How Did Princeton High School's Wrestlers Fare in the District 5 Tournament?

Princeton High School wrestler James Verbeyst’s quest for a state title came to an end on Saturday at the hands of a familiar foe.

Verbeyst picked up two wins and two losses in the 145-pound weight class at the District 5 tournament at Hunterdon Central this week, according to nj.com.

After the fourth-seeded Verbeyst pinned No. 13 Shea Obado, of Spotswood, in one minute, 45 seconds during the pre-quarterfinal round on Wednesday, Verbeyst dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 5 Jordan Cooke, of Piscataway, in the quarterfinals.

He managed to pick up one more victory, defeating South Brunswick’s Nick Daza, 8-3, in the wrestleback quarterfinals.

However, Verbeyst’s day came to an end in the wrestleback semifinals, where he lost to Hunterdon Central’s Kevin Ciresa, 3-1, who won by sudden victory.

Ciresa went on to finish in third-place, and advance to next weekend’s state tournament in Atlantic City.

It was also Ciresa who defeated Verbeyst in the final match of the District 17 tournament, allowing both wrestlers to advance to the regional round.

Verbeyst finished the season with a record of 35-6.

Princeton freshman Alec Bobchin also qualified for the Region 5 tournament, at 120 pounds. He fell to No. 8 Anthony Donnadio, of Hillsborough, 8-0, in the pre-quarterfinals on Wednesday. Bobchin qualified for the tournament with a second place finish in District 17. He was 30-5 this season.