Barrington edges Glenbard West for Hinsdale Central Rex Whitlatch title

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

HINSDALE – When two teams are involved a real battle for top honors in a major tournament, like Barrington and Glenbard West certainly were at Hinsdale Central’s 59th-annual Rex Whitlatch Invitational, the deciding factor as to who takes first and who finishes second often comes down to who got the most wins in place matches, who got more bonus points and who won more close matches.

Both the Broncos and Hilltoppers did well in all of those areas and they both should be very proud that they went from vying for sixth place a year ago to seeing who would capture top honors in the 25-team competition that featured nine teams ranked in the top 25 in 3A and 2A and eight others who were honorable mention in those two classes by Illinois Best Weekly. Barrington came in ranked 19th in 3A while Glenbard West was honorable mention in 3A.

In the end, the Broncos edged the Hilltoppers 219.5-217 for first place while Lincoln-Way West got past Oak Park and River Forest 193.5-191.5 for third place. Neenah, Wisconsin (177.5), Carl Sandburg (168), Geneseo (162.5), Minooka (148.5), West Aurora (146.5), Stevenson (120.5), Downers Grove North (119) and Downers Grove South (118) rounded out the top-12.

Coach Dan Keller’s Broncos went 5-2 in place matches and had two falls and three major decisions in those five triumphs to hold off coach Pat McCluskey’s Hilltoppers, who made a late charge by going 7-4 in place matches with their victories being a win by technical fall, a major decision, a medical forfeit and four decisions. Barrington had a 19-12 advantage in pins while both had 11 wins by technical fall and the Broncos had a 490-467 lead in total match points. 

“I’m really proud of the guys,” Keller said. “We scored a lot of bonus points and we’re always preaching on our program. It was kind of a back-and-forth battle. It’s a great tournament and we love coming here. We see a lot of teams that we don’t typically see, some of those south suburb teams that are always tough as nails. So just really, really proud of the guys’ effort and resiliency to kind of stick with it. We ended that placing round with our five wins being bonus-point wins, so that kind of was a summary of what the weekend was for us. We talk a lot in our program about ending with the win, ending with placing matches that are odd numbers is what we want. Obviously, those rounds get tougher and tougher, and you’ve got to raise your level of intensity, and I thought our guys did that really well today.” 

Barrington was led by title winners Ryan Dorn (132) and Jimmy Whitaker (144) and second-place finishers Kaleb Pratt (120) and Saul Ramirez (126). Other top-eight finishers were Daniel Blanke (3rd at 157), Sam Cushman (3rd at 175) and Aaron Jafri (5th at 190). Domenic Nudo (215) and Adriel Arana (285) both added 10 team points, Diego Ramirez (106) scored 6.5, Maddux Orozco (150) scored six points and Michael Fiandaca (165) had two. Other contributors were Ismael Lopez (113) and Dimitry Bordeianu (138). Dorn also claimed first place last year.

“We’ve got some hammers that we think will finish really high, real high on the podium at state, but then we’ve also got a lot of role guys that are really grinding and working really hard and being super coachable and improving,” Keller said. “A lot of times in high-end duals, it’s not your studs or your state placers that win your duals, it’s the role guys. So they’re really doing a great job of understanding their role and in the room, working hard every day, being coachable, trying to fix the things we want to fix. We know it’s late December right now, so it’s not the end of the year. We’ve still got a month and a half until we’ve got to be ready for where we want to be, but we think we will be.”

Top performers for Glenbard West were champions Aidan Ortega (106) and Vince Tortoriello (150) and runner-up Phin Codinha (215). Others who placed in the top-eight were Alejandro Aranda (3rd at 138), Manny Rodriguez (5th at 126), Jondelle Malunay (5th at 157), Marc Tchapda (5th at 285), Tallis Taylor (6th at 165), Cristian Lopez (7th at 113), Brennen Myra (8th at 144) and Vince Schoettle (8th at 175). Andrew Bargiel (190) added 10 points and Ben Sallas (120) also contributed and the team had no entrant at 132. 

Leading the way for third-place Lincoln-Way West, who’s coached by 2020 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Brian Glynn, were title winner Jimmy Talley (215) and second-place finisher Shane Stream (138). Others who turned in top-eight finishes for the Warriors were Carter DiBenedetto (3rd at 126), Brady Glynn (3rd at 132), Max Herman (4th at 165), Kellan Hack (5th at 113), Michael Scott (7th at 106) and Max Munn (7th at 150).

Oak Park and River Forest had the most champions with three, and they were defending IHSA champion Michael Rundell (113) as well as Jamiel Castleberry (126) and David Ogunsanya (157) while Zev Koransky (144) finished in second place. Also finishing in the top eight for coach Jason Renteria’s fourth-place Huskies were Aiden Noyes (3rd at 150) and Jeremiah Hernandez (7th at 165). Rundell also won a Whitlatch title in 2024.

Warren Township had two first-place finishers who are two-time defending IHSA champions and they’ve combined to win seven Whitlatch titles, four-time winner Aaron Stewart (190), who also received the Outstanding Wrestler Award, and Caleb Noble (120), who’s won three in a row.

The other two individuals who repeated as champions were Lyons Township’s Griff Powell (138) and Neenah, WI’s Declan Koch (165). Also capturing their initial Whitlatch titles were West Aurora’s Dayne Serio (175) and Downers Grove North’s Colin Murphy (285).

Two of the champions remained unbeaten, Powell and Koch, who both had 18-0 records. Other title winners who had only lost once were Castleberry (16-1), Murphy (15-1), Noble, Ortega (17-1), Rundell (16-1), Serio (16-1) and Tortoriello (16-1).

