WRESTLING: SJ Hall of Fame to induct eight

The South Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame will induct eight members on November 5 at Masso's in Glassboro. The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour with dinner starting at 7 p.m. Those interested may contact Mike Schuld for tickets, which are $40 per person.

Here are the inductees:

Adam Cooney, Holy Cross

Cooney’s found plenty of success as a wrestler and a coach. A 2003 graduate of Holy Cross, he won state championships in his junior and senior seasons, at 215 pounds and heavyweight, respectively. Those victories capped a career that ended with four state placements. He finished with a career record of 139-8. He also claimed first place in the 2003 Senior Nationals.

After his time as a Lancer, Cooney wrestled at the University of Pennsylvania. He returned to the area and has coached his alma mater for five years. His clubs have won three Burlington County League Freedom Division crowns and a Non-Public Group B South title. Cooney’s coached six wrestlers who have placed in states, seven who won regions and 10 district title winners. He works as a special education teacher at Rancocas Valley.

Brandon John Becker, Kingsway

Another 2003 grad and four-time state place-winner, Becker grabbed his New Jersey gold medal in 2002 with a title-match win at 145 pounds. He completed his Dragons’ career with four District 31 and two Region 8 titles.

In 2000, he became the third South Jersey grappler to win the Beast of the East tournament. After his spectacular high school career, which saw him go 143-12, Becker continued at Indiana University. As a Hoosier, he went 119-36 as a 157-pounder. His fifth-, seventh- and fourth-place national placements – in 2005, 2006 and 2008 – were each good for All-American honors. After his 2008 college graduation, Becker worked as an assistant coach for two years at Rutgers. He lives in Temecula, California, and is self-employed.

Doug Castellari, Buena

Castellari claimed three consecutive District 31 crowns, a Region 8 title and also took third in the state tournament as a Chief. His final mark at Buena was 91-5-1. After high school, Castellari grappled at Temple University.

He went 109-16 as an Owl, with an All-American honor as a 134-pounder in 1984. Castellari returned to Buena as a coach after graduation. His clubs won 14 Cape-Atlantic League and five South Jersey titles. Three times, his teams finished second in the state. District 31 tabbed Castellari as Coach of the Year 10 times. Region 8 gave him the honor on three occasions. He coached 60 district and 15 region champs in addition to 15 state place-winners. He’s in the NJSIAA Hall of Fame and works for Buena Vista Farms in Vineland.

Dave Tomasette, Washington Township

A state champion in 2003, Tomasette also took first in three District 30 tournaments and claimed two Region 8 crowns. He placed third in the state in 2001 and 2002 in his sophomore and junior campaigns. His Minutemen career ended with a 135-10 record. Tomasette went 34-0 in his state-title season at 112 pounds.

He went on to wrestle at Hofstra University where he went 88-40. At 125 pounds, Tomasette grabbed two Colonial Athletic Association championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament four times. As a coach at Clearview, the former star led the Pioneers to a Group 3 state team championship in 2013. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

Gregory Coolahan, Cherry Hill East

Coolahan went 45-7 as a Cougar up until his 1981 graduation, then went on to a 45-9 career mark at Joliet Junior College in Illinois. At East, the grappler competed at 170 pounds to take fourth place in the state tournament as a senior.

He reached the Junior College National Tournament at Joliet. After his college days were finished, Coolahan coached a year at Bishop Eustace before six years as an assistant at his alma mater. He then went on to be the head coach at Cherry Hill West for 11 years. His overall record as head coach for the Crusaders and Lions is 160-123-1. In his time as coach, he saw his wrestlers collect six state placements, with Ryan Cunningham – a two-time champ – the most notable. Coolahan now owns a landscaping company and lives in Cherry Hill.

Jerry Boland, Camden Catholic

A fourth-place finish at 112 pounds in the 1994 state tournament as a senior is the highlight of Boland’s decorated career on the mat. He went 128-15-4 for the Irish with three district and two regional titles. He reached the state tournament in each of his four high school years.

At Lycoming College, he was a two-time East Regional Tournament finalist and also earned Division III All-American honors. After a college career in which he went 98-34, Boland assisted on the staffs of Camden Catholic and Shawnee. He then took over the Cinnaminson program for four years. He returned to lead his alma mater after his stop as a Pirate for three more years. Boland’s coaching prowess is evidenced by his 146-36 record. He led the Irish to three parochial state titles and coached multiple state champs. Currently a varsity official, Boland also works as the principal of an elementary school in Evesham Township and lives in Marlton.

Michael Zechman, Woodbury

Zechman, who graduated in 1997, won the Region 8 title as a freshman at 103 pounds. He reached the state tournament three times and ended his Herd career with a 103-19 mark. Zechman then went to The College of New Jersey to wrestle. A neck injury cut his career short – he finished with a 27-9 record.

He’s worked as an assistant coach at Sterling, Paul VI, Eastern and Cherokee. In 2012, Zechman became a varsity official. He teaches at Cherokee and lives in Sicklerville.

Ronald B. Roberts Jr., Buena

A 1992 Chiefs’ alum, Roberts’ decorated career included varsity letters in wrestling, track and football. The captain of his football and wrestling teams, Roberts earned first-team All-South Jersey honors in both sports. As a senior, he won District 31 and Region 8 at 189 pounds, the latter gave him the Outstanding Wrestler award.

He finished his career on the high school mat with a 52-9 record. Roberts attended the Peddie School for a year after graduation and earned first-team All-Prep honors in football. He then played football for a year at the University of Delaware before he finished his undergraduate career at Stockton. Roberts has been a football and wrestling official for 19 years. He currently officiates college football at the Division I FCS level. Regarded as one of the best wrestling officials in the state, Roberts earned the New Jersey Wrestling Officials Association Southern Chapter’s Official of the Year award in 2012. He’s been the NJWOA president, Southern Chapter cadet supervisor and has worked five state final matches. Roberts works for the state’s Office of Emergency Management and lives in Landisville.