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Urbana girls makes history by winning Pontiac Regional title

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA
Urbana has enjoyed a proud history in wrestling, dating back to the first IHSA Finals in 1937, when it tied for fourth. Things were still going very well during the 1980s, when 1991 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Wayne Mammen led it to eight-straight regional titles through 1990.
But while the school has had four athletes who’ve won multiple state medals and four who’ve competed for IHSA titles in the last 35 years, most notably University of Illinois redshirt senior Luke Luffman, who earned four medals and won IHSA Class 2A championships at 220 in 2017 and 2018 and at 285 in 2019, the Tigers had not won any regional team titles since 1990.
That changed last Saturday at the Pontiac Regional where a third-year girls program led by coach Phil Sexton that only had three individuals, including two freshmen, who took 21st place at the Richwoods Sectional in 2023 was able to win top honors in the 26-team competition by scoring 90 points, which was seven points ahead of Prairie Central, who collected 83 points.
Paris (79.5), Pontiac (77), Oakwood/ Salt Fork co-op (59.5), Westville (56.5), Mahomet-Seymour (54.5), Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher co-op (54), Clinton (51.5), Clifton Central (46), Normal West (45), Deer Creek-Mackinaw (39.5) and Dwight (36.5) were next-best.
A couple of things are pretty clear when you take a quick look at the results of the Pontiac Regional compared to how the top six teams in the standings placed a year ago while competing in either the Mt. Zion or Minooka regionals.
What a difference a year meant and addition definitely led to subtraction. The top six teams averaged a gain of 16.67 positions in the standings from their 2024 regional showing, with the biggest gainers being 29 spots by Pontiiac (fourth from 33rd), 24 by Prairie Central (second from 26th), 20 by Oakwood/ Salt Fork (fifth from 25th) and 18 by Westville (sixth from 24th).
The addition of four regionals from eight to 12 and more competitors on those teams are major reasons why those huge shifts occurred and the improvements in finishes didn’t stop there. Twenty of the 25 teams that scored points finished in a better position than they did a year ago.
There was a real buzz in Pontiac over where girls wrestling is headed in east central Illinois. And just four years into it being an officially-sanctioned sport by the IHSA, it will be very exciting to see how much others will be able to accomplish building on the great foundation that many of the trailblazers who participated in the regional have already established in such short order.
The champion Tigers advanced five of their seven individuals to the Highland Sectional, which takes place on February 14-15. Their lone champion was Rickasia Ivy (26-4 at 140) while Tauhnisjha Hart (130) claimed second place. Placing third and also advancing to the sectional were Tamya Terry (135), Franciana Kalanga (190) and Lillian Disanto (235). Randi Campe (125) and Fra`ncette Musau (145) didn’t place but contributed key team points to the winning effort.
“It’s awesome and I’m really glad that we got it started at Urbana,” said Sexton, who’s in his 31st season as a coach and his fifth season leading Urbana. “We started off with one girl (Jurdan Tyler) and she was a first-year kid two years ago and she took third in state. And then we got more of her friends to come out and we’ve just exploded since then and more and more girls are coming out because they want to be a part of it because they see there’s options to go to college and options to have success. My girls cheer for everybody, win or lose, they’re at mat side or in the bleachers and are cheering for the kids and it’s just a neat atmosphere.
“And they’ve made a lot of friends with other teams and they go out and cheer for them, as well. It’s just nice to see the girls come together and this sport is just going to keep going up. It’s a lot of fun and I can’t describe how I feel. We have our ups and downs and the girls have just kept me together. And they’re a joy to be at practice and they keep my boys in line. It’s just amazing. We’ve had a motto all year, and it’s do the best that you can. Just give me your best effort and that’s what they’ve done today and it’s been great.
“We’ll keep getting better and keep getting bigger and with the success, we’ll have more and more girls show up. Back in the 1980’s, Urbana wrestling was the best and now we have the girls coming out so we’re the best in the area right now with the girls and we’re trying to build the boys back up. It’s a hotbed, I grew up there and it’s always been a hotbed for wrestling. And with this, it will bring more and more girls out and it will help both Champaign schools and us.”
Runner-up Prairie Central had two champions and two third-place to give it four qualifiers out of the seven who competed. Claiming first-place finishes for coach Scott Ziller’s Hawks were 2024 IHSA 235 champion Chloe Hoselton (20-0 at 235) and Yuri Vilchis (22-10 at 120) while Makiya Baker (125) and Victoria Vadeboncoeur (140) both finished third. Ruby Guzman (110), Valeria Vilchis (130) and Victoria Marquez (135) also contributed to the cause but did not place.
“We’re very proud of how the girls have wrestled all season and especially at regionals,” Ziller said. “It was a day of personal milestones for many of our kids. Chloe of course started her postseason journey in the hunt for her second state championship. She has been a consistent hammer wrestling year-round for years. Not only that, Chloe has been a senior captain for the whole team, boys and girls, and part of our senior leadership council that got together during preseason to define a framework for the culture they wanted to create among the team. That group has helped maintain a positive culture, kept the coaching staff connected to the mental and physical state of the team, and helped us make decisions throughout the season.
“Yuri has shown so much promise and growth and has worked her butt off year-round since her first time on the mat in preseason open mats in fall of 2023. She seeks out challenging rounds with both boys and girls in practice and competition and is the hardest worker in every weight room she walks into. Makiya and Tori made every preseason workout and have trained hard and been very coachable leading to them qualifying for sectionals in their first season. Talking about the qualifiers is obvious, but also there is Ruby Guzman, who turned a corner toward an attack style of wrestling and was one match from making sectionals this year after being kind of timid and going 0-2 at regionals last year. Vicky Marquez won her first wrestling match at the end of her first season in which she didn’t get much mat time and Val Vilchis made a 100 percent improvement this season from last.
“Chloe and Yuri have been great leaders directly in practice and examples putting in extra workouts on and off season. They’ve also brought some of the other girls with them on some of those workouts. Chloe and Yuri were the catalyst for the start and growth of our girls program last year and this year. We tried to recruit girls for years and Chloe and Yuri came out last year and brought a few girls with them. They more than doubled the number of sign-ups this year. It was great to see a mostly inexperienced group of girls place a close second in the regional with almost all of them contributing to that team score.”
Paris qualified four of the five individuals that it brought to the regional tournament. Winning a championship for coach Seth Rohrbach’s third-place Tigers was Emma Shelkey (10-0 at 170) while Kaidence Eveland (110) and Emerson Barrett (135) claimed second-place finishes and Paisley Reed (115) took third place.
And fourth place Pontiac had four qualifiers among its six competitors. Winning titles for coach
Vinnie Hobart’s Indians were Sophia Mussari (12-6 at 115) and Jocelyn Cobix (25-6 at 125) while Alix Robinson (155) took third place and Olivia Miller (170) finished fourth.
Other Pontiac Regional champions were Gibson City Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher’s Justice Milligan (17-0 at 100) and Avery Schlickman (18-5 at 145), Rantoul’s Jasmine Johnson (8-7 at 105), Oakwood/ Salt Fork’s Taylor Wells (12-6 at 110), Centennial’s Ava Beldo (22-5 at 130), Dwight’s Avery Crouch (4-0 at 135), Bloomington’s Alicia Swank (19-5 at 155) and Clifton Central’s Payton Temple (21-1 at 190).
There was a tie for the lead in most team points for champions with 27.5 between Pontiac teammates Cobix and Mussari while Wells ranked third with 25.5 points. There was a six-way tie for fourth place with 24 team points between Beldo, Milligan, Schlickman, Shelkey, Temple and Vilchis while Crouch finished with 23.5 points.
Also claiming second-place finishes were Oakwood/ Salt Fork’s Lainey Ehler (120) and Taylor Owens (145), Westville’s Kiley Knight (115) and Addison Briggs (190), Unity’s Anna Vasey (155) and Phoenix Molina (235), Olympia’s Mya Downs (100), Clinton’s Bella Villanueva (105), University High’s Hailey Watson (125), St. Joseph-Ogden’s Maddie Wells (140) and Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Bella Brooks (170).
The closest title matches were at 155, where Swank got past Vasey with a 2-0 decision, and at 235, where Hoselton prevailed 4-0 over Molina in a rematch of the 2024 IHSA Finals at 235.
Additional third-place finishes were Clinton’s Ariana Humes (110) and Diana Naxi (170),
Mahomet-Seymour’s Sierra Tuttle (100), Clifton Central’s Lilly Plumley (120), Champaign Central’s Londyn Grant (130) and Herscher’s Henna Mullikin (145).
Fourth-place showings were also turned in by Normal West’s Cheyenne Anderson (115), Kitzia Racey (120), Vivian Guither (145) and Cadence Duvall (235), Mahomet-Seymour’s Madilyn Becker (110), Kaisley Shotkoski (140) and Jaycee Weitekamp (190), Clinton’s Sandy Clark (100), Dwight’s Adilyn Avilez (125), Westville’s Laney Cook (130), Bloomington’s Alila Beck (135) and Tremont’s Paytyn Dykes (155).
Clinton’s Ariana Humes led all competitors with 48 total match points while her teammate Sandy Clark was second with 44 points. Thirteen individuals recorded three falls with Prairie Central’s Yuri Vilchis accomplishing that feat in the shortest time, which was 2:30. Eleven competitors got a victory by technical fall with Dwight’s Avery Crouch achieving that in a tourney-best 48 seconds. And Mahomet-Seymour’s Sierra Tuttle had the large seed to place difference, at five positions, after being seeded eighth and placing third at 100.
Here are the champions and their weight classes from the IHSA Pontiac Regional:
100 – Justice Milligan, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher
Justice Milligan got the opportunity to compete at the IHSA Finals last season and won a match there in addition to facing the eventual champion at 100, Glenbard West’s Alycia Perez, and she finished with a 15-12 record. The Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher senior hopes to advance from the Highland Sectional and make a second visit to the state finals in Bloomington and also win a few more matches there and she’s now unbeaten in 17 matches following the Pontiac Regional where she won by fall in 1:18 over Olympia senior Mya Downs in the 100 title match.
Milligan, who joined classmate Avery Schlickman as one of two champions among three competitors for coach Josh Carter’s Falcons, also recorded pins in her other two matches, including one in 0:57 in the semifinals over Normal West’s Asa Cedeno. Milligan, who became her program’s first regional champion, tied for fourth place in most team points with 24 along with Schlickman, who added the program’s second regional title with a fall in the 145 finals.
“It’s been super fun,” Milligan said of competing in wrestling. “I played basketball and soccer and this is definitely better. I like the experience that you get, it’s not only physically tough, it’s mentally tough, too, and you have to balance that.”
Downs (9-4), a sectional qualifier last season who was also the lone finalist among the two individuals that were on hand for coach Josh Collins’ Spartans, won her first two matches with falls and advanced to the 100 title match following a pin in 2:32 over Bismarck-Henning Rossville-Alvin/ Armstrong’s Gracie Pattison in the semifinals. Mahomet-Seymour freshman Sierra Tuttle (16-10) and Clinton junior Sandy Clark (7-10) both lost their openers but then won their next two matches to meet up for third place and Tuttle won with a pin in 2:32. Tuttle, who led all competitors with a five-place improvement from her seed to her finish, was one of four qualifiers for the Bulldogs and Clark, who ranked second in match points with 44 behind teammate Ariana Humes (48), also joined her as two of the four qualifiers for the Maroons.
105 – Jasmine Johnson, Rantoul
Jasmine Johnson made history for Rantoul by not only becoming her school’s first regional champion but she also became the first individual to advance to a sectional tournament from a regional when the junior won by fall in 1:25 over Clinton freshman Bella Villanueva in the 105 title match. Johnson (8-7) was the lone competitor for coach Mark Owen’s Eagles while Villanueva joins three other Maroons who qualified for the Highland Sectional.
“I’m by myself, right now,” Johnson said of her girls team. “This is my first year wrestling. It’s very exciting. I actually didn’t think that I was going to like it this much but I like it better than my main sport right now, which is basketball. I love wrestling now, it just makes me happy. I like getting to meet new people and there’s a lot of nice, amazing people in wrestling.”
110 – Taylor Wells, Oakwood/ Salt Fork
Taylor Wells was not only the lone first-place finisher for Oakwood/ Salt Fork at the Pontiac Regional, the freshman became her program’s first-ever regional champion when she claimed a victory by technical fall in 5:28 over Paris sophomore Kaidence Eveland in the 110 title match.
Wells (12-6), who was one of three finalists and sectional qualifiers for coach Mike Glosser’s Comets, followed a first-minute pin with an 8-1 decision over Mahomet-Seymour junior Madilyn Becker in the semifinals. Wells was seeded fourth, so her three-place improvement was the best of any of the title winners and it also tied her with two other individuals for second-place in that statistic. She also was one of three freshmen who won championships in the Pontiac Regional.
“My brother, Thomas, was really the one that encouraged me to this first and he wrestles at OSF and he’s a senior right now,” Wells said. “And then some of my friends were deciding to do it so I was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to give it a shot and I think it will be really fun.’ Wrestling with the boys really makes you tougher and it really helps you to get stronger. I like the team bonding and the strength and the courage that it takes to wrestle. It’s just really fun all around.”
Eveland (8-6), one of the three finalists and four sectional qualifiers for coach Seth Rohrbach’s third-place Tigers, followed a first-minute fall in her opener with another pin, that one in 5:30 in the semifinals over Clinton senior Ariana Humes (15-6), who went on to claim third place with a fall in 2:51 over Becker (10-12). Humes, who was a sectional qualifier in 2024, joins three other Maroons at the sectional and Becker will be one of four from her school in Highland. Humes also had the most total match points with 48 while teammate Sandy Clark was second with 44.
115 – Sophia Mussari, Pontiac
Sophia Mussari got things started for the hosts of the Pontiac Regional when the Indians sophomore became the first of two champions for her team after claiming top honors at 115 and was followed two weights later by freshman Jocelyn Cobix with a title at 125 to lead the Indians to a fourth-place finish, which was 29 positions better than how they did last year in the rugged Minooka Regional. As a bonus, Mussari and Cobix led all of the champions for the most team points with 27.5.
Mussari (12-6) became her program’s first regional champion and also first to advance to a sectional from a regional when she won by technical fall in 5:16 over Westville/ Georgetown-Ridge Farm junior Kiley Knight in the 115 finals. She was one of four individuals from coach Vinnie Hobart’s Indians who qualified for the sectional. She opened with two quick pins, earning her spot on the title mat with a fall in 1:19 over Paris sophomore Paisley Reed.
“It feels really exciting,” Mussari said. “This is my first time I got first place and last year was my first year wrestling and before wrestling, I did jiu jitsu. It’s a weird position switching to different sports. Last year I placed at most of my tournaments but two and I went 2-2 at regionals and the two I lost to made it to state and placed at state so my goal is to be better than them now. It teaches me a lot of self-discipline. I just really love the sport.”
Knight (9-3) was one of two finalists and three sectional qualifiers for coach Austin Hedrick’s Tigers. She opened with a first-period pin before claiming a victory by technical fall in 2:07 over Centennial’s Taylor Garner in the semifinals to become her program’s first regional finalist. In the third-place match Reed (10-6) won by technical fall in 4:38 over Normal West sophomore Cheyenne Anderson (4-4), who lost to Mussari in the quarterfinals and got pins in her next three matches to become one of the four qualifiers for the Wildcats. They are coached by Margaret LeGates Lehr, who was the first girl to take part in an IHSA event, competing for IWCOA Hall of Famer Libertyville coach Dale Eggert over 30 years ago and her daughter Sammy was the first girl to win a tourney title as an official IHSA sport in 2021-2022 at the Normal Community Invite.
120 – Yuri Vilchis, Prairie Central
Yuri Vilchis and Prairie Central have come a long way in one year as she went from five wins in 2023-2024 to 22 this season and became her school’s first regional champion and eventually was joined as a title winner by defending IHSA 235 champ Chloe Hoselton as two of the Hawks’ four qualifiers for the Highland Sectional when she capped a three-fall effort by winning the 120 championship with a pin in 0:27 over Oakwood/ Salt Fork freshman Lainey Ehler. There were 13 individuals who had three falls, but Vilchis did so in the least amount of time, needing just 2:30.
Vilchis (22-10) collected all of her pins in the opening period, needing just 42 seconds to beat Clifton Central junior Lilly Plumley in the semifinals to make her the first-ever regional finalist for coach Scott Ziller’s Hawks. They made a huge regional improvement from 2024, by collecting 83 points to finish in second place, just seven points behind champion Urbana, after scoring only 25 points last season and finishing tied for 26th place at the Minooka Regional with Hoselton their first individual to advance from a regional to a sectional after taking third place.
“It’s been amazing,” Vilchis said. “I mean it’s my second year and I’ve been putting a lot of effort and work in during the summer. It’s great seeing the progress and being able to see what I can accomplish with just putting in the work. (Being around Chloe) It’s great, she’s really fun, I love her. It was really nice being able to go to The Compound, because where she trains. I like being able to see progress with effort. This is a lot better than any other sport that I’ve been in, and even if it’s a small team, it’s really nice.”
Ehler (11-8) joined champions Taylor Wells (110) and runner-up Taylor Owens (145) as sectional qualifiers for coach Mike Glosser’s Comets, who finished in fifth place after taking 25th a year ago at the Mt. Zion Regional with just one individual competing, who was Owens, who became the program’s first to advance to a sectional. After opening with a first-period fall, Ehler captured a high-scoring 15-14 decision over Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Madisyn Droege in the semifinals to assure herself of a trip to the Highland Sectional. In the third-place match, Plumley won by fall in 0:37 over Normal West freshman Kitzia Racey to become one of two qualifiers for her team while Racey was one of four Wildcats who took fourth place to earn trips to Highland. It was a rematch of the quarterfinals, where Plumley also got a pin, and Racey responded with two wins.
125 – Jocelyn Cobix, Pontiac
Jocelyn Cobix made it two titles in three weight classes for Pontiac and Livingston County schools completed a 3-0 run on the title mat when the Indians freshman followed teammate Sophia Mussari and Prairie Central’s Yuri Vilchis as champions in the Pontiac Regional when she took first at 125 by getting a pin in 3:01 over University High sophomore Hailey Watson. The local crowd also liked the fact that Cobix and Mussari collected the most team points with 27.5.
Cobix (25-6) became her school’s second regional champion and sectional qualifier and was later joined by Alix Robinson (155) and Olivia Miller (170) as four individuals from their team who earned trips to the Highland Sectional. Pontiac tied for 33rd with 15 points and had no qualifiers a year ago at Minooka and on Saturday, coach Vinnie Hobart’s team made up 29 positions to finish fourth with 77 points. After opening with a quick pin, Cobix won by technical fall in 4:10 over Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington freshman Adilyn Avilez in the semifinals.
“It’s just a great opportunity and I’m super grateful to be even wrestling now,” Cobix said. “Growing up as a girl in a male-dominated sport has definitely been hard and I’ve faced so many things. Finally, winning a big thing like a regional title as a freshman just makes me feel so happy because I’ve worked my butt off all of these years. This is my fourth year. (Working with boys) It’s definitely harder but it makes me feel proud and more overjoyed when I win, and even when I lose, it’s ok because it’s all a learning experience and everything happens for a reason.”
Watson (15-5), the lone sectional qualifier for coach Caleb Phillips’ Pioneers, only won four matches a year ago but now is her school’s first regional finalist after getting pins in the initial period of her first two matches, winning in 1:05 over Urbana Randi Campe in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Prairie Central junior Makiya Baker (21-16) won by fall in 5:58 over Avilez (4-3) in a rematch of the quarterfinals where Avilez won an 8-7 decision. Baker bounced back with four-consecutive wins, with three being falls, to become one of the Hawks’ four qualifiers.
130 – Ava Beldo, Centennial
Ava Beldo stood out at the 130 weight class where each of the top three individuals were quite familiar with one another since they’re all sophomores and are all from Champaign and Urbana. And a year after being the first individual from Centennial to qualify from a regional to a sectional, Beldo became the first Charger to win a regional championship when she was a winner by fall in 1:06 over Urbana sophomore Tauhnisjha Hart to improve to 22-5 on the season. Champaign Central sophomore Londyn Grant took third place to give the school district two of the top three at 130.
Beldo, who went 32-12 last season and fell one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Richwoods Sectional, was the lone qualifier for coach Ron Beldo’s Chargers, who only had two individuals in the competition. She also recorded falls in the opening period of her first two matches, with the longest of those coming in 1:17 over Westville co-op junior Laney Cook in the semifinals. Her three falls in 2:52 ranked her second for the most pins in the least amount of time with Prairie Central’s Yuri Vilchis being the only one to record three pins in a quicker fashion. She also finished in a six-way tie for fourth place for the most team points with 24.
“I love the sport,” Beldo said. “It takes dedication and it takes mental strength. And I think that was the biggest part for me, being able to push through no matter what. It doesn’t matter the ranking, it doesn’t matter the name, it just matters if you get on the mat and you give it 100 percent, it doesn’t matter the outcome, whatsoever, win, lose, you learn. I drill a lot with the boys. Last year I was the only girl on my wrestling team, so it’s just amazing to open up the environment for more girls. I just love the environment that I’m around when I wrestle.”
Hart (21-14) was one of the two finalists, with 140 champion Rickasia Ivy the other, as well as five qualifiers for the Highland Sectional for coach Phil Sexton’s Tigers on an historic day when Urbana captured the regional championship by a 90-83 margin over Prairie Central. It ended a long drought for the school in winning a wrestling regional title, with that last coming in 1990. Hart, who also was a sectional qualifier last season, recorded pins in her other two matches and earned her spot in the 130 finals by recording a fall in 2:57 in the semifinals over Grant (11-2), who also qualified for the sectional for the second year in a row. She hopes to advance to the IHSA Finals after falling one win shy of achieving that at last year’s Richwoods Sectional. For third place, Grant won by fall in 5:11 over Cook (10-9), one of three qualifiers for the Tigers.
135 – Avery Crouch, Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington
Avery Crouch not only was the third of three freshmen who won a title at the Pontiac Regional but more importantly for the Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilington co-op, she was the Lady Trojans’ first regional champion and one of its initial two sectional qualifiers after the freshman captured the championship at 135 by recording a fall in 3:48 over Paris senior Emerson Barrett.
Crouch will be joined at the Highland Sectional by another freshman at her school, Adilyn Avilez, who took fourth place at 125. They were the only two individuals in the regional for coach Jim Gussman’s Lady Trojans. Crouch opened with a win by technical fall in a tournament-best 48 seconds before getting a pin in 1:27 over Bloomington senior Alila Beck in the semifinals. Although Crouch is listed with a 4-0 record, she has also competed against boys this season, and boys are what she has mainly faced during her career, which has spanned nine years.
“This is my ninth year wrestling, so I’m pretty used to it,” Crouch said. “I just came from wrestling boys for all nine years till now and switching to girls. It’s not different and it’s cool that the sport is getting a lot bigger. My determination has been my mindset mostly. You have to stay confident through the hard times, even if you’re losing, because losing makes you better and that’s why I’m here.”
Barrett (13-2), one of four sectional qualifiers for coach Seth Rohrbach’s third-place Tigers, also was a sectional qualifier a year ago and then fell one win shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the Richwoods Sectional to cap a 10-4 season. She only had to compete in one match to reach the 135 finals and that was in the semifinals where she won a 9-5 decision over Urbana junior Tamya Terry (20-10), who went on to claim third place with a fall in 2:00 over Beck (10-6). Terry was one of five sectional qualifiers for the first-place Tigers while Beck joined 155 champ Alicia Swank as qualifiers for the Purple Raiders.
140 – Rickasia Ivy, Urbana
Rickasia Ivy experienced a memorable day for Urbana at last year’s Mt. Zion Regional where she was one of five sectional qualifiers and her team had one champ to take seventh place. But what a difference a year made at the Pontiac Regional, where the Tigers again had one title winner and five sectional qualifiers but there was a much bigger payoff as her program won its first regional title 90-83 over runner-up Prairie Central with the sophomore leading the way with a title win at 140 by claiming a 15-6 major decision over St. Joseph-Ogden junior Maddie Wells.
Ivy (26-4), who went 24-13 last season and qualified for the IHSA Finals with third-place finisher Jurdan Tyler, was one of two finalists for coach Phil Sexton’s Tigers, who won their program’s first regional title and this also marked the first time since 1990 that a wrestling team from the school took first place in a regional. Ivy only had to win one match in order to reach the 140 title mat and she won that with a fall in 0:38 over Prairie Central sophomore Victoria Vadeboncoeur.
“It’s really nice to compete for Urbana,” Ivy said. “There’s a lot of girls wrestlers and they’re helping me out and they cheer for me, especially in this first-place match where I was really worried, but all of my teammates were cheering for me. My season has been pretty good for my second year. It makes me feel good that in my second year, I’ve been improving since last year. It’s really about how much you want it and if you really want it, you’ll get after it. The fact that this is my second year and I’ve placed first at two tournaments, I feel like it shows that as long as you really want it and you really push yourself throughout the match, that you’ll really get it.”
Wells (13-5), the lone individual competing in the regional for coach Bill Gallo’s Spartans, won by fall in 1:55 over Mahomet-Seymour freshman Kaisley Shotkoski in the semifinals to advance to the 140 finals. She also qualified for the Richwoods Sectional last season and fell one win shy of a trip to the IHSA Finals to conclude a 25-win season. For third place, Vadeboncoeur won a 15-6 major decision over Shotkoski, who was one of four sectional qualifiers for the Bulldogs while Vadeboncoeur will join three others from the runner-up Hawks at the Highland Sectional.
145 – Avery Schlickman, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher
Avery Schlickman has been wrestling for most of her life but the senior says that when this season is over, she will conclude her 14 years on the mat. After competing in each of the first three IHSA Finals, the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley /Fisher senior hopes that she can not only become one of the few four-time qualifiers but also the first girl from her school to place at state. She’s off to a good start toward achieving that goal after she improved to 18-5 on the season by recording a fall in 3:01 over Oakwood/ Salt Fork junior Taylor Owens in the 145 title match. It was one of just two finals in the Pontiac Regional which featured two returning state qualifiers.
Schlickman joined classmate Justice Milligan (100) as a champion for coach Josh Carter’s Falcons and the two will now compete in the Highland Sectional. She recorded falls in her first two matches and her quickest pin came in 0:52 over Normal West senior Vivian Guither in the semifinals. She tied six others, including Milligan, for fourth place for most team points with 24.
“Wrestling the guys and the girls is a complete difference,” Schlickman said. “So when they split it up, it was like a whole new wrestling style, and it’s just something that you have to get used to. All four of my brothers wrestled. In the state series, it’s a lot more fun now. When I was little, there was no girls state series so now we have our own opportunity for ourselves. I think that’s why so many of us knew each other because there once was a time when we didn’t have this opportunity.”
Owens (6-3) also recorded pins in her first two matches and needed to go into overtime in order to win by fall in 6:37 over Herscher junior Henna Mullikin (18-4), who went on to claim third place after getting a win by technical fall in 2:30 over Guither (24-13). Mullikin was the lone sectional qualifier for the Tigers while Guither was one of four Wildcats who advanced. Mullikin competed in the Geneseo Sectional in 2024 and fell one win shy of a trip to the IHSA Finals.
155 – Alicia Swank, Bloomington
Alicia Swank won 19 matches and got close to advancing to state from the Geneseo Sectional last season so now the Bloomington junior wants to take the next step and qualify for the IHSA Finals. She seems to be headed in the right path toward that goal as she’s already equaled her win total from a year ago and claimed a big victory over another junior who hopes to get to state this season, Unity’s Anna Vasey, when she prevailed with a 2-0 decision in the 155 title match.
Swank (19-5) became her program’s first regional champion and was one of its two sectional qualifiers who were also the only two individuals who competed in the tournament for coach Shawn Safford’s Purple Raiders. She opened with a pin before securing her spot in the 155 finals with an 8-0 major decision over Tremont sophomore Paytyn Dykes in the semifinals.
“I’m really happy with how the season is going,” Swank said. “I know that I have next year, as well, but I’m happy with my junior year still going on. It’s nice to see how big it is in our area (her sport), our school still has a small team, but to be able to see all of the West girls, the U-High girls and the Community girls and seeing them and their teams everywhere is really fun. And seeing the little schools get teams is really nice because they have small athletics in general so it’s good to see them add another sport, and it’s still growing. I like just how close we are with each other. You’ll go to one tournament and see one girl for the rest of the season and become friends with her. It’s getting big now and you might be one of the first ones to set the tone for your school and your team.”
Vasey (28-4), one of two finalists and qualifiers for coach Logan Patton’s Rockets, with 235 runner-up Phoenix Molina the other, only had to compete in one match in order to advance to the finals and she won that one with a 9-3 decision in the semifinals over Pontiac senior Alix Robinson (9-5), who went to take third by getting a fall in 2:40 over Dykes. Robinson was one of four sectional qualifiers for Pontiac and Dykes was the only one from her team to advance.
170 – Emma Shelkey, Paris
Emma Shelkey and her Paris teammates have a lot to be proud of after they were in the mix for the title at the Pontiac Regional throughout much of the competition before Urbana and Prairie Central passed them in the late stages as the Tigers wound up taking third place. But with junior Shelkey claiming first at 170, two others advancing to the title mat and another giving them four qualifiers for the Highland Sectional, the program hopes to not only have at least one individual advance to the IHSA Finals but perhaps even have their first state medalist this season.
Shelkey, who improved to 10-0 on the season, became the first regional champion for coach Seth Rohrbach’s Tigers when she won by fall in 0:33 over Deer Creek-Mackinaw junior Bella Brooks in the 170 title match. Shelkey only had to compete in one other match in order to reach the finals and she won it with a pin in 3:34 over Pontiac freshman Olivia Miller in the semifinals. She finished tied with five other champions for fourth place for the most team points with 24.
“Our team has progressed a lot, and this is our third year as a program,” Shelkey said. “I think our team just wants it more than a lot of people and we work really hard outside of practice and in practice and we wrestle with boys a lot, too, so that helps. And our boys are doing really good, too, and next year I think we’ll be super solid with a really good lineup. Overall and honestly, it’s just really fun. The pride that we feel when we win is never matched to anything that I’ve done before.”
Brooks (9-9) became the only finalist and was the lone sectional qualifier for coach Tim Thomas’ Chiefs. She also only had to compete in the semifinals and she claimed a victory with a pin in 4:45 over Clinton sophomore Diana Naxi (8-9), who went to claim third place by capturing a 13-10 decision over Miller (8-10), as both were one of four sectional qualifiers for their teams.
190 – Payton Temple, Clifton Central
Payton Temple kicked off her season in impressive fashion when she defeated a two-time IHSA finalist and 2023 state champion, Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker, to hand the senior her only loss of the season in the finals at Minooka’s Thanksgiving Throwdown. The Clifton Central sophomore has also only suffered one defeat this season, to Prairie Central’s Chloe Hoselton, the 2024 IHSA champion at 235, and she improved to 21-1 after claiming a win by fall in 0:48 over Westville co-op sophomore Addison Briggs in the 190 title match at the Pontiac Regional.
Temple, the lone champion and one of two sectional qualifiers for coach Travis Williams’ Comets, only had to compete in a semifinal match in order to reach the 190 finals and she won it by recording a fall in 1:12 over Mahomet-Seymour freshman Jaycee Weitekamp. Temple was one of six individuals who tied for fourth place for the most team points with 24. She took sixth place in the IHSA Finals at 155 last season and hopes to become a two-time medalist this year.
“My one loss was to Chloe,” Temple said. “I think that I’ve been shooting a lot more this year and that’s been helping with winning and I’ve been more aggressive. I like this regional since there were a lot of people and teams that I knew here. I like more competition and it is getting bigger and bigger.”
Briggs (7-7), one of two finalists and three qualifiers for the Highland Sectional for coach Austin Hedrick’s Tigers, earned her spot in the 190 finals after winning an 8-7 decision in the semifinals over Urbana senior Franciana Kalanga (25-6), who claimed third place by capturing an 11-4 decision over Weitekamp (16-12). Kalanga advanced from a regional to a sectional for the second year in a row and is one of five sectional qualifiers for coach Phil Sexton’s champion Tigers. Weitekamp is one of four Bulldogs who will also compete in the Highland Sectional.
235 – Chloe Hoselton, Prairie Central
Chloe Hoselton and Phoenix Molina met up for the final title match at 235, providing those in attendance with a rare sight for a regional, which is the rematch of a state championship match from the previous year. And in a similar fashion to that title showdown where Prairie Central’s Hoselton edged Unity’s Molina 2-1 by ultimate breaker, the regional final was very suspenseful with the the senior defending state champion only leading by one point in the late going before she got a late takedown after the junior runner-up attempted to make one final move to pull out a victory and Hoselton captured a 4-0 decision to improve her record to 20-0 on the season.
Hoselton was one of two champions, with Yuri Vilchis the other one at 120, as well as two other sectional qualifiers for coach Scott Ziller’s Hawks, who put up a great fight to claim top honors in the Pontiac Regional before Urbana prevailed by a 90-83 margin. The runner-up finish was even more impressive since Prairie Central finished in 26th place at the Minooka Regional in 2024. Hoselton, who became the program’s first medalist last season, only had to compete in one other match, where she was a winner by fall in 1:14 over Urbana junior Lillian Disanto.
“I know that Phoenix is one of the best opponents I have,” Hoselton said. “She pushes me and she knows me in and out and it’s just really good to have her as an opponent, it challenges me. I’m so excited for our team. Last year, I was the only person that qualified for sectionals and then for this year to have four people, and two of them being brand new, it’s awesome to watch their development and everything they’ve done for our team and how much work they’ve put in. And Yuri Vilchis is a two-year, and to see her come back and not even placing at regionals last year to coming here this year and winning, it was awesome to see her get that achievement. I feel good about where I’m at. I have practice partners that push me and I’ve been working with my brother Drew and I practice with my head coach, Scott Ziller, and they push me and they know what I need to work on. And that’s what we work on and today I came out and showed it.”
Molina (25-4), who joined runner-up Anna Vasey (155) as a finalist and one of two sectional qualifiers for coach Logan Patton’s Rockets, also only had to compete in the semifinals prior to the title match and she won that with a pin in 3:03 over Normal West senior Cadence Duvall. The two individuals who fell in the semifinals met for third place with Disanto (31-7) recording a fall in 1:08 over Duvall (22-5). Didanto was one of five sectional qualifiers for the champion Tigers while Duvall was one of the four Wildcats who will advance to the Highland Sectional.
Pontiac Regional Tournament
Team Scores
1. Urbana 90, 2. Prairie Central 83, 3. Paris 79.5, 4. Pontiac 77, 5. Oakwood/ Salt Fork co-op 59.5, 6. Westville/ Georgetown-Ridge Farm co-op 56.5, 7. Mahomet-Seymour 54.5, 8. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher co-op 54, 9. Clinton 51.5, 10. Clifton Central 46, 11. Normal West 45, 12. Deer Creek-Mackinaw 39.5, 13. Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op (36.5), 14. Unity 35.5, 15. Bloomington 32, 15. Centennial 32, 1. University High 25, 18. Olympia 21, 19. Rantoul 20, 20. Champaign Central 16, 21. Herscher 15.5, 22. St. Joseph-Ogden 14, 23. Tremont 11, 24. Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin 4, 25. Heyworth 2, 26. Monticello 0.
Place Matches
100
1st Place Match
Justice Milligan (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher) 17-0, Sr. over Mya Downs (Olympia) 9-4, Sr. (Fall 1:18)
3rd Place Match
Sierra Tuttle (Mahomet-Seymour) 16-10, Fr. over Sandy Clark (Clinton) 7-10, Jr. (Fall 2:32)
105
1st Place Match
Jasmine Johnson (Rantoul) 8-7, Jr. over Bella Villanueva (Clinton) 2-10, Fr. (Fall 1:25)
110
1st Place Match
Taylor Wells (Oakwood/ Salt Fork) 12-6, Fr. over Kaidence Eveland (Paris) 8-6, So. (TF-1.5 5:28 (19-3))
3rd Place Match
Ariana Humes (Clinton) 15-6, Sr. over Madilyn Becker (Mahomet-Seymour) 10-12, Jr. (Fall 2:51)
115
1st Place Match
Sophia Mussari (Pontiac) 12-6, So. over Kiley Knight (Westville/ Georgetown-Ridge Farm) 9-3, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:16 (22-3))
3rd Place Match
Paisley Reed (Paris) 10-6, So. over Cheyenne Anderson (Normal West) 4-4, So. (TF-1.5 4:38 (16-0))
120
1st Place Match
Yuri Vilchis (Prairie Central) 22-10, Jr. over Lainey Ehler (Oakwood/ Salt Fork) 11-8, Fr. (Fall 0:27)
3rd Place Match
Lilly Plumley (Clifton Central) 10-19, Jr. over Kitzia Racey (Normal West) 6-12, Fr. (Fall 0:37)
125
Jocelyn Cobix (Pontiac) 25-6, Fr. over Hailey Watson (University High) 15-5, So. (Fall 3:01)
3rd Place Match
Makiya Baker (Prairie Central) 21-16, Jr. over Adilyn Avilez (Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington) 4-3, Fr. (Fall 5:58)
130
1st Place Match
Ava Beldo (Centennial) 22-5, So. over Tauhnisjha Hart (Urbana) 21-14, So. (Fall 1:06)
3rd Place Match
Londyn Grant (Champaign Central) 11-2, So. over Laney Cook (Westville co-op) 10-9, Jr. (Fall 5:11)
135
1st Place Match
Avery Crouch (Dwight co-op) 4-0, Fr. over Emerson Barrett (Paris) 13-2, Sr. (Fall 3:48)
3rd Place Match
Tamya Terry (Urbana) 20-10, Jr. over Alila Beck (Bloomington) 10-6, Sr. (Fall 2:00)
140
1st Place Match
Rickasia Ivy (Urbana) 26-4, So. over Maddie Wells (St. Joseph-Ogden) 13-5, Jr. (MD 15-6)
3rd Place Match
Victoria Vadeboncoeur (Prairie Central) 2-4, So. over Kaisley Shotkoski (Mahomet-Seymour) 5-16, Fr. (MD 15-6)
145
1st Place Match
Avery Schlickman (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher) 18-5, Sr. over Taylor Owens (Oakwood/ Salt Fork) 6-3, Jr. (Fall 3:01)
3rd Place Match
Henna Mullikin (Herscher) 18-4, Jr. over Vivian Guither (Normal West) 24-13, Sr. (TF-1.5 2:30 (17-1))
155
1st Place Match
Alicia Swank (Bloomington) 19-5, Jr. over Anna Vasey (Unity) 28-4, Jr. (Dec 2-0)
3rd Place Match
Alix Robinson (Pontiac) 9-5, Sr. over Paytyn Dykes (Tremont) 4-6, So. (Fall 2:40)
170
1st Place Match
Emma Shelkey (Paris) 10-0, Jr. over Bella Brooks (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) 9-9, Jr. (Fall 0:33)
3rd Place Match
Diana Naxi (Clinton) 8-9, So. over Olivia Miller (Pontiac) 8-10, Fr. (Dec 13-10)
190
Payton Temple (Clifton Central) 21-1, So. over Addison Briggs (Westville co-op) 7-7, So. (Fall 0:48)
3rd Place Match
Franciana Kalanga (Urbana) 25-6, Sr. over Jaycee Weitekamp (Mahomet-Seymour) 16-12, Fr. (Dec 11-4)
235
1st Place Match
Chloe Hoselton (Prairie Central) 20-0, Sr. over Phoenix Molina (Unity) 25-4, Jr. (Dec 4-0)
3rd Place Match
Lillian Disanto (Urbana) 31-7, Jr. over Cadence Duvall (Normal West) 22-5, Sr. (Fall 1:08)
2A roundups for Regionals that feed the Washington, Lincoln Individual Sectionals

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA
REGIONALS THAT FEED THE WASHINGTON INDIVIDUAL SECTIONAL
MORTON REGIONAL
Washington cruised to its 13th team regional title and advanced 10 wrestlers to sectional weekend for coach Nick Miller.
The Panthers finished with 228.5 team points to second-place Morton’s 169, followed by Richwoods in third with 132.5 points. Both Morton and Richwoods finished with eight sectional qualifiers apiece.
Washington got six individual regional titles from Symon Woods (37-5 at 106), Noah Woods (38-2 at 120), Michael Mendoza (28-14 at 138), Peyton Cox (33-4 at 144), Wyatt Medlin (41-3 at 157) and Josh Hoffer (42-3 at 215), and seconds from Micah Jackson (18-4 at 113), Logan Makiney (25-16 at 126), Wyatt Leman (31-17 at 190) and Sean Thornton (33-11 at 285).
“We don’t feel like we put our best performance out there today, but we have ten moving on to sectionals and won the team title by a solid point differential,” Miller said. “It’s back into the room and preparing our ten individuals for the coming weekend and shifting the rest to focus on team sectionals.”
Individual regional champions:
Other wrestlers winning regional titles at Morton were Morton’s Noah Harris (33-12 at 113), Harrison Dea (31-3 at 126), and Clay McKee (42-6 at 165), East Peoria’s Cooper Chester (28-9 at 132), Dalton Oakman (34-9 at 190) and Jose Del Toro (42-2 at 285), Metamora’s Grady Neal (36-5 at 150), and Dunlap’s Joseph Weeks (22-2 at 175).
SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS FROM THE MORTON REGIONAL
106
1st – Symon Woods of Washington
2nd – Wensley Rahn of Peoria (Richwoods)
3rd – Kaleb Fuchs of Bartonville (Limestone)
113
1st – Noah Harris of Morton
2nd – Micah Jackson of Washington
3rd – Kaiden Capranica of Bartonville (Limestone)
120
1st – Noah Woods of Washington
2nd – Brody Watson of Morton
3rd – Christian Johnson of Bartonville (Limestone)
126
1st – Harrison Dea of Morton
2nd – Logan Makiney of Washington
3rd – Tyler Wieland of Peoria (Richwoods)
132
1st – Cooper Chester of East Peoria
2nd – Lincoln Yerby of Morton
3rd – Colton Boyer of Peoria (Richwoods)
138
1st – Michael Mendoza of Washington
2nd – Caiden Robison of Morton
3rd – Gabe Robb of Peoria (Richwoods)
144
1st – Peyton Cox of Washington
2nd – Rikyis Doss of Peoria (Richwoods)
3rd – Connor Graham of Metamora
150
1st – Grady Neal of Metamora
2nd – Colton Mosack of Dunlap
3rd – Chris Walker of Peoria (H.S.)
157
1st – Wyatt Medlin of Washington
2nd – Alex Martinez of Peoria (Richwoods)
3rd – Jacob Allen of Dunlap
165
1st – Clay Mckee of Morton
2nd – Jayden Schmick of Dunlap
3rd – Mark Aeschliman of Metamora
175
1st – Joseph Weeks of Dunlap
2nd – Colton Mckee of Morton
3rd – Gabe Martinez of Peoria (Richwoods)
190
1st – Dalton Oakman of East Peoria
2nd – Wyatt Leman of Washington
3rd – Ethan Dixon of Bartonville (Limestone)
215
1st – Josh Hoffer of Washington
2nd – Alec Del Toro of East Peoria
3rd – Benjamin Chaffer of Morton
285
1st – Jose Del Toro of East Peoria
2nd – Sean Thornton of Washington
3rd – Shaun Anderson of Peoria (Richwoods)

ROCKFORD EAST REGIONAL
Sycamore finished the day with 10 sectional qualifiers for coach Randy Culton. The Spartans topped second-place host Rockford East 205.5-186, with Burlington Central placing third with 127.5 points.
“We wrestled great as a team today,” Culton said. “Sending ten (sectional qualifiers) with such a young team is a great feeling. Having seven champs is unreal and all seven will be returning next year, plus nine of our ten sectional qualifiers. Winning regionals was great, but the true test starts this Friday.”
In winning the program’s 12th team regional title, Sycamore had seven regional champions in Rockford, in Carson West (37-4 at 106), Charlie Olson (19-7 at 113), Michael Olson (34-11 at 120), Tyler Lockhart (36-8 at 126), Jayden Dohogne (41-6 at 138), Cooper Bode (35-9 at 175) and Collin Hughes (28-7 at 285). The Spartans got second-place finishes from Douglas Gemberling (165) and Clyde Nott (215) and a third from Cole Kleiser (150).
Rockford East also advanced 10 to the sectional, while Burlington Central advanced seven.
Individual regional champions:
Other regionals champs in Rockford were Rockford East’s Cameron Terronez (24-6 at 132), Dana Wickson (29-5 at 150) and Ty Smart (34-10 at 157), Belvidere North’s Dominick Girardin (30-11 at 144) and Andrew Bucci (27-10 at 165), Burlington Central’s Michael Junitz (34-12 at 190) and Woodstock North’s David Randecker (22-9 at 215).
SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS FROM THE ROCKFORD EAST REGIONAL
106
1st – Carson West of Sycamore (H.S.)
2nd – Oscar Nelson of Burlington (Central)
3rd – Tyler Gentry of Rockford (East)
113
1st – Charlie Olson of Sycamore (H.S.)
2nd – Eduardo Vences of Burlington (Central)
3rd – Sebastian Abwe of Rockford (East)
120
1st – Michael Olson of Sycamore (H.S.)
2nd – Aiden Nebiu of Belvidere (North)
3rd – David Wyruchowski of Burlington (Central)
126
1st – Tyler Lockhart of Sycamore (H.S.)
2nd – Taqi Baker of Woodstock (H.S.)
3rd – Bryson Teunissen of Belvidere (North)
132
1st – Cameron Terronez of Rockford (East)
2nd – Austin Lee of Burlington (Central)
3rd – Geren Stapleton of Belvidere (North)
138
1st – Jayden Dohogne of Sycamore (H.S.)
2nd – Donald Cannon of Rockford (East)
3rd – Landyn White of Woodstock (H.S.)
144
1st – Dominick Girardin of Belvidere (North)
2nd – Landon VanAcker of Belvidere (H.S.)
3rd – Cole McGuire of Burlington (Central)
150
1st – Dana Wickson of Rockford (East)
2nd – Gabe Sarnella of Woodstock (H.S.)
3rd – Cole Kleiser of Sycamore (H.S.)
157
1st – Ty Smart of Rockford (East)
2nd – Logan Wisner of Woodstock (H.S.)
3rd – Leeland Sanchez of Harvard
165
1st – Andrew Bucci of Belvidere (North)
2nd – Douglas Gemberling of Sycamore (H.S.)
3rd – Ayden Dobler of Woodstock (H.S.)
175
1st – Cooper Bode of Sycamore (H.S.)
2nd – Malachi Cannon of Rockford (East)
3rd – Jonah Chavez of Burlington (Central)
190
1st – Michael Junitz of Burlington (Central)
2nd – Kevin Salas of Harvard
3rd – Ismail Bilolo of Rockford (East)
215
1st – David Randecker of Woodstock (North)
2nd – Clyde Nott of Sycamore (H.S.)
3rd – Etungano Kakozi of Rockford (East)
285
1st – Collin Hughes of Sycamore (H.S.)
2nd – Eddie Esguerra of Rockford (East)
3rd – Everett Flannery of Woodstock (H.S.)

DIXON REGIONAL
Geneseo ran away with a team regional title at Dixon, sending 10 wrestlers through to the Washington Individual Sectional in winning the program’s 10th team regional title per IHSA records. Coach Jon Murray’s boys scored 225.5 team points and had five individual champions in Malaki Jackson (24-5 at 150), Grady Hull (33-7 at 157), Zachary Montez (37-0 at 165), Kyle Weinzieri (38-2 at 175) and Owen King (21-4 at 285). Geneseo also got seconds from Tim Sebastian (126), Izaac Gaines (144) and Colten Mooney (215) and thirds form Landen Vincent (120) and Devan Hornback (132).
Rochelle (138.5 points) had seven sectional qualifiers in placing second, and host Dixon (131.5) finished third and advanced five.
Individual regional champions:
Also winning regional titles were Freeport’s Treyden Diduch (31-5 at 106), Dixon’s Jack Ragan (36-4 at 113), Rock Island’s Merrick Stockwell (25-9 at 120), Rochelle’s Xavier Villalobos (36-5 at 126), Sterling’s Zyan Westbrook (32-2 at 132), Dixon’s Charlie Connors (29-5 at 138), Rock Island’s Antonio Parker (37-4 at 144), Rochelle’s Roman Villalobos (35-8 at 190) and Rochelle’s Kaiden Morris (43-2 at 215)
SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS FROM THE DIXON REGIONAL
106
1st – Treyden Diduch of Freeport (H.S.)
2nd – Riley Paredes of Dixon (H.S.)
3rd – Angelo Parker of Rock Island (H.S.)
113
1st – Jack Ragan of Dixon (H.S.)
2nd – Freddie Hernandez of Rochelle
3rd – Evan Jones of Sterling (H.S.)
120
1st – Merrick Stockwell of Rock Island (H.S.)
2nd – Aidan Lopez of Rochelle
3rd – Landen Vincent of Geneseo
126
1st – Xavier Villalobos of Rochelle
2nd – Tim Sebastian of Geneseo
3rd – Cael Lyons of Sterling (H.S.)
132
1st – Zyan Westbrook of Sterling (H.S.)
2nd – Lucas Nelson of Polo
3rd – Devan Hornback of Geneseo
138
1st – Charlie Connors of Dixon (H.S.)
2nd – Orlando Castellano of Galesburg (H.S.)
3rd – Elijah King of Rock Island (H.S.)
144
1st – Antonio Parker of Rock Island (H.S.)
2nd – Izaac Gaines of Geneseo
3rd – Caleb Johnson of Galesburg (H.S.)
150
1st – Malaki Jackson of Geneseo
2nd – Josiah Carter of Galesburg (H.S.)
3rd – Jayden Weidman of Dixon (H.S.)
157
1st – Grady Hull of Geneseo
2nd – Donavyn Fernandez of Freeport (H.S.)
3rd – Tatum Allen of Sterling (H.S.)
165
1st – Zachary Montez of Geneseo
2nd – Grant Gensler of Rochelle
3rd – Anthony Makwala of Galesburg (H.S.)
175
1st – Kye Weinzierl of Geneseo
2nd – gage tate of Sterling (H.S.)
3rd – Mason Taylor of Galesburg (H.S.)
190
1st – Roman Villalobos of Rochelle
2nd – Rowan Stockwell of Rock Island (H.S.)
3rd – Will Howell of Dixon (H.S.)
215
1st – Kaiden Morris of Rochelle
2nd – Colten Mooney of Geneseo
3rd – Israel Goodman of Freeport (H.S.)
285
1st – Owen King of Geneseo
2nd – Larry Randolph of Galesburg (H.S.)
3rd – Oswaldo Navarro of Sterling (H.S.)

KANELAND REGIONAL
Yorkville Christian stood atop the field at day’s end in Maple Park, as coach Mike Vester’s Mustangs scored 240.5 team points to win the third team regional title in the program’s six-year history. Yorkville Christian won the 1A state title in 2022 and placed second in 2023 under Vester.
The Mustangs advanced 13 wrestlers to this year’s Washington Individual Sectional. Vester got individual regional titles from Ryan Festerling (27-4 at 106), Aiden Larsen (37-3 at 120), Ryan Alaimo (31-12 at 132), Isaac Gray (33-9 at 165) and Jackson Allen (29-3 at 190), and six second-place finishes from Christian Sandoval (113), Nico Harris (126), Adrian Wadas-Luis (138), Austin Wadas-Luis (150), Robby Nelson (157) and Hayden Wheeler (285). Placing third and advancing were Tyler Gleason (175) and Xander Oliver (215).
“Our team energy was very good from the start,” coach Mike Vester said. “We had a few guys who battled illnesses the whole week and were able to jump in and help the team secure the regional title and move on to sectionals as well.
We had a huge win in the finals at 106 with our freshman RJ Festerling beating a really tough returning state qualifier (ranked #6) from Morris to kick off the medal matches. Aiden Larsen dominated his finals match with a first period pin and is really clicking on all cylinders! Ryan Alaimo, Isaac Gray and Jackson Allen also snagged titles with pins in their 1st place matches so that was great for them and huge for the team.”
Plano (180) finished with nine sectional qualifiers in placing second and third-place Morris (122.5) had six.
Individual regional champions:
Others winning regional titles in Maple Park were Morris’ Paxton Valentine (36-6 at 113), Brock Claypool (36-3 at 126) and Carter Skoff (43-2 at 144), Kaneland’s Alex Gochis (38-0 at 138), and Plano’s Antoine Gilford (150), Caidan Ronning (35-0 at 157), Luis Ballesteros (35-2 at 175) and Tyler Mast (30-9 at 285).
SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS FROM THE KANELAND REGIONAL
106
1st – Ryan Festerling, jr. of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
2nd – Owen Sater of Morris
3rd – Gianni Verucchi of LaSalle (L.-Peru)
113
1st – Paxton Valentine of Morris
2nd – Christian Sandoval of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
3rd – Giovanni Hernandez of Ottawa (Twp.)
120
1st – Aiden Larsen of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
2nd – Brandon Anderson of Morris
3rd – Camden Skipper of Maple Park (Kaneland)
126
1st – Brock Claypool of Morris
2nd – Nico Harris of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
3rd – Ryley Soloff of Plano
132
1st – Ryan Alaimo of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
2nd – Jesus Martinez of Streator (Twp.)
3rd – John Havron of Maple Park (Kaneland)
138
1st – Alex Gochis of Maple Park (Kaneland)
2nd – Adrian Wadas-luis of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
3rd – Reegan Kellett of LaSalle (L.-Peru)
144
1st – Carter Skoff of Morris
2nd – Trevion Gilford of Plano
3rd – Jack Gruber of Maple Park (Kaneland)
150
1st – Antione Gilford of Plano
2nd – Austin Wadas-Luis of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
3rd – Charley Clifford of LaSalle (L.-Peru)
157
1st – Caidan Ronning of Plano
2nd – Robby Nelson of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
3rd – Zachary Pocivasek of LaSalle (L.-Peru)
165
1st – John `isaac` Gray of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
2nd – Oscar Cervantes of Plano
3rd – Caden Vanik of Maple Park (Kaneland)
175
1st – Luis Ballesteros of Plano
2nd – Apollo Gochis of Maple Park (Kaneland)
3rd – Tyler Gleason of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
190
1st – Jackson Allen of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
2nd – Prince Amakiri of Plano
3rd – Wes Weatherford of Ottawa (Twp.)
215
1st – Rider Larson of Plano
2nd – Malachi Congo of Morris
3rd – Xander Oliver of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
285
1st – Tyler Mast of Plano
2nd – Hayden Wheeler of Yorkville (Y. Christian)
3rd – Eric Mateika of LaSalle (L.-Peru)
REGIONALS THAT FEED THE LINCOLN INDIVIDUAL SECTIONAL

CIVIC MEMORIAL REGIONAL
In one of the tightest battles for a team regional title anywhere in Illinois on Saturday, Glenwood edged host Civic Memorial 199.5-197 for coach Jerod Bruner. The Titans had four individual champions among its 11 wrestlers qualifying for this year’s Lincoln Individual Sectional.
“It was a great day of wrestling as we snagged another regional title, and kudos to Bethalto for taking us down to the wire,” Bruner said.
Winning individual regional titles for Glenwood were Tyler Clarke (35-9 at 120), Maizon Milestone (29-15 at 165), Elijah Smith (38-8 at 175) and Cody Moss (32-5 at 285). Milestone’s 11-8 sudden victory decision in the finals against Civic Memorial’s James Wojcikiewicz added high-drama to Glenwood’s 2.5-point team win.
John Villar (138) and Mason Streb (215) placed second for the Titans, who got five third-place wins from sectional qualifiers Cooper Clarke (106), Jaxon Ferguson (113), AJ Williams (126), Drew Moffit (132) and Braden Monahan (144).
Monahan’s sudden victory win on the third-place had his teammates and Glenwood fans going wild for the sophomore.
“The team was hyped and that match was my takeaway from today,” Bruner said. “Braden was a pudgy 165-pound freshman who decided through over a hundred off-season workouts that he would qualify at 144 as a sophomore. He made a huge contribution to Glenwood’s 2025 regional title.”
Civic Memorial finished with eight sectional qualifiers while third-place Triad (129.5) had six.
Individual regional champions:
Other wrestlers winning individual regional titles in Bethalto were Rochester’s Pierce Bultmann (37-2 at 106) and Conner Carroll (21-2 at 113), Civic Memorial’s Avery Jaime (33-10 at 126), Bradley Ruckman (132), Knox Verbais (37-6 at 150) and Tristian Ward (22-11 at 215), Triad’s Braden Rowe (29-6 at 138) and Brody Smith (19-8 at 144), Jacksonville’s Joe Reif (39-5 at 157) and Highland’s Ashton Zobrist (39-5 at 190).
SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS FROM THE CIVIC MEMORIAL REGIONAL
106
1st – Pierce Bultmann of Rochester
2nd – Maddox Williams of Jerseyville (Jersey)
3rd – Cooper Clarke of Chatham (Glenwood)
113
1st – Conner Carroll of Rochester
2nd – Colin Crouch of Troy (Triad)
3rd – Jaxon Ferguson of Chatham (Glenwood)
120
1st – Tyler Clarke of Chatham (Glenwood)
2nd – Will Kelly of Troy (Triad)
3rd – Miles Carroll of Rochester
126
1st – AVERY JAIME of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)
2nd – Dashawn Armstrong of Jacksonville (H.S.)
3rd – Aj Williams of Chatham (Glenwood)
132
1st – BRADLEY RUCKMAN of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)
2nd – Jordan Kholian of Jacksonville (H.S.)
3rd – Drew Moffit of Chatham (Glenwood)
138
1st – Braden Rowe of Troy (Triad)
2nd – John Vallar of Chatham (Glenwood)
3rd – Nic Mrozowski of Rochester
144
1st – Brody Smith of Troy (Triad)
2nd – NATHEN HERRIN of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)
3rd – Braden Monahan of Chatham (Glenwood)
150
1st – KNOX VERBAIS of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)
2nd – Drake Pfeiffer of Rochester
3rd – Jacob Perez of Troy (Triad)
157
1st – Joe Reif of Jacksonville (H.S.)
2nd – Tyson Rakers of Highland
3rd – Nicholas Hartley of Jerseyville (Jersey)
165
1st – Maizon Milestone of Chatham (Glenwood)
2nd – JAMES WOJCIKIEWICZ of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)
3rd – Liam Kobbeman of Highland
175
1st – Elijah Smith of Chatham (Glenwood)
2nd – KEVAHN FLANAGAN of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)
3rd – Timothy Shea Herrera of Jerseyville (Jersey)
190
1st – Ashton Zobrist of Highland
2nd – LUKE McCOY of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)
3rd – Nicholas Woelfel of Jerseyville (Jersey)
215
1st – TRISTIAN WARD of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)
2nd – Mason Streb of Chatham (Glenwood)
3rd – Connor Broughton of Rochester
285
1st – Cody Moss of Chatham (Glenwood)
2nd – Aiden Surratt of Jacksonville (H.S.)
3rd – Landon Busch of Troy (Triad)

BLOOMINGTON REGIONAL
Lincoln coach Justin Dietrich saw seven of his wrestlers reach the regional title mat and four Railsplitters came away with individual championships in Cort Pentecost (32-15 at 126), Karter Hild (31-14 at 132), Aiden Frye (35-12 at 165) and Dawson McConnell (37-4 at 175).
Lincoln advanced 11 to Friday’s Lincoln Individual Sectional, getting second-place finishes from Ayden Shaw (120), Ryne Metelko (157) and Caleb Zirklebach (215) and thirds from Owen Thomas (113), Cam Bell (150), Soren Aukamp (190) and Logan Wachendorf (285).
“It was our first-ever back-to-back regional championship and our third in six years,” Dietrich said. “They’ve wrestled well at the end of the season and have big goals still to achieve.”
Lincoln scored 193 points to second-place Bloomington’s 150; Normal Community West finished third with 121.5 points.
Individual regional champions:
Other regional champs in Bloomington were Normal West’s Donovan Lowery (24-19 at 106), Dylan McGrew (32-7 at 113) and Jaxxon Long (17-6 at 144), Eisenhower’s Kayson Duffney (28-3 at 120), Bloomington’s Tyler Barlow (22-14 at 138), Chris Rose (17-12 at 150), Kenner Bye (27-5 at 215) and David Williams (6-3 at 285), Springfield’s Cody L. Stevens (28-15 at 157), and Springfield Southeast’s Chris Hull (27-8 at 190).
SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS FROM THE BLOOMINGTON REGIONAL
106
1st – Donovan Lowery of Normal (Community West)
2nd – Jamarius Meyrick of Decatur (MacArthur)
3rd – Angel Lopez of Bloomington (H.S.)
113
1st – Dylan McGrew of Normal (Community West)
2nd – Caidge Smith of Springfield (Lanphier)
3rd – Owen Thomas of Lincoln
120
1st – Kayson Duffney of Decatur (Eisenhower)
2nd – Ayden Shaw of Lincoln
3rd – Tristan Green of Decatur (MacArthur)
126
1st – Cort Pentecost of Lincoln
2nd – Jack Schweitzer of Bloomington (H.S.)
3rd – Griffin McGrew of Normal (Community West)
132
1st – Karter Hild of Lincoln
2nd – Martavious Johnson of Decatur (Eisenhower)
3rd – Abram Rader of Normal (Community West)
138
1st – Tyler Barlow of Bloomington (H.S.)
2nd – Mason Wood of Normal (Community West)
3rd – Brenden Turnbo of Decatur (MacArthur)
144
1st – Jaxxon Long of Normal (Community West)
2nd – Frank Kittrell of Springfield (Southeast)
3rd – Kyndell Johnson of Springfield (Lanphier)
150
1st – Chris Rose of Bloomington (H.S.)
2nd – Bryce Bryant of Springfield (H.S.)
3rd – Cam Bell of Lincoln
157
1st – Cody L Stevens of Springfield (H.S.)
2nd – Ryne Metelko of Lincoln
3rd – Brody Cabrera of Bloomington (H.S.)
165
1st – Aiden Frye of Lincoln
2nd – Tyler Gardner of Bloomington (H.S.)
3rd – Cayden Smith of Springfield (Lanphier)
175
1st – Dawson McConnell of Lincoln
2nd – Shamar Brownlee of Springfield (H.S.)
3rd – Daniel Aguas of Bloomington (H.S.)
190
1st – Chris Hull of Springfield (Southeast)
2nd – Oliver Record-Frank of Springfield (H.S.)
3rd – Soren Aukamp of Lincoln
215
1st – Kenner Bye of Bloomington (H.S.)
2nd – Caleb Zirklebach of Lincoln
3rd – Lamarian Rainey of Springfield (Lanphier)
285
1st – David Williams of Bloomington (H.S.)
2nd – Derek Lawson of Springfield (Lanphier)
3rd – Logan Wachendorf of Lincoln

MAHOMET SEYMOUR REGIONAL
Host Mahomet-Seymour advanced 12 wrestlers to next week’s Lincoln Individual Sectional, posting 223 team points to also win the team regional title. Winning individual regional titles for coach Rob Ledin were Gideon Hayter (32-14 at 113), Talon Decker (35-12 at 150), AJ Demos (35-10 at 165), Marco Casillas (44-3 at 175), Brock VanDeveer (33-7 at 190) and Phil Daniels (28-13 at 285). Placing second for the Bulldogs were Justus Vrona (138), Colton McClure (144) and Noah Daniels (215), and Liam Noonan (126), Niko Truax (132) and Nino Caballero (157) placed third.
Saturday’s team title marked the 40th regional championship in Mahomet-Seymour’s program history.
“It was a great team win today,” Mahomet-Seymour coach Rob Ledin said. “We finally put our best lineup on the mat and it showed.”
Champaign Central (147) placed second and had eight sectional qualifiers and Mattoon (145.5) also had eight qualifiers in placing third.
Individual regional champions:
Other regional champions at Mahomet-Seymour were Centennial’s Owen Schoonover (15-12 at 106), Danville’s Juvontae Williams (16-6 at 120) and Josiah Williams (27-2 at 157), Champaign Central’s Talin Baker (29-4 at 126) and Ronald Baker III (36-1 at 138), Urbana’s Emiliano Bedolla (34-5 at 132), and Mattoon’s Ben Capitosti (42-4 at 144) and Mitchell Clapp (34-8 at 215).
SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS FROM THE MAHOMET-SEYMOUR REGIONAL
106
1st – Owen Schoonover of Champaign (Centennial)
2nd – Austin Lechel of Champaign (Central)
3rd – Carlos Juarez of Danville (H.S.)
113
1st – Gideon Hayter of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
2nd – Ayden Chunn of Champaign (Central)
3rd – Emmett Hench of Rantoul
120
1st – Juvontae Williams of Danville (H.S.)
2nd – Trotter Titus of Charleston
3rd – Vincent Gibson of Mattoon
126
1st – Talin Baker of Champaign (Central)
2nd – Tristan Porter of Mattoon
3rd – Liam Noonan of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
132
1st – Emiliano Bedolla of Urbana (H.S.)
2nd – Malachi Hutchison of Champaign (Central)
3rd – Niko Truax of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
138
1st – Ronald Baker III of Champaign (Central)
2nd – Justus Vrona of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
3rd – Brody Goonan of Mattoon
144
1st – Ben Capitosti of Mattoon
2nd – Colton McClure of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
3rd – Dylan Pierson of Champaign (Central)
150
1st – Talon Decker of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
2nd – Wyatt Buck of Rantoul
3rd – Brayden Dailey of Mattoon
157
1st – Josiah Williams of Danville (H.S.)
2nd – Mario Nieto of Champaign (Central)
3rd – Nino Caballero of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
165
1st – AJ Demos of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
2nd – Ean Freeman of Mattoon
3rd – Aidan Walker of Champaign (Central)
175
1st – Marco Casillas of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
2nd – Blaine Howell of Mattoon
3rd – Harley Schultz of Rantoul
190
1st – Brock VanDeveer of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
2nd – Sergio Baity of Champaign (Centennial)
3rd – Tavares Upshaw Jr of Danville (H.S.)
215
1st – Mitchell Clapp of Mattoon
2nd – Noah Daniels of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
3rd – Moses Kim of Champaign (Centennial)
285
1st – Phil Daniels of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)
2nd – Drew Owen of Rantoul
3rd – Remi Bryant of Charleston

WATERLOO REGIONAL
Marion won the team regional title at Waterloo, edging second-place host Waterloo 185.5-173.5 for the team crown. Mascoutah (148) finished third in the team standings.
Marion coach Darren Lindsey’s Wildcats won the second team regional title in program history per the IHSA website, thanks to 10 wrestlers finishing in the top three of their weight classes. Lindsey got an individual regional title from Riddick Cook (32-5 at 113) and seven second-place finishes from Rigdon Meacham (113), Max Wade (126), Nate Page (144), Caden Frey (150), Tate Miller (165), Evan Francis (190) and Bryan Madinger (215). Justin Murphy (157) and Logan Black (285) placed third to advance to this year’s Lincoln Individual Sectional.
“We don’t have any superstars, just a bunch of scrappers,” Lindsey said. “We knew going into the regional that we would need everyone to hold serve and win, with everyone on the team contributing.”
Marion opened an early 50-point lead thanks to bonus points and advancement, but Lindsey knew Waterloo and Mascoutah would close that gap with their championship wins. Both schools had four individual champs to Marion’s one, but Marion’s seven runners-up and two third-place wrestlers earned the Wildcats the team title.
Lindsey applauded the guts shown by flu-ridden freshman Nate Page (144) in placing second, plus the effort put forth by football player-turned-wrestler Logan Black (285) in placing third.
Both Waterloo and Mascoutah each finished with seven sectional qualifiers.
Individual regional champions:
Others winning regional titles at Waterloo were Mascoutah’s Xavier Sonon (38-5 at 106), Macguire Leck (34-14 at 126), Brock Ross (41-3 at 150), and Jordan Sonon-Hale (36-9 at 157), Mt. Vernon’s Jack Clark (31-13 at 113) and Dillon White (37-0 at 144), Waterloo’s Konnor Stephens (35-11 at 132), Ty Kinzinger (23-9 at 138), Jackson Deutch (33-9 at 190) and Jaxson Mathenia (37-2 at 215), East St. Louis’ Pierre Walton (35-4 at 165) and Corey Robinson (35-12 at 175), and Cahokia’s Demarco Clark (28-7 at 285).
SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS FROM THE WATERLOO REGIONAL
106
1st – Xavier Sonon Hale of Mascoutah
2nd – Nathan Fisher of Cahokia (H.S.)
3rd – Matthew Deutch of Waterloo (H.S.)
113
1st – Jack Clark of Mt. Vernon (H.S.)
2nd – Rigdon Meacham of Marion (H.S.)
3rd – Ethan Clark of East St. Louis (Sr.)
120
1st – Riddick Cook of Marion (H.S.)
2nd – Jamarcus Agnew of Cahokia (H.S.)
3rd – Bradley O`Dell of Carbondale (H.S.)
126
1st – Macguire Leck of Mascoutah
2nd – Max Wade of Marion (H.S.)
3rd – Ayden Swan of Carbondale (H.S.)
132
1st – Konnor Stephens of Waterloo (H.S.)
2nd – Cameron Haake of Centralia (H.S.)
3rd – Jon Oliver of Carbondale (H.S.)
138
1st – Ty Kinzinger of Waterloo (H.S.)
2nd – Desi Wade of Mascoutah
3rd – Xavier Toliver-Cook of Carbondale (H.S.)
144
1st – Dillon White of Mt. Vernon (H.S.)
2nd – Nate Page of Marion (H.S.)
3rd – Joe Prideaux of Carbondale (H.S.)
150
1st – Brock Ross of Mascoutah
2nd – Caden Frey of Marion (H.S.)
3rd – Jon Martin of Carbondale (H.S.)
157
1st – Jordan Sonon-Hale of Mascoutah
2nd – Bladen Sease of Waterloo (H.S.)
3rd – Justin Murphy of Marion (H.S.)
165
1st – Pierre Walton of East St. Louis (Sr.)
2nd – Tate Miller of Marion (H.S.)
3rd – Sean Murphy of Mascoutah
175
1st – Corey Robinson of East St. Louis (Sr.)
2nd – Thomas Imboden of Carbondale (H.S.)
3rd – Truett Blount of Mascoutah
190
1st – Jackson Deutch of Waterloo (H.S.)
2nd – Evan Francis of Marion (H.S.)
3rd – Martez Williams of Cahokia (H.S.)
215
1st – Jaxson Mathenia of Waterloo (H.S.)
2nd – Bryan Madinger of Marion (H.S.)
3rd – Connor Daly of Carbondale (H.S.)
285
1st – Demarco Clark of Cahokia (H.S.)
2nd – Drew Glowacki of Waterloo (H.S.)
3rd – Logan Black of Marion (H.S.)
Boys roundup for Quincy Notre Dame, Litchfield, Heart of Illinois and Eastern Illinois tournaments

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA
Glenwood captures title at Quincy Notre Dame Invitational
Glenwood closed out its regular season on a high note as it held off a good challenge by Jacksonville to claim top honors at the Quincy Notre Dame Invitational by a 191-182.5 margin while Palmyra, Missouri took third with 145 points. Pittsfield (138), Quincy Senior (111), Quincy Notre Dame (95.5), Camp Point Central (90) and Illini Bluffs (65) rounded out the top half of the field in the 16-team competition.
Glenwood, which is ranked 13th in Class 2A, also won titles at its invitational and at Springfield’s Joe Bee, competes in the Civic Memorial Regional, as will the runner-up Crimsons. The Titans also hope to make another trip to the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals, where they took third place in 2024.
1 – Glenwood
Winning titles for coach Jerod Bruner’s first-place Titans were Jaxon Ferguson (19-4 at 113) and Elijah Smith (33-8 at 175) while Issac Rabin (106), Drew Moffit (132), Maizon Milestone (165) and Mason Streb (215) took second place and Kamden Hawkins (106), Braydyn Worley (165), Joseph Spohrer (285) claimed third.
Taking fourth was Finnley Try (132), finishing fifth were Jullian Rammelkamp (157), Hayden Stephens (165) and Brody Commean (175) while Zaire Lee (138), Braden Monahan (144) and Oliver Hirstein (150) were sixth and Jake Tuxhorn (120) and Oluwafemi Balogun (215) placed seventh. Also contributing to the cause was Felipe Oliveria (157).
“We were led by our two champs, junior Jaxon Ferguson at 113 and sophomore Eli Smith at 175,” Bruner said. “They are both guys I expect to be at the state tournament and to be competitive there this year. Several other Titans placed second, including senior Maizon Milestone at 165, junior Mason Streb at 215, freshman Issac Rabin at 106 and junior Drew Moffit at 132. Our third-place finishers were sophomore Kamden Hawkins 106, junior Joe Sphorer at 285 and junior Bradyn Worley at 165 and we got a fourth place finish from freshman Finn Try at 132 and several other Titans had top-eight finishes.
“On the day we had 24 pins, four tech falls and overcame the largest seed-place differential in the tournament. We might have lost this tournament but freshman Issac Rabin noticed our heavyweight Joe Sphorer was not scoring team points on Track. Once that was fixed, it was the difference that put us ahead.”
2 – Jacksonville
Champions for coach Zach Stout’s second place Crimsons were Deshawn Armstrong (15-0 at 126), Jordan Kholian (16-5 at 132), Jacksonville’s Joe Reif (33-5 at 157) and Aiden Surratt (35-7 at 285) and taking third were Jayce Evans (138) and Brock Meyer (175). Finishing fourth were Robert White (113) and Hunter Hayes (120) while Kaiden McGee (106) and Wesley Ortiz (144) placed fifth, Kenyon Matthews (138) was seventh and John Harper (150) took eighth.
3 – Palmyra, Missouri
The lone title winner for coach Dalton Huffman’s third-place Panthers was Tyler Spicknall (31-8 at 144) while Blake Rife (113) and Brayden Pillars (157) took second place and Emmett Lorenson (120) and Henley Snow (190) took third for one of two Missouri teams in the field.
Other champions were Illini Bluffs’ Barret Speck (38-5 at 120) and Jackson Carroll (43-0 at 150), Pittsfield’s Waylon White (30-7 at 165) and Tucker Cook (33-7 at 190), Camp Point Central’s Paxton Buehler (29-13 at 106), Quincy Senior’s Austin Ragar (11-12 at 138) and Quincy Notre Dame’s Ryan Darnell (37-6 at 215). Carroll won the IHSA Class 1A title at 144 last season.
Additional second-place finishers were Quincy Notre Dame’s Cale Hilbing (144) and Bradi Lahr (150), Illini Bluffs’ Nathan Owens (120), Riverton’s Harrison Lott (126), Warsaw/ Hamilton ‘s Kai Humphry (138), Illini West’s Shawn Watkins (175), Pittsfield’s Jesse Davidsmeyer (190) and Quincy Senior’s Eli Zanger (285).
The closest title match was at 126 where Armstrong claimed a 6-3 decision over Lott.
Also taking third were Pittsfield’s Joel Noble (132) and Jake Oitker (157), Camp Point Central’s Jackson Buehler (113), Quincy Senior’s Charles Ray (126), Payson Seymour’s Charlie Scarber (144), Williamsville’s Matthew Miller (150) and Warsaw/ Hamilton’s Malachi McKune (215).
Four champions led the way with 30 team points, Cook, Darnell, Reif and Surratt while Smith was right behind with 29.5 points, Speck had 29, Ragar 28.5 points and Armstrong, Carroll and White all collected 28 team points. Carroll also had the most total match points with 50.
Pittsfield’s Austin Brown, Camp Point Central’s Paxton Buehler and Glenwood’s Hayden Stephens all recorded four falls. And Glenwood’s Braydyn Worley easily had the largest seed to place difference with nine spots, finishing in third place at 165 after being seeded 12th.
Quincy Notre Dame Invitational
Team scores
1. Glenwood 191, 2. Jacksonville 182.5, 3. Palmyra, MO 145, 4. Pittsfield 138, 5. Quincy Senior 111, 6. Quincy Notre Dame 95.5, 7. Camp Point Central 90, 8. Illini Bluffs 65, 9. Warsaw/ Hamilton co-op 57, 10. Williamsville 51.5, 11. Illinois School for the Visually Impaired/ Illinois School for the Deaf co-op 36, 12. Illini West 29, 13. Payson Seymour/ Mendon Unity co-op 23, 13. Riverton 23, 15. Monmouth United 18.5.
Place matches
106
1st Place Match – round robin
Paxton Buehler (Camp Point Central) 29-13, Fr. over Issac . (Glenwood) 14-7, Fr. (Fall 1:24)
3rd Place Match – round robin
Kamden Hawkins (Glenwood) 6-3, So. over Hunter Harley (Riverton) 24-18, Fr. (Dec 10-4)
5th Place
Kaiden McGee (Jacksonville) 13-26, Fr.
113
1st Place Match – round robin
Jaxon Ferguson (Glenwood) 19-4, Jr. over Blake Rife (Palmyra, MO) 26-12, Fr. (Fall 2:46)
3rd Place Match – round robin
Jackson Buehler (Camp Point Central) 22-21, So. over Robert White (Jacksonville) 9-18, Fr. (Fall 0:40)
120
1st Place Match
Barret Speck (Illini Bluffs) 38-5, Fr. over Nathan Owens (Illini Bluffs) 30-13, Jr. (TF-1.5 6:00 (19-1))
3rd Place Match
Emmett Lorenson (Palmyra, MO) 28-9, Fr. over Hunter Hayes (Jacksonville) 24-14, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:00 (17-1))
5th Place Match
Charlie Welch (Camp Point Central) 27-15, So. over Eli Carel (Warsaw/Hamilton) 19-11, So. (Fall 3:37)
7th Place Match
Jake Tuxhorn (Glenwood) 12-19, Fr. over Jimmy Derian (Quincy Senior) 5-6, So. (M. For.)
126
1st Place Match
Deshawn Armstrong (Jacksonville) 15-0, Jr. over Harrison Lott (Riverton) 19-6, So. (Dec 6-3)
3rd Place Match
Charles Ray (Quincy Senior) 8-5, Fr. over Luke Lawson (Palmyra, MO) 21-19, Sr. (Dec 7-6)
5th Place Match
Ogdan Parker (Illini Bluffs) 26-17, Fr. over Case Hughes (Camp Point Central) 24-18, So. (MD 13-2)
7th Place Match
Samuel Moore (Quincy Notre Dame) 20-23, Fr. over Logan Borrowman (Pittsfield) 3-8, Fr. (MD 12-0)
132
1st Place Match
Jordan Kholian (Jacksonville) 16-5, So. over Drew Moffit (Glenwood) 18-13, Jr. (Dec 6-1)
3rd Place Match
Joel Noble (Pittsfield) 26-17, Jr. over Finnley Try (Glenwood) 5-8, Fr. (Dec 5-4)
5th Place Match
Oliver Moore (Quincy Notre Dame) 28-6, Sr. over Evan Smith (Warsaw) 17-19, Jr. (MD 12-0)
7th Place Match
Austin Olps (Camp Point Central) 18-19, Fr. over Michael Hines (Palmyra, MO) 19-15, Fr. (M. For.)
138
1st Place Match
Austin Ragar (Quincy Senior) 11-12, Jr. over Kai Humphry (Warsaw/Hamilton) 25-7, Sr. (MD 16-8)
3rd Place Match
Jayce Evans (Jacksonville) 15-12, So. over Tucker Pines (Pittsfield) 17-16, Fr. (Fall 4:40)
5th Place Match
Ethan Paul (Quincy Senior) 4-5, Fr. over Zaire Lee (Glenwood) 5-7, Jr. (Fall 3:18)
7th Place Match
Kenyon Matthews (Jacksonville) 20-20, Fr. over Wyatt Dolbeare (Payson Seymour/Mendon Unity) 6-6, So. (TF-1.5 2:00 (21-6))
144
1st Place Match
Tyler Spicknall (Palmyra, MO) 31-8, Jr. over Cale Hilbing (Quincy Notre Dame) 32-11, So. (Dec 8-3)
3rd Place Match
Charlie Scarber (Payson Seymour) 9-5, So. over Roman Lilo (Quincy Senior) 10-10, Fr. (Dec 4-1)
5th Place Match
Wesley Ortiz (Jacksonville) 27-13, Fr. over Braden Monahan (Glenwood) 9-18, So. (Dec 17-11)
7th Place Match
Damian Mulvaney (Williamsville) 13-25, Jr. over Ryan Turnbaugh (Quincy Notre Dame) 11-13, So. (Fall 1:26)
150
1st Place Match
Jackson Carroll (Illini Bluffs) 43-0, Sr. over Bradi Lahr (Quincy Notre Dame) 37-5, Jr. (MD 12-4)
3rd Place Match
Matthew Miller (Williamsville) 26-8, Jr. over Paul Schenk (Camp Point Central) 27-17, Sr. (MD 12-3)
5th Place Match
Cale Mixer (Quincy Senior) 24-15, Jr. over Oliver Hirstein (Glenwood) 6-12, So. (Fall 2:40)
7th Place Match
Ryker Trego (Monmouth United) 22-22, So. over John Harper (Jacksonville) 19-21, So. (Fall 2:32)
157
1st Place Match
Joe Reif (Jacksonville) 33-5, Jr. over Brayden Pillars (Palmyra, MO) 38-3, Sr. (Fall 5:26)
3rd Place Match
Jake Oitker (Pittsfield) 29-13, Jr. over Kavutae Lewiel (ISVI co-op) 11-6, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:20 (20-3))
5th Place Match
Jullian Rammelkamp (Glenwood) 28-13, So. over Keaton Jones (Camp Point Central) 18-23, So. (Fall 1:33)
7th Place Match
Abram Zanger (Quincy Notre Dame) 15-8, So. over Ethan Prim (Warsaw) 17-20, Jr. (Fall 5:27)
165
1st Place Match
Waylon White (Pittsfield) 30-7, Sr. over Maizon Milestone (Glenwood) 24-15, Sr. (Fall 2:37)
3rd Place Match
Braydyn Worley (Glenwood) 6-5, Jr. over Mason Collins (Camp Point Central) 2-2, Sr. (Fall 1:11)
5th Place Match
Hayden Stephens (Glenwood) 6-3, Jr. over Millie Bassett (Quincy Senior) 6-7, Fr. (Fall 3:23)
7th Place Match
Jake Ator (Pittsfield) 11-4, Fr. over Kale Weiman (Palmyra, MO) 12-14, Fr. (Dec 12-6)
175
1st Place Match
Elijah Smith (Glenwood) 33-8, So. over Shawn Watkins (Illini West) 30-4, Sr. (TF-1.5 6:00 (16-0))
3rd Place Match
Brock Meyer (Jacksonville) 26-15, Fr. over Fisher McEuen (Pittsfield) 16-13, So. (TF-1.5 0:00 (17-2))
5th Place Match
Brody Commean (Glenwood) 7-9, So. over Troy Miller (Payson Seymour) 1-2, So. (Fall 0:14)
7th Place
Evan Jenks (Monmouth United) 3-12, So.
190
1st Place Match
Tucker Cook (Pittsfield) 33-7, Sr. over Jesse Davidsmeyer (Pittsfield) 8-5, Sr. (Fall 1:28)
3rd Place Match
Henley Snow (Palmyra, MO) 12-12, So. over Cannon Creviston (ISVI co-op) 17-5, Jr. (Fall 2:31)
5th Place Match
Matayo Renteria (Illini West) 9-10, So. over Connor Homan (Camp Point Central) 1-2, Fr. (Fall 0:26)
7th Place Match
Elvis Garcia (ISVI co-op) 3-12, Jr. over Sam Shaw (Williamsville) 22-15, Jr. (M. For.)
215
1st Place Match
Ryan Darnell (Quincy Notre Dame) 37-6, Sr. over Mason Streb (Glenwood) 24-13, Jr. (Fall 1:37)
3rd Place Match
Malachi McKune (Warsaw) 21-10, Sr. over Colby Jones (Palmyra, MO) 15-21, Jr. (Fall 3:24)
5th Place Match
Anthony Beckman (Williamsville) 24-15, Jr. over Jackson Place (ISVI co-op) 16-7, Fr. (TF-1.5 2:53 (15-0))
7th Place Match
Oluwafemi Balogun (Glenwood) 9-7, So. over Vann Olcott (Monmouth United) 17-28, Fr. (Fall 1:07)
285
1st Place Match
Aiden Surratt (Jacksonville) 35-7, Sr. over Eli Zanger (Quincy Senior) 10-5, Fr. (Fall 1:14)
3rd Place Match
Joseph Spohrer (Glenwood) 6-3, Jr. over ace harper (Palmyra, MO) 27-13, So. (Fall 1:11)
5th Place Match
Austin Brown (Pittsfield) 8-5, Fr. over Elijah Terpstra (Pittsfield) 9-13, Fr. (Fall 1:52)
7th Place Match
Liam Dodsworth (Williamsville) 23-18, So. over Cooper Hildebrand (Quincy Senior) 3-8, So. (Dec 12-8)

