Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op wins Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown championship

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

After having five state qualifiers, three placewinners and two runner-up finishers at the 2023 IHSA Finals, Joliet Township co-op Liz Short was honored by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association as its first Girls Coach of the Year award winner. 

But when others were selected to coach Joliet Central and Joliet West this season, Short had to look for some other position, and thanks to a college association with Andrew boys coach Peter Kowalczuk, she was eventually selected to become the new head coach of the School District 230 co-op girls program for Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Stagg. 

In her first tournament as the co-op’s new head coach, her team turned in an impressive performance as they easily captured championship honors at Wednesday’s 29-team Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown with 156 points, which was 42 points ahead of West Aurora, who was the champion in last year’s debut of the Thanksgiving Throwdown. Geneseo (113.5) fell .5 points behind West Aurora to take third while Minooka (108.5), Lockport Township (104) and Oswego (102.5) rounded out the top six teams in the field.

The co-op, which consists mainly of individuals from two of the schools, Andrew and Carl Sandburg, had three champions, one runner-up and three other top-six finishers. Winning titles were Jade Hardee (100), Alyssa Keane (140) and Nola Oben (170) while Emma Akpan (235) placed second, Sophia Figueroa (120) finished fourth and Tatum De La Vega (110) and Saja Bader (125) claimed sixth-place showings. Ella Olsen (115), Mackenzie Conry (130), Ahlam Mehyar (145) and Avery Santiago (170) also contributed to the scoring.

“I was super excited about this opportunity,” Short said. “The head boys coach, Pete Kowalczuk, also went to Northern Michigan University, where I went, so that’s where we know each other from. He was looking for a girls coach and I thought it was time to give myself a new opportunity and that’s kind of how you grow as a person. It’s kind of sad starting over and leaving but this position has different things to offer and I can help it grow and everyone has been so supportive, so I’m happy.

“This year they actually had to limit entries, which is a good sign since all teams are growing. We’re getting more quality now and seeing some good wrestling. And there are some really tough middle school girls coming up and they’re coming in already seasoned, so it’s exciting.”

Eleven other schools had a title winners with two of those being IHSA champions from 2024, Lockport Township’s Claudia Heeney (135) and Prairie Central’s Chloe Hoselton (235) while a second-place finisher at state a year ago, Canton’s Kinnley Smith (130), also won a title. 

Other state placewinners from 2024 who were title winners were Lincoln-Way co-op’s Zoe Dempsey (110), Clifton Central’s Payton Temple (190) and Pleasant Valley, Iowa’s Abigail Meyrer (120). Also capturing championships and the unique turkey headwear were Romeoville’s Daniela Santander (105), Oak Lawn’s Allison Nava (115), West Aurora’s Aiyanah Sylvester (125), Plainfield North’s Viki Rodnikova (145) and Oswego’s Makayla Hill (155). 

Heeney and Keane were the only repeat champions in the competition while Sylvester improved from second to first place.

Four 2023 title winners failed to repeat. They were Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker (190), a state runner-up last season and IHSA champion in 2023, West Aurora’s Kameyah Young (110), who place second at state in 2024, and Hoffman Estates’ Abigail Ji (140), who all claimed second place finishes and also Geneseo’s Molly Snyder (100), who took third place.

Two others who finished in second place for the second year in a row were Huntley’s Aubrie Rohrbacher (135) and Ottawa Township’s Ava Weatherford (145) with Heeney and Rohrbacher meeting on the title mat for the second year in a row. Another IHSA runner-up from 2024, Hoffman Estates’ Sophia Ball (130), also claimed second place after falling to Smith.

Nava, who trailed Morris’ Makinsi Martin by 14 points in the late going before recording a fall in 5:53 to win the 115 title, led all competitors with 32 team points while Heeney finished with 31 points. Keane, Meyrer, Rodnikova and Sylvester all scored 30 team points, Hill had 29.5, Oben collected 29 points, Dempsey totalled 28 and Temple finished with 27 team points. Hoselton, Martin, Rohrbacher, Santander and Smith all scored 26 team points.

100 – Jade Hardee, Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op

Jade Hardee was a bit nervous as she prepared to compete in the 100 title match at Minooka’s Thanksgiving Throwdown but the freshman on the Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op who had achieved several impressive feats in 2024 didn’t face very much drama as she claimed  a 9-1 major decision over Morris’ Ellie Evans on the title mat to capture her first high school title.

Hardee, who won Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation, Illinois Freestyle and USA Midwest Nationals titles earlier this year, followed a quick fall with a 15-2 major decision over Lincoln-Way co-op’s Emily Peyton in the semifinals before becoming the first of three champions and four finalists for coach Liz Short’s team, who captured top honors in the competition by 42 points.

“I was really nervous but I just kept telling myself that I could do this because I work hard,” Hardee said. “It was definitely nerve-racking since this was my first time and I’m a freshman. It’s just a mental thing. I am a Freestyle state champion and a Folkstyle state champion. This is my fourth year, so it was a lot easier coming in. It’s definitely fun and everyone is really supportive, so if you ever need them, you can just talk to them and they’ve got you.”

