More proof Harvey Ludington of Brick Memorial wrestling could be perfect fit at Iowa
BRICK – Harvey Ludington is less than a year away from fulfilling a goal he has had for about 10 years – wrestle collegiately at the University of Iowa.
He even wrote a paper on that when he was 8.
“I couldn’t write very well. My coach helped me write it,” Ludington, a senior 190-pounder at Brick Memorial High School, said Saturday after he won his third Mustang Classic championship, hosted by his school, with a win by technical fall over Mount Olive’s Tyler Cumming.
Ludington, a two-time NJSIAA champion who decommitted from Arizona State in the fall, did not hesitate when asked why he’s always wanted to wrestle at Iowa. He announced his commitment to Iowa Dec. 14 and signed his national letter of intent Dec. 20.
“You go there, it’s like a whole different planet with the training, the coaches. It’s just a whole different animal,” Ludington said.
Ludington has a good chance to become a favorite of the rabid Iowa fans who pack Carver-Hawkeye Arena with crowds of around 15,000 for each home match because his aggressive style fits Iowa’s aggressive style. Iowa wrestlers usually look to start bouts fast – Ludington is built that way, too.
“They wrestle the way I do, and they back it right up,” Ludington said.
Ludington, ranked No. 1 in the country at 190 by flowrestling.org, is Iowa’s most highly rated NJSIAA recruit since Anthony Baldosaro, who won state championships at Delsea in 2008 and Eastern in 2009.
At Iowa, he will wrestle for legendary Hawkeyes’ head coach Tom Brands. Ludington said it was an “experience” meeting Brands when he took his visit to Iowa.
“He’s (Brands) the coolest dude you will ever meet,” Ludington said. “He’s also hard on you. You don’t mess around with him. I don’t even know how to explain Brands. I can’t wait to be with him.”
But, before Ludington puts on the Hawkeye singlet next fall, there is the business of becoming Brick Memorial’s first three-time state champion and the 35th wrestler all-time to win three state titles.
Only a one-point defeat to Delbarton’s Simon Ruiz in the 2023 175-pound final prevents Ludington from having the chance to become a four-time state champion.
“If anything (the fact his collegiate decision is out of the way) it actually pumps me up more because I want to prove why I’m going to Iowa,” Ludington said.
Ludington – who recently recovered from a torn groin that prevented him from finishing the Super 32 Tournament in the fall and was a major reason why he did not enter the Beast of the East and defend his title in that tournament last weekend – recorded two pins in under a minute Saturday and two first period technical falls. He was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Upper Weight Wrestler.
“I can’t slack off just yet. There’s a lot of training to do. I have to get more prepared,”Ludington said.
Other Shore Conference Mustang Classic champions
Five other Shore Conference wrestlers won titles at the always power-packed tournament.
They were: Middletown North sophomore Thomas Blewett (106); Jackson Liberty junior Armani McCann (138); Ocean senior Boomer Volek (144); Point Pleasant Borough sophomore Jake Clayton (165) and Brick Memorial senior Ben Szuba (heavyweight).
McCann, a state qualifier at 120 last year, majored Mount Olive’s Brandon Beres, a state qualifier at 126 last year, 13-3. He had four takedowns over the first two periods. McCann defeated Ocean’s Dom Volek, a state qualifier at 132 last year, 8-7 in the semifinal.
Clayton, the state eighth-place finisher at 157 last year, defeated Caldwell’s Ben Lattimer by technical fall in the final. He had two pins and two technical falls.
Szuba, who was one win shy of being a state medalist at 215 last year, defeated High Point’s Gavin Mericle by technical fall in the final. He recorded two first period pins and two wins by technical fall.
Volek, the Region 6 fifth-place finisher, pinned Middletown North’s Michael Wall in 1:15. He had three first period pins and a 7-0 decision on the day and Blewett won by technical fall over Paulsboro’s Will Cruz. He had three technical falls and a 7-0 win in the tournament.
FINALS
106: Thomas Blewett (Middletown North) tf. Will Cruz (Paulsboro) 3:15 (17-2)
113: Zachary Belveri (A.L. Johnson) md. Ryan McConaghy (West Deptford) 17-9.
120: Dom Holler (Caldwell) md. Carter Drouin (High Point) 15-6
126: Colton Hagerty (Washington Township) p. Anthony Piemonte (Mount Olive) :26.
132: Sammy Spaulding (Camden Catholic) tf Frankie Burgio (Point Pleasant Borough) 3:52 (22-6).
138: Armani McCann (Jackson Liberty) md. Brandon Beres (Mount Olive) 13-3
144: Boomer Volek (Ocean) p. Nicholas Wall (Middletown North) 1:15.
150: Michael Craft (Camden Catholic) md. Justin Bullock (Mount Olive) 11-0.
157: Kage Jones (Camden Catholic) p. Robert Connellly (Red Bank Catholic)
165: Jake Clayton (Point Pleasant Borough) tf. Ben Lattimer (Caldwell) 4:00 (25-5)
175: Jaden Simpson (Camden Catholic) tf. Daniel Benbrook (Middletown North) 3:05 (16-0).
190: Harvey Ludington (Brick Memorial) tf. Tyler Cumming (Mount Olive) 2:00 (18-3).
215: Nico Gonzalez (Mount Olive) p. Trey Tallmadge (Brick Memorial) 1:57
HWT: Ben Szuba (Brick Memorial) tf. Gavin Mericle (High Point) 3:46 (18-1)
Third Place
106: Kristian Beres (Mount Olive) p. Liam Kisby (Absegami) 1:07.
120: Michael Napolitano (Brick Memorial) tf. Shane Kostakos (Mount Olive) 1:32 (18-0)
126: Lazarus Joyce (Camden Catholic) p. Aundre Hill (Paulsboro) :47.
