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2011 Wrestling Clinic Hosted By Zak and Jake Dipini

On December 24th, 2011, Sparta Pride Wrestling welcomes guest hosts Zak and Jake Dipini to The Room for a special wrestling clinic.

Clinic Fees

$15 Per Wrestler
Clinic Hosts

Jake Dipini


2-time District Placer
1-time Regional Placer
College record of 6-5

Zak Dipini


4-time District finalist
2-time Regional Finalist
4-time State Qualifier
1-time High School All-American
Ranked 26th in the country for his weight his senior year
Zak Dipini Earns Pilgrim League Rookie of the Week Honors

Zak Dipini (133) is 9-3 on the season
GORHAM, Maine – Freshman Zak Dipini (Franklin, N.J./Pope John XXIII) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies wrestling team has been named the Pilgrim Wrestling League Rookie of the Week for the week ending Sunday, December 11. It is the second weekly honor of the season for the 133-pound grappler. Dipini was named the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Rookie of the Week earlier this season (November 21). Dipini posted a perfect 2-0 mark in a pair of dual meets this past weekend to improve his record to 9-3 overall and 2-0 in dual meet action. In a 32-14 win over Pilgrim League opponent Bridgewater State, Dipini earned four of the Huskies 32 points with a major decision win over BSU senior Ken Francis. In a USM loss to Division II American International College, Dipini was one of three Southern Maine grapplers to score for the Huskies taking a solid 7-1 decision over AIC senior Este Lara. After starting the season with a respectable 3-3 record, Dipini has been on a roll for Southern Maine winning his last six matches consecutively. He has four wins by major decision and two wins by fall. Southern Maine is 1-1 in dual meet action and 1-0 in the Pilgrim League. The Huskies will travel to the Gulf Coast Invitational in Fort Meyers, Fla. on Sunday, December 18 (9:00 AM).

Huskies Post Three Wins at Gulf Coast Duals

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Junior Peter Gilman (Alfred, Maine/Massabesic) and freshman Zak Dipini (Franklin, N.J./Pope John XXIII) each won all four of their matches to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 3-1 day at the Gulf Coast Duals hosted by the Concordia University (Wis.) Falcons at Riverdale High School in Fort Myers, Fla. on Sunday. The Huskies defeated the Central College (Iowa) Dutch 21-18, Concordia 22-15 and the Buena Vista University (Wis.) Beavers 22-21 before falling to the Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders 23-16. With the three wins, the Huskies improve their dual meet record to 4-2.
Dipini, the reigning Pilgrim Wrestling League Rookie of the Week, improved his overall record to 13-2 claiming four victories at 133-pounds. Three of Dipini's wins were by major decision, making seven of his 13 wins by major decision. Dipini earned his first win with a 6-1 decision over Central sophomore Kalen Greiner (Keonta, Iowa). Against Concordia, Dipini cruised to an 8-0 major decision victory over junior Marcus Lubner (Fredonia, Wis./New Berlin West). In the Huskies 28-21 win over Buena Vista, Dipini's 15-1 major decision victory over senior Mike Berardesco (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) helped Southern Maine overcome a 15-0 deficit, kick starting a 28-0 run for the win. Dipini also netted four of the Huskies 16 points in a loss to Milwaukee School of Engineering. Wrestling at 149-pounds, Gilman gutted his way to three tough wins by decision and one win by major decision. With the four wins, Gilman lead the Huskies in wins this season with a 14-2 record. The junior co-captain downed junior Ryan Davis (Northwood, La.) of Central College 8-6 and then picked up a dominating 15-2 win over Concordia junior David Tuomi(Wheaton, Ill./Walther Lutheran) 15-2. Gilman continued with a 5-1 decision against Buena Vista freshman Kaine Leighty (Nevada, Iowa) and a 8-1 decision over Milwaukee School of Engineering sophomore Dallas Schurg (Crown Point, Ind.). USM junior Logan Russell (Bath, Maine/Morse) had a solid day for the Huskies with a 3-1 record including a pin over Milwaukee School of Engineering junior Josh Wengerter (Sobieski, Wis./Pulaski). Southern Maine returns to action on January 6 at Williams College for a tri-meet with Simpson College.

New Room Paintings

  • Created by Marilyn Falotico

Sparta Pride Wrestling would like to thank Marilyn Falotico for the hard work she has done over the last few weeks.

Her artistic paintings can be seen throughout our Room and they have been a source of joy for wrestlers and parents alike. The creativity, materials and time these paintings required were all a donation from Marilyn.

Marilyn is the wife of one of our coaches and her boys are very skilled wrestlers.

We are proud to have them as part of our team.

View More Photos

Voorhees Turkey Day Tournament

  • Posted: Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Event Date: November 27, 2011

We had a great day at the tournament and all placed. Colin Neal placed 1st and Logan Rozynski and Kyle Miller both placed 2nd.

Well done, boys!

Sparta Pride Members - Please bring your donations to practice on 11/21/2011

  • Posted: Monday, November 21, 2011

It's that time of year again! Time to STUFF THE BUS!

