Brick Memorial’s Harvey Ludington concludes legendary career with third NJSIAA wrestling state title

ATLANTIC CITY — Harvey Ludington loves the chase. The next points, the next win, the next goal, the next record. He wants it all. So when he found out during his freshman year that Brick Memorial had never had a three-time state champion, his eyes lit up.

On Saturday night, he checked that one final box to close out a legendary career.

Ludington defeated Hanover Park senior Vincenzo LaValle by 7-3 decision to win the NJSIAA 190-pound state championship and secure his third state title inside Boardwalk Hall. He is Brick Memorial’s first three-time state champion, passing two-time state champions Anthony Santaniello, Evan Tallmadge, and Nick Angen as the most accomplished wrestler in the program’s illustrious history. His title also gives Brick Memorial 16 individual state champions, the most in Shore Conference history.

“It’s absolutely huge,” Ludington said. “After my first one coach said, ‘hey, don’t get nervous but we’ve never had a three-timer’, and I was like whoa, what? For me, it’s really big.”

Ludington won by 11-3 major decision over LaValle to win last season’s 190-pound title and wasted no time getting to his offense this bout with a takedown just seven seconds into the first period. Known for his lethal outside single-leg takedown, Ludington changed it up with a high-crotch right off the opening whistle.

“I know everybody knows the outside single so me and Ben (Brick Memorial senior heavyweight Ben Szuba, who placed 6th in the state) have been working on high crotch to get more variety,” said Ludington, who is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 190 pounds. “We’re all athletes, we all train, we all watch film, we all watch out for who we have to wrestle next. You have to be able to adapt in a match and the kids that adapt are the ones that win.”

But LaValle dug in got the match to the third period trailing 3-2. Ludington escaped to make it 4-2 and then used his raw power to bulldoze through LaValle for a third-period takedown that put him ahead 7-2 with 57 seconds left.

“He’s an amazing opponent, a really good wrestler and really strong. He can pull out anything,” Ludington said. “He stays in very good position and his head position is good. He’s a tough kid.”

Ludington finished his career with a 154-3 record, breaking Brick Memorial’s previous wins record of 149 set by former state champ and NCAA third-place finisher Steve Santos in 2009. He is a three-time state champion and a four-time state finalist. Last week, he became the 11th wrestler in Shore Conference history to win four region titles. Ludington went 19-1 in his four trips to Atlantic City and won by bonus points in 15 of those bouts. Along the way, he helped Brick Memorial win three NJSIAA sectional titles and four NJSIAA District titles.

With his third state title, Ludington became the ninth wrestler in Shore Conference history to win three state championships, joining Luke Skove (Long Branch), Glenn Pritzlaff (Middletown South), Mark Worthy (Central), Damion Hahn (Lakewood), Scott Winston (Jackson Memorial), Frank Molinaro (Southern), Jimmy Lawson (Manchester), and Anthony Knox (St. John Vianney).

“Wow, I didn’t even know that,” Ludington said. “I can’t believe it, that’s huge.”

Originally from Nevada, Ludington had a championship-filled youth career and was one of the top-ranked middle school wrestlers in the nation entering high school. A chance meeting with Brick Memorial head coach Mike Kily and his brother Dave, a former assistant for the Mustangs, led to the Ludington Family moving to Brick and Harvey becoming entrenched in all things Brick Memorial wrestling.

“I was first living in Toms River and one day my dad was putting in a fence, met Kiley, I met the team and fell in love with them and the school,” Ludington said. “I came here because they had amazing coaches and I knew if I was going to get developed it was going to be by them. We just meshed well. Coach loved intensity, the kids loved it, and I felt really comfortable. They felt like family from the first time I met them.”

Ludington will continue his career at the University of Iowa where he plans on sustaining his winning ways and setting a course for a national championship. But as excited as he is for his collegiate future, he enjoyed his high school years so much he wouldn’t mind going back in time.

“It went by too fast,” Ludington said. “I remember sitting here freshman year saying I can’t wait until senior year, I’ll have a car, I’m going to win a championship. Now, I just want to go back to freshman year and do it all again.”