132: Christian Hoopes (Washington Township) p. Anthony Barrett (Caldwell) :29
138: Dom Volek (Ocean) p. Michael Horn (Washington Township) 5:00
144: Landen Chapman (Jackson Liberty) p. Anthony Conway-Popeskic (West Deptford) 1:23
150: Matthew Sterling (Absegami) by medical forfeit over Tommy DiPietro (Kingsway)
157: Nick Clayton (High Point) md. Tanner Perez (Mount Olive) 13-4
165: Christian Rodriguez (Red Bank Catholic) md. Raymond McFall (Washington Township) 16-5
175: Jake Simone (Caldwell) md. Stephen Hayek (Mount Olive) 9-0.
190: Brayden Wright (Absegami) p. Lincoln Youtz (Mount Olive) 1:59
215: Michael Mignone (Caldwell) p. Daniel Farina (Ocean) 1:01.
HWT: Jared Hazel (Paulsboro) p. Mitchell Lando :43.
Semifinals
106: Thomas Blewett (Middletown North) d. Kristian Beres (Mount Olive) 7-0; Will Cruz (Paulsboro) p. Liam Kisby (Absegami) 1:30.
113: Zachary Belveri (A.L. Johnson) d. Michael DiBiase (Red Bank Catholic) 7-5 (sudden victory); Ryan McConaghy (West Deptford) d. Joseph Vezzosi (Red Bank Catholic) 7-5.
120: Carter Drouin (High Point) d. Shane Kostakos (Mount Olive) 6-0; Dom Holler (Caldwell) p. Michael Napolitano (Brick Memorial) 3:01.
126: Colton Hagerty (Washington Township) p. Aundre Hill (Paulsboro) :30; Anthony Piemonte (Mount Olive) p. Lazarus Joyce (Camden Catholic) 1:00.
132: Sammy Spaulding (Camden Catholic) tf. Anthony Barrett 20-5; Frankie Burgio (Point Pleasant Borough) d. Christian Hoopes (Washington Township) 9-7.
138: Brandon Beres (Mount Olive) d. Michael Horn (Washington Township) 9-2; Armani McCann (Jackson Liberty) d. Dom Volek (Ocean) 8-7.
144: Boomer Volek (Ocean) d. Anthony Conway-Popeskic (West Deptford) 7-0; Nicholas Wall (Middletown North) d. Landen Chapman (Jackson Liberty) 7-1.
150: Michael Craft (Camden Catholic) d. Matthew Sterling (Absegami) 5-0; Justin Bullock (Mount Olive) d. Tommy DiPietro (Kingsway) 4-0.
157: Kage Jones (Camden Catholic) d. Tanner Perez (Mount Olive) 8-1; Robert Connelly (Red Bank Catholic) d. Nick Clayton (High Point) 6-5.
165: Jake Clayton (Point Pleasant Boro) tf. Christian Rodriguez (Red Bank Catholic) 16-1; Ben Lattimer (Caldwell) d. Raymond McFall (Washington Township) 12-8.
175: Jaden Simpson (Camden Catholic) tf. Jake Simone (Caldwell) 16-0; Daniel Benbrook (Middletown North) tf. Stephen Hayek (Mount Olive) 19-3.
190: Harvey Ludington (Brick Memorial) p. Lincoln Youtz (Mount Olive) :36; Tyler Cummin (Mount Olive) d. Brayden Wright (Absegami) 11-5
215: Trey Tallmadge (Brick Memorial) md. Michael Mignone (Caldwell) 15-3; Nico Gonzalez (Mount Olive) p. Daniel Farina (Ocean) 1:00
HWT: Ben Szuba (Brick Memorial) tf. Jared Hazel (Paulsboro) 1:19; Gavin Mericle (High Point) d. Mitchell Lando (Washington Township) 3-1 (tiebreaker period No. 1).
Top seeds at the Mustang Classic
106: Thomas Blewitt (Middletown North).
113: Michael DiBiase (Red Bank Catholic).
Brick Memorial’s Sonny DiMatteo, the No. 2 seed at 113, was upended 8-5 by West Deptford’s Ryan McConaghy in the quarterfinal. DiMatteo was one win shy of a state medal last year at 106; McConaghy was a district runner-up last season at 106.
120: Justin Penta (Ocean).
High Point sophomore Carter Drouin, the No. 8 seed, majored top seed Justin Penta of Ocean 11-0 in a quarterfinal. Penta was the Region 6 fifth-place finisher at 106 last season.
126: Colin Hagerty (Washington Township).
In a matchup of returning state qualifiers, Camden Catholic’s Lazarus Joyce, the No. 6 seed, defeated Jackson Liberty’s Tucker Pazinko 6-2 in a quarterfinal. Joyce advanced to wrestleback 2 at 120 last season. Pazinko advanced to wrestleback 3 at 126.
132: Sammy Spaulding (Camden Catholic).
Caldwell freshman Anthony Barrett, the No. 12 seed, has advanced to the semifinal with a pin and a win by technical fall over the No.5 and 4 seeds.
138: Brandon Beres (Mount Olive).
Ocean’s Dom Volek, the No. 6 seed. the defeated No. 3 seed Ramon Alfonso Arroyo of Kingsway 9-4. Volek. Volek was a state qualifier at 132. Arroyo was a state qualifier and went 1-2 in the state tournament at 126 last season.
144: Boomer Volek (Ocean).
150: Michael Craft (Camden Catholic).
157: Kage Jones (Camden Catholic).
165: Jake Clayton (Point Pleasant Borough).
175: Jaden Simpson (Camden Catholic).
190: Harvey Ludington (Brick Memorial).
215: Trey Tallmadge (Brick Memorial).
HWT: Ben Szuba (Brick Memorial).