Additional second-place finishers were Rockford East’s Dana Wickson (150) and Ty Smart (157), Geneseo’s Izaac Gaines (165) and Kye Weinzierl (175), Stevenson’s Stefan Vihrov (106), 

West Aurora’s Gabriel Richmond (113), Minooka’s Maddux Tindal (132), Wheaton North’s Ryan Rosch (190) and Lyons Township’s Jimmy Hillmann (285).

Three of the title matches featured one-point decisions. In those, Noble edged Pratt 3-2 at 120, Tortoriello got past Wickson 5-4 at 150 and Serio nipped Weinzierl 1-0 at 175.

Stewart had the most team points of any of the champions with 34 while Rundell and Talley tied for second place with 33.5 points. Castleberry, Koch and Powell tied for fourth with 32 team points, Ogunsanya was seventh with 31.5 points, Dorn ranked eighth with 31 points and Noble and Whitaker tied for ninth in most team points with 30.5.

Five seniors claimed top-eight medals for four-straight years. They were four-time champion Stewart, two-time title winner and four-time finalist Koch, two-time runner-up Koransky, 2025 champion Ogunsanya and also Aranda, whose third-place effort this year was his best finish. 

Downers Grove South’s Noah Greene easily had the most total match points with 86 while his Mustangs teammate Jadon Dinwiddie and Glenbard West’s Jondelle Malunay tied for second place with 72 team points.

Five individuals finished with four falls, Barrington’s Sam Cushman, Neenah, WI’s Kaden Roth, Lincoln-Way West’s Michael Scott, Warren Township’s Aaron Stewart and Stevenson’s Aaron Von Heimburg. 

Six competitors claimed three victories by technical fall, Barrington’s Ryan Dorn, Oak Park and River Forest’s Isaiah Gibson, Glenbard West’s Jondelle Malunay, Minooka’s Kaden Meyer, West Aurora’s Dayne Serio and Geneseo’s Kye Weinzierl.

And two of the participants had the largest seed-place difference with an improvement of 14 positions. They were Neenah, WI’s Broden Butzke and Belleville West’s Wyatt Dahm.

Rex Whitlatch, a 2013 recipient of a Lifetime Service Award to Wrestling from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Illinois Chapter, was a two-time IHSA champion at Urbana and wrestled at the University of Illinois before beginning his coaching career which eventually saw him become Hinsdale Central’s head coach in 1964, where he started the invite that bears his name. He passed away in 2021 at age 84.

Here are the champions and their weights at Hinsdale Central’s Rex Whitlatch Invitational

106 – Aidan Ortega, Glenbard West

Aidan Ortega enjoyed a successful sophomore season at Glenbard West by qualifying for the IHSA Finals, giving him optimism that he’ll be able to achieve much bigger and better things as a junior. And so far, he’s been doing just that by opening this season with a title at Barrington and a second-place effort at Joliet Central. He advanced to his third tournament finals and won his second championship when he captured a 10-3 decision over Stevenson freshman Stefan Vihrov for the 106 title at the Rex Whitlatch to improve his record to 17-1. 

Ortega, who claimed third place in last year’s Rex Whitlatch Invite, joined Vince Tortoriello (150) as a champion and was also one of three finalists and 11 top-eight finishers for coach Pat McCluskey’s Hilltoppers, who finished second with 217 points, which was just 2.5 points behind champion Barrington. It was quite the improvement for Glenbard West after it took seventh place in last year’s tourney and finished 70 points behind title winner Carl Sandburg. Ranked sixth at 106 in 3A, he followed a win by technical fall with three decisions, with the second one of those an 8-1 victory over Carl Sandburg’s Anthony Hayes in the semifinals.

“I feel like this year we’ve really got a lot of guys that can do something special, and it’s just fun to be a part of the team and be a part of the practices each and every day,” Ortega said. “We just have got good practice partners and good teammates to help push me. And I’m still trying to get better every day, and where I am right now is not enough. Everyone’s got really big goals, and it’s really nice to see, and so the only way we can accomplish those big goals is to put in the work, keep getting better, and I look forward to getting better throughout the season.” 

Vihrov (17-5), who was the lone finalist and one of five top-eight placewinners for coach Shane Cook’s Patriots, opened with a major decision and added a win by technical fall before reaching the 106 title mat with a fall in 5:58 over DeKalb’s Julian Hartwig to advance to his first high school tourney finals. In the third-place match, Hartwig (12-3) captured a 1-0 decision over Hayes (12-4). For fifth place, West Aurora’s Aiden Ambre (11-3) claimed a 14-0 major decision over Warren Township’s Diego Rea. And for seventh place, Lincoln-Way West’s Michael Scott (13-9) won by fall in 4:21 over Minooka’s Justin Majewski (8-5).  

113 – Michael Rundell, Oak Park and River Forest

Michael Rundell has only had one bump along the way in his quest to follow up on his 2025 IHSA 3A title at 106 over Loyola Academy’s Niko Odiotti as he begins his junior season at Oak Park and River Forest and that happened in the season-opening Marmion Academy Classic, when he lost a 7-1 decision in the 113 finals to a two-time defending IHSA champion, Warren Township’s Caleb Noble. A USA Wrestling Athlete of the week in July after claiming a bronze medal in Greco-Roman at the U17 World Championships in Greece, he’s been on a roll since that loss to Noble, improving to 16-1 after taking first at Washington Community and reaching his third finals and capturing another title at 113 in the Rex Whitlatch Invite with a fall in 1:31 over West Aurora sophomore Gabriel Richmond to become a two-time champ in the event.