Vandalia takes first at Litchfield Rich Lovellette Invitational
Vandalia had five champions, three runners-up and five third-place finishers to help it easily claim top honors at Litchfield’s Rich Lovellette Invitational with 291 points while Lena-Winslow/ Stockton took second place with 212.5 points and Murphysboro was third with 158 points.
Roxana (152.5), Oakwood/ Salt Fork (120), Cumberland (104), Peoria Notre Dame (94), Litchfield (90), Harrisburg (83) and Auburn/ Franklin/ New Berlin (76) rounded out the top half of the 20-team field.
1 – Vandalia
Winning championships for coach Jason Clay’s first-place Vandals were Max Philpot (39-0 at 113), Preston Waughtel (42-1 at 120), Tyson Waughtel (43-0 at 126), Dillon Hinton (41-2 at 150) and Kaden Tidwell (40-3 at 215) while second-place finishers were Brody Matthews (132), Keagan Turner (144) and Ross Miller (175). Taking third place were Aiden Evans (106), Cole Yarbrough (138), Parker Ray (157), Artan Mustafa (165) and Dominic Swyers (285) and finishing eighth was Noah Langston (190).
This was the fourth title of the season for Vandalia, which is top-ranked in Class 1A. Its other first-place finishes came at Civic Memorial, ABE’s Rumble and Princeton’s Lyle King PIT. The Vandals are hoping to make a return trip to the IHSA Class 1A Dual Team Finals, where they finished in fourth place last season.
2 – Lena-Winslow/Stockton
Title winners for coach Kevin Milder’s runner-up PantherHawks were Arrison Bauer (36-4 at 144) and Eli Larson (37-2 at 175) while Mauricio Glass (138), John Mensendike (165), Oliver McPeek (190) and Jeremiah Luke (215) all claimed second place. Reece Demeter (150) finished fourth, Carson Hill (106) and Mark Detwiler (157) were fifth, David Prater (120) placed sixth and Anthony Laino (113), Huntlee Burris (126) and Sam Sikora (132) finished in eighth.
3 – Murphysboro
The lone champion for coach Shea Baker’s third-place Red Devils was Julien Tanner (19-3 at 285) while Paxton Pyatt (113) took second and Sergio Garcia (126) placed third. Kaiden Richards (120) and Aiston Holt (132) finished fourth, Lemar Treshansky (138), Maxon Stearns (165) and Caybren Hubbard (215) were fifth, Jerry Moreno (106) placed sixth and Rylan Robinson (175) claimed eighth place.
Also winning championships were Oakwood/ Salt Fork’s Steven Uden (32-4 at 106) and Pedro Rangel (32-7 at 138), Roxana’s Brandon Green Jr. (29-0 at 132) and Lyndon Thies (33-2 at 165), Cumberland’s Owen McGinnis (32-3 at 157) and Richards’ Mike Taheny (32-1 at 190).
Teammates Green, Jr. and Thies tied for the most team points with 28 while Tyson Waughtel and Taheny were right behind them with 27.5 points. Preston Waughtel, Hinton and McGinnis were next-best with 27 points and Larson scored 26.5 points while Bauer, Philpot, Rangel, Tanner and Uden all collected 26 team points.
Additional second-place finishers were Hillsboro’s Kohl Fuller (106), Oakwood/ Salt Fork’s Mason Swartz (120), Peoria Notre Dame’s Ian Akers (126), Westville/ Georgetown-Ridge Farm’s Gabriel Kiddoo (150), Litchfield’s Braxton Kieffer (157) and Auburn/ Franklin/ New Berlin’s Ayden Williams (285)
There were only two decisions on the title mat with Tanner edging Williams 7-5 at 285 and Tidwell beating Luke 7-2 at 215.
Others who took third place were Rochester’s Conner Carroll (113), Miles Carroll (120) and Drake Pfeiffer (150), Roxana’s Logan Riggs (144) and Robert Watt (190), Oakwood/ Salt Fork’s Tyler Huchel (132), Harrisburg’s Caleb Williford (175) and Litchfield’s Tristan Staggs (215).
Sparta’s Gavin Watson led all competitors with 69 match points and also was the only one in the tournament who got four wins by technical fall. There was a four-way tie for most falls with four between Roxana’s Lleyton Cobine, Litchfield’s Jayden Ellinger, Peoria Notre Dame’s Brady Mullens and Murphysboro’s Lemar Treshansky. Murphysboro’s Maxon Stearns and Mullens had the largest seed to place difference with eight as both were seeded 13th and took fifth place..
Litchfield Rich Lovellette Invitational
Team scores
1. Vandalia 291, 2. Lena-Winslow/ Stockton co-op 212.5, 3. Murphysboro 158, 4. Roxana 152.5, 5. Oakwood/ Salt Fork co-op 120, 6. Cumberland 104, 7. Peoria Notre Dame 94, 8. Litchfield 90, 9. Harrisburg 83, Auburn/ Franklin/ New Berlin co-op 76, 11. Rochester 64, 12. Westville/ Georgetown-Ridge Farm co-op 62.5, 13. Richards 57.5, 14. Hillsboro 47, 15. Sacred Heart-Griffin 34.5, 16. Sparta/ Steeleville co-op 27, 17. Carlinville 17.5, 18. Prairie Central 16, 18. Litchfield/ Mt. Olive 8, 20. North Mac 3.
Place matches
106
1st Place Match
Steven Uden (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 32-4, So. over Kohl Fuller (Hillsboro) 30-11, Fr. (Fall 1:00)
3rd Place Match
Aiden Evans (Vandalia) 33-9, Fr. over Pierce Bultmann (Rochester) 35-2, So. (M. For.)
5th Place Match
Carson Hill (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 15-26, Fr. over Jerry Moreno (Murphysboro) 13-16, Jr. (Dec 10-9)
7th Place Match
Andrew Patino (Prairie Central) 20-19, Fr. over Conner Crowder (Harrisburg) 20-21, Fr. (Fall 2:00)
113
1st Place Match
Max Philpot (Vandalia) 39-0, So. over Paxton Pyatt (Murphysboro) 36-2, So. (Fall 2:55)
3rd Place Match
Conner Carroll (Rochester) 19-2, Sr. over Pedro Alberto Rangel (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 21-10, Fr. (For.)
5th Place Match
Josh Stedwill (Peoria Notre Dame) 31-12 over Peyton Groves (Cumberland) 25-11, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:14 (16-1))
7th Place Match
Ibrahim Mahmadov (Richards) 6-10 over Anthony Laino (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 14-21, Fr. (TF-1.5 3:48 (20-3))
120
1st Place Match
Preston Waughtel (Vandalia) 42-1, So. over Mason Swartz (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 34-4, Fr. (TF-1.5 3:28 (19-4))
3rd Place Match
Miles Carroll (Rochester) 33-5, So. over Kaiden Richards (Murphysboro) 28-7, Sr. (Dec 8-4)
5th Place Match
Vincent Moore (Litchfield) 37-6, Jr. over David Prater (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 20-12, Jr. (Dec 7-0)
7th Place Match
Savion Hall (Roxana) 15-18, So. over Thayden Bailey (Litchfield-Mt. Olive) 11-15, Fr. (Fall 0:23)
126
1st Place Match
Tyson Waughtel (Vandalia) 43-0, Sr. over Ian Akers (Peoria Notre Dame) 41-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:20 (19-1))
3rd Place Match
Sergio Garcia (Murphysboro) 26-12, Jr. over Sawyer Welbaum (Cumberland) 27-8, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:02 (17-0))
5th Place Match
Lleyton Cobine (Roxana) 17-9, Sr. over Amir Akilani (Richards) 18-12, So. (Fall 1:12)
7th Place Match
Elijah Scott (Auburn) 22-19, Jr. over Huntlee Burris (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 17-16, So. (Fall 1:43)
132
1st Place Match
Brandon Green Jr. (Roxana) 29-0, Jr. over Brody Matthews (Vandalia) 34-8, So. (Fall 1:14)
3rd Place Match
Tyler Huchel (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 31-7, Jr. over Aiston Holt (Murphysboro) 20-13, Sr. (Fall 3:49)
5th Place Match
Logan Aaron (Cumberland) 25-13, So. over Drayven Hamm (Auburn) 29-16, Jr. (M. For.)
7th Place Match
Remington Joesting (Peoria Notre Dame) 33-11, Jr. over Sam Sikora (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 19-21, Fr. (TF-1.5 3:41 (18-0))
138
1st Place Match
Pedro Rangel (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 32-7, Sr. over Mauricio Glass (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 33-8, Jr. (Fall 4:27)
3rd Place Match
Cole Yarbrough (Vandalia) 32-9, So. over Trey Boston (Auburn) 26-13, Fr. (TF-1.5 3:02 (15-0))
5th Place Match
Lemar Treshansky (Murphysboro) 24-14, Fr. over Kaden Carilsle (Roxana) 21-12, Sr. (Fall 2:42)
7th Place Match
Harley Pierce (Cumberland) 22-14, So. over Jack Bartoletta (Peoria Notre Dame) 18-26, Jr. (MD 15-4)
144
1st Place Match
Arrison Bauer (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 36-4, Jr. over Keagan Turner (Vandalia) 31-7, So. (MD 13-1)
3rd Place Match
Logan Riggs (Roxana) 30-12, Jr. over Carter Chambliss (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 20-17, Sr. (Dec 7-5)
5th Place Match
Gaven Vollintine (Hillsboro) 26-18, Sr. over Ronald Laplante (Carlinville) 15-8, Sr. (Dec 8-5)
7th Place Match
Clayton Hauter (Litchfield) 32-11, Sr. over Jaxson Dukeman (Cumberland) 22-15, Jr. (Dec 4-0)
150
1st Place Match
Dillon Hinton (Vandalia) 41-2, Jr. over Gabriel Kiddoo (Westville) 24-6, Sr. (MD 12-3)
3rd Place Match
Drake Pfeiffer (Rochester) 29-5, Sr. over Reece Demeter (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 27-13, Jr. (MD 8-0)
5th Place Match
Gavin Watson (Sparta/Steeleville) 4-1, So. over Brock Felty (Harrisburg) 25-18, Sr. (TF-1.5 5:25 (17-2))
7th Place Match
Leo Flores (Richards) 21-16 over Nicholas Adam (Litchfield) 16-15, So. (Dec 7-0)
157
1st Place Match
Owen McGinnis (Cumberland) 32-3, Jr. over Braxton Kieffer (Litchfield) 29-10, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:49 (16-1))
3rd Place Match
Parker Ray (Vandalia) 33-7, Sr. over Trevor Gihring (Roxana) 31-11, Sr. (MD 10-0)
5th Place Match
Mark Detwiler (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 24-16, Jr. over Ty McMasters (Westville) 14-11, Jr. (Dec 7-0)
7th Place Match
Jovonis Lundford (Sacred Heart-Griffin) 3-2, Fr. over Ethan Ziller (Prairie Central) 24-15, Sr. (Dec 4-1)
165
1st Place Match
Lyndon Thies (Roxana) 33-2, Jr. over John Mensendike (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 30-8, Jr. (Fall 1:10)
3rd Place Match
Artan Mustafa (Vandalia) 31-10, Sr. over Briar Butler (Harrisburg) 29-10, Sr. (MD 14-2)
5th Place Match
Maxon Stearns (Murphysboro) 32-9, So. over Huthaiffa Issa (Richards) 14-14 (Fall 1:01)
7th Place Match
Blake Trimmel (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 13-23, So. over Sie Couri (Peoria Notre Dame) 27-18, Sr. (M. For.)
175
1st Place Match
Eli Larson (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 37-2, Jr. over Ross Miller (Vandalia) 33-10, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:01 (15-0))
3rd Place Match
Caleb Williford (Harrisburg) 20-14, Sr. over Max Strader (Cumberland) 11-7, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:14 (16-1))
5th Place Match
Jayden Ellinger (Litchfield) 32-10, Jr. over Owen Evans (Auburn) 20-12, Jr. (Fall 3:15)
7th Place Match
Rylee McClellan (Roxana) 6-6, Fr. over Rylan Robinson (Murphysboro) 10-10, . (Fall 3:45)
190
1st Place Match
Mike Taheny (Richards) 32-1, Sr. over Oliver McPeek (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 35-4, Jr. (Fall 3:29)
3rd Place Match
Robert Watt (Roxana) 33-5, Sr. over Ethan Miller (Westville) 28-5, Jr. (Fall 4:29)
5th Place Match
Brendan Hicks (Harrisburg) 26-9, Sr. over Casen Lyons (Sacred Heart-Griffin) 32-10, So. (MD 15-7)
7th Place Match
Bobby Stickelmaier (Peoria Notre Dame) 13-14, Sr. over Noah Langston (Vandalia) 18-6, So. (Fall 1:43)
215
1st Place Match
Kaden Tidwell (Vandalia) 40-3, Sr. over Jeremiah Luke (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) 34-5, Jr. (Dec 7-2)
3rd Place Match
Tristan Staggs (Litchfield) 33-8, Jr. over Joe Culp (Peoria Notre Dame) 35-9, Sr. (Fall 5:32)
5th Place Match
Caybren Hubbard (Murphysboro) 28-12, So. over Braxton Welge (Harrisburg) 29-10, Jr. (Dec 8-6)
7th Place Match
Ethan Ledbetter (Sparta/Steeleville) 2-2, Jr. over Kyle Fay (Auburn) 17-24, So. (Fall 0:09)
285
1st Place Match
Julien Tanner (Murphysboro) 19-3, Jr. over Ayden Williams (Auburn) 28-11, Fr. (Dec 7-5)
3rd Place Match
Dominic Swyers (Vandalia) 28-15, So. over Matt Brown (Harrisburg) 30-10, Jr. (Fall 0:41)
5th Place Match
Brady Mullens (Peoria Notre Dame) 27-14, Jr. over Josiah Sedlacek (Westville) 26-11, Sr. (Fall 0:32)
7th Place Match
Cy Courtney (Roxana) 13-17, Fr. over Josh Eyer (Sacred Heart-Griffin) 1-3, So. (Fall 3:45)

LeRoy/ Tri-Valley wins Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament
LeRoy/ Tri-Valley captured first place at the Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament in Mackinaw with 193.5 points while El Paso-Gridley took second place with 171 points, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher finished third with 162 points and Heyworth rounded out the top half of the eight-team competition with 93.5 points.
Ranked ninth in Class 1A, the Panthers hope to advance to the IHSA Class 1A Dual Team Finals for the third year in a row. They will compete in the Monticello Regional on Saturday along with the third-place Falcons, who are ranked 16th, and another team that advanced to dual team state last season, Unity, which is ranked fourth.
1 – LeRoy/ Tri-Valley
Leading the way for coach Brady Sant Amour’s first place Panthers were their five title winners,
Brady Mouser (32-3 at 120), Matt Helfrich (27-16 at 132), Kobe Brent (36-6 at 150), Bo Zeleznik (30-7 at 175) and Tate Sigler (36-5 at 285) while Logan Thompson (126) and Brock Owens (157) claimed second place.
Austin Pacha (106), Jake Baughman (113) and Ash Osborn (215) took third place while Jim Chaon (138) and Connor McLaughlin (144) finished fourth. Brett Helfrich (165) and Gannon Pinkerton (190) both contributed to the cause for the HOIC champions.
2 – El Paso-Gridley
Top performers for coach Caden Tjarks’ runner-up Titans were champions Kole Petta (32-11 at 106), Tom Erwin (38-4 at 113), Dominic Ricconi (30-11 at 190) and Ryden Barker (39-3 at 215).
Taking second place were Braden Gibson (165) and Christopher Blackmore (285), third-place finishers were Ben Graham (126), Nolan Whitman (138) and Parker Key (144) while Colin Martinez (132) and Ryan Kerr (175) finished in fourth place.
3 – Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher
Capturing championships for coach Josh Carter’s third-place Falcons were Landen Lage (32-3 at 126), Hunter Brandon (8-3 at 138) and Corbin Ragle (25-10 at 157) while Gage Martin (120),
Ethan Lowe (144), Hudson Babb (150), Jaxon Wright (190) and Cohen Kean (215) all placed second. Cooper Miller (165) took third place and Carson Sexton (285) finished fourth.
Also winning championships were Heyworth’s Trevor Soice (27-10 at 144) and Tremont’s Bowden Delaney (42-2 at 165). Delaney led all of the champions with 24 team points while Ragle ranked second with 23 points and there was a five-way tie for third place with 22 points between Barker, Brandon, Erwin, Helfrich and Zeleznik. Soice scored 21 points, Ricconi had 20.5 points and Brent, Mouser and Petta all collected 20 team points.
Other second-place finishers were Heyworth’s Emmett Roeder (113) and Brody Simons (175),
Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Evan King (106), Ridgeview/ Lexington’s Landon Christner (132) and Eureka’s Finn Hoffman (138).
Some of the closest title matches featured Brent prevailing over Babb 3-2 on a tiebreaker at 150, Soice edging Lowe 9-7 at 144 and Petta defeating King 14-11 at 106
Additional third-place finishers were Eureka’s Henry Watson (120) and Josiah Rokey (132),
Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Caleb Greer (157) and Joey Humphries (285), Ridgeview/ Lexington’s Judson Stover (150), Tremont’s Gaige Hunt (175) and Heyworth’s Jarrod Fulcher (190).
Tremont’s Bowden Delaney and Ridgeview/ Lexington’s Judson Stover tied for the most match points with 46. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher’s Cooper Miller and El Paso-Gridley’s Nolan Whitman tied Delaney for the most falls with four. LeRoy/ Tri-Valley’s Jake Baughman and Stover both recorded two wins by technical fall. Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Caleb Greer had the largest seed to place difference with three, placing third after being seeded sixth at 157
Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament
Team scores
1. LeRoy/ Tri-Valley co-op 193.5, 2. El Paso-Gridley 171, 3. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher co-op 162, 4. Heyworth 93.5, 5. Tremont 61.5, 6. Deer Creek-Mackinaw 51, 7. Eureka 49, 8. Ridgeview/ Lexington co-op 42.
Place matches
106
1st Place Match
Kole Petta (El Paso-Gridley) 32-11, Fr. over Evan King (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) 23-13, Fr. (Dec 14-11)
3rd Place Match
Austin Pacha (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 20-19, Fr. over Landon Nieslawski (Heyworth) 17-19, So. (MD 13-3)
113
1st Place Match
Tom Erwin (El Paso-Gridley) 38-4, Fr. over Emmett Roeder (Heyworth) 23-19, Fr. (Fall 5:12)
3rd Place Match
Jake Baughman (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 22-19, Fr. over Nicky Weber (Tremont) 28-13, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:48 (17-0))
120
1st Place Match
Brady Mouser (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 32-3, Sr. over Gage Martin (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 19-5, Jr. (Fall 0:58)
3rd Place Match
Henry Watson (Eureka) 21-12, So. over Gavin Stoker (Tremont) 29-13, Fr. (Fall 3:35)
126
1st Place Match
Landen Lage (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 32-3, Fr. over Logan Thompson (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 19-16, Fr. (TF-1.5 3:28 (18-3))
3rd Place Match
Ben Graham (El Paso-Gridley) 20-20, Fr. over Skyler Kerner (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) 11-22, Fr. (Inj. 0:44)
132
1st Place Match
Matt Helfrich (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 27-16, So. over Landon Christner (Ridgeview/Lexington) 23-19, Jr. (Fall 1:32)
3rd Place Match
Josiah Rokey (Eureka) 17-21, So. over Colin Martinez (El Paso-Gridley) 9-29, Fr. (Fall 2:00)
138
1st Place Match
Hunter Brandon (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 8-3, Fr. over Finn Hoffman (Eureka) 30-8, Fr. (Fall 2:22)
3rd Place Match
Nolan Whitman (El Paso-Gridley) 24-20, Jr. over Jim Chaon (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 26-18, So. (Fall 2:26)
144
1st Place Match
Trevor Soice (Heyworth) 27-10, Jr. over Ethan Lowe (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 19-10, Jr. (Dec 9-7)
3rd Place Match
Parker Key (El Paso-Gridley) 32-12, Sr. over Connor Mclaughlin (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 21-21, Jr. (Dec 8-3)
150
1st Place Match
Kobe Brent (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 36-6, Sr. over Hudson Babb (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 29-8, So. (TB-1 3-2)
3rd Place Match
Judson Stover (Ridgeview/Lexington) 27-9, Sr. over Logan Stout (Heyworth) 24-21, So. (M. For.)
157
1st Place Match
Corbin Ragle (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 25-10, Sr. over Brock Owens (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 35-8, Sr. (MD 14-3)
3rd Place Match
Caleb Greer (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) 23-18, Jr. over Sam Hoffman (Eureka) 29-12, Jr. (Dec 7-4)
165
1st Place Match
Bowden Delaney (Tremont) 42-2, Sr. over Braden Gibson (El Paso-Gridley) 25-11, So. (Fall 1:59)
3rd Place Match
Cooper Miller (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 29-10, So. over Tristian Stamp (Heyworth) 30-15, Fr. (Fall 2:20)
175
1st Place Match
Bo Zeleznik (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 30-7, Sr. over Brody simons (Heyworth) 29-14, Fr. (Fall 3:31)
3rd Place Match
Gaige Hunt (Tremont) 21-21, Fr. over Ryan Kerr (El Paso-Gridley) 18-24, So. (Fall 4:36)
190
1st Place Match
Dominic Ricconi (El Paso-Gridley) 30-11, Sr. over Jaxon Wright (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 22-11, Jr. (Dec 7-3)
3rd Place Match
Jarrod Fulcher (Heyworth) 27-16, So. over Ryker Gemberling (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) 30-12, So. (Fall 3:43)
215
1st Place Match
Ryden Barker (El Paso-Gridley) 39-3, Sr. over Cohen Kean (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 18-8, Sr. (For.)
3rd Place Match
Ash Osborn (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 22-19, Sr. over Ethan Kinsey (Tremont) 14-16, Sr. (Fall 1:06)
285
1st Place Match
Tate Sigler (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 36-5, Sr. over Christopher Blackmore (El Paso-Gridley) 26-12, Sr. (Fall 3:01)
3rd Place Match
Joey Humphries (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) 18-10, So. over Carson Sexton (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 10-15, Fr. (Fall 5:51)
Lawrence County claims Eastern Illinois Tournament title
The Lawrence County co-op, featuring athletes from Lawrenceville and Red Hill, heads into its own Class 1A regional on a high note after it captured the championship of the Eastern Illinois Tournament, which took place in Lawrenceville.
Lawrence County outscored Hoopeston Area/ Milford co-op 226.5-203 for top honors while Carterville took third place with 172 points. Next in line were Richland County (123), Effingham (103), Oblong/ Palestine/ Hutsonville co-op (99.5), Robinson (99.5) and Fairfield (98.5).
1 – Lawrence County
Winning titles for coach Cody Bobe’s championship Lawrence County co-op team were Dylan Aten (23-5 at 132), Hudson Meek (30-9 at 144) and Malikye Williams (25-23 at 190) while Kyler Guercio (106), Cale Seitzinger (138) and Dylan Camden (285) finished in second place.
Dayton Ledbetter (113) claimed third place, Drew Seitzinger (120) finished fourth, Grayson Allender (126), Nick Morehead (175) and Wyatt Scott (215) were fifth, Tucker Waldrop (165) placed sixth and Keegan Liston (150) also contributed the title effort for Lawrence County, which is a co-op of Lawrenceville and Red Hill.
2 – Hoopeston Area/ Milford
Champions for coach Chris Kelnhofer’s runner-up Cornjerkers were Charlie Flores (39-3 at 106), Aiden Bell (41-3 at 126), Ayden Larkin (30-5 at 165) and Angel Zamora (42-1 at 175).
Taking third place were RaSiah Jones (150), David Bell (157), Earl Kelnhofer (190) and Tucker Deck (215) while Reydon Montez (138) was fourth and Damian Salinas (132) placed fifth.
3 – Carterville
Leading coach Daniel Alderman’s third place Lions were first-place finisher Ramiro Sebastian (31-7 at 113) and runners-up Landyn Flood (132), Terry Mick (190) and Carl Watkins (215).
Taking third place were Isaac Wood (106) and Carter Jones (175), Aidan Bramlett (150) was fourth and Brawnsen Bloodworth (120), Gavin Slack (138) and Spencer Crotser (165) took fifth.
Other Eastern Illinois Tournament title winners were Richland County’s Carson Bissey (11-1 at 157) and Zander Schrader (34-7 at 215), Charleston’s Trotter Titus (24-8 at 120), Robinson’s Broady Kelly (24-3 at 138), Oblong/ Palestine/ Hutsonville co-op’s Cole Littlejohn (13-2 at 150) and Fairfield’s Bentley Rogers (31-6 at 285).
Aten, Schrader and Williams led all champions with 28 team points while Flores, Rogers and Zamora were next-best with 27.5 points. Bell, Bissey and Littlejohn all collected 27 points and Kelly and Larkin finished with 26 team points.
Also finishing in second place were Paris’ Garret Rigdon (150) and Joshua Lamore (165),
Effingham’s Cole Dulumback (113), Oblong/ Palestine/ Hutsonville’s Mason Correll (120),
Richland County’s Kaeden Davis (126), Effingham’s Baker Moon (144), Mt. Carmel’s Johnny Askren (157) and Fairfield’s Talan Keoughan (175).
The closest championship match was at 113 where Sebastian prevailed over Dulumback 16-9 by sudden victory.
Additional third-place finishers were Oblong/ Palestine/ Hutsonville’s Owen Griffin (138) and Jude Wirey (144), Effingham’s Kaiden Stewart (120), Fairfield’s Jedd Wellen (126), Richland County’s Levi Ochs (132), Robinson’s Kahne Hyre (165) and Mt. Carmel’s Carter Pyatt (285).
East Richland’s Carson Bissey led all competitors with 52 match points. Robinson’s Kelllen Poole was the only competitor who recorded four pins. Mt. Carmel’s Dakota Woods had the largest seed to place difference, improving five spots after being seeded 11th and taking sixth.
Eastern Illinois Tournament
Team scores
1. Lawrence County (Lawrenceville/ Red Hill) co-op 226.5, 2. Hoopeston Area/ Milford co-op 203, 3. Carterville 172, 4. Richland County 123, 5. Effingham 103, 6. Oblong/ Palestine/ Hutsonville co-op 99.5, 6. Robinson 99.5, 8. Fairfield 98.5, 9. Mt. Carmel 92, 10. Paris 77, 11. Charleston 62.
Place Matches
106
1st Place Match
Charlie Flores (Hoopeston Area/ Milford) 39-3, Jr. over Kyler Guercio (Lawrence County) 26-7, Fr. (Fall 1:02)
3rd Place Match
Isaac Wood (Carterville) 33-11, Fr. over Hayden Hazel (Richland County) 28-12, Fr. (TF-1.5 3:20 (16-0))
5th Place Match
Gracen Elliott (Robinson) 26-12, Fr. over Carter Poole (Fairfield) 17-22, So. (Fall 2:29)
113
1st Place Match
Ramiro Sebastian (Carterville) 31-7, Jr. over Cole Dulumback (Effingham) 25-15, Fr. (SV-1 16-9)
3rd Place Match
Dayton Ledbetter (Lawrence County) 15-8, Fr. over Thomas Stigler (Oblong co-op) 3-17, Fr. (Fall 2:26)
120
1st Place Match
Trotter Titus (Charleston) 24-8, Fr. over Mason Correll (Oblong co-op) 20-8, Sr. (MD 17-4)
3rd Place Match
Kaiden Stewart (Effingham) 31-10, Sr. over Drew Seitzinger (Lawrence County) 22-13, Jr. (Fall 3:58)
5th Place Match
Brawnsen Bloodworth (Carterville) 27-13, Sr. over Gage Wright (Paris) 13-15, So. (Fall 1:43)
126
1st Place Match
Aiden Bell (Hoopeston Area/ Milford) 41-3, Jr. over Kaeden Davis (Richland County) 30-10, So. (TF-1.5 5:43 (20-4))
3rd Place Match
Jedd Wellen (Fairfield) 21-17, Jr. over Jacob Booher (Robinson) 24-16, Sr. (Dec 8-4)
5th Place Match
Grayson Allender (Lawrence County) 15-13, Fr. over Austin Campbell (Carterville) 17-13, Fr. (Fall 2:28)
132
1st Place Match
Dylan Aten (Lawrence County) 23-5, Sr. over Landyn Flood (Carterville) 34-6, Sr. (Fall 2:36)
3rd Place Match
Levi Ochs (Richland County) 10-6, So. over Kadin Melahn (Mt. Carmel) 18-11, So. (Fall 1:34)
5th Place Match
Damian Salinas (Hoopeston Area/ Milford) 18-16, So. over Collin Booker (Charleston) 13-19, Fr. (Fall 0:47)
138
Guaranteed Places
1st Place Match
Broady Kelly (Robinson) 24-3, Jr. over Cale Seitzinger (Lawrence County) 26-10, Jr. (MD 11-2)
3rd Place Match
Owen Griffin (Oblong co-op) 23-14, Jr. over Reydon Montez (Hoopeston Area/ Milford) 18-17, Fr. (Fall 3:13)
5th Place Match
Gavin Slack (Carterville) 27-16, Jr. over Samuel Dial (Richland County) 20-19, Fr. (MD 13-2)
144
1st Place Match
Hudson Meek (Lawrence County) 30-9, So. over Baker Moon (Effingham) 28-11, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:26 (17-2))
3rd Place Match
Jude Wirey (Oblong co-op) 29-8, Fr. over Jacob Kuhn (Charleston) 19-17, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:17 (21-5))
5th Place Match
Isaiah Kasinger (Mt. Carmel) 12-19, Sr. over Vance Vanway (Fairfield) 12-25, So. (Fall 4:45)
150
1st Place Match
Cole Littlejohn (Oblong co-op) 13-2, So. over Garret Rigdon (Paris) 17-10, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:07 (15-0))
3rd Place Match
RaSiah Jones (Hoopeston Area/ Milford) 26-18, Jr. over Aidan Bramlett (Carterville) 15-22, Jr. (Fall 3:39)
5th Place Match
Kellen Poole (Robinson) 10-16, So. over Dakota Woods (Mt. Carmel) 9-18, Fr. (Fall 2:40)
157
1st Place Match
Carson Bissey (Richland County) 11-1, Sr. over Johnny Askren (Mt. Carmel) 21-15, Sr. (TF-1.5 2:00 (19-4))
3rd Place Match
David Bell (Hoopeston Area/ Milford) 25-19, Sr. over Jeremiah Musgrave (Fairfield) 21-13, Sr. (MD 8-0)
5th Place Match
Koltan Dare (Charleston) 11-15, Sr. over Ben McDowell (Effingham) 17-25, Fr. (Dec 8-2)
165
1st Place Match
Ayden Larkin (Hoopeston Area/ Milford) 30-5, Sr. over Joshua Lamore (Paris) 29-5, Jr. (Fall 5:43)
3rd Place Match
Kahne Hyre (Robinson) 28-7, Sr. over Gage Emmerich (Effingham) 15-14, Jr. (Fall 2:29)
5th Place Match
Spencer Crotser (Carterville) 22-20, Jr. over Tucker Waldrop (Lawrence County) 5-21, Jr. (Fall 1:48)
175
1st Place Match
Angel Zamora (Hoopeston Area/ Milford) 42-1, Sr. over Talan Keoughan (Fairfield) 29-6, Sr. (TF-1.5 2:39 (20-5))
3rd Place Match
Carter Jones (Carterville) 21-7, So. over Lenox Parker (Robinson) 17-10, Jr. (Fall 1:39)
5th Place Match
Nick Morehead (Lawrence County) 16-12, So. over Logan McDonald (Richland County) 19-12, So. (MD 11-0)
190
1st Place Match
Malikye Williams (Lawrence County) 25-13, Jr. over Terry Mick (Carterville) 33-12, So. (Fall 3:30)
3rd Place Match
Earl Kelnhofer (Hoopeston Area/ Milford) 30-13, So. over Ethan Miller (Oblong co-op) 18-12, Jr. (Fall 1:17)
5th Place Match
Gavin Grubb (Paris) 11-8, Sr. over Evan Barbre (Fairfield) 1-2, So. (Fall 0:38)
215
1st Place Match
Zander Schrader (Richland County) 34-7, Jr. over Carl Watkins (Carterville) 27-18, So. (Fall 1:59)
3rd Place Match
Tucker Deck (Hoopeston Area/ Milford) 20-22, So. over Evan Berberich (Mt. Carmel) 10-8, Sr. (Fall 1:03)
5th Place Match
Wyatt Scott (Lawrence County) 7-12, So. over Keegan Woodall (Effingham) 8-25, So. (Fall 3:03)
285
Guaranteed Places
1st Place Match
Bentley Rogers (Fairfield) 31-6, Sr. over Dylan Camden (Lawrence County) 25-9, Sr. (Inj. 3:24)
3rd Place Match
Carter Pyatt (Mt. Carmel) 24-11, Fr. over Jeremiah Lorton (Effingham) 28-10, Jr. (Fall 3:47)
5th Place Match
Richard Black (Paris) 16-5, Sr. over Remi Bryant (Charleston) 16-15, Fr. (Fall 5:12)
Girls regional recaps: Rock Falls, Jacksonville, Mt. Zion, Civic Memorial, Metamora

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA
ROCK FALLS REGIONAL
Kaneland and DeKalb battled it out for a team regional title at Rock Falls, with Kaneland eking out a 146.5-141 victory. The Knights finished with seven sectional qualifiers for this year’s Geneseo Sectional, including three individual regional champions, three third-placers, and one fourth-place qualifier.
“We brought eight wrestlers and unfortunately due to some injuries, had to leave four wrestlers at home,” Kaneland coach Josh West said. “When the day started, I didn’t know if we had enough to get it done. I knew there were a couple good teams there, especially DeKalb, and hats off to DeKalb and their girls. Conor (Infelise) has his DeKalb team firing on all cylinders.”
DeKalb also had three individual regional champs among its seven sectional qualifiers. Burlington Central (106.5) finished third, followed by Yorkville (85.5) and Sycamore (73) to round out the top five team finishes in the 25-team regional field.
Burlington Central and Yorkville had five sectional qualifiers apiece, and Sycamore had four qualifiers.
1st place: Kaneland (146.5)
There were four unbeaten regional champions at Rock Falls when the day ended, including Kaneland’s sophomore and returning state champion Angelina Gochis (29-0 at 110). Teammates Brooklyn Sheaffer (38-2 at 125) and Sadie Kinsella (27-9 at 190) were also regional champions for coach Josh West.
Gochis is aiming to burn a path to her second state title in her first two years of high school.
“Angelina Gochis, what else can I say?” Kaneland coach Josh West said. “She was dominant from start to finish, winning the regional. Her future in this sport is on the World and Olympic level, I truly believe that.
“Brooklyn Sheaffer was solid once again and she is coming into her own at the right time. She works hard and I expect to see her on the podium here in a few weeks. Sadie Kinsella was our other champion and Sadie did not wrestle her best but she still got it done.
Placing third for Kaneland and advancing in the state tournament were Dyani Torres (135), Caitlyn Manier (155) and Carly Duffing (190), along with fourth-placer Thalia Paton (115).
West applauded the solid day’s work of senior third-placers Torres and Duffing, the maturity and effort from the freshman Manier, and the effort Paton put forth in wrestling back for fourth.
Fourth-seeded Paton upset the tournament’s second seed in her consolation semifinal match to secure her ticket to the sectional meet.
“I’m happy for our girls, our program, and our school,” West said. “We will enjoy this for a little bit and then come Monday, it’s back to work.”
2nd place: DeKalb (141)
The Barbs got individual titles from Alex Gregorio-Perez (43-3 at 105), Lana Zimmerman (38-8 at 135) and Aarianna Bloyd (30-11 at 235), plus a second from Reese Zimmer (120), a third from Jade Weiss (100), and fourths from Frieda Hernandez (110) and Kayden Johnson (155) for coach Connor Infelise.
3rd place: Burlington Central (105.4)
The Rockets sent three regional champions to the top of the podium in returning state medalist Tori Macias (28-6 at 115), Soraya Walikonis (32-10 at 130) and returning state medalist Ryan Miller (33-1 at 170), plus a second-place finish from Ruby Vences (110) and a fourth from Melanie Granda (105).
Individual champions:
The day’s other regional champions in Rock Falls were Rockford East’s unbeaten Saya Hongmoungkhoune (21-0 at 100), Hononegah’s three-time state champion, unbeaten Angelina Cassioppi (25-0 at 120), Sycamore’s Ema Durst (21-3 at 140), Rochelle’s unbeaten returning state medalist Dempsey Atkinson (18-0 at 145), and Rock Falls’ Akira Schick (13-2 at 155).
Team scores:
Kaneland 146.5, DeKalb 141, Burlington Central 106.5, Yorkville 85.5, Sycamore 73, Hononegah 71.5, Plano 64, Sterling 60, Sandwich 59, Rock Falls 55, Freeport 46, Belvidere North 32, Jefferson 32, Newman Central Catholic 32, Rockford East 30.5, Polo 30, Rochelle 30, Somonauk 22, Guilford 21, Harlem 19, Durand 15.5, Galena 15, Belvidere 9.5
PLACE MATCHES FOR SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advanced)
100
1st: Saya Hongmoungkhoune (Rockford E) 21-0, d. Analiese Garretson (Yorkville) 27-12, (TF-1.5 2:00 (17-2)
3rd: Jade Weiss (DeKalb) 26-16, d. Monika Jahn (Hononegah) 14-10, (F 0:43)
105
1st: Alex Gregorio-Perez (DeKalb) 43-3, d. Blair Grennan (Newman Central) 14-3, (F 4:00)
3rd: Danielle Turner (Yorkville) 6-2, d. Melanie Granda (Central) 24-14, (F 4:46)
110
1st: Angelina Gochis (Kaneland) 29-0, d. Ruby Vences (Central) 28-12, (F 0:58)
3rd: Lydia Cartwright (Sandwich) 20-7, d. Frieda Hernandez (DeKalb) 11-9, (F 3:20)
115
1st: Victoria Macias (Central) 28-6, d. Kaiya Galindo (Freeport) 24-15, (F 1:51)
3rd: Norah Vick (Sandwich) 21-12, d. Thalia Paton (Kaneland) 22-12, (D 10-8)
120
1st: Gina Cassioppi (Hononegah) 25-0, d. Reese Zimmer (DeKalb) 38-9, (TF-1.5 3:00 (17-1)
3rd: Zandra Vock (Polo) 18-17, d. Ryleigh Eriks (Rock Fs) 16-6, (F 3:33)
125
1st: Brooklyn Sheaffer (Kaneland) 38-2, d. Rylie Donahue (Somonauk) 10-4, (F 1:16)
3rd: Isabella Prchal (Plano) 15-10, d. Maddie Barrios (Belvidere N) 7-9, (F 0:23)
130
1st: Soraya Walikonis (Central) 32-10, d. Skyann Munz) 18-6, (F 5:07)
3rd: Evie Anderson (Durand) 16-5, d. Gretchyn Dunbar (Sycamore) 12-12, (F 1:05)
135
1st: Lana Zimmerman (DeKalb) 38-8, d. Bella Castelli (Hononegah) 20-4, (F 0:30)
3rd: Dyani Torres (Kaneland) 36-10, d. Brooke Coy (Yorkville) 17-9, (D 16-10)
140
1st: Ema Durst (Sycamore) 21-3, d. April Martinez (Plano) 15-10, (F 1:03)
3rd: Ashlyn Fargher (Rock Fs) 9-6, d. Vanesa Penaloza (Freeport) 16-11, (F 3:49)
145
1st: Dempsey Atkinson (Rochelle) 18-0, d. Jacqeline Diaz (Plano) 20-4, (F 3:27)
3rd: Jazmin Rios (Sandwich) 19-14, d. Aviana Froelich (Yorkville) 14-18, (MD 14-4)
155
1st: Akira Schick (Rock Fs) 13-2, d. Avelina McMurtry (Sycamore) 10-8, (F 0:34)
3rd: Caitlyn Manier (Kaneland) 27-10, d. Kayden Johnson (DeKalb) 14-13, (F 2:13)
170
1st: Ryann Miller (Central) 33-1, d. Janiah Murray (Yorkville) 31-9, (TF-1.5 2:33 (18-2)
3rd: Carly Duffing (Kaneland) 22-8, d. Linda Villa (Hononegah) 9-7, (F 0:46)
190
1st: Sadie Kinsella (Kaneland) 27-9, d. Anjanne Haywood (Guilford) 23-6, (F 3:25)
3rd: Kylie Eilken (Jefferson) 16-6, d. Lillian Tunk) 20-9, (F 2:22)
235
1st: Aarianna Bloyd (DeKalb) 30-11, d. Jasmine Enriquez (Sycamore) 4-3, (F 3:12)
3rd: Savannah Trevino (Belvidere N) 7-11, d. Angela Carter (Guilford) 1-13, (F 0:53)
Individual statistics:
Plano’s Isabella Prchal finished the regional with the most pins (4) in the least time (8:59), while Sterling’s Kylie Tate posted the fastest pin at 11 seconds. Hononegah’s Gina Cassioppi had the most technical falls (3) in the least time (6:00) and Yorkville’s Cory Brooke had the fastest tech fall, in 1:17.Five wrestlers tied for the most team points scored (28) in DeKalb’s Alex Gregorio-Perez, Kaneland’s Brooklyn Sheaffer, Central’s Tori Macias, DeKalb’s Lana Zimmerman and Rock Falls’ Akira Schick. Hononegah’s Cassioppi finished with the most single match points, with 20, and the most total match points scored with 54.
Polo’s Zandra Vock provided the largest seed-place difference, as the No. 12 seed placed third at 120 pounds.

JACKSONVILLE REGIONAL
Six individual regional champions and eight total sectional qualifiers vaulted Geneseo to its second consecutive team regional title for coach Carley Rusk. The Maple Leafs posted a 183-137.5 edge over second-place Canton, with Erie (86.5) placing third, Macomb (80) taking third, and Galesburg (65) rounding out the top five team finishes.
“I’m really proud of the hard work everyone put in—these girls have been pushing themselves all season, and it’s awesome to see it pay off,” Rusk said. “We’re definitely excited to keep this momentum going into the next part of the season. We will continue to train hard and keep our sights set on sectionals.”
Geneseo’s six individual champions led the 22-team field, and the Maple Leafs also led the field with 18 pins to Canton’s 10.
1st place: Geneseo (183 points)
Rusk got individual titles from Molly Snyder (32-7 at 100), Addison Hadsall (32-14 at 105), Lydia King (43-5 at 120), Belle Curcuru (32-12 at 125), Annibelle Juarez (17-3 at 135) and Sophie Bellagamba (31-12 at 155), plus second-place finishes from Lauren Piquard (31-10 at 140) and Mady Mooney (30-10 at 145).|
Geneseo’s qualifiers will go into the sectional tournament with a combined record of 248-73.
2nd place: Canton (137.5)
Canton had a pair of regional champions in LT Diephuis (30-5 at 110) and Kinnley Smith (37-3 at 130), plus seconds from Abella Brown (100), Shayla Schielein (105), and Chloe Hedges (115), thirds from Kennedy Smith (140) and Katelyn Marvel (145), and a fourth from Josslyn Shockency (170).
3rd place: Erie (86.5)
Erie had a trio of wrestlers reach the regional title mat and place second in Nevada Wells (110), Michelle Naftzger (130) and Jayda Rosenow (155), plus a third-place finish from Ryleigh Stephens (120), and fourths from Ayden Grawe (125) and Dena Cox (145).
Individual champions:
Other girls winning individual regional titles in Jacksonville were Galesburg’s Eliana Juarez (18-3 at 115), Macomb’s Kelly Ladd (20-3 at 140) and Mikaela Mwangong (20-5 at 145), Rock Island’s Courtney Walls (19-2 at 170), ROWVA’s Patience Riggs (11-5 at 190) and Moline’s Kirsten Kpoto (3-0 at 235).
Team scores:
Geneseo 183, Canton 137.5, Erie 86.5, Macomb 80, Galesburg 65, Jacksonville 60, ROWVA 50, Sherrard 44.5, Rock Island 43.5, Moline 24, Quincy 22, Kewanee 19, Midwest Central 18, Mercer County 16, Beardstown 16, United 16, Camp Point Central 15, Illini West 13, Fulton 8, Rockridge 6, Knoxville 4
PLACE MATCHES FOR SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advanced)
100
1st: Molly Snyder (Geneseo) 32-7, d. Abella Brown (Canton) 13-7, (MD 19-10)
3rd: Kinsley Furnald (Galesburg) 14-7, d. Isabella Schaefer (Illini West) 4-11, (F 1:49)
105
1st: Addison Hadsall (Geneseo) 32-14, d. Shayla Schielein (Canton) 26-9, (F 2:54)
3rd: Kyra Cardine (Aledo (Mercer County) 5-4, d. Abby Weber (Sherrard) 13-22, (F 5:34)
110
1st: LT Diephuis (Canton) 30-5, d. Nevada Wells (Erie) 16-17, (TF 4:36 (21-4)
3rd: Lucy Mass (Rock Island) 16-6, d. Hailey Lampe (Kewanee) 10-10, (F 1:02)
115
1st: Eliana Juarez (Galesburg) 18-3, d. Chloe Hedges (Canton) 30-10, (F 3:25)
3rd: Marissa Brown (ROWVA) 14-7, d. Kaitlyn Knight (Jacksonville) 6-6, (F 2:46)
120
1st: Lydia King (Geneseo) 43-5, d. Daisy Gil (Beardstown) 18-5, (F 4:30)
3rd: Ryleigh Stephens (Erie) 26-5, d. Maria Hernandez (Macomb) 13-14, (F 0:26)
125
1st: Bella Curcuru (Geneseo) 32-12, d. Alexis Seymour (Jacksonville) 22-3, (F 3:52)
3rd: Kylie Mathis (Sherrard) 14-7, d. Ayden Grawe (Erie) 14-16, (F 1:17)
130
1st: Kinnley Smith (Canton) 37-3, d. Michelle Naftzger (Erie) 27-10, (F 1:28)
3rd: Jaelyn Hare (United) 8-2, d. Dai Driana Willford (Galesburg) 15-9, (F 5:05)
135
1st: Annibelle Juarez (Geneseo) 17-3, d. Nadia Anderson (Sherrard) 14-12, (F 3:06)
3rd: Amber Louderback (Camp Point (Central) 23-7, d. Zoe Bloyd (Quincy) 9-5, (F 1:45)
140
1st: Kelly Ladd (Macomb) 20-3, d. Lauren Piquard (Geneseo) 31-10, (F 3:34)
3rd: Kennedy Smith (Canton) 29-12, d. RaKiya Amos (Kewanee) 17-8, (F 3:53)
145
1st: Mikaela Mwangong (Macomb) 20-5, d. Mady Mooney (Geneseo) 30-10, (F 2:18)
3rd: Katelyn Marvel (Canton) 15-8, d. Dena Cox (Erie) 21-15, (F 1:14)
155
1st: Sophie Bellagamba (Geneseo) 31-12, d. Jayda Rosenow (Erie) 21-10, (F 5:57)
3rd: Maggie Quinn (Quincy) 9-2, d. Jayda Reiff (Taylor Ridge (Rockridge) 2-10, (F 0:51)
170
1st: Courtney Walls (Rock Island) 19-2, d. Makayla Padilla (Jacksonville) 8-8, (F 2:40)
3rd: DaLonna Buckley (ROWVA) 12-6, d. Josslyn Shockency (Canton) 15-23, (F 5:41)
190
1st: Patience Riggs (ROWVA) 11-5, d. Avery Lundgren (Macomb) 16-7, (F 1:40)
3rd: Macie Taylor (Galesburg) 6-15, d. Olivia Monroe (Jacksonville) 5-9, (F 1:08)
235
1st: Kirsten Kpoto (Moline) 3-0, d. Marlie Abner (Manito (Midwest Central) 5-2, (F 1:18)
3rd: Emily Sanders (Jacksonville) 6-9, d. Griffin Schauble (Macomb) 9-13, (F 0:45)

METAMORA REGIONAL
The girls from the Lincoln-Way co-op dominated the 31-team field at this year’s Metamora Regional, with 10 sectional qualifiers and 248 team points to win the first regional team title in program history.
“All I can say is all the preparation and matches we have wrestled this season has put our girls in the best spot possible,” Lincoln-Way coach Josh Napier said. “We have battled all season long and took our lumps to be ready for the post season.”
Minooka (134) was the area’s regional champion last year and placed second in Metamora. Joliet Central (103) placed third, followed by Morris (101) and Plainfield South (87.5) to round out the top five team finishes.
1st place: Lincoln-Way (248)
Five individual regional champions led the way for Lincoln-Way, in Emily Peyton (33-10 at 100), Zoe Dempsey (41-2 at 110), Sadie Sparks (30-7 at 120), Riley Cooney (31-11 at 125) and Bailey Miller (16-13 at 145). Napier also got seconds from Aubrey Barnes (115) and Liv Clumpner (135), and fourths from Claire Bray (130), Ella Giertuga (140) and Avery Holeman (155).
“In every practice they try to work harder than the day before,” Napier said. “We are gritty and tenacious, but also have some of the most mentally tough wrestlers in the state. They aren’t afraid to lose and they aren’t afraid to win. It’s been a great experience so far for the athletes and coaches.”
2nd: Minooka (134)
MInooka coach Paige Schoolman got a pair of regional runner-up finishes from Sabrina Charlebois (26-8 at 130) and Mia Lemberg (155), thirds from Ezra Rodriguez (140) and Palmer Calvey (145), and a fourth-place finish from Marian Nordsell (105).
Joliet Central (103)
Alisa Carter (25-5 at 105) and Izabel Barrera (27-1 at 135) won regional titles for coach Marcus McCullum, who also got a second-place finish from Kassandra Ruiz (100).
Individual champions:
Other regional champions at Metamora were LaSalle-Peru’s Kiely Domyancich (26-1 at 115), Seneca’s Catalina Pacheco (37-4 at 130), Morton’s Karen Canchola (23-2 at 140), Plainfield South’s Teagan Aurich (33-0 at 155), Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker (22-1 at 170), Morris’ Morgan Congo (28-6 at 190) and Ottawa’s Juliana Thrush (30-4 at 235).
Team scores:
Lincoln-Way co-op 248, Minooka 134, Joliet Central 103, Morris 101, Plainfield South 87.5, Ottawa 83, Joliet West 79, Richwoods 72.5, Plainfield Central 72.5, Pekin 65, Seneca 60.5, Kankakee 57.5, Streator 53, Putnam County 49, LaSalle-Peru 48, Bradley-Bourbonnais 47, Princeton 32.5, Morton 28.5, Washington 27, Dunlap 23, Joliet Catholic Academy 21, Peoria Notre Dame 19.5, Reed-Custer 18, Menual 11, Metamora 9.5, Illinois Valley Central 7, East Peoria 3, Limestone 0, Mendota 0, Peoria Heights 0, Wilmington 0
PLACE MATCHES OF SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advanced)
100
1st: Emily Peyton (Lincoln-Way) 33-10, d. Kassandra Ruiz (Joliet Central) 16-5, (F 1:02)
3rd: Ellie Evans (Morris) 30-10, d. Kalista Frost (L.-Peru) 14-12, (F 1:17)
105
1st: Alisa Carter (Joliet (Central) 25-5, d. Chloe Wong (Joliet (West) 6-4, (Dec 18-13)
3rd: Addison Yacko (Streator) 15-9, d. Marian Nordsell (Minooka) 24-13, (F 2:41)
110
1st: Zoe Dempsey (Lincoln-Way) 41-2, d. Tessa Donaldson (Pekin) 19-10, (F 0:27)
3rd: Lily Gwaltney (Streator) 19-5, d. Maggie Gordon (Morris) 27-16, (F 5:39)
115
1st: Kiely Domyancich (L.-Peru) 26-1, d. Madysen Meyer (Reed-Custer) 12-7, (F 3:05)
3rd: Aubrey Barnes (Lincoln-Way) 31-15, d. Shania Davison (Plainfield C) 14-3, (F 4:35)
120
1st: Sadie Sparks (Lincoln-Way) 30-7, d. Violet Pennington (Pekin) 9-3, (F 3:56)
3rd: Taniyah Sherman (Kankakee) 16-2, d. Jaydah Green (Richwoods) 13-9, (F 1:23)
125
1st: Riley Cooney (Lincoln-Way) 31-11, d. Isabella Mottler (Richwoods) 16-3, (F 5:20)
3rd: Aubrianna Rapier (B.-Bourbonnais) 15-3, d. Briahna Klobnak (Joliet W) 31-9, (F 3:20)
130
1st: Catalina Pacheco (Seneca) 37-4, d. Sabina Charlebois (Minooka) 26-8, (F 3:12)
3rd: Grace Laird (Joliet Catholic) 17-4, d. Claire Bray (Lincoln-Way) 30-19, (F 0:57)
135
1st: Izabel Barrera (Joliet (Central) 27-1, d. Sammie Greisen (Seneca) 34-7, (Dec 6-2)
3rd: Liv Clumpner (Lincoln-Way) 26-19, d. Jaiyden Provance (Ottawa) 19-21, (F 2:33)
140
1st: Karen Canchola (Morton) 23-2, d. Isabella Gibson (Princeton) 14-4, (Dec 10-3)
3rd: Ezra Rodriquez (Minooka) 31-9, d. Ella Giertuga (Lincoln-Way) 33-16, (F 1:57)
145
1st: Bailey Mitchell (Lincoln-Way) 16-13, d. Ava Weatherford (Ottawa) 17-8, (F 3:30)
3rd: Palmer Calvey (Minooka) 28-10, d. Sophia Domont (B.-Bourbonnais) 11-4, (F 1:10)
155
1st: Teagan Aurich (Plainfield (South) 33-0, d. Mia Lemberg (Minooka) 22-10, (F 1:00)
3rd: Faith Joslin (Kankakee) 14-4, d. Avery Holeman (Lincoln-Way) 20-22, (TF 0:00 (23-4)
170
1st: Alicia Tucker (Plainfield C) 22-1, d. Layla Spann (Plainfield (South) 25-5, (TF 0:00 (15-0)
3rd: Autumne Williams (PND) 11-2, d. Sydney Johnson (Richwoods) 20-5, (F 5:12)
190
1st: Morgan Congo (Morris) 28-6, d. Zyon Jordan (Plainfield C) 11-6, (F 1:31)
3rd: Bailey Herr (Putnam County) 4-1, d. Gracie VanQuakebeke (Washington) 15-7, (F 0:00)
235
1st: Juliana Thrush (Ottawa) 30-4, d. Marley Clark (Richwoods) 23-7, (F 1:24)
3rd: Ella Irwin (Putnam County) 4-1, d. Natalie Quiroz (Joliet (West) 31-5, (F 0:00)

CIVIC MEMORIAL REGIONAL
Edwardsville ran away with its second consecutive team regional title at Civic Memorial, posting 239 points thanks to 11 sectional qualifiers. Collinsville (135) placed second, followed by Triad (94), Cahokia (87), and Granite City (87) to round out the top five team finishes in the 31-team field.
1st place: Edwardsville (239 points)
Winning individual regional titles for coach Jon Wagner were Emma Rogers (35-4 at 100), Genevieve Dykstra (30-8 at 110) and Vickie White (26-3 at 190), plus seconds from Allie Chong (120), Brooklyn Alldredge (125), Holly Zugmaier 135) and Lydia Blind (140), a third from Gianna Linhorst (115), and fourths from Maddy Allen (105), Olive Linhorst (130) and Aubrey DeWerff (155).
“We had a great semifinal round, getting eight to advance,” Edwardsville coach Jon Wagner said. “It’s exciting for the girls team to have eleven girls continuing their season.”
2nd place: Collinsville (135)
The Kahoks got individual titles from Londyn Long (32-5 at 120), Addyson Bailey (27-10 at 130), Taylor Dawson (29-3 at 140) and Tashieya Taylor (29-8 at 145), and a fourth from Emma Ford (110).
3rd place: Triad (94)
The Knights got thirds from sectional qualifiers Claire Crouch (100), Cloe Graumenz (120) and Harmony Martin (145).
Individual champions:
Other regional champions at Civic Memorial were Roxana’s Chloe Skiles (35-5 at 105), Carbondale’s Delaney Measimer (25-3 at 115), Murphysboro’s Gabby Mason (18-4 at 125), Granite City’s Audrey Barnes (29-6 at 135), Freeburg’s Grace Stratton (24-9 at 155), Highland’s August Rottman (29-1 at 170) and Cahokia’s Kamryn Brown (11-7 at 235).
Team scores:
Edwardsville 239, Collinsville 135, Triad 94, Cahokia 87, Granite City 87, Freeburg 83, Belleville West 78, Marion 78, Civic Memorial 63, Roxana 58.5, Waterloo 55.5, Murphysboro 53.5, Carbondale 52, O’Fallon 42, Frankfort 41, Highland 34, Mascoutah 30, Anna-Jonesboro 23, Carterville 23, Benton 21, Johnston City 21, Trico 19, Red Bud 17, Goreville 14, Belleville East 12, Alton 10, Breese Central 10, Dupo 9, Pinckneyville 8, East St. Louis 4, Sparta 0
PLACE MATCHES OF SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advanced)
100
1st: Emma Rogers (Edwardsville) 35-4, d. Madelyn Murphy (Roxana) 26-13, . (Dec 9-2)
3rd: Claire Crouch (Triad) 18-5, d. Nikolette Ronketto (Frankfort) 19-5, (F 2:41)
105
1st: Chloe Skiles (Roxana) 35-5, . d. Zoee Sadler (A.-Jonesboro) 39-9, (Dec 3-0)
3rd: Brielle Becker (Freeburg) 17-7, d. Maddy Allen (Edwardsville) 10-12, (MD 9-0)
110
1st: Genevieve Dykstra (Edwardsville) 30-8, d. Jala Singleton (Belleville W) 19-10, (Dec 12-7)
3rd: Ma`Kayla Bonner (Granite City) 7-2, d. Emma Ford (Collinsville) 22-15, (F 3:39)
115
1st: Delaney Measimer (Carbondale) 25-3, d. Kendall Moss-Smith (Civic Mem) 29-8, (MD 14-6)
3rd: Gianna Linhorst (Edwardsville) 29-9, d. Aubrey Rutmanis (Freeburg) 21-13, (F 0:47)
120
1st: Londyn Long (Collinsville) 32-5, d. Allie Chong (Edwardsville) 22-12, (F 0:42)
3rd: Cloe Graumenz (Triad) 15-7, d. Sophia Bechelli (Frankfort) 18-5, (F 3:48)
125
1st: Gabby Mason (Murphysboro) 18-4, d. Brooklyn Alldredge (Edwardsville) 23-13, (F 2:47)
3rd: Lucy Baldwin (Waterloo) 13-10, d. Nyla Bryant (Cahokia) 7-9, (F 2:55)
130
1st: Addyson Bailey (Collinsville) 27-10, d. Te`Aja Young (Cahokia) 16-5, (F 3:00)
3rd: Alicia Dominguez (Civic Mem) 22-12, d. Olive Linhorst (Edwardsville) 27-9, (F 0:58)
135
1st: Audrey Barnes (Granite City) 29-6, d. Holly Zugmaier (Edwardsville) 34-5, (F 2:44)
3rd: Scarlett Gentille (O`Fon) 20-3, d. Joelene Nappier-Feth (Marion) 20-11, (F 1:18)
140
1st: Taylor Dawson (Collinsville) 29-3, d. Lydia Blind (Edwardsville) 25-12, (F 1:45)
3rd: Jacee Mardirosian (Carterville) 15-7, d. Aubrey Raban (Freeburg) 11-6, (F 4:23)
145
1st: Tashieya Taylor (Collinsville) 29-8, d. Kyla Ford (Carbondale) 18-6, (MD 11-3)
3rd: Harmony Martin (Triad) 8-3, d. Audrey Whipple (Civic Mem) 21-12, (F 1:47)
155
1st: Grace Stratton (Freeburg) 24-9, d. Kira Thompson (O`Fon) 20-3, (F 1:15)
3rd: Nahima Mateo (Murphysboro) 19-4, d. Abbrey DeWerff (Edwardsville) 16-5, (Inj. 0:01)
170
1st: August Rottmann (Highland) 29-1, d. Demi Barnes (Granite City) 27-5, (Inj. 0:10)
3rd: Ju`Bri Edwards (Belleville W) 22-6, d. Janylah Holman (Cahokia) 16-6, (F 1:46)
190
1st: Vickie White (Edwardsville) 26-3, d. Izabell McBride (Waterloo) 14-10, (F 2:48)
3rd: Maddie Ramaker (Campbell Hill (Trico) 10-3, d. krista McBride (Goreville) 24-5, (MD 14-6)
235
1st: Kamryn Brown (Cahokia) 11-7, d. Olivia McDermott (Marion) 22-7, (F 2:17)
3rd: Kiowa Quillen (Johnston City) 7-9, d. Andre`a Kirkpatrick (Belleville W) 17-11, (F 1:58)
MT. ZION REGIONAL
The 20-team Mt. Zion Regional saw Springfield Co-op take the title, 148-104, courtesy of seven girls who reached the regional title mat and two who wrestled for third place in Mt. Zion. Vandalia (96.5) placed third, followed by Mt. Vernon (53) and Cumberland (46) to round out the top five team finishes.
1st place: Springfield Co-op (148)
Senators coach Sean Kenny got individual regional titles from Madison Bradley (17-10 at 120), Ariella Miloncus (19-6 at 130), and Maya Bennett (16-13 at 155). Placing second were Phoenix Criss (105), Reaghan Madura (110), Crishonna Seals (190) and Paighton Bell (235), and Springfield got a third from Meredith Gumz (115) and a fourth-place finish from Lily Walden (125).
2nd place: Glenwood (104)
Glenwood coach Garrad Straube’s Titans advanced six girls to the sectional, in regional champions Kadi Wilbern (27-2 at 105) and second-placers Olivia Jarrett (120), Kenzi Milestone (130), Isabella Resendez (135) and Jenna Tuxhorn (145).
3rd place: Vandalia (96.5)
Vandalia had five sectional qualifiers for coach Jason Clay, led by individual regional champions Sophie Bowers (35-0 at 125), Violet Gray (12-14 at 190), and Gracey Simmons (17-8 at 235), plus second-placer Brynn Swyers (170) and third-placer Amelia Watterson (140).
Individual champions:
Others winning individual titles at Mt. Zion were Mt. Vernon’s Lily Davis (14-7 at 100), Litchfield’s Rilynn Younker (36-10 at 110), Mt. Zion’s Sydney Cannon (7-0 at 115), Carlinville’s Samantha Scott (8-1 at 135), Unity Christian’s Lillien Roughton (9-3 at 140), and Cumberland’s Natalie Beaumont (24-2 at 145) and Summer Nichols (18-2 at 170).
Team scores:
Sprinfield Co-op 148, Glenwood 104, Vandalia 96.5, Mt. Vernon 53, Cumberland 46, Mattoon 41, Mt. Zion 40, Robinson 40, Litchfield 35.5, Jersey 27, Carlinville 26, Hillsboro 26, Unity Christian 24, Charleston 23, Salem 22, Rochester 20, Lawrenceville 18, PORTA 14, North Mac 13, Eisenhower 10
PLACE MATCHES OF SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advanced)
100
1st: Lily Davis (Mt. Vernon) 14-7, d. Ariel Sipes (PORTA) 1-1, (F 0:38)
3rd: Serenity canady (Robinson) 12-12, d. Sophia Mundy (Mattoon) 3-9, (F 3:16)
105
1st: Kadi Wilbern (Glenwood) 27-2, d. Phoenix Criss (Springfield Coop) 12-5, (F 2:58)
3rd: Josselyn Allen (Jerseyville (Jersey) 6-11, d. Anna Osborn (Robinson) 0-17, (F 0:30)
110
1st: Rilynn Younker (Litchfield) 36-10, d. Reaghan Madura (Springfield Coop) 21-6, (F 1:05)
3rd: Carlly Ho (Rochester) 24-8, d. Rylee Rogers (Hillsboro) 9-11, (F 0:33)
115
1st: Sydney Cannon (Mt. Zion) 7-0, d. Delaney Ledbetter (Lawrenceville) 21-8, . (F 1:46)
3rd: Meredith Gumz (Springfield Coop) 16-8, d. Ashley Ronan (North Mac) 14-9, (F 1:01)
120
1st: Madison Springfield Coop) 17-10, d. Olivia Jarrett (Glenwood) 10-11, (F 1:07)
3rd: Morgan Krone-Smallhorn (Charleston) 10-6, d. Deziare Jones (Mt. Vernon) 14-8, (F 0:52)
125
1st: Sophie Bowers (Vandalia) 35-0, d. Leonie Dubson (Mattoon) 12-4, (TF 1:12 (17-1)
3rd: Maryn Tarver (Hillsboro) 6-4, . d. Lily Walden (Springfield Coop) 5-13, (F 0:28)
130
1st: Ariella Miloncus (Springfield Coop) 19-6, d. kenzi Milestone (Glenwood) 24-11, (F 2:00)
3rd: Alena Warren (Eisenhower) 3-8, . d. () , . (Bye)
135
1st: Samantha Scott (Carlinville) 8-1, d. Isabella Resendez (Glenwood) 24-9, (MD 8-0)
3rd: Charlie Bono (Litchfield) 14-24, d. Rachel Richey (Robinson) 11-19, (TF 2:34 (17-0)
140
1st: Lillien Roughton (Unity Christian) 9-3, d. Daniya Musgrave (Mt. Vernon) 18-10, (F 0:37)
3rd: Amelia Watterson (Vandalia) 22-16, d. Alana Finney (Salem) 9-6, (F 1:38)
145
1st: Natalie Beaumont (Cumberland) 24-2, d. Jenna Tuxhorn (Glenwood) 27-2, (Dec 1-0)
3rd: Jessica Toomey (Mt. Zion) 9-2, d. Adrieauna Dodson (Salem) 9-6, (F 1:29)
155
1st: Maya Bennett (Springfield Coop) 16-13, d. Rory Speidel (Jerseyville (Jersey) 20-10, (F 1:11)
3rd: Elsie Dozier (Glenwood) 17-15, d. Macee Hammond (Robinson) 24-12, (M. For.)
170
1st: Summer Nichols (Cumberland) 18-2, d. Brynn Swyers (Vandalia) 26-10, (F 2:44)
3rd: Brooklyn Fuller (Mattoon) 6-4, d. Ariel Clayton (Robinson) 7-5, (F 1:43)
190
1st: Violet Gray (Vandalia) 12-14, d. Crishonna Seals (Springfield Coop) 3-9, (F 1:46)
235
1st: Gracey Simmons (Vandalia) 17-8, d. Paighton Bell (Springfield Coop) 1-8, (F 0:39)
3rd: Olivia Rosine (Charleston) 4-3, (Bye)
Warren girls snare regional crown at Round Lake

By Mike Garofola – for the IWCOA
Warren is now a double-crown winner in the last two weeks with its victory at the Round Lake regional, one week after lifting the championship trophy at the Lake County Invite.
The Blue Devils finished the first day of play with a solid advantage over tourney host Round Lake and New Trier, then on the second day slowly pulled away from the field on their way to amassing 173.0 total points, 54 more than second-place Round Lake and its 119.0
New Trier was third overall (116.5) followed closely by Antioch (114.0) and reigning state champion Lakes Community with its 112.0 points.
“(Team) effort is what led to us winning our regional title,” began a proud Warren coach Nick Grujanac, who will lead eight of his wrestlers into the New Trier Sectional in two weeks.
Round Lake and New Trier advanced four, along with Highland Park and Zion-Benton, while Lakes Community will have five at sectionals.
“The great thing about this team is they all wrestle for each – filling roles and spots where we’ve needed them to do so,” continued Grujanac, who wrestled for Shane Cook at Stevenson, before going on to play football at Wabash College.
“Obviously we were very happy that Erin (Bush) won at 170, it was a really good effort from her to get a big win for herself and the team.
“We also have several first-year wrestlers who have come through for us lately, with the entire team coming through with big-time bonus points, regardless of where they finished in their weight class.”
The Blue Devils would record a tourney-high 23 pins overall, and a whopping 223 total match points to help them secure the first regional title in program history.
It’s important to mention the Panthers tournament staff did a wonderful job of keeping things moving at a constant and steady pace all throughout – which would include an exciting final session on two mats centered in the middle of the gym to allow maximum viewing for the big crowd on hand.
Here are the regional champions and sectional qualifiers from the Round Lake Regional:
100 – Riley Kongkaeow, Round Lake
The wide, ear-to-ear smile said it all for Riley Kongkaeow after the Round Lake star heard the final whistle for her 100-pound final.
“To win a regional title – my first ever – here in our home gym is something I will always remember,” said a thrilled Kongkaeow, who celebrated her 40th win (40-2, 26 pins) on the with a 19-8 major decision victory over talented freshman Leah Stringfellow (22-4) from Glenbrook North.
“I was second here a year ago, so this means so much to me, our program and coaching staff to win a regional title, but the work never stops after this,” added the Panthers junior, a state qualifier last season with a 33-5 record.
This season, Kongkaeow has won at Maine East, Sally Berman, and most recently the Lake County Invite.
Sectional qualifiers Sunny Aitzemkour (New Trier) was third and Ester Migues-Gaytan (Grayslake North) was fourth.
105 – Londyn Lloyd, Antioch
Londyn Lloyd has taken on her 105-pound opponents and not looked back.
The Antioch sophomore, who entered the Lake County Invite a week ago with a 9-10 overall record, would emerge from that tournament with a championship bracket, and proceed to add another terrific two-day effort.
Lloyd (11-10) used an impressive tech fall (4:40) victory over New Trier’s Isabella Castro to claim the biggest prize of the season for the Sequoits’ regional champion.
“I was really beginning to doubt myself after not having a lot of success, but I guess everything would begin to click for me when I decided to just go for it out there with an aggressive, attacking style of wrestling,” said Lloyd, with a big smile.
Off the opening whistle, Lloyd recorded a takedown, then a near-fall just 30 seconds into the contest. She continued to add points along the way before reaching a 16-1 advantage.
“It feels good knowing that hard work can eventually pay off, but I still have a lot of work ahead of me if I want to make it to state,” Lloyd said.
Jasmine Medina (Zion-Benton) was third and Natasha Flores (Warren) placed fourth to become sectional qualifiers.
110 – Lola Bianco, New Trier
New Trier senior Lola Bianco credits two very important persons for her success this season, which has led to back-to-back championship efforts, including a wonderful two days here en route to the first regional title of her career.
Bianco (24-5) would roar past the competition at 115 pounds, including a pin at 3:56 in her final with Haven Sylves from Lakes Community.
“There is no doubt that our new head coach (Andrew Ortman) has provided a real positive impact in our room, and for me. He has really helped me improve with my confidence,” began Bianco, who will wrestle in the fall at Carthage College.
“(Ortman) has been great, but I am also very fortunate to have a teammate like Jillian (Giller) who is someone that has so much wrestling knowledge, and is someone who I can lean on for a variety of things.”
Bianco won at Maine East earlier in the season, then needed just under six minutes to record a trio of pins to capture a CSL title a week ago.
Haven Sylves (Lakes Community) was runner-up, Hanna Lee (Vernon Hills) third, and Bella Esparza (Deerfield) fourth.
115 – Harlee Hiller, Loyola Academy
The big crowd here would be treated to another brilliant performance from Loyola Academy’s Harlee Hiller, who proved once again why she is the top rated 115-pounder in the state, and No. 6 in the most recent national polls.
The senior brushed opponents aside in break-neck speed, needing under three minutes to register a pin and two tech falls to easily win the regional title.
“At this point in the season, my focus is on keeping my fitness and cardio at its highest, staying mentally sharp, dictating the pace in my matches, and above all staying healthy,” said Hiller (20-1) after her tech fall of No. 6 Ireland McCain from Round Lake (40-5), who recently claimed her 100th career victory.
“My technique, pace and fitness is so important to me, but even with that, health is so important and right now I feel so much better than I did last year at this time coming off a dislocated elbow,” recounted Hiller.
That Hiller was able to finish second overall last season to Glenbard North’s Gabby Gomez at 115 speaks volumes of her metal after clearly not being a hundred percent due to her elbow injury.
Hiller was the 2023 105-pound state champion, and third-place state medalist at 105 in 2022.
Sectional qualifiers Aaliyah Vazquez (Warren) was third and Osmairi Medina (Lakes Community) was fourth.
120 – Ariella Dobin, Glenbrook North
Ask Ariella Dobin what provided the motivation for an offseason training regimen that would fuel a long and successful postseason run, and with a twinkle in her eye and a wry smile, the affable Glenbrook North star quickly responds:
“That one-point loss at state last year for third place.”
Dobin, now a dazzling 39-1 on the season, put the finishing touches on her second straight regional title here in Round Lake, and further confirmed her ranking at No. 4 in the state.
“I lost 6-5 in my third place match (to Norah Swaim of Edwardsville) and that was all the inspiration I needed to put more extra time into my training to help me prepare for this year,” said Dobin.
“My confidence is so much better than a year ago, and I am much more aggressive with my attacks and shots, I’ve put a lot of time in and out of the room to become a 12-month wrestler,” added Dobin, following her pin (1:04) of Lake County Invite champion Mary Minogue (9-1) from Libertyville.
Last July, Dobin earned All-American honors after her sixth place finish in 16U freestyle competition.
Alyssa Bentley (Warren) was third and Mirabelle Duboef (Lake Forest) was fourth.
125 – Gianna Arzer, Grayslake Central
Gianna Arzer continues to make her mark on the 125-pound landscape with her clinical finishing, infectious approach to the sport, and terrific technique and ability to pry open her opponents on a consistent basis.
The Grayslake Central junior easily went through to her championship bout, with a trio of pins that would require all but 4:42 minutes, including a pin at 1:41 over junior Karina Lojowski (24-5) from Stevenson.
“There’s always a bit of a challenge when you face an opponent three times in a season, we both know what to expect of each other – but for me – it was all about being confident in with what I do best, and just taking control of the match right from the start,” said Arzer, No. 4 in the state.
The affable Arzer (39-4) admits to having the perfect mentor on her side in former Grayslake Central star and two-time state champion Matty Jens, now wrestling at the University of Wisconsin.
“Matty is like a big brother,” Arzer said. “When he’s home, we train together, and he’s just a huge influence in my approach to wrestling, the mindset I need to be in to compete at a high level, and just someone that I can lean on for just about everything in the sport.”
CSL champion Riley Moore (Highland Park) finished third, and Dylyah Patterson (Antioch) was fourth overall.
130 – Emily Ortiz, Zion-Benton
Zion-Benton’s No. 6 Emily Ortiz (33-5) made quick work of all three of her rivals, pinning her way to earn her second consecutive regional crown.
The Zee-Bees junior used all of 2:43 minutes to dash the hopes of her opponents, much to the delight of head coach Hal Lunsford.
“Emily is showing so much more patience this year,” Lunsford said. “Plus she has improved tremendously with taking more angle shots, which has helped open up her attack, and find other ways to score take-downs.”
“I feel a lot more confident this year compared to last year,” admitted Ortiz who won at the Sally Berman and, more recently, the Lake County Invite where she won an 11-5 decision over Jane Kelly from Warren (35-10). Ortiz put forth another wonderful effort in the final with Kelly, which led to a pin at 1:35.
“Last year I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I feel so much better about all parts of my game, so my goal is to get downstate, and do some great things there,” Ortiz said.
Sectional qualifier CC Brubaker (Deerfield) was third, and Bree Hirsch (Lake Forest) finished fourth.
135- Brianna Perez, Round Lake
The look on the face of Riley Kongkaeow was without equal, but the look of sheer joy on the face of Round Lake’s Brianna Perez after her stunning pin over Alyson Alvarenga to give the home side its second regional crown, and Perez’ first major title was priceless.
Admittedly in trouble in the opening stages of the second period after Alvarenga (21-12) went up 5-3. The Grayslake North junior rode Perez with terrific force and energy, all the while having total control of her both wrists.
“I was in big trouble, and I knew it. She was riding me hard and she was looking to turn me,” recounted Perez, still fighting back the tears of joy after her dramatic ending in this 135-pound final.
Perez (30-14) found a way to execute a reversal to level things at 5-5 with 30 seconds remaining, before a quick move led to putting Alvarenga onto her back.
“Everything happened so fast after my reversal, I knew I had to do my best to finish her off for good, and not go to the third period,” added Perez.
“Last year I lost almost 20 matches, and this year there have been a lot of third, fourth and fifth place finishes, so it feels great right now to win regionals, and in my home gym.”
Elise Kaylor (Lakes Community) finished third and Isabel Hilinski (Stevenson) was fourth.
140 – Jillian Giller, New Trier
The 2024-2025 season has seen Jillian Giller cement herself among the elite in the state at 140, and one whose lethal attack, ability to finish, defend and add points at a rapid pace have taken the New Trier star to another level.
“Jillian is such a student of the sport, her work ethic, and desire to (be) better is what sets her apart from others this season,” said Trevians first-year head coach Andrew Ortman.
“My confidence has never been better (this) year I go into each match expecting to win, which I can attribute to coach Ortman, who is easily the best coach I’ve ever been associated with,” says Giller, following her third-straight pin on the day, this one coming at the expense of Grace Johnson (35-6) from Zion-Benton.
“(Ortman) brings a real presence into the room, he pays so much attention to the little things and (from) the notes he takes, we go ‘live’ (then) to work on the little things, and that has really made me a better wrestler, as well as the rest of the girls,” continued the Trevians senior, who was a state qualifier a year ago with a 33-6 overall record.
The No. 4 rated Giller (42-1), who recently collected her 100th career victory on Senior Night, will wrestle in the fall at Illinois Wesleyan.
Miranda Tellez (Grayslake Central) was third and Sasha Johnson (Antioch) was fourth overall.
145- Naomi Foote, Zion-Benton
In another intense Naomi Foote-Kennedy Murray 145-pound final Saturday, it would be No. 2 Foote from Zion-Benton claiming a third hard-fought victory over her terrific opponent from Evanston.
Twice before these two combatants played it close to the vest with Foote holding off the CSL champion each time, the most recent with a 4-0 decision in the Sally Berman final.
Foote-Murray III would be no different.
After a scoreless opening period, Murray (23-4) would choose down, which allowed Foote (34-1) to ride her talented opponent for two hard minutes.
Foote would begin the third period on bottom, from which she escaped, the record a well-l executed takedown with 30 seconds from time that proved enough in a 4-0 triumph.
“(Murray) is athletic, and long, Naomi can match her length, but was smart and composed, and never got frustrated when Murray did not want to get into a high scoring match,” said Z-B head coach Hal Lunsford.
“All of our matches have been the same way, she is difficult to get in on, and she is really defensive, so I’ve had to learn to be patient and just take what is there, and not (to) force anything,” opined Foote, who was a 2024 state qualifier with a 39-11 overall record.
Christina Hasner (Lakes Community) finished third and Tyanna Jackson (Warren) took fourth.
155- Dana Holt, Highland Park
Dana Holt would take little time to establish who the favorite would be in this weight class, opening with a pin, followed by another in less than 35 seconds to send the Highland Park sophomore into the 155-pound final against Lake County Invite runner-up Ashley Fugelseth from Warren, where she won with a fall in 1:20.
“Last year I really did not have much success, so since I didn’t want to have another year like (that) I just worked my butt off during the offseason, and now I see how all of that work is beginning to pay off,” said Holt, now 24-3 overall, with 16 of her 20 pins coming in the first period.
“Dana has put more work in a year into this sport than any athlete I’ve directly coached,” begins Giants head coach Kaleb Carter.
“She sustained a freak injury last season at a competition in Evanston (which) forced her to miss the CSL tourney, and the postseason, but she has been driven for over a year by that inability to finish last season.”
“Her effort(s) in the weight room have put her physically in a place that is hard to match up to, and there are few girls who are more committed to making themselves better than her.”
Mma Akela (Loyola Academy) finished third and Natalie Rumpel (Deerfield) was fourth.
170- Erin Bush, Warren
The sweet smell of success has encaptured Erin Bush to the point where the Warren sophomore is ready to enjoy plenty more in the weeks ahead.
Bush has spent little time on the mats during the last two weekends, just under 6 1/2 minutes to be exact, during that time she has outmatched her competition.
Most recently at the Lake County Invite where she pinned her way to victory, and again, here in Round Lake where a trio of pins in 3:52, Bush (30-7) claimed her first regional title of her career.
“I’m having a good time right now, and I feel like it will continue this way for the next couple of weeks,” said the Blue Devils star, who has recorded six pins in the last two weekends to help her club carry off the team trophy.
“I feel like I am one of the hardest workers around, and all of that hard work is beginning to pay off,” continued Bush, who has an extensive background in the sport of judo.
Bush needed just 1:18 to pin top-seed Julissa Az from Mather (29-5) in the final, after a pin at 1:55 over Nancy Licona from Round Lake in the semifinals. Bush defeated Licona in her Lake County Invite final.
Dorothy Perez (Highland Park) beat Licona for third place.
190 – Josie Larson, Lakes Community
Josie Larson was just being Josie Larson, according to Lake Community head coach Mark Stave.
“Josie is Josie,” begins Stave. “She is a great teammate, great leader, and a really great wrestler.”
The top rated 190-pounder in the state, who also happens to be No. 2 in the nation, cut a swath through her bracket on her way to her regional title. She won by fall in 0:54 over Josie Blau of Antioch in the 190 title match.
Larson claimed second place at 190 in the 2024 IHSA Finals to Zion-Benton’s ILeen Castrejon after taking fifth at 190 in 2023.
“It’s all about working hard, being humble and using your time wisely in order to stay sharp, fit and doing all the little things in order to be prepared for each opponent you face,” said Larson, now 22-0 on the season, with 22 first-period pins.
“Being No. 1 in the state, and No. 2 in the country means nothing, what’s important is to respect each opponent, and to be prepared for each one that I face.”
Lexi Rosenthal (Highland Park) took third and Fatima Gomez (Evanston) was fourth.
235- Allison Poole, Grayslake North
If there were an eight day week, Allison Poole would find a way to fill that extra day with an activity or organization to belong to.
Luckily for Grayslake North wrestling, the sophomore can find the time to shine as the Lady Knights’ 235-pounder.
The sophomore pinned her way to her first regional crown, and second in program history after Quinna Sheets did so here a year ago. She captured the 235 title with a pin in 1:17 over Rim Ayouchi of Taft.
“I did okay last season, but I realized if I want to be better (there) was a lot of work that I needed to (do) in order to compete at a higher level,” said Poole, now 22-7.
Poole, who won a Lake County Invite title last weekend, began to train with Josie Larson at her club, and the time spent with the Lakes Community star has paid immediate dividends.
How Poole is able to do what she does is quite amazing in that she throws (shot put, discus) for her track and field team, is on the debate team, drumline, Boy Scouts, and several other activities too long to mention.
Jereni Marshall (Evanston) placed third and Kaylee Farias (Warren) finished fourth.
Place matches for the Round Lake Regional
100
1st: Riley Kongkaeow (Round Lake) 40-2, Jr. over Leah Stringfellow (Glenbrook N) 22-4, Fr. (MD 19-8)
3rd: Sunny Aitzemkour (New Trier) 21-13, So. over Ester Migues-Gaytan (Grayslake N) 21-13, So. (F 4:37)
105
1st: Londyn Lloyd (Antioch) 11-10, So. over Isabella Castro (New Trier) 18-15, So. (TF-1.5 4:40 (16-1)
3rd: Jasmine Medina (Z.-Benton) 19-10, Fr. over Natasha Flores (Warren) 11-18, So. (F 2:33)
110
1st: Lola Bianco (New Trier) 24-5, Sr. over Haven Sylves (Lakes) 15-8, Sr. (F 3:56)
3rd: Hanna Lee (Vernon Hills) 21-8, Jr. over Bella Esparza (Deerfield) 14-11, Jr. (F 1:01)
115
1st: Harlee Hiller (Loyola Academy) 20-1, Sr. over Ireland McCain (Round Lake) 40-5, Sr. (TF-1.5 1:09 (20-5)
3rd: Aaliyah Vazquez (Warren) 28-8, So. over Osmairi Medina (Lakes) 22-16, So. (F 1:12)
120
1st: Ariella Dobin (Glenbrook N) 39-1, So. over Mary Minogue (Libertyville) 9-1, So. (F 1:04)
3rd: Alyssa Bentley (Warren) 33-11, Sr. over Mirabelle Duboeuf (Lake Forest) 15-12, So. (F 1:33)
125
1st: Gianna Arzer (Grayslake (Central) 39-4, Jr. over Karina Lojowski (Stevenson) 24-5, Jr. (F 1:41)
3rd: Riley Moore (Highland Park) 21-7, So. over Dylylah Patterson (Antioch) 20-14, So. (TF-1.5 2:33 (17-1)
130
1st: Emily Ortiz (Z.-Benton) 33-5, Jr. over Jane Kelly (Warren) 35-10, Jr. (F 1:35)
3rd: CC Brubaker (Deerfield) 15-8, Sr. over Bree Hirsch (Lake Forest) 29-13, . (F 4:43)
135
1st: Brianna Perez (Round Lake) 30-14, Sr. over Alyson Alvarenga (Grayslake N) 21-12, Jr. (F 3:36)
3rd: Elise Kaylor (Lakes) 21-11, So. over Isabel Hilinski (Stevenson) 12-14, Fr. (F 2:21)
140
1st: Jillian Giller (New Trier) 42-1, Sr. over Grace Johnson (Z.-Benton) 35-6, Sr. (F 1:55)
3rd: Miranda Tellez (Grayslake (Central) 23-13, Fr. over Sasha Johnson (Antioch) 19-19, So. (F 5:53)
145
1st: Naomi Foote (Z.-Benton) 34-1, Sr. over Kennedy Murray (Evanston) 23-4, Sr. (Dec 4-0)
3rd: Christina Hasner (Lakes) 29-13, Jr. over Tyanna Jackson (Warren) 17-7, Fr. (Dec 3-2)
155
1st: Dana Holt (Highland Park) 24-3, So. over Ashley Fugelseth (Warren) 23-16, Sr. (F 1:20)
3rd: Mma Akela (Loyola Academy) 11-4, Jr. over Natalie Rumpel (Deerfield) 15-9, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:15 (20-3)
170
1st: Erin Bush (Warren) 30-7, So. over Julissa Az (Mather) 29-5, Jr. (F 1:18)
3rd: Dorothy Perez (Highland Park) 15-7, Jr. over Nancy Licona (Round Lake) 12-6, Fr. (F 5:53)
190
1st: Josephine Larson (Lakes) 22-0, Sr. over Josie Blau (Antioch) 21-17, Fr. (F 0:54)
3rd: Lexi Rosenthal (Highland Park) 15-5, So. over Fatima Gomez (Evanston) 12-14, Jr. (F 2:48)
235
1st: Allison Poole (Grayslake N) 22-7, So. over Rim Ayouchi (Taft) 2-1, . (F 1:17)
3rd: Jereni Marshall (Evanston) 10-10, Sr. over Kaylee Farias (Warren) 20-14, Sr. (F 2:37)
Team scores
1 Warren 173.0, 2. Round Lake 119.0, 3. New Trier 116.5, 4. Antioch 114.0, 5. Lakes Community 112.0, 6. Zion-Benton 102.0, 7. Highland Park 82.5, 8. Evanston 69.0, 9. Grayslake North 68.0, 9. Stevenson 68.0, 11. Deerfield 63.0, 12. Glenbrook North 54.0, 13. Loyola Academy 52.0, 14. Grayslake Central 50.0, 15. Taft 48.0, 16. Mather 46.0, 17. Vernon Hills 40.0, 18. Lake Forest 31.5, 19. Libertyville 25.0, 20. Mundelein 20.0, 21. Niles West 12.0, 22. Waukegan 10.0, 23. Niles North 6.0, 24. Carmel Catholic, Glenbrook South, North Chicago 0.0.
Boys roundup: Western Big 6, South 7, Southland, NIC-10, CPL, Chicagoland Prairie

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA
WESTERN BIG 6
This year’s Western Big 6 tournament at Sterling was the last for long-time Geneseo coach and IWCOA Hall of Famer Jon Murray, who is stepping aside after the current season after 24 years as the Maple Leafs head coach.
Murray’s boys made it count, posting 240 team points to win the tournament and send their coach off in style.
“It was nice to regain the WB6 title and end my head coaching career on top of the conference,” Murray said.
Murray guided his program to second-place finishes in the Illinois 2A dual team state finals in 2013 and 2014, and a fourth-place finish in 2023. He was named Illinois 2A Coach of the Year by the IWCOA in 2013 and inducted into the IWCOA Hall of Fame in 2023.
The veteran coach will miss it when he’s gone but feels good about the program he’s leaving behind.
“Coaching has given me the opportunity to establish great relationships with not only the wrestlers over the years, but my co-coaches, local community members, and the wrestling community all throughout Illinois,” Murray said. “I do feel the time is right, however. Turns out I’m not getting any younger while at the same time I feel confident the program will be in good hands. A few of our assistant coaches, any of which would make a great head coach, will be applying for the position. And they will be taking over with plenty of great kids coming up the ranks.”
Fifth-ranked 2A Geneseo had five individual conference champions Saturday, five second-place finishers, and three thirds. Quincy (190) placed second, followed by Moline (108.5), Rock Island (106.5), Sterling (100.5), Galesburg (83.5), United (59) and Alleman (15.5).
1st place: Geneseo (240)
Coach Jon Murray’s Maple Leafs got tournament titles from Tim Sebastian (126), Malaki Jackson (150), Zachary Montez (165), Kye Weinzieri (175) and Colten Mooney (215), plus runner-up finishes from Brycen Fahnestock (106), Landen Vincent (120), Devan Hornback (138), Aaron Betcher (190) and Owen King (285), and thirds from Kie Smith (132), Lincoln Barnett (144) and Grady Hull (157).
2nd place: Quincy (190)
The Blue Devils got a trio of individual conference titles from Clayton McClelland (113), Cooper Kamm (138) and King Johnson (285), seconds from Cale Mixer (144), Eli Roberts (150) and Brody Baker (157), thirds from Griffin Finch (106), Wyatt Boeing (126), Gunnar Derhake (165) and Alex Wells (190), and fourths from Derik Lohmeyer (120) and Evan Wakefield (132).
3rd place: Moline (108.5)
The Maroons got second-place finishes from David McDermott (113), Housseyn Ndiaye (132) and DeAnthony Simpson (175), thirds from Collin Ledbetter (120) and Alijah Martin (215), and fourths from Ian Milligan (106), Jaxson Soliz (165) and Stanlee Golden (190).
Individual champions:
Others winning Western Big 6 titles were Rock Island’s Angelo Parker (106), Merrick Stockwell (120), Antonio Parker (144) and Rowan Stockwell (190), Sterling’s Zyan Westbrook (132), and United’s Kayden Marolf (157).
Individual leaders:
Sterling’s Gage Tate posted the most pins (3) in the least time (5:53), and teammate Evan Jones had the fastest F, at 13 seconds. Moline’s Collin Ledbetter had the most tech Fs (2) in the least time (6:05) and teammate Jaxson Soliz posted the fastest tech F, at 2:00.
Quincy’s Cooper Kamm and Geneseo’s Colten Mooney tied for the most team point scored, with 24, and United’s Ramadane Gani scored the most single match points with 25. Moline’s Stanlee Golden scored the most total match points with 50, and Geneseo’s Kie Smith provided the largest seed-place difference as the No. 8 seed finished third at 132 pounds.
WESTERN BIG 6 TOURNAMENT RESULTS:
106
1st: Angelo Parker (Rock Island) 26-11, d. Brycen Fahnestock (Geneseo) 16-19, (MD 12-4)
3rd: Griffin Finch (Quincy) 17-22, d. Ian Milligan (Moline) 6-5, (F 1:12)
113
1st: Clayton McClelland (Quincy) 29-14, d. David McDermott (Moline) 12-11, (F 1:23)
3rd: Tennyson Hampton (Alleman) 28-7, d. Landon Henson (United) 2-2, (Inj. 2:21)
120
1st: Merrick Stockwell (Rock Island) 23-9, d. Landen Vincent (Geneseo) 19-7, (D 1-0)
3rd: Collin Ledbetter (Moline) 26-13, d. Derik Lohmeyer (Quincy) 23-19, (D 13-6)
126
1st: Tim Sebastian (Geneseo) 24-15, d. Cael Lyons (Sterling) 26-8, (F 1:41)
3rd: Wyatt Boeing (Quincy) 27-13, d. Maricio Parker (Rock Island) 21-15, (D 15-10)
132
1st: Zyan Westbrook (Sterling) 29-2, d. Housseyn Ndiaye (Moline) 16-9, (F 3:06)
3rd: Kie Smith (Geneseo) 12-6, d. Evan Wakefield (Quincy) 24-17, (F 2:55)
138
1st: Cooper Kamm (Quincy) 28-15, d. Devan Hornback (Geneseo) 32-6, (F 3:34)
3rd: Orlando Castellano (Galesburg) 28-13, d. Xavier Marolf (United) 2-2, (MD 20-9)
144
1st: Antonio Parker (Rock Island) 34-4, d. Cale Mixer (Quincy) 22-15, (F 2:45)
3rd: Lincoln Barnett (Geneseo) 17-16, d. Caleb Johnson (Galesburg) 23-14, (D 14-11)
150
1st: Malaki Jackson (Geneseo) 22-5, d. Eli Roberts (Quincy) 23-11, (MD 10-2)
3rd: Josiah Carter (Galesburg) 32-8, d. Ramadane Gani (United) 1-2, (TF 4:04 (18-3)
157
1st: Kayden Marolf (United) 3-0, d. Brody Baker (Quincy) 21-10, (D 9-2)
3rd: Grady Hull (Geneseo) 30-7, d. Tatum Allen (Sterling) 24-13, (D 7-0)
165
1st: Zachary Montez (Geneseo) 33-0, d. Anthony Makwala (Galesburg) 33-4, (TF 3:37 (20-4)
3rd: Gunnar Derhake (Quincy) 30-12, d. Jaxson Soliz (Moline) 24-18, (F 2:33)
175
1st: Kye Weinzierl (Geneseo) 34-2, d. DeAnthony Simpson (Moline) 29-11, (F 1:04)
3rd: Gage Tate (Sterling) 21-5, d. Mason Taylor (Galesburg) 29-14, (F 3:46)
190
1st: Rowan Stockwell (Rock Island) 24-11, d. Aaron Betcher (Geneseo) 13-7, (MD 12-2)
3rd: Alex Wells (Quincy) 25-19, d. Stanlee Golden (Moline) 4-2, (F 3:58)
215
1st: Colten Mooney (Geneseo) 28-11, d. Charlie Reyes (Sterling) 6-5, (F 3:05)
3rd: Alijah Martin (Moline) 16-18, d. Davis H-Akue (United) 2-2, (D 15-8)
285
1st: King Johnson (Quincy) 29-14, d. Owen King (Geneseo) 20-3, (TB-1 6-2)
3rd: Larry Randolph (Galesburg) 30-10, d. Oswaldo Navarro (Sterling) 14-9, (F 4:23)

SOUTH 7 CONFERENCE DUALS
Marion repeated as South 7 champions for coach Darren Lindsey, sweeping its four duals at host Centralia. The Wildcats won 66-18 over Centralia, 65-12 over Cahokia, 57-18 over Mt. Vernon and 50-30 over Carbondale in improving to 26-4 in dual meets this season.
Going a perfect 4-0 on the day for the Wildcats were Riddick Cook (120), Max Wade (126), Caden Fry (150), Justin Murphy (157), Grayson Sanders (175), Evan Francis (190) and Bryan Madinger (215). Winning three matches for Lindsey were Rigdon Meacham (113), Jaycen McBride (138), and Tate Miller (165).
“Winning conference was one of our team goals,” Lindsey said. “We knew we’d have a solid dual team full of experienced wrestlers, with a few holes, but I never thought they’d be as successful as they’ve been to this point.”
Carbondale was the lone team to come within 20 points of the South 7 champs. Carbondale went 3-1 on the day to place second, winning 59-21 over Centralia, 61-18 over Mt. Vernon, and 63-18 over Cahokia. Mt. Vernon went 2-2 to finish third, followed by Centralia and Cahokia.
1st place dual:
Marion 50, Carbondale 30
157 – Justin Murphy (Marion) over Tyshawn Welch (Carbondale) Maj 14-5
165 – Thomas Imboden (Carbondale) over Tate Miller (Marion) F 3:36
175 – Grayson Sanders (Marion) over Max Epplin (Carbondale) TF 24-6
190 – Evan Francis (Marion) over Dakari Westley (Carbondale) F 0:27
215 – Bryan Madinger (Marion) over Connor Daly (Carbondale) F 4:26
285 – Jordyn Lomax-Brown (Carbondale) over Logan Black (Marion) F 0:47
106 – Dajuan Anderson (Carbondale) over (Unattached) Forf
113 – Rigdon Meacham (Marion) over Ian Holzmueller (Carbondale) F 2:19
120 – Riddick Cook (Marion) over Bradley O`dell (Carbondale) F 1:06
126 – Max Wade (Marion) over Ayden Swan (Carbondale) F 2:00
132 – Jon Oliver (Carbondale) over Juelz Elliott (Marion) F 0:32
138 – Jaycen McBride (Marion) over Xavier Toliver-Cook (Carbondale) F 0:00
144 – Joe Prideaux (Carbondale) over Nate Page (Marion) F 4:33
150 – Caden Frey (Marion) over Jon Martin (Carbondale) F 1:56
Marion’s team score was adjusted by -1.0 for unsportsmanlike 165
3rd place dual:
Mt. Vernon 48, Centralia 36
157 – Savion Williams (Mt. Vernon) over Jarred Evans (Centralia) F 1:33
165 – Esaias Jefferson (Mt. Vernon) over Joseph Hutton (Centralia) F 2:15
175 – Reed Nichols (Centralia) over (Unattached) Forf
190 – Hunter Nichols (Centralia) over (Unattached) Forf
215 – Titan Whitfield (Mt. Vernon) over Emmanuel Alvira (Centralia) F 0:13
285 – Bradey Starr (Centralia) over Justin Zuchowski (Mt. Vernon) F 0:11
106 – Brylan Guthrie (Centralia) over (Unattached) Forf
113 – Jack Clark (Mt. Vernon) over (Unattached) Forf
120 – Franc Jackson (Mt. Vernon) over Mason Smith-Marcum (Centralia) F 2:49
126 – Lucas Ashlock (Centralia) over Draven VanAvery (Mt. Vernon) F 2:50
132 – Cameron Haake (Centralia) over Silas Stachyra (Mt. Vernon) F 1:07
138 – Gavin Pedigo (Mt. Vernon) over Matix Martinez (Centralia) F 0:43
144 – Aidan Barton (Mt. Vernon) over (Unattached) Forf
150 – Dillon White (Mt. Vernon) over Cooper Green (Centralia) F 1:20

SOUTHLAND ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Rich Township snared its third consecutive Southland Athletic Conference tournament crown, winning 155-139.5 over second-place Crete-Monee at host Bloom in Sauk Village, followed by Bloom (127.5), Kankakee (74.5) and Thornton (68).
Rich Township coach Alex Pell got individual SAC titles from Dominic Morton (106), Raekwon Lindsay (113), Kyrin King (120), Sean Johnson (132), and Tristin King (144), seconds from Caleeb Jones (126), Alphonso Clark (138), Torian Collins (150), and Kelcey Span (190), a third from Emmanuel Gyan (215), and fourths from Kamron Montgomery (157), Jose Rodriguez (165), and Nicholas Parker (175).
“The team has worked hard this season to grow and develop into competitive wrestlers, and it showed that our team is peaking at the right time,” Pell said. “We had multiple wrestlers step up and wrestle their best matches of the season and fought hard to help us win. I look forward to seeing how they perform this weekend at our regional event.”
Second-place Crete-Monee got individual titles from Jaylene Johnson (165), Kijuan Springfield (175) and Malaki Scott (215), and third-place Bloom Township got titles from Jonathan Ivy (150), Tristan Duhem (157) and George Range (285).
Individual champions:
Others winning individual SAC titles were Kankakee’s Aidan Fields (126) and Jacob Vinardi (190), and Thornton’s Emmanuel Adedeji (138).
Individual leaders:
Thornton’s Emmanuel Adedeji had the most pins (4) in the least time (4:10), and posted the fastest pin at 2 seconds. Kankakee’s Jakil Whalum had the most tech Fs (2) in the least time (10:05) and Bloom’s Amerie Brown had the fastest tech F, at 1:22.
Thornton’s Adedeji and Crete-Monee’s Kijuan Springfield tied for the most team points scored, with 20, Rich Township’s Caleeb Jones had the most single-match points with 25, and Kankakee’s Whalum earned the most total match points with 55.
SOUTHLAND ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PLACERS
106 – 1st: Dominic Morton of Richton Park (Rich Township), 2nd: Angel Mojica of Crete (C.-Monee), 3rd: Lilly O`Brien of Bloom
113 – 1st: Raekwon Lindsay of Richton Park (Rich Township), 2nd: Joseph Mendez of Chicago Heights (Bloom Twp.), 3rd: Aiden Roop of Crete (C.-Monee), 4th: Aurthor Schweitzer of Harvey (Thornton)
120 – 1st: Kyrin King of Richton Park (Rich Township), 2nd: Jayden Stovall of Crete (C.-Monee)
126 – 1st: Aidan Fields of Kankakee, 2nd: Caleeb Jones of Richton Park (Rich Township)
3rd: Brandon Bastida of Bloom, 4th: Jordan Kirkpatrick of Crete (C.-Monee), 5th: Jaylen Smith of Harvey (Thornton)
132 – 1st: Sean Johnson of Richton Park (Rich Township), 2nd: Jakil Whalum of Kankakee, 3rd: Arryck Dowdy of Bloom, 4th: Drew Sanders of Harvey (Thornton), 5th: Kejuan Hawkins of Crete (C.-Monee)
138 – 1st: Emmanuel Adedeji of Harvey (Thornton), 2nd: Alphonso Clark of Richton Park (Rich Township), 3rd: Kamron Harris of Crete (C.-Monee), 4th: Cameron Davenport of Bloom, 5th: Deonte Theus of Kankakee
144 – 1st: Tristin King of Richton Park (Rich Township), 2nd: Gerard Fleming of Crete (C.-Monee), 3rd: Julio Bastida of Bloom, 4th: Christian Cossia of Harvey (Thornton), 5th: Sighel Lewis of Kankakee
150 – 1st: Jonathan Ivy of Bloom, 2nd: Torian Collins of Richton Park (Rich Township), 3rd: Jason Adams of Crete (C.-Monee), 4th: Jayden Blogg of Kankakee
157 – 1st: Tristan Duhem of Bloom, 2nd: Tykhary James of Harvey (Thornton), 3rd: Jarele Johnson of Crete (C.-Monee), 4th: Kamron Montgomery of Richton Park (Rich Township)
165 – 1st: Jaylene Johnson of Crete (C.-Monee), 2nd: Quenton Mingo of Harvey (Thornton), 3rd: Amerie Brown of Bloom, 4th: Jose Rodriguez of Richton Park (Rich Township)
175 – 1st: Kijuan Springfield of Crete (C.-Monee), 2nd: Charles Hill of Kankakee, 3rd: Jeremy Burnett of Bloom, 4th: Nicholas Parker of Richton Park (Rich Township), 5th: Oscar Cruz of Harvey (Thornton)
190 – 1st: Jacob Vinardi of Kankakee, 2nd: Kelcey Span of Richton Park (Rich Township), 3rd: D`Andre Cotton of Bloom, 4th: Jyishon Hudson of Crete (C.-Monee)
215 – 1st: Malakai Scott of Crete (C.-Monee), 2nd: Vincent Marshall of Harvey (Thornton), 3rd: Emmanuel Gyan of Richton Park (Rich Township), 4th: Jabarie Brown of Bloom
285 – 1st: George Range of Bloom, 2nd: Dominic Jackson of Crete (C.-Monee), 3rd: Rogelio Cornejo of Kankakee, 4th: DeJon Williams of Harvey (Thornton)

NIC-10 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
Hononegah ran away with the team title at this year’s NIC-10 tournament, posting 282.5 team points and sending 11 conference champions to the podium. Coach Tyler DeMoss also got one third, one fourth, and one fifth-place finisher.
Harlem (135.5) placed second, followed by Freeport (130), Rockford East (123.5) and Belvidere North (93.5) to round out the top five team finishes.
1st place: Hononegah (282.5)
DeMoss got individual titles from Kristian DeClecq (31-10 at 106), Isaiah Martinez (19-10 at 113), Jackson Olson (38-7 at 120), Rocco Cassioppi (38-2 at 126), Evan Musil (32-13 at 132), TJ Silva (34-3 at 144), Bruno Cassioppi (5-0 at 150), Max Haskins (37-8 at 157), Brody Sendele (11-1 at 165), Connor Diemel (38-5 at 175) and Kurt Smith (39-4 at 190). Hononegah also got a third from Ethan Ballard (215), a fourth from Ronan Quimby (138), and a fifth from Luke Petravicz (285).
2nd place: Harlem (135.5)
Harlem got an individual title from Chandler Jack (285), seconds from Jaydee Doke (120) and Owen Recoy (138), thirds from Izayah Olejniczak (132) and Preston Fadness (150), and fourths from Ryne Sauberlich (106), Michael Melenas (113), Andre Jones (175) and Cully Nelson (215).
3rd place: Freeport (130)
Freeport got an individual title from Israel Goodman (215), seconds from Thomas Olson (126) and Kyle Clem (175), thirds from Treyden Diduch (106), Maddox Olson (165), Michael Tillmon (190) and Kareem Odeh (285), and a fourth from Blake Slusser (144).
Rockford East’s Donald Cannon (25-3 at 138) also won an individual conference title.
Team scores:
Hononegah 282.5, Harlem 135.5, Freeport 130, Rockford East 123.5, Belvidere North 93.5, Guilford 64, Belvidere 54.5, Auburn 53, Jefferson 23, Boylan Catholic 10
Individual leaders:
Hononegah’s Rocco Cassioppi had the most pins (3) in the least time (2:25), while Rockford East’s Eddie Esguerra posted the fastest F, at 16 seconds. Harlem’s Preston Fadness had the most Fs (2) in the least time (3:29) and Hononegah’s Kurt Smith had the fastest tech F, in 1:08.
Hononegah’s Jackson Olson, teammate Rocco Cassioppi, and Freeport’s Israel Goodman tied for the most team points scored (24), Rockford East’s Ty Smart scored the most single match points with 23, and Belvidere North’s Bryson Teunissen scored the most total match points with 66.
Auburn’s Jaxon Olivencia provided the largest seed-place difference in the tournament, as the No. 7 seed placed third at 175 pounds.
NIC-10 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT RESULTS
106
1st: Kristian Dlercq (Hononegah) 31-10, d. Dominic Angileri (Guilford) 14-2, (D 8-4)
3rd: Treyden Diduch (Freeport) 29-5, d. Ryne Sauberlich (Harlem) 9-7, (F 0:37)
113
1st: Isaiah Martinez (Hononegah) 19-10, d. Tyrone Sims (Rockford (Auburn) 18-3, (MD 12-3)
3rd: Moises Maronez (Belvidere N) 22-15, d. Micheal Melenas (Harlem) 6-10, (F 3:05)
5th: Lucas Molina (Guilford) 8-11, d. Tyler Gentry (Rockford E) 20-18, (F 5:19)
120
1st: Jackson Olson (Hononegah) 38-7, d. Jaydee Doke (Harlem) 20-11, (F 0:55)
3rd: Aiden Nebiu (Belvidere N) 24-18, d. Amair Johnson (Jefferson) 9-8, (D 9-4)
5th: Braylon Cain (Freeport) 11-9, d. Alex Keopila (Rockford E) 2-11, (F 1:23)
126
1st: Rocco Cassioppi (Hononegah) 38-2, d. Thomas Olson (Freeport) 32-12, (F 0:29)
3rd: Bryson Teunissen (Belvidere N) 23-7, d. Victor Onofre (Rockford E) 17-12, (MD 19-5)
5th: Nathan Corder (Harlem) 13-9, d. Mecose Johnson (Jefferson) 14-10, (F 3:58)
132
1st: Evan Musil (Hononegah) 32-13, d. Geren Stapleton (Belvidere N) 14-4, (MD 10-0)
3rd: Izayah Olejniczak (Harlem) 18-9, d. Chris Burgos (Rockford E) 16-16, (D 11-7)
5th: Brodin Slabaugh (Boylan) 12-15, d. Jaylen Lowe (Freeport) 8-13, (TF 2:38 (18-2)
138
1st: Donald Cannon (Rockford E) 25-3, d. OWEN RECOY (Harlem) 15-7, (TF 4:47 (22-1)
3rd: Ayden Macklin (Guilford) 14-6, d. Ronan Quimby (Hononegah) 9-19, (F 0:39)
5th: Antonio Flood (Jefferson) 7-4, d. Guillermo Ortiz (Freeport) 7-15, (F 4:23)
144
1st: Thomas Silva (Hononegah) 34-3, d. Dominick Girardin (Belvidere N) 28-10, (TF 2:37 (18-1)
3rd: Landon VanAcker (Belvidere) 17-6, d. Blake Slusser (Freeport) 30-15, (F 3:29)
5th: Gavin Warner (Harlem) 14-12, d. Xavier Fleming (Rockford E) 7-9, (F 1:30)
150
1st: Bruno Cassioppi (Hononegah) 5-0, d. Dana Wickson (Rockford E) 28-5, (TF 3:45 (20-3)
3rd: Preston Fadness (Harlem) 19-9, d. Arshoun Island (Rockford (Auburn) 12-6, (D 11-8)
5th: Braeden Leftwich (Guilford) 12-16, d. Michael Blomberg (Boylan) 1-19, (Inj. 0:00)
157
1st: Max Haskins (Hononegah) 37-8, d. Ty Smart (Rockford E) 32-10, (MD 15-4)
3rd: Mario Beasley (Belvidere) 10-2, d. Mar`quarius Suggs (Guilford) 11-10, (F 1:28)
5th: Mathias Rada (Freeport) 11-8, d. DYLAN GOODALL (Harlem) 6-6, (MD 9-1)
165
1st: Brody Sendele (Hononegah) 11-1, d. Andrew Bucci (Belvidere N) 25-10, (TF 2:39 (15-0)
3rd: Maddox Olson (Freeport) 30-10, d. Dardan Jakupi (Rockford (Auburn) 6-10, (F 1:46)
5th: Arturo Alvarez (Belvidere) 9-8, d. Damion Stevenson (Rockford E) 4-14, (F 4:35)
175
1st: Connor Diemel (Hononegah) 38-5, d. Kyle Clem (Freeport) 27-10, (TF 1:50 (19-4)
3rd: Jaxon Olivencia (Rockford (Auburn) 8-9, d. Andre Jones (Harlem) 8-5, (F 3:15)
5th: David Hendrickson (Belvidere) 5-8, d. Tylen Michel (Guilford) 5-10, (F 2:15)
190
1st: Kurt Smith (Hononegah) 39-4, d. Kane Phommarath (Guilford) 11-5, (TF 1:08 (15-0)
3rd: Michael Tillmon (Freeport) 26-18, d. Ismail Bilolo (Rockford E) 18-13, (D 9-7)
5th: Eyzaiah Campos Blanks (Boylan) 12-14, d. Devin Williamson (Jefferson) 0-7, (F 2:20)
215
1st: Israel Goodman (Freeport) 36-8, d. Etungano Kakozi (Rockford E) 27-16, (F 0:41)
3rd: Ethan Ballard (Hononegah) 16-18, d. Cully Nelson (Harlem) 15-12, (F 0:40)
5th: Sam Reed (Belvidere N) 8-24, d. Teh Reh (Guilford) 8-18, (MD 13-3)
285
1st: Chandler Jack (Harlem) 26-7, d. Eddie Esguerra (Rockford E) 26-14, (F 3:42)
3rd: Kareem Odeh (Freeport) 14-6, d. Manny Pizano (Belvidere) 10-9, (D 6-0)
5th: Luke Petravicz (Hononegah) 11-21, d. Antonio Osorio-Pasillas (Jefferson) 12-7, (F 0:57)
CHICAGO PUBLIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Lane Tech dominated the field at this year’s Chicago Public League Championships, posting 296.5 points thanks to five individual CPL titles, and 11 wrestlers finishing in the top six of their weight classes.
Kenwood (145.5) placed second, followed by Hancock (139.5), Little Village (122.5) and Taft (112) to round out the top five team finishes in the 53-team field. Agricultural Science (110.5) placed sixth, Goode STEM Academy (103) was seventh, Kennedy (91.5) took eighth, Curie (85.5) was ninth and Mather (84.5) placed 10th.
Lane got individual varsity titles from Jeremiah Arroyo-McMullan (106), Alex Valentin (132), Abbas Abdulamir (138), Nasser Hammouche (157), and Vernon Cole (165), thirds from Eyob Abebe (175) and Adrian Meza (285), fifths from Jose Curiel (113) and Joaquin Curiel (113), and sixths from Cole Calace (150) and Maddox Bartoli (190).
Individual champions:
Other CPL champs were Taft’s Bernardo Roque (113) and Evan Jocic (215), Kennedy’s Victor Alvarado (120), Little Village’s Jovanni Harris (126), Hubbard’s Fabian Salazar (144), Goode STEM Academy’s Xavier Woods (150), Hancock’s Malaki Davis (175), Horizon/Southwest Chicago’s Sami Marrero (190), and Kenwood’s Dameon Norman (285).
Team scores (top 25):
Lane Tech 296.5, Kenwood 145.5, Hancock 139.5, Little Village 122.5, Taft 112, Agricultural Science 110.5, Goode STEM Academy 103, Kennedy 91.5, Curie 85.5, Mather 84.5, Senn 81, Amundsen 79, Kelly 74, Phoenix Military Academy 70.5, South Shore International 70, Lindblom 58, Morgan Park 50, Sullivan 50, Schurz 47, Back of the Yards 46, Clark 45, Foreman 45, Westinghouse 43, King 42.5, ITW David Speer Academy 41.5
Individual leaders:
Clark’s Anthony Spivey posted the most pins (6) in the least time (5:48), while teammate Amarjae Devine had the fastest pin, at 10 seconds. Kennedy’s Victor Alvarado had the most tech Fs (4) in the least time (9:04).
Goode’s Xavier Woods scored the most team points with 33, South Shore’s Dakhari Esthers scored the most single match points with 31, and Phoenix Military Academy’s Elijah Torres finished with the most total match points, with 121.
Kenwood’s Dameon Norman provided the largest seed-place difference, as the No. 28 seed placed first at 285 pounds.
CPL CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS:
106
1st: Jeremiah Arroyo-McMullan (Lane Tech) 24-6, d. Mohammed zia Nadre (Sullivan) 24-5, (TF 4:04 (18-2)
3rd: Keandre Beal (Goode) 19-10, d. Justin chogllo Chogllo (Rickover) 10-5, (F 4:57)
5th: Kenye Flanagan (Perspectives) 24-7, d. Jonathan Mendoza-rodriguez (Lindblom) 15-18, (F 0:49)
113
1st: Bernardo Roque (Taft) 35-2, d. Leonardo Zapien (Noble/UIC) 30-4, (TF 3:49 (19-4)
3rd: Amari Frankiln (Hyde Park) 12-2, d. Daveon Farmer (Perspectives) 19-10, (F 5:46)
5th: Jose Curiel (Lane Tech) 22-20, d. Damarcus Washington (King) 12-10, (F 0:50)
120
1st: Victor Alvarado (Kennedy) 32-3, d. Donald Bunton jr (Perspectives) 26-5, (TF 1:47 (20-5)
3rd: Elijah Torres (Phoenix) 20-5, d. David Ruiz (Taft) 26-15, (F 3:15)
5th: Joaquin Salameda (Lane Tech) 25-20, d. Abel Alvarado (Lake View) 13-5, (F 5:02)
126
1st: Jovanni Harris (Little Village) 27-6, d. Angel Rivera (Taft) 21-9, (F 4:25)
3rd: Jayden Carrasco (Washington) 11-3, d. Tray Harrison (Noble/Comer) 12-7, (TF 3:45 (16-1)
5th: Andrew Price (Phillips) 21-7, d. K Manning (Roosevelt/Von Stueben) 11-6, (F 1:10)
132
1st: Alex Valentin (Lane Tech) 35-6, d. Justin Hernandez (Rickover) 27-4, (TF 4:13 (15-0)
3rd: James Hill (Phillips) 25-4, d. Armani Vargas (Taft) 28-14, (D 7-4)
5th: Moses Pittman (King) 19-8, d. Dakhari Esters (South Shore International) 25-6, (MD 15-2)
138
1st: Abbas Abdulamir (Lane Tech) 28-12, d. Randy Lazaro (Schurz) 16-1, (MD 12-3)
3rd: Cliffon Johnson (Kelly) 17-4, d. Isaac Banks (Noble/Comer) 17-3, (TF 3:25 (17-0)
5th: Adrian Junco (Taft) 20-21, d. Isaiah Diaz (Goode) 25-15, (D 13-9)
144
1st: Fabian Salazar (Hubbard) 36-1, d. Maurice Bush (Agricultural Science) 32-4, (MD 12-3)
3rd: Jayden Veal (Goode) 27-7, d. Mason Micou (Crane) 14-3, (D 8-2)
5th: Davian Hall (Simeon) 8-3, d. Awwal Ogunsolu (Kelly) 26-8, (F 5:31)
150
1st: Xavier Woods (Goode) 36-2, d. Lennon Ojeda (Senn) 22-3, (TF 2:35 (15-0)
3rd: Ryan Singleton (Ch Mil Academy) 20-3, d. Corey Underwood (DuSable) 27-3, (MD 16-8)
5th: Jacob Jackson (King) 19-7, d. Cole Calace (Lane Tech) 26-13, (M. For.)
157
1st: Nasser Hammouche (Lane Tech) 34-8, d. Mylan Williams (Curie) 25-4, (TF 4:05 (18-2)
3rd: Justin Tarr (Noble/UIC) 15-5, d. Laquaris Moore (Corliss High School) 16-8, (F 1:22)
5th: Emiliano Ruiz (Kelly) 14-8, d. Felipe-juan Aguilar-urbina (Little Village) 24-9, (D 8-7)
165
1st: Vernon Cole (Lane Tech) 14-0, d. Kendall Taylor (Ch Mil Academy) 17-3, (TF 4:44 (18-1)
3rd: Willem Johnston (Mather) 16-4, d. Jose Puga (Noble/Golder) 28-4, (M. For.)
5th: Brayan Ruiz-cruz (BOT Yards) 26-11, d. Nicholas Jungman (Kennedy) 20-11, (Inj. 4:00)
175
1st: Malakai Davis (Hancock) 15-0, d. Adrian Zepeda (Amundsen) 31-2, (MD 10-1)
3rd: Eyob Abebe (Lane Tech) 29-11, d. Ricky Moore (Taft) 23-10, (TF 2:24 (15-0)
5th: Caleb Gordon (Ch Mil Academy) 20-4, d. Marquel Wilson (Agricultural Science) 31-15, (D 10-6)
190
1st: Sami Marrero (Horizon/Southwest Chicago) 20-0, d. Mivontae Russell (Perspectives) 28-2, (TF 5:19 (19-4)
3rd: Josh Taylor (Taft) 26-17, d. Dylan Wilborn (Goode) 25-13, (Inj. 3:46)
5th: Dantrell Fraizer (Simeon) 9-2, d. Maddox Bartoli (Lane Tech) 15-12, (M. For.)
215
1st: Evan Jocic (Taft) 30-2, d. Kaleb Abney (Phoenix) 18-3, (MD 15-1)
3rd: Alexander Robinson (King) 18-3, d. Charleston Rice (Phillips) 18-7, (D 8-1)
5th: Aiden Quezada (Lindblom) 8-2, d. Steven Prince (Bowen) 20-3, (D 5-1)
285
1st: Dameon Norman (Kenwood) 13-3, d. Josue Olivo (Lindblom) 24-6, (TB-1 2-1)
3rd: Adrian Meza (Lane Tech) 21-10, d. Justin Powell (Hyde Park) 18-3, (D 6-5)
5th: Anthony Spivey (Clark) 11-3, d. Christopher De leon (Kennedy) 23-10, (F 0:30)

CHICAGOLAND PRAIRIE DUALS
Seneca went 5-0 to win the team title at this year’s Chicagoland Prairie dual tournament, hosted by Walther Christian in Melrose Park. The Fighting Irish won 72-11 over Dwight, 72-12 over Walther, 64-18 over second-place St. Bede, 54-28 over Marquette, and 62-15 over Westmont.
Seneca coach Todd Yegge’s boys are ranked at No. 22 in the current Illinois poll. The Fighting Irish got perfect 5-0 days from Chris Thompson (106), Raiden Terry (113), Avery Phillips (138), Ryan Flynn (150) and Jeremy Gagnon (285), a 4-0 day from Landen Venecia (190), and 4-1 performances from Wyatt Coop (113/120), Ryker Terry (132), Nick Grant (165) and Alex Gagnon (175).
“We wrestled very well overall on Saturday in winning the CPFL championship for the second straight year,” Seneca coach Todd Yegge said. “This was a nice preparation and confidence- builder for our athletes as we get ready for regionals at Herscher. We were happy with our offense as we scored a lot of points and kept that mindset to keep scoring the next point which will help us as we head into the pressure of the postseason.”
Second-place St. Bede went 4-1 on the day and third-place Westmont went 3-2.
1st place dual: Seneca 64, St. Bede 18
120 – Wyatt Coop (Seneca) over Gabriel Bunch (Peru (St. Bede)) Fall 0:57
126 – Max Moreno (Peru (St. Bede)) over Landon Hebel (Seneca) Fall 0:30
132 – Ryker Terry (Seneca) over Kristopher Penaverde (Peru (St. Bede)) Fall 0:19
138 – Avery Phillips (Seneca) over Maks Niedzwiedz (Peru (St. Bede)) Fall 1:42
144 – Devon Daemicke (Seneca) over Nicholas Del Pilar (Peru (St. Bede)) Fall 0:59
150 – Ryan Flynn (Seneca) over (Unattached) Forf
157 – Jordan Coventry (Peru (St. Bede)) over Ayden Perez (Seneca) Fall 1:45
165 – Nick Grant (Seneca) over (Unattached) Forf
175 – Alex Gagnon (Seneca) over Jack Maschmann (Peru (St. Bede)) TF 18-1
190 – Landen Venecia (Seneca) over Garrett Connelly (Peru (St. Bede)) Fall 1:54
215 – William Sramek (Peru (St. Bede)) over Colton Angeloff (Seneca) Fall 1:27
285 – Jeremy Gagnon (Seneca) over Grady Gillan (Peru (St. Bede)) Fall 3:39
106 – Chris Thompson (Seneca) over Jameson Daley (Peru (St. Bede)) Fall 1:52
113 – Raiden Terry (Seneca) over Michael Benge (Peru (St. Bede)) TF 18-3
3rd place dual: Westmont 41, Marquette 39
106 – Mason Ponce (Westmont) over Logan Leskanich (Ottawa (Marquette)) Fall 1:13
113 – Luke Jimenea (Westmont) over Shea Conner (Ottawa (Marquette)) Fall 0:40
120 – Koby Clark (Ottawa (Marquette)) over Ardan Baglaev (Westmont) Dec 12-9
126 – Jackson Jagger (Westmont) over (Unattached) Forf
132 – Christian Rosa (Westmont) over (Unattached) Forf
138 – Beau Thompson (Ottawa (Marquette)) over Lawrence Walker (Westmont) Fall 3:10
144 – Hunter DeMink (Ottawa (Marquette)) over (Unattached) Forf
150 – Brysen Manly (Ottawa (Marquette)) over (Unattached) Forf
157 – Sean Patterson (Westmont) over Nolan DeMink (Ottawa (Marquette)) Fall 3:56
165 – Reily Leifheit (Ottawa (Marquette)) over (Unattached) Forf
175 – Landyn Mcemery (Ottawa (Marquette)) over (Unattached) Forf
190 – Vincent Willkommen (Westmont) over (Unattached) Forf
215 – Alex Schaefer (Ottawa (Marquette)) over Mason Cabrera (Westmont) Fall 0:17
285 – Rafael Castrejon-Tello (Westmont) over Adrian Schaefer (Ottawa (Marquette)) TF 19-3
5th place dual: Walther Christian 36, Dwight 18
132 – Mekhi Hakey (Dwight) over Gabriel Montoya (Melrose Park (Walther Christian)) Fall 2:00
138 – Double Forfeit
144 – Caleb Peterson (Melrose Park (Walther Christian)) over (Unattached) Forf
150 – Dylan Crouch (Dwight) over Antonio Gonzalez (Melrose Park (Walther Christian)) Fall 2:34
157 – Kevin Gomez (Melrose Park (Walther Christian)) over (Unattached) Forf
165 – Double Forfeit
175 – Gavin Bafia (Dwight) over Tyler Schoessow (Melrose Park (Walther Christian)) Fall 3:19
190 – Emmanuell Hernandez (Melrose Park (Walther Christian)) over (Unattached) Forf
215 – Joshua Lewis (Melrose Park (Walther Christian)) over (Unattached) Forf
285 – Jonathan Perez (Melrose Park (Walther Christian)) over (Unattached) Forf
106 – Ben Peterson (Melrose Park (Walther Christian)) over (Unattached) Forf
113 – Double Forfeit
120 – Double Forfeit
126 – Double Forfeit
Schaumburg wins 2nd team regional title at Willowbrook

By Chris Walker for the IWCOA
Schaumburg’s Madyson Meyer will be playing softball in college next year but for now, she’s enjoying the ride that the Saxons’ wrestling program is giving her.
“The thing I really like about (wrestling) is how close I felt with the girls, right away,” Meyer said. “The hard part is the discipline you have to go through. You have to be very strong-minded so the sport not only helped me in other sports, but it has helped me mentally, to be confident with myself in my day-to-day life.”
Meyer and her Saxons are making the ride count. They won their second consecutive regional title, out-pointing second-place Hoffman Estates 228.5-183.5 at this year’s 27-team Willowbrook Regional.
Meyer was one of three individual champions for coach Matt Gruszka, who will accompany a bevy of his qualifying wrestlers to the individual sectional meet at Schaumburg on Feb. 14-15.
“The girls wrestled well and we put seven in the finals,” Gruszka said. “Our champs, Maddy Meyer at 115, Sharon Olorunfemi at 135 and Nadia Razzak at 190 had great tournaments. I thought overall our regionals was tough and had a lot of great wrestlers. Hoffman and Glenbard West also had a great tournament.“
Glenbard West (179.5 points) finished third, followed by West Chicago (114) in fourth. Conant and St. Charles East tied for fifth with 92.5 points.
The Saxons also placed second at this year’s IWCOA dual team state tournament and finished first in tournaments at Dundee-Crown and Normal before winning this year’s Mid Suburban League tournament title. Gruszka has one of Illinois’ premier programs on his hands, and the Saxons proved it again at Willowbrook.
“I say it all the time and I know all the other girls on the team say it, too,” Meyer said, “but we have to give all of the credit to Gruszka. When the program started we were only 13 girls and now we’re 38.”
Meyer also tipped her hat to a couple of now-graduated trailblazers at Schaumburg who came before her.
“Val Rodriguez and Bethany Regione — when I joined, those were the two I idolized,” Meyer said. “I wanted to wrestle like them, I wanted to be good like them, and the relationship they had with Gruszka is something I strive for every day in the practice room. I think the younger girls getting advice from the older girls and learning from them is really why a program is so successful, and Gruszka set that tone immediately when he became our head coach.”
Meyer (115), junior Razzak (190) and sophomore Olorunfemi (135) will be joined at the Schaumburg Sectional on Feb. 15 by a quartet of teammates that placed second in Mia Phelps (100), Isabella Rivas (125), Hope Zerafa-Lazarevic (145) and Alya Razzak (170).
The senior Meyer improved to 41-2 Saturday, with pins at 1:14, 0:41, and 0:51 to reach the title-match against South Elgin’s Azucena Rodriguez.
“I was nervous about (Rodriguez) because I didn’t really know what to expect,” Meyer said. “Gruszka wanted me to hit my sweep single and hit it clean, so that’s what I was focused on. And whenever I’m facing a girl I don’t know, I like to tie up to feel how she’s tying up – tight, on one side or the other, or if she’s more of a back-away type of wrestler. I felt her, felt like the headlock was there, and I hit it.”
Meyer’s pin at 1:08 gave here four on the day and her first individual regional title. Teammate Olorunfemi (38-8) had three pins in as many matches to win her first regional crown, taking down her three opponents in 0:13, 1:25 and 0:44. She pinned St. Charles East freshman Olivia Pearson to finish up. Razzak similarly needed three victories to take home her first regional title and she got them all via first period pins: 1:03, 1:48 and 1:51 as she improved to 41-3 after taking down Streamwood’s Jasmine Rene.
“Nadia beat Jasmine Rene in the finals and Nadia had lost to her twice last year,” Gruszka said, “so that was good for her.”
Collectively, Olurunfemi, Meyer and Razzak combined to pin 10 opponents in under 11 minutes (10:58). During last year’s Conant regional, Olurunfemi did not place while Meyer took third and Razzak was second.
In the only regional final at Willowbrook featuring two previously-unbeaten wrestlers, South Elgin freshman Allison Garbacz (27-0) won by fall at 3:48 over Zerafa-Lazarevic (41-1), who placed second in Illinois at 140 last season.
Bartlett senior Emma Engels (37-3 at 120) was the only Willowbrook Regional champion who already possesses a state title; Engels is the 2023 IHSA state champion at 100 pounds. She took sixth at 110 last year.
“I was disappointed with taking sixth,” she said. “Now it’s my last one so I want to come back. I did a lot more wrestling in the off-season so I think I’m at a better place.”
While she’s got plans to wrestle at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh once her high school career is over, Engels first has her eyes set on competing for a second state title.
Engles pinned a pair of opponents and defeated another by tech fall before putting up some points in a major decision victory against Leyden’s Sabrina Bono in the finals.
“It was a good match,” Engles said. “She was definitely strong.”
Second-place Hoffman Estates has someone in Isabella “Bella” Chiovari who started playing soccer and volleyball as soon as she could walk.
It was the talk she had with Hoffman Estates classmate Abigail Ji that led her to wrestling.
“I became friends with Abi after meeting her in class,” Chiovari said while pointing in her direction. “She said ‘We’ve got a wrestling team and you play sports. You don’t have a winter sport, why don’t you join the wrestling team? I was like ‘okay.’
“It’s been history ever since and I love it.”
Chiovari (21-6 at 170), Ji (35-5 at 140) and fellow seniors Sophia Ball (36-1 at 130) and Anjali Gonzalez (19-3 at 235) won regional titles for the Hawks, who tied with team champion Schaumburg for the most champions among the teams that competed in the Willowbrook regional.
Chiovari saw a familiar foe in Schaumburg’s Alya Razzak staring back at her in the final at 170. Early in the second period, Chiovari, who returned from a concussion just last week, won by fall.
“I’ve gone back and forth with her the past four years we’ve been in high school together,” Chiovari said. “She actually won conference last week so it’s been back and forth. It was nice to be able to leave everything on that mat, and I put in a lot of work for it so I’m happy about it.”
She’s quite thrilled to be a part of this group of Hawks who had the second most team points with 183.5.
“We’re really fortunate to be having 30-something girls (on the roster) so we always have someone to fill a spot and girls are always more than willing to move up and down for the team,” she said. “We are all one unit and love each other. We’re one big family. I’m proud of every single one of them. I wouldn’t be here without all of them. I’m very grateful.”
Ji pinned Conant junior Ewa Krupa in 4:55 in her title match.
“Eva and I are friends who have always gone against each other since sophomore year,” Ji said. “I faced her last week at conference and became conference champ after beating her. It was another tough match.”
Ji’s been wrestling since the sixth grade, but has also played a variety of sports. Wrestling has become a primary focus for her today.
“I used to play a lot of different sports, tennis, badminton, and I did swimming my freshman and sophomore year,” she said. “And then I quit so I could focus on wrestling, and been wrestling since the summer of sixth grade. I got into wrestling because of my sister, who graduated two years ago.”
Ball is looking to return to the state finals where she dropped a 4-3 decision in the 120-pound title match to Rockton Hononegah’s Angelina Cassioppi a year ago.
“That’s the goal,” Ball said. “I just think I’ve been trying to stay patient and taking breaks when I need it. I feel if you just go go go and don’t give yourself enough of a break it will burn you out.”
After earning a 7-4 decision against Glenbard North’s Asreilla Wallace in her semifinal, Gonzalez pinned Wheaton North’s Iana Victory in 2:26 to gave the Hawks their fourth regional champion. Essenze Reid (190) took third and Roselyn Cornier (100) placed fourth for the Hawks.
Glenbard West was well represented late on Saturday afternoon and just as successful with its two wrestlers in the finals coming home as regionals champions while three of its four kids who wrestled in third-place matches also won.
Winning is something Hilltoppers’ unbeaten freshman Khloe Perez (110) knows a lot about. She improved to 33-0 after pinning Elk Grove Village’s Valeria Pesantes in 3:10.
“My family is all wrestlers, very athletic people,” she said. “When we do something we put our best foot forward and push ourselves. I’d definitely say my sister has helped push me. She wasn’t wrestling for very long but won state last year.”
Last year, Alycia Perez went 35-0 and won the 100-pound title in her senior season. She became the first state champion in girls wrestling in school history. Now, it’s the 14-year-old’s turn to try to get one.
“I’m very grateful because at first when I was coming into high school, well, I was like this is going to be a new challenge for me and I’m going to have to really step up,” she said. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I was kind of in an awkward place in my wrestling career and I felt I wasn’t at my best. I feel like this year I have more confidence and opportunities to be brave on the mat.”
She’s got the bravery, and placing at state is within range.
“I think coming into a new year my goal was to be brave because last year fear really held me back and put me in places I didn’t want to be in,” she said. “Why am I losing? Why am I stuck? I’ve been so brave this year, using my technique and I’ve been being strong. Even when I’m in a dark place I think one day I’ll practice good, or maybe not be feeling well, but I always push through it, that’s what my goal is. And I love my team. I feel we all are pushing each other. I like how we’re all at different levels and helping each other out.”
Glenbard West senior Miyalinna DeJesus (27-3 at 155) hasn’t forgotten about the time about a year ago when she got pinned in the final seconds of her match against Hinsdale Central’s Sofia Arain, which ended her season.
While a medical forfeit win in the quarterfinals lessened her workload this year, she still needed to defeat Lake Park’s Giovanna Sampognaro in the semifinals to get to West Chicago’s Annette Huesca in the finals.
DeJesus pinned Sampognaro in 2:49 and did the same against Huesca in 3:47. The Hilltoppers are without a doubt feeding off of each other and reaping the rewards of being a part of something greater than themselves – a team.
“I see so much of myself and a bunch of our captains in everybody else,” DeJesus said. “Not only in the way they wrestle, but the way they talk and their habits. We pick up off of each other and I love to see just their drive, and knowing the program is going to go in a great direction when they are older.”
Bartlett junior Lilly White (36-3 at 125) may not have been in a celebratory mood for her 17th birthday on Sunday if she hadn’t had such a wonderful Saturday.
White pinned all four of her opponents to take home the 125-pound title. She finished off Schaumburg junior Isabella Rivas in 2:47.
“I went down and was working on the bottom for a little bit and then I did like a roll I learned from jiu-jitsu,” she said “I was right on the edge of the circle with one toe holding on and I got the pin.”
Many years in the martial arts have certainly made a huge impact as White only began wrestling a year ago.
“I didn’t wrestle freshman year,” she said. “I didn’t find out there was wrestling until sophomore year and I fell in love with it. My first year I took fifth at state (at 120) and I would say jiu-jitsu gave me that extra advantage as most girls are not used to random jiu-jitsu.”
Prior to jiu-jitsu White was a cheerleader.
“I was cheerleading when I was six and seven years old and it was not for me,” she said. “My brother wasn’t doing anything so my dad had him try jiu-jitsu, so I started doing it and fell in love with it. My parents are really supportive and awesome and have just encouraged me the whole time to keep going with it.”
Wheaton North senior Izzy Paz (15-6 at 100) never would’ve guessed that as a senior in high school one of her biggest passions would be wrestling.
Now she can hardly imagine life without it.
“I never would’ve imagined I would’ve chosen this sport,” she said. “Now that I have this it’s definitely something that gives me motivation to work hard every day. I’m looking to wrestle in college and am in the recruiting process. I have another visit to go and hope to make a decision soon. I mean, I just started wrestling last season but then I went to Fargo and after that I knew I needed to keep with it. I’m not ready to be done yet.”
During her debut season a year ago, Paz was humbled in regionals, getting pinned twice.
After a 12-1 major decision to defeat Schaumburg’s Mia Phelps in the final at 100 pounds, she became a regional champion this year.
“I wrestled her a couple weeks ago so I was just trying to stay smart and stick to what I knew what going to work,” she said. “I kept in a good position because I knew what she was going to go for.”
Sometimes kids improve in leaps and bounds in a short period of time. In a growing sport, that is attractive. It’s one of the many reasons why kids are coming into the rooms.
“I definitely had a big leap in the off-season,” Paz said. “My connections with my club coaches and what not and just trying to get in extra work whenever I could.”
Unbeaten Leyden sophomore Zoey Dodgers (21-0) pinned her three opponents at 105 to also take home a regional title. Dodgers pinned Larkin’s Ashley Hammond in 2:40 after a couple of first round pins in her quarterfinal and semifinal matches.
Among the 27 teams that competed, 21 had at least one girl wrestling in the finals or a third-place match.
Team scores:
Schaumburg 228.5, Hoffman Estates 183.5, Glenbard West 179.5, West Chicago 114, Conant 92.5, St. Charles East 92.5, Bartlett 82.5, South Elgin 80, Lake Park 78.5, Leyden 64, Glenbard North 63, Fenton 59, Wheaton North 59, Willowbrook 58, Larkin 54, Oak Park and River Forest 50, Addison Trail 47.5, Ridgewood 38, Streamwood 31, Proviso East 29.5, Elk Grove 22, York 18.5, Elmwood Park 16, Elgin 13, Fenwick 13, St. Charles North 7
PLACE MATCHES FOR SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advanced)
100 – 1st: Isabelle Paz (Wheaton N) 15-6, d. Mia Phelps (Schaumburg) 28-12, (MD 12-1); 3rd:
Susan Cruz (Larkin) 25-11, d. Roselyn Cornier (Hoffman Estates) 22-16, (F 2:24)
105 – 1st: Zoey Dodgers (Leyden) 21-0, d. Ashley Hammond (Larkin) 29-12, (F 2:40); 3rd:
Brissia Bucio (WEGO) 30-6, d. Jivona Brown (Glenbard W) 17-10, (F 4:18)
110 – 1st: Khloe Perez (Glenbard W) 33-0, d. Valeria Pesantes (Elk Grove) 19-3, (F 3:10); 3rd:
Sydney Stieb (SC East) 29-9, d. Regina Jones (Proviso East) 4-2, (F 0:35)
115 – 1st: Madyson Meyer (Schaumburg) 41-2, d. Azucena Rodriguez (S Elgin) 28-6, (F 1:08); 3rd: Sophia Newell (WEGO) 22-10, d. Daisy Trujillo (Willowbrook) 22-7, (F 3:40)
120 – 1st: Emma Engels (Bartlett) 37-3, d. Sabrina Bono (Leyden) 24-4, (MD 10-0); 3rd:
Karolina Konopka (Glenbard W) 34-7, d. Brithany Mondragon (A. Trail) 23-5, (F 1:39)
125 – 1st: Lilly White (Bartlett) 36-3, d. Isabella Rivas (Schaumburg) 37-7, (F 2:47); 3rd:
Valentina Fantoni (Glenbard W) 32-8, d. Gianna Mezzano (Ridgewood) 32-8, (F 2:48)
130 – 1st: Sophia Ball (Hoffman Estates) 36-1, d. Yannel Perez (Fenton) 25-2, (F 3:21); 3rd:
Keagan Edwards (Glenbard N) 39-6, d. Jasmine Zavaleta (Conant) 32-10, (D 8-3)
135 – 1st: Sharon Olorunfemi (Schaumburg) 38-8, d. Olivia Pearson (SC East) 18-12, (F 0:44): 3rd: Nydia Jotzat (Glenbard W) 27-8, d. Lucy Rodriguez (Fenton) 26-9, (F 1:02)
140 – 1st: Abigail Ji (Hoffman Estates) 35-5, d. Ewa Krupa (Conant) 36-6, (F 4:55); 3rd:
Isabella Miller (OPRF) 18-7, d. Ava Burns (Roselle (Lake Park) 30-8, (F 1:13)
145 – 1st: Allison Garbacz (S Elgin) 27-0, d. Madeline Zerafa-Lazarevic (Schaumburg) 41-1, (F 3:48); 3rd: Joscelin Ritthamel (Lake Park) 36-7, d. Madeline Beltran (A. Trail) 23-8, (D 8-2)
155 – 1st: Miyalinna DeJesus (Glenbard W) 27-3, d. Annette Huesca (WEGO) 17-6, (F 3:47); 3rd: Analiese Aberman (Conant) 30-15, d. Giovanna Sampognaro (Lake Park) 3-2, . (F 5:21)
170 – 1st: Isabella Chiovari (Hoffman Estates) 21-6, d. Alya Razzak (Schaumburg) 36-7, (F 3:10); 3rd: Jazilah Gatlin (Willowbrook) 29-10, d. Olivia Bordenave (SC East) 14-11, (F 2:26)
190 – 1st: Nadia Razzak (Schaumburg) 41-3, d. Jasmine Rene (Streamwood) 18-1, (F 1:51); 3rd: Essenze Reid (Hoffman Estates) 19-6, d. Jadelin Caballero (Larkin) 33-8, (D 8-2)
235 – 1st: Anjali Gonzalez (Hoffman Estates) 19-3, d. Iana Victory (Wheaton N) 14-5, (F 2:26); 3rd: Asreilla Wallace (Glenbard N) 31-10, d. Ariana Solideo (Fenton) 28-6, (F 2:31)
Girls Regional roundups for Rickover, Hinsdale S, Hampshire, Rich Township

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA
RICKOVER NAVAL ACADEMY REGIONAL
One week after winning this year’s team title at the Chicago Public League tournament, Phoenix Military Academy snared a team regional title thanks to nine girls finishing in the top three of their weight classes and thus qualifying to this year’s New Trier Sectional tournament.
The Firebirds out-pointed second-place Morton 213-194, followed by Kelly (126.5), Curie (108) and Lane Tech (102.5) to round out the top five team finishes.
“Yet again, the girls delivered a phenomenal and inspiring performance,” Phoenix coach Naydelin Ramos Ariza said. “Being regional champions for a second consecutive year is a perfect testament to their resilience. It demonstrates that although you may not win every match, when you come together as a team, you can still achieve remarkable things.”
Morton also finished with nine sectional qualifiers, Kelly had six, Curie had four, and Lane finished with three qualifiers.
1st: Phoenix Military Academy (213 points)
Firebirds coach Naydelin Ramos Ariza had three individual regional champions in Diana Lopez-Jimenez (34-4 at 115), America Cabrera (31-3 at 140), and returning state medalist AJ Grant (38-2 at 145). Phoenix also got a second-place finish from Ariel Foreman (135), and five third-place sectional qualifiers in Jitzel Aranda (100), Mia Thomas (120), Marisol Castro-Duran (125), Jocelyn Quiroz-Rosales (130), and Alexia Ramos (155).
“While wrestling is often considered an individual sport, this accomplishment shows it is equally a team sport,” Ramos Ariza said. “Accomplishments like these continue to pave the way for young women in male-dominated areas.”
The Phoenix coach also had a message for the powers that be at the IHSA.
“Last year, our other coach, Mr. (Daniel) Curin, attempted to get in contact with (IHSA assistant executive director) Sam Knox about possibly receiving a plaque for the first IHSA girls regional.
“So I would like to say, Sam Knox if you’re reading this, I firmly believe these girls deserve last year’s regional plaque for the first women’s regional in IHSA. They worked hard for it, and it’s only fitting that they receive the same recognition as every other team and sport like the regional champs they are.”
2nd: JS Morton (194.5)
The Mustangs also had three individual champions for coach Fernando Arratia in Hope Donnamario (26-7 at 105), Monica Garcia (35-6 at 120) and Violet Mayo (34-9 at 155), plus three second-place medalists in Andaira Marron (100), Brianna Carbajal (115) and Anali Wilson (190), a third-place finish from Quetzalli Delgado (135), and fourths from Karla Munoz (110) and Liliana Ionescu (130).
3rd: Kelly (126.5)
Kelly coach Jazzmine Seely will bring six Lady Trojans to the New Trier Sectional in regional champion Sara Martinez Lopera (25-0 at 170) and third-place medalists N’Dyia Mahon-Godfrey (190), Laura Sofia Martinez Lopera (235). Also qualifying for Kelly were fourth-place finishers Annie Aguilar-Cruz (105), Yazmine Garcia (115) and Olivia Reyes (135).
Individual champions:
Other regional champions included De La Salle’s Anapaula Cerna-Rivera (12-1 at 100), Curie’s Giselle Arambula (25-1 at 110), Lindblom’s Nakya Scott (19-3 at 125) and Ashyia Scott (14-1 at 190), Lane Tech’s Nyah Lovis (39-5 at 130) and Zabby Badru (39-6 at 135), and Rickover Naval Academy’s Jasmine Mejia (32-2 at 235).
Team scores:
Phoenix Military Academy 213, JS Morton 194, Kelly 126.5, Curie 108, Lane Tech 102.5, Rickover Naval Academy 93, Lindblom 82, Back of the Yards 73, De La Salle 66, Chicago Military Academy-Bronzeville 61, Westinghouse College Prep 58, Crane Medical Prep 53.5, Noble/ITW Speer 48, St. Ignatius 43, Clark 33, Little Village 27, King 22, Hancock 21.5, Lake View 19, Intrinsic Charter-Downtown 7, Chicago Academy 5, Hubbard 4, Kenwood 4, Clemente 0
PLACE MATCHES FOR SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advance)
100
1st: Anapaula Cerna-Rivera (De La Salle) 12-1, d. Andaira Marron (Morton) 32-7, (F 1:11)
3rd: Jitzel Aranda (Phoenix) 24-9, d. Evelin Martinez (Curie) 16-5, (D 5-1)
105
1st: Hope Donnamario (Morton) 26-7, d. Sofia Guerrero (Lane) 29-6, (F 4:53)
3rd: Asia Boss (Clark) 5-1, d. Annie Aguilar-Cruz (Kelly) 17-6, (F 2:42)
110
1st: Giselle Arambula (Curie) 25-1, d. Kimani Glasper (Westinghouse) 18-5, (F 0:58)
3rd: Hannah Chong (Crane) 13-5, d. Karla Munoz (Morton) 17-24, (TF-1.5 3:46 (17-0)
115
1st: Diana Lopez-Jimenez (Phoenix) 34-4, d. Brianna Carbajal (Morton) 28-18, (F 2:37)
3rd: Danita Palmore (Lindblom) 29-12, d. Yazmine Garcia (Kelly) 22-12, (MD 18-4)
120
1st: Monica Garcia (Morton) 35-6, d. Illiana Heredia (De La Salle) 20-1, (F 1:58)
3rd: Mia Thomas (Phoenix) 39-7, d. Simone Dyer (Crane) 11-9, (F 0:58)
125
1st: Nakya Scott (Lindblom) 19-3, d. Tyhesia Goss (C.-Bronzeville) 14-2, (F 1:34)
3rd: Marisol Castro-Duran (Phoenix) 30-9, d. Raynisha Sims (Lake View) 20-5, (D 6-5)
130
1st: Nyah Lovis (Lane) 39-5, d. Emmely Munoz (BOT Yards) 17-6, (TF-1.5 4:56 (16-1)
3rd: Jocelyn Quiroz-Rosales (Phoenix) 22-9, d. Liliana Ionescu (Morton) 15-20, (F 0:47)
135
1st: Zabby Badru (Lane) 39-6, d. Ariel Foreman (Phoenix) 31-3, (D 14-11)
3rd: Quetzalli Delgado (Morton) 16-15, d. Olivia Reyes (Kelly) 12-13, (D 4-2)
140
1st: America Cabrera (Phoenix) 31-3, d. Harmoni Puckett (King) 7-3, (F 5:36)
3rd: Evelyna Perez (BOT Yards) 20-8, d. Yaretzi Avila Calixto (Curie) 18-8, (F 5:02)
145
1st: AJ Grant (Phoenix) 38-2, d. GG Garduno (St. Ignatius) 17-2, (MD 8-0)
3rd: Zoe Gonzalez (Curie) 21-4, d. Isabelle Mejia (Rickover) 28-14, (F 1:02)
155
1st: Violet Mayo (Morton) 34-9, d. Cecilia Colon (Westinghouse) 17-3, (F 1:23)
3rd: Alexia Ramos (Phoenix) 22-8, d. Camila Martinez-Gonzalez (Rickover) 30-9, (F 4:47)
170
1st: Sara Martinez Lopera (Kelly) 25-0, d. Mia Johnson (C.-Bronzeville) 9-4, (F 0:47)
3rd: Dorca Morales (Crane) 14-6, d. Midna Lazoya (Rickover) 15-16, (F 2:37)
190
1st: Ashyia Scott (Lindblom) 14-1, d. Anali Wilson (Morton) 21-18, (F 0:45)
3rd: N`Dyia Mahon-Godfrey (Kelly) 26-4, d. Aileen Galvez (Noble/ITW Speer) 15-7, (F 1:03)
235
1st: Jasmine Mejia (Rickover) 32-2, d. Esmeralda Bustamante (Noble/ITW Speer) 13-1, (F 2:49)
3rd: Laura Sofia Martinez Lopera (Kelly) 10-5, d. Mavis Marchan (Little Village) 12-4, (F 1:56)
Individual statistics:
Curie’s Zoe Gonzalez posted the most falls (4) in the least amount of time (3:10) and the fastest fall (11 seconds) of any regional wrestler present. Lane Tech’s Nyah Lovis posted the most tech falls (2) in the least time (6:50) and the fastest tech fall (1:54). Phoenix Military Academy’s Ariel Foreman scored the most single-match points with 23, and De La Salle’s Mia Vargas finished with the most total match points with 56.
Lindblom’s Danita Palmore provided the largest seed- difference of all wrestlers, as the No. 14 seed Danita took third to become a sectional qualifier at 115 pounds.

RICH TOWNSHIP REGIONAL
District 230’s girls rolled to a team regional title in Richton Park, advancing nine girls to this year’s New Trier Sectional. Coach Elizabeth Short’s girls went seven-for-seven on the regional title mat, finishing with seven individual regional champions plus one third-placer and one fourth-place medalist to lead the 23-team field in both champions and sectional qualifiers.
“We are so proud of our athletes and the hard work they have put in this season and the offseason,” District 230 coach Elizabeth Short said. “This is a testament to the dedication, grit, and hard work of every member on the team.”
District 230 won 245-173 over second-place Marist, which had eight sectional qualifiers. Oak Forest (130.5) finished third with six qualifiers, followed by Homewood-Flossmoor (109.5) and Shepard (76.5) to round out the top five team finishes.
Homewood-Flossmoor advanced four girls to the sectional meet, and Shepard finished with three sectional qualifiers.
1st: District 230 (245 points)
The team champion’s seven individual champs were Jade Hardee (30-4 at 100), Tatum De La Vega (29-12 at 105), Sophia Figueroa (33-11 at 115), Saja Bader (21-7 at 120), Alyssa Keane (34-3 at 135), Nola Oben (35-3 at 155) and retuning state medalist Emma Akpan (39-2 at 190). Piper Booe (130) placed third and Adrianna Vela (170) placed fourth to qualify.
“They have been pushing themselves in the room day after day, overcoming challenges, and believing in themselves every step of the way,” Short said. “We are so excited to keep this momentum going into the postseason, and we know that there is still work to be done.”
2nd: Marist (173)
Redhawks coach Kelly Sullivan had two regional champions in Sarah Parker (32-4 at 170) and Abby Parker (4-0 at 235), a second-place medalist in Ava Enright (115), thirds from Samantha Durbin (120) and Izzy Locascio (135), and fourths from Shae Halleran (105), Zoe Kamper (125) and Sam Fontaine (190).
3rd: Oak Forest (130.5)
Oak Forest had a pair of regional champions for coach Jamie Hubbard in Brooklyn Strelow (30-10 at 125) and Iyobosa Odiase (33-6 at 145), plus a second-place finish from Isabel Peralta (190) and fourths from Marjorie Rodriguez (115), Jordan Clyne (130) and Adri Bille (155).
Individual champions:
Others winning regional titles were Agricultural Science’s Carmen Jackson (33-3 at 110), Thornton’s Jalah Wilson (25-2 at 130), and Hillcrest’s Christiara Finley (25-0 at 140).
Team scores:
District 230 245, Marist 173, Oak Forest 130.5, Homewood-Flossmoor 109.5, Shepard 76.5, Agricultural Science 70, Rich Township 69, Thornton Fractional South 68, (Oak Lawn) 67, Thornton 65.5, Hillcrest 62, Reavis 58, St. Laurence 54, Evergreen Park 52, Eisenhower 47.5, Mother McAuley 46, Washington 40, Bremen 27, Thornton Fractional North 22, Tinley Park 21, Fenger 6, Crete-Monee 4, Morgan Park 3
PLACE MATCHES FOR SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advance)
100
1st: Jade Hardee (District 230) 30-4, d. Ariel Woodfin (Thornton) 24-5, (TF-1.5 5:52 (18-1)
3rd: Sariya Maddox (Rich Township) 17-8, d. Felix Morales ((Oak Lawn)) 12-7, (F 5:04)
105
1st: Tatum De La Vega (District 230) 29-12, d. Chloe Arana (Washington) 15-5, (F 2:55)
3rd: Sofia Perez (Shepard) 26-8, d. Shae Halleran (Marist) 22-8, (F 0:55)
110
1st: Carmen Jackson (Agricultural Science) 33-3, d. London Gandy (Homewood-F.) 38-6, (MD 14-4)
3rd: Dakodia Kelly (TF South) 31-9, d. Riley Osborn (Evergreen Park) 19-8, (F 4:15)
115
1st: Sophia Figueroa (District 230) 33-11, d. Ava Enright (Marist) 28-5, (F 5:16)
3rd: Nina Hamm (Homewood-F.) 41-6, d. Marjorie Rodriguez (Oak Forest) 33-10, (F 4:43)
120
1st: Saja Bader (District 230) 21-7, d. Abitatu Mogaji (TF South) 22-9, (F 3:31)
3rd: Samantha Durbin (Marist) 22-10, d. Holly Rowan (Mother McAuley) 13-16, (F 3:23)
125
1st: Brooklyn Strelow (Oak Forest) 30-10, d. Journey Jackson (Oak Lawn) 27-8, (TF-1.5 2:46 (20-3)
3rd: Itzel Jimenez (Washington) 16-6, d. Zoe Kamper (Marist) 27-11, (F 4:54)
130
1st: Jalah Wilson (Thornton) 25-2, d. Mila Rocush (Shepard) 34-5, (F 0:52)
3rd: Piper Booe (District 230) 25-14, d. Jordan Clyne (Oak Forest) 11-5, (F 2:44)
135
1st: Alyssa Keane (District 230) 34-3, d. Quincy Onyiaorah (TF South) 18-2, (F 2:37)
3rd: Izzy Locascio (Marist) 12-4, d. Amara Nwoye (Homewood-F.) 32-16, (F 0:50)
140
1st: Christiara Finley (Hillcrest) 25-0, d. Maggie Zuber (Mother McAuley) 25-3, (MD 12-3)
3rd: Hailey Zamot (Rich Township) 11-7, d. Marlen Morelos Perez (Eisenhower) 24-14, (MD 13-5)
145
1st: Iyobosa Odiase (Oak Forest) 33-6, d. Hannah Marusarz (St. Laurence) 20-5, (F 0:49)
3rd: Madelynn McClements (Homewood-F.) 23-25, d. Rylee Hernandez (Tinley Park) 19-15, (F 3:58)
155
1st: Nola Oben (District 230) 35-3, d. Charvelle Mclain ((Oak Lawn)) 30-6, (D 15-10)
3rd: Lily Fish (Reavis) 24-5, d. Adri Bille (Oak Forest) 24-18, (F 1:42)
170
1st: Sarah Parker (Marist) 32-4, d. Elena Haugh (Agricultural Science) 27-7, (MD 11-1)
3rd: Laila Carpenter (Rich Township) 19-9, d. Adrianna Vela (District 230) 28-12, (D 6-2)
190
1st: Emma Akpan (District 230) 39-2, d. Isabel Peralta (Oak Forest) 35-6, (F 3:11)
3rd: Lili Meierkort (Evergreen Park) 17-12, d. Sam Fontaine (Marist) 21-5, (F 3:20)
235
1st: Abby Parker (Marist) 4-0, d. Karrine Jenkins (Shepard) 24-10, (F 3:02)
3rd: Elly Candelas (Reavis) 12-3, d. Mercedes Palacios (Eisenhower) 7-3, (D 3-1)
Individual statistics:
District 230’s Piper Booe posted the most pins (4) in the least time (6:34), while Marist’s Shae Halleran had the fastest pin of the tournament, in 12 seconds. Oak Forest’s Brooklyn Strelow had the fastest tech fall, at 2:46.
Eisenhower’s Marlen Morelos Perez finished with the most single match points with 22, and Homewood-Flossmoor’s Madelyn McClements scored the most total match points at 49. Marist’s Abby Parker provided the largest seed-place difference as the No. 10 seed won a regional title at 235.

Regionals that feed into the Schaumburg Sectional on Feb. 14
HINSDALE SOUTH REGIONAL
The closest fight for a team regional crown in Illinois played out at Hinsdale South, with Batavia snaring its first ever team regional title by a mere half-point, 150.5-150 over second-place Lockport.
Six of Batavia coach Scott Bayer’s girls advanced to this year’s New Trier Sectional, while
Lockport finished with five sectional qualifiers.
West Aurora (121) finished third, Glenbard East (118) was fourth, and Oswego East (115.5) rounded out the top five team finishes. West Aurora advanced five girls to the sectional,
Glenbard East advanced three, and Oswego East finished with four sectional qualifiers.
1st place: Batavia (150.5 points)
The regional champions got an individual title from Anabelle Guthke (33-9 at 145), seconds from Lily Enos (100) and Emma Abbate (170), and fourths from Eli Landgrebe (120), Natalie Lenart (125) and Caoimhe Mitchell (155).
2nd place: Lockport (150)
The Porters earned a pair of individual regional titles for coach Nate Roth, from returning state champion Claudia Heeney (39-2 at 135) and Rebekah Ramirez (39-9 at 235), plus second-place finishes from Veronica Skibicki (110) and Sophie Kelner (190), and a third from Averi Colella (105).
3rd place: West Aurora (121)
The Blackhawks were led by a pair of runner-up finishes from Kameyah Young (105) and Kaylee Martinez (120), thirds from Ruby Bolanos-Carbajal (100) and Lailonie Molina (115), and a fourth from Alma Hernandez (135).
Individual champions:
Other regional champs at Hinsdale South were Montini’s Katelyn Bell (33-5 at 100), Glenbard East’s Nadia Shymkiv (29-0 at 105) and Nadine Spandiary (24-8 at 190), Lyons Township’s Avi Gonzalez (17-4 at 110), Bolingbrook’s Alejandra Flores (28-3 at 115), Oswego’s Aaliyah Roldan (33-12 at 120), Lemont’s Molly O’Connor (39-5 at 125), Downers Grove North’s Natalia Cruz (33-5 at 130), Oswego East’s Quinn Janssens (44-3 at 140) and Jessica Stover (43-5 at 170), and Hinsdale South’s Callie Carr (32-0 at 155).
Team scores:
Batavia 150.5, Lockport 150, West Aurora 121, Glenbard East 118, Oswego East 115.5, East Aurora 108.5, Oswego 95, Naperville Central 89.5, Bolingbrook 81.5, Downers Grove North 81.5, Lemont 72.5, Neuqua Valley 67.5, Metea Valley 67, Lyons Township 55.5, Riverside-Brookfield 55, Plainfield East 50.5, Romeoville 50, Downers Grove South 44, Lisle 43, Glenbard South 38.5, Proviso West 33.5, Naperville North 32.5, Hinsdale South 26.5, Montini 26, Waubonsie Valley 24, Plainfield North 23, Wheaton Warrenville South 22, Hinsdale Central 21
PLACE MATCHES FOR SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advance)
100
1st: Katelyn Bell (Montini) 33-5, d. Lily Enos (Batavia) 39-4, (TF-1.5 5:24 (20-4)
3rd: Ruby Bolanos-Carbajal (W Aurora) 23-11, d. Daniela Santander (Romeoville) 30-5, (D 4-0)
105
1st: Nadiia Shymkiv (Glenbard E) 29-0, d. Kameyah Young (W Aurora) 34-3, (MD 15-4)
3rd: Averi Colella (Lockport) 41-8, d. KeYi Wang (Naperville N) 13-4, (F 1:43)
110
1st: Avi Gonzalez (Lyons) 17-4, d. Veronica Skibicki (Lockport) 34-13, (F 2:00)
3rd: Cadence DuBois (Lisle () 13-4, d. Sofia Gold (Neuqua) 6-7, (F 1:58)
115
1st: Alejandra Flores (Bolingbrook) 28-3, d. Ashley Basmajian (Metea) 9-1, (Inj. 0:00)
3rd: Lailonie Molina (W Aurora) 30-11, d. Aleta Weigandt (Neuqua) 16-10, (F 1:11)
120
1st: Aaliyah Roldan (Oswego) 33-12, d. Kaylee Martinez (W Aurora) 18-8, (F 3:38)
3rd: Janiya Moore (Metea) 40-4, d. Eli Landgrebe (Batavia) 24-19, (D 9-3)
125
1st: Molly O`Connor (Lemont) 39-5, d. Dezi Azar (Naperville C) 32-5, (F 5:42)
3rd: Mia Nevarez (Oswego E) 39-11, d. Natalie Lenart (Batavia) 29-14, (F 5:26)
130
1st: Natalia Cruz (DG North) 33-5, d. Zuzanna Wegiera (Neuqua) 14-8, (F 0:43)
3rd: Sophie Crescenzo (Lisle () 16-5, d. Harmony Evans (Oswego) 33-12, (F 3:39)
135
1st: Claudia Heeney (Lockport) 39-2, d. Maria Green (Glenbard E) 32-4, (F 2:44)
3rd: Brenda Escobedo (E Aurora) 23-12, d. Alma Hernandez (W Aurora) 14-17, (D 9-6)
140
1st: Quinn Janssens (Oswego E) 44-3, d. Alketa Picari (Metea) 32-9, (F 2:39)
3rd: Viktoriia Rodnikova (Plainfield N) 23-7, d. Arianna Rico (Naperville C) 29-15, (F 1:20)
145
1st: Anabelle Guthke (Batavia) 33-9, d. Ella Cooper (Oswego E) 27-14, (Inj. 4:53)
3rd: Jahdi`yah Hibbler (DG North) 31-6, d. Allison Garcia (DG South) 5-4, (F 1:25)
155
1st: Callie Carr (Darien (Hinsdale S) 32-0, d. Kiyah Chavez (Oswego) 35-8, (TF-1.5 4:00 (19-4)
3rd: Delaney Villagomez (R.-Brookfield) 22-7, d. Caoimhe Mitchell (Batavia) 29-14, (F 0:42)
170
1st: Jessica Stover (Oswego E) 43-5, d. Emma Abbate (Batavia) 31-8, (F 2:13)
3rd: Noreidy Ruiz (E Aurora) 21-10, d. Imani McIntosh (Waubonsie) 19-8, (F 2:32)
190
1st: Nadine Spandiary (Glenbard E) 24-8, d. Sophie Kelner (Lockport) 38-10, (F 0:37)
3rd: Zuza Cebulski (DG South) 19-7, Jr. over Chloe Black (Hinsdale C) 17-8, (D 6-3)
235
1st: Rebekah Ramirez (Lockport) 39-9, over Henessis Villagrana (Romeoville) 20-6, (F 1:46)
3rd: Rowyn Page (Lemont) 34-11, over Cynthia Rios (Bolingbrook) 7-29, (F 2:32)
Individual statistics:
East Aurora’s Britany Chavarria finished the tournament with the most pins (5) in the least time 5:53, while Glenbard East’s Maria Green and West Aurora’s Mia Orozco tied for the fastest pin, at 14 seconds. Montini’s Katelyn Bell posted the most tech falls (3) in the least time (11:10), and Hinsdale South’s Callie Carr posted the fastest tech fall, in 58 seconds.
Four girls tied for the most team points scored (32) in Lockport’s Claudia Heeney, Lemont’s Molly O’Connor, Downers Grove North’s Natalia Cruz and Oswego East’s Jessica Stover. East Aurora’s Kassandra Reyes’ 26 single match points were the most by any wrestler, while Montini’s Bell and Neuqua Valley’s Aleta Weigandt tied for the most total match points scored, with 57.
Neuqua Valley’s Weigandt also provided the largest seed-place difference in the tournament, as the No. 13 seed placed fourth at 115 pounds.
HAMPSHIRE REGIONAL
Hampshire’s 28-team regional saw Huntley snare the team title as the Red Raiders edged second-place Wheeling, 150-141. Huntley advanced seven girls to the New Trier Sectional, which included a regional champion, three third-place medalists and three fourth-place finishes. Wheeling had five sectional qualifiers and went three-for-three on the regional title mat, plus two third-placers.
Woodstock (131.5) finished third, Dundee-Crown (104) was fourth, and host Hampshire (98.5) rounded out the top five team finishes. Woodstock advanced four girls to the sectional, Dundee-Crown advanced four, and Hampshire had four sectional qualifiers.
Huntley coach Gannon Kosowski’s team led the field with 26 pins and scored the most total match points, 230 to 227 ahead of Wheeling.
1st place: Huntley (150 points)
The Red Raiders got an individual regional title from Aubrie Rohrbacher (41-7 at 130), third-place finishes from Grecia Garcia (135), Brianna Felde (190) and Sara Willis (235), and fourths from Donna Garcia (115), Isabelle Singer (120), and Natalie Aguirre (170).
Huntley’s team regional title also wasn’t possible without a bevy of wrestlers who missed out on sectional advancement but contributed greatly to the team’s success, in Alissa Lesner (110), Lianny Guzman (125), Nariah Adams (140), and Abigail Ward (145).
2nd place: Wheeling (141)
Coach Anthony Piltaver saw three of his girls scale the heights of the podium in Hampshire, as Haydee Cruz (31-8 at 100), Elise Burkut (32-3 at 125) and Krystal Diaz (32-8) all won regional titles. The Wildcats also got thirds from Isabella Gomez (120) and Nikol Orendarchuk (155).
3rd place: Woodstock (131.5)
Danica La Tessa (32-8 at 120) was a regional champion for the Blue Streaks, who also got second-place finishes from Eva Hermansson (110) and Hannah Olsen (125) and a fourth from sectional qualifier Brianna Crown (155).
Individual champions:
Others winning regional titles at Hampshire were Dundee-Crown’s Diamond Rodriguez (35-3 at 105), Crystal Lake South’s Annalee Aarseth (12-1 at 110), Hampshire’s Amelia Nidelea-Polanin (30-2 at 115), Prospect’s Viola Pianetto (34-0 at 135), McHenry’s Natalie Corona (32-4 at 140), Crystal Lake Central’s Cait Jones (13-1 at 155), Maine West’s Lillian Garrett (28-4 at 170), Hampshire’s Samantha Diehl (24-4 at 190), and Maine South’s Sophia Fortis (13-8 at 235).
Team scores:
Huntley 150, Wheeling 141, Woodstock 131.5, Dundee-Crown 104, Hampshire 98.5, Grant 86.5, Rolling Meadows 80, Maine East 78, McHenry 68, Maine South 65, Harvard 64, Maine West 60, Palatine 58.5, Hersey 56.5, Prospect 53, Richmond-Burton 49, Fremd 45, Jacobs 42, Lake Zurich 38, Wauconda 33, Crystal Lake Central 29.5, Buffalo Grove 28, Crystal Lake South 28, Barrington 15, St. Viator 14, Cary-Grove 10, Marengo 8.5, Prairie Ridge 0
PLACE MATCHES FOR SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advance)
100
1st: Haydee Cruz (Wheeling) 31-8, d. Evelyn Torres (Maine East) 20-10, (TF-1.5 2:45 (17-0)
3rd: Elanie Taboada (Prospect) 22-6, d. Kevelyn Price (Palatine) 19-16, (F 3:47)
105
1st: Diamond Rodriguez (Dundee-Crown) 35-3, d. Eliana Badeen (Maine East) 16-3, (F 0:55)
3rd: Julia Felton (Jacobs) 20-7, d. Emma Strohmeier (Hersey) 15-4, (F 2:29)
110
1st: Annalee Aarseth (Crystal Lake S) 12-1, d. Eva Hermansson (Woodstock) 35-7, (F 3:17)
3rd: Alexa Herrera (Harvard) 26-12, d. Iris Torres (Dundee-Crown) 27-14, (F 2:46)
115
1st: Amelia Nidelea-Polanin (Hampshire) 30-2, d. America Camacho (Grant) 33-13, (F 1:48)
3rd: Georgia Hay (Lake Zurich) 15-6, d. Donna Garcia (Huntley) 27-17, (MD 12-2)
120
1st: Danica LaTessa (Woodstock) 32-8, d. Dalia Gondek (Hersey) 10-7, (F 5:58)
3rd: Isabella Gomez (Wheeling) 24-14, d. Isabelle Singer (Huntley) 12-33, (D 15-9)
125
1st: Elise Burkut (Wheeling) 32-3, d. Hannah Olsen (Woodstock) 31-13, (F 2:31)
3rd: Myla Reyes (Grant) 32-13, d. Isabella Nelson (R.-Burton) 14-9, (F 1:43)
130
1st: Aubrie Rohrbacher (Huntley) 41-7, d. Jessica Perez (Maine West) 24-9, . (F 1:35)
3rd: Muneeba Butt (Rolling Meadows) 26-9, d. Caroline Marogy (Buffalo Grove) 17-13, (F 0:36)
135
1st: Viola Pianetto (Prospect) 34-0, d. Alena Oshana (Maine East) 7-3, (F 2:44)
3rd: Grecia Garcia (Huntley) 33-11, d. Ruby Gavina (Dundee-Crown) 22-8, (F 3:21)
140
1st: Natalie Corona (McHenry) 32-4, .d. Lloyd kowalczyk (Fremd) 22-11, (F 1:18)
3rd: Madelyn Peterie (R.-Burton) 19-8, d. Nicole Dziura (Barrington) 13-10, (F 4:25)
145
1st: Krystal Diaz (Wheeling) 32-8, d. Janet Brindis (Rolling Meadows) 29-11, (D6-1)
3rd: Karimot Lawal (Palatine) 29-16, d. Madison Minson (Hampshire) 24-11, (MD 10-2)
155
1st: Cait Jones (Crystal Lake (Central) 13-1, d. Mackenzie Lessner (Dundee-Crown) 28-7, (TF-1.5 3:11 (16-0)
3rd: Nikol Orendarchuk (Wheeling) 22-4, d. Brianna Crown (Woodstock) 35-11, (F 2:28)
170
1st: Lillian Garrett (Maine West) 28-4, .d. Anneliese Tavira (Hampshire) 30-4, (D 12-5)
3rd: Leilani Brindis (Rolling Meadows) 33-8, d. Natalie Aguirre (Huntley) 35-12, (M. For.)
190
1st: Samantha Diehl (Hampshire) 24-4, d. Danai Kostarelou (Maine South) 19-7, (F 1:11)
3rd: Brianna Felde (Huntley) 28-15, d. Aiva Wikar (Palatine) 29-11, (F 1:16)
235
1st: Sophia Fortis (Maine South) 13-8, d. Jasmin Ocampo (Fremd) 22-4, (D 3-2)
3rd: Sara Willis (Huntley) 31-15, d. Nala Hernandez (McHenry) 22-12, (F 3:08)
Individual statistics:
Rolling Meadows’ Muneeba Butt posted the most pins (4) in the least time (2:01) of any wrestler in the tournament, while Hersey’s Linnea Olsen posted the fastest pin, at 10 seconds. Hampshire’s Amelia Nidelea-Polanin had the most tech falls (2) in the least time (3:22) and the fastest tech fall, at 111.
Crystal Lake Central’s Cait Jones scored the most team points with 29.5, and there was a three-way tie for the most single match points (21) between Nidelea-Polanin, Woodstock’s Stella Splendoria, and Palatine’s Karimot Lawal. Nidelea-Polaniin also scored the most total match points with 55.
Palatine’s Lawal also provided the largest seed-place difference in the tournament, as the No. 8 seed placed third at 145 pounds.
IC Catholic Prep edges Marmion Academy for Chicago Catholic League title

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA
After Mount Carmel turned in one of the most dominating performances to capture the Chicago Catholic League Championship by a 321.5-211.5 margin over runner-up Montini Catholic in 2024, this year’s CCL Championship at Montini Catholic in Lombard was the exact opposite, as IC Catholic Prep and Marmion Academy went back-and-forth during the late stages in a battle for top honors in the CCL that wound up being among the closest ones in the last 50 years.
With IC Catholic Prep leading 239.5-235 heading into the 14 title matches, both teams won three championships but Marmion Academy was only able to close the gap by 1.5 points to deny it of a second title in three years while the Knights captured their first CCL championship, prevailing for first place by a 253.5-250.5 margin over the Cadets in the 16-team competition.
The only time since 1974 that there was a closer margin for first place was in 2019 when host Mount Carmel and Montini Catholic tied for the title with 276.5 points while Marmion Academy took third place with 270 points. The 1980 CCL Championships were also determined by three points as St. Laurence prevailed by a 139-136 margin for top honors over Mount Carmel.
Montini Catholic took third place with 223.5 points while Mount Carmel finished fourth with 190 points. The remainder of the field featured Brother Rice (144.5), Providence Catholic (132), DePaul College Prep (99.5), Fenwick (83.5), Loyola Academy (82.5), St. Rita of Cascia (68), St. Laurence (66), St. Francis (42.5), De La Salle Institute (30), Saint Ignatius College Prep (28), Leo (10) and Aurora Central Catholic (0).
Leading the way for coach Danny Alcocer’s champion Knights were title winners Deven Casey (132), Brody Kelly (175) and Isaac Barrientos (190) while Kannon Judycki (120), Max Cumbee (128), Aidan Arnett (144) and Nate Brown (165) finished second. Foley Calcagno (215) took third, Jacob Alvarez (138), Joey Pontrelli (150) and Anthony Sebastian (285) were fourth, Mike Bird (106) took sixth and Ben Czarnowski (157) also got points. Casey also won a title in 2024 and Kelly was a champion as a freshman in 2023.
“It was a team effort,” Alcocer said. “We knew that it was going to be tight between us, Marmion and Montini and every point was going to count and a lot of our guys got bonus points. We got seven in the finals and three champs and they got the job done. We preach every day in our room that if you get beat, you’ve got to pick your head up and come back and get the next best thing. If there’s no title, don’t feel sorry for yourself, you come back and get third, and that’s what a bunch of our guys did, and we’re proud of them. We needed every single point today.
“We have a couple of guys who are still out but you have to battle through the injuries and keep your guys healthy. I think that we’re coming together at the right time. All of the guys are working hard every single day, putting in the time and the effort, and they’re going to reap the rewards. They’ve got to stay after it these next three weeks and we’ll see where we’re at. I like our tenacity and the guys’ willingness to work hard every day. The time, energy and effort they put in daily on the mat, it shows, and our coaches are putting in the time. In the third period and overtime, our guys are in prime condition to capitalize on some of our opponents’ mistakes.”
Top performers for the runner-up Cadets, whose co-coaches are Nathan Fitzenreider and Anthony Cirrincione, were champions Nicholas Garcia (126), Zach Stewart (144) and Mateusz Nycz (285) while Aidan McClure (113), Demetrios Carrera (132), Ashton Hobson (150) and Joseph Favia (215) took second place. James Morrison (106), Colton Wyller (120) and Anthony Haddad (165) finished fifth while Grayson Garcia (138), Andrew Haritos (157) and Luke Boersma (190) placed sixth. Nicholas Garcia also won a CCL title in 2024 while Hobson was the lone defending champion that took second and Favia won a title in 2023 as a freshman.
“It’s been a really good season so far and CCLs was a good tournament,” Fitzenreider said. “The boys are wrestling hard and we are proud of them. CCL was a good test for a lot of them. We got to wrestle some really good competition and evaluate where we are at heading into the end of the year. Nicolas had a hard-fought win in the finals which is great to see. Sometimes you just have to find a way and that’s what he did. Zach looked outstanding all tournament. His pace is hard to keep up with. Nycz is a lot to handle for everyone. He has had a phenomenal season and is the leader of our team. It shows when he wrestles. He puts up big points and gets pins. Excited to see our guys compete in the state series.
“All around we were very impressed by the CCL tournament and the other teams. ICCP, Montini, Mount Carmel, and Providence battled hard and their guys were fun to wrestle and compete against. And some of the other schools were also impressive. Brother Rice and St. Rita stuck out to me as other ones whose kids wrestle hard.”
Leading the way for the third-place host Broncos, who are coached by 2020 IWCOA Lifetime Service Award recipient Mike Bukovsky, were title winners Allen Woo (113), Mikey Malizzio (120) and Santino Tenuta (165) and second-place finishers Erik Klichurov (106) and Kam Luif (138). Taking third were Bobby Ruscitti (126) and AJ Tack (175), while Jaxon Lane (190) finished fourth while Isaac Mayora (132) and Gavin Ericson (285) took fifth place.
“I think it’s as balanced as it’s been in the Catholic League,” said Bukovsky, a 2023 Lifetime Service Award inductee of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Illinois Chapter. “Last year, Mount Carmel was clearly above everybody and the rest of us were battling for second and third. I thought that three teams could win and it came down to that last match, and IC did a good job and they converted. Everybody was going to be tested here. All up and down the lineup, we saw some really good things. But we’ve got to get back to the drawing board and get back to the grindstone and make those little adjustments and get ready for the postseason.”
Mount Carmel and Loyola Academy both had two champions. The Caravan’s Seth Mendoza (138), a three-time IHSA Class 3A champion, won his fourth CCL title while Liam Kelly (157) also took first place. The Ramblers also had two title winners, Niko Odiotti (106) and Kai Calcutt (215), who also won a CCL title in 2024, as did Casey and Garcia. Mendoza was the recipient of the Lawless Award while Calcutt was selected as the Most Outstanding Tournament Wrestler.
The other CCL champion was Providence Catholic’s Justus Heeg (150), who was one of three freshmen who took first place with Barrientos and Odiotti the others. Heeg’s coach, Donaldl Reynolds, received the Lawless Award for a coach, making him and his coach, Keith Healy, two of the few that been honored with the Lawless Awards as both a wrestler and as a coach.
Others who claimed second-place finishes were Brother Rice’s Dan Costello (175) and James Crane (190), Fenwick’s Aiden Burns (157) and De La Salle Institute’s David McCarthy (285).
In the dramatic finals, which were all title matches on adjacent mats, Woo edged McClure 4-2 at 113 and Malizzio got past Judycki by the same score before the first of three head-to-head clashes between the top two came at 126 where Nicholas Garcia got an escape and then rode out Cumbee to win 2-1 on a tiebreaker. Casey won a close one in the next head-to-head at 132, prevailing 7-4 over Carrera, to keep ICCP up 243.5-239 heading into the final eight weights.
Stewart put the Cadets in front by one point when he won by technical fall in 4:54 over Arnett at 144 and after Hobson fell to Heeg at 150 and Brown lost to Tenuta at 165, the Knights moved back in front for good after Kelly pinned Costello in 3:35 at 175 and Barrientos prevailed 4-1 by sudden victory over Crane at 190 to put their team up by nine points and after Favia got pinned by Calcutt at 215, the Cadets could only get to within three points when Nycz won by fall at 285.
Three individuals tied for the lead in team points with 30, Calcutt, Kelly and Nycz while Menoza was right behind with 29.5 and Tenuta ranked fifth with 29 team points. Kelly and Stewart scored 28.5 points, Casey and Heeg got 28 and Garcia and Woo tied for tenth with 27.5 team points.
Mount Carmel had five individuals who claimed third-place finishes, Sebastian Gracia (106), William Grafton-Hodgetts (113), Kavel Moore (120), Jaxon Jorgensen (144) and Kevin Kalchbrenner (165). Others who finished in third place were Brother Rice’s Oliver Davis (138) and Jack O’Connor (150), St. Laurence’s Khalid Eid (132), Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Nate Sanchez (157), Fenwick’s Jack Paris (190) and St. Francis’ Jaylen Torres (285).
Mount Carmel’s Moore easily had the most match points with 82 while Marmion Academy’s Stewart was nex-best with 64. Montini Catholic’s Lane was the lone competitor to record four falls and Stewart was the only to claim three victories by technical fall. Lane was also one of three individuals who placed seven spots better than were seeded, with Marmion Academy’s Grayson Garcia and Haddad being the others.
Here are the title winners of the Chicago Catholic League Championships and their weight classes:
106 – Niko Odiotti, Loyola Academy
Niko Odiotti opened his freshman season in impressive fashion by winning a championship at Barrington’s Moore-Prettyman-Dunn Invitational and after capturing another big title win at Geneseo earlier this month, he picked up his third major championship of his debut season by being one of three freshmen and two Loyola Academy athletes who claimed titles at the Chicago Catholic League Championships when he captured a 7-2 decision over Montini Catholic freshman Erik Klichurov in the 106 finals.
Odiotti (22-2), whose brother Massey competes for Northwestern University and became the Ramblers’ first IHSA champion when he took top honors at 120 in Class 3A in 2023, joined Providence Catholic’s Justus Heeg (150) and IC Catholic Prep’s Isaac Barrientos (195) as freshmen CCL title winners. He also was one of two champions for coach Matt Cullom’s Ramblers, joining junior Kai Calcutt, the defending IHSA Class 3A 215 champion, who took first place at 215. Odiotti won all of his three matches with decisions, winning 9-2 in the semifinals over Providence Catholic freshman Christian Corcoran.
“It feels good,” Odiotti said. “The ultimate goal is to be a state champ and this is a stepping stone. I need to stay the course, keep getting better and be ready for February, that’s when I want to peak. I think I wrestled pretty well, in some matches I’ve got to score more points. It’s obviously a tough tournament and all three matches were pretty tough, but I just wrestled tough and found a way to win.”
Klichurov (39-4), one of five finalists for coach Mike Bukovsky’s third-place Broncos, got a win by technical fall in the quarterfinals before earning his spot on the 106 title mat with a 13-5 major decision over Marmion Academy sophomore James Morrison. This was the second finals appearance for the Broncos freshman, who won a title at Niles West. The third place match featured another matchup of freshmen as Mount Carmel’s Sebastian Gracia (21-10) captured a 10-0 major decision over Corcoran (32-13). And for fifth place, Morrison (30-11) won a 5-1 decision over IC Catholic Prep freshman Mike Bird (22-18).
113 – Allen Woo, Montini Catholic
Allen Woo made an impressive debut last season when he won the IHSA Class 2A title at 106 and then helped Montini Catholic to a second place finish in the Class 2A Dual Team Finals as he finished with a 25-3 record. The sophomore is top-ranked at 113 in Class 2A and owns a 38-5 record after becoming the first of three CCL champions for the host Broncos when he captured a 4-2 decision over Marmion Academy freshman Aidan McClure in the 113 finals.
Woo, who also won a title at Niles West and took second place at the Dvorak, followed a first-period fall in his opening match with a victory by technical fall in 2:16 over Fenwick senior CJ Brown in the semifinals to become one of five finalists for coach Mike Bukovsky’s third-place Broncos. He finished with 27.5 team points, which tied him for tenth place in that statistic.
“This is good because the CCL is one of the best conferences,” Woo said. “It’s good to get some tough competition in before state. What I like about the Broncos is we’re more than just a team, we’re a family. We’re there for each other and we work hard daily to get better. As you know, coach Bu is a legend, he’s coached softball, football, wrestling and won state championships in each. I love him, he brings great energy every day. He’s coached for a long time so he knows exactly what to do. For example, he makes us get here two, three, four hours before we even wrestle just in case someone is overweight. We hate it, but it makes us who we are.”
McClure (22-7), one of seven finalists for the runner-up Cadets, whose co-coaches are Nathan Fitzenreider and Anthony Cirrincione, opened with a major decision before getting a pin in 1:35 in the semifinals over Providence Catholic freshman Nate Ortiz. For third place, Mount Carmel freshman William Grafton-Hodgetts (18-10) won a 10-4 decision over Ortiz (23-9). For fifth place, DePaul College Prep senior Dimitri Dobre (23-10) won by fall in 5:51 over Brown (26-9).
120 – Mikey Malizzio, Montini Catholic
Mikey Malizzio joined 113 title winner Allen Woo as a CCL champion and was also one of the five finalists for the host Broncos, who later got a championship from Santino Tenuto at 165 to give them three first-place finishers, which is also how many IC Catholic Prep and Marmion Academy had. Malizzio, a sophomore, was involved in a second-straight 4-2 decision on the title mat when he took first at 120 by that score over IC Catholic Prep sophomore Kannon Judycki.
Malizzio (34-8), who placed third at 113 in Class 2A last season and also helped the Broncos to a second-place finish in the IHSA Dual Team Finals, added to a runner-up finish at Niles West and a third at the Dvorak by capturing his first title. He claimed two wins by technical fall to reach the finals, beating Marmion Academy sophomore Colton Wyller in 2:51 in the semifinals.
“It’s the Chicago Catholic League, with a bunch of the best teams in Illinois all competing in one tournament,” Malizzio said. “Mount Carmel, IC, Marmion, us and some pretty solid teams. In my finals match I probably should have done a little better, but I was a little hesitant and I probably should have gotten my offense going a little more. The season is going good and we’ve just got to do our jobs. The state series is coming up and then after that is team state. But I think you have to focus on one thing to the next, so next up is regionals.”
Judycki (22-16) made his fourth finals appearance this season, with the others being a title at Washington and second-place finishes at Antioch and Geneseo. After winning a 4-2 decision over Mount Carmel senior Kavel Moore in the quarterfinals, the 2024 state qualifier for the Knights won a 10-1 major decision in the semifinals over St. Rita junior Jack Hogan, a defending CCL champion who placed third at 106 in Class 2A last season. In the third-place match, Moore (20-11) won by fall in 2:58 over Providence Catholic freshman Max Mandac. Moore scored a tournament-high 82 match points, which was 18 more than Marmion Academy’s Zach Stewart collected for second place. For fifth place, Wyller (39-6) won an 11-10 decision over Hogan (30-9).
126 – Nicholas Garcia, Marmion Academy
Nicholas Garcia provided Marmion Academy with its first title in the CCL Finals, but it didn’t come easily as IC Catholic sophomore Max Cumbee forced overtime before Garcia got an escape and then rode out Cumbee for a 2-1 win by overtime tiebreaker to repeat as a CCL champion. It was a key head-to-head win for the Cadets since they were in a tight battle for first with the Knights. The Cadets junior, who won the IHSA 3A title at 113 last season after finishing fourth at 106 in 2023, joined Zach Stewart (144) and Mateusz Nycz (285) as champions for Marmion Academy, who hoped to win the CCL team title for the second time in three years but IC Catholic Prep had other ideas and wound up prevailing by a 253.5-250.5 margin for the title.
Garcia (17-1), who’s top-ranked in Class 3A, opened with a win by technical fall before getting a pin in 38 seconds over St. Rita freshman Cleto Protti in the semifinals to become one of the seven finalists for the Cadets, whose co-coaches are Anthony Cirrincioe and Nathan Fitzenreider. Garcia ended up with the second-highest total of match points with 64 and he also tied for tenth place with Montini Catholic’s Allen Woo for the most team points with 27.5.
Cumbee (10-5), who placed fifth at 113 in Class 3A last season while competing for Joliet Catholic Academy, was one of seven finalists for coach Danny Alcocer’s CCL champion Knights. Cumbee, who also had a second-place finish at Geneseo, got a victory by technical fall in his opener before claiming a 6-0 decision in the semifinals over Montini Catholic sophomore Bobby Ruscitti (35-3), who went on to claim third place with a victory by technical fall in 2:48 over Brother Rice sophomore James Lotito (21-13). And for fifth place, Protti (21-9) was a winner by fall in 1:54 over Fenwick junior Solanus Daley.
132 – Deven Casey, IC Catholic Prep
Deven Casey helped to get the momentum going in IC Catholic Prep’s favor in its battle with Marmion Academy for the CCL championship. In the second head-to-head title matchup between the top teams in points, the Knights senior captured a 7-4 decision over Cadets junior Demetrios Carrera in the 132 championship match. He was the first of three title winners, with Brody Kelly (175) and Isaac Barrientos (190) the others, for coach Danny Alcocer’s CCL champion Knights, who held a slim 239.5-235 advantage over the Cadets heading into the title matches.
Casey (37-6), a three-time IHSA medalist who captured the Class 2A title at 120 last season with the Knights after taking third place in Class 2A at 113 in 2023 and third at 106 in 2022 while at Aurora Christian, is top-ranked at 132 in Class 2A. He repeated as a CCL champion and this was his fourth tournament title of the season, adding to firsts at Antioch, Washington and the Dvorak. He kicked things off with a first-period fall before becoming one of his team’s seven finalists when he got a pin in 3:05 over St. Laurence freshman Khalid Eid in the semifinals. He ended up tied for eighth with Providence Catholic’s Justus Heeg for most team points with 28.
“I knew coming here that I had a great chance of winning, but that wasn’t the goal, obviously, it was to win as a team,” Casey said. “We won the Dvorak, which was alright, but now we beat the best 3A team in the state. It was good to make a statement so it’s huge that we won it. Everybody just had to do their role, and step one was to win your matches, but winning your matches by bonus is huge. I haven’t really changed much over the four years of high school. This year, it’s just focusing on the team and being selfless by learning to help others to fix their mistakes, so I get better as a wrestler and as a person.”
Carrera (39-5), who is top-ranked in Class 3A, competed in his fourth finals but was unable to add to title wins at Marmion Academy and Batavia. He got wins by technical fall in his first two matches, defeating Montini Catholic sophomore Isaac Mayora in the semifinals. A two-time state qualifier, Carrera hopes to claim his first medal this season. In the third-place match, Eid (25-5) won a 3-2 decision over DePaul College Prep senior Nabiel Rosario (28-8). And for fifth place, Mayora (24-12) won by technical fall in 4:35 over St. Rita junior Luke Pappalas (14-13).
138 – Seth Mendoza, Mount Carmel
Seth Mendoza added another chapter to what has already been one of the most successful careers in IHSA history when he joined an elite group of individuals who have won four Chicago Catholic League Championships. The Mount Carmel senior captured the 138 title with a victory by technical fall in 3:03 over Montini Catholic junior Kam Luif to improve to 28-1 on the season. He also beat Luif to capture his 2023 CCL championship. Mendoza opened his fourth title run with a quick fall and advanced to the finals when IC Catholic Prep freshman Jacob Alvarez took a medical forfeit. The top-ranked individual in 3A at 138 was fourth in team points with 29.5.
Mendoza, the IHSA Class 3A champion at 126 a year ago, at 113 in 2023 and at 106 in 2022, added to a tournament title win at Crown Point, Indiana’s Carnahan and his lone defeat came in the finals of the Ironman in Ohio. He was the latest recipient of the CCL’s Lawless Award winner after receiving the Outstanding Tournament Wrestler award last season. Mendoza was joined as champion by his teammate, junior Liam Kelly, who took first place at 157, as they led the way for coach Alex Tsirtsis’ Caravan, the defending CCL champions who finished in fourth place.
“It’s amazing,” Mendoza said of being a four-time CCL champion. “It’s a lot different for some public schools where they don’t really get to experience having this competition because all of these schools are really competitive. So for four years in a row, getting to experience the same thing every year is something special and something I always looked forward to. I just stay consistent the whole time pretty much. Every time I’m at practice I’m looking to get better and trying to better my teammates so they stay focused on the same goal. For me, just staying consistent is the goal because if I do that, I know that the results will take care of themselves.”
Luif (39-4), one of five finalists for coach Mike Bukovsky’s third-place Broncos, won his first match by technical before recording a fall in 4:29 over Brother Rice junior Oliver Davis in the semifinals. This was his third tournament finals appearance this season with the others being a title at Niles West and a second at the Dvorak. This was also the third time that he got to the title mat at the CCL. Top-ranked in 2A, he looks to make his third trip to the IHSA 2A Finals and add to medals for taking third place at 132 in 2024 and claiming sixth place at 120 in 2023. In the third-place match, Davis (31-4) won a 13-2 major decision over Alvarez (24-16). For fifth place, DePaul College Prep senior Johnny Cunningham (27-10) claimed an 8-4 decision over Marmion Academy sophomore Grayson Garcia (22-18).
144 – Zach Stewart, Marmion Academy
Zach Stewart did just what he needed to do as the battle for the team championship between his Marmion Academy Cadets and IC Catholic Prep came down to the outcomes of each of the last seven title matches. With his team trailing 243.5 to 239, the Cadets junior put his team up by one point after he got a win by technical fall in 4:54 over IC Catholic Prep freshman Aidan Arnett in the 144 finals. With both teams having three finalists left, the Knights went 2-1 with wins at 175 from Brody Kelly and at 190 from Isaac Barrientos while the Cadets went 1-2 and won the last of their matches, with Mateusz Nycz first at 285 to conclude things with Marmion Academy down by three points, depriving it of a second CCL title in the last three years.
Stewart (26-2), last year’s IHSA Class 3A champion at 138 to cap a 30-8 season, claimed his fourth title of the season, adding to firsts at his school’s invite, Antioch and Batavia. He also got wins by technical fall in his first two matches, including in 2:48 in the semifinals over Mount Carmel sophomore Jaxon Jorgensen to become one of the seven finalists and three champs for the Cadets. He was the lone individual to have three wins by technical fall and got those wins in 9:18. He had the second-most match points with 64 and tied for sixth in team points with 28.5.
“We have a lot of newer kids, so it was a new team and no one really knew how they’d fit in but they actually fit in really well,” Stewart said. “They like the idea of us scoring a lot of points and trying to dominate rather than just winning by one or two points. They listen really well, and we’ve tried to listen a lot better this year, and it’s been going pretty well and obviously the results are showing that. This year our team has been improving and we have a shot to win it and we’re favored to win but Marist looks really good and Hononegah looks really good, and IC and Montini are really good, but they’re in 2A.”
Arnett (28-10), who was one of seven finalists for coach Danny Alcocer’s champion Knights, recorded pins in his first two matches, including one fall in 2:58 over DePaul College Prep senior Max Rosen in the semifinals. Jorgensen (4-1) claimed third place after prevailing over Rosen (27-7) with a 16-12 decision. In the fifth-place match, Loyola Academy junior Daniel Malan (23-5) was a winner by fall in 5:53 over Fenwick senior Eiam Staple (25-13).
150 – Justus Heeg, Providence Catholic
Justus Heeg won his fourth title, advanced to his fifth tournament finals and the Providence Catholic freshman improved to 39-3 after claiming a 14-2 major decision over Marmion Academy junior Ashton Hobson in the 150 title match at the Chicago Catholic League Championships. He added to titles at Barrington, the Dvorak and the Illini Classic and a second at the Cheesehead. He won a Minnesota state title for Simley as an eighth grader in 2024.
Heeg, the lone champion and finalist for coach Donald Reynolds’ sixth-place Celtics, got wins by technical fall in his first two matches, needing just 0:35 in his opener and earning his spot on the 150 title mat with a victory in 5:27 over Brother Rice senior Jack O’Connor in the semifinals. He ranked third in total match points with 53 and tied for eighth place in team points with 28.
“Justus is obviously a great wrestler, but also a great kid of high character and a great student,” said Celtics coach Donald Reynolds, a 2022 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee. “He is always looking to find ways to get better, from watching film, playing with some technique in practice, getting extra lifts or workouts in to focus on some small details etc. The scary part is he just keeps getting better and gaining more confidence, and those two things feed each other.
“Our team is young but hungry to compete. We make some mistakes ,and will continue to do so, and it will cost us some matches but we are trying to put ourselves in highly competitive situations as a young team so we can learn how to compete for when it matters in the postseason and years to come. We are in a good spot moving forward, we just have to continue to focus on improving on a daily basis, and the wins will follow. We have a great group of kids, and a great group of parents and I am excited to see where this group goes.”
Hobson (22-5), a junior who placed sixth at 144 in Class 3A and also was a CCL champion in 2024, was one of seven finalists for Nathan Fitzenreider and Anthony Cirrincione’s second-place Cadets. He advanced to the finals following a pair of wins by technical fall, with the second of those coming in 2:33 over IC Catholic Prep sophomore Joey Pontrelli in the. This was Hobson’s third tournament finals, with the other being titles at his invite and at Batavia. In the third-place match, O’Connor (26-11) won a 13-9 decision over Pontrelli (19-16). St. Francis sophomore Chase Siguenza took fifth place by medical forfeit over St. Rita senior Nolan Keenan (26-11).
157 – Liam Kelly, Mount Carmel
Liam Kelly won his first tournament title of the season and his initial Chicago Catholic League Championship and joined four-time CCL title winner Seth Mendoza as first-place finishers for coach Alex Tsirtsis’ fourth-place Mount Carmel Caravan after capturing a 22-10 major decision over Fenwick senior Aiden Burns in the 157 finals.
Kelly (26-3), a junior who is a two-time state qualifier and was a member of Mount Carmel’s Class 3A Dual Team champions last season, received a medical forfeit in his first match and then became one of his team’s two finalists when got a victory by technical fall in 1:45 over Providence Catholic freshman Jasper Harper in the semifinals. He tied Marmion Academy’s Zach Stewart for sixth place in team points with 28.5.
“I got tossed on my back but just have to find a way to get through that,” Kelly said. “Seth is a beast. It’s been great since we work together every single day in practice, he’s the best partner that I could have. Colin competed here and he’s at the U of I now, and I train with him when I can. And coach Alex is the best coach that I could ask for, I’ve been with him since I was a little kid. The practice partners, the coaches and just the people there (at Mount Carmel) are great.”
Burns (38-3), who advanced to his fourth tournament finals, which featured title wins at Hinsdale South and J. Sterling Morton and a runner-up finish at Barrington, was the lone finalist for coach Seth Gamino’s Friars. He won 8-5 by sudden victory over Brother Rice sophomore Frank Meceli in the quarterfinals before winning a 12-7 decision over Saint Ignatius College Prep senior Nate Sanchez in the semifinals. The Fenwick senior hopes to earn his first trip to the IHSA Finals. For third place, Sanchez (28-3) captured a 10-0 major decision over Harper (32-12). And for fifth place, Mecelli (31-7) got a fall in 3:41 over Marmion Academy senior Andrew Haritos (22-18).
165 – Santino Tenuta, Montini Catholic
Santino Tenuta and his Montini Catholic teammates would have likely preferred that they had been in the chase for the CCL Champion that was taking place between IC Catholic Prep and Marmion Academy during the title matches in their own gym, but that certainly didn’t prevent them from frustrating the Knights and Cadets who were both trying to get key championship wins. Tenuta became the third Bronco to claim a first-place finish at the expense of the top two front-runners when the junior joined Allen Woo and Mikey Malizzio as a CCL title winner with his 13-2 major decision over IC Catholic Prep senior Nate Brown in the 165 finals.
Tenuta (30-7), a two-time IHSA qualifier who added to a title at Niles West and a second at the Dvorak, was the fifth and final individual that competed on the title mats for coach Mike Bukovsky’s third-place Broncos. He got to the 165 championship match after recording a pair of first-period falls, securing his semifinal win over St. Laurence senior Jack Claussen with a pin in 1:56. He had the highest finish for most team points of any of the Broncos, taking fifth with 29 points. Tenuta hopes that the third time’s the charm for him in Champaign so he can do what fellow CCL champs Woo and Malizzio, runner-up Kam Luif and also Josh Vazquez, who didn’t compete Saturday, did a year ago, which was get to the awards stand at the State Farm Center.
“With all of these banners, you want to be able to put one of these up one of these days,” Tenuta said. “The standard here is very high so we just want to reach that level. There’s very good teams here and the Catholic League is one of the best in the country, so it’s really good to win here. In my freshman year I took second and last year I didn’t get to wrestle in this tournament, so now I feel good that I got one under my belt. We took second last year and we thought we had it, so it was a tough loss. We have like a family here. We all love one another and we all make each other better.”
Brown (15-8), one of seven finalists for coach Danny Alcocer’s champion Knights, did his part by getting to the title mat at 165 and scoring bonus points along the way as the 2024 state qualifier turned in his best finish of the season by collecting two falls in the opening period, which included a pin in 1:25 in the semifinals over Mount Carmel senior Kevin Kalchbrenner (22-8), who went on to claim third place by getting a pin in 2:00 over Claussen (23-10). In the fifth-place match, Marmion Academy senior Anthony Haddad (17-14) was a winner by fall in 1:25 over Brother Rice senior Johnny Vega (11-7).
175 – Brody Kelly, IC Catholic Prep
Brody Kelly had a pretty clear mission as he stepped onto the 175 title mat against Brother Rice’s Dan Costello, and that was to try to get a pin in order to help his IC Catholic Prep team hold off of Marmion Academy in their quest to capture their first Chicago Catholic League Championship, and that’s just what the junior did. Kelly’s fall in 3:35 at about the same time that freshman teammate Isaac Barrientos was in the process of claiming a dramatic 4-1 win by sudden victory over another Crusader finalist, James Crane, in the 190 finals, assured coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights of the title, as they ultimately edged the Cadets 253.5-250.5 for first.
Kelly (36-5), who joined Deven Casey (132) and Barrientos (190) as CCL champions and was joined on the title mats by runners-up Kannon Judycki (120), Max Cumbee (126), Aidan Arnett (144) and Nate Brown (165), was one of the four Knights who used the same formula to get to the finals, advancing with two pins, with the second of those coming in the semifinals, where he won by fall in 2:32 over Fenwick senior Dominic Esposito. Kelly, who’s top-ranked in Class 2A, won his third title and reached his fourth finals match, adding to firsts at Antioch and Washington and a second at the Dvorak. The 2024 IHSA Class 2A runner-up at 150, who fell 3-2 to Montini Catholic’s David Mayora, tied Loyola Academy’s Kai Calcutt and Marmion Academy’s Mateusz Nycz for first in team points with 30 and tied five others for second for the most pins with three.
“We did really good just making sure that we were working really hard as a team and trying to get bonus as much as we could,” Kelly said. “It only came down to three points, so that’s a couple of places. It feels good, but we just have to keep going forward. Our goal is to team state and this is very good because we just came into CCL like two years ago. So it’s good winning it to show where we are as a team right now. We had a little bit of injuries at the beginning of the year but now we have a pretty solid lineup and we’re looking strong out there.”
Costello (20-9), a sophomore who placed sixth in Class 2A at 175 in 2024 and also took second place at Geneva and at Archbishop Rummel in Metairie, Louisiana and finished third at Hinsdale Central this season, was one of two finalists for coach Jan Murzyn’s Crusaders. He opened with a fall before earning his spot in the 175 finals by winning a 15-12 decision in the semifinals over Montini Catholic junior AJ Tack (33-11), who took third place by medical forfeit over Mount Carmel sophomore Daniel Lynch (12-10). In the fifth-place match, Providence Catholic junior Declan Dircks (4-2) won by fall in 3:18 over Esposito (33-9).
190 – Isaac Barrientos, IC Catholic Prep
Issac Barrientos faced one of the biggest challenges that any freshman may encounter and that is winning a championship in the state’s toughest conference while denying a senior of capturing his first title in the competition, but that’s just what he faced when he met Brother Rice’s James Crane in the Chicago Catholic League Championships title match at 190. With his Broncos owning a small edge over Marmion Academy, Barrientos needed a win to offset a possible, and as it turns out, a win by fall by Mateusz Nycz in the 285 finals. The freshman got the job done, capturing a wild 4-1 win in sudden victory over Crane, who was a state qualifier a year ago. That win helped IC Catholic Prep finish ahead of the Cadets 253.5-250.5 to win its first CCL title.
Barrientos (25-14), one of seven finalists for coach Danny Alcocer’s champion Knights, joined Deven Casey (132) and Brody Kelly (175) as title winners. Kelly’s fall at 175 over a teammate of Crane’s, Dan Costello, provided a boost for Barrientos, who also was one of three freshman champions, with Loyola Academy’s Niko Odiotti (106) and Providence Catholic’s Justus Heeg (150) being the others and their titles weren’t that surprising since they both were ranked highly in the state and have achieved great success in other settings. Barrientos opened with a fall and then earned his spot in the 190 finals with a 5-1 decision in the semifinals over another ranked senior, Fenwick’s Jack Paris, a two-time state qualifier. This was the first time that Barrientos advanced to the semifinals in a tournament and his best finish had been a third at Geneseo.
“I had good matches and I beat kids that the tournament had me seeded behind and I thought I should have beaten and I came back to win,” Barrientos said. “Especially as a freshman, to win the CCL is a great feeling. (Winning the team title) That was the goal, our goal is always to win. The goal is not achieved yet because team state is what we’re really working for, but it’s great being able to win one of the hardest conferences, if not the hardest conference in Illinois. We all push each other a lot in practice and we all work hard and everyone is there for each other.”
Crane (30-5), one of two finalists for the Crusaders, advanced to the 190 finals with two falls, with the second of those coming in 3:27 over Marmion Academy sophomore Luke Boersma in the semifinals. This was the third finals that Crane competed in with the others a title at Geneva and a second-place showing at a tournament in Louisiana. In the third-place match, Paris (35-8) won 2-1 on an ultimate tiebreaker over Montini Catholic senior Jaxon Lane (29-16), who led all competitors in the tournament with four falls. And for fifth place, DePaul College Prep senior Alex Drees (18-16) won by medical forfeit over Boersma (30-15).
215 – Kai Calcutt, Loyola Academy
Kai Calcutt got off to a slow start in his junior season, a situation that a lot of defending state champions might not like. But when the tradeoff is being able to be a member of Loyola Academy’s football team that won the Class 8A championship, then it’s alright to get back to the mats a bit later. The two-time IHSA finalist who won the 3A title at 215 last season after placing second at 220 in his freshman season, was the starting nose guard on a team that capped a 12-2 season with a 35-14 victory over York in the Class 8A title game. As a sophomore he was a member of a 14-0 Ramblers team that beat Lincoln-Way East for the Class 8A championship. Calcutt was joined by Niko Odiotti (106) as champions for coach Matt Collum’s Ramblers after he won by fall in 1:54 over Marmion Academy junior Joseph Favia in the 215 title match. It was a rematch of last year’s IHSA Class 3A Finals at 215 where Calcutt won 3-1 by sudden victory.
Calcutt (28-0), who’s top-ranked at 215 in Class 3A in 3A, got a first-period pin in his opener and then recorded a fall in 3:08 over Brother Rice junior Colin Goggin in the semifinals. He tied IC Catholic Prep’s Brody Kelly and Marmion Academy’s Mateuz Nycz for the most team points with 30. This was his third tournament title, with the others coming at the Dvorak and Geneseo.
“It was awesome,” Calcutt said of winning the football title. “Yeah, it goes into wrestling a little, but I was playing with my brothers and I’ve been playing with them all throughout summer and all the 14 weeks. There’s little bumps in the road, but in the end, it all works out. I started football in my freshman year and the environment that I was brought into is awesome. (Matt Collum) He’s an awesome coach. He’s always calm, has good technique and knows how to teach.”
Favia (15-6) was one of seven finalists for the runner-up Cadets. He opened with a pin and then won a 1-0 decision over IC Catholic Prep senior Foley Calcagno in the semifinals to assure himself of his second finals this season, with the other at Batavia, where he also was second. Calcagno (32-11), who took third at 190 in Class 2A in 2024 after placing sixth at 182 in 1A in 2023, won by fall in 2:59 over Mount Carmel senior Leonard Siegal (16-13) in the third place match. For fifth, St. Laurence junior Xavier Bitner (18-7) got a pin in 4:36 over Goggin (26-11).
285 – Mateusz Nycz, Marmion Academy
Mateusz Nycz did his part to try to help Marmion Academy win its second CCL championship in the past three seasons by collecting falls in all three of his matches to tie him with Loyola Academy’s Kai Calcutt and IC Catholic Prep’s Brody Kelly as the leaders in team points with 30. But by the time the the Cadets senior recorded his last pin in 1:22 in the 285 title match over De La Salle Institute senior David McCarthy, IC Catholic Prep already was assured of winning its first CCL title and ultimately it prevailed by a 253.5-250.5 margin to capture top honors.
Nycz (39-4), one of three champions and seven finalists for the runner-up Cadets, whose co-coaches are Nathan Fitzenreider and Anthony Cirrincione, earned his spot on the 285 title mat with his quickest pin, in 1:01, over Leo senior Nicholas Armour in the semifinals. An IHSA qualifier for the first time in 2024, he’s also captured tournament titles this season at his own invite, Antioch and Batavia and took second place at the Dan Gable Donnybrook in Iowa.
McCarthy (21-2), the lone medalist for coach Jason Davidson’s Meteors, is a two-time state qualifier who took fifth at 285 in Class 1A in 2024. This was his fourth finals appearance this season with the others being firsts at Conant, Plano and Leyden. After opening with a pin in the first minute of his initial match, he had a battle on his hands in the semifinals, pulling out a 3-2 decision over St. Francis junior Jaylen Torres, who lost 2-1 to Althoff Catholic’s Jason Dowell in the IHSA Class 1A Finals at 285 last season. In the third-place match, Torres (21-2) won by fall in 0:30 over IC Catholic Prep sophomore Anthony Sebastian (23-11). And for fifth place, Montini Catholic sophomore Gavin Ericson (27-18) captured a 10-7 decision over Armour (24-5).
Chicago Catholic League Championships
Team scores
1. IC Catholic Prep 253.5, 2. Marmion Academy 250.5, 3. Montini Catholic 223.5, 4. Mount Carmel 190, 5. Brother Rice 144.5, 6. Providence Catholic 132, 7. DePaul College Prep 99.5, 8. Fenwick 83.5, 9. Loyola Academy 82.5, 10. St. Rita of Cascia 68, 11. St. Laurence 66, 12. St. Francis 42.5, 13. De La Salle Institute 30, 14. Saint Ignatius College Prep 28, 15. Leo 10, 16. Aurora Central Catholic 0.
Place matches
106
1st Place Match
Niko Odiotti (Loyola Academy) 22-2, Fr. over Erik Klichurov (Montini Catholic) 39-4, Fr. (Dec 7-2)
3rd Place Match
Sebastian Gracia (Mount Carmel) 21-10, Fr. over Christian Corcoran (Providence Catholic) 32-13, Fr. (MD 10-0)
5th Place Match
James Morrison (Marmion Academy) 30-11, So. over Mike Bird (IC Catholic Prep) 22-18, Fr. (Dec 5-1)
113
1st Place Match
Allen Woo (Montini Catholic) 38-5, So. over Aidan McClure (Marmion Academy) 22-7, Fr. (Dec 4-2)
3rd Place Match
William Grafton-Hodgetts (Mount Carmel) 18-10, Fr. over Nate Ortiz (Providence Catholic) 23-9, Fr. (Dec 10-4)
5th Place Match
Dimitri Dobre (DePaul College Prep) 23-10, Sr. over CJ Brown (Fenwick) 26-9, Sr. (Fall 5:51)
120
1st Place Match
Mikey Malizzio (Montini Catholic) 34-8, So. over Kannon Judycki (IC Catholic Prep) 22-16, So. (Dec 4-2)
3rd Place Match
Kavel Moore ((Chicago) Mt Carmel) 20-11, Sr. over Max Mandac (Providence Catholic) 12-19, Fr. (Fall 2:58)
5th Place Match
Colton Wyller (Marmion Academy) 39-6, So. over Jack Hogan (St. Rita of Cascia) 30-9, Jr. (Dec 11-10)
126
1st Place Match
Nicholas Garcia (Marmion Academy) 17-1, Jr. over Max Cumbee (IC Catholic Prep) 10-5, So. (TB-1 2-1)
3rd Place Match
Bobby Ruscitti (Montini Catholic) 35-3, So. over James Lotito (Brother Rice) 21-13, So. (TF-1.5 2:48 (17-2))
5th Place Match
Cleto Protti (St. Rita of Cascia) 21-9, Fr. over Solanus Daley (Fenwick) 22-22, Jr. (Fall 1:54)
132
1st Place Match
Deven Casey (IC Catholic Prep) 37-6, Sr. over Demetrios Carrera (Marmion Academy) 39-5, Jr. (Dec 7-4)
3rd Place Match
Khalid Eid (St. Laurence) 25-5, Fr. over Nabiel Rosario (DePaul College Prep) 28-8, Sr. (Dec 3-2)
5th Place Match
Isaac Mayora (Montini Catholic) 24-12, So. over Luke Pappalas (St. Rita of Cascia) 14-13, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:35 (21-5))
138
1st Place Match
Seth Mendoza (Mount Carmel) 28-1, Sr. over Kam Luif (Montini Catholic) 39-4, So. (TF-1.5 3:03 (23-7))
3rd Place Match
Oliver Davis (Brother Rice) 31-4, Jr. over Jacob Alvarez (IC Catholic Prep) 24-16, Fr. (MD 13-2)
5th Place Match
Johnny Cunningham (DePaul College Prep) 27-10, Sr. over Grayson Garcia (Marmion Academy) 22-18, So. (Dec 8-4)
144
1st Place Match
Zach Stewart (Marmion Academy) 26-2, Jr. over Aidan Arnett (IC Catholic Prep) 28-10, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:54 (22-6))
3rd Place Match
Jaxon Jorgensen (Mount Carmel) 4-1, So. over Max Rosen (DePaul College Prep) 27-7, Sr. (Dec 16-12)
5th Place Match
Daniel Malan (Loyola Academy) 23-5, Jr. over Eiam Staple (Fenwick) 25-13, Sr. (Fall 5:53)
150
1st Place Match
Justus Heeg (Providence Catholic) 39-3, Fr. over Ashton Hobson (Marmion Academy) 22-5, Jr. (MD 14-2)
3rd Place Match
Jack O`Connor (Brother Rice) 26-11, Sr. over Joey Pontrelli (IC Catholic) 19-16, So. (Dec 13-9)
5th Place Match
Chase Siguenza (St. Francis) 4-2, So. over Nolan Keenan (St. Rita of Cascia) 26-11, Sr. (M. For.)
157
1st Place Match
Liam Kelly (Mount Carmel) 26-3, Jr. over Aiden Burns (Fenwick) 38-3, Sr. (MD 22-10)
3rd Place Match
NATE SANCHEZ (Saint Ignatius College Prep) 28-3, Sr. over Jasper Harper (Providence Catholic) 32-12, Fr. (MD 10-0)
5th Place Match
Frank Mecelli (Brother Rice) 31-7, So. over Andrew Haritos (Marmion Academy) 22-18, Sr. (Fall 3:41)
165
1st Place Match
Santino Tenuta (Montini Catholic) 30-7, Jr. over Nate Brown (IC Catholic Prep) 15-8, Sr. (MD 13-2)
3rd Place Match
Kevin Kalchbrenner (Mount Carmel) 22-8, Sr. over Jack Claussen (St. Laurence) 23-10, Sr. (Fall 2:00)
5th Place Match
Anthony Haddad (Marmion Academy) 17-14, Sr. over Johnny Vega (Brother Rice) 11-7, Sr. (Fall 1:25)
175
1st Place Match
Brody Kelly (IC Catholic Prep) 36-5, Sr. over Dan Costello (Brother Rice) 20-9, So. (Fall 3:35)
3rd Place Match
AJ Tack (Montini Catholic) 33-11, Jr. over Daniel Lynch (Mount Carmel) 12-10, So. (M. For.)
5th Place Match
Declan Dircks (Providence Catholic) 4-2, Jr. over Dominic Esposito (Fenwick) 33-9, Sr. (Fall 3:18)
190
1st Place Match
Isaac Barrientos (IC Catholic Prep) 25-14, Fr. over James Crane (Brother Rice) 30-5, Sr. (SV-1 4-1)
3rd Place Match
Jack Paris (Fenwick) 35-8, Sr. over Jaxon Lane (Montini Catholic) 29-16, Sr. (TB-1 2-1)
5th Place Match
Alex Drees (DePaul College Prep) 18-16, Sr. over Luke Boersma (Marmion Academy) 30-15, So. (M. For.)
215
1st Place Match
Kai Calcutt (Loyola Academy) 28-0, Jr. over Joseph Favia (Marmion Academy) 15-6, Jr. (Fall 1:54)
3rd Place Match
Foley Calcagno (IC Catholic Prep) 32-11, Sr. over Leonard Siegal (Mount Carmel) 16-13, Sr. (Fall 2:59)
5th Place Match
Xavier Bitner (St. Laurence) 18-7, Jr. over Colin Goggin (Brother Rice) 26-11, Jr. (Fall 4:36)
285
1st Place Match
Mateusz Nycz (Marmion Academy) 39-4, Sr. over David McCarthy (De La Salle Institute) 21-2, Sr. (Fall 1:22)
3rd Place Match
Jaylen Torres (St. Francis) 21-2, Jr. over Anthony Sebastian (IC Catholic Prep) 23-11, So. (Fall 0:30)
5th Place Match
Gavin Ericson (Montini Catholic) 27-18, So. over Nicholas Armour (Leo) 24-5, Sr. (Dec 10-7)
Minooka girls win Southwest Prairie Conference Tournament title

