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Who is the best wrestler from South Jersey?
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
In July, we will showcase our list of the top 250 overall athletes in South Jersey history.
But first we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports.
Next up, we're honoring the stars of the mat. Here are our selections for the wrestlers who defined the South Jersey region. The 10 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout wrestlers at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and international levels.
While not the flashiest of wrestlers, Black simply dominated his competition during his time at Absegami. Black finished his career with a 142-3 record from 1997-2000. He racked up four district and four regional titles and was 108-1 in his first three seasons, which included a third-place finish at states as a sophomore. Black went on to wrestle at the University of Buffalo.
One of the big-point producers on Pemberton’s powerhouse teams of the last 1970s, Burley reached elite status at the collegiate level, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, a four-time NCAA finalist and had a career record of 94-5-1 at Lehigh University. He won his national titles at 134 pounds in 1979 and at 142 pounds in 1983 while finishing second in 1980 and 1981 at 134 pounds. Burley captured a bronze medal at the prestigious Tbilisi tournament in 1985 after finishing second at the World Championship Trials in 1983 and third at the Olympic Trials in 1984. Burley won the United States National Open in 1985 after a runner-up finish in 1984. At Pemberton, he won a state title as a senior in 1978, knocking off defending champ Peter Schuyler, of Bound Brook, earning him the Donald Ringler Award (Most Outstanding Wrestler) for the state tournament. It was the first time in 21 years a South Jersey wrestler earned the award. Burley went 86-5-1 at Pemberton with three district and two region titles. He also placed third in the state as a junior.
One of Burlington County’s all-time best, Caceres was a two-time state champion at 120, in 1979 and 1980. He finished his senior season at 31-0, raising his career record to 79-3-1, which included a string of 60 straight wins. He was a Division III runner-up while wrestling for Trenton State College in 1984 and went on to represent Puerto Rico later that year in the Olympic Games.
One of the most recognizable and successful wrestlers on the planet, Burroughs has the medals to prove it because all he sees is gold. He won an Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Games. Burroughs is a six-time World Champion and has garnered nine medals total (three bronze) at the World Championships. Burroughs had a humble beginning in high school, where he didn’t reach the top of the podium at the state tournament until his senior season. As a senior, he won the 135-pound title, earning the title with a four-point move in the final 19 seconds to secure the win. He finished with 115 career wins with the Eagles. Burroughs’ career took off at his next stop when he became a two-time national champion and three-time Big 12 titlist at Nebraska.
Lynch was one of the winningest high school wrestlers in South Jersey history, with 133 victories in 137 career bouts. A four-time district and three-time district champ, Lynch won a pair of state titles along with a second- and fifth-place finish. Lynch won 99 straight bouts. His bouts with Overbrook’s Damien Covington are part of South Jersey’s wrestling lore. Lynch went on to become an All-American for Arizona State in 1993.
One of the most energetic wrestlers to ever don a singlet and undisputed king of the Region 8 introduction, Manchio backed up the brashness on the mat. A four-time state finalist, Manchio was crowned champion three times during his career from 1998-2001. Manchio finished his scholastic career with 93 straight wins en route to a 125-2 mark. He wrestled collegiately at Northern Iowa.
After a standout scholastic career at Delran, Matter went on to star at the University of Pennsylvania where he produced a program-record 128 wins and won a national title at 157 pounds in 2000. An inductee in the school’s Hall of Fame, Matter was the only Quaker to win four EIWA championships. At Delran, Matter was a two-time state champion, winning the 135-pound state title as a junior and the 144-pound title as a senior. He racked up three regional titles and four district crowns on his way to a 115-9 record.
The Courier-Post’s Wrestler of the Century for the Modern Era in 1999, the Tartan set the standard on the mats from 1981-84. Melchiore was South Jersey’s first three-time state champion and closed out his career with a then-state record 99 consecutive wins. A four-time district champ and three-time region champ, he finished his career with a 125-3 record, which included 90 pins. Melchiore went on to become a four-time All-American in college, finishing fourth and seventh at Oklahoma before transferring to Iowa where he placed second and third in the nation. Later he represented the United States at the Senior World Wrestling Championships in 1990.
Regarded as the best wrestler for one of the state’s most storied programs, Suter raised the bar for the Red Raiders during his career from 1990-93. A four-time district and regional champ, Suter reached the top of the state podium twice and finished with a then-state-record 138 victories. He also finished second and sixth in the state en route to a 138-7 record. Suter carried his success to Arizona State University, where he produced 107 wins with two PAC-10 titles and an All-American honor in 1997 (eighth-place).
One of the premier pinners in the sport, Walsh recorded 99 wins by fall at Camden Catholic before setting a NCAA Division I single-season record of 26 pins and a Indiana University program record of 69 career pins. At Camden Catholic, Walsh was a two-time individual state champion and helped lead the Irish to four state titles. He finished with a career scholastic record of 144-18. Walsh went on to become a standout wrestler at Indiana. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier, including a runner-up finish in 2015. He compiled a 136-18 record at Indiana.
Who’s the greatest South Jersey wrestler of all time?
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Who's South Jersey's all-time best wrestler? VOTE now
Continue reading...
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
In July, we will showcase our list of the top 250 overall athletes in South Jersey history.
But first we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports.