Rundell joined Jamiel Castleberry (126) and David Ogunsanya (157) as champions and also Zev Koransky (144) as finalists for the Huskies, who are coached by Jason Renteria, a two-time IHSA champion and four-time state finalist for OPRF from 2013-2017. The Huskies got points from 11 individuals and that helped them finish fourth with 191.5 points, which was two points behind third place Lincoln-Way West. Rundell, ranked second to Noble at 113 in 3A, opened with a pin, followed with a win by technical fall and earned his spot in the 113 finals with a pin in 2:25 over Maine South’s George Georgiev. He tied for second in team points with 33.5 with Lincoln-Way West’s Jimmy Talley, one-half point behind Warren Township’s Aaron Stewart.

“I’ve had a pretty good start to this year,” Rundell said. “One loss, and I’m hoping to eventually wrestle him (Caleb Noble) again in the state finals. I’ve been working as hard as I can every day, working until I can’t move anymore. Our coaches are really devoted to trying to get us to be in the best situation possible so there’s really a culture there of just like trying to get better. Just looking at me and my partner, Jamiel Castleberry, we’re grinding every single day, getting extra workouts in together, just everything we can do so that in February we’re ready.”

Richmond (14-2), who joined champion Dayne Serio (175) as one of two finalists and seven top-eight finishers for coach Andrew Plata’s ninth-place Blackhawks, opened with a win by technical fall, followed that with a 13-9 decision and earned his spot in the 113 title match with 12-3 major decision over Neenah, WI’s Broden Butzke. In the third-place match, Carl Sandburg’s Kyle Hayes (12-4) won by fall in 1:34 over Butzke (15-4). For fifth place, Lincoln-Way West’s Kellan Hack (12-8) got a pin in 2:38 over Georgiev (13-4). And in the seventh-place match, Glenbard West’s Cristian Lopez (13-6) won by technical fall in 2:42 over Geneseo’s Tad Moore (12-8).    

120 – Caleb Noble, Warren Township

Caleb Noble made it two-for-two in IHSA championships last season as a sophomore when he beat Normal Community’s Caden Correll to claim first place at 113 in the IHSA 3A Finals to follow up on a 3A title at 106 in 2024. The Warren Township junior hopes to become a three-time champion in 2026 and right now is off to a great start toward that goal after taking first place at Marmion Academy, Neuqua Valley and again at the Rex Whitlatch after he claimed a 3-2 decision over Barrington junior Kaleb Pratt in the 120 title match. His only loss in tournament competition came out of state when he lost a 4-2 decision to Malvern Prep, PA’s Justin Farnsworth in the 113 semifinals of the Ironman in Ohio and settled for a third-place finish.

Noble, top-ranked at 113 in 3A, won his third-straight title in this event and joined four-time Whitlatch winner Aaron Strewart as one of two champions and four top-eight finishers for coach Brad Janecek’s Blue Devils. He kicked off his latest title run with two victories by technical fall and then recorded a pin in 4:13 in the semifinals over Stevenson’s Evan Mishels.  

“I’ve been doing good,” Noble said “I just went to Ironman and I took third there, It was not the way I wanted to get it done. I lost in the semifinals. It was a controversial match and I feel like I should have had more points than I had, but I can complain about it all day, but it’s not going to change anything. So I just had to go to the room and make some adjustments. Other than that, I’ve been having a good season and I can’t complain. Losses are good, it’s not always a bad thing. It’s not fun to lose, but sometimes you need to lose and you just have to get your head screwed on straight. (On winning two state titles) I’m super proud, I can’t complain. My dad is happy, so I’m a happy camper. (Competing at Warren Township) It’s been just a dream. Having two state championships, going for a third. I’m glad that I’m in this position, and hopefully I can steal four, if I’m lucky.” 

Pratt (15-3) was one of four finalists and seven top-five finishers for coach Dan Keller’s champion Broncos. Ranked third at 120 in 3A and a title winner at his school’s invite, he’s a two-time IHSA qualifier who took sixth at 106 in 2024. He opened with two falls and then got a win by technical fall in 3:28 in the semifinals over Willowbrook’s Aris Neal to reach the 120 title mat. In the third-place match, Mishels (16-5) claimed a 13-5 major decision over Downers Grove South’s Tanner Stone (14-5). For fifth place, Downers Grove North’s Damian Garcia (16-2) won by fall in 3:17 over Neal (10-5). And for seventh place, Minooka’s Julian Hanson (12-4) won a 15-4 major decision over Belleville West’s Wyatt Dahm (9-5), who tied for the largest seed-place difference with 14 positions.

126 – Jamiel Castleberry, Oak Park and River Forest 

Jamiel Castleberry added to a season-opening title at Marmion Academy and won his second title in his third trip to a tournament finals after claiming a 16-4 major decision over Barrington junior Saul Ramirez in the 126 title match. The Oak Park and River Forest junior, who’s ranked fourth at 126 in 3A, finished fifth in the IHSA Finals at 120 last season after placing fourth at 106 in 2024. He joined teammates Michael Rundell (113) and David Ogunsanya (157) to give coach Jason Renteria’s fourth-place Huskies a Rex Whitlatch Invite-high three champions.

Castleberry (16-1), who took third place at the 2024 Rex Whitlatch and finished second at Washington Community this season, recorded a pin in his first match and then got wins by technical fall in both the quarterfinals and semifinals, prevailing in 3:46 over Stevenson’s Marcelo Cantu to earn his spot in the 126 finals. He tied Lyons Township’s Griff Powell and Neenah, WI’s Declan Koch for fourth place in most team points with 32.

