A Historic Day at the Shore Conference Girls Wrestling Tournament

Monday marked a significant moment in the history of the Shore Conference Girls Wrestling Tournament, held at Jackson Township High School. The event saw two standout athletes etch their names into the record books as the first four-time champions in the tournament’s history. Ava Bonilla from Jackson Township High School and Kylie Gudewitz from Howell High School both achieved this remarkable feat, highlighting the growing prominence of girls’ wrestling in the region.

Girls wrestling was officially recognized by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) during the 2018-19 season, and Monday’s tournament was the seventh edition since its inception. The event was not held during the pandemic-shortened 2021 season, making this year’s competition even more meaningful.

Gudewitz’s Dominance and Bonilla’s Triumph

Kylie Gudewitz, who is the 2024 NJSIAA 114-pound champion, showcased her dominance once again by defeating Marlowe Donato of Jackson Township with a decisive 10-0 major decision in the final. This marked the second consecutive year that Gudewitz defeated Donato in the same manner. Donato, a state runner-up at 107 in 2023 and fifth in the state at 114 last year, proved to be a formidable opponent, but Gudewitz remained undefeated in the finals.

Ava Bonilla, on the other hand, secured her title by pinning Nola Allen of Marlboro with just 24 seconds left in the second period. Bonilla had previously won the championship at 107 pounds last year, switching weights with Madison Rucci, the current 107-pound champion. Bonilla’s success continued as she claimed her fourth SCT title, solidifying her place in the tournament’s history.

Team Championship and Other Champions

Bonilla and Rucci played pivotal roles in leading Jackson Township to the team championship, scoring 197 points—4.5 more than the runner-up, Central. Howell finished third with 146.5 points. Jackson Township, a merged team of Jackson Memorial and Jackson Liberty high schools, had previously won the last six SCT team championships as a co-op program.

Central and Howell each had two champions. Central’s champions were sophomore JayAnna Hahn (132) and senior Liliana Alicea (165). Alicea, the 2024 NJSIAA 185-pound champion, defended her title with a 14-4 major decision over Eliza Toth of Point Pleasant Borough. Hahn, the niece of South Dakota State head coach Damion Hahn, also made her mark by defeating Lindsey McDermott of Southern with a 7-0 victory.

Howell’s other champion was senior Giovonna Farrell-Byers, who pinned Ashley Perez of Freehold Borough in the heavyweight division. Farrell-Byers was fourth in the state last season and continued her strong performance this year.

Additional Champions and Notable Performances

Nine schools crowned champions at the tournament. Other champions included:

• Cecilia O’Cone (Point Pleasant Beach) at 120 pounds, who headlocked Makayla Vigilante of Southern with seven seconds left in the second period.
• Shae-Lyn Guido (Southern) at 126 pounds, who pinned Briana Dugo of Jackson Township with 10 seconds left in the first period.
• Jill Falzon (Raritan) at 138 pounds, who came from the No. 4 seed to win with a 58-second pin of Gisell Nieves of Lakewood.
• Charlize Schlam (Point Pleasant Borough) at 145 pounds, who recorded a technical fall over Olivia Ziobrio of Manalapan.
• Natalia Rusin (Middletown South) at 152 pounds, who pinned Brooklyn Floyd of New Egypt in 18 seconds.
• Chelsea Garay (Manasquan) at 185 pounds, who pinned Samantha Sottilare of Central in the final.

New Egypt made history by having its first SCT finalist, Brooklyn Floyd, who placed fifth in the 152-pound division.

Final Results and Team Standings

The final results of the tournament included:

• 100: Ava Bonilla (Jackson Township) pinned Nola Allen (Marlboro) at 3:36.
• 107: Madison Rucci (Jackson Township) pinned Danielle Silva DeJesus (Long Branch) at 1:45.
• 114: Kylie Gudewitz (Howell) defeated Marlowe Donato (Jackson Township) 10-0.
• 120: Cecilia O’Cone (Point Pleasant Beach) pinned Makayla Vigilante (Southern) at 3:53.
• 126: Shae-Lyn Guido (Southern) pinned Briana Dugo (Jackson Township) at 1:50.
• 132: JayAnna Hahn (Central) defeated Lindsey McDermott (Southern) 7-0.
• 138: Jill Falzon (Raritan) pinned Gisell Nieves (Lakewood) at :58.
• 145: Charlize Schlam (Point Pleasant Borough) defeated Olivia Ziobrio (Manalapan) 17-1.
• 152: Natalia Rusin (Middletown South) pinned Brooklyn Floyd (New Egypt) at :18.
• 165: Liliana Alicea (Central) defeated Elizia Toth (Point Pleasant Borough) 14-4.
• 185: Chelsea Garay (Manasquan) pinned Samantha Sottilare (Central) at 3:05.
• HWT: Giovonna Farrell-Byers (Howell) pinned Ashley Perez (Freehold Borough) at 2:11.

Team Standings

1. Jackson Township – 197 points
2. Central – 192.5 points
3. Howell – 146.5 points
4. Southern – 117.5 points
5. Manalapan – 104 points
6. Point Pleasant Borough – 82.5 points
7. Marlboro – 82 points
8. Lakewood – 68 points
9. Freehold Borough – 66 points
10. Raritan – 63 points