Next up, we're honoring the stars of the mat. Here are our selections for the wrestlers who defined the South Jersey region. The 10 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout wrestlers at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and international levels.
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Labe Black, Absegami
While not the flashiest of wrestlers, Black simply dominated his competition during his time at Absegami. Black finished his career with a 142-3 record from 1997-2000. He racked up four district and four regional titles and was 108-1 in his first three seasons, which included a third-place finish at states as a sophomore. Black went on to wrestle at the University of Buffalo.
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Daryl Burley, Pemberton
One of the big-point producers on Pemberton’s powerhouse teams of the last 1970s, Burley reached elite status at the collegiate level, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, a four-time NCAA finalist and had a career record of 94-5-1 at Lehigh University. He won his national titles at 134 pounds in 1979 and at 142 pounds in 1983 while finishing second in 1980 and 1981 at 134 pounds. Burley captured a bronze medal at the prestigious Tbilisi tournament in 1985 after finishing second at the World Championship Trials in 1983 and third at the Olympic Trials in 1984. Burley won the United States National Open in 1985 after a runner-up finish in 1984. At Pemberton, he won a state title as a senior in 1978, knocking off defending champ Peter Schuyler, of Bound Brook, earning him the Donald Ringler Award (Most Outstanding Wrestler) for the state tournament. It was the first time in 21 years a South Jersey wrestler earned the award. Burley went 86-5-1 at Pemberton with three district and two region titles. He also placed third in the state as a junior.
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Orlando Caceres, Pemberton
One of Burlington County’s all-time best, Caceres was a two-time state champion at 120, in 1979 and 1980. He finished his senior season at 31-0, raising his career record to 79-3-1, which included a string of 60 straight wins. He was a Division III runner-up while wrestling for Trenton State College in 1984 and went on to represent Puerto Rico later that year in the Olympic Games.
Jordan Burroughs, Winslow Twp.
One of the most recognizable and successful wrestlers on the planet, Burroughs has the medals to prove it because all he sees is gold. He won an Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Games. Burroughs is a six-time World Champion and has garnered nine medals total (three bronze) at the World Championships. Burroughs had a humble beginning in high school, where he didn’t reach the top of the podium at the state tournament until his senior season. As a senior, he won the 135-pound title, earning the title with a four-point move in the final 19 seconds to secure the win. He finished with 115 career wins with the Eagles. Burroughs’ career took off at his next stop when he became a two-time national champion and three-time Big 12 titlist at Nebraska.
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Pat Lynch, Ocean City
Lynch was one of the winningest high school wrestlers in South Jersey history, with 133 victories in 137 career bouts. A four-time district and three-time district champ, Lynch won a pair of state titles along with a second- and fifth-place finish. Lynch won 99 straight bouts. His bouts with Overbrook’s Damien Covington are part of South Jersey’s wrestling lore. Lynch went on to become an All-American for Arizona State in 1993.
Mark Manchio, Sterling
One of the most energetic wrestlers to ever don a singlet and undisputed king of the Region 8 introduction, Manchio backed up the brashness on the mat. A four-time state finalist, Manchio was crowned champion three times during his career from 1998-2001. Manchio finished his scholastic career with 93 straight wins en route to a 125-2 mark. He wrestled collegiately at Northern Iowa.
Brett Matter, Delran
After a standout scholastic career at Delran, Matter went on to star at the University of Pennsylvania where he produced a program-record 128 wins and won a national title at 157 pounds in 2000. An inductee in the school’s Hall of Fame, Matter was the only Quaker to win four EIWA championships. At Delran, Matter was a two-time state champion, winning the 135-pound state title as a junior and the 144-pound title as a senior. He racked up three regional titles and four district crowns on his way to a 115-9 record.
Joe Melchiore, Highland
The Courier-Post’s Wrestler of the Century for the Modern Era in 1999, the Tartan set the standard on the mats from 1981-84. Melchiore was South Jersey’s first three-time state champion and closed out his career with a then-state record 99 consecutive wins. A four-time district champ and three-time region champ, he finished his career with a 125-3 record, which included 90 pins. Melchiore went on to become a four-time All-American in college, finishing fourth and seventh at Oklahoma before transferring to Iowa where he placed second and third in the nation. Later he represented the United States at the Senior World Wrestling Championships in 1990.
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Matt Suter, Paulsboro
Regarded as the best wrestler for one of the state’s most storied programs, Suter raised the bar for the Red Raiders during his career from 1990-93. A four-time district and regional champ, Suter reached the top of the state podium twice and finished with a then-state-record 138 victories. He also finished second and sixth in the state en route to a 138-7 record. Suter carried his success to Arizona State University, where he produced 107 wins with two PAC-10 titles and an All-American honor in 1997 (eighth-place).
Taylor Walsh, Camden Catholic
One of the premier pinners in the sport, Walsh recorded 99 wins by fall at Camden Catholic before setting a NCAA Division I single-season record of 26 pins and a Indiana University program record of 69 career pins. At Camden Catholic, Walsh was a two-time individual state champion and helped lead the Irish to four state titles. He finished with a career scholastic record of 144-18. Walsh went on to become a standout wrestler at Indiana. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier, including a runner-up finish in 2015. He compiled a 136-18 record at Indiana.
Who’s the greatest South Jersey wrestler of all time?
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Who's South Jersey's all-time best wrestler? VOTE now
Continue reading...