“My class is pretty good,” Castleberry said. “We’ve got MJ Rundell, a state champ last year, he’s pretty good and I practice with him every day. With me practicing him every day, it kind of makes these tournaments easy. We’ve got a lot of good coaches and have a new head coach, Jason Renteria, a two-time champion and four-time finalist. And we’ve got Jake Rundell, MJ’s brother. We’re hoping to get a team trophy this year. In the last two years, we were like one dual away.”

Ramirez (12-4), an IHSA qualifier last season who’s ranked eighth at 126 in 3A, was one of four finalists and seven top-five placewinners for coach Dan Keller’s champion Broncos, He followed a pin with two victories by technical fall, with the second of those in the semifinals in 4:10 over Lincoln-Way West’s Carter DiBenedetto (14-5), who went on to take third place with an 11-3 major decision over Cantu (11-3). For fifth place, Glenbard West’s  Manny Rodriguez (11-8) won an 18-6 major decision over Carl Sandburg’s Zayne Salah (10-6). In the seventh-place match, Minooka’s Casey Janicki (10-4) got a pin in 1:56 over Neenah, WI’s Garrett Nedens (8-5). 

132 – Ryan Dorn, Barrington

Ryan Dorn was one of six individuals who repeated as champions at the Rex Whitlatch Invite and this also happened to be the first tournament title that the Barrington junior has captured this season after taking second place in his own Moore-Prettyman-Dunn Invite to kick things off in 2025-2026. Now he’s looking to take the next step forward at a more significant competition at the end of this season, the IHSA Finals, where the fourth-ranked individual at 132 in 3A looks to reach the awards stand this season after coming up short of that goal the past two seasons.

Dorn (14-2) joined Jimmy Whitaker (144) as one of two champions, four finalists and seven top-five finishers for coach Dan Keller’s Broncos, who made the move from sixth-place in 2024 to champions this year after edging Glenbard West 219.5-217 for top honors of the event. He earned his spot on top of the awards stand for the second time with an 11-0 major decision over Minooka junior Maddux Tindal in the 132 title match. His other three matches were wins by technical fall, making him one of six in the invite who achieved that feat, and he earned his spot in the 132 title match with a win in 5:36 over Maine South’s Brett Harman in the semifinals. He finished in eighth place for the most team points with 31, which also led the Broncos.

“Our goal is obviously to win the tournament and as a team, I think we’re doing pretty well,” Dorn said. “Some of our guys dropped out, but I think as a team we’re doing well. We work hard in the room and then we’re really close as a team. Our bond is good and we’re really tight and I feel that makes us wrestle better. I’m just working hard, me and my main practice partner, Kaleb Pratt, who took second, but he had a close match against a good opponent.”

Tindal (10-2) was the lone finalist and one of eight top-eight finishers for the eighth-place Indians, who are coached by 2025 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Michael Kimberlin. Ranked sixth at 132 in 3A and a state qualifier last season after placing third in Texas in 2024, Tindal made it to the finals of a tournament for the first time this season after opening with a win by technical fall, following with a pin and then capturing a 10-5 decision in the semifinals over Lincoln-Way West’s Brady Glynn (16-4), a state qualifier last year who’s ranked tenth at 132 in 3A, took third with a 7-6 win over Harman (15-3). For fifth place, Downers Grove South’s Jadon Dinwiddie (17-3) claimed a 16-10 decision over DeKalb’s Ayden Shuey. And for seventh, Carl Sandburg’s Macarten Parker (11-5) won by fall in 1:26 over West Aurora’s Peter Kabene (9-10). 

138 – Griff Powell, Lyons Township

Griff Powell is not only excited to be able to compete for his father, also Griff Powell, at Lyons Township, but he recently announced that he will be able to follow in his footsteps at the University of Illinois, where his dad was a four-time NCAA qualifier and an All-American in 2002. The Lions senior, who’s ranked second at 138 in 3A, hopes to improve upon his sixth-place finish at 132 last season and also do something that only Will Lepsi and Bill Zeman have achieved at Lyons Township, which is to be an IHSA champion who is also a two-time medalist. He added to a season-opening title at Barrington by winning the Rex Whitlatch Invitational title at 138 when he captured a 14-3 major decision over Lincoln-Way West junior Shane Stream.

Powell (18-0), who joined Neenah, WI’s Declan Koch (18-0 at 165) as the only unbeaten champions at the Rex Whitlatch, was his team’s lone title winner and joined Jimmy Hillmann as finalists and two others who were top-eight placewinners for the Lions. After opening with a quick pin, he was a winner by technical fall in his next matches. He earned his spot in the 138 finals after beating Glenbard West’s Alejandro Aranda in 4:39 in the semifinals. He tied Oak Park and River Forest’s Jamiel Castleberry and Koch for fourth for most team points with 32.

“It’s awesome,” Powell said. “It feels good, it’s a reassuring thing, knowing I’m getting better every day and just dominating the competition, that’s the goal. I think the biggest thing is separating myself from other competition, knowing I’m better, knowing guys can’t compete with me and trying to dominate them. I practice with our coaches. Some of our guys, they’re less experienced, but it’s good practicing some new moves on them and It helps you understand the moves better. (About signing with Illinois). It’s awesome. It’s going to be fun getting down there, experiencing the new level and getting better.” 

