First-year RCGC wrestling coach Dan Antonelli doesn't like to engage in speculation when it concerns championship tournaments, and this weekends' NJCAA Eastern II District Tournament at Lackawanna College is no exception.
Antonelli, who will field a full roster of 10 grapplers, guides his team into their biggest challenge of the 2018-19 season. Nine GSAC and Pennsylvania schools will square off with district titles on the line and the right to qualify for the national championship tournament in March.
"Of the 10 wrestlers we will bring, I'll consider 6 to 8 national qualifying wrestlers a great meet and 4 to 6 qualifiers as a good tournament," Antonelli said. "It's hard to predict anything more specific than that when you're up against the best in the District and the Region."
Among the teams participating will be RCGC, Bergen, Camden County, Middlesex, Lackawanna, Thaddeus Stevens, Valley Forge, Spartanburg Methodist, and Garrett College.
Fresh off winning the Garden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) title on January 26, the Roadrunners hope to continue their momentum in the District Tournament.
Last winter, RCGC brought four wrestlers into the District Championships, and all four emerged as national qualifiers. Included in that group was current sophomore Dylan Skidmore, who went on to post a 2-2 record in the National Championship Tourney in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Skidmore, a former Glassboro High standout for Antonelli, is expected to be one of the top performers in the 157-pound weight class.
"Dylan has had a phenomenal year, and he keeps improving with each tournament," said Antonelli. "He's ready once again and has set his goals high."
The Roadrunners will also be competitive at several other weights, including at 149, where first-year standout Jared Carr (Millville) has emerged as a top performer over the past several weeks. First-year standout Dylan Fischer, who has compiled a 17-6 record at 165 pounds, is also expected to do well. Freshman 170-pounder Tyler Baer has also shown steady improvement at 170.
Other Roadrunner participants include Tate Merlino (125), Pasquale Locantore (184), and Anthony Pencook (141) among others.
The top two finishers in each weight class plus a group of wild card selections will qualify for the NJCAA Wrestling National Championship Tournament, March 1-2, at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.