Minooka holds off LaSalle-Peru challenge to win Normal West Regional

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

NORMAL – There’s not very many instances where a program can finish 200 points behind a regional champion one year and then be battling for top honors until the very end the following year, but that’s just what happened during the exciting back-and-forth drama between Minooka and LaSalle-Peru to determine who would claim the Normal Community West Regional title.

At last year’s Metamora Regional, Lincoln-Way co-op easily rolled to the title with 248 points while Minooka was a distant second with 134 points, a far cry from where it was at in 2024, when the Indians edged Joliet Township co-op 196-191 for the championship at the Minooka Regional in the initial year that regional tournaments were conducted in the sport.

So with Lincoln-Way co-op and others in the top-10 teams at Metamora such as Joliet Central, Plainfield South, Joliet West and Plainfield Central reassigned to the rugged East Aurora Regional that feeds into the Schaumburg Sectional, and with two others in the top-10, Richwoods and Pekin, sent off to the Geneseo Regional, it looked like a reasonable bet that Minooka might capture its second regional championship in three seasons at the Normal Community West Regional, which feeds into the DeKalb Sectional, as does Geneseo. 

However, the Indians got a real run for their money for top honors and it came from a team that placed 15th last year at Metamora, 200 points behind Lincoln-Way co-op and 86 points in back of second place Minooka, and that team was youthful LaSalle-Peru, which featured three seniors, one junior, six sophomores and one freshman to account for its 11 competitors.

Coach Nolan Kenney’s Lady Cavaliers were on even terms throughout the competition with coach Paige Schoolman’s Indians, who had 13 individuals participating, and the final outcome wasn’t resolved until two late third-place match victories ultimately assured Minooka of the championship of the 28-team competition by a 180-176.5 margin over LaSalle-Peru. 

“They went toe-to-toe all day,” Schoolman said of LaSalle-Peru, “It didn’t really matter what the score was for those girls. Every time you turned around, you were worried, it was really tight.

There’s others (regionals) that are probably a little deeper than ours, but when you put 30 teams in there, all of these other teams have individuals in them that are tough-nosed girls. So I’m proud of our nine girls that got through and the other three that got into the blood rounds. We needed every win we had throughout the day for the girls to win the tournament. 

“We’ve got 10 seniors, and it’s nice for them. There’s three of them that have been with us for four years, another handful of them that have been with us for three years, and it’s nice for them to cap off their senior year with that. And I’m really happy there’s a bunch of them that this will be the first time being sectional qualifiers. They’re really excited to be able to move on and trying to see what we can do next week and get to the next rung. Normal West did a great job of stepping up and hosting and this is a great facility. We used to have sectionals down here and I’ve always loved to compete down here since they do a nice job. I’m really proud of our girls. I mean, up and down the lineup, they battled and scored points. And every one of them counted.”

Even though the Lady Cavaliers had turned in some good tournament showings, such as runner-up finishes at Mahomet-Seymour’s Mary Kelly and Springfield’s Joe Bee, being able to get past a well-established program and a veteran, well-coached team like Minooka, which took first place at Princeton, finished second to Schaumburg at Morris and was fourth at perhaps the toughest invite of the season at Hoffman Estates, seemed to be a lot to hope for as far as L-P coach Nolan Keeney was concerned, but he he was also thrilled that his team surprised him.

“The ladies have done great all year long,” Keeney said. “A lot of them are sophomores, too and the fact that this is their second year and they’re making strides the way they are is amazing. And it helps having senior Kiely Domyancich and junior Sarah Lowery here. So it’s awesome. Today, if I’m going to be honest, I didn’t think we’d be pushing Minooka, but the girls all wrestled well. We did what we were supposed to do in some situations and then also had a little bit of luck. It makes me excited for the future and what’s going to happen here. We’re only going to lose about three or four seniors and the rest will be coming back. So I’m not excited for it and there’s going to be some good times coming.”

Leading the way for Minooka were champions Sabina Charlebois (130) and Ezra Rodriguez (140) while Therese Escano (105) took second place. Turning in third-place finishes were Mia Martinez (100), Marian Nordsell (110), Addison Davis (170) and Mia Lemberg (190) while Melody Williams (145) and Abigail Underhill (155) took fourth to give it nine sectional qualifiers.

LaSalle-Peru got first-place finishes from Kalista Frost (100), Kiely Domyancich (125) and Marisa Eggersdorfer (155) while Sarah Lowery (110) and Audri Plut (145) finished second. Emma Tomlinson (130), Avalyn Edwall (140) and Lily Higgins (235) all took third place and Emily Lowery (115) finished fourth to also give it nine qualifiers for the DeKalb Sectional.

