The five Westfield High School wrestlers who have qualified for the Region III
Tournament are one step closer to making the NJSIAA Tournament a week from Friday in Atlantic City.
But the closer the objective, the harder the opponents.
How hard is to make it? Last year, 11 Blue Devils placed in the top three of their
weights in the District 11 Tournament. Just one of them -- the graduated 130-pounder John Barnes - made it to Atlantic City.
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"If you want to get to Atlantic City, it's no free ride,'' said coach Glenn Kurz, adding that Westfield's last state champ was 148-pounder Chuck Cosenza back in 1976.
The Region III Tournament begins tonight at Union High School at 6 p.m. Runnerups and third-place finishers from the four districts that send to Region III will compete.
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The winners of tonight's preliminary bouts go on to the quarterfinals where they'll meet district champs Friday at 6 p.m. at Union. The semifinals, consolation finals and finals will be held Saturday at Union. The top three finishers in the 14 weight classes go on to Atlantic City.
Westfield sophomore 103-pounder Mike Kalimtzis was the team's lone district champ and gets a bye until Friday. He was second at the district last year.
The four who will be competing tonight are sophomore Troy Skibitsky (125), junior
Christian Barber (140), senior Brian Henry (145) and senior Bill Kim (171). Barber, with a 20-6 record, made it the farthest last year, losing in the 135-pound consolation final. Kurz believes Barber can qualify for A.C.
"He feels that he should have been down there as a sophomore and I agree,'' Kurz said.
Barber, a district runnerup after winning last year, will wrestle Madison sophomore Eamon Epstein tonight. Barber is 20-6. Skibitsky, 17-8, will face Cranford junior Brian Buontempo (21-9). Skibitsky beat Buontempo 2-1 in a district semifinal Saturday. Henry (17-11) will face Roselle Park senior Rich Weslock. Henry lost to Weslock 9-3 in a dual meet Jan. 20.
"Brian pushed him well and it was a close match until he gave up a five-point move, so I think he'll be right there with Weslock,'' Kurz said.
Kim, who has a 21-11 record, will face Parsippany junior James Morgan.
"Don't count Bill out,'' Kurz said.
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