Northeast Wrestlers Excelling In Tournaments, County Duals

The Northeast wrestling team has fared well throughout the winter season with county dual wins over North County, Severna Park, Southern, Glen Burnie and Meade.

In the Eagles’ win over Meade on January 8, Northeast recorded seven pins. Victor Umali (106), Colin Cook (113), Michael Carnes (120), David Sweeney (132), Billy Katzenberger (138), Jayden Mason (145) and Caleb Zaruba (152) all won by fall.

Damian DeVoter went 2-2 as a heavyweight at the Mount Mat Madness at Mount Saint Joseph’s over the holiday break and was one of only two Northeast wrestlers to qualify for the second day of the tournament. Carnes, Mason and Zaruba all went 3-2 at the tournament.

In a 43-31 loss to perennial county contender Old Mill on January 8, Myles Macon won by fall at 182 over his Patriot opponent, as did Cook, Mason and Umali. Katzenberger won a 15-4 decision, and Jason Arnold won a 5-0 decision at 195.

For the varsity boys, Katzenberger has the team’s top individual record at 18-2. He has 10 pins, two tech falls and three major decisions, mostly wrestling in the 138-lbs weight class. Currently ranked No. 24 in the state, his two losses have come against the state’s No. 1 wrestler, Spalding’s Joe Fisk (a 6-3 decision) and the state’s No. 9 wrestler, Caleb Everheart of South Hagerstown, who Katzenberger wrestled in a 145-lbs bout.

Cook is 18-5 with 13 pins, Mason is 18-7 with 16 pins, Umali is 17-6 with seven pins, and Arnold is 17-7 with 12 pins.

The team went 6-4 at the South Hagerstown tournament to place fifth overall. Katzenberger and Arnold both went 9-1 at the tournament; Cook, Zaruba and Brayden Young all went 8-2, and Timar Hatcher posted three wins.

Northeast is also fielding the county’s largest roster of girl wrestlers. Marissa Ambrose, Alena Pangalis, Bailey Makarovich, Lillie Jewell, Sarah Underwood, Gianna Ambrose, Jenna McCloskey,  Raegen Lorenzen and Lacee Schmidt are all competing on the mat for Northeast this season.

The Lady Eagles placed first in the Lansdowne Tournament in a field of 15 teams. Pangalis (6-1), Jewell (6-3), Schmidt (5-2), Ambrose (4-3) and Underwood (3-4) have the top individual records for the Northeast girls, who will wrestle at the War on the Shore tournament in Ocean City in January and will host Reservoir for their senior night on February 6.

Photos courtesy of Northeast Athletics