Middletown South Wrestler Michael Holland
Reaches 100-Win Milestone
One hundred career wins is a milestone
for high school wrestlers. Michael
Holland, of Middletown High
School South, achieved that mark and did
it the hard way.
Going into the District 19 tournament,
the senior was named the No. 1
seed in the 132-pound competition. At
this point, Holland had accumulated 97
victories over four years of wrestling. The
100-win mark would be achieved at this
tournament if Holland was to take the title,
but that did not come into fruition.
Holland started the day well with
a 20-5 technical fall over Perth Amboy’s
Angel Santiago in the quarternal round.
However, he hit a bump in the road in the
seminal when he was turned back by Zach
Vasile, of Marlboro.
The loss relegated Holland to the lower bracket where he faced Delaware
Valley’s Chase Christie in a battle for the bronze medal and what could be his 99th
win. If defeated in this match, Holland would end his career short of his goal.
After two full periods of the bout, Holland trailed by a 7-3 score and
prospects of a victory were dismal. However, responding to the cheers of
teammates, he rallied in the third and nal period, outscoring his opponent
Mater Dei Prep Senior Katie Zoda
Scores 1,000 Career Points
20 APRIL 2020 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LES PIERCE
by a 7-1 margin over the rst minute for a
10-8 advantage. Then with 53 seconds remaining,
Holland eliminated all doubts by
pinning Christie for the win.
The victory earned the senior Eagle a
berth in the Region 5 tournament, and his
quest was alive. However, the opportunity
presented an “out of the frying pan into the
re” scenario. The Regional tourney is comprised
of District champions and medalists
from several districts; the competition here
is a major step up.
At the Regions, Holland faced 31-bout
winner Tom Ammirati, of Holmdel. Ironically,
Ammirati was also a senior in a quest to reach
the 100 win plateau. Ammirati is the fourth
in his family to wrestle for the Hornets, and
his two brothers, Nick and Chris, had both
reached 100 victories. This was a must-win for
both wrestlers, and Holland prevailed via a 12-4 major decision. He was immediately
joined on the mat by parents Gina and David, brother Alec and Middletown
South Head Coach Anton Atterbury for a post-match celebration.
“Mike Holland provides excellent leadership for our young team,” Atterbury
said. “He leads by example through his consistent hard work and dedication
to putting the team rst.”
This winter, Mater Dei Prep
senior Katie Zoda scored her
1,000th career point during a
home game against Henry Hudson
Regional High School. Zoda holds
the point guard position for the Seraphs
and credits her parents’ love of
basketball for fostering her passion
for the game.
“When hitting that 1,000
point, I felt very happy and relieved
that all the hard work had paid off,”
she said. “My teammates all ran up
and hugged me once I hit 1,000,
and they paused the game and announced
it. They brought out posters
and balloons for me, so it was a
really nice moment.”
Head Coach Mike Pineiro said, “As a coach, seeing one of my players
accomplish this feat is an amazing feeling. It’s a testament to all of her hard
work and sacrice. Early mornings, late-night shooting, even on days when
she probably didn’t want to shoot, ultimately led her to this well-deserved
accomplishment. On the court, Katie is a oor general. She always gives 100
percent and helps our team in whatever role necessary.”
Zoda is a member of the Spanish Club, Art Club and the Yellow Ribbon
Project Club. She is also a Mater Dei Prep Ambassador and a member of the
Capstone Academy.
/TheJournalNJ.com