NJIC Wrestler of the Year, Coach of the Year & other postseason honors from the Star Ledger

Wrestling: New Milford vs Hasbrouck Heights, Jan 13, 2026. — Jayden Chicaiza of Hasbrouck Heights celebrates with head coach Kristopher Freund after defeating Robert Bianchi in the 157 pound wrestling match at New Milford High School in New Milford, NJ on Tuesday January 13, 2026.Tom Horak | For NJ Advance Media

The 2025-26 N.J. high school wrestling campaign is in the rearview and it’s time to honor those who made it a year to remember.

It was a great year for the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference. Emerson-Park Ridge reached the Group 1 final and the Cavos sent one of their wrestlers to Atlantic City in junior 113-pounder Evan Constante. Six in total from the conference reached the action at Boardwalk Hall with one of them taking the podium.

Scroll for the league’s end of season notebook, which highlights the Boys Wrestler of the Year, the Girls Wrestler of the Year, the league’s Coach of the Year, the Team of the Year, and other notables.

Wrestling: Bergen County Tournament Final, Jan 18, 2026. — Isiah Rodriguez of Paramus Catholic wrestles Gabe Jang of Leonia/Palisades Park during the 285 pound Bergen County Tournament Final at Garfield Middle School in Garfield, NJ on Sunday, January 18, 2026.Tom Horak | For NJ Advance Media

Boys Wrestler of the Year:

Gabe Jang, Leonia-Palisades Park, Sr.

Jang made his senior year count as the NJIC’s only wrestler to medal at the state tournament.

The 285-pounder was one of six from the league to reach the individual state championships in Atlantic City and finished seventh with a third-period pin of Matawan senior Mohammad Targali. Targali had beat Jang 8-3 in the pre-quarterfinals.

It was one of two enormous avenged losses for Jang, who got pinned by Paramus Catholic senior Isiah Rodriguez in the Bergen County final and then defeated him 4-1 in the blood round of the Region 2 Tournament. Jang’s other loss (aside from a controversial DQ in the championship bracket of regions) was to Bridgewater-Raritan’s Trent Levash (16-9) in the consolation quarterfinals in Atlantic City.

The trip to the county finals was Jang’s second and was part of a 41-win season, which had only been achieved by four other heavyweights this winter.

After showing glimpses in each of the last two seasons, Jang put it all together in his final year on the high school mat.

Girls Wrestling: NJSIAA State Championship Semifinals, March 13, 2026. — Aryana Osorio of St. Mary (Ruth.) wrestles Chelsea Garay-Jiminez of Manasquan during the 185 pound semifinal round of the NJSIAA Wrestling State Championship at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday March 13, 2026.Tom Horak | For NJ.com

Girls Wrestler of the Year:

Aryana Osorio, St. Mary (Ruth.), So.

Osorio put St. Mary girls wrestling on the map in 2025-26.

The sophomore was a region fourth-placer as a freshman, but got over the hump this winter with a trip to the individual state finals at 185 pounds where she lost to Central Regional star senior Jade Hahn.

Osorio entered the state tournament as the No. 10 seed at her weight. On her way to the final, she defeated Lawrence’s Tanvi Madisetti by fall, Delaware Valley’s Emmy Rea Hotz by 7-3 decision, and then she pinned Manasquan’s Chelsea Garay-Jiminez.

Rea Hotz decked Osorio in the semifinals at the Lady Patriots Tournament at Freehold Township in January, so the quarterfinal-round victory was an avenged loss for Osorio. She also won titles at regions, districts, the Rebel Rumble, BCWCA Tournament and at the Lady Kards Invitational.

It was all part of Osorio’s incredible 25-4 season. And now she has two more to continue building her legacy.

