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• By : TERRY DUCKETT
• Article Source

ERIE — One week after winning the team title at Riverdale’s Jim Boyd Invitational, the Sherrard wrestling squad faced a greater challenge Saturday.

Competing at the 15-team Erie-Prophetstown Holiday Tournament, a field highlighted by reigning Class 1A state champion Lena-Winslow/Stockton, the Tigers had a sense that they would be competing for silver instead of gold.

The PantherHawks did run away with the team title, racking up 282.5 points, but Sherrard’s 147-point total was good enough to earn it second place, besting Three Rivers Conference rival Orion (137) for the silver medal.

“They’re tough as nails, and we knew it’d be pulling their way,” Sherrard coach Jeff Garrett said of the Le-Win/Stockton co-op, which has won two of the last three state team titles. “We were definitely thinking top 3 at best, and we kind of had a dogfight for second and third place.

“I’m very pleased. This is a very tough tourney, with a lot of good teams. More competition is great; that’s what you want. Win or lose, it’s about how better it makes you.”

Sherrard junior 195-pounder Josh Bynum, an individual champion last week at Riverdale, was the lone Tiger to reach the championship round, where he was pinned in 1:57 by undefeated Dixon standout Sebastian Quintana.

“I always try as hard as I can, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out,” Bynum (13-2) said. “We hadn’t seen Dixon, so this was good to know where I’m at. I’ll definitely be working extremely hard in the room.”

Also bolstering the Tigers were third-place finishes from Austin Fratzke (132) and Gavyn White (182).

Orion’s Josh Fair (182) and Brady Mulvaney (220) advanced to the title round.

Taking on Le-Win/Stockton’s Gavin Keefer, Fair (14-1) wasted no time in putting his opponent down for the count, striking gold with a 46-second pin.

“At the beginning of the season, I felt very out of shape. Throughout my matches, I’d get tired and weaker, and it’d end up feeling like a loss for me, even when I won,” he said. “I can feel it; I’m definitely getting in better shape. There’s still room to improve, though.”

Mulvaney dropped a 3-2 decision to Morrison’s Riley Wilkens, with a third-period escape point the difference as Wilkens (11-0) joined Mustang teammate Colton Linke (13-1) in the winner’s circle Saturday; Linke took the 126-pound title.

However, Mulvaney (16-2) believes that although the final outcome was not what he wanted, the experience will only benefit him.

“I’d say this shows how far I’ve come since I started wrestling,” said the Cambridge prep, who competes with the Chargers as part of a co-op, “and it shows me what I need to improve on.”

Rockridge, which tallied 102 points to tie Fulton for eighth, crowned a pair of champions in the senior duo of 138-pounder Dallas Krueger and 145-pounder Nolan Throne.

Throne (11-0) shared Most Outstanding Wrestler honors for the lower weights with Morrison’s Linke. He capped a dominant day with a 13-1 major decision win over East Peoria’s Tristen Westbay.

“This is kind of how I had it planned, to be more aggressive offensively, come out and get quick takedowns,” he said. “I feel like I did a good job today, but it doesn’t stop here. I’ve got to keep pushing and come prepared in February.”

Krueger, who also moved to 11-0 with his 4-1 title-bout win over Le-Win/Stockton’s Winston McPeek, likewise view’s Saturday’s win as a steppingstone to his goal of winning his first state championship.

“All of this is preparation for the state series,” Krueger said. “I’m constantly trying to be the best I can be. This is the year I want it all, and I’m going to work hard for it.”

Meet host Erie-Prophetstown (seventh, 116 points) had a pair of finalists who settled for silver medals. Jase Grunder (14-4) fell 5-3 to Illini Bluffs’ Cameron Clark in the 120-pound title bout, and Tyler Smith (16-4) dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker to Le-Win/Stockton’s Case Harmston at 170.

Fulton’s Nate Portz (11-1) reached the 285-pound finals, but was pinned in 16 seconds by Le-Win/Stockton standout Gennings Dunker.