Stream (14-3) joined champion Jimmy Talley (215) as one of the two finalists and eight who placed eighth or better for the third-place Warriors, who are coached by 2020 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Brian Glynn, an Illini teammate of Powell’s in 2001-2002 and an All-American at the UI in 2004 and 2005. Ranked ninth at 138 in 3A, Stream hopes to get back to state after falling one win shy of advancing from the Joliet Central Sectional. After opening with two falls, he reached the 138 title match with a 12-6 decision over Geneseo’s Landen Vincent. Aranda (16-5), one of five seniors who placed in the top eight at the Whitlatch for the fourth time, took third with an 11-6 decision over Oswego’s Aiden Ortiz (15-3). For fifth place, Vincent (9-4) won by fall in 1:47 over Neenah, WI’s Jaxon Ennis (15-5). For seventh, Downers Grove North’s Alex Hengles (16-2) won by technical fall in 4:00 over Hinsdale Central’s Anthony Mayen (12-5).   

144 – Jimmy Whitaker, Barrington

Jimmy Whitaker did not participate in last year’s Rex Whitlatch Invite so for the Barrington senior to win a title at 144 was certainly a big deal, both individually and for his role on the team. With every point at a premium in the chase for the team title between the Broncos and Glenbard West, the 2024 state qualifier who’s ranked ninth in 3A at 144, joined Ryan Dorn (132) as one of two champions and four finalists for coach Dan Keller’s championship team, which claimed top honors in the 25-team invite with 219.5 points, which was 2.5 points better than the Hilltoppers. 

Whitaker (14-3), who finished fourth at his school’s Moore-Prettyman-Dunn Invite to begin the season, won a 16-6 major decision over Oak Park and River Forest senior Zev Koransky in the 144 title match. He had a quick pin in his opener, followed that with a win by technical fall and then captured a 7-1 decision over Stevenson’s Val Vihrov in the semifinals. He was one of seven Broncos who took fifth or better to help them improve from a sixth place finish in 2024.

“It just feels like our team’s starting to finally come together,” Whitaker said. “The last few years, we’ve been very good. I think this year, a lot of kids are starting to step it up a lot more, and we’re starting to win a lot of these bigger matches more often. A lot of it came from the offseason and in the fall I was working out at Relentless, and I think they’re a really good program. Coming back from an injury was kind of hard but I’ve bounced back this year. I like how hard-working our group is. Every single day, people are pushing each other. I feel like there’s a lot of leaders on my team.” 

Koransky (13-4), who is ranked tenth at 144 and qualified for state in 2025 and 2023, also was a runner-up at Washington Community after placing fourth at Marmion Academy. He was one of four finalists and the lone runner-up for the fourth-place Huskies, who are now coached by Jason Renteria, who was a two-time IHSA champion and four-time medalist at OPRF. He followed a fall with a 9-3 decision and then recorded a win by technical fall in 4:41 over Carl Sandburg’s Oscar Kalman in the semifinals. He was one of five seniors, and two from OPRF with David Ogunsanya the other, who placed in the top eight four times at the Whitlatch. In the third-place match, Vihrov (18-3) won a 13-2 major decision over Kalman (11-4). For fifth place, Downers Grove North’s Caden Chiarelli (9-4) recorded a pin in 4:34 over Geneseo’s Malaki Jackson (9-7), And in the seventh-place match, Wheaton North’s Jacob Veltri (14-4) captured a 16-2 major decision over Glenbard West’s Brennen Myra (14-7).

150 – Vince Tortoriello, Glenbard West

Vince Tortoriello made the significant jump from being an eighth-place finisher last year at 150 as a junior to becoming a champion as a senior at that same weight in the Rex Whitlatch Invite. Not only is that type of improvement difficult to achieve in one of the state’s perennially-toughest competitions but it was also very important for Glenbard West, which was in the title hunt throughout two days after making the leap from seventh place and 70 points behind champion Carl Sandburg in last year to battling down to the wire with Barrington until the final matches.

Tortoriello (16-1) joined Aidan Ortega (106) as a champion and was one of three finalists and eight others who placed eighth or better to help the Hilltoppers to collect 217 points, which was just 2.5 points behind the champion Broncos, who improved from a sixth-place finish a year ago. A state qualifier for the first time last season who’s ranked eighth at 150, he added to a title at Joliet Central and a runner-up finish at Barrington when he edged Rockford East senior Dana Wickson 5-4 in the 150 title match. After opening with two victories by technical fall, Tortoriello captured another tight decision, 4-2, over Maine South’s Gavin Hoerr in the semifinals. 

“Our team did really good,” Tortoriello said. “We had a huge improvement from last year, which is great to see. We’ve been at a lot of tough tournaments this year. Our coach changed up our schedule from last year, so we’re seeing better competition before state. It’s been a real great time being able to compete in these big tournaments. These long tournaments really help you get better and prepare you for state, and you get to spend a lot of time with your team, which really helps. Definitely my favorite thing about our team is that we’re really close. We’ve all been together since freshman and sophomore year. We’re a really close team and we’re really close with our coaches as well, so it’s been great. Really, I just haven’t stopped working. Last year, I didn’t get the results that I wanted at downstate, so I put my whole offseason or preseason into it, and I’ve been really working at it, and the results are paying off.”

Wickson (12-4), ranked fifth at 150 in 2A, also claimed second place at his own E-Rab Giardini Invite. A two-time state qualifier who was fifth at 150 last season, he joined classmate Ty Smart (157) as second-place finishers to lead the way for coach Gene Lee’s E-Rabs. After opening with two first-period falls, Wickson prevailed 7-5 by ultimate tiebreaker over West Aurora’s Evan Matkovich in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Oak Park and River Forest’s Aiden Noyes (15-4) won by fall in 1:50 over South Elgin’s Logan Dilallo (13-3). Matkovich (11-6) claimed fifth place by medical forfeit over Hoerr (13-2), who’s ranked tenth at 150 in 3A and was an IHSA qualifier in 2024. And in the seventh-place match, Lincoln-Way West’s Max Munn (15-6) won a 5-2 decision over Minooka’s Ben Cyrkiel (12-4). 

