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Local MMA center brings home 37 medals

| 12 May 2016 | 02:08
    Sean Licata shows the sword he won for winning first place in No-Gi.
    Sean Licata shows the sword he won for winning first place in No-Gi.
    Kristin Frey won three gold medals in her first BJJ competition.
    Kristin Frey won three gold medals in her first BJJ competition.
    Caitlin Frey won first place in both the Gi and No-Gi divisions.
    Caitlin Frey won first place in both the Gi and No-Gi divisions.
    Jon Finocchiaro won a gold medal in his first BJJ competition.
    Jon Finocchiaro won a gold medal in his first BJJ competition.
    Bobby Ingram, center, and Casey Crowley, right, finished first and second in their division together.
    Bobby Ingram, center, and Casey Crowley, right, finished first and second in their division together.
    Eric Cibenko won two gold medals and a silver medal.
    Eric Cibenko won two gold medals and a silver medal.

MORRISTOWN — The North American Grappling Association recently held their World Championship Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament at Morristown’s Mennen Arena, and Sparta’s Miller Brothers Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness brought home 37 medals. The local martial arts gym sent 15 members of the adult program and 10 students enrolled in the Little Spartans youth martial arts program. Miller Brothers students combined to win 16 gold medals in addition to 16 silver medals and 5 bronze medals.
Teens and adults competed on Saturday, and while many students were in their first competitions, the team still performed excellently. Both Eric Cibenko and Brooke Fahey competed in more than two teen divisions, combining to take home 3 gold medals and 4 silver medals in their seven brackets. Several first-time competitors won medals in their debut competitions — Jason Cummins won a gold and a silver, Jon Finocchiaro took gold in No-Gi, Mike Kozlowski added a silver and a bronze, and Casey Crowley won a gold and a silver. Casey’s silver also came in a bracket which saw Miller Brothers MMA take the top two spots on the podium, as Casey and Bobby Ingram both took out all competition to meet in the final. Moe Johnson set a new standard as the first purple belt to compete for the team by taking first place.
The good times kept rolling on Sunday, as the Little and Big Spartans competitors had an amazing day, combining to win 8 gold medals, 7 silver medals and 2 bronze medals. Kristin and Caitlin Frey led the way, combining for 5 gold medals, and were joined as podium toppers by Alekos Reinle in No-Gi, and Sean Licata who won both the Gi and No-Gi divisions in his first ever tournament.
Several members of the Spartans — Ryan Corino, Aidan Gagg and Lily Johnson — took home a pair of silvers, and Eric Wittrien won a silver and a bronze to go along with Zora Reinle‘s bronze medal in No-Gi. Coaches Mike Pagano, Frank Wallace and Moe Johnson were beaming all week about how well every child listened and how hard they competed.