Iarussi Advances But Falls Short in State Tournament Debut

AJ Iarussi fell to Carson Stack of Haddonfield in a 9-0 decision yesterday. Yet, he defeated Matt Schofield of Barnegat, 3-2 in triple overtime to continue wrestling in Saturday's wrestleback's in the NJSIAA state tournament. 

Iarussi, who has wrestled since the eighth grade, lost the Region championship in a difficult 3-1 triple overtime match against Anthony Tancs of Brearly. He placed second in the region after a district championship win a week earlier.

"I'm getting a lot of experience," said the upbeat Iarussi. "I'm only a junior," he said. In all the two-sport athlete who was also on the championship football team takes it in stride. "Its been a fun ride," he said about the wrestling season.

Although he didn't make it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament, it's no doubt this Summit wrestler, along with the entire team have made on impact in their short time as a varsity squad. Iarussi's state run was cut short when he eventually fell to Nick Gaeta of Nutley, 3 -1,  in the wrestleback rounds of Saturday's tournament.

"Its a real achievement just to get [to the state tournament in Atlantic City] and now he has won a match down there," wrestling booster and high school parent Jim Abbott said in an email. "No matter what we are all very proud of what [AJ Iarussi] has accomplished in only the second varsity season for Summit wrestling since we revived the team."