Downstate Conference tournaments roundup from Jan. 21

By Curt Herron

Normal Community edges Normal West to claim Big 12 Conference title

It had been a few years since Normal Community had won a Big 12 Conference Tournament, so the fact that it could win its first title since 1989 and also edge district rival Normal West in the process made the accomplishment even that much more special.

The Ironmen had two champions, five runners-up and four others in the top four to score 184.5 points, which was 3.5 points better than the second-place Wildcats, who finished with 181 points. Bloomington (111), Centennial (93), Richwoods (80.5) and Peoria High (70.5) were next in line in the 10-team competition that took place in Danville.

Leading the way for coach Trevor Kaufman’s champion Ironmen were title winners Caden Correll (106) and Cole Gentsch (113) while Carter Mayes (120), Jayden Campbell (138), Mitchell Mosbach (160), Matthew Hudelson (195) and Cooper Caraway (220) took second. Dylan Conway (126) and Jaren Frankowiak (132) were third while Jordan Campbell (145) and  Mason Caraway (182) finished fourth.

“This weekend we won the Big 12 Conference tournament for the first time since 1989,” Kaufman said. “We defeated 2A state-ranked Normal West and Bloomington in the process. That was one of our goals at the beginning of the season and everyone of our wrestlers had a part in it whether they were in the lineup or not. We had seven finalists where state-ranked Caden Correll and Cole Gentsch both won titles at 106 and 113. Cooper Caraway and second-ranked Jack Barnhart met for the fourth time this season where Caraway tried making it two wins in a row over Barnhart and came up short in a battle of state-ranked kids.”  

Top performers for coach Adam Richards’ second-place Wildcats were champions Froylan Racey (120), Evan Willock (132), Xavier Edwards (145) and Brock Leenerman (170) while Austin Johnston (126) and Gus Schreiber (182) placed second. Taking third place were Abram Rader (106), Dylan McGrew (113), Logan Alvarez (138) and Matt Hanold (285) while Grant Dejaynes (195) and Gage Hutchison (220) finished fourth.

Other Big 12 champions were Centennial’s Nick Pianfeiti (152), Jack Barnhart (220) and Brandon Harvey (285), Bloomington’s Dylan Watts (138) and Maddox Kirts (160), Champaign Central’s Ronald Baker (126), Danville’s Phil Shaw IV (182) and Peoria High’s Malachi Washington (195).

Also finishing in second place were Peoria Notre Dame’s Ian Akers (106) and Chase Daugherty (145), Peoria High’s Kenny Rutherford (152) and Lucas Armstrong (285), Urbana’s Cordero Sims (113), Richwoods’ Rikyis Doss (132) and Centennial’s Henry Spinella (170).

Finalists with the best records are Correll (38-0, 1.000), Gentsch (39-2, .951), Pianfeiti (35-2, .946), Barnhart (29-2, .935), Willock (32-3, .914), Akers (31-3, .912), Washington 16-2, .889), and Shaw IV (23-3, .885). Gentsch and Watts tied for the most team points with 23.5 while Barnhart, Kirts, Leenerman, Racey, Shaw IV and Willock all had 22 points and Baker and Washington both scored 21.5 team points.

Big 12 Conference Championship Matches

106 – Caden Correll (Normal Community) MD 8-0 Ian Akers (Notre Dame)

113 – Cole Gentsch (Normal Community) F 3:09 Cordero Sims (Urbana)

120 – Froylan Racey (Normal West) F 1:36 Carter Mayes (Normal Community)

126 – Ronald Baker (Champaign Central) SV 8-6 Austin Johnston (Normal West)

132 – Evan Willock (Normal West) F 2:32 Rikyis Doss (Richwoods)

138 – Dylan Watts (Bloomington) F 4:35 Jayden Campbell (Normal Community)

145 – Xavier Edwards (Normal West) D 7-4 Chase Daugherty (Notre Dame)

152 – Nick Pianfeiti (Centennial) D 3-1 Kenny Rutherford (Peoria High)

160 – Maddox Kirts (Bloomington) F 0:33 Mitchell Mosbach (Normal Community)

170 – Brock Leenerman (Normal West) F 3:44 Henry Spinella (Centennial)

182 – Phil Shaw IV (Danville) D 8-2 Gus Schreiber (Normal West)

