Boonton’s Fajardo wins third-straight title at Mt. Lakes Tournament

MOUNTAIN LAKES – Anthony Fajardo didn’t like how his junior season ended, so he spent the summer doing something about it.

Right now, the Boonton senior has no problem with how his senior year is going.

The Bombers’ 126-pounder won his third straight Christmas Tournament title on Tuesday, defeating Wayne Hills’ Jared Inglett, 5-1, in the finals of the Mountain Lakes Tournament.

Fajardo had a first-period takedown, rode Inglett for the entire second period and then escaped and had a third-period takedown to win.

“My confidence is growing more and more,” said Fajardo, who also won the Roselle Park and Lakeland Tournaments. “Last year at the regions, I should have done better but I choked.”

Fajardo made it to the Region 3 semifinals and lost twice, missing the state tournament in Atlantic City. This time, he is leaving no stone unturned, which is why he stuck with the same training regimen he used between his sophomore and junior years.

Thus far, he has defeated two wrestlers, Lakeland’s Dan Kee and Westfield’s John Fuller, who have wrestled in Atlantic City.

“The day after I lost last year, I lifted because I wanted to get bigger and stronger,” he said. “I want to improve as much as I did between my sophomore and junior years, so why change?”

“It was a workman-like win,” Boonton coach Dave Hughen said of Fajardo’s victory over Inglett. “He did a lot of work on top. He’s in great condition. He was great on top and rode (Inglett) for about four minutes. He was close to turning him a couple of times.”

Boonton, which placed fifth overall, saw two other individual champions at Mountain Lakes. At 106 pounds Dan Fongaro won his second tournament title of the season when he defeated Iselin Kennedy’s Aaron Coleman in a wild match, 9-8.

Fongaro surrendered two reversals in the first three minutes of the bout but then used a Peterson for a four-point move to take the lead. He was reversed once again to close the second period, then had a takedown with a minute left in the third period and rode Coleman out to win it.

“Aaron and I work together at the Edge,” Fongaro said. “I knew he was tough because we drill. In the third period, I was able to pull it out. I don’t have a favorite move, I just go with what I need at that time. I like to keep my options open.”

Evan Fajardo (138), Anthony’s cousin, surrendered an early takedown but then used an arm bar to pin Pompton Lakes’ Sal Puglisi in 3:33.

“Dan earned that one,” Hughen said. “He stayed confident even though he was losing. He was down, but he never lost hope, he kept going hard.”

“I used an arm bar and a baby half,” Evan Fajardo said. “I said, ‘I need to get this.’ Luckily, I got it. I knew it would be a dogfight, it was rough at first but I worked back and left it all on the mat.”

Hanover Park’s Sean Conley battled back from a 5-3 deficit to pin Wayne Hills’ reigning Region 1 champion Mojahed Hamdeh in 2:20.

“Conley wrestled a great tournament,” Hanover Park coach James LaValle said. “He is in a tight spot on our team because there isn’t much room for him, but he was able to come back today. It was nice to get him into the lineup and get him some varsity time. He showed he can wrestle on varsity.”

Hornets teammate Mason Sangillo beat Sparta’s Connor Lore to win at 182, 3-2.

LaValle sat out most of his starters and Hanover finished in sixth place with 117 points. Hopatcong’s Anthony Mastroeni (132), who beat Pompton Lakes’ Kyle Flynn, 4-3, was named Outstanding Wrestler.

Mountain Lakes Tournament

Team scores: 1. Pompton Lakes (173 1/2); 2. Sparta (165); 3. Gov. Livingston (144); 4. Wayne Hills (137); 5. Boonton (132); 6. Hanover Park (117); 7. Iselin Kennedy (106 1/2); 8. Hopatcong (82); 9. Kinnelon (68); 10. Chatham and Plainfield (48); 12. Morris Hills (42); 13. Mountaiin Lakes (36 1/2); 14. Dover (19).

106 - Dan Fongaro (Boonton) dec. Aaron Coleman (Iselin Kennedy), 9-8; 113 - Joe Aumann (Hopatcong) dec. Garrett Gerndt (Sparta), 5-0; 120 - Sean Conley (Hanover Park) pin. Mojahed Hamdeh (Wayne Hills), 2:20; 126 - Anthony Fajardo (Boonton) dec. Jared Inglett (Wayne Hills), 5-1; 132 - Anthony Mastroeni (Hopatcong)) dec. Kyle Flynn (Pompton Lakes), 4-3; 138 - Evan Fajardo (Boonton) pin. Sal Puglisi (Pompton Lakes), 3:33; 145 - Ian Burke (Sparta) dec. Chris Grecco (Pompton Lakes), 13-7; 152 - Joey Stamouly (Wayne Hills) pin. Patrick Gundlah (Pompton Lakes), 5:23; 160 - Nathan Sowers (Sparta) dec. Neo-Joe Lughas (Plainfield), 12-8; 170 - Dan Kilroy (Wayne Hills) maj. dec. Brandon Farrelll (Kennnedy), 14-3; 182 - Mason Sangillo (Hanover Park) dec. Connor Lore (Sparta), 3-2; 195 - David Locascio (Kinnelon) dec. Craig Calderone (Pompton Lakes), 11-5; 220 - Gavin Lally (Sparta) pin. Spencer Marke (Gov. Livingston), 3:27; HWT - Cristian Cardosa (Iselin Kennedy) pin. Sean Tomlinson (Gov. Livingston), 2:22.