Others teams that were in the top half of the tournament were Washington Community (85), Ottawa Township (82.5), Streator Township/ Woodland co-op (78.5), Normal Community West (77), Bradley-Bourbonnais (75), Morris (62.5), Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op (49.5), Bloomington (40), Clifton Central/ Iroquois West co-op (38), Prairie Central (37.5), Illinois Valley Central (28.5) and Seneca (28.5).

Additional champions were Streator Township/ Woodland co-op’s Addison Yacko (110) and Laila Vaughn (115), Marquette Academy’s Lily Deibel (105), Prairie Central’s Yurithdzy Vilchis (120), Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op’s Avery Crouch (135), Washington Community’s Paytyn Dykes (145), Clifton Central/ Iroquois West co-op’s Payton Temple (170), Normal Community West’s Karsyn Robinson (190) and Ottawa Township’s Juliana Thrush (235). 

Also finishing in second place were Bloomington’s Autumn Starr (115) and Alicia Swank (155), 

Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Aubrianna Rapier (135) and Kaylee Morris (235), Ottawa Township’s Isabel Gwaltney (100), Normal Community West’s Amelia McClure (120), Seneca’s Samantha Greisen (125), Coal City’s Riley Kuder (130), Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op’s Adilynn Avilez (140), Washington Community’s Grace Mordhorst (170) and Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Kaleigh Mehrkens (190).

Eggersdorfer and Temple tied for first place for the most team points with 28 while Crouch and Vilchis tied for third place with 27.5 points. Also in the top-10 in team points were Rodriguez (26), Charlebois (25.5), Domyancich (25.5), Frost (24), Deibel (23) and Robinson (23).

Some of the top records of of qualifiers for the DeKalb Sectional included Payton Temple (31-0, 170),  Avery Crouch (27-0, 135), Laila Vaughn (39-2, 115), Kiely Domyancich (31-2, 125), Adilynn Avilez (23-3, 140), Aubrianna Rapier (23-3, 135), Lily Deibel (20-3, 105), Audri Plut (11-3, 145), Samantha Greisen (38-4, 125), Ezra Rodriguez (36-4, 140), Grace Mordhorst (26-4, 170), Marisa Eggersdorfer (25-4, 155), Juliana Thrush (25-4, 235), Kaylee Morris (18-4, 235), Sabina Charlebois (34-5, 130), Lily Gwaltney (30-5, 110), Yurithdzy Vilchis (29-5, 120), Alicia Swank (24-5, 155), Sophia Domont (15-5, 140), Kaleigh Mehrkens (14-5, 190), Sarah Lowery (33-6, 110), Madysen Meyer (14-6, 115), Calliope Willman (41-7, 125), Kalista Frost (26-7, 100), Riley Kuder (23-7, 130) and Autumn Starr (22-7, 115). 

Here are the champions and their weights at the Normal Community West Regional:

100 – Kalista Frost, LaSalle-Peru

Kalista Frost kicked off an exciting place round for LaSalle-Peru at the Normal Community West Regional by taking first at 100 to become the first of three champions and was one of five finalists and nine sectional qualifiers for coach Nolan Keeney’s Lady Cavaliers, a first-year team that gave Minooka a battle before getting edged 180-176.5 for the title. Frost (26-7) won the 100 title match by getting a fall in 1:32 over Ottawa Township’s Isabel Gwaltney. The LaSalle-Peru sophomore also got a pin in the semifinals and ranked eighth in most team points with 24.

“It was a pretty good improvement from last year because I was seeded fifth and I ended up going to sectionals as well, but I went 0-2,” Frost said. (Her team) “It’s amazing because last year we only had two people make it to sectionals and now we’ve got nine. This year’s the first official year for girls wrestling at L-P. It’s good to see the team grow. We’ve put so much hard work into it, and I’m seeing that come out.”

Gwaltney (16-15), a senior who was one of two finalists and sectional qualifiers for coach Kevin Aughenbaugh’s fourth-place Lady Pirates, also only had to compete in one other match, in the semifinals, where she won by technical fall. For third place, Minooka freshman Mia Martinez (12-12) won a 12-5 decision over Morton freshman Elizabeth Austin (15-13).

