Date: Fri 09-Jul-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Quick Words:

James-Monroe

Full Text:

James Monroe -- Hall Of Fame 1999

BY KIM J. HARMON

When James Monroe's four-year term as the Prezident at Newtown High School

expired back in June, he left his stately office with the distinction as the

greatest wrestler ever.

Ever.

With an incredible total of 140 wins (40 more than any other wrestler in

school history), three conference titles, two CIAC state titles, and one CIAC

State Open titles, James Monroe -- the Prez -- has set some impossibly high

standards for those who will follow.

To understand how the Prez accomplished what he did, one would have to go back

-- all the way back -- to the 1992-93 school year. James was just a 90-pound

sixth-grader at the time, but he was already into his first season with the

Newtown High School wrestling team.

No, he didn't compete during matches. But he did practice with the team in the

old wrestling room down in the bowels of the pre-refurbished Newtown High

School and -- with brothers Dan and Mike to guide him -- began learning the

trade that would take him to the very top of his art.

When his first term in office finally came around, James had three years of

sparring under his belt. And it all paid off as he finished 22-4 and became

the first freshman in Newtown High history to win a conference championship.

Having knocked off the fifth and second seeds earlier on the afternoon of

February 10, James -- the third seed -- defeated top-seeded Mike Mangon (25-1

during the year) of Bunnell in the 125-pound championship.

James lost only two conference matches that season -- one to Mangon (three

nights before the conference final and the other to Jonathan Law's Dave

Gianetta. In his semifinal match on Saturday, James also avenged the loss to

Gianetta with a 16-5 major decision.

As a sophomore, James became even better. He finished the year 34-4 with his

second consecutive South-West Conference championship (he defeated Tommy

Morris of Stratford in the 130-pound final) and even though he lost in the

CIAC state tournament, he became the second-fastest wrestler in school history

to reach 50 career wins (he did it in 54 matches, one more than Larry Miller

took).

As a junior, James finished 35-3 but lost (in overtime) in the SWC

championship match to Brian Falciglia of New Fairfield. Yet, James did follow

a week later with a win over Kevin McKenna of Bristol Central to win his first

CIAC Class L state championship.

And as if all of that -- freshman through junior years -- wasn't good enough,

James saved the best for last.

As a senior, he finished 38-2 (37-0 right up through the CIAC State Open) with

the ultimate trifecta -- an SWC championship, a CIAC Class L state

championship, and the coveted CIAC State Open championship all in the

160-pound weight division.

It was, perhaps, the epitome of a perfect season.

In the SWC final, James defeated Marvin Lawson of Stratford, 15-6, to capture

his third SWC title in his four years ... earning a little bit of redemption

for his loss in the conference finals the year before. He was also named Most

Outstanding Wrestler.

A week later, James defeated John Dressner of Bristol Central, 14-5, to win

his second consecutive CIAC state championship. Once again, he was named Most

Outstanding Wrestler.

And a week after that, James not only won the coveted CIAC State Open title

(something he had yearned after for a year, since losing in the Open finals

the year before), he had to defeat the CIAC Class LL champion from Xavier,

Nick Ciarcia, a national champion in Greco-Roman wrestling to do it.

The competition was extremely keen on that day, with James defeated Ricardo

Lopes of Danbury in the semi-finals, 5-3, before edging Ciarcia in the finals,

7-4.

But James was not to be denied.

His 37-0 record met a test at the New England Championships, however, as James

lost first two matches of the season to Dustin Buttrick of Marshwood, Maine,

and Craig Buckley of Hingham, Massachusetts (each by just two points). A 13-4

major decision over Jaime Durkin of Central Catholic High School in

Massachusetts was James' only win of the weekend, enabling him to finish fifth

in New England.

It was an outstanding (as if that word can even begin to qualify it) season

that capped an outstanding career and there is simply no question -- James

Monroe belongs in the Newtown Sports Hall of Fame.