Evans, one of two runner-up finishers for coach Lenny Tryner’s Morris team, opened with a pin and then won by fall in 4:40 over Geneseo’s Molly Snyder in the semifinals. Snyder, a champion in the first Throwdown who won 23 matches and was a state qualifier last season for the Maple Leafs, claimed third place with a 15-6 major decision over Peyton. West Aurora’s Melissa Melgar finished fifth with a 10-7 decision over Yorkville’s Analiese Garretson.

105 – Daniela Santander, Romeoville

Daniela Santander admitted that she was hurting a bit as she headed into the final moments of her 105 title match with Lockport Township’s Averi Colella at Minooka’s Thanksgiving Throwdown. But the Romeoville junior toughed it out and was able to capture a 7-6 decision to provide coach John Arlis’ Spartans with a championship in their only title match appearance.

Santander, who won 28 matches last season and fell one win shy of a state appearance at the rugged Schaumburg Sectional, recorded first-period falls in her initial two matches, earning her spot on the title mat with a pin in 0:55 over Minooka’s Marian Nordsell in the semifinals.

“Last year I got third here so to go to first is really amazing,” Santander said. “She’s a state girl so I was nervous going in but my teammates were like, ‘you got it, try your hardest’. She had a half in and it hurt a lot but I couldn’t give up. So even through all of the pain, I sucked it up and I won. Our team grew and I think it doubled. I was surprised when I walked in and saw a bunch of girls, and I was like ‘wow’. I hope to mentor them and help them through. My teammate who graduated last year, Josefina Orozco, was my mentor and she taught me everything. She’s the main reason why I’m so good today, she was an amazing partner.”

Colella, a senior who won 40 matches and qualified for the IHSA Finals last season, became one of two individuals for coach Nathaniel Roth’s Porters who advanced to the title mat, and did so with two falls, with the second of those in 2:00 in the semifinals over Canton’s Shayla Schielein, who went on to claim third place with a fall in 5:02 over Nordsell. For fifth place, Ottawa Township’s Isabel Gwaltney won with a pin in 3:15 over Geneseo’s Addison Hadsall. 

110 – Zoe Dempsey, Lincoln-Way co-op

Zoe Dempsey faced Kameyah Young for the 110 championship, which was the first of five title matches at Minooka’s Thanksgiving Throwdown that featured two returning IHSA placewinners. While three of the five went the distance, Lincoln-Way co-op’s Dempsey, who placed fifth at state a year ago at 105, needed just 50 seconds to win by fall in 0:50 over West Aurora’s Young, who was the runnner-up at 100 a year ago at state and finished fourth at the same weight in 2023 while competing for East Aurora.

Dempsey, a junior who won 20 matches last season while competing for Lincoln-Way West, recorded two first-minute falls to reach the title mat, including one in 48 seconds over Bolingbrook’s Alejandra Flores in the semifinals to become the lone finalist for coach Joshua Napier’s co-op team, that includes athletes from Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East and Lincoln-Way West.

“It was great,” Dempsey said. “We go back a bit and we wrestled each other the past year and we go back and forth, so it was pretty good to pull out a win today. This was a really good way to start the season. With the more girls that are coming into it, there is a really good community with girls wrestling. I saw today that there was a lot of camaraderie between me and a bunch of the other wrestlers so it’s nice to see that building. It’s really exciting stuff (at Lincoln-Way), I’ve never seen that many girls involved with 35 and there’s a pretty good mix. It’s really good to see everybody come together since we come from different wrestling programs so it’s nice with everybody’s different style and we’re learning a whole new way to wrestle at Lincoln-Way.”

Young, a senior who was a champion in the first Throwdown, won 32 matches last year and took second at state at 100 to Glenbard West’s Alycia Perez. She became the first of two individuals for coach Charlie Graves’ Blackhawks who reached the title mat after recording two falls, with the last of those in 3:52 over Larkin’s Ashley Hammond. Flores won by fall in 3:02 over Hammond to claim third place while Lockport Township’s Veronica Skibicki recorded a pin in 5:17 over Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op’s Tatum De La Vega to finish fifth.

115 – Allison Nava, Oak Lawn

Allison Nava demonstrated very clearly in the 115 finals at Minooka’s Thanksgiving Throwdown why it’s always wise to continue to battle until the very end of a match. Facing what looked to be an insurmountable 14-point deficit against Morris’ Makinsi Martin in the waning moments, the Oak Lawn junior was able to capture an unlikely championship by recording a fall at 5:53 to give the Spartans their lone title victory while denying Morris of the same.

The dramatic pin was the fourth of the day for Nava, who won 15 matches last season but failed to advance from the Curie Regional. She followed a first-period fall with one in 1:05 in the semifinals over West Aurora’s Diana Llanos to become one of two members of coach Matt Arthur’s Spartans who were able to advance to the title mat. And thanks to her come-from-behind effort to capture the championship, the junior led all competitors with 32 team points.

