Chris Villalonga celebrates after his final victory competing for Blair Academy. Rob Preston photo

When Blair Academy's Chris Villalonga of Totowa, N.J. was named the "Outstanding Wrestler" at the prestigious National Prep Tournament at Lehigh University's Stabler Arena on February 27, he also became only the seventh wrestler to win the National Preps four times. 

To put that in perspective, it is important to realize that the National Prep Tournament is the oldest high school wrestling tournament in America, having been founded in 1935!

Over the years, the National Prep Tournament has turned out future NCAA champions and future NCAA All Americans year after year. The last two years, the National Preps has been the only end-of-season tournament in the United States to feature two teams ranked in the final top five in the country. No state could make that claim either year, much less for both years, 

But as singular as taking four National Prep crowns is, it is only one of the national standards New Jersey's Chris Villalonga has set over the course of his impressive high school career.

In the eyes of the nation's amateur wrestling experts, the most impressive and most difficult record Chris has set is winning the top two national in-season tournaments in America a record six times. 

No wrestler in history -- other than Chris Villalonga - has ever won the renown Ironman Tournament in Ohio and the Beast of the East at the University of Delaware a combined six times. For the past decade, year in, year out these two tournaments have drawn many of the top-ranked programs from around the USA, including numerous nationally-ranked individuals.

No one has done what Blair Academy's Chris Villalonga has done, not the eventual multi-year NCAA champs, nor even the eventual Olympians. 

These tournaments are so rigorous, so unparalleled that they are regarded as, "The place where State Champions come to die." This quote comes from one of America's most distinguished and most accomplished coaches, Greg Urbas, the great head coach for St Edward (OH). 

Those who have watched Chris Villalonga in action over the years have been struck universally by Chris' great composure under fire. They have seen how Chris is able to quietly reduce extremely stressful situations to clear-minded, correct decisions time and again. To his closest admirers, Chris is known simply as "Mr. Smooth."
 
A resume of the accomplishments of New Jersey's great Chris Villalonga has a chance to be named the first four-time ASICS All American in the history of Blair Academy wrestling, a program that has produced an Olympic Gold medalist. 12 NCAA champions and almost 50 NCAA All Americans.

Chris has been chosen to represent the United States in the country's two premier post-season All Star meets, the Dapper Dan Classic at the University of Pittsburgh later this month and the Dream Team Vs. Illinois in the suburbs of Chicago next month.

After having been heavily recruited by the best NCAA Div. I wrestling programs, Chris has decided to wrestle and pursue his undergraduate degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Villalonga has also had a successful career competing in USA Wrestling age-group programs. He competed in and won numerous titles and medals at regional and national competitions in the USA Wrestling Kids, Cadet and Junior wrestling program. For instance, in 2005, he was a Schoolboy folkstyle national champion, and national runner-up in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. In 2007, he was third at the Cadet National Championships in freestyle at 119 pounds. In 2009, he was fifth in the ASICS Junior Nationals in freestyle at 140 pounds. USA Wrestling salutes Chris Villalonga, his family and his coaches for an outstanding wrestling career to date.

Thanks to Dave Ritterpusch for sending this article for publication. Thanks also to Rob Preston for his photo.