PARSIPPANY — The Greater Morris County Junior Schools Wrestling Tournament took place on Saturday, January 27 at Frelinghuysen Middle School.
For the first time since 2005 Brooklawn Middle School placed second place overall as a team headed up by Coach Jason Lodato.
Coach Lodato began his coaching career in Parsippany in 2000 where he coached at Parsippany Hills High School until 2014 at which time he began coaching at Brooklawn Middle School.
When Coach Lodato began coaching at Brooklawn middle school there were only twelve wrestlers in the program; This year the team has grown to 43 boys and girls. Since Coach has been at Brooklawn he has “Worked very hard to rebuild the program”
“Participation has increased every year. This year we had 43 boys and girls. Every fall I come to the school and talk with the kids about what an extraordinary sport wrestling is and how much fun they will have learning the skills, setting personal goals, competing and making new friends,” said Coach Lodato.
“During the past two years I’ve been very fortunate to have Coach Aric Imhoff (a former PHHS/Brooklawn wrestler) volunteering his time to work with the wrestlers,” said Coach Lodato.
The key to our recent success is getting the boys/and girls as much mat time (practices and matches) as possible. The only way to learn is to get out there and do it. At Brooklawn we focus on the fundamentals, becoming a better overall athlete, trying our best, and having fun.
“My goal is to introduce wrestling and its benefits to as many kids as possible, with the hope they will stay with the sport through High School and beyond,” said Coach Lodato.
Brooklawn’s second place finish can be attributed completely to Coach Lodato and the his wrestlers.
Below is a list of the wrestlers who placed in Saturday’s tournament:
1st Place
