Below is a look at the top wrestlers in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference for the 2021 season.

Matches begin March 16, and the season runs until the end of the NJSIAA State Championships, which is scheduled for April 24-25. The location has yet to be announced.

Adam Albino, Bogota, Jr.

A two-time district champion and state qualifier, Albino returns after finishing 29-11 last season at 106 pounds. He was fourth at Region 2 and punched his ticket to Atlantic City with a 9-6 win over Mount Olive’s Jack Bastarikka, who recently won the 106-pound title at the Mobbin Classic. Albino will move up to 113 this season.

Casey Allen, Emerson Boro, Sr.

Allen, a state qualifier and third-place finisher at Region 2 last season, will be one of the NJIC’s top upperweights after finishing 35-6 last season at 182 and 195 pounds. He avenged his district final loss to Mount Olive’s Anthony Moscatello when the two met again in the opening round of the state tournament. He’ll also bring plenty of senior leadership to a squad trying to maintain its status as the NJIC’s team to beat.

Anthony Asencio, Lodi, Sr.

Asencio finished 20-9 last season and qualified for the state tournament at 182 pounds. He was the runner-up at District 6 and finished fourth at Region 2.

Justin Chrostowski, Butler, Sr.

A West Point commit, Chrostowski returns as the senior leader for an experienced Butler lineup that won its division last season and came within a bout of beating Emerson twice — once in the NJIC final and once more in the sectional semifinals. Chrostowski, a third-place finisher at Region 1, finished 35-5 last season at 145 and 152 pounds.

Ryan Hartung, New Milford, So.

Hartung will have plenty to prove after his season came to a disappointing end at regions, where he medically withdrew from consolation bracket after reaching the quarterfinals at 106 pounds. This season, New Milford will wrestle as a co-op with Wood-Ridge while both teams try to boost their numbers. Hartung finished his season with a 36-6 record.

Myles Leonard, Waldwick, Jr.

Leonard was the Bergen County runner-up to Emerson’s Nick Babin last season last season at 120 pounds. He was also one match away from qualifying for the state tournament after losing in the consolation semifinals at Region 1. If you’re looking for a breakout candidate, it may be Leonard, who was 35-6 last season.

Louden Mazzeo, Emerson Boro, So.

He’s the next one up in the Mazzeo family after his brothers, Luke and Logan, both landed on the podium. As a freshman, Louden Mazzeo finished 35-6 at 132 pounds and was a runner-up at the county and district level.

Brett Redner, Butler, Jr.

Redner reached the state quarterfinals at 106 pounds last season on his way to finishing 38-6. He was a third-place finisher at the Morris County Tournament and took bronze again at Region 1. He finished 2-2 in Atlantic City with both of his losses coming to nationally ranked wrestlers — Brick Memorial’s Anthony Santaniello and Delbarton’s Tyler Vazquez in the consolation bracket.

Peret Shed, Manchester Regional, Jr.

Shed finished 38-5 last season and won a district title at 120 pounds. His only loss through the district tournament came at the Passaic County Tournament and he avenged it to finish third. He returns after finishing fifth at Region 1 last season.

Dylan Weaver, Lyndhurst, Sr.

Weaver, a Rutgers commit, is a two-time state medalist and the likely candidate to be the NJIC’s Wrestler of the Year. He’s a three-time region finalist, two-time champion and has settled in at Lyndhurst after starting his career at Bergen Catholic. He enters the season ranked nationally after finishing fourth in the state last season at 152 pounds and third as a sophomore at 138.

Damian Weaver, Lyndhurst, So.

Weaver was a district champion and qualified for the state tournament on his way to finishing 31-8 as a freshman at 138 pounds. He won his district title with a 3-2 win over Hanover Park’s Dom Merola and was on the wrong side of a close match in the third-place match at regions, where he lost in overtime to Irvington’s Carl Banks.

Patrick Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatLanniHS and like his Facebook page.