195 – Malachi Washington (Peoria High) F 2:20 Matthew Hudelson (Normal Community)

220 – Jack Barnhart (Centennial) D 5-1 Cooper Caraway (Normal Community)

285 – Brandon Harvey (Centennial) D 7-4 Lucas Armstrong (Peoria High)

Big 12 Conference Third-Place Matches

106 – Abram Rader (Normal West) F 4:27 Tyler Barlow (Bloomington)

113 – Dylan McGrew (Normal West) M For Colton Boyer (Richwoods)

120 – Declan Pate (Centennial) D 6-3 Gabe Rodd (Richwoods)

126 – Dylan Conway (Normal Community) M For Bernard Cox (Richwoods)

132 – Jaren Frankowiak (Normal Community) MD 15-4 Surya Singh (Bloomington)

138 – Logan Alvarez (Normal West) D 7-6 Jesse Martinez (Richwoods)

145 – Tuison Connor (Peoria High) F 0:36 Jordan Campbell (Normal Community)

152 – Noah Misukonis (Bloomington) F 1:02 Jayden Putts (Richwoods)

160 – Michael Vincent (Richwoods) F 4:28 Tristan Poplous (Danville)

170 – Andrew McCullough (Bloomington) D 6-5 Gabriel Martinez (Richwoods)

182 – Kenner Bye (Bloomington) D 5-1 Mason Caraway (Normal Community)

195 – Brock VanDeveer (Champaign Central) D 3-2 Grant Dejaynes (Normal West)

220 – Zavier Neill (Champaign Central) F 1:31 Gage Hutchison (Normal West)

285 – Matt Hanold (Normal West) D 9-6 Stephen Carr (Bloomington)

Fairfield wins third-straight Black Diamond Conference title

Fairfield beat Goreville 54-21, Johnston City 47-21, Carmi-White County 51-30 and Trico 60-6 to win the Black Diamond Conference Duals, which were at Carmi-White County in Carmi. 

It was the third-straight year that the Mules have won the championship and coach Jordan Griffith’s squad owned a 19-6 record following the competition and then added to that with two more wins to set a new school record with 21 dual meet wins. Goreville took second place, Carmi-White County was third, Johnston City finished fourth and Trico was fifth.

Earning all-conference honors as weight class champions for Fairfield were Anthony Granfelt (106), Scotty Cuff (138), Andrew Bittles (145), Talan Keoughan (160), Bronson Rilea (182) and Payton Allen (285).

Allen, who was 29-0 through last weekend, won his fourth invite title of the season, adding to firsts at Lawrence County, Cumberland’s Skull and Crossbones and Carbondale’s Murdale. Earlier this month, the senior became the school’s all-time wins leader, passing the total of 112 victories that was set by Chris Jordan.

Other Black Diamond Conference weight champions were Carmi-White County’s Matt Wilson (126), Dylan Ackerman (132), Layne Gwaltney (152) and Nelson Rider (195), Goreville’s Briley Lehman (113) and Jeremiah Pulliam (120), Johnston City’s Jude Beers (220) and Trico’s Colin Hughey (170).

The Black Diamond weight class champions in the picture are: Front row, from left, 106 – Anthony Granfelt (Fairfield), 113 – Briley Lehman (Goreville), 120 – Jeremiah Pulliam (Goreville), 126 – Matt Wilson (Carmi-White County), 132 – Dylan Ackerman (Carmi-White County), 138 – Scotty Cuff (Fairfield) and – 145 Andrew Bittles (Fairfield). Second row, from left, 152 – Layne Gwaltney (Carmi-White County), 160 -Talan Keoughon (Fairfield), 170 – Colin Hughey (Trico), 182 – Bronson Rilea (Fairfield), 195 – Nelson Rider (Carmi-White County), 220 – Jude Beers (Johnston City) and 285 – Peyton Allen (Fairfield).

Washington continues long run of Mid-Illini Conference titles

Washington was led by eight title winners and two second-place finishers as it captured the Mid-Illini Conference Tournament championship in Morton by a 247.5-147 margin over Canton. Morton (130), Pekin (104) and Metamora (102.5) were next-best in the eight-team event. The Panthers have now won the Mid-Illini championship each season since 2010.