By John Bumbales – Daily Herald Correspondent

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The 55th Annual Rus Erb wrestling tournament turned out to be a real dogfight Saturday afternoon at Glenbrook South.

Oswego took a narrow lead over Sycamore and Hersey heading into the final round of the historic tourney with the host Titans still in the mix for a top-three finish.

And with a scrappy effort, the Panthers did manage to hold off Sycamore by a 182 to 174.5 margin to take home the first-place trophy on the pre-Christmas weekend.

Glenbrook South barely edged Hersey 141 to 140 in a tough battle for the third place hardware while Lake Park (123 points) placed fifth.

Hersey’s push for fourth place was led by 285-pound champion Austin Korba, and a second-place finish from Vinny Lazzara at 126. The Huskies got thirds from Zach Joyce at 132, and Daniel Mukhamedalyev at 160.

“We just talked to the kids about learning how to close a tournament, and we’ve been in some tough tournaments,” said Hersey coach Joe Rupslauk. “All we’re trying to do is build to win a regional eventually. The kids are really excited to be here, and we’re on the way.”

Lake Park’s solid effort was started by Dominik Mallinder (13-1), who got a pin with just three seconds left in the second period to take home the 126-pound crown for the Lancers, who had a total of four wrestlers in the final round.

“I just kind of wanted to finish the match off,” said Mallinder following the late-period pin. “I want to place at state, I just need to go on a healthy diet and keep wrestling well.”

Besides Mallinder, Lake Park also got second-place medals from Joey Olalde at 138, and Ryan Riser at 152. Victor Rodriguez placed third for the Lancers at 220.

“He (Mallinder) is only a sophomore, he’s really been putting in a lot of work, and it’s made a big difference with his wrestling this season,” said Lake Park coach Mark Cameron. “It’s a pretty good tournament, we’re still not where we want to be, and we had two starters who were not able to be here today due to injuries.”

Batavia’s troops were led by second-place finishes from freshman Cael Andrews (14-3) at 113 and teammate Alex Richards at 220. The Bulldogs also got thirds from Kaden Fetterolf (106), Riley Woods (138), and Jack Brozny (160).

“He (Andrews) is wrestling pretty well overall, and I think he’s just starting to learn what he is potential-wise,” said Batavia coach Scott Bayer. “I feel like Riley Woods could have gotten to the finals, and we’re a really young team this year so we’re trying to find our competitive footing.”

Buffalo Grove 220-pounder Gio Jackson (20-0) remained unbeaten with a 10-5 decision over Richards in the finals. The Bison also got a title from Alejandro Mejia, who won a narrow 4-3 decision over Riser.

“He (Jackson) remained undefeated, he’s doing what he needs to do, and he’s sticking with his plan,” said Buffalo Grove coach Kurt Kutska. “Alejandro has had a really good season, he’s wrestling with a lot of confidence, and he got certified at 145 (Friday).”

Wauconda sophomore Colin Husko rolled to the 132-pound title with a pin over St. Patrick’s Delano Walker while teammate Jack Sullivan took second at 120.

“That was the same kid (Walker) who beat my brother at the Antioch sectional so I came out hungry, and I knew who this kid was,” said Husko, who is ranked 10th in Class 2A. “I’m looking forward to state, it’s not guaranteed, and I just have to keep working towards my goal and see what happens.”ADVERTISING

Carmel Catholic’s Yovaniel Garcia got a pin for the 182-pound title while Round Lake’s Ender Kongkaeow placed second at 145. Carmel’s Vince Swindell placed third at 145.

“He (Garcia) is just wrestling well, he wrestled some tough matches here, and he’s a tough competitor,” said Carmell coach Bob Kuykendall. “We brought six guys to the tournament so we’re just waiting for guys to get healthy and get back on the mat.”

By Mike Garofola
Daily Herald Correspondent

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What makes one major wrestling tournament more prestigious than another?

