Bound Brook native Andrew Campolattano wins Rutgers wrestling debut

• Bound Brook native and Ohio State transfer Andrew Campolattano made his Rutgers wrestling debut.
• Campolattano was the aggressor in his match and scored an 8-5 win by decision.
• Most of the crowd hadn't seen Campolattano in action since he won a fourth high school state title.
• Campolattano was satisfied with the win but recognized he has a long way to go before March.

PISCATAWAY – While Rutgers made its maiden appearance in the brutal world of Big Ten wrestling Friday night against No. 1-ranked Iowa, the Scarlet Knights' Andrew Campolattano was reintroducing himself to New Jersey.

The four-time high school state champ from Bound Brook, now a redshirt junior for Rutgers, grinded out a 8-5 triumph at 197 pounds over Kris Klapprodt. That was the last of three Rutgers' wins. South Plainfield's four-time champ Anthony Ashnault (141) and his high school teammate and two-time state champ Scott DelVecchio (133) also won decisions in the 27-9 loss.

Most of the record crowd last saw Campolattano in 2011, polishing off a 44-0 season and 178-1 career in 2011 at Boardwalk Hall with yet another first period pin in Atlantic City at the NJSIAA State Wrestling finals.

A lot has happened to Campolattano since then. He spent two years wrestling at Ohio State, clinching the Buckeye's first victory over Iowa since 1966 with an 8-6 win over Grant Gambrall at 197 pounds in 2012 in front of 5,684 at St. John Arena in Columbus. He transferred to Rutgers after experiencing legal trouble in Columbus, but has worked hard and recovered. He received a loud welcome Friday night after being introduced.

Campolattano, a two-time NCAA qualifier for Ohio State, did bring Big Ten experience with him back home, but Rutgers' coach Scott Goodale said he thought it really wasn't a factor.

"You can throw all that out the window,'' Goodale said. "It's about the seven minutes you're going to wrestle. I don't think Andrew reached back and thought about what he did at Ohio State. He was in the moment. He wrestled well enough to win tonight, and he'll continue to be good, contriue to get in better shape. But he has a tough road ahead.''

Campolattano escaped to break a 3-3 tie to start the second period, then scored his second takedown to make it 6-3. Klapprodt escaped to make it 6-4, but another takedown gave Campolattano a 8-4 lead after two.

"I was happy with the win, but I have to be aggressive from start to finish, I have some work to do come March, I have to score more points;" Campolattano said. "I have to maximize my effort, better finishes, better on top, better on bottom. I have to keep building, keep pushing the pace from start to finish."

You could say Campolattano was workmanlike in triumph. He wasn't the dominating force many of the crowd recalled, but showed that he could work out a seven minute grind.

" I tried to get to my high crotch, but I didn't necessarily get to it in my time," Campolattano said. " I got to my double leg a couple times."

Campolattano pledged to be the aggressor in every match, to be in attack mode, to score first.

Goodale thought Campolattano did fine in is Rutgers' debut, considering he had to cut weight for the first time in a year and half. He said that he and assistants Donny Pritzlaff and John Leonardis had attempted to "simulate what Campolattano might face in his first bout after cutting weight for the first time in so long.

'We knew he'd hit a wall, that's normal, but we're doing that in front of myself, coach Pritzlaff and Leonardis, for Andrew to do it in front of a crowd of 6,000 is something entirely different,'' Goodale said.

Goodale used the words 'poised'' and 'composed'' to describe Campolattano's performance.

"He kept himself in the center of the mat,'' Goodale said.

Campolattano was content, but added he had to sustain aggressiveness from start to finish. Though he had a respectful 40-26 record at Ohio State, slow starts and not being aggressive cost him.

The Big Ten can make the outstanding very humble, something Goodale acknolwedged happened at a few weights Friday night. The quick pins, the major decisions, technical falls aren't going to be so frequent in the Big Ten.

"I'm wrestling for me and my team right now," Campolattano said. "As much as I want to be a crowd pleaser, I'm just trying to work hard and produce the best I can.''