Leading coach Nick Miller’s Panthers were champions Noah Woods (113), Eli Gonzalez (132), Peyton Cox (138), Kannon Webster (145), Cael Miller (152), Zane Hulet (160), Josh Hoffer (195) and Justin Hoffer (220) while Wyatt Medlin (126) and Blake Hinrichsen (170) finished second. Symon Woods (106) and Sean Thornton (285) placed third and Michael Mendoza (182) took fourth.

Coach Zach Crawford’s runner-up Little Giants were led by title winners John Davis (120), Trevor Hedges (126) and Joseph Norton (170) while Maddux Steele (106) and Asa Reed (285) took second and Jack Jochums (113) and Grant Kessler (220) finished third.

Other title winners were Morton’s Harrison Dea (106), Pekin’s Shamon Handegan (182) and East Peoria’s Jose Del Toro (285). 

Morton had four runners-up, Caleb Lenning (113), Caiden Robison (120), Steven Marvin (145) and Clay McKee (152). Also finishing in second place were Pekin’s Karson Long (132) and RaMez Watson (138), Dunlap’s Nick Mueller (160), East Peoria’s Kaden Rowland (182), Metamora’s Adam Sloan (195) and Limestone’s Hector Izaguirre (220).

Webster (34-0, 1.000) and Handegan (31-0, 1.000) remained unbeaten. Other finalists with the best records are Norton (41-1, .976), Justin Hoffer (27-1, .964), Hedges (38-2, .950), Cox (29-2, .935), Davis (33-3, .917) and Mueller (30-3, .909). There was a seven-way time for the most team points with 24 between Dea, Del Toro, Handegan, Justin Hoffer, Miller, Norton and Webster while Cox and Hedges both scored 23 team points.

Mid-Illini Conference Championship Matches

106 – Harrison Dea (Morton) F 3:51 Maddux Steele (Canton)

113 – Noah Woods (Washington) D 6-2 Caleb Lenning (Morton)

120 – John Davis (Canton) D 6-0 Caiden Robison (Morton)

126 – Trevor Hedges (Canton) MD 8-0 Wyatt Medlin (Washington)

132 – Eli Gonzalez (Washington) D 7-1 Karson Long (Pekin)

138 – Peyton Cox (Washington) MD 8-0 RaMez Watson (Pekin)

145 – Kannon Webster (Washington) F 1:12 Steven Marvin (Morton)

152 – Cael Miller (Washington) F 5:05 Clay McKee (Morton)

160 – Zane Hulet (Washington) D 5-3 Nick Mueller (Dunlap)

170 – Joseph Norton (Canton) F 1:14 Blake Hinrichsen (Washington)

182 – Shamon Handegan (Pekin) F 2:00 Kaden Rowland (East Peoria)

195 – Josh Hoffer (Washington) D 6-0 Adam Sloan (Metamora)

220 – Justin Hoffer (Washington) F 1:24 Hector Izaguirre (Limestone)

285 – Jose Del Toro (East Peoria) F 3:33 Asa Reed (Canton)

Mid-Illini Conference Third-Place Matches

106 – Symon Woods (Washington) MD 14-3 Zach Bameter (Metamora)

113 – Jack Jochums (Canton) F 4:47 Dalton Davis (Pekin)

120 – Logan Smith (Pekin) F 1:04 Ashton Menees (Limestone)

126 – Payton Ferrill (Morton) F 1:05 Tristan Mosack (Dunlap)

132 – Aaron Andrade (Metamora) F 4:19 Brandon Eaton (Canton)

138 – Carter Atherton (Metamora) F 4:21 Drew Bankert (Morton)

145 – Gabe Hodges (Limestone) MD 9-1 Wesley Chaney (Canton)

152 – Jaydon Fisher (Metamora) D 7-3 Wyatt Sego (Canton)

160 – Karson Hale (Metamora) F 0:46 David Hartwell (Pekin)

170 – Syril Kiefner (Metamora) D 8-3 Tyus Almasy (Morton)

182 – Joe Weeks (Dunlap) F 1:11 Michael Mendoza (Washington)

195 – Gunner Brophy (Pekin) F 4:10 Carson Paustian (Dunlap)

220 – Grant Kessler (Canton) D 6-3 Matt Schmitt (Dunlap)

285 – Sean Thornton (Washington) D 4-1 Ty Dykes (Metamora)