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WRESTLING FOR NICK |
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Nicholas Cautero |
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Benefit Tournament |
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March 6, 2005 |
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To make a donation |
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Hopatcong Jr. Chiefs, PO Box 227, Hopatcong, NJ 07843 |
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For additional information, call Laurie Spazinai at (201) 874-8830 |
| With the brackets filled to capacity at 400 and no walk-ins allowed, "Wrestling for Nick" or the Nicholas Cautero Benefit Tournament was a complete success on Sunday, March 6 at Hopatcong High School. Everyone who participated from the wrestlers, runners, scorekeepers, referees, attendants at the snack bar to the spectators were all winners as there were no losers |
| The tournament was established as a benefit for the seven-year old Hopatcong Chiefs wrestler who has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor with 100 percent of the proceeds given directly to the Cautero family. |
| Organized by Laurie and Tony Spaziani, the event raised nearly $28,000 to help with the medical expenses incurred by the Cautero family, drawing a field of youth grapplers from not only New Jersey but also New York and Pennsylvania. |
| Hopatcong High School head coach Eric Fajerman and his assistant Brian Collins along with the Chiefs' varsity wrestlers set up and put away the four mats that were used to crown champions in 51 weights classes. Referee Gary Kessell, a Hopatcong resident who is a cancer survivor was present while a youth coach from Chenago Forks, N.Y., who was diagnosed with a tumor 10 years ago, brought his team. Guy Russo, a former NJSIAA state champion for West Essex and current assistant coach at Delbarton came with his two sons and presented a $1,000 check from the Delbarton wrestling program.The Hopatcong Warriors football organization sold green bracelets with the inscription Endurance, Hope, Bravery, Courage. Those bracelets are being sold for $3 in Hopatcong stores. |
| "People were so humbled and awed by it," said Laurie Spazinai. "Nick was there all day and everyone got to meet him." |
| Montville's Cody and Tyler Phillips not only turned in medal-winning performances on the mats, the brothers also raised $1,264 collecting money in front of stores and from friends and family. Cody Phillips defeated T.J. Kourgelis of Mahwah to claim the gold medal in the 90-pound weight bracket of the Intermediate Division. His brother Tyler finished second to Travis Petre of Garden City, New York in the 95-pound weioght class. |
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Bantam Division |
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Midget Division |
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Junior Division |
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Intermediate Division |
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