Help Steve and Maria beat last year's donation total as they stuff a bus full of food items for the food pantry at the Sussex County Division of Social Services. Steve will broadcast LIVE on Tuesday, November 22nd at the Quick Check in Sparta from 5am-10am.

Please bring your donation to practice this evening (November 21st) and your Sparta Pride coaches will drop them off at the Quick Check on Tuesday on behalf of the Sparta Pride.

Suggested food donations:

turkeys, non-perishable milk, juice, tuna, meals in a can, soup, peanut butter & jelly, granola bars, crackers, cereal, macaroni and cheese, pasta and sauce. Personal items such as toilet paper, soap, shampoo, etc. are always needed as well...and don't forget the pet food!

The Season is HERE!

  • Posted: Thursday, October, 27, 2011

Tuesday, November 1st is our first day of JV/Varsity practice. Practice will begin at 6:45 sharp. Please take the time to read our Practice Guidelines before coming to practice. All wrestlers and parents will be expected to know these guidelines. Our coaches will go over this sheet with the wrestlers during practice.

Our first Novice practice is Wednesday, November 2nd. Novice Practice will begin at 5:45.

Attention all football players:

We understand that you may not be able to make it to every practice because your football season is still going. Our coaching staff will be implementing some brand new warm-ups, drills, and techniques this season and we don’t want anyone to fall too far behind. All we ask is that you do your best to come to practice when you have your night off from football.

View Full Practice Schedule

A Special Thanks to everyone that made our Meet & Greet a Success!

  • Posted: Tuesday, October, 18, 2011

We had an overwhelming number of people attend and were extremely happy to see all the new faces. It’s our pleasure to welcome you all to our wrestling family.

For those who are still interested in signing up, registration is still open. The registration form is a .pdf file and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Join Now


Parents and Wrestlers:

The season is almost here! We start practice the first week of November, but we understand many wrestlers may not make it to practice until their fall sport is over. Our coaches already have their first practices planned and can’t wait to get on the mat. In the meantime, here are a couple things to help you prepare for the season:

1. Please read our Practice Guidelines* (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). All wrestlers and parents will be expected to know these guidelines. Our coaches will go over this sheet with the wrestlers during practice.

2. If you are a new parent and would like to see some wrestlers in action, check out our video library by visiting us on Youtube. Another website that you might find helpful is: Flo Wrestling. Flo Wrestling is the leader in wrestling coverage and covers everything from youth, college, and international wrestling.

2011 Meet & Greet

Come and see what Sparta Pride has to offer!


On October 17, 2011 Sparta Pride Wrestling will be hosting their annual Meet and Greet.
This event is for parents, coaches and children. Come join us and see why Sparta Pride
Wrestling is the right choice for you and your children.

See how our program can benefit your child:

Q&A session available along with a brief presentation on our program.
Free food and soft drinks will be served.
iPad and a XM Sky Dock Satellite Radio Kit Giveaways
Listen to an Olympic gold medalist talk about how wrestling changed his life and a super bowl champion discuss how the skills acquired in wrestling benefit those on the football field.

Guest Speakers

JEFF BLATNICK

Olympic Gold Medalist

Jeff Blatnick is a 2-time NCAA Division II Champion and an Olympic Gold Medalist. Jeff served as a commentator for The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 1994-2001, where he helped develop the modern rules for the sport and coined the term "Mixed Martial Arts" (MMA). He has also served as a commentator for the Olympics. Jeff has overcome Hodgkin's disease twice, once before his Gold Medal performance, and again 1 year later. "Today, Blatnick is one of the premier motivational speakers in the country. His personalized presentation is, simply, first rate. Jeff's enthusiasm, sincerity, and love of life have kept him focused on a single purpose: overcoming adversity. Using personal experiences, Jeff guides people through the different perspectives we commonly formulate when facing challenges or adversity. Perception influences our attitude, our performance and our ability to set goals."

ROMAN OBEN

Super Bowl Champion

Roman Oben is an accomplished All-American collegiate football player, veteran of 12 NFL seasons and civic leader. A third round pick in 1996 for the New York Giants, Oben started over 90% of the games played throughout his 12-year career at left tackle. Oben played a key role in helping his teams reach post-season play; in 2002 he helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers capture their first Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XXXVII. As a leader on and off the field, Oben has remained committed to helping athletes make the transition into the workplace. While serving as the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) team representative for 3 teams over 7 years, Oben was integral in drafting a resolution that ensures NFL Player Programs pay for continued education for retired players and as an active team representative, Oben was a charter member of the NFLPA Benefits Committee that ensured future medical coverage for all NFL players. The founder of the Roman Oben Foundation in 2003, Oben has also been honored for his outstanding work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters San Diego where he was recognized as the 2007 Man of the Year. Oben earned his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in public administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. While working toward his graduate degree, Oben completed internships with Democratic Congressmen Bill Pascrell of New Jersey and Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland. Kucinich was a 2004 presidential candidate. As a Vice President of Development, Roman establishes relationships within The Corporate Playbook network between universities, athletes and top companies seeking the skills and attributes that athletes contribute to the workforce. Roman also offers an experienced viewpoint for both collegiate and professional athletes preparing for life after sports and transitioning into the workforce.