How about one that boasts almost 60 of the top ten wrestlers in the state — many of whom will challenge for a state title come February.

The 54th Rex Whitlach Invitation at Hinsdale Central was the place to be Saturday afternoon, and when the dust settled four Daily Herald area wrestlers lifted championship trophies.

Warren’s Joel Vandervere validated his place as the No. 1 rated 138-pounder over the two days when he beat No. 4 Nico Bolivar (Oak Park-River Forest) in his final, while teammate Cameron Domke surely improved upon on his spot at No. 6 following his impressive effort in his championship bout.

Barrington senior Luke Rasmussen continued his perfect ways by pinning his way to the 170-pound title, but it was Downers Grove junior Robert Major who showed he belongs after sending off No. 2 Joe Chapman of Oak Park to win the top prize at 160.

Chapman’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Major had little effect on the team title, which went to Oak Park-River Forest. The Huskies outscored the 24-team field with 211.5 points, 22 more than runner-up Lemont (189) and third-place Minooka with its 179.5

Barrington came in fifth place with 166 points, 1.5 behind Sandburg, with Lincoln-Way West, Hinsdale Central, Lyons Township, Joliet Catholic and Stevenson rounding out the Top 10 clubs at the longtime classic.

“After falling just short of reaching the state tournament for the second year in a row, today’s win over Chapman is a big step forward for me, and one that I hope to use to get downstate and go after a state title,” said Major, who rode the two-time state medal winner hard for nearly the entire third period to move his overall record to 19-0.

Rasmussen’s fourth pin of the tournament came at 4:40 to dash the hopes of hometown hero Ron Kruse, the first of only two falls recorded in a highly competitive final round of action.

“It felt good to win here at a tournament like this one, but I have still have a lot of work ahead of me to get to a point where I can challenge for a state title,” said Rasmussen (22-0), who came into the weekend rated No. 2 in the state.

“Overall I am very pleased with our effort over the two days. We claimed nine medals and stayed in the race for a top-five finish all throughout the day,” said Broncos coach Dave Udchik, who praised junior Evan Roper (11-2) for his work in order to finish third overall at 220.

The Vandervere-Domke duo were in another stratosphere over the weekend with Vandervere (13-0), a state runner-up a year ago, nearly unstoppable including his superb effort in his final with Bolivar, himself a three-time state qualifier, who will wrestle next season at Indiana University.

“The big difference for me this year is being 100% healthy and if I stay that way there’s no reason why I can’t be a state champion, and the No. 1 guy in the country at the end of the season,” said the Northwestern-bound Vandervere, who is No. 4 in the latest national poll by the InterMat Wrestling site.

Domke (16-0) mashed all four of his opponents starting with a trio of pins to advance into the finals against Ray Hernandez of Lemont, who kept it close through two periods until the Warren star went to work en route to a 9-4 decision.ADVERTISING

“I’m in a great room, with a great teammate to train with (Vandervere) so there’s no reason, if I continue to work hard that I cannot get to state and win it all,” said Domke.

Stevenson freshman Lorenzo Frezza (13-4) was second at 113, while seniors Reese Martin (Neuqua Valley, 17-1) and Justin Brown (14-3) of Grant were second overall, as was Dzhabrail Khurshidov (West Aurora, 20-3) at 195.

By: Dan Cohen

Video and Article Source

Photo – WREX – The 170# championship bracket’s top half has an all-local semifinal on Sunday, featuring Dakota’s Andrew Wenzel, and Freeport’s Keondre Jackson, who both won their quarterfinals.

MACHESNEY PARK – The 32nd annual Dvorak wrestling invitational began at Harlem High School the Saturday before Christmas, continuing one of the most prestigious wrestling tournaments in the Midwest.

There’s plenty of local talent in contention for championships after a busy first day of matches. Freeport’s Markel Baker put together two victories via decision to reach the 113# semifinals.

