A pair of second-place finishers in the NJSIAA Championships share the NJ.com Greater Middlesex Conference Wrestler of the Year award for the 2017-2018.
East Brunswick's 120-pounder Mitchell Polito and South Plainfield's senior Joe Heilmann each suffered their only losses of the season in the state final and both lost to the No. 1-ranked wrestlers in the country.
Polito, who is bound for Lehigh, finished his career with a 136-13 record. He was 37-1 as a senior.
Polito was a four-time district, three-time region and two-time GMC Tournament champion.
In each of the last two seasons, Polito's only losses were to state champs. In the 2017 state tournament, he lost to Antonio Minnino of Gateway, 3-1, in sudden victory and finished third in the state with a 39-1 record. In th 2018 championships he lost to No. 1-ranked Robert Howard of Bergen Catholic, 5-2.
Heilmann, headed to North Carolina, lived up to family tradition with a brilliant career at South Plainfield. Heilmann finished with a 164-11 record. He was a four-time district, four-time GMC Tournament and two-time region champion. He placed in the top eight in the state tournament three times.
Heilmann lost to Patrick Glory of Delbarton -- arguably the best wrestler in the country -- in the 126-pound state final, 7-0.
TEAM OF THE YEAR: Even in an unusual season, South Plainfield was the top team in the GMC.
The Tigers, wrestling one of the state's most competitive schedules, finished 20-7. However, South Plainfield still finished as the No. 1-ranked team in the GMC and the No. 14 in the final NJ.com Top 20.
South Plainfield win its third-straight Group 3 team title and 11th overall. South Plainfield also won its fourth-straight Central Jersey Group 3 championship, its 10th-straight Greater Middlesex Conference team title and a 10th-straight GMC divisional title.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Marcus Ivy of Sayreville led the Bombers to a better-than-expected 20-5 record with a team that was supposed to be a year away. Sayreville was the GMC White Division champion.
Ivy was named the Region 5 Coach of the Year.
Sayreville qualified for the North 2, Group 5 sectional tournament where it lost to eventual runner-up Westfield.
Here are more highlights from the Greater Middlesex Conference in 2017-2018:
• South Plainfield wrestling tops Delsea, polishes off state championship 3-peat
• GMC Wrestling Tournament: Complete results, recaps and photos for 2018
• Wrestling: DQ sparks South River to huge CJ 1 win over rival Spotswood
• 2018 District 14 wrestling recap: Joe Heilmann sparks South Plainfield to 34th straight title
• A look back: Emerson/Park Ridge wrestling tops South Plainfield in a thriller
Joe Zedalis may be reached at jzedalis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @josephzedalis. Like NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.
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