105 – Lily Deibel, Marquette Academy

Lily Deibel was one of two freshmen champions and the lone competitor in the Normal Community West Regional for coach Michael Deibel’s Lady Crusaders. She improved to 20-3 after recording a fall in the semifinals and then capturing a 13-5 major decision over Minooka’s Therese Escano in the 105 title match. She finished in ninth place in team points with 23.

“(The boys team at Marquette Academy) They’ve helped me and they push me,” Deibel said.  “I’ve just been held to a really high standard, and coach Trent definitely pushes me.”(Being at Marquette Academy) Yeah, I love it.”

Escano (23-13), a senior, was one of three finalists and nine qualifiers for the DeKalb Sectional for coach Paige Schoolman’s champion Indians. She used two falls to reach the 105 title mat. In the third-place match, Ottawa Township junior Ciara Bolf (28-10) was a winner by fall in 2:42 over Metamora senior Grace Aeschliman (23-18). 

110 – Addison Yacko, Streator Township/ Woodland co-op

Addison Yacko and Laila Vaughn gave Streator Township/ Woodland co-op back-to-back champions at the Normal Community West Regional with junior Yacko claiming first at 110 by medical forfeit over LaSalle-Peru’s Sarah Lowery. The two title winners were the lone finalists and two of the four sectional qualifiers for coach Kyle Lowman’s fifth-place Lady Bulldogs. Yacko (20-8) opened with a fall and won a 9-5 decision in the semifinals over Ottawa Township junior Lily Gwaltney, an IHSA qualifier last season who was her teammate with the Bulldogs.

“I’m just very proud of myself,” Yacko said. “I was fourth seed, so I wasn’t expecting to get first, but I had faith in myself. I got injured. I had a concussion about a week ago, so I’ve been on a recovery. I got third at regionals last year, so I think it’s definitely a step up. (Likes about Streator Township) I definitely like how hard he (coach Kyle Lowman) is on us at practice, it definitely has improved me over the years. All of my teammates are doing pretty good and I have four going to sectionals now. (Likes about girls wrestling) I like how much it’s grown over the years, I’ve been doing it for a long time so I’ve seen it from when we were wrestling boys and now just girls.”

Lowery (33-6) was one of five finalists and nine qualifiers for the DeKalb Sectional for coach Nolan Keeney’s runner-up Lady Cavaliers, a first-year team that lost the regional title by 3.5 points to Minooka. She followed a quick fall with an 8-6 decision in the semifinals over Minooka junior Marian Nordsell but then had to take a medical forfeit in the finals. Nordsell (32-10) claimed third place by forfeit over Lily Gwaltney (30-5).

115 – Laila Vaughn, Streator Township/ Woodland co-op

Laila Vaughn followed up on a title by teammate Addison Yacko to give Streator Township two champions at the Normal Community West Regional. They also were two of the four sectional qualifiers for coach Kyle Lowman’s Lady Bulldogs, who finished in fifth place. Vaughn, a sophomore who improved to 39-2, won the 115 title by getting a fall in 3:43 over Bloomington’s Autumn Starr. After winning by technical fall in her opener, she had to prevail in a wild 25-22 decision over Reed-Custer’s Madysen Meyer in the semifinals, and those two had the most single match points in the regional and Vaughn finished third in most match points with 47.

“I lost a lot of weight and got injured, so I really didn’t do very much offseason work at all.” Vaughn said. “It was more right before the season working and losing a lot of weight and lifting.”

Starr (22-7)  joined her only teammate, Alicia Swank at 155, as second-place finishers for coach Jacob Lehr’s Purple Raiders. The Bloomington freshman recorded falls in her first two matches. Meyer (14-6) bounced back from her tough loss to Vaughn with a fall and then claimed a 12-5 major decision over LaSalle-Peru sophomore Emily Lowery (25-9) to take third place. The Comets senior easily had the most total match points in the regional with 65 while Lowery had the largest seed-place difference in the competition of four after being seeded eighth.

120 – Yurithdzy Vilchis, Prairie Central

Yurithdzy Vilchis learned a lot about how to perform at a high level after being around two-time IHSA 235 champion Chloe Hoselton during her sophomore and junior seasons at Prairie Central, which included her joining Hoselton at the state finals a year ago where she concluded a 24-14 season. Now the Hawks senior hopes that those experiences can help her to earn a top-six finish at this year’s IHSA Finals and become her school’s second medalist. A 2025 regional champion, she improved to 29-5 after taking first at 120 at the Normal Community West Regional with a fall in 2:36 over Normal Community West’s Amelia McClure. The lone finalist and sectional qualifier for coach Scott Ziller’s Hawks, she opened with a pin and then got a win by technical fall in 4:40 in the semifinals. She tied for third for the most team points with 27.5. 

“It feels great,” Vilchis said. “I feel like I’ve improved a lot throughout the years. I just only started my sophomore year and I didn’t even make it out of regionals that year and last year I made it to state. (Competing with Chloe Hoselton) “She’s an amazing teammate and she gives me so much advice. And she’s the one who took me to The Compound, and I feel like that’s where I got better. I think it’s just like all the hard work I put into it. I double up on practices. I just go to private practices at The Compound, where I just learn a bunch of techniques and I do it over and over again. And before wrestling starts, I do cross country and  that helps me a lot with conditioning. (Likes about girls wrestling) I think just the environment. I feel like it’s not just teammates, but even the opponents, they’re always so nice.” 

McClure (17-7), a senior who was one of two finalists and three sectional qualifiers for the host Wildcats, who are coached by Margaret (LeGates) Lehr, who was the first female high school wrestler in Illinois while competing at Libertyville for 2000 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Dale Eggert in the early 1990’s. She recorded falls in her other two matches to reach the 120 finals.   

In the third-place match, Illinois Valley Central junior Lilyana Malagon (18-11), who was the only individual in the regional who recorded four pins and ranked second with 48 total match points, won by fall in 3:56 over Streator Township/ Woodland co-op junior Payton Henson (27-16).

125 – Kiely Domyancich, LaSalle-Peru

Kiely Domyancich made history for LaSalle-Peru last season when she became the school’s first medalist by taking fifth place at 115 in the IHSA Finals at 115 to cap a 33-4 junior campaign. Now the Lady Cavaliers’ senior hopes that she not only picks up a second medal but hopefully also gets the chance to compete for a state title. She improved to 31-2 after getting a takedown with nine seconds left to rally for a 6-5 decision over her friend, Seneca’s Samantha Greisen, in the 125 title match at the Normal Community West Regional. Also a regional champion last season, she was one of three champions, five finalists and nine qualifiers for the DeKalb Sectional for coach Nolan Keeney’s LaSalle-Peru team that was edged 180-176.5 for the team title by Minooka after taking 15th place and finishing 200 points behind champion Lincoln-Way co-op in last year’s Metamora Regional. Domyancich opened with a pin and then got a victory by technical fall in the semifinals to help her tie for sixth place for most team points with 25.5. 

“We came in and we didn’t think there’s a chance that we’d even be this close with Minooka but I think it was all of our hard work and our girls are working hard out there,” Domyancich said. “Sammie’s my practice partner from another team, so we’ve been battling it out, but at the end of the day, we’re just really working hard. I’m really proud of her. I think we’re going to do big things. At first, it was we want to win a dual. And then it was we want to win most of our duals and we want to win conference, and then we did that. And then it was like, we want the regional title, as well. We have a lot of girls that are just starting out, but we always want to win the tournaments, and at the end of the day, I think our girls have been doing so well. It’s never about competing with the biggest, best team. It’s about individuals and I just love seeing my girls grow so much, and I think that’s showing. I started my freshman year. I love cheering on my team and I love coaching my team, but at the same time, I feel like my team gives a lot to me. I wouldn’t be the wrestler and the person I am without my team. Even though I’m a senior and I’m leaving, I know my girls will take care of other girls that come in the program and the program’s good with coach Keeney. It makes me feel good about myself. Absolutely, I’m really proud of my girls.”

Greisen (38-4), a senior who was the lone medalist of the two entrants for coach Todd Yegge’s Lady Irish, also qualified for the IHSA Finals last year and fell one victory shy of a medal at 135 to conclude a 41-10 junior season. She claimed a win by technical fall in 1:59, a regional-best, in her opening match and then got a pin in the semifinals. For third place, Morris senior Zara Lugo (30-12) claimed a 6-3 decision over Metamora freshman Calliope Willman (41-7). 

130 – Sabina Charlebois, Minooka

Sabina Charlebois rallied from a 7-3 deficit midway through the third period with a takedown and nearfall in the final minute of her 130 title match against Riley Kuder at the Normal Community West Regional and the 10-8 decision by the Minooka senior over the Coal City sophomore proved to be much more significant when the final team scores were announced and the Indians edged LaSalle-Peru for the title by a 180-176.5 margin. Charlebois (34-5) joined Ezra Rodriguez (140) as title winners and was one of three finalists and nine sectional qualifiers for the Indians, coached by Paige Schoolman and Jeff Charlebois, who were one of the first regional champions two years ago when they edged Joliet Township in a regional at their own school. She followed a quick pin with a victory by technical fall to tie for sixth place for the most team points with 25.5.