157 – David Ogunsanya, Oak Park and River Forest

David Ogunsanya got a taste of the awards stand at the IHSA Finals in 2024 when he placed sixth at 150 but he fell short of a medal in his return trip to Champaign. Now the Oak Park and River Forest senior is hoping that one last appearance downstate sees him finish with one of the top medals at his weight class. His 14-5 major decision over Rockford East senior Ty Smart to claim the 157 title at the Rex Whitlatch Invite is a big step toward that goal after placing second at Washington Community and fourth in his season-opening tournament at Marmion Academy.

Ogunsanya (14-3) joined Michael Rundell (113) and Jamiel Castleberry (126) as one of three title winners, which was an invite-high, for the fourth-place Huskies, who are coached by one of OPRF’s three four-time state medal winners, Jason Renteria, who also was a two-time IHSA champion. Ranked fifth at 157 in 3A and a third-place Whitlatch finisher a year ago, he opened with a win by technical fall, followed with a pin and earned his spot in the 157 title match with another victory by technical fall, in 4:17, over Barrington’s Daniel Blanke in the semifinals. He finished seventh for the most team points with 31.5. He also joined teammate Zev Koransky and three others as the only seniors who had top-eight finishes in all four of their years at the invite.

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“One of the biggest things I would say that’s different is in my freshman year, we were pushing, we were growing, we were building, and we were in that phase,” Ogunsanya said. “But now, one of the biggest things that I appreciate is just the energy and the youthfulness that each coach brings. You can tell they’re always giving 120 percent of their energy. There are times where coaches will reach out or I’ll reach out to them and they’re willing to spend two hours, three hours outside of their time on those practice days when they have work in the morning and things like that. They’re just willing to sacrifice, give everything to coach these young wrestlers that are rising up. So I think that’s really the biggest thing, that’s a big change. And then with coach Jason Renteria, it really helps because not only is he a four-time finalist and a two-time state champ from OPRF, but also he has collegiate experience. He trained with the Iowa Hawkeyes and he trained with Nebraska. So he’s with all these big names, and he has a lot of connections. He’s just getting us out there, giving us the opportunities, the challenges, the difficulties and just allowing us to grow from those struggles.” 

Smart (15-2), who joined classmate Dana Wickson (150) as finalists for coach Gene Lee’s E-Rabs, was hoping to add to the title that he captured at his own Giardini Invite. A two-time state qualifier who placed fifth at 157 last season and is ranked third at 157 in 2A, his first two victories were by technical fall and he earned his spot on the 157 title mat with a 6-4 decision over Neenah, WI’s Landen Sheppard in the semifinals. Blanke (15-3), an IHSA qualifier last year who’s ranked sixth at 157 in 3A, claimed third place with a pin in 2:25 over Sheppard (16-3). Glenbard West’s Jondelle Malunay (21-5) claimed fifth place by medical forfeit over Maine South’s Caden Ljubenko (14-3), who’s ranked tenth at 157 in 3A. And for seventh, West Aurora’s Malan Hatfield (13-4) won 10-7 over Carl Sandburg’s Obaida Hasan (13-4).

165 – Declan Koch, Neenah, WI

Declan Koch won his second-straight Rex Whitlatch Invite title after capturing an 8-0 major decision over Geneseo junior Izaac Gaines in the 165 title match. The Neenah, WI senior also joined Lyons Township 138 champion Griff Powell as the only two title winners who were still unbeaten, and both had 18-0 records. Koch was the lone finalist and one of nine top-eight finishers for coach Kyle Kleuskens’ fifth-place Rockets. He’s a three-time WIAA medalist and has finished in second place in Division 1 in the last two seasons. After opening with two falls, he claimed a 13-1 major decision over Lincoln-Way West’s Max Herman in the semifinals. He was a four-time finalist in the Whitlatch, placing second in 2022 and 2023, and also was one of the five seniors in the competition who finished in the top eight for four-straight years. 

Gaines (16-2), who joined Kye Weinzierl (175) as one of two-second-place finishers and seven top-eight placewinners for coach Tom Rusk’s seventh place Maple Leafs, earned his spot in the 165 finals with a fall in 1:30 over Glenbard West’s Tallis Taylor in the semifinals. A two-time state qualifier who’s ranked second at 165 in 2A and won a title at Rockford East, he claimed victories by technical fall in his first two matches. In the third-place match, Carl Sandburg’s Brady Ritter (15-2), a two-time IHSA qualifier who was ranked fourth at 157 in 3A, won an 8-1 decision over Herman (16-5), who’s ranked fifth at 165 in 3A. Minooka junior Kaden Meyer (10-4) took fifth with a fall in 1:55 over Taylor (13-5). And for seventh, Oak Park and River Forest’s Jeremiah Hernandez (13-7) won a 13-7 decision over Lyons Township’s Cornell Fennessee (12-7).

