PARAMUS, N.J. – First, he travelled across all of America. Then, he became All-America.
Capping a coast-to-coast trip from Bergen County to the 2014 NJCAA Wrestling National Championship Feb. 28 and March 1 in Spokane, Wash., Bergen Community College student Mike Amaro, of Clifton, placed seventh in a field of 32 en route to notching one of eight All-America bids. Bergen now boasts All-Americans in back-to-back years with Amaro joining Jeff Rottingen, of Ramsey, who finished eighth in last year’s contest.
Competing in the 197 lb. class, Amaro finished the tournament 5-2; his only losses came at the hands of the first- and fourth-place finishers. Entering the national competition with an 11-2 record, Amaro led the 2013-14 Bulldogs in wins. He transferred from Edinboro University this year.
Steven Orlic, 149 lbs., of Carlstadt, also earned a trip to the national tournament, but fell in both of his matches.
Third-year coach Mike Massenzio, a junior college national champion during his time at Bergen (2003-2005), guided the Bulldogs to a 5-4 team mark this season. NJCAA wrestling Hall-of-Famer and Bergen assistant coach Ed Kochajki accompanied Amaro and Orlic to Spokane for the national tournament.
Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu) based in Paramus is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling nearly 17,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields.
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