Coach Markey and Gashi pin down statewide awards

Junior wrestler Bardhyl Gashi placed second place in the entire state in the heavyweight division. Gashi finished this season with a record of 41-3, breaking the single-season win record by a individual wrestler at West Essex. He also won the Region 2 championship a week prior and took second in District 5 the week before that.

Also, Coach Michael Markey won the prestigious NJSIAA Wrestling Head Coach of the Year for the first time in his coaching career. In 2015, Markey won the first ever Assistant Coach of the Year Award, and now became the first coach in NJ Wrestling history to accomplish both. He earned these by leading West Essex to their first sectional championship since 2011 and their first ever group state championship. The team finished with a rank of No. 18 on NJ.com, and ranked No. 9 in the NJSIAA Coaches Poll.

Check back later next week to see a full video feature on both Gashi and Coach Markey.