175 – Dayne Serio, West Aurora

Dayne Serio finished sixth last season at 165 in 3A to claim his first medal in his second trip to the IHSA Finals. Now he’d like to accomplish what his brother Dominic, who’s now competing at Ohio University, was able to achieve last season when he became a two-time state medalist and appeared in the 3A 157 title match, where he was edged 4-3 by Mount Carmel’s Liam Kelly, to become just the ninth individual from West Aurora to win multiple state medals. He won his first title of the season at the Rex Whitlatch after placing third at Marmion Academy in his only other tournament by claiming a 1-0 decision over Geneseo senior Kye Weinzierl in the 175 finals.

Serio (16-1) was the lone champion, a finalist along with runner-up Gabriel Richmond (113) and one of seven top-eight placewinners for coach Andrew Plata’s Blackhawks, who finished in ninth place. Ranked third at 175 in 3A, he claimed wins by technical fall in each of his other three matches, joining Weinzierl and four other individuals as the only ones in the competition who were able to achieve that feat. Serio, who finished in third place at last year’s Whitlatch, earned his spot in the 175 championship match with a victory in 1:12 over Barrington’s Sam Cushman. 

“Every time I’m in the practice room I think about my losses and how I can improve on that,” Serio said “And that pretty much just sparks a flame. So when I’m thinking that I’m tired, I’m tired, I’m done, I just keep going. I hate losing, I hate losing, I don’t like that feeling. Our team is literally a family and everybody loves each other and everybody’s friends. We all go out to lunch and go out to dinner. And we do summer workouts, about four days a week in the summer. It’s nonstop. We’re all family there. It’s a great atmosphere. Hopefully at the end of the year, the expected reward is going to be a little bigger.”  

Weinzierl (9-1), who fell to IC Catholic Prep’s Brody Kelly in last season’s IHSA 2A title match at 175, joined runner-up Izaac Gaines (165) as the top finishers among seven top-eight medal winners for coach Tom Rusk’s Maple Leafs, who finished in seventh place. Ranked second to Brody Kelly in 2A at 175, this was the first tournament of the season for the three-time state qualifier. As with Serio, his other three matches were victories by technical fall and the third of those came in 3:49 over Carl Sandburg’s Adnan Askar in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Cushman (13-5) won by fall in 2:39 over Askar (12-4). For fifth place, Downers Grove South’s Noah Greene (15-7), who collected the most total match points with 86, won by technical fall in 5:22 over Maine South’s Marty Greif (5-6). And Neenah, WI’s Connor Simons (8-6) took seventh place by medical forfeit over Glenbard West’s Vince Schoettle (10-6).

190 – Aaron Stewart, Warren Township

Aaron Stewart has faced some very challenging opponents in the early going of his senior season for Warren Township and lost to three of them, Marian Central Catholic’s Jimmy Mastny in the 190 finals at Marmion Academy to begin the season and then one week before the Rex Whitlatch Invite, back-to-back setbacks at the prestigious Ironman in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio to Lawrence North, IN’s Michael White and Blair Academy, NJ’s Salah Tsarni. But as the IHSA 3A champion at 175 in 2025 over Homewood-Flossmoor’s RJ Robinson and at 157 in 2024 knows all too well, it’s not where you start, but where you finish. The three-time state medalist who took third at 152 in 2023 is determined to end his Blue Devils career as a three-time IHSA champion. 

Stewart became a rare four-time Rex Whitlatch champion when he won the 190 title with a fall in 1:16 over Wheaton North senior Ryan Rosch. He joins junior teammate and fellow two-time IHSA champion Caleb Noble (120) as two of the six repeat title winners, as well as the best finishers among four top-eight medalists for coach Brad Janecek’s Blue Devils. The top-ranked individual at 190 in 3A who also won a title at Neuqua Valley, opened his run to his fourth title with a pair of pins in the first minute before earning his spot in the 190 finals with a fall in 3:23 over Minooka’s Santino Capodice in the semifinals. He was of five individuals, and the lone champ, to record four falls. And he led all of the title winners for the most team points with 34.

He was also one of five seniors who placed in the top eight for four-straight years in the invite.   

“We come to this tournament every year and I think I’ve won every year,” Stewart said. “I’ve gone to Nationals, Worlds, so this is just a tournament where I come to work on my techniques and to get better. There’s never a day off. For me, I practice seven days a week, 365 days a year, you can’t take any days off if you want to be the best. (Reason for Warren Township’s success) Definitely our coaches. The coaches always care for us, work for us, they’re family to us. And our guys, we’re family, too. Most of these guys in our room, we grew up together since we were four or five years old. We’ve been together forever. Just knowing these guys, it makes it a lot easier to work harder.”

Rosch (15-2), who’s ranked sixth at 175 in 3A, finished second for a second time with the 2025 IHSA qualifier also taking second place at Barrington to kick off the season. The senior was the lone finalist for coach Tim Walker’s Falcons. He recorded wins by technical fall in his first two matches before earning his spot in the 190 finals with a pin in 1:48 in the semifinals over Neenah, WI’s Kaden Roth (16-2) who went on to claim third with a fall in 1:43 over Capodice (10-4). In the fifth-place match, Barrington’s Aaron Jafri (13-6) claimed a 15-4 major decision over Downers Grove South’s Daniel Mensah (11-6). And for seventh, Lyons Township’s Luke Wilhelm (15-6) won 8-5 by sudden victory over Downers Grove North’s Jack Helsdon (11-8).

215 – Jimmy Talley, Lincoln-Way West

Jimmy Talley definitely dashed some hopes while also boosting the spirits of others as the Lincoln-Way West senior claimed a victory by technical fall in 2:39 over Glenbard West junior Phin Codinha in the 215 finals at the Rex Whitlatch Invitational. That win denied the Hilltoppers’ hopes of passing Barrington for the team title in the late going while also assuring that Talley’s Warriors would finish ahead of Oak Park and River Forest for third-place honors. But of equal  significance for Talley, his first tournament title of the season suggests that he might not just be able to qualify for the IHSA Finals for the first time, but also may be able to win a medal there.

