The Seneca High School athletic department will have to re-write its wrestling record book after freshman Joe Manchio’s historic 2014–15 season.
Wrestling in the 106-pound division, Manchio made wrestling enthusiasts across New Jersey take notice in his first year with the Golden Eagles, setting a school record with 39 wins and becoming the first Seneca wrestler to win a Region 7 title.
However, what set Manchio apart from the competition wasn’t just his immense talent. What impressed head coach Greg Bauer more than anything was his desire to try his hardest in every meet.
“I’m very impressed with his work ethic,” Bauer said. “Every single day, he shows up and he works hard. That impressed us a lot.”
Manchio’s determination was never more apparent than at the NJSIAA Individual State Championships in Atlantic City during the first weekend of March. Manchio lost his first match since Dec. 27 against eventual state finalist Pat Glory of Delbarton State.
Despite the loss, Manchio was determined to fight through the wrestleback matches.
“I just tried my best to think and keep my head clear,” Manchio said.
Manchio would later win back-to-back matches over Jordan Pinette of Eastern and Gerald Jones of Caldwell. The victory over Jones was impressive as Manchio scored three points in the final 10 seconds of the match to win, 4–3. Manchio lost his third wrestleback match to Shane Metzler of West Morris Central, 7–5.
Bauer was impressed with how Manchio responded after the initial loss.
“To have that kind of poise and to compete hard is remarkable for a kid that age,” Bauer said.
Manchio’s poise was apparent to Bauer even before this season. A Tabernacle resident, Manchio began wrestling at the age of 5 after his cousin inspired him to get into the sport. He had a successful youth career, winning multiple state championships with Seneca Youth Wrestling. Bauer said Manchio’s talent level is greater than possibly any freshman he’s seen in the past.
“His skill set is well above what we’re used to,” Bauer said. “We just had to fine tune some of his technique.”
Despite having success in youth wrestling, Manchio didn’t set the bar too high for his first season in high school.
“As a freshman, I didn’t expect to do much,” Manchio said. “Everyone on the high school level is good. I just wrestled to the best of my ability.”
Manchio got his high school career off to a good start, winning his first seven matches before losing to Seth Henry of Highland in the Hunterdon Central Invitational Tournament on Dec. 27. It would be Manchio’s first and only loss prior to states.
Once the calendar turned to 2015, no one could beat Manchio. He began the new year with an impressive 10–1 decision over Billy Moore of Bordentown on Jan. 3. The victory was the first of 30 in a row, the longest winning streak in Seneca wrestling history.
“It’s impressive as a freshman to go in and have that kind of success,” Bauer said.
The final win of the streak came in the championship match of the Region 7 tournament, where Manchio knocked off Collin Wickramaratna of Cherokee, 5–0.
“It was really exciting to be the first on the board at Seneca to win regions,” Manchio said.
Manchio’s goal at the start of the season was to reach the state championships. However, he did better than he ever could have imagined.
“I was really just surprised that I made it that far,” he said.
Manchio will have more chances to go for a state championship. He plans on wrestling as much as possible in the offseason to improve ahead of his sophomore campaign. His hope is to make March trips to Atlantic City a regular occurrence over the next three years.