Boys Wrestling: Manchester Regional vs. Emerson/Park Ridge, NJIC Semifinal, January 29, 2025 — Emerson/Park Ridge head coach Joe Mazzeo directs his wrestler during the NJIC boys wrestling semifinal between Manchester Regional and Emerson/Park Ridge at Manchester Regional High School in Haledon, NJ on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.Mile Djordjiovski | For NJ Advance Media

Coach of the Year:

Joe Mazzeo, Emerson-Park Ridge

Four years ago, Mazzeo took the reigns from Stan Woods, who holds the second-most wins in state history with 802. Those are some massive shoes to fill, but Mazzeo has managed to extend the program’s success and continue growing its rich history.

Emerson-Park Ridge made a run to the Group 1 finals in February where it lost to state-ranked Delaware Valley in 65-8 fashion, but the end result doesn’t take away from the incredible journey to Jersey Mike’s Arena. The Cavos entered the postseason with a record of 13-10 before going on their tear.

EPR stacked wins over Indian Hills (40-39), Newton (43-30), Pompton Lakes (41-30) and then Audubon (39-36) on its way to Rutgers. It reached the NJIC championship during the regular season, in which it lost to Hasbrouck Heights (39-27).

The Cavos went 7-2 vs. conference competition in 2025-26, including a trio of wins over NJIC and sectional semifinalist Pompton Lakes. They also defeated three talented teams out of conference in Bridgewater-Raritan (39-32), Old Tappan (57-24) and Pascack Hills (40-39).

In 2024-25, the Cavos went 11-11 and lost in the NJIC semifinals to Manchester Regional before a 46-29 sectional semifinals loss to Kittatinny. A year after EPR endured one of its leanest winters on the mat, Mazzeo and his staff produced one of the program’s best seasons.

Team of the Year:

Hasbrouck Heights

Emerson-Park Ridge’s run to the Group 1 championship shouldn’t overshadow what Hasbrouck Heights accomplished in the regular season and conference tournament.

The Aviators won their second NJIC title in a row with this one coming in 39-27 fashion over Emerson-Park Ridge after a 45-24 victory over Leonia-Palisades Park two days prior in the semifinals. Hasbrouck Heights also defeated the Cavos during the regular season in a 47-28 final.

The Aviators went 10-0 against NJIC competition before a 40-34 loss in the sectional semifinals to Group 1 semifinalist Hanover Park. They concluded the team stretch of the year with a record of 19-4 and their only losses came to squads that at the minimum reached their respective sectional championship match.

When the individual portion of the season came around, Hasbrouck Heights got eight wrestlers into the Region 2 Tournament at Mount Olive.

The Aviators were represented by freshman Kieran Maloney (113), junior Nicolas Carvajal (120), sophomore Mateo Toledo (126), senior Nico Nipitella (132), senior Emil Belyayev (150), junior Eoin Maloney (175), senior Harris Krommenhoek (190) and senior Noel Cruz (285).

Final NJIC rankings

1-Hasbrouck Heights (19-4)
2-Emerson-Park Ridge (17-11)
3-Leonia-Palisades Park (17-3)
4-Pompton Lakes (21-11)
5-Glen Rock (18-9)
6-Garfield (16-7)
7-Manchester Regional (10-8)
8-Cresskill (24-7)
9-Waldwick-Midland Park (15-11)
10-Butler (10-13)

Other notes

Pompton Lakes’ McConnell makes state blood round: The Cardinals got just one through to the individual state tournament in junior Chad McConnell, but the 165-pound standout made his journey to Boardwalk Hall count with a trip to the blood round. McConnell, a region champion who was a mainstay in NJ.com’s individual rankings, lost in the blood round to Point Pleasant Boro multi-time state medalist Jake Clayton. McConnell went 46-4 with the most wins of anyone in the 165-pound weight class.
Hawthorne’s Lorper caps incredible career: Jack Lorper had one of the more underrated NJIC wrestling careers in recent memory. The senior finished his last campaign on the high school wrestling mat with a mere three losses and carried an undefeated season into the Region 1 final, where he lost 8-4 to two-time state finalist Johnathon McGinty of St. Joseph (Mont.). Lorper went 1-2 in Atlantic City and put a bow on his senior year with 33 wins, including three on his way to his first Passaic County championship.