“There’s always someone stronger than you, but if you can push yourself, then you can do anything,” Nava said. “Last year was my second year wrestling so I’ve really committed myself to putting in the work and I watch videos every day and wrestling is all I can think about. My stepbrother, Giovanni Romero, goes to Argo and is a freshman. I’ve learned a lot from him and his work ethic. He’s my little brother but I still really look up to him. This is our school’s first time ever having a team. Usually I’m very comfortable in small groups, but this is a new thing and it’s something to get used to. I like how hard you have to work for it and the traits that help you grow as a person. I want to become the best version of myself and wrestling has really helped me with that.”

Martin, a senior who won 13 matches last season but was unable to advance from the Minooka Regional, was one of two individuals from coach Lenny Tryner’s Morris team who reached the title mat. She followed three falls with an 8-6 decision over Lincoln-Way co-op’s Aubrey Barnes in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Llanos won with a pin in 3:43 over Barnes. For fifth place, Plainfield Central’s Shania Davison captured a 15-10 decision over Plainfield East’s Angelina Nettey.

120 – Abigail Meyrer, Pleasant Valley, Iowa

Abigail Meyrer made it 4-for-4 in tournament championships for the young season when the junior from Pleasant Valley in Bettendorf, Iowa became a title winner for the only out-of-state squad that participated in the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown. Meyrer, the lone individual from coach Thomas Isaacson’s Spartans who was able to advance to the title mat, where she recorded a fall in 2:55 over Geneseo’s Lydia King to take top honors again.

Meyrer, who won 47 matches and placed fourth at 120 in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Finals last season after capping a 48-win season with the state championship at the same weight in 2023, recorded first-period falls in her other three matches, needing just 32 seconds to claim a win over Prairie Central’s Yurithdzy Vilchis in the semifinals.

King was the lone finalist for coach Carley Rusk’s Maple Leafs, who fell 0.5 points shy of West Aurora for second place in the 29-team tournament. The sophomore, who won 26 matches a year ago but came up short of advancing from the Geneseo Sectional, followed a decision and a pin with a 9-0 major decision over Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op’s Sophia Figueroa in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Vilchis won by fall in 3:34 over Figueroa, a senior who won 28 matches and qualified for state last season. For fifth place, Minooka’s Holli Coughlen won a 10-7 decision over Canton’s Chloe Hedges.

“Honestly, I feel that our whole team has been doing super good at practices,” King said. “We’ve had so many new girls come in and try out wrestling and a lot of them are really good and a lot of them are starting on varsity. Wrestling has grown so much for girls (at Geneseo) and it’s actually really surprising. There was barely anyone in my eighth grade class wrestling but in my freshman year there were so many girls and then sophomore year, there were even more girls. We’re going to definitely have success this year. I like how we all act as a family and we’re all together. My brother Owen is on the wrestling team and I watched him so many times that I liked the sport, so I decided to try it out. If you work hard, you can definitely get to places that you want to go.”

125 – Aiyanah Sylvester, West Aurora

Aiyanah Sylvester claimed the quickest championship victory in the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown when she needed just 20 seconds to register a fall over Oswego’s Aaliyah Roldan in the 125 title match. The West Aurora sophomore was one of two finalists for her team, with the other being her cousin, Kameyah Young, who took second at 110. It was the second-straight year that she reached the finals in the tournament and this was her first title.

Sylvester, who won 26 matches last season and qualified for the IHSA Finals, was one of four medalists for coach Charlie Graves’ Blackhawks, the champions at last year’s inaugural Throwdown who edged Geneseo 114-113.5 for second place in the 29-team tournament. She won all of her matches by fall, with her opening match being the longest of the day at 4:15. She earned her spot on the title mat with a pin in 1:11 over Hoffman Estates’ Olivia Pelayo.

“I think West Aurora is going to be the same as last year,” Sylvester said. “We have a lot of new girls and great improvement on the team. Everybody is working hard and we’re all pushing each other, so I feel that our team will be just as far as we did last year. (Brittany Moran) has been wrestling a lot longer than me so I feel like her and my cousin (Kameyah Young) have been showing me all of the moves that I know. I need to train harder and harder every day. I feel like I really need to start pushing myself a little bit more every day just to be where I want to be.”

Roldan, a senior who won 21 matches last season and was one of two finalists for coach Greg Scott’s Panthers in the Throwdown, opened with three falls and advanced to the title mat following a pin in 2:49 over Canton’s Annalee Haschemeyer in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Pelayo recorded a fall in 3:28 over Haschemeyer and for fifth place, Tinley Park’s Juliana Adamski won with a pin in 0:35 over Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op’s Saja Bader. 

