Out-of-state tournament roundup for Jan. 6

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOAJoliet Catholic Academy, St. Charles East second, third at Cheesehead

Joliet Catholic Academy took second place with 504 points and St. Charles placed third with 485.5 points at the 38-team Cheesehead Invitational that took place in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. Southeast Polk, which is located in Altoona, Iowa, won the title with 591.5 points

Warren Township scored 283 points to finish ninth and Yorkville (244.5), DeKalb (242) and Lockport Township (237) finished in a row from 14th through 16th. Others from Illinois who were in the field were Barrington (178.5, 21st), Edwardsville (175.5, T-22nd), Prospect (132, 29th), Grant (103.5, 32nd) and Neuqua Valley (10, 38th).

St. Charles East had three champions, Dom Munaretto (113), Ben Davino (132) and Tyler Guerra (138), while Joliet Catholic Academy’s Dillan Johnson (285), Warren Township’s Caleb Noble (106) and DeKalb’s Jacob Luce (165) also captured titles.

Munaretto (31-2) won the 113 title by fall in 1:52 over West Bend West, WI’s Ethan Bast. Davino (33-0) claimed a 7-2 decision over Wayzata, MN’s Logan Swensen in the 132 finals. And Guerra (30-1) captured a 4-1 decision over Millard South, NE’s Miles Anderson in the 138 title match.

Other top placewinners for the Saints were runner-up Brody Murray (175), fourth-place finisher Gavin Connolly (150), Anthony Gutierrez (165), who placed fifth, sixth-place finisher Jayden Colon (144) and Brandon Swartz (215), who finished seventh. Murray (25-7) lost by technical fall in 3:25 in the 175 title match to Ponderosa, CO’s Tyler Eise. 

Turning in the best performance for coach Ryan Cumbee’s runner-up Hilltoppers was Johnson (24-1), who captured a 4-1 decision over Amery, WI’s Koy Hopke in the 285 title match.

Finishing fourth for JCA were Max Cumbee (113) and Max Hrvatin (215) while Luke Foster (106) took fifth, Jason Hampton (120) and Nico Ronchetti (190) placed sixth, Connor Cumbee (150) was seventh, Elias Gonzalez (138) and Max Corral (165) took eighth and Adante Washington (126) and Nolan Vogel (144) finished ninth.

“I’m so proud of our team’s performance as we showed we belong in the discussion of elite programs in the country,” Ryan Cumbee said. “The secret to our success is simple: we are choosing to enjoy the competition and not be so focused on winning and losing. Our records may not be the prettiest, but they are hard earned and we wouldn’t change a thing.”

Leading the way for coach Brad Janecek’s Warren Township Blue Devils was Noble (26-2), who won the 106 title with a 2-1 decision over Simley, MN’s Turner Ross. Aaron Stewart (26-2) took second at 157 after dropping a 6-2 decision to Homestead, WI’s Charlie Millard. Royce Lopez (165) and Justice Humphreys (175) placed seventh and Anthony Soto (215) finished ninth.

The top performer for coach Sam Hiatt’s DeKalb Barbs was Luce (29-2), who won the 165 title with a 3-2 decision over Kasson-Mantorville, MN’s Dominic Mann. Mekhi Cave (144) finished fourth, Lamar Bradley (215) placed sixth and Kaden Klapprodt (113) took ninth.

Coach Jake Oster’s Yorkville Foxes were led by Luke Zook (175) and Ben Alvarez (215), who both took third place. Leading coach Jameson Oster’s Lockport Township Porters were Justin Wardlow (138), who took fourth place and Timothy O’Connor (113), who finished fifth.

Prospect was led by Jaxon Penovich (190), who finished fourth. Barrington’s top performer was Kaleb Pratt (106), who took sixth place. Grant was led by Erik Rodriguez (132), who also placed sixth. And Edwardsville’s top finisher was Bryson Nuttall (106), who finished eighth. 

JCA was first in total match points with 606 while St, Charles East was fourth with 521. St. Charles East led all teams with 32 falls while JCA and Lockport Township tied for sixth with 20.

Munaretto led all competitors with 71 team points, which was one-half point more than Ponderosa, WI’s Tyler Eise had. Davino ranked fourth with 68, Guerra and Johnson tied for sixth with 67 points and Noble tied Hopke and one other for eighth with 66 team points.

Munaretto also collected the most total match points of anyone in the field with 103 while teammate Davino ranked second with 93. Yorkville’s Jack Ferguson tied for third with 91 and teammate Alvarez was tenth with 79 points.

Lockport Township’s Isaac Zimmerman tied Hopke and Southeast Polk’s Holden Hansen for the most falls with five. Alvarez and Penovich tied three for most wins by technical fall with three. 

And the runner-up Hilltoppers had the top two individuals who had the largest seed to place differential with Hrvatin going from 21st to fourth and Gonzalez improving from 24th to eighth.

