March 1, Issue 2003 Volume 38 Number 8
COVER PAGE
Beast of the East Tournament. Championship Semifinals.
160 lb. #1 Ranked Mark Perry, Blair Academy, New Jersey (blue),
wrestling #3 Ranked ELITE's Vinnie Salek, Toms River East, New Jersey

Toms River East's Vinnie Salek jumps into the arms of Raiders coach Warren Reid as his personal
coach, Steve Rivera, applauds after Salek pinned Buena's Jimmy Thomas in 2:26
Photo by: APP Peter Ackerman : 3/16/03

Luck + Skill = Title
Published in the Asbury Park Press 3/17/03 By DEBBIE WALDEYER STAFF WRITER ATLANTIC CITY
Salek, at 160, becomes TR East's fourth state champion -- Toms River East's Vinnie Salek put some stock in luck. After all, he was staying in the same hotel, and the same room, as the Raiders' Andy Chencharik did when Chencharik won a state title for East in 1998. Then there was the dollar Salek spotted lying on the Boardwalk Hall floor while he was talking to the media after his semifinal win on Saturday. He said he spent the dollar that night on Starburst candy, which "allowed me to spit and make weight" for the final. Yesterday, Salek became the Shore Conference's sole state champ when he pinned Buena's Jimmy Thomas in 2:26 at 160 at the NJSIAA Wrestling Championships. Luck? Maybe. Skill? Definitely. Salek, a runner-up in this weight class last year, became Toms River East's first three-time state place-winner in the program's history. Salek was fifth his sophomore year. He was also a three-time District 24 champion and three-time Region VI champ. His pin in the final also set a school record for pins (26) in a season. Salek caught his first two opponents this weekend with double arm bars, giving him three pins in four bouts at Atlantic City. "I was just ready to go," Salek said of the championship. "Before the match I was nervous. That's normal. But once I stepped on the mat everything went blank. That's when I knew I was ready." Thomas is a sophomore making his first appearance in the state championship. He took third in Region VIII and wrestled an extra round compared to Salek, who was the Region VI champ. Salek respected Thomas. "I didn't want to go for anything too big right away because I didn't want to mess up," Salek said. "I wanted to wait a little bit and when I saw an opening I'd go for it. I saw my opening." Salek cradled Thomas for the win. "Vinnie deserves it," said East coach Warren Reid. "He gives 150 percent on the mat. Sometimes in the room he'll drive you crazy but he keeps you honest. That's Vinnie." Salek finished second last year to Cherry Hill West's Ryan Cunningham, a two-time state champ. "Once I lost it last year there was no way I was going to fall short this year," Salek said. Salek became the fourth Raider to win a state title, following in the footsteps of Pat McGrath, Andy Chencharik and Joe Mormile. "He's a defiant kid," Reid said. "He fears nobody." Especially with a little luck on his side.

TR East's Salek ready for his shot

Published in the Asbury Park Press 3/13/03 By VINNIE SALEK AS TOLD TO JOE ZEDALIS/STAFF WRITER
When you walk out of the locker room onto the floor and the mats are all lit up, it hits you: "This is where the big boys wrestle." You walk out into this arena (Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall) and you see all the people. It's an incredible rush. It's a high. It's funny, but most people have no idea how much work it is to win a state title. Every time you step on the mat, the kid across from you is as good as you are. It's not like the regular season, where you might catch a young kid or someone who is inexperienced. There are no bad wrestlers here. You can't overlook anyone. And the guys here capitalize on every mistake -- even the little ones. A match is six minutes long, but in this tournament it seems to go faster. Your adrenaline is pumping. His adrenaline is pumping. It's fast, fast, fast, bang, bang, bang. He doesn't stop moving, so you can't stop moving. And it's physical. And it's over in an instant. I lost to Ryan Cunningham of Cherry Hill West, 5-4, in the 160-pound final last year. We were in a scramble. He took a shot, grabbed my ankle. I spun behind, but my other ankle was trapped under his body. If I just could have got that ankle free I would have won. I was a hair from winning a state title. I played that back over and over. I will always remember it. But I knew I was only a junior. I knew I had another year. I took fifth as a sophomore, so I made a big jump. And I did lose to a pretty good guy. This year is my shot and I have to go for it. Every time you wrestle in a tournament like this one, you learn something. I know I have to be able to control my emotions. I can't let myself go crazy. I can't take a bad shot. I need to be crisp. Getting to the finals is work. It's an amazing feeling to be standing on that mat. But no matter how many times you've wrestled in the districts or the regionals, there is nothing like being on that mat, on that day, in that building, in front of that crowd. Some people don't hear it, but I hear everything. I heard my name called, I heard the crowd roar and then there was the rush of knowing that for a short period, all the eyes in that building would be on me. I'm getting jumpy. I'm ready. I think people remember the guy who finishes second, I just want them to remember Vinnie Salek placed first.

Vinnie Salek, a senior at Toms River East, was a runner-up in the NJSIAA Wrestling Championships last March. This year he is one of the favorites to win a state title.