CMS Cougars Honored by BOE for Wrestling Championship

The Parsippany Board of Education presented a host of student awards at its Thursday meeting at Brooklawn Elementary School, including acknowledgement of a major achievement. 

Assistant Superintendent of Schools John T. Fitzsimons presented the Central Middle School varsity wrestling team with plaques for coming in first place at the 2012-13 Morris County Wrestling Championship. 

The Cougars are celebrating what Coach Pedro Hernandez said was a winning season, as the CMS wrestlers finished with a 9-1 record, the best in the league. 1st place in the Greater Morris County Wrestling Championship. 

This year's county championship is the team's second in three years. The eighth graders leave Central with a dual match middle school record of 23-2 under the leadership of Hernandez and coach Craig Kennedy. 

"The wrestlers have enjoyed success both at Central Middle School and the Par Troy Wrestling Club," Hernandez said. "Wrestling on both teams has given all wrestlers tons of experience that has shown on the mat." 

The CMS wrestlers who placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in their weight classes:

• 1st:  Paul Scalchi, Mike Ilic, PJ Gohn, Joseph Radler
• 2nd: Jeff Wear, Naseem Sawali
• 3rd: Robbie Hockey, Ritchie DeMary, Kyle Braen
• 4th: Christian Riedinger, Jared Bazaral 

Brooklawn Middle student and two-time Morris County wrestling champ Justin Carifi was honored for earning 1st place in the 70- and 75-pound divisions at the county championships. Carifi was undefeated in his entire middle school career and leaves Brooklawn with a record of 42 wins and no losses.

Also recognized at the school board meeting were Brooklawn's National PTA Reflections Program Morris County winners Diana DeMottie in Literature and visual artist Amber Huang for their creations with the them "Magic of the Moment," and Emma Mykowski, also in visual arts, who won the 2011 Award of Excellence at the National Level for the theme "Diversity Means..."