Title matches at the Cheesehead Invitational involving Illinois athletes

106 – Caleb Noble (Warren Township) D 2-1 Turner Ross (Simley, MN)

113 – Dom Munaretto (St. Charles East) F 1:52 Ethan Bast (West Bend West, WI)

132 – Ben Davino (St. Charles East)  D 7-2 Logan Swensen (Wayzata, MN)

138 – Tyler Guerra (St. Charles East)  D 4-1 Miles Anderson (Millard South, NE)

157 – Charlie Millard (Homestead, WI) D 6-2 Aaron Stewart (Warren Township)

165 – Jacob Luce (DeKalb) D 3-2 Dominic Mann (Kasson-Mantorville, MN)

175 – Tyler Eise (Ponderosa, CO) TF 3:25 Brody Murray (St. Charles East)

285 – Dillan Johnson (Joliet Catholic Academy) D 4-1 Koy Hopke (Amery, WI)

Five boys teams compete at The Clash XXI Duals

Hersey, Washington Community, Marian Central Catholic, Glenbard North and Loyola Academy all took part in The Clash XXI Duals, a 32-team competition in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Hersey finished with a 4-2 record. Top performers for the coach Joseph Rupslauk’s Huskies were Danny Lehman (6-0 at 107), Maksim Mukhamedaliyev (6-0 at 133/139), Abdullokh Khakimov (5-1 at 127/133),  Anthony Orozco-Diaz (5-1 at 114), Elijah Garza (3-1 at 121/127), Tim Boldt (4-2 at 160), Anthony Cambria (4-2 at 189) and Jake Hanson (4-2 at 145).

Washington Community also went 4-2, which included a 40-17 win over Marian Central Catholic. Posting the best records for coach Nick Miller’s Panthers were Peyton Cox (6-0 at 145), Zane Hulet (6-0 at 172/189), Josh Hoffer (5-1 at 215), Wyatt Medlin (5-1 at 139), Cael Miller (5-1 at 160/172), Sean Thornton (5-1 at 285), Timmy Smith (4-2 at 133), and Noah Woods (4-2 at 121).

Marian Central Catholic posted a 3-3 record, which included a 38-36 win over Loyola Academy. Top individuals for the Hurricanes, who are co-coached by Ryan Prater and Jordan Blanton, were Jimmy Mastny (6-0 at 160), Max Astacio (5-0 at 172), Vance Williams (5-1 at 139), Anthony Alanis (4-2 at 114/121), Andrew Alvarado (4-2 at 133), Austin Hagevold (4-2 at 107) and Brayden Teunissen (4-2 at 121/127).

Top performers for Glenbard North were Christian Chavez (5-1 at 127/133), Dominick Marre (5-1 at 114/121), Brian Petrancosta (5-1 at 215/285), Rylan Kradle (4-2 at 145/152) and Kalani Khiev (4-2 at 121/127).

Leading the way for Loyola Academy were Kai Calcutt (6-0 at 215), James Hemmila (6-0 at 107), Gavin Pardilla (6-0 at 121), Joey Herbert (5-1 at 285) and Quinn Herbert (5-1 at 189).

Washington Community ranked fourth in team points with 225 while Hersey ranked tenth with 202 and also had the fourth-highest total in match points with 446. 

Loyola Academy’s Kai Calcutt and Marian Central Catholic’s Jimmy Mastney tied five others for the most team points with 36 and they also tied several individuals, including Washington Community’s Sean Thornton, for the third-highest number of falls with five. Hersey’s Maksim Mukhamedaliyev tied for the third-most match points with 81.

Three teams participate in Clash Girls Duals II

Minooka, Batavia and Joliet Township all won three or more dual meets in The Clash National Girls Duals II, which featured 13 teams and took place in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Leading the way for coach Paige Schoolman’s 4-2 Minooka Indians, who beat Joliet Township 33-33 on a tiebreaker, were Abbey Boersma (6-0 at 155), Eva Beck (5-1 at 136), Bella Cyrkiel (5-1 at 142/148), Peyton Kueltzo (5-1 at 235), Addison Cailteux (2-1 at 130) and Kailey Jefferson (2-1 at 130).

Top performers for coach Scott Bayer’s 3-3 Batavia Bulldogs, who defeated Joliet Township 38-33, were Sydney Perry (6-0 at 148), Lily Enos (5-0 at 100), Amelia Howell (5-1 at 136), Natalie Lenart (5-1 at 118), Sarah Anderson (4-2 at 155) and Anabelle Guthke (4-2 at 130).

Individuals who had the best records for coach Liz Short’s Joliet Township Steelwomen, who went 3-4, were Eliana Paramo (7-0 at 112), Izabel Barrera (6-1 at 130), Emma Schlismann (6-1 at 106) and Bianca Campos (5-2 at 170).

Minooka led all entrants with the most total match points with 244 while Joliet Township had the third-most team points with 264 and the third-most falls with 38 and Batavia ranked fifth in total match points with 222. 

Joliet Township’s Eliana Paramo tied three others for the most team points with 42 while Batavia’s Sydney Perry, Minooka’s Abbey Boersma and Joliet Township’s Izabel Barrera tied two others for fifth in team points with 36. 

