of Dean Sherry, Kyle Wojtaszek, and Will Scott also were honored. Wojtaszek and Sherry finished third at the state championships and Scott was sixth. All three have committed to wrestle at NCAA Division I colleges next year.

Wojtaszek, who was third at both the district and region tournaments at 170 pounds, has committed to continue his wrestling career at Bloomsburg University. Sherry, who has committed to wrestle at Rider University next year, won the District 23 and Region VI titles at 182 pounds. And Scott, who won District 23 and then fell to Ruggiero in the Region VI final and the semifinals of the state championships, is headed to Rutgers to continue his wrestling career.

(Photos: 1. Brick Township’s state champion girls bowling team. 2. Brick‘s Kyle Wojtaszek, Will Scott and Dean Sherry. 3. The Brick Memorial wrestling team. Credits: Karen Wall)