2/21/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – A long season for Lackawanna wrestling comes to this weekend, where the Falcons and several other schools will vie for a chance at nationals, as Lackawanna College hosts the 2025 NJCAA Gulf Atlantic District Championships on Saturday, February 22^nd, in Scranton.
 
The action is set to get going at 10:00am ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, with nearly 100 wrestlers from 12 different schools competing for a chance to compete at the NJCAA Wrestling Championships in two weeks out in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The event is open to the public, with tickets sold at the door for five dollars. Those with a Lackawanna College ID will gain free entry. There will be a video livestream available for $9.95 at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. The price of admission gets you access to both competition mats.
 
About Lackawanna College
The Falcons (0-4) will send six wrestlers to this weekend's tournament, including a returning champion at 174 lbs., John Koroma (Woodbridge, VA), along with a national qualifier at 125 lbs. in Edward Lauritsen (Brodheadsville, PA).
 
Koroma was the champion last year at 174 lbs., and is 4-2 this year, after not wrestling in the fall semester. All Koroma's bouts came in the Jamestown Jayhawks Open back at the end of January, where he finished fifth in the event. Koroma won all three matches he wrestled last year in the Gulf Atlantic District Championships, defeating Tyberius Clayton from Garrett College by tech. fall in the championship bout. Koroma is 12-5 in his time at Lackawanna, going 8-3 last year. In the national tournament a year ago, he won a first-round bout before dropping a second-round bout and then a consolation round bout.
 
Lauritsen wrestles at 125 lbs. and was a wild card selection for nationals a year ago. He is 2-4 at 125 lbs. and 2-5 overall, having wrestled an exhibition bout at 133 lbs. Lauritsen picked up a win against Northampton's Jaden Figueroa back on February 3^rd, getting a tech. fall, 18-3. He also has victory by fall against an opponent from Utica University on February 8^th, pinning his opponent in 3:21. Lauritsen is 7-17 in his time at Lackawanna. Last year in the Gulf Atlantic, Lauritsen won his first-round bout by fall, then fell in a wild second-round match by a 15-12 decision, then dropped the consy match-up in a 9-2 decision.
 
First-year wrestler Matt Gashi-Brito (Fairfax, VA) is a contender for the Falcons at 141 lbs., going 11-6 overall this season. Gashi-Brito has gone 6-2 wrestling at 141 lbs., and an additional 5-4 against competition at 149 lbs. Gashi-Brito just missed out on fifth place at the Jayhawks Open in January, picking up a pair of wins on the day. He's won his last four bouts, three by fall. He won a major decision against Northampton CC's Diego Dominguez, 13-0, back on February 3^rd. In the U of S Duals at the University of Scranton, he won all three of his bouts, twice pinning opponents inside of 35 seconds and earning three pins overall. Gashi-Brito has eight wins by fall this year.
 
First-year grappler Connor Ondek (Scranton, PA) competes for the Falcons at 157 lbs. and is 4-3 overall this season. Ondek was not available for the Falcons in the fall semester, so all his bouts have come after the new year. Ondek won his first match of the season at the Jayhawks Open in January, and all four of Connor's wins have come via fall. He defeated Wigen Santos of Northampton CC at 165 lbs. via fall at 1:52, then went 2-1 at the U of S Duals the next weekend, picking up a pair of wins by fall over opponents from King's College and Utica University.
 
First-year wrestler Adan Salazar (Scranton, PA) competes for the Falcons at 197 lbs. and is 7-13 overall this year. Salazar finished fifth at the Jayhawks Open at 197 lbs., and he had a pair of exhibition wins at the Electric City Duals back in November. Salazar has seen time at 197 lbs. and at 285 lbs. for the Falcons this year.
 
John Almonte (Scranton, PA) is still in search of his first win this year, competing for the Falcons at 149 lbs.
 
The head coach for the Falcons is John Fox, in his first year back with the program after spending three years away. Coach Fox was the original first wrestling coach in program history, helping start the Lackawanna program in 2017. Through his first four seasons, Fox built the Falcons into an immediate contender in Region XIX, coaching 20 national qualifiers, including eight in just his second season in 2018. Fox came to Lackawanna after coaching for years locally at the high school level. He coached at Scranton Prep in the late 90's before joining his alma mater, West Scranton, as the junior high coach. He changed the junior high Invaders into a local power, capturing four league titles in six years, and eventually became an assistant with the varsity program, before becoming head coach for West Scranton in 2006. He helped West win 83 duals and train 28 student-athletes to become regional qualifiers in his time. As a wrestler, Fox won 105 matches in his high school career, becoming a four-time Lackawanna League all-star and winning two District championships. He went to Wilkes and wrestled for two years before an injury ended his career. He finished his Education degree at Wilkes, then got a master's in Classroom Technology.
 
About the Opponents
Competition will be fierce once again this season, with nine Region XIX teams, two Region X squads, and one Region XX team all descending on Scranton.
 
Defending champion Sussex County CC returns this year. The Skylanders had a strong 2023-2024 campaign, winning the Region title and the district championship as a team, while getting seven wrestlers to the national tournament a year ago. Head coach Nick Barzano, who was the Region XIX Coach of the Year last season, is back for the Skylanders.
 
Also back is perennial power Camden County CC, which won this season's Garden State Athletic Championship. Camden had five qualifiers a year ago and placed four grapplers in the championship rounds last year, the most of any team. John Chillem, who helped lead Camden to the team championship two years ago, is still the man in charge for the Cougars.
 
Another team expected to compete well from Region XIX is RCSJ-Gloucester. The Roadrunners sent five to the national tournament a year ago. Paul Toppin is the interim head coach for Gloucester.
 
Making their first appearance at the tournament this weekend will be the Northampton CC Spartans, competing as a varsity squad in their first year. Northampton defeated Bergen and Lackawanna College this year in dual meets, while dropping contests to Sussex and Camden. Shaun Lally is the head coach for Northampton.
 
Outside the region, Region XX competitor Garrett College is always a tough out. The Lakers have competed in tournaments in upstate New York, amongst others this year, and are coached by David Wingate.
 
Tournament Information
Saturday's action is set to get going at 10:00am ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium, with nearly 100 wrestlers from 12 different schools competing for a chance to compete at the NJCAA Wrestling Championships in two weeks out in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The event is open to the public, with tickets sold at the door for five dollars. Those with a Lackawanna College ID will gain free entry. There will be a video livestream available for $9.95 at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. The price of admission gets you access to both competition mats.
 
There will also be live scoring updates available via FloSports Arena.
 
The Falcons are hoping to have qualifiers emerge from the field to send to the NJCAA Wrestling Championships, happening March 7^th and 8^th at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.