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HoVal wrestling wins sectionals for first time BY RICH FISHER When Mario Harpel took over the Hopewell Valley Central High wrestling program 19 years ago, he wasn’t intimidated by Mercer County’s less-thansterling reputation in wrestling. He knew if things were done right, he could build a team that would succeed at the state level. “I always believed that,” Harpel said. “I had the opportunity to coach in Ohio and Pennsylvania before here and had some success. At Hopewell, I was just excited to start a positive program and develop and wrestle the best schedule we could wrestle; with the belief we could achieve anything we set our minds too. We took some huge steps from day one until now.” They took the biggest on Feb. 7 by defeating Ocean Township, 33-32, to win the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III championship. It was the first sectional title in program history and just the third ever won by a Mercer team. Prior to that day, the program had won over 300 matches, 15 Colonial Valley Conference division titles and 15 Mercer County Tournament crowns. The Bulldogs had come tantalizingly close to a sectional crown sev-
eral times, including last year, and finally got over the hump before losing to Cranford in the Group III semifinals. “It’s definitely something we thought we could do at the start of the year,” junior 157-pounder Konrad Haugeto said. “We just knew this year that everyone was good and if we worked hard we could do anything. “We’ve been very close and this year we knew we could do it. It’s great for the team, it’s great for the school and I think we’re all very proud.” Haugeto played a big part in the pulsating win that had Hopewell’s gym rocking in Artist Myles Cavanaugh and bike shop owner Mike Gray in front of the new mural Cavanaugh’s painted record sound decibels. He fell in the shop on East Broad Street in Hopewell Borough. (Photo courtesy of Sourland Cycles.) behind by four points before getting a third-period pin over Josh Calixte. “We had a couple swing matches that didn’t go our way, I was thinking it was gonna be hard to win this,” said Jon Trainor, who took a 3-2 deciover the years, it had seemed to stock photos just weren’t cutting sion at 285 early in the match. “I BY JOE EMANSKI owner Mike Gray that nothing it when it came to the stairway saw Konrad going down, at one The stairway at Sourland he and the staff ever did to try to wall. point he went to his back and I Then one day last year, a custhought, ‘Oh well, another year Cycles had always been a spruce the area up had worked. Sourland Cycles hosts numer- tomer named Myles Cavanaugh of second place.’ But Konrad is problem. The link between the historic, ous bike rides throughout the was shopping in the Hopewell relentless. He just keeps going, he’s a machine. He grabbed 1860’s-era part of the building nearby natural setting that Borough store. An avid cyclist those six (points) up top and on East Broad Street and the inspired the store name. There as well as an acclaimed painter, to more Capital Health. modern section are photos of nature scenes Cavanaugh was a regular at (Ethan) Barker tookWelcome care of newer, See WRESTLING, Page 14 See HOTEL, Page 12 of the store was functional. But throughout the shop — but When someone you care about is sick, you’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they get the best care. And so do we.
Cycle shop celebrates 10th anniversary with new mural
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