Local Wrestlers Show Support for Newtown at 33rd Caldwell Tournament

The 33rd Annual Caldwell 8th Grade and Under Wrestling tournament took place on Sunday at James Caldwell High School. The event attracted 335 wrestlers from all over the tri-state area and included state and county champs from various areas.

In attendance were 13 wrestlers from the Newtown, Conn. Youth Wrestling Association. Their teammate, Jack Pinto, was a victim of the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Donations came from all over New Jersey (Caldwell, Verona, Cedar Grove, West Essex, Scorpions Wrestling School, Kearny, Passaic Valley, Montville, Nutley and many others).

Cedar Grove Coach Mike Brown and the Cedar Grove Wrestling community donated $1,100 dollars as well as a huge box of gear.

The Caldwell Wrestling Club, co-sponsors of the event along with the West Caldwell-Caldwell Recreation Department, collected donations for the Pinto Family, which exceeded $2,500. Also collected were five boxes of wrestling gear from many of the towns represented to distribute to all the Newtown wrestlers so that they feel the love and support from their wrestling friends in New Jersey.

Caldwell Wrestling Club President Tom Caravela said he received the following note from Newtown Wrestling Coach Chris Bray after the Tournament.

We had a great day of wrestling today...thank you! Please thank all of those involved for their thoughtful generosity toward the Pinto family & our Newtown Youth Wrestling family. Such kindness to complete strangers is truly overwhelming! We feel our brothers in New Jersey standing next to us.

Local Place Winners in Verona and Cedar Grove:

1st:

Frankie Riggio, Verona

Michael Massa, Cedar Grove

Dillon Jennings, Cedar Grove

Anthony Clarizio, Cedar Grove

Maguire Pecci, Verona

Joseph McCarthy, Cedar Grove

Matthew Russo, Cedar Grove

John Nardiello, Cedar Grove

2nd:

Daniel Zamloot, Verona

Alex Faieta, Cedar Grove

Samuel Zamloot, Verona

Matthew Lay, Cedar Grove

Dane Luehs, Cedar Grove

Danny DiPrenda, Cedar Grove

3rd:

Sean Rendeiro, Cedar Grove

Owen Fogarty, Verona

Thomas Kellner, Verona

Anthony Zamloot, Verona

Jimmy Loudon, Verona

Jack Schultz, Cedar Grove

Vasili Cook, Cedar Grove

Eric Kriegsman, Cedar Grove

4th:

Tyler Rummel, Cedar Grove

Nick Bianco, Cedar Grove

Nicholas Riggio, Verona