Antonio Cedeno has a 12-1 individual record, and has helped Pascack Valley Wrestling to a 12-4 record overall on the season. While Antonio wrestles, he says the only thing on his mind is winning.
“Everything just disappears,” Cedeno said.
Cedeno started wrestling at a young age, around 7 or 8 years old. He got into wrestling because of his cousin and uncle, and has flourished into a strong wrestler, placing 3rd county tournament this year.
Antonio doesn’t find a problem with being a student athlete. He is able to stay on top of his academics while practicing for wrestling at the same time.
“You just have to balance it, and take advantage of free periods,” Cedeno said.
Antonio has made relationships with multiple teachers around Pascack Valley. Some of them include Mrs. Galka, Mr. Moran, Mr. Grier, and also Mr. Koch.
“Koch is a beast,” Cedeno said.
Assistant Wrestling Coach Michael Worthington says that Cedeno’s work ethic and determination to improve has made him a pleasure to coach.
“This is my third year coaching at PV. In that time, Antonio and I have developed a pretty solid relationship,” Worthington said. “Even in my first year with the program, he reminded me a bit of myself at that age – wrestling year round, driven to improve, and enjoyed the grind of the sport.
Cedeno is a true team leader, leading not only with his play, but also allowing all members of the PV Wrestling program to learn and improve.
“Through the offseason, he gets guys newer to the sport to go to club wrestling practices.” Worthington said, “During open mats, he goes out of his way to work with other guys in the room, and perhaps most importantly, makes every single student-athlete on the team feel part of the PV Wrestling family.
Antonio’s favorite memories from his high school wrestling years are the Valley vs Hills dual match. Cedeno loves the huge crowd that is drawn and Antonio lives for these moments.
Antonio is looking forward to continuing his wrestling and academic career at the collegiate level. In December 2023, Antonio announced his commitment to wrestle at Millersville University in Pennsylvania.
“It’s a beautiful campus. They’re ranked 14th in the nation right now in DII. It’s a good program,” Cedeno said. “When I went there, all the guys that I met were super nice.”