“It was a very good match against the Coal City girl (Kuder) and the competition here and as a whole for all the teams, it was very good for all of us,” Charlebois said. (Likes about her team) “Just the environment. I feel like our team is very good if we have a hard practice, with a lot of live and a lot of conditioning. I feel like we focus more on each other rather than ourselves when we’re struggling. And even if personally if we are struggling, we still try to help girls in the room and we’re encouraging them because we see them getting better so that it makes us feel better about ourselves. So I think as a whole, our team is very close and we just have a good bond.”

Kuder (23-7), the lone competitor for coach Jim Looper’s Coalers, earned her spot in the 130 title match with two pins. For third place, LaSalle-Peru sophomore Emma Tomlinson (19-13) captured a 12-4 major decision over Washington Community freshman Olivia Ioerger (15-16) in a rematch of a quarterfinal meeting between the two in which Ioerger claimed a 3-1 decision.

135 – Avery Crouch, Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op

Avery Crouch had a very impressive freshman season in 2024-2025 while competing for the Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op when she also won a regional title and went on to finish with a 11-3 record after capturing fourth place at 135 at the IHSA Finals. She hopes to make a return trip to Bloomington and also move up higher on the awards stand and she’s one step closer to doing that after being one of two champions at the Normal Community West Regional who have an unbeaten record as they head to the DeKalb Sectional. The sophomore improved to 27-0 with a win by technical fall in 4:20 over Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Aubrianna Rapier in the 135 title match. Although coach Jim Gussman’s Lady Trojans only had three entrants, two were finalists, as sophomore Adilynn Avilez took second at 140. Crouch is also coached by and trains with her brother Dylan, a two-time IHSA medalist who is the school’s all-time wins leader. She opened with two falls to claim third place in team points with 27.5. 

“I’m ranked second now in the state,” Crouch said. “I’m just growing and growing and trying to keep my confidence up. My brother Dylan is actually my coach now. He’s my coach and my wrestling partner and he’s really helping me and I’m learning all of his skills. Last year was my first year coming into high school. I knew that it was all about mindset, but between freshman and sophomore year it kind of just flipped the switch, and I knew that mindset was really a huge aspect of it, so keep your head up. My wrestling partner is our 175-pounder, Gavin Bafia, and I train with him every day. I hope that our girls team grows. (What she likes about wrestling) I like the drive it gives you to just do good in everything, to succeed just a little more in everything that you do, knowing that you can give it your all.”

Rapier (23-3), a junior, was one of two second-place finishers and three sectional qualifiers for coach Micky Spiwak’s Boilermakers. She recorded two first-minute falls to earn her spot on the 135 title mat. In the third-place match, Streator Township/ Woodland co-op freshman Harmony Morgan (18-8) won by fall in 2:34 over Ottawa Township sophomore Jaiyden Provance (17-11).  

140 – Ezra Rodriguez, Minooka

Ezra Rodriguez had a couple of very good incentives to finish the Normal Community West Regional on a high note and that certainly helped her to claim a first-place finish in the event. The Minooka senior was able to join classmate Sabina Charlebois as a regional champion and her fall in 3:47 over Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op’s Adilynn Avilez in the 140 title match was also important to help her team edge LaSalle-Peru 180-176.5 for top honors in the competition, which gave Minooka its second regional title in three years. Rodriguez (36-4), one of three finalists and nine qualifiers for the DeKalb Sectional for coach Paige Schoolman’s first-place Indians, opened with a major decision and then recorded a fall in the semifinals to help her score 26 team points, which ranked her in fifth place among all competitors.

“I’m a really big fan of the coaching staff, and we do pull a lot of athletes from different sports,” Rodriguez said. “So I personally came from swimming and I kind of came in even if I didn’t have the technique. (The two sports) They’re just so different and I got a little bored of swimming. I love how our junior high is really starting to give us a lot of girls wrestlers. This year we had a lot of freshmen who were trying it. Even if they’re not sticking around, it’s really nice to see people that are interested in the sport. I think we can be at a really high level, probably almost better than our boys have been in recent years. This is my second weekend at 140, so I wrestled pretty much all season at 45. I won conference at 40 and at the Princeton tournament, I won at 45. I just like wrestling a bunch of different kinds of people, so it was good coming down here.”

Avilez (23-3), a sophomore, joined 135 champion Avery Crouch as finalists and sectional qualifiers for coach Jim Gussman’s Lady Trojans, who had three individuals in the regional. She recorded two falls to earn her spot in the 140 finals. For third place, LaSalle-Peru sophomore Avalyn Edwall (20-9) won by fall in 4:00 over Bradley-Bourbonnais junior Sophia Domont (15-5). 

145 –  Paytyn Dykes, Washington Community

Paytyn Dykes is excited about competing for one of the state’s top programs at Washington Community and she’s also very happy with how much her program is growing after she won a 4-0 decision over LaSalle-Peru’s Audri Plut in the 145 title match at the Normal Community West Regional to become the lone champion, one of two finalists and one of four sectional qualifiers for coach Summer Smith’s third-place Lady Panthers. Dykes (23-8), a junior who grew to like the sport by wrestling against and watching her brothers Jack and Ty, opened with a decision and then recorded a fall in the semifinals to earn her spot in the 145 finals, where she opened the second period with an escape and then got a takedown a short time later.

“(The success of Washington’s boys team) It’s definitely like we too can do this type of thing,” Dykes said. “We see it and we’re, like, okay, this is possible for girls, too, not just those guys. I feel like my biggest improvement has definitely been my mental, I guess, because I’ve struggled with confidence a lot. But I’ve just practiced a lot, and I have coaches that are very good support and they give me a lot of good advice. (What she likes most about wrestling) I think just the team aspect. It’s definitely a family sport and everyone has each others’ backs.”

Plut (11-3), one of just four freshmen who advanced to a title match, was also one of the five finalists and nine qualifiers for the DeKalb Sectional for coach Nolan Keeney’s Lady Cavaliers, a first-year team that was edged for the team championship by a 180-176.5 margin by Minooka. She recorded two pins to earn her spot in the 145 finals. In the third-place match, Morris junior Savannah Vignali (13-6) won by fall over Minooka sophomore Melody Williams (23-16).  

155 – Marisa Eggersdorfer, LaSalle-Peru

Marisa Eggersdorfer gave LaSalle-Peru a big boost for its title hopes at the Normal Community West Regional when she recorded a fall in 5:00 over Bloomington’s Alicia Swank in the 155 title match in a clash between seniors who both entered with identical 24-4 records. Eggersdorfer (25-4) was the third of three champions and one of five finalists and nine sectional qualifiers for coach Nolan Keeney’s Lady Cavaliers, who were edged 180-176.5 by Minooka for first place. She tied Clifton Central/ Iroquois West co-op’s Payton Temple, the 170 champion, for the most team points with 28 and also was one of three individuals on her team who recorded three falls.

“We are a first-year program at L-P,” Eggersdorfer said. “We didn’t even expect to honestly rank this high since we knew that Minooka would be on top. So just being able to be that close as a first-year program is so exciting, and we’re so proud of our coach. We have three seniors, and the rest of them are young. It’s so nice to come to practice every day and know that we’re part of a team that’s good. You know, it’s really exciting. I feel that coach Keeney has cultivated a really, really great team of girls and he’s so supportive, and he just believes in every one of us, and we work in practice, and he makes sure that we’re getting the training we need so that we can go out there and win.”

Swank (24-5) joined Autumn Starr (115) as a second-place finishers and sectional qualifiers for coach Jacob Lehr’s Purple Raiders, who only had those two competitors. She recorded two falls to earn her spot on the 155 title mat. For third place, Normal Community West sophomore Arian Sabu (30-8) was a winner by fall in 1:49 over Minooka senior Abigail Underhill (36-10).

170 – Payton Temple, Clifton Central/ Iroquois West co-op

Payton Temple took second place at 190 to Lakes Community’s Josephine Larson in last year’s IHSA Finals to finish with a 27-2 record. So now the Clifton Central/ Iroquois West co-op junior is focused on being a state champion and is one step closer to getting back to Bloomington after winning by fall in 2:19 over Washington Community’s Grace Mordhorst in the 170 title match at the Normal Community West Regional. She joined Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op sophomore Avery Crouch (135) as the lone two unbeaten champions in the regional after improving to 31-0. A regional champion last year and the lone sectional qualifier for coach Rebecca Temple’s Lady Comets, she won her first two matches with quick pins and tied LaSalle-Peru’s 155 champion, Marisa Eggersdorfer, for the most team points with 28. 