Talley (15-2), ranked ninth at 215 in 3A, won 36 matches last season but failed to advance to the IHSA Finals from the Joliet Central Sectional. He placed fifth at Marmion Academy but then made another big statement at the Dan Gable Donnybrook in Iowa when he placed second to Bettendorf, IA’s Lincoln Jipp at 215. A year ago at the Whitlatch, he took third, but there was no drama this time as he won his initial three matches with first-period falls, with the last of those in 1:45 in the semifinals over Downers Grove North’s Nate Olona. His title run resulted in him tying Oak Park and River Forest’s Michael Rundell for the second-most team points with 33.5, which was just one-half point behind the leader, Warren Township’s Aaron Stewart. A finalist along with runner-up Shane Stream (138), he was one of eight top-eight finishers for the third-place Warriors, who are coached by 2020 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Brian Glynn.

“We’ve got a few guys out now, too and we’re still putting third, putting up good numbers,” Talley said. “(What’s he done to get better) I finally learned to move my feet. In years before, I was just a big defensive wrestler and I finally started moving my feet. (West’s coaching staff) A lot of them are my practice partners, too. I think we have, like nine seniors starting on the team right now. And we’ve all been wrestling with each other for four years.”

Codinha (6-3) joined champions Aidan Ortega (106) and Vince Tortoriello (150) as finalists and was also one of the 11 top-eight finishers for coach Pat McCluskey’s Hilltoppers, who placed seventh last year but made a great run for the team title before being edged by Barrington 219.5-217 for top honors. Codinha, who won 30 matches last season but fell one win shy of advancing from the Naperville North Regional, opened with a quick fall and then won a 19-9 major decision before earning his spot in the 215 finals with a 3-1 decision over Downers Grove South’s Chris Cali. In the third-place match, Geneseo’s Colten Mooney (14-4) claimed a 4-3 decision over Carl Sandburg’s Wyatt Hochgraber (14-4). For fifth place, Olona (14-3) won by fall in 4:20 over Cali (11-7). And for seventh place, Stevenson’s Aaron Von Heimburg (9-5) recorded  a pin in 0:34 over Neenah, WI’s Willy Brucks (10-7).   

285 – Colin Murphy, Downers Grove North

Colin Murphy didn’t compete in last year’s Rex Whitlatch Invite and was listed as having no varsity matches when he competed in Batavia’s Arlis Invite in January as a non-scoring competitor for Downers Grove North and he actually lost a 1-0 decision in the semifinals before settling for sixth place in the tournament. It’s quite a long ways to go from that showing to winning a championship at the Whitlatch Invitational and also being ranked sixth at 285 in 3A, but that’s what has unfolded for the Trojans senior after he claimed first place at 285 by injury default in 4:00 over Lyons Township senior Jimmy Hillmann to improve to 15-1 on the season.

Murphy opened with a fall before winning consecutive 4-1 decisions. The second of those came in the semifinals when he beat Minooka’s Robbie Murphy. He was one of six individuals who placed eighth or better for coach Chris McGrath’s Trojans, who finished 11th. Murphy avenged his only defeat, which came one week earlier in Downers Grove South’s Larry Gassen Duals Invite when he was pinned by Geneseo’s Josh Stahl, who he beat 4-1 in the quarterfinals.

Hillmann (16-3), who joined champion Griff Powell (138) as finalists for coach Griff Powell’s Lions, won three-straight decisions to reach the 285 title match, with the last of those being by a 10-6 score over Glenbard West’s Marc Tchapda in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Robbie Murphy (13-1), a 2025 IHSA qualifier who’s ranked seventh at 285 in 3A, pulled out a 2-1 victory over Stahl (15-3). For fifth place, Tchapda (17-5) won a 6-3 decision over West Aurora’s Alfonso Aguilar (12-6). And in the seventh-place match, Neenah, WI’s Brayden Milbrodt (12-8) was a 5-2 winner over Warren Township’s Nolan Lopez. 

Final standings of Hinsdale Central’s Rex Whitlatch Invitational

Barrington 219.5, Glenbard West 217, Lincoln-Way West 193.5, Oak Park and River Forest 191.5, Neenah, WI 177.5, Carl Sandburg 168, Geneseo 162.5, Minooka 148.5, West Aurora 146.5, Stevenson 120.5, Downers Grove North 119, Downers Grove South 118, Warren Township 105.5, Lyons Township 102, Wheaton North 94.5, Maine South 81.5, Rockford East 73.5, DeKalb 70, Neuqua Valley 52.5, Oswego 50, Hinsdale Central 46.5, Hinsdale South 41.5, South Elgin 29.5, Willowbrook 25, Belleville West 15.5

Championship matches of Hinsdale Central’s Rex Whitlatch Invitational

106 – Aidan Ortega (Glenbard West) over Stefan Vihrov (Stevenson), D 10-3

113 – Michael Rundell (Oak Park and River Forest) over Gabriel Richmond (West Aurora), F 1:31

120 – Caleb Noble (Warren Township) over Kaleb Pratt (Barrington), D 3-2

126 – Jamiel Castleberry (Oak Park and River Forest) over Saul Ramirez (Barrington), MD 16-4

132 – Ryan Dorn (Barrington) over Maddux Tindal (Minooka), MD 11-0

138 – Griff Powell (Lyons Township) over Shane Stