By Francisco Camacho | Sports Editor
From March 1 to March 2, the Bergen Community College wrestling team took a trip to the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa to compete in the NJCAA Region XIX Wrestling Championship Tournament. Only two wrestlers were scheduled to wrestle: Sophomore, Rey Miller and Freshman Corey Eyer.
The students earned this by qualifying in February, when Rey Miller finished in the top four in his weight class (184) and Eyer qualified as a wildcard voted in by the judges. The tournament is structured in brackets, with 32 wrestlers per weight class. One must win five matches to win the championship.
Neither wrestler made it into the championship match, but it was still a great honor for both of them to have competed. There was a lot of competition, Miller said “It’s the toughest tournament in the country at our level.” All of the top schools and their recruits are at this tournament.
Both Miller and Eyer are very proud of this accomplishment. Both wrestlers described the event as the biggest stage they had ever wrestled on.
Eyer hopes to build on the success of his first season and return to the NJCAA Region XIX Wrestling Championship Tournament with a vengeance. He couldn’t have asked for a better season, as he is the only Freshman who broke through and qualified. When asked about it, he said it was the “biggest match of his life”.
Rey Miller found a way to win a match by scoring more points than his opponent. It was a big moment for him.
“All my hard work that I put in was worth it and I am supposed to be here with the best” is what he had to say about his victory on Saturday.
Considering this is Miller’s last season wrestling with Bergen, he took a moment to take it all in and enjoy his last few matches as much as he could. He’s made a bond with his team here at Bergen that he points out has “helped me become the man I am today.”
Miller also got a chance to speak to recruiters from four year schools at the tournament. He spoke to Kings College, Bridgewater College and Springfield College. He hopes to acquire a scholarship and get his degree in criminal justice.