Paramo also tied two others for the most falls with seven while Barrera tied two others for fourth place in pins with six. Batavia’s Lily Enos and Minooka’s  Addison Cailteux were two of the five individuals who got a win by technical fall. Enos also ranked third in match points with 44, which were two more than Perry had to rank fifth in that category.

Belleville West claims third at Old Capital Classic in Indiana

Belleville West had two champions and a second-place finisher to lead it to 208 points and a third-place finish in the Old Capital Classic, a 14-team competition which took place at Corydon Central in Corydon, Indiana, which was the state’s first capital.

Milan, IN outscored Evansville North, IN 259.5-239.5 to claim top honors while one of the two Kentucky teams in the field, Meade County, KY, captured fourth place with 185 points.

Leading the way for coach Bob Dahm’s third-place Maroons were champions Tyson Seibel (126) and Ethan Hofmeister (190) while Rocky Seibel (113) and Aiden Colbert (138) both settled for second place.

Tyson Seibel (18-6) won a 6-3 decision over Bedford North, IN’s Jorj Filler in the 126 title match while Hofmeister (18-4) recorded a fall in 2:38 over Milan, IN’s Carson Betz in the 190 finals.

Rocky Seibel (22-3) injury defaulted to Milan, IN’s Matthew Baylor in the 113 finals while Colbert (20-6) lost a 6-2 decision to Meade County, KY’s Payton Durbin in the 138 title match.

Maroons who took third place were Xander Goodwin (132), Brody O’Donnell (175) and Shamontae Matthews (215) while Alex Ramo (165) and Kenwyn Horne (285) placed fourth and DeMario Walters (106) and Kadin Alexander (150) finished in fifth place.

Evansville North, IN edged Belleville West 243-242 for the most total match points. Tyson Siebel tied for fourth in most team points with 28.5 while Hofmeister tied for ninth with 28 points. Colbert ranked second in total match points with 40 while Rocky Seibel was third with 34.

Civic Memorial takes fifth at Wilkey Invite in Oklahoma

Civic Memorial had a successful trip to the Larry Wilkey Invitational in Jenks, Oklahoma where it placed fifth out of 22 schools representing six states after scoring 165.5 points and capturing three championships in the event. Sand Springs, OK took first place with 208 points.

Coach Jeremy Christeson’s Eagles got titles from Bradley Ruckman (120), Caleb Scott (126) and Bryce Griffin (157) while Kale Hawk (215) and Jake Herrin (285) finished fifth and Avery Jamie (113) and Nathen Herrin (144) both took sixth place.

Ruckman (29-6) captured the title at 120 with a 6-4 win in sudden victory over Sand Springs, OK’s David Ritchey. Scott (21-5) won a 7-0 decision over Salina, OK’s Aaron Blevins in the 126 finals and Griffin (33-2) recorded a fall in 1:15 over Sapulpa, OK’s Blake Hurt for the 157 title. 

Civic Memorial ranked fourth in falls with 23. Griffin tied for fifth in team points with 29 while Scott tied for ninth in team points with 28. Seeds didn’t mean much at some weights since Griffin was seeded 32nd and Ruckman was seeded 30th and both won championships.

Dawson wins title at Lafayette Ross Invite in Missouri

Collinsville’s Taylor Dawson captured another championship and improved to 29-0 after taking top honors at 130 at the the 27-team Lafayette Fred Ross Invite in Wildwood, Missouri.

Dawson, a junior who’s a two-time IHSA medalist who went 34-5 and took third last year at 130 and was second at 125 in the first state finals, won the 130 title with a win by technical fall over St. Clair, MO’s Jossie Hopkins. She led all competitors in the tournament with 38 match points and had the lone win by technical fall. The Kahoks also received third-place finishes from Leann Cory (135) and Hannah Jones (170).

Also competing in the tournament was Alton, which only had three entrants but they all placed in the top four at their weights. Leading the way for the Redbirds was Elanna Hickman (16-6), who took second at 155 after losing by fall in 0:54 to Centralia, MO’s Jayci Shelton. Aryanna Jones (115) finished third while Phuong Tran (145) finished fourth.

IC Catholic Prep at Doc Buchanan in California

Michael Calcagno took fourth place at 218 and Deven Casey finished seventh at 129 to lead the way for IC Catholic Prep in the Doc Buchanan Tournament in Clovis, California, which featured more than 120 teams from throughout the country. With just 10 individuals competing, coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights were able to finish in 17th place with 49 points.

Downers Grove South at Drennan Invite in Tennessee

Downers Grove South took ninth place with 132.5 points at the 49-team Johnny Drennan ’85 Memorial Invitational at Father Ryan in Nashville, Tennessee. Teams from six states took part in the competition. Fenton also participated and scored 37 points.

Top performers for the Mustangs were third-place finishers RJ Samuels (175) and Matt Lapacek (190) while Drew Woolsey (126) took eighth place.

Downers Grove South ranked sixth in both total match points (300) and falls (22). Lapacek tied four others for third place for the most falls with five while Samuels ranked fourth in total match points with 69.