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA
There was a little old and a little new at the Southwest Prairie Conference Girls Tournament in Yorkville with one of the original staples in the league winning its second championship in three years and six of the 2024 title winners finishing on top of the awards stand again with one of those becoming the conference’s first three-time champion.
But there were also five schools on hand with their own teams that technically were either a part of a co-op a year ago or just had individuals competing or weren’t even in the conference.
When the competition concluded, Minooka was on top with 173 points with Plainfield South getting past Joliet Central by a 131.5-126 margin to take second place. Joliet West (110), Oswego East (95.5), Oswego (86.5) and Romeoville (84.5), Plainfield East (70), Bolingbrook (67), Plainfield Central (57.5), Yorkville (54) and Plainfield North (33.5) rounded out the field.
Joliet Township’s co-op team won last year’s championship with Minooka placing second. However, Joliet Central and Joliet West are now competing as separate teams and this is also the debut season for actual teams for both Plainfield South and Oswego East.
Bolingbrook is also new to the mix since this is its initial season in the SPC after being a member of the SouthWest Suburban Conference since that began. Plainfield East made big improvements after placing last and scoring 14 points in 2024. West Aurora, who took third place last season, has moved back to the Upstate Eight Conference.
Minooka has been a leader in the sport, not only hosting a major tournament to start the season but making a big commitment early on since it hired two coaches who had assisted IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Bernie Ruettiger with many of his teams that advanced to the IHSA Dual Team Finals from 2004-2020, Paige Schoolman and Jeff Charlebois, and both were head coaches at the school and also led their teams to dual team state in 2012 and 2013.
The Indians displayed great depth to capture their second SPC championship in three years with Angela Morales (9-11 at 110) and Sabina Charlebois (23-8 at 130) winning titles while Holli Coughlen (120), Ezra Rodriguez (140), Palmer Calvey (145) and Addison Davis (190) claimed second place finishes.
Marian Nordsell (105) took third, Therese Escano (110), Izzy White (115) and Keziah Gaston (170) placed fourth, Candice Cameron (110) and Alaina Austin (125) finished fifth and Aubry Smith (125) claimed sixth place. Others on the title team were Morgan Skwarczynski (100), Anastasia Dewey (125), Ryann Spivey (135), Lexie Lakota (135) and Abigail Underhill (170).
“It was really exciting to see,” Schoolman said of the new-look SPC. “We were here two years and it was us and Joliert co-op and most of the other ones had a few girls here and there, so it’s nice to see that three-quarters of the schools have nine-plus wrestlers in the varsity tournament.
“At Minooka, we want to be ambassadors for the sport. There’s so much for the girls to learn and we keep getting new groups of girls every year and they work hard and things have been going real well. You get some good athletes from the hallways and you build a culture. And the girls have kind of built that culture at Minooka. They want to be a part of it, they work hard and listen to the coaches.
“Coach Charlebois is an amazing technician and we kind of gave him the lead of the whole thing this year and he’s been running the room this year, and it’s been great for me and it’s been great for the kids. You see some consistency with what we’re doing and all of the girls are kind of doing very similar things out there. It’s a fun sport, I’ve been saying that from the beginning.”
Six individuals repeated as SPC champions and another won her second title in three years. Plainfield Central senior Alicia Tucker, who captured the IHSA title at 155 in 2023 and took second at state at 170 last season, won at 170 to claim her third title and improve to 19-1.
Other repeat champions were Romeoville junior Daniela Santander (27-3 at 100), Plainfield Central sophomore Shania Davison (12-1 at 115), Joliet Central junior Izabel Barerra (24-1 at 135), Plainfield North sophomore Viki Rodnikova (19-6 at 145) and Plainfield South senior Teagan Aurich (21-0 at 155) while Minooka junior Sabina Charlebois (23-8 at 130) also won an SPC title in 2023.
Other first-place finishers were Oswego East freshman Mia Nevarez (35-10 at 125) and sophomore Quinn Janssens (41-3 at 140), Joliet Central junior Alisa Carter (23-5 at 105), Minooka freshman Angela Morales (9-11 at 110), Bolingbrook junior Alejandra Flores (24-3 at 120), Plainfield South senior Keira Enright (17-4 at 190) and Romeoville sophomore Henessis Villagrana (235).
Minooka junior Holli Coughlen (120) took second place for the third time while Joliet West senior Chloe Wong (105) finished second for the second time after winning a title in 2023 and Joliet Central senior April Ortiz (130) also finished second for the second time.
Others who claimed second-place finishes were Minooka junior Ezra Rodriguez (140), senior Palmer Calvey (145) and junior Addison Davis (190), Yorkville sophomore Analiese Garretson (100) and senior Brooke Coy (135), Oswego seniors Mikaela Busse (110) and Kiyah Chavez (155), Joliet West junior Briahna Klobnak (125) and senior Natalie Quiroz (235), Plainfield East sophomore Angelina Nettey (115) and Oswego East senior Jessica Stover (170).
The closest match of the finals was at 105 where Joliet Township teammates from last season met with Carter prevailing in a 1-0 decision over Wong.
There was a five-way tie for the most team points with 26 involving Barrera, Charlebois, Davison, Enright and Morales while Flores and Janssens were next with 25.5 points and Tucker scored 25 points while Rodnikova and Santander both collected 24.5 team points. Flores had the most match points with 40 while Santander ranked second with 38 match points.
Plainfield East’s Jennifer Paul was the only competitor that recorded four falls and she also tied her teammate Jen Serna and Coughlen for the biggest seed to place difference with all three finishing five spots better than they were seeded.
There were 118 entrants in the varsity tournament while 52 competed in a junior-varsity tournament that was run at the same time.
Plainfield South coach Thomas Redmon is excited about how well his first-year team has been performing and their second-place finish in the SPC Tournament is definitely one of its season highlights.
“Generally, we’ve performed well,” Redmon said. “Our ladies have really embraced the game plan we coaches envision for their matches and worked their tails off in the room. We’ve seen lots of growth and I think our results this season speak to that growth.
“The team coming together is entirely based on the culture these young ladies have built in their team. I wish I could say that I have some magic secret or trick, but I’m just lucky enough to be the guy who sits in the corner for an incredible group of young women. They push each other, hold each other accountable, and lift each other up to make sure we keep going forward toward improvement.
“We’ve had very solid seasons so far from many of our girls, but Teagan Aurich and Keira Enright have been big contributors this season and both won their brackets this past weekend. We’re also seeing huge leaps forward for many of our girls like Kayla Ochotorena, Mora Munoz, Lexi Kachiroubas, Allison Asante and Amie Fuentes who have made major contributions at many of our competitions this year.”
Here are the champions of the Southwest Prairie Conference Tournament and their weight classes:
100 – Daniela Santander, Romeoville
Daniela Santander repeated as a Southwest Prairie Conference champion and was the first of two title winners for Romeoville, with Henessis Villagrana the other at 235, after capturing a 15-1 major decision over Yorkville’s Analiese Garretson in the 100 finals
Santander (27-3), a junior who was one two finalists for coach John Arlis’ Spartans, followed a win by technical fall with a pin in 1:15 over Joliet West freshman Takyla Johnson in the semifinals. She went 28-8 last season and fell one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the rugged Schaumburg Sectional. She ranked second in total match points with 38, which was two points behind the leader in that category, Bolingbrook’s Alejandra Flores.
“It feels great, twice in a row,” Santander said. “I started practicing longer and I try to go live with someone after practice is over to get my reps in, like takedowns, and I’ve really been working on them. (Her teammates) They’re great and they’re so supportive. I think the whole team was there cheering for me. And it’s great to see how much our team grew, too.”
Garretson (22-9), a sophomore who was one of two finalists for coach Kevin Roth’s Foxes, opened with a fall and then earned her spot on the 100 title mat with a pin in 3:23 over Plainfield South junior Amie Fuentes (20-6), who went on to claim third place with a victory by technical fall in 2:58 over Johnson (7-9). For fifth place, Joliet Central senior Kassandra Ruiz (14-4) was a winner by fall in 1:48 over Joliet West senior Aysia Smith.
105 – Alisa Carter, Joliet Central
Alisa Carter and Chloe Wong faced off in a matchup of Joliet Township teammates from a year ago and when the 105 title match concluded, Joliet Central’s Carter prevailed 1-0 over Joliet West’s Wong, who competed in an SPC finals for the third time but fell short of a second title.
Carter (23-5), a junior who did not compete in the state series last season, was one of two champions and three finalists for coach Marcus McCullum’s third-place Steelwomen. She only had to compete in a semifinal match in order to reach the title mat and she captured a 13-9 decision over Minooka sophomore Marian Nordsell.
“It was kind of weird seeing her on the mat but not the same singlet as I am,” Carter said “We’ve wrestled three times so far, so I’m up 2-1. I was nervous and anxious going into this match. This was a big day for me because I never wrestled at conference before and it’s my birthday, too. I’m glad that the girls that were on the team last year that didn’t get too many matches are getting more matches at West and at Central. And I’m glad both teams basically have full varsity and j-v lineups.”
Wong (4-2), a senior who placed sixth at 100 in the 2023 IHSA Finals, was one of three runners-up for coach Erik Murry’s Tigers. She also had to win one match to reach the finals, recording a fall in 2:30 over Bolingbrook freshman Mikaela Najera in the semifinals. Nordsell (24-11) claimed third with a pin in 3:34 over Najera (21-16). And for fifth place, Yorkville junior Danielle Turner won by fall in 5:37 over Plainfield East senior Mahi Kansagara (14-12).
110 – Angela Morales, Minooka
Angela Morales became the first of two title winners for champion Minooka and also was one of two freshmen who took top honors at the SPC Tournament when she won by fall in 2:43 over Oswego senior Mikaela Busse in the 110 championship match.
Morales (9-11), who joined 130-title winner Sabina Charlebois as champions for coach Paige Schoolman’s first-place Indians, also preceded Oswego East’s Mia Nevarez (125) as the only freshmen to win championships. She tied four others, including teammate Charlebois, for first place in team points with 26 and tied for second with six others for most falls with three, with her pin in 3:57 over Bolingbrook sophomore Jordan Rodriguez assured her of a trip to the title mat.
“I thought it was really cool and I appreciate my coaches pushing me to get this far,” Morales said. “I wouldn’t have gotten this far without them. And the support that I get from my teammates is amazing, I love them so much. We get the best support from your coaches and teammates, they always help you out.”
Busse, one of two finalists for coach Greg Scott’s Panthers, won 18 matches a year ago and fell a bit short of qualifying for state from the Schaumburg Sectional. After opening with a fall in 19 seconds, she earned her spot on the title mat with a pin in 1:06 over Minooka junior Therese Escano in the semifinals. For third place, Rodriguez (23-15) was a winner by fall in 4:17 over Escano (12-9). And for fifth place, Minooka junior Candice Cameron (12-11) got a pin in 3:04 over Joliet Central freshman Melanie Rodriguez.
115 – Shania Davison, Plainfield Central
Shania Davison has done something in her first two seasons at Plainfield Central that a lot of individuals may not achieve in their entire high school career, which is winning two conference titles. After taking first at 125 last year, the Wildcats sophomore captured the championship at 115 when Plainfield East sophomore Angelina Nettey had to take a medical forfeit.
Davison (12-1), who joined two-time IHSA finalist and 2023 state champion Alicia Tucker as title winners for coach Kyle Hildebrand’s Wildcats, won her first two matches with first-period pins in order to reach the 115 title match. Davison only needed 27 seconds to claim a victory in her semifinals match with a fall over Minooka freshman Izzy White. She tied for first place with four other individuals for the most team points with 26.
“Last year I wrestled at 125 and I won that at conference,” Davison said. “I was really looking forward to this conference and I got off an injury and this is my first time back. So I was a little nervous coming in here, but I knew with my skills, I know how to push forward and I’m strong, so I’m glad with what I accomplished.”
Nettey (32-6), who was the lone finalist for coach Julian Ochoa’s Bengals, has made a huge improvement from last season when she won seven matches. She opened with a quick fall before capturing a 15-9 decision in the semifinals over Plainfield South sophomore Kayla Ochotorena (14-10), who went on to win a 12-3 major decision over White (9-7) for third place. In the fifth-place match, Plainfield North junior Meryn Finnegan (11-9) recorded a fall in 3:07 over Oswego East freshman Ella Worlds.
120 – Alejandra Flores, Bolingbrook
Alejandra Flores became the first Bolingbrook wrestler to become an SPC champion when she won the 120 title after Minooka junior Holli Coughlen had to take a medical forfeit at 2:46. The following day in the boys tournament at Joliet West, Tommy McDermott became the initial Raiders boy to win an SPC championship in the sport. This season, Bolingbrook joined the other school in its district, Romeoville in the SPC, after competing in the SouthWest Suburban Conference from its formation in 2005.
Flores (24-3), a junior who was the lone champion as well as the only finalist for coach Jordan Hovel’s Raiders, followed a fall in her opener with a win by technical fall in 3:10 in the semifinals over Joliet Central junior Keily Centeno. Flores led all competitors with 40 match points and tied for sixth place for the most team points with 25.5. Last season, she went 27-7 and fell a bit shy of advancing to state from the Schaumburg Sectional.
“It’s really fun going against as many girls as possible,” Flores said. “I don’t just put in the work in practice, I always do extra work, whether it’s getting extra practice on my own or drilling with a partner. I always just try to stay active and always trying to get better. Our program has been growing so it’s really exciting getting more girls in. I like just how tough it is, you need to have a really strong mentality for this sport.”
Coughlen (16-9) settled for a second-place SPC finish for the third year in a row. Last season, she won 17 matches and fell a bit short of qualifying for state from the Geneseo Sectional. One of six finalists for coach Paige Schoolman’s champion Indians, Coughlen won a major decision in her first match and then won by fall in 1:59 in the semifinals over Romeoville senior Jesslynne Ochoa (18-8), who went on claim third place with a pin in 1:14 over Centeno (10-6). For fifth place, Oswego senior Aaliyah Roldan (32-13) recorded a fall in 0:50 over Plainfield South sophomore Allison Asante (17-9).
125 – Mia Nevarez, Oswego East
Mia Nevarez helped cap a successful fifth-place SPC finish for Oswego East, which is in its first full season as a team, when she claimed top honors at 125 to also become one of two freshmen who won titles in the tournament and was one of two members of coach Bryan DeBenedetti’s Wolves to claim first-place finishes, with Quinn Janssens being the other at 140.
Nevarez (35-10) won the title at 135 with a 12-5 decision over Joliet West junior Briahna Klobnak. She earned her spot in the finals thanks to two falls, with the second of those coming in 1:49 in the semifinals over Joliet Central senior Melissa Aguirre.
“It’s super exciting,” Nevarez said. “This is our first year for our program, our girls team at OEHS. Quinn Janssens did great today and Jessica Stover is up there, too, today. It’s my freshman year so I’m the first freshman girl to go all-conference. I’m super excited to be here.”
Klobnak (26-6), one of three finalists for coach Erik Murry’s fourth-place Tigers, opened with two pins, including one in the semifinals in 1:17 over Joliet Central’s Paiton Pilgrim. Aguirre (19-13) claimed third place by way of a medical forfeit over Pilgrim (7-8). In the fifth-place match, Minooka sophomore Alaina Austin (15-10) claimed a 2-0 decision over her teammate, junior Aubry Smith, who was one of three on her team who had three falls.
130 – Sabina Charlebois, Minooka
Sabina Charlebois won her second SPC championship in three years and was one of six finalists and two title winners for coach Paige Schoolman’s Indians, who became champions in the conference for the second time with the other title won in 2023 at the inaugural SPC tournament. The junior capped a three-fall performance by recording a fall in 3:47 over Joliet Central senior April Ortiz in the 130 finals.
Charlebois (23-8) earned her spot on the title mat with a fall in 3:08 over Oswego senior Harmony Evans in the semifinals. She tied four others, including teammate and 110 champion Angela Morales, for the most team points with 26. Charlebois was also one of the three Indians who finished with three falls, which tied four others for the second-best total at the tournament and she also tied for third place in most match points with 35.
“I feel like our biggest thing from the last few years is trying to create more discipline on the team,” Charlebois said. “And making sure that girls aren’t just coming and going. If you want to be a part of the sport then you’re staying at every practice. I think that our program is good at finding what’s good for girls and being able to develop them so quickly. It’s insane to see how much everyone on our team has grown since our first tournament..”
Ortiz (26-8), who also placed second in the SPC a year ago, was one of three finalists for coach Marcus McCullum’s third-place Steelwomen. She also won her first two matches by fall, winning in 2:51 over Plainfield South sophomore Alexia Kachiroubas in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Evans (32-11) won by fall in 0:44 over Kachiroubas (17-10). And for fifth, Bolingbrook senior Nyima Outlaw recorded a pin in 5:22 over Yorkville freshman Rylee Coy.
135 – Izabel Barrera, Joliet Central
Izabel Barrera was one of six repeat SPC champions and also one of three finalists and two champions for coach Marcus McCullum’s third-place Steelwomen after she captured top honors at 135 with a fall in 3:01 over Yorkville senior Brooke Coy to improve her record to 24-1.
Barrera, who went 24-9 last season and qualified for the IHSA Finals representing Joliet Township co-op, recorded three falls during the competition, with the quickest pin coming in the semifinals when she needed just 36 seconds to defeat Romeoville senior Brianna Garcia. The junior tied four other champions for the most team points with 26 and her three pins tied her with six others for second place for most falls.
“The two teams competing here is a big deal,” Barrera said. “This year has been really exciting. I feel like I was able to come out of my shell a lot this year, especially compared to last year. I was able to be more myself in matches and be less nervous and more confident. I’m super happy to have our coaches, they put in a lot of time and effort into us.”
Coy (11-4), one of two finalists for coach Kevin Roth’s Foxes, got a victory by technical fall in her opener and then earned her spot on the 135 title mat with a pin in 3:57 in the semifinals over Plainfield South sophomore Mora Munoz (16-7), who went on to claim third place with a fall in 1:09 over Garcia (18-13). In the fifth-place match, Joliet West freshman Delilah Izaguirre was a winner by fall in 0:51 over Oswego senior Tennille Johnson (24-16).
140 – Quinn Janssens, Oswego East
Quinn Janssens joined teammate Mia Nevarez as a champion for coach Bryan DeBenedetti’s Wolves, who turned in an impressive fifth-place finish in their first SPC tournament as a team. The sophomore improved to 41-3 on the season after getting a fall in 2:11 over Minooka junior Ezra Rodriguez in the 140 championship match.
Janssens followed a first-minute pin in her opener to capture a win by technical fall in the semifinals over Oswego’s Joslynn Sheets. She tied Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker for fifth place for the most match points with 34 and also tied Bolingbrook’s Alejandra Flores for sixth place for the most team points with 25.5.
“It’s our first team and we’re doing pretty good and we’re getting a good reputation,” Janssens said. “All of the girls are really passionate about it and I think we all bond over that. I’m really happy that we have this opportunity to wrestle as an official team.”
Rodriguez (27-8), one of six finalists for coach Paige Schoolman’s champion Indians, followed a first-period fall in her opener with a 14-7 decision over
Joliet West junior Veronica Klobnak in the semifinals. Klobnak (30-6), who won 20 matches last season and fell one win shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the Geneseo Sectional, claimed third place with a fall in 0:33 over Oswego junior Joslynn Sheets (20-18). For fifth place, Romeoville junior Ariana Vergara captured a high-scoring 19-15 decision over Joliet Central senior Nadya McCottrel.
145 – Viki Rodnikova, Plainfield North
Viki Rodnikova not only won an SPC title last season as a freshman at Plainfield North but she also posted a 21-4 record and came up a bit shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the rugged Schaumburg Sectional. She’s hoping that she can take the next step as a sophomore and she improved to 19-6 after winning her second-straight SPC title when she claimed a victory by technical fall in 3:59 over Minooka senior Palmer Calvey in the 145 finals.
Rodnikova, the lone finalist and one of two entrants in the competition for coach Michael Parton’s Tigers, followed a first-period pin in her opener with an 11-2 major decision over Oswego East sophomore Ella Cooper in the semifinals to earn her spot on the 145 title mat. She tied for ninth place in most team points with 24.5.
Calvey (26-9), one of six finalists for coach Paige Schoolman’s Indians, who won their second SPC title in three years, recorded a fall in her first match and then won an 11-1 major decision over Joliet West junior Vanessa O’Connor in the semifinals to advance to the 145 title mat. In the third-place match, Cooper (25-13) was a winner by fall in 2:25 over O’Connor (19-12). And for fifth, Plainfield East sophomore Julia Romero (14-10) got a pin in 3:38 over Bolingbrook sophomore Savannah Burns (21-17).
155 – Teagan Aurich, Plainfield South
Teagan Aurich was fortunate that she got to compete with Alexis Janiak, who was the first IHSA champion at 130 in 2022 as a senior for Plainfield South. The USMC U20 Women’s national champion at 59 kg in 2024 and 2023 who’s also won titles at the Midlands and the CCIW for Aurora University this season would no doubt be very proud to see the Cougars finish second in the SPC as a first-year team and two former teammates, Keira Enright and Aurich, win titles. Now Aurich hopes that she can do what Enright and Janiak did in 2022, place at state, which she fell a bit short of doing in 2024 when she went 2-2 at state and 26-7 for the season.
Aurich and Enright, who are seniors, posted first-place finishes to help coach Thomas Redmon’s Cougars to a memorable day where they finished second behind Minooka and they claimed Joliet bragging rights over Joliet Central and Joliet West, who finished third and fourth. Aurich repeated as an SPC champion and improved to 21-0 on the season after capturing a 9-3 decision over Oswego senior Kiyah Chavez in the 155 finals. She received a bye into the semifinals and won that match with a pin in 1:45 over Joliet Central sophomore Emma Guethle.
“We’ve been putting a lot of time and effort into our program,” Aurich said. “We were officially announced as our own program, separate from the boys, which was really exciting. So we have our own head coach and coaching staff. I started when we had to practice with the boys and there were like two or three girls, so it’s nice to see. Alexis Janiak started it. She trained me and Keira how to wrestle and was really the reason why we started in the first place. She’s amazing.”
Chavez (34-8), one of two finalists for coach Greg Scott’s Panthers, also received a bye into the semifinals where she won by fall in 3:15 over Plainfield East junior Kaitlyn Bucholz. Chavez hopes to qualify for state after going 20-6 last season and falling one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Schaumburg Sectional. In the third-place match, Bucholz (28-7) won by fall in 1:56 over Guethle (10-6). And for fifth place, Joliet West junior Majh Starks (17-11) recorded a pin in 0:55 over Oswego East senior Mila Allen.
170 – Alicia Tucker, Plainfield Central
Alicia Tucker suffered a loss on the opening day of the season to Clifton Central’s Payton Temple in the 190 finals at Minooka’s Girls Thanksgiving Throwdown and the Wildcat senior has done nothing but win since then and now owns a 19-1 record after becoming the first individual to win three-straight SPC titles after she recorded a fall in 3:26 over Oswego East senior Jessica Stover in the 170 title match. The IHSA champion at 155 in 2023 and a runner-up to Peotone’s Kiernan Farmer at 170 in 2024, has posted an 89-5 record in the last three seasons.
Tucker was one of two champions for coach Kyle Hildebrand’s Wildcats, with sophomore Shania Davison being the other after she took first place at 115 for her second-straight SPC title, The two-time IHSA finalist recorded a fall in her opening match and then claimed a 15-2 major decision over Minooka junior Keziah Gaston in the semifinals. Tucker tied for fifth place for the most total match points with 34 and also ranked eighth in team points with 25.
“There’s definitely a few things that I still need to work on but I’m very happy with my performance today and throughout the rest of the season, as well,” Tucker said. “I’ve done a lot of conditioning and heavy, hard drilling.” I feel pretty unstoppable.”
Stover (39-5), one of three finalists for coach Bryan DeBenedetti’s Wolves, who turned in a fifth-place finish in their first SPC tournament as a team. After opening with a fall, Stover earned her spot in the 170 title match with a 12-8 decision in the semifinals over Plainfield South freshman Layla Spann (21-4), who went on to claim third place by capturing a 14-4 major decision over Gaston (21-10). In the fifth-place match, Plainfield East senior Jennifer Paul (21-9) won by fall in 1:15 over Yorkville junior Janaiah Murray (15-6). Paul was the lone individual to record four pins and she pulled that feat off in 4:08.
190 – Keira Enright, Plainfield South
Keira Enright had every reason to be excited about things following the SPC Tournament. After all, she and teammate Teagan Aurich both claimed SPC titles and Plainfield South had just finished second to Minooka in their first appearance in the competition as an official team. But more importantly, it shows that the Cougars senior has what it takes to get back to the IHSA Finals for the third time, something she couldn’t achieve last season due to injuries. She hopes to win another state medal, like she did in the inaugural IHSA Finals in 2022, where she took third place at 235 and joined 130 champion Alexis Janiak as the school’s only medalists.
Enright (17-4), who was one of eight individuals from her team who finished fourth or better and one of two champions for coach Thomas Redmon’s runner-up Cougars, captured her title at 190 by recording a fall in 0:35 over Minooka junior Addison Davis. Her first two matches also ended with pins in the opening minute, which included a fall in 41 seconds over Joliet West junior Trista Pisano in the semifinals. She tied four others for first place in most team points with 26 and her three falls in 1:54 was easily the least time for any of the other six who had three pins.
“This is the first year that we’re separated from the boys,” Enright said. “We have our own practices, our own meets. The girls as a whole are very unified and they’re for each other. This is the first year that we’ve placed as a team at tournaments and we’ve placed at almost every single one of them. It just shows how we’re committed together and we’re all working really hard to do what we do. The thing I like the most is how we’re there to support each other and being able to communicate with each other.”
Davis (26-9), one of six finalists for coach Paige Schoolman’s Indians, who won the SPC title for the second time in three years, also won her first two matches by fall, getting a pin in 2:38 in the semifinals over Plainfield East junior Jen Serna (20-12), who went on to place third with a pin in 1:29 over Pisano (15-10). That tied Serna, her teammate Jennifer Paul and Minooka’s Holli Coughlen as the leaders in seed to place difference with five. The Cougars also took fifth at 190 when junior Sammi Ntone won with a pin in 0:34 over Oswego East freshman Kailee O’Connor.
235 – Henessis Villagrana, Romeoville
Henessis Villagrana ended the SPC Tournament for Romeoville just as it began the competition, with a championship, as she claimed top honors at 235 by recording a fall in 1:42 over Joliet West senior Natalie Quiroz in the title match. The sophomore joined junior Daniela Santander, who captured first place at 100, as SPC champions for coach John Arlis’ Spartans.
Villagrana (17-5) only had to wrestle one match to advance to the finals and she won in the semifinals, recording a fall in 5:09 over Joliet Central senior Valeria Hernandez. Last season as a freshman, Villagrana qualified for the IHSA Finals and finished with an 18-13 record. The Spartans’ two champions hope to not only get to state but become the school’s first medalists.
Quiroz (27-3), one of three finalists for coach Erik Murry’s Tigers, also only had to win one match to reach the 235 finals and in the semifinals she got a pin in 3:26 over Plainfield South junior Timi Mudasiru. In the third-place match, Hernandez (11-8) was a winner by fall in 5:25 over Mudasiru (13-11). Bolingbrook sophomore Cynthia Rios claimed fifth place.
Southwest Prairie Conference Tournament
Team scores
1. Minooka 173, 2. Plainfield South 131.5, 3. Joliet Central 126, 4. Joliet West 111, 5. Oswego East 95.5, 6. Oswego 86.5, 7. Romeoville 84.5, 8. Plainfield East 70, 9. Bolingbrook 67, 10. Plainfield Centra 57.5, 11. Plainfield North 33.5
Place matches
100
1st Place Match
Daniela Santander (Romeoville) 27-3, Jr. over Analiese Garretson (Yorkville) 22-9, So. (MD 15-1)
3rd Place Match
Amie Fuentes (Plainfield South) 20-6, Jr. over Takyla Johnson (Joliet West) 7-9, Fr. (TF-1.5 2:58 (22-6))
5th Place Match
Kassandra Ruiz (Joliet Central) 14-4, Sr. over Aysia Smith (Joliet West) 11-15, Sr. (Fall 1:48)
105
1st Place Match
Alisa Carter (Joliet Central) 23-5, Jr. over Chloe Wong (Joliet West) 4-2, Sr. (Dec 1-0)
3rd Place Match
Marian Nordsell (Minooka) 24-11, So. over Mikaela Najera (Bolingbrook) 21-16, Fr. (Fall 3:34)
5th Place Match
Danielle Turner (Yorkville) 1-1, Jr. over Mahi Kansagara (Plainfield East) 14-12, Sr. (Fall 5:37)
110
1st Place Match
Angela Morales (Minooka) 9-11, Fr. over Mikaela Busse (Oswego) 17-21, Sr. (Fall 2:43)
3rd Place Match
Jordan Rodriguez (Bolingbrook) 23-15, So. over Therese Escano (Minooka) 12-9, Jr. (Fall 4:17)
5th Place Match
Candice Cameron (Minooka) 12-11, Jr. over Melanie Rodriguez (Joliet Central) 5-8, Fr. (Fall 3:04)
115
1st Place Match
Shania Davison (Plainfield Central) 12-1, So. over Angelina Nettey (Plainfield East) 32-6, So. (M. For.)
3rd Place Match
Kayla Ochotorena (Plainfield South) 14-10, So. over Izzy White (Minooka) 9-7, Fr. (MD 12-3)
5th Place Match
Meryn Finnegan (Plainfield North) 11-9, Jr. over Ella Worlds (Oswego East) 15-27, Fr. (Fall 3:07)
120
1st Place Match
Alejandra Flores (Bolingbrook) 24-3, Jr. over Holli Coughlen (Minooka) 16-9, Jr. (Inj. 2:46)
3rd Place Match
Jesslynne Ochoa (Romeoville) 18-8, Sr. over Keily Centeno (Joliet Central) 10-6, Jr. (Fall 1:14)
5th Place Match
Aaliyah Roldan (Oswego) 32-13, Sr. over Allison Asante (Plainfield South) 17-9, So. (Fall 0:50)
125
1st Place Match
Mia Nevarez (Oswego East) 35-10, Fr. over Briahna Klobnak (Joliet West) 26-6, Jr. (Dec 12-5)
3rd Place Match
Melissa Aguirre (Joliet Central) 19-13, Sr. over Paiton Pilgrim (Joliet Central) 7-8, Sr. (M. For.)
5th Place Match
Alaina Austin (Minooka) 15-10, So. over Aubry Smith (Minooka) 11-14, Jr. (Dec 2-0)
130
1st Place Match
Sabina Charlebois (Minooka) 23-8, Jr. over April Ortiz (Joliet Central) 26-8, Sr. (Fall 3:47)
3rd Place Match
Harmony Evans (Oswego) 32-11, Sr. over Alexia Kachiroubas (Plainfield South) 17-10, So. (Fall 0:44)
5th Place Match
Nyima Outlaw (Bolingbrook) 18-20, Sr. over Rylee Coy (Yorkville) 2-4, Fr. (Fall 5:22)
135
1st Place Match
Izabel Barrera (Joliet Central) 24-1, Jr. over Brooke Coy (Yorkville) 11-4, Sr. (Fall 3:01)
3rd Place Match
Mora Munoz (Plainfield South) 16-7, So. over Brianna Garcia (Romeoville) 18-13, Sr. (Fall 1:09)
5th Place Match
Delilah Izaguirre (Joliet West) 7-9, Fr. over Tennille Johnson (Oswego) 24-16, Sr. (Fall 0:51)
140
1st Place Match
Quinn Janssens (Oswego East) 41-3, So. over Ezra Rodriguez (Minooka) 27-8, Jr. (Fall 2:11)
3rd Place Match
Veronica Klobnak (Joliet West) 30-6, Jr. over Joslynn Sheets (Oswego) 20-18, Jr. (Fall 0:33)
5th Place Match
Ariana Vergara (Romeoville) 12-19, Jr. over Nadya McCottrel (Joliet Central) 10-12, Sr. (Dec 19-15)
145
1st Place Match
Viki Rodnikova (Plainfield North) 19-6, So. over Palmer Calvey (Minooka) 26-9, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:59 (17-1))
3rd Place Match
Ella Cooper (Oswego East) 25-13, So. over Vanessa O`Connor (Joliet West) 19-12, Jr. (Fall 2:25)
5th Place Match
Julia Romero (Plainfield East) 14-10, So. over Savannah Burns (Bolingbrook) 21-17, So. (Fall 3:38)
155
1st Place Match
Teagan Aurich (Plainfield South) 21-0, Sr. over Kiyah Chavez (Oswego) 34-8, Sr. (Dec 9-3)
3rd Place Match
Kaitlyn Bucholz (Plainfield East) 28-7, Jr. over Emma Guethle (Joliet Central) 10-6, So. (Fall 1:56)
5th Place Match
Majh Starks (Joliet West) 17-11, Jr. over Mila Allen (Oswego East) 4-21, Sr. (Fall 0:55)
170
1st Place Match
Alicia Tucker (Plainfield Central) 19-1, Sr. over Jessica Stover (Oswego East) 39-5, Sr. (Fall 3:26)
3rd Place Match
Layla Spann (Plainfield South) 21-4, Fr. over Keziah Gaston (Minooka) 21-10, Jr. (MD 14-4)
5th Place Match
Jennifer Paul (Plainfield East) 21-9, Sr. over Janiah Murray (Yorkville) 15-6, Jr. (Fall 1:15)
190
1st Place Match
Keira Enright (Plainfield South) 17-4, Sr. over Addison Davis (Minooka) 26-9, Jr. (Fall 0:35)
3rd Place Match
Jen Serna (Plainfield East) 20-12, Jr. over Trista Pisano (Joliet West) 15-10, Jr. (Fall 1:29)
5th Place Match
Sammie Ntone (Plainfield South) 2-1, Jr. over Kailee O`Connor (Oswego East) 5-26, Fr. (Fall 0:34)
235
1st Place Match
Henessis Villagrana (Romeoville) 17-5, So. over Natalie Quiroz (Joliet West) 27-3, Sr. (Fall 1:42)
3rd Place Match
Valeria Hernandez (Joliet Central) 11-8, Sr. over Timi Mudasiru (Plainfield South) 13-11, Jr. (Fall 5:25)
5th Place Match
Cynthia Rios (Bolingbrook) 6-27, So. (Bye)