Joe HofmannMorristown’s Jack Myers took third in the state tournament in Atlantic City last year. Turns out, he was barely scratching the surface.
He has made some improvements and is right in the mix with all of the state’s best.
Boardwalk Hall, be warned.
Myers decisioned Delbarton’s Trevor Jones in the Morris County Tournament finals at 144, 7-1, and walked away with Outstanding Wrestler honors.
Myers dominated his weight class. He pinned West Morris’ Brendan McBride in the first round in 44 seconds, pinned Mount Olive’s Stephen Hayek in 2:22, and tecked Par Hills’ Anthony Caponegro in the semifinals, 16-1 (2:53).
Myers has always been terrific on his feet and he took it to Jones in neutral with three takedowns, one in each period.
“That was the plan,” Myers (25-3) said. “I had trouble riding him last year and I wasn’t sure if I could hold him down. So I knew I had to get some points on my feet. I stayed smart in neutral and got my offense going when I needed it.”
Myers, who will return to 138 for the districts, has discovered a lot about himself this past season. He used to believe that simply working hard in practice and going after his opponent on the mat was what it took to become a successful wrestler.
But this year, he has learned so much more. Myers has found a balance with his life. He loves wrestling but tries to spend time with his girlfriend and his buddies.
“You need hobbies,” he said. “You need to be a kid.”
But most of all, he knows about what it takes off the mat to win. He has evaluated everything and is all-in. He was tuned into those qualities last year, but not as much as this year.
“Diet, sleep, nutrition, recovery,” he said.
He runs after practice and lifts a couple of times a week. He has tightened his diet and knows that he needs his rest.
But he pushes himself hard when he has to. After beating Jones, the University of Virginia-bound Myers immediately went to an adjacent hallway at Mount Olive High School and performed wind sprints before meeting with a couple of media members.
“He is a super impressive wrestler, but equally, if not more important, he is an impressive young man,” Colonials coach Jesse Thorsen said. “His character is humble and respectful. He has no problem working with a first-year kid in practice or warming up with a second-year wrestler during a tournament. That is impressive. We talk about character and he does a tremendous job representing that as a wrestler and a young man.
“I never met a student who is more accountable. No one can hold you more accountable than yourself. His commitment and discipline is on and off the mat as well.”
Myers coming away with his third-place finish at Boardwalk Hall was one of the underrated achievements of the entire weekend. He fell short of winning a state championship by losing in the quarterfinals, but what he did was almost as impressive.
Myers won his first two matches, beating Bergen Catholic’s Riley Halal (5-1) and Phillipsburg’s Gavin Hawk (5-3).
He was then knocked out of the winner’s bracket in the quarterfinals by St. Peter’s Prep’s Donovan Chavis, 5-3.
But in the wrestlebacks, Myers took off, beating Bernards’ Nick Villani (9-3), pinning St. John Vianney’s Patrick O’Keefe (2:33), decisioning Southern’s Wyatt Stout (3-1), and then decking St. Joseph-Montvale’s Donny Almeyda in 4:14.
It was the highest finish for a Morristown wrestler since the late, great Renard Haskins won back-to-back in the early 1970s.
And Myers is ready to take that next step.
“His major improvements include higher level hand fighting, improved conditioning, physical and mental maturity, and more experience in high level tournaments against top level competitors,” Thorsen said. “He is mentally turning the corner this year which is what is separating him from other top guys in the state. If he shows up as the best version of himself in AC, he could win it all.”
Myers is more confident in himself after last year’s stellar finish to the season.
“My growth has been tremendous,” he said. “Just learning about every single aspect that can make me the best. Not just wrestling hard every day. It’s more about the process.
“Third place proved to me that I belonged there,” Myers said. “So much of wrestling comes from the mental aspect. I was already there physically. You also have to be there mentally.”
He’ll be there at Boardwalk Hall when the bell rings – and he is certainly one to keep an eye on.
The states are about one month away, and Jack Myers plans on being there – and maybe even getting to the very top of the podium this time.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “The states are always in the back of my mind.”
MCT NOTES
Longtime Randolph coach Mike Suk was elected to the Morris County Wrestling Hall of Fame. Suk coached at the school for 25 years. He has a wide list of accomplishments at the school, including:
- Seven Morris County Tournament titles
- Eight District 2 championships
- Four sectional championships
- 360 career wins at Randolph
- Three state champions (Ali Hakim and Patrick Dattalo twice)
- 38 Morris County individual champions
- 69 District 2 champions
- 16 Region 1 champions
He also coached at Somerville and amassed 471 career victories, which is believed to be ninth in New Jersey history.
Suk returned to the sidelines this year as an assistant to Brian Picillo.
Another Hall of Fame inductee was former Mendham standout Ryan Harrington, now a Delbarton assistant.
Harrington was a two-time MCT champion and went on to win back-to-back state championships at Mendham in 201 and 2012. His career record was 139-11. Incredibly, he wasn’t taken down a single time as a junior and senior.
Meanwhile, longtime official Tim Wyatt, a Morris County Hall of Fame member (class of 2006), who has worked 38 MCTs, was named to the Northwest Wrestling Officiating Chapter’s Hall of Fame.
COMING TOMORROW: Mount Olive’s Bienus holds off Hanover Park’s LaValle.
