Information
2003 NCAA Wrestling Results for New Jersey
This was one of the best years in some ways for New Jersey wrestling. New Jersey had the 2 most number of qualifiers, 31. There were 8 freshman, 8 sophomores, 7 Juniors, and 8 seniors. One did not make weight and 30 wrestled in the NCAA's.
Steve Mocco wins a National Championship at the heavyweight division. Steve, a sophomore at U of Iowa had a bye the first round. He won the next four bouts to win the title. He defeated another NJ wrestler, Kevin Hoy from Waretown who attended Southern Regional H.S. Kevin won four bouts and then met Steve. Kevin is a senior and wrestled for the Air Force Academy under Legendary Wrestler and coach Wayne Baughman. Kevin was an All-American last year also. Steve spent 2 high school years at St Benedicts and 2 at Blair Academy. His home is in North Bergen.
Damion Hahn wins a National Championship at 197 pounds. Damion placed 4th in 2001, 5th in 2002 and 1st in 2003 at 184 pounds. Damion is from Lakewood NJ and is a Junior at Minnesota. He won 5 matches to the championship. The last two matches were won in the last few seconds of each match.
Sophomore Chris Skretkowicz, wrestling for Hofstra, won 6th place. He, as did Mocco, beat another NJ wrestler on his way. Chris beat Morgan Horner of Lock Haven 14-8. Morgan was the wrestler who defeated Chris for an NJSIAA championship his senior year.
There were Eight wrestlers who tied for 9th and came within one match of being labeled an NCAA All-American: They were Matt Valenti, a freshman from Kittatiny wrestling for U of Penn; Terrance Clendenin, a sophomore from Toms River North wrestling for Lehigh; Zach Esposito, a freshman from 3 Bridges and Blair Academy wrestling for Oklahoma State University; Jody Giuricich from Blairstown and Blair Academy wrestling for U of Penn; Ralph DeNisco, a Junior from Woodcliff Lake wrestling for U. of Wisconson; Matt Greenberg, a senior from Saddle Brook wrestling for Cornell; Morgan Horner, a freshman from Hasbrouck Heights wrestling for Lock Haven; and, Nick Fekete, a senior from Cranford wrestling for Michigan State.
New Jersey had no wrestlers who qualified at 165 but we had 7 who qualified at 197.
2003 NCAA participants
weight Year School record place
125 Terrance Clendenin so Lehigh 2-2 Tie for 9th
125 Matt Valenti fr U of Penn 3-2 Tie for 9th
125 Bobby Stinson fr Rider 1-2
133 Joe Alexander jr U of Virginia 0-2
133 Ricky LaForge so Hofstra 0-2
133 Sean Markey so Citadel 0-2
141 Bob Seidel sr U of Virginia 2-2
141 Frank Edgar so Clarion 0-2
141 Zach Esposito fr Oklahoma St 3-2 Tie for 9th
149 Ed Gutnik fr U of Wisconson 1-2
149 Rob Becker jr George Mason 1-2
149 Jody Giuricich sr U of Penn 3-2 Tie for 9th
149 Greg Austin sr Rutgers 0-2
157 Scott Garren jr No Carolina St 1-2
157 Amir Khan fr Rutgers 1-2
157 Labe Black so Buffalo 0-2
157 Chris Bitetto fr U of No Iowa 1-2
165 None qualified
174 Andrew Roy so Rutgers 1-2
174 Chris Carlino sr Cal St Fullerton 0-2
184 Brad Christie fr Hofstra 1-2
184 Ralph DeNisco jr U of Wisconson 4-2 Tie for 9th
197 Greg Sawyer sr Rider 0-2
197 Morgan Horner fr Lock Haven 2-2 Tie for 9th
197 Chris Skretkowicz so Hofstra 3-3 6th
197 Matt Greenberg jr Cornell 4-2 Tie for 9th
197 Ryan McGrath sr Rutgers 0-2
197 Damion Hahn jr Minnesota 5-0 1st
197 Nick Fekete sr Michigan St 3-2 Tie for 9th
Hwt Steve Mocco so Iowa 4-0 1st
Hwt Kevin Hoy sr Air Force Academy 4-1 2nd
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