130 – Kinnley Smith, Canton

Kinnley Smith and Sophia Ball have met up often throughout the years in big matchups so it came as no real surprise when the pair of two-time state medal winners and 2024 second-place finishers at the IHSA Finals squared off for top honors at 130 in Minooka’s Thanksgiving Throwdown. And the latest meeting certainly didn’t disappoint as the two went back and forth before Canton’s Smith got a late takedown to help her secure an 8-5 decision over Hoffman Estates’ Ball.

Smith, a senior who went 27-4 last season and lost 6-0 to Vandalia’s Sophie Bowers in the IHSA 125 Finals after going 24-5 and placing second at 135 to Boylan Catholic’s Netavia Wickson in the 2023 IHSA Finals, earned her spot as the lone member of coach Zach Crawford’s Little Giants to reach the title mat in the competition by recording two falls, with the second of those pins coming in the semifinals in 1:31 over Pleasant Valley, Iowa’s Ruby Stagg.

“I’ve been working a lot over the offseason, so it’s big to come out and put on a show,” Smith said. “Recently, I’ve been watching a lot of high-level athletes and they talk about gratitude in wrestling. And I think a major thing is that when I struggle and have bad practices, I stay grateful during practice and remember that not everybody gets to be in the same position as me. I think it’s important just to wrestle my style and not to let anyone change that. I knew that Sophia is a good competitor so I had to bring my best work. I’ve been doing a lot of scrambling with my coach and trying to work on positions, so just getting to trust my practice and the process is something that is huge to me. The coach I have is amazing. (Zach) Crawford is one of the best coaches out there and he’s always willing to come in for an extra practice.”

Ball, a senior who fell 4-3 to Hononegah’s Angelina Cassioppi in last year’s 120 IHSA Finals to finish 27-1 after going 42-6 and placing fifth at 120 at state in 2023 and winning 17 matches and falling one win shy of a medal at 115 in the inaugural IHSA Finals in 2022, was one of two finalists in this competition for coach Leo Clark’s Hawks. She won her first three matches by fall, with the third pin in the semifinals coming in 4:35 over Seneca’s Catalina Pacheco,who went on to claim third place with a fall in 1:59 over Stagg. And for fifth place, Geneseo’s Bella Curcuru, who won 18 matches a year ago and qualified for state, recorded a fall in 2:21 over Lincoln-Way co-op’s Dani Schedin. 

135 – Claudia Heeney, Lockport Township

Claudia Heeney heads into the season in pursuit of a second-straight IHSA championship as well as a third appearance on the state title mat. If she can accomplish those two things again, she would join only seven others who have won two state or more state titles and also competed on the championship mat three times. The Lockport Township junior was one of just two repeat title winners in Minooka’s Thanksgiving Throwdown after capturing a 14-2 major decision over Huntley’s Aubrie Rohrbacher in the 135 title match.

Heeney, who capped a 21-1 season with the 2024 IHSA 130 championship after beating Collinsville’s Taylor Dawson 4-2 in the title match and suffered her lone loss in 43 matches as a freshman to Freeport’s Cadence Diduch in the 2023 IHSA Finals at 125, was one of two finalists and the lone champion for coach Nathaniel Roth’s Porters, who took second at state to Lakes Community last season. She won her first three matches by fall, advancing to the title mat with a pin in 1:51 over Glenbard North’s Keagan Edwards in the semifinals.

“We wrestled in this tournament last year in the finals and the sectional finals, we wrestle all of the time and we’re always giving each other a really good match,” Heeney said of her finals opponent. “It’s just fun wrestling her and she’s a good competitor and is really tough. I’m definitely aspiring to go to the (IHSA) Finals this year, but we have a long way to go. As you saw last year, I took some time off in the middle of the season for my thumb, but my thumb is all better now. Hopefully, this year I can wrestle all year long and make it there. The girls team at Lockport, we’re all super close, we have a lot of fun with each other and we hang out outside of the room. I think I’m lucky to be part of a program like this and to have fun with the girls and to grow as a team. It’s super exciting to see the sport grow. When I was a kid, there weren’t that many girls yet, but now we have 34 girls on the team, and that’s a huge number.”

Rohrbacher, a junior who went 45-5 and took third place at 130 last season at the IHSA Finals and won 30 matches and fell one win shy of a state medal at 125 in 2023, was the lone finalist for coach Gannon Kosowski’s Red Raiders. She also recorded three falls to advance to the finals, getting a pin in 5:44 over Seneca’s Sammie Greisen in the semifinals. Greisen, a junior who also placed at 130 in last year’s IHSA Finals, where she took sixth to cap a 31–11 season, claimed third place with a fall in 2:31 over Edwards. There was a double forfeit for fifth, involving Huntley’s Grecia Garcia and Tinley Park’s Madison Monreal.

140 – Alyssa Keane, Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op

Alyssa Keane hopes to bounce back from a frustrating 2023-2024 season where she went 32-4 but was unable to place at 140 at the IHSA Finals by returning to the form that she demonstrated in 2022-2023 when she went 32-5 and finished in third place at 135 at the state finals. The senior from Andrew, who competes for the District 230 co-op team that includes Carl Sandburg and Stagg athletes, was the second of two Throwdown repeat champions after she won by fall in 5:14 over Hoffman Estates’ Abigail Ji in the 140 title match.

Keane was one of three champions and four finalists in the competition for coach Liz Short’s squad, which captured first-place honors in the 29-team competition with 156 points, which was 42 points ahead of second-place West Aurora. She advanced to the title mat as the result of three first-period pins, needing 1:05 in the semifinals to defeat Lincoln-Way co-op’s Ella Giertuga.

“I struggled last year,” Keane said. “I went from third place to kind of just breaking down a little bit but I’ve brought it back up this year and I’m ready to bring my ‘A’ game. (Coach Liz Short) has been a great help and it’s nice to have a new program and new coach because we’ve been switching coaches during the past two years. We’re all strong girls and fast learners, I love the team, we’re a family honestly. We help each other out every single day at practice and show it on the mat in every single tournament that we have. I’m from Andrew and I’d say our team is about 50-50, since we have a lot of girls from Sandburg, as well.”

Ji, a senior who went 34-4 a year ago but failed to place at 125 at the IHSA Finals after falling one win shy of a medal at 130 at state in a 33-win season in 2022-2023, joined Sophia Ball as one of two finalists for coach Leo Clark’s Hawks, who tied for fourth at the 2024 IHSA Finals. After recording falls in her first two matches, Ji earned her spot on the title mat by claiming an 11-5 semifinals decision over Minooka’s Ezra Rodriguez, who went on to edge Giertuga with a 6-5 decision to claim third place. Pleasant Valley, Iowa’s Kyna Moffit recorded a fall in 2:00 over Oswego’s Ameera Murphy for fifth place.

145 – Viki Rodnikova, Plainfield North

Viki Rodnikova enjoyed a successful freshman season at Plainfield North a year ago, going 21-4, but like so many others, she was unable to advance to the IHSA Finals from the tough Schaumburg Sectional. She’s hoping for much bigger and better things this season and is off to a quality start after winning the 145 championship at Minooka’s Thanksgiving Throwdown by getting a fall in 1:54 in the title match over Ottawa Township’s Ava Weatherford.

Rodnikova, the lone varsity entrant and one of just four individuals who competed in the competition for coach Michael Parton’s Tigers, also recorded falls in her other three matches, earning her spot on the championship mat with a pin in 2:28 over Minooka’s Amelia Lemberg in the semifinals.

“It feels great and I’m really happy that I got first place,” Rodnikova said. “My plan is to win the state even though I didn’t even qualify last year, if I keep working hard and going to the gym. This is my fourth year here and I’m from Moscow, Russia. Nothing has really changed, but in Russia it was judo for four years, but then I had a year break and got so much better.”

Weatherford, a junior who went 30-12 a year ago but was unable to advance at 130 from the Geneseo Sectional, was the lone finalist for Peter Marx’s Lady Pirates. After recording a fall in her first match, Weatherford earned her spot in the finals with a 15-0 win by technical fall in the semifinals over Canton’s Kennedy Smith, who bounced back from that setback to record a fall in 3:58 over Lemberg to claim third place. And in the fifth-place match, Geneseo’s Mady Mooney captured a 12-6 decision over Yorkville’s Brooke Coy.

155 – Makayla Hill, Oswego

Makayla Hill had a similar tale to many others last season when she finished her freshman season at Oswego with a 31-8 record but was unable to qualify for the IHSA Finals at 145 from the rugged Schaumburg Sectional. After claiming a championship at Minooka’s Thanksgiving Throwdown with a fall in 4:58 over Plainfield East’s Kaitlyn Bucholz in the 155 title match, she’s excited about what she might be able to accomplish during her second season with the Panthers.

One of two finalists and the lone champion in the competition for coach Greg Scott’s Panthers, she opened the tournament with two pins before capturing a 15-0 win by technical fall over Minooka’s Palmer Calvey in the semifinals.

“We’re doing good,” Hill said of the Panthers. “Some of these girls are first-year wrestling and they’re going out there and doing their best and that’s all that we can ask for. There’s definitely a bunch of great wrestlers out here and a bunch of good teams out here but you can’t let rankings or any of that affect how you wrestle. You just have to go out there, be smart, do what you’re taught and go win matches. Our conference is definitely very competitive and we have a lot of good teams again. My goal is obviously to win state since I will be dropping down to 145 later so that I can have a good run. I came up short last year, but things are very open this year.”

Bucholz, a junior who won 15 matches last season but was unable to advance from the Shepard Regional, was the lone finalist for coach Charles Trabaris’ Bengals. She advanced to the title mat with three falls, including one in 2:27 in the semifinals over Hoffman Estates’ Essenze Reid, who went on to capture third place with a 7-1 decision over Calvey. Geneseo’s Lauren Piquard, who won 26 matches last season and qualified for the IHSA Finals, won the fifth-place match with a fall in 0:44 over Hoffman Estates’ Dayanara Elias-Mena.

170 – Nola Oben, Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op

Nola Oben made it three-for three in title matches of the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown for the champion Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op when she captured a 15-7 major decision over Oak Lawn’s Charvelle McLain in the 170 finals.

The senior from Carl Sandburg, who was a member of the program as a sophomore but did not compete last season, used three first-period falls, including one in 1:16 in the semifinals over Romeoville’s Mariyah Mani, to become one of the four finalists in the event for coach Liz Short’s champions, who won the team title by 42 points over runner-up West Aurora.

“I didn’t do this last year but I did my sophomore year, so this is my second year,” Oben said. “It’s a really good feeling since we worked hard for this. It’s good seeing our hard work come to fruition. It was hard, especially my last match where I actually lasted the whole three periods. Everyone is very supportive and is happy for other people when they win and even when they lose, they’re there to pick them back up. There’s always someone there for you. I think it’s a good experience to come back and I wouldn’t have been happy if I didn’t do it again.”

McLain, a senior who went 22-5 last season and qualified for the IHSA Finals, joined 115 title winner Allison Nava as one of two Throwdown finalists for coach Matt Arthur’s Spartans after recording a fall in the semifinals in 0:54 over Huntley’s Natalie Aguirre, who went on to claim third place with a pin in 17 seconds over Mani. In the fifth-place match, Oswego’s Kiyah Chavez captured an 18-11 decision over Geneseo’s Sophie Bellagamba.

190 – Payton Temple, Clifton Central

Payton Temple made history for Central of Clifton last season as a freshman when she won her first two matches at the IHSA Finals to reach the semifinals and became one of the first two individuals from her school to win a medal after placing sixth at 155 to cap an 8-7 season while her senior teammate, Karmen Cody, took sixth at 190. Now she wants to accomplish much more and is off to a great start after winning the 190 title at Minooka’s Thanksgiving Throwdown with a fall in 1:51 over Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker, the IHSA champion at 155 in 2023 and an the IHSA runner-up at 170 last season.

The lone competitor in the varsity competition for coach Travis Williams’ Lady Comets, she followed a first-period fall with an 11-1 major decision in the semifinals over Morris’ Morgan Congo, who also was a state qualifier last season, to earn her trip to the finals against the two-time IHSA Finalist.

“It’s great since she’s ranked seventh pound-for-pound, and I’m not ranked yet, and I beat her,” Temple said. “I hope to make it to the (IHSA) Finals this year. I went to a bunch of offseason tournaments and I went to Fargo. I’ve done a lot of work, I just need to get my conditioning up, and if I do, then I can do good things. We just started doing girls last year and there’s only six of us, so we have small practices. But I wrestle with the boys sometimes to get a better workout in. I’ve been lifting over the summer and I feel stronger. So I think that I’m going to do a lot better than last year.”

Tucker, a senior who went 36-2 last season after falling 9-6 in the 170 title match to Peotone’s Kiernan Farmer after becoming the first individual from her program to win a state medal in 2023 when she capped a 34-2 season with a 3-1 decision over Moline’s Maryam Ndiaye in the IHSA 155 title match. The lone finalist for coach Terry Kubski’s Wildcats, she advanced to the title mat with two falls, winning in 3:28 over Lockport Township’s Sophie Kelner in the semifinals. Congo, a senior who won 28 matches last season to qualify for state, took third place with a fall in 2:46 over Kelner. For fifth place, Larkin’s Kimberley Reyes won by fall in 5:04 over Plainfield East’s Jen Serna.

235 – Chloe Hoselton, Prairie Central

Chloe Hoselton added the latest chapter to her family’s impressive legacy at Prairie Central when she won the 2024 IHSA championship at 235 with a 2-1 victory by ultimate tiebreaker over Unity’s Phoenix Molina. Beside becoming the first girl from the Fairbury school to win a state medal, she joined her brothers Brandon (2018 and 2019) and Drew (2018) and her cousin Andy (2011) as the fifth individual from Prairie Central to become an IHSA title winner. The senior would like to join Brandon as a two-time state champ and is off to a great start after winning the 235 title at the Thanksgiving Throwdown with a 5-0 decision over Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op’s Emma Akpan.

The lone finalist and one of two Hawks to compete in the varsity competition, both of who placed in the top three for coach Scott Ziller, she earned her spot on the title mat with a pair of first-period falls, with the second of those pins coming in the semifinals in 1:24 over Romeoville’s Henessis Villagrana.