At 132# at the Dvorak, Tommy Curran of DeKalb made it to the semifinals in the championship bracket. His teammate Damien Lopez is also in the semifinals at 152#, and the Barbs also have Bradley Gillum in the 160# semis.

The Herald News By CURT HERRON Email Follow

Photo: Submitted to The Herald News

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HINSDALE – When an area can boast having four teams in the top nine of one of the top wrestling tournaments in the state and also have the second- and third-place teams and have an athlete who receives the most outstanding wrestler award, it’s viewed as a good day by all.

And that was just the perspective from the four state-ranked teams who took part in Hinsdale Central’s 54th annual Rex Whitlatch Invitational, which featured 25 teams, including many of the state’s best programs and individuals.

Oak Park-River Forest had three champions and three second-place finishers to post 211.5 points, which was good for the team championship. Lemont took second with 189 points, while Minooka scored 179.5 points to finish third ahead of Sandburg (167.5) and Barrington (166). Lincoln-Way West (124.5) was sixth and Joliet Catholic Academy (114) ninth in their debuts in one of the state’s oldest and respected tournaments.

Those four schools sent eight individuals to the title mat and came away with three champions. In a matchup of two unbeaten competitors, JCA’s Dean Hamiti posted an impressive 13-2 victory over OPRF’s Joshua Ogunsanya in the 152-pound finals. That win, after three falls, helped the junior improve to 15-0 and earn the event’s top honor.

“I wrestle through every position the best that I can,” said Hamiti, a two-time defending state champion. “I think that I can get out of anything and can score as many points as I really want to if I push as hard as I can for the whole six minutes. I don’t know if anyone can stop my offense or defense if I get around. But I still respect everyone like it was a state final. Even if it’s the first round, I get ready the best that I can and try to finish a match quickly.”

The other two tournament champions from the area know all too well about competing for big titles at a high level. Lemont senior Kyle Schickel and junior Apollo Gothard both placed second in Class 2A a year ago, and Schickel is a three-time state runner-up.

In the 145 finals, Schickel improved to 13-1 after capturing a 21-7 victory over Lincoln-Way West senior Garrett Geigner, who fell to 12-2. And in the 220 pound finals, Gothard saw a lead slip away and had to go to overtime against Minooka’s Drew Gutknecht. But he got a quick takedown to claim a 5-3 win to improve to 13-0, while the Indians senior fell to 14-2.

“The team is looking really good and I think that we’re finally starting to believe in ourselves,” Schickel said. “This year, we’re just trying our best every day to push these kids to do what they’re truly capable of doing because most of our team are underclassmen since we only have five seniors.”

Gothard also is excited about what the Indians might be able to achieve this season.

“This is really awesome, honestly,” Gothard said. “We’ve all grown up together and since some of the kids are seniors, this is the last year that we’re all together. I’d rather wrestle a ranked wrestler every day than wrestle kids I know that I can beat every day. I want to have that competition each week.”

The Indians had one other finalist, junior Ray Hernandez, who reached the 132 title match, but fell 9-4 to Warren’s Cameron Domke, who improved to 16-0. Hernandez is 11-3.

Also reaching the title match for Minooka was Jake Shipla, who lost to Sandburg’s Mike Bosco (14-0) in the 285 finals as the Indian senior fell to 11-2 on the year.

JCA freshman Gylon Sims got to the finals at 106, but was beaten by Sandburg’s Sammie Hayes (17-0) by a 12-1 score as Sims fell to 14-2.

Third-place finishers included Minooka’s Michael Ruettiger (132) and Jack McClimon (145), Lincoln-Way West’s Javen Estrada (138) and Payton Geigner (160), and Lemont’s Grant LaDuke (152). Fourth-place finishers were Lincoln-Way West’s Karter Guzman (106) and Brock Pfeifer (152), Lemont’s Kyle Zator (160) and Minooka’s Michael Carey (126).