“It’s been a great season and I’m undefeated,” Temple said. “And winning today was really good. I’ve been working hard all season and all offseason and really pushing to hopefully win this year. (About the growth of the sport) It’s been very fun. It keeps growing and there’s more and more people in each bracket every year. It’s crazy to see how it keeps growing. I like giving back to the sport and coaching the youth to hopefully grow the program for the future.”

Mordhorst (26-4), a senior who was one two finalists and four sectional qualifiers for coach Nick Miller’s third-place Lady Panthers, also won her first two matches by fall to reach the 170 finals. For third place, Minooka senior Addison Davis (31-14) got a victory by technical fall in 3:23 over Putnam County/ Hall co-op senior Ella Irwin (13-7), the lone entrant from her team. It was the second time that they met with Davis also winning a 13-0 major decision in the quarterfinals.

190 – Karsyn Robinson, Normal Community West

Karsyn Robinson got the opportunity to be around 2025 Normal Community West graduate Cadence Duvall while competing in track and field in middle school. Duvall, who just missed becoming her school’s first IHSA medalist last year at 235, got Robinson interested in wrestling in order to help her with her throws. Now she’s headed to the DeKalb Sectional with a 27-10 record after becoming one of two freshman first-place finishers at the Normal Community West Regional after getting a pin in 2:29 over Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Kaleigh Mehrkens in the 190 title match. One of two finalists and three sectional qualifiers for the Wildcats, who are coached by Margaret Lehr, who was the first girl to compete in the sport while at Libertyville and also coached her daughter Sammy to the first tournament title in IHSA history in 2021. Robinson followed a pin with a 16-7 major decision and tied for ninth place in most team points with 23. 

“I had some friends that wrestled at my middle school,” Robinson said. “And then I had one of the girls that used to wrestle here (Cadence Duvall)  and she was my throwing coach last year. She was like, ‘Karsyn, you should start wrestling.’ She told me about it, and I was like, do you think it will help me with throwing? And she said yes. And then I started it, and now I really do love wrestling. I like being in a male-dominated sport. I want to be able to inspire other people to do the sport and make people watch women’s sports more. We should get the same recognition that boys should get or men get, you know? (Likes about her team) I like the fact that a lot of other teams don’t have the same girls team that we have. And coach Lehr is a great coach.”

Mehrkens (14-5), a junior who was the the lone sectional qualifier among three competitors for coach Dan Maurer’s Chiefs, recorded a fall in the semifinals to earn her spot on the 190 title mat. In the third-place match, Minooka senior Mia Lemberg (29-10) got a pin in 0:50 over Washington Community freshman Khloe Cremeens (11-14). 

235 – Juliana Thrush, Ottawa Township

Juliana Thrush made history for Ottawa Township when she concluded a 35-7 season by taking sixth place at 235 in the IHSA Finals to equal her finish in 2024 and as a result, she became the first individual from her program to be a two-time state medalist. Now the senior hopes to not only become a three-time medalist, which only one boy has done at the school, but also to finish higher on the awards stand in Bloomington. A regional champion in 2025, she improved to 25-4 after winning her only match of the regional, which was by fall in 3:10 over Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Kaylee Morris in the 235 title match to become the lone champion, one of two finalists and also one of five qualifiers for the DeKalb Sectional for coach Kevin Aughenbaugh’s Lady Pirates. 

Morris (18-4), a junior, was one of two second-place finishers and three sectional qualifiers for coach Micky Spiwak’s Boilermakers. LaSalle-Peru senior Lily Higgins (14-10) took third place and was one of nine qualifiers for the DeKalb Sectional for the Lady Cavaliers, who improved from 15th place and 200 points behind champion Lincoln-Way co-op last season to being edged 180-176.5 by Minooka for first place at the Normal Community West Regional.

Regional champions

100 – Kalista Frost (LaSalle-Peru) 26-7 

105 – Lily Deibel (Marquette Academy) 20-3 

110 – Addison Yacko (Streator Township) 20-8 

115 – Laila Vaughn (Streator Township) 39-2 

120 – Yurithdzy Vilchis (Prairie Central) 29-5

125 – Kiely Domyancich (LaSalle-Peru) 31-2 

130 – Sabina Charlebois (Minooka) 34-5

135 – Avery Crouch (Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington) 27-0

