How special is Windt’s winning streak?

WMC captain scores 6 team points 11 matches in a row

I reported in my last article that West Morris Central wrestling team captain Jesse Windt had won his 10th consecutive match scoring six for the team. Six is the maximum number of team points any wrestler can contribute in a match.  You get six team points by pinning your opponent (a “fall”), by accepting a forfeit, or if your opponent defaults due to injury (not caused by an illegal move) or disqualification.

While wrestling is an individual sport, it’s also a team sport. So achieving max-points – six team points – is the most you can do for your teammates, coaches, and school.

With tonight’s win by fall over Chatham’s Taylor Boehmer, Windt’s max-scoring streak reached 11 matches in a row. I’m not a long-time high school wrestling observer, but I've never seen anything like that.

Windt’s extraordinary senior year season started with four pins in a row, followed by a 7-1 win over Warren Hill’s Ryan Wittner to win the John Goles Tournament championship. Another pin, then Windt lost to Montgomery’s state championship hopeful Anthony Cassar (ranked #2 in the state at 195).

Since that loss, Windt hasn’t taken any prisoners: 10 pins and a forfeit in his last 11 matches. Eleven max-points wins in a row. Nine of those pins came in the first period. The one that didn’t?  In a re-match, Windt improved on his earlier win over Wittner by pinning him in the second. 

The WMC captain is now 17-1 on the year.

WMC wresters’ dads (myself included) sometimes joke with Jesse’s father Mike Windt. “Oh, Jesse pinned his kid. No big deal. We counted his six in our heads before the match started.” That’s incredibly unfair of us. But it speaks to just how dominant he has been.

It’s not easy to get six for the team. It comes from an incredible work ethic, and a grueling off-season training commitment.

I don't think max-point victories is a stat that’s specifically tracked, so I just played around for a few minutes to see how rare Windt’s streak may be. I checked the best wrestler WMC has faced this year, Roxbury’s Dillon Artigliere. He is currently on an eight-match max-points streak. Last year – as undefeated state champion – Artiglier’s best was a six-match streak.

I checked the NJ.com #1 pound-for-pound wrestler in the state, John Sebastian from Bergen Catholic. His longest streak this year is four.

I checked on South Plainfield’s Anthony Ashnault (in honor of tonight’s Long Valley Youth Wrestling Grade School team’s win over SP's previously-undefeated youth team). Ashnault was the most dominant wrestler in New Jersey high school history, finishing his career 170-0 with four undefeated state championship seasons.

Ashnault had an 8-match max-points streak last year (his senior year).  Back in his sophomore year he had a streak of 10 -- his career best.

Windt’s streak stands at 11.

Can any of you researchers or high school wrestling historians help me understand just how special that is?

Looks pretty extraordinary from here.