“I’m very excited to have the season start over again and hopefully repeat as a champ,” Hoselton said. “Last year the Prairie Central program had four girls and this year we have nine. It’s awesome to see this program develop and to have more girls comfortable with the idea of going out and trying something new. And I really like that I can be like a mentor to the five new girls, so it will be kind of cool to be there for them. The growth (of the sport) is really exciting and year after year, the intensity and the drive of every single one of these girls just gets greater. To see more numbers come in and more people really trying to develop and care about it means a lot. One of my friends and fellow teammates, Yuri Vilchis, is just a second-year wrestler and she gave a great fight to every one of these experienced varsity wrestlers. I think she deserves a shout out since she puts in the hard work and goes to two practices almost every single day and she wants it. And I want it for her and for the rest of the team. And if everyone keeps pushing each other during practice, then I think we’ll get it.”

Akpan, a senior who finished 34-8 and took fourth in the IHSA at 190 last season and went 21-8 and placed sixth at state at 235 in 2023, was one of four finalists for coach Liz Short’s championship team, which claimed top honors by a 156-114 margin over West Aurora. She earned her spot in the finals with two falls before advancing after Ottawa Township junior Juliana Thrush, who went 30-6 last season and placed sixth in the IHSA at 235, had to take a medical forfeit. Villagrana, who won 18 matches last season and also qualified for state, took third by injury default over Thrush. And for fifth, Glenbard North’s Asreilla Wallace won by fall in 3:56 over Plainfield Central’s Zyon Jordan.

Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown championship matches

100 – Jade Hardee (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op) won by major decision over Ellie Evans (Morris), 9-1

105 – Daniela Santander (Romeoville) won by decision over Averi Colella (Lockport Township), 7-6

110 – Zoe Dempsey (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by fall over Kameyah Young (West Aurora), 0:50

115 – Allison Nava (Oak Lawn) won by fall over Makinsi Martin (Morris), 5:53

120 – Abigail Meyrer (Pleasant Valley, Iowa) won by fall over Lydia King (Geneseo), 2:55

125 – Aiyanah Sylvester (West Aurora) won by fall over Aaliyah Roldan (Oswego), 0:20

130 – Kinnley Smith (Canton) won by decision over Sophia Ball (Hoffman Estates), 8-5

135 – Claudia Heeney (Lockport Township) won by major decision over Aubrie Rohrbacher (Huntley), 14-2

140 – Alyssa Keane (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op) won by fall over Abigail Ji (Hoffman Estates), 5:14

145 – Viki Rodnikova (Plainfield North) won by fall over Ava Weatherford (Ottawa Township), 1:54

155 – Makayla Hill (Oswego) won by fall over Kaitlyn Bucholz (Plainfield East), 4:58

170 – Nola Oben (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op) won by major decision over Charvelle McLain (Oak Lawn), 15-7

190 – Payton Temple (Clifton Central) won by fall over Alicia Tucker (Plainfield Central),  1:51

235 – Chloe Hoselton (Prairie Central) won by decision over Emma Akpan (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op), 5-0

Third-place matches

100 – Molly Snyder (Geneseo) won by major decision over Emily Peyton (Lincoln-Way co-op), 15-6

105 – Shayla Schielein (Canton) won by fall over Marian Nordsell (Minooka), 5:02

110 – Alejandra Flores (Bolingbrook) won by fall over Ashley Hammond (Larkin), 3:02

115 – Diana Llanos (West Aurora) won by fall over Aubrey Barnes (Lincoln-Way co-op), 3:43

120 – Yurithdzy Vilchis (Prairie Central) won by fall over Sophia Figueroa (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op), 3:34

125 – Olivia Pelayo (Hoffman Estates) won by fall over Annalee Haschemeyer (Canton), 3:28

130 – Catalina Pacheco (Seneca) won by fall over Ruby Stagg (Pleasant Valley, Iowa), 1:59

135 – Sammie Greisen (Seneca) won by fall over Keagan Edwards (Glenbard North), 2:31

140 – Ezra Rodriguez (Minooka) won by decision over Ella Giertuga (Lincoln-Way co-op), 6-5

145 – Kennedy Smith (Canton) won by fall over Amelia Lemberg (Minooka), 3:58

155 – Essenze Reid (Hoffman Estates) won by decision over Palmer Calvey (Minooka), 7-1

170 – Natalie Aguirre (Huntley) won by fall over Mariyah Mani (Romeoville), 0:17

190 – Morgan Congo (Morris) won by fall over Sophie Kelner (Lockport Township), 2:46

235 – Henessis Villagrana (Romeoville) won by injury default over Juliana Thrush (Ottawa Township), 0:00

Fifth-place matches

100 – Melissa Melgar (West Aurora) won by decision over Analiese Garretson (Yorkville), 10-7

105 – Isabel Gwaltney (Ottawa Township) won by fall over Addison Hadsall (Geneseo), 3:15

110 – Veronica Skibicki (Lockport Township) won by fall over Tatum De La Vega (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op), 5:17

115 – Shania Davison (Plainfield Central) won by decision over Angelina Nettey (Plainfield East), 15-10

120 – Holli Coughlen (Minooka) won by decision over Chloe Hedges (Canton), 10-7

125 – Juliana Adamski (Tinley Park) won by fall over Saja Bader (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op), 0:35

130 – Bella Curcuru (Geneseo) won by fall over Dani Schedin (Lincoln-Way co-op), 2:21

135 – Grecia Garcia (Huntley) and Madison Monreal (Tinley Park), double default

140 – Kyna Moffit (Pleasant Valley, Iowa) won by fall over Ameera Murphy (Oswego), 2:00

145 – Mady Mooney (Geneseo) won by decision over Brooke Coy (Yorkville), 12-6

155 – Lauren Piquard (Geneseo) won by fall over Dayanara Elias-Mena (Hoffman Estates), 0:44

170 – Kiyah Chavez (Oswego) won by decision over Sophie Bellagamba (Geneseo), 18-11

190 – Kimberley Reyes (Larkin) won by fall over Jen Serna (Plainfield East), 5:04

235 – Asreilla Wallace (Glenbard North) won by fall over Zyon Jordan (Plainfield Central),  3:56

Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown team standings

1. Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op 156.0, 2. West Aurora 114.0, 3. Geneseo 113.5, 4. Minooka 108.5, 5. Lockport Township 104.0, 6. Oswego 102.5, 7. Canton 94.5, 8. Lincoln-Way co-op 92.5, 9. Hoffman Estates 90.0, 10. Morris 73.5, 11. Romeoville 68.0, 12. Pleasant Valley, Iowa 66.0, 13. Huntley 58.0, 14. Oak Lawn 54.0, 15. Plainfield Central 54.0, 16. Ottawa Township 50.5, 17. Prairie Central 45.0, 18. Plainfield East 42.5, 19. Seneca 40.0, 20. Tinley Park 37.5, 21. Glenbard North 33.0, 22 Plainfield North 30.0, 23. Clifton Central 27.0, 24. Yorkville 25.0, 25. East Aurora 24.5, 26. Larkin 24.0, 27. Bolingbrook 21.5, 28, Neuqua Valley 10.0, 29. Pontiac 0.0.

Junior-varsity title matches

100 – Joselyn Llanos (East Aurora) won by decision over Ruby Bolanos-Carbajal (West Aurora), 4-3

105 – Mikaela Najera (Bolingbrook) won by decision over Ellie Glassgow (Pleasant Valley, Iowa), 11-9

110 – Kassandra Reyes (East Aurora) won by fall over Alissa Lessner (Huntley), 1:42

115 – Sierra Heatherly (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by decision over Sophia Mussari (Pontiac), 10-4

115A – Presley Menke (Pleasant Valley, Iowa) won by fall over Jazelle Duron (Bolingbrook), 1:16

120 – Maggie Metke (Minooka) won by fall over Jalena Coyomani (East Aurora), 1:58

120A – Olivia Gaudio (Minooka) won by major decision over Makayla Miller (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op), 12-3

125 – Kaliyah Schmaedeke (Morris) won by fall over Abby Lizak (Lincoln-Way co-op), 0:25

125A – Jocelyn Cobix (Pontiac) won by fall over Kaylee Martinez (West Aurora), 2:28

130 – Kyleigh Green (Lockport Township) won by fall over Piper Booe (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op), 1:07

130A – Kinslee Lawrence (Yorkville) won by major decision over Isabella Chavez (Plainfield North), 14-4

135 – Ava Stoneking (Pleasant Valley, Iowa) won by fall over Jaiyden Provance (Ottawa Township), 2:54

135A – Allison Reichard (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op) won by fall over Nehasri Kommuri (Pleasant Valley, Iowa), 2:13

140 – Amanda Lezama (Bolingbrook) won by fall over Jackie Ortega (Pontiac), 0:25

140A – Keighera Fleming (Minooka) won by fall over Nuray Dzheenalieva (Hoffman Estates), 0:36

145 – Suzanne Stalley (Glenbard North) won by fall over Emmy Rol (Oak Lawn), 2:18

145A – Alex Gutierrez (Hoffman Estates) won by major decision over Celia Rodriguez (East Aurora), 11-2

155 – Joslynn Sheets (Oswego) won by fall over Greer McCrimmon (Oswego), 3:26

155A – Amani Williams (East Aurora) won by fall over Roya Shayestehjah (Huntley), 0:48

170 – Adriana Vela (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op) won by fall over Brianna Felde (Huntley), 1:48

170A – Abigail Underhill (Minooka) won by fall over Leilani Torres (Oak Lawn), 1:28

190 – Jadelin Caballero (Larkin) won by fall over Eva Sanchez (Oswego), 0:41

190A – Jennifer Paul (Plainfield East) won by fall over Jessica Vega (Andrew/Carl Sandburg co-op).  1:36)

235 – Lili Ortiz (East Aurora) won by fall over Alison Vargas (West Aurora), 1:33

235+ – Blessing Ajere Tamatekou (Bolingbrook) won by fall over Mercedes Neal (West Aurora), 0:36 – pool