140 – Ezra Rodriguez (Minooka) 36-4 

145 – Paytyn Dykes (Washington Community) 23-8 

155 – Marisa Eggersdorfer (LaSalle-Peru) 25-4 

170 – Payton Temple (Clifton Central) 31-0

190 – Karsyn Robinson (Normal Community West) 27-10

235 – Juliana Thrush (Ottawa Township) 25-4 

Additional sectional qualifiers

100 – Isabel Gwaltney (Ottawa Township) 16-15, Mia Martinez (Minooka) 12-12, Elizabeth Austin (Morton) 15-13

105 – Therese Escano (Minooka) 23-13, Ciara Bolf (Ottawa Township) 28-10, Grace Aeschliman (Metamora) 23-18

110 – Sarah Lowery (LaSalle (LaSalle-Peru) 33-6, Marian Nordsell (Minooka) 32-10, Lily Gwaltney (Ottawa Township) 30-5

115 – Autumn Starr (Bloomington) 22-7, Madysen Meyer (Reed-Custer) 14-6, Emily Lowery (LaSalle-Peru) 25-9

120 – Amelia McClure (Normal Community West) 17-7, Lilyana Malagon (Illinois Valley Central) 18-11, Payton Henson (Streator Township) 27-16

125 – Samantha Greisen (Seneca) 38-4, Zara Lugo (Morris) 30-12, Calliope Willman (Metamora) 41-7

130 – Riley Kuder (Coal City) 23-7, Emma Tomlinson (LaSalle-Peru) 19-13, Olivia Ioerger (Washington Community) 15-16

135 – Aubrianna Rapier (Bradley-Bourbonnais) 23-3, Harmony Morgan (Streator Township) 18-8, Jaiyden Provance (Ottawa (Township) 17-11

140 – Adilynn Avilez (Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington) 23-3, Avalyn Edwall (LaSalle-Peru) 20-9, Sophia Domont (Bradley-Bourbonnais) 15-5

145 – Audri Plut (LaSalle-Peru) 11-3, Savannah Vignali (Morris) 13-6, Melody Williams (Minooka) 23-16

155 – Alicia Swank (Bloomington) 24-5, Arian Sabu (Normal Community West) 30-8, Abigail Underhill (Minooka) 36-10

170 – Grace Mordhorst (Washington Community) 26-4, Addison Davis (Minooka) 31-14, Ella Irwin (Putnam County/ Hall) 13-7

190 – Kaleigh Mehrkens (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) 14-5, Mia Lemberg (Minooka) 29-10, Khloe Cremeens (Washington Community) 11-14

235 – Kaylee Morris (Bradley-Bourbonnais) 18-4, Lily Higgins (LaSalle-Peru) 14-10

Team scores

Minooka 180, LaSalle-Peru 176.5, 3. Washington Community 85, Ottawa Township 82.5, Streator Township 78.5, Normal Community West 77. Bradley-Bourbonnais 75, Morris 62.5, Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op 49.5, Bloomington 40, Clifton Central 38, Prairie Central 37.5, Illinois Valley Central 28.5, Seneca 28.5, Metamora 27, Marquette Academy 23, Coal City 22, Morton 21, Kankakee 20, Reed-Custer 18.5, Deer Creek-Mackinaw 18, Putnam County/ Hall 13, El Paso-Gridley 12, Herscher 8, University High 8, Mendota 7, Tremont 7, Normal Community 0, Pontiac 0

Individual statistics

Most team points: Marisa Eggersdorfer, La Salle-Peru 28, Payton Temple, Clifton Central; Avery Crouch, Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington 27.5; Yurithdzy Vilchis, Prairie Central 27.5; Ezra Rodriguez, Minooka 26; Sabina Charlebois. Minooka 25.5; Kiely Domyanicich, LaSalle-Peru 25.5; Kalista Frost, LaSalle-Peru 24; Lily Deibel, Marquette Academy 23; Karsyn Robinson, Normal Community West 23

Most total match points: Madysen Meyer, Reed-Custer 65; Lilyana Malagon, Illinois Valley Central 48; Laila Vaughn, Streator Township 47

Most pins: Lilyana Malagon, Illinois Valley Central 4 (in 9:53)

Most technical falls in least time: Samantha Greisen, Seneca 1 (in 1:59)

Largest see-place difference: Emily Lowery, LaSalle-Peru 4 (8 to 4)

Team statistics

Most Total match points: Minooka 305; Ottawa Township 145; LaSalle-Peru 139

Most pins: Minooka 20; LaSalle-Peru 18; Bradley-Bourbonnais 12

Most technical falls: Minooka 4; Kankakee 2; Ottawa Township 2; Seneca 2