8/10/2010 - Zabriskie Makes County Proud
David Zabriskie had a smile as broad as his shoulders while his friends and family snapped photos of him surrounded by the future of High Point wrestling, a pack of star-struck little ‘rasslers.
And why not? The former Wildcats star and 2005 state champion at 215 pounds had every right to be happy as he was feted by his fans in one of his rare trips back to Sussex County these days.
You see, Zabriskie has been just a little bit busy becoming one of the top wrestlers in the country at Iowa State the last four years, culminating with a Division I national championship in March when he won the heavyweight crown after topping Jared Rosholt of rival Oklahoma State 3-2 to cap an amazing 26-2 senior season and four-year career with the Cyclones.
Zabriskie became just the fourth Sussex County wrestler to win a state and collegiate title. He joined two-time state and national champ Matt Valenti of Kittatinny and University of Pennsylvania, Mike Frick of Pope John and Lehigh, and Harry Lanzi of Newton and Penn State.
Zabriskie was back in Branchville for a short stay a couple of weeks ago and the High Point Booster Club hosted a dinner in his honor at the Upper Deck Restaurant at the Third Base Pub.
“It is great to come home,” said Zabriskie, the first former Wildcat to win a national title. “I don’t get home too often because of my schedule, but it is great see everyone and this is very nice for everyone to come out.”
Now those of you who are High Point rassling fans know what a strong-knit bunch you are. Faithful to the very end and unyielding in your support of all the boys who don the red singlet.
So it was no surprise that the restaurant was filled with well-wishers and fans. Bill Kehoe, an ardent High Point supporter and great friend to Mugs Media, helped organize the event which was a fitting tribute to Zabriskie who blossomed as a wrestler and as a person in his five years in Ames, Iowa.
Zabriskie graduated with a degree in finance and has his future pretty much mapped out. He told the crowd of one of his immediate plans and that is trying to win a spot on the 2012 Olympic team which will compete in London.
“That is my goal,” said Zabriskie, who finished his collegiate career with a fine ledger of 116-22 and three All-American campaigns. “I’m going to head out to Colorado and start training and see what I can do. This is something I dreamed about.”
After Zabriskie announced his plans, Kehoe said the money raised from the dinner will go to Zabriskie in an effort to help him with his training costs, another illustration of how the High Point folk stick together.
Zabriskie will have his work cut out for him, but wrestling for Iowa State will give him a leg up against some of the competition. Cyclones coach Kevin Jackson is the former national team coach.
Jackson recently said in a published report that, “Within our program we have the structure to allow wrestlers to go past being an NCAA champion to reach their lifelong dreams of being the best in the world.”
Zabriskie recently competed in the University World Team Trials and he placed third at 264.5 pounds, not bad for a recent college graduate going against some grizzled veterans.
But as I was talking with Zabriskie the subject of New Jersey wrestling came up. He said it was normal to see kids from the Garden State at the nationals every year, but he said this year was unique.
In his weight class, four of the top wrestlers were from Jersey, and astonishingly, three from one conference. That’s right, the old Sussex County Interscholastic League.
Zabriskie was joined by former two-time state champion Zack Rey of Hopatcong, who had another stellar year for Lehigh and D.J. Russo of Rutgers, a former star at Lenape Valley.
“I’m used to seeing kids from Jersey but it was cool to see three from the same conference,” said Zabriskie. “That just says so much about the wrestling in this area.”
Zabriskie did not face his fellow SCIL foes at nationals, but he did nip Rey earlier in the year 3-2.
“He is good, really good,” said Zabriskie of the rising senior at Lehigh. “And now that (Steve) Mocco is coaching at Lehigh, he is just going to get better. That is the key. You have to have someone in the room to work with to get better and you don’t get much better than Mocco.”
Mocco is a former All-American at Blair Academy and former national team member. The North Bergen native joined the Lehigh staff as a volunteer assistant recently. Mocco competed for the United States at the 2008 Games in China.
Zabriskie was also very impressed with Russo, who has become one of the top heavyweights in the nation under Rutgers coach Scott Goodale.
“He has gotten so much better,” said Zabriskie of Russo. “He has improved and he will keep improving. His technique is so much better and that is very important.”
When you think about what Zabriskie accomplished, it really boggles the mind. From a small rural area in the northwest part of New Jersey, here comes a kid who won a state title in high school, but really didn’t get on the wrestling radar until later in his high school career.
He then goes to one of the premier wrestling schools in the nation and has an All-American career. Incredible.
“He is just a great kid,” said his high school coach John Gardner, a former state champion himself from High Point and fine wrestler at Clemson. “I’m just so happy for him.”
And so should everyone in Sussex County, not just wrestling fans. Zabriskie has represented himself, his family, high school and county proud and he still has a lot of success ahead of him.
Good luck, Dave, and hopefully in a few years everyone will be back in Branchville celebrating an Olympic medal.
That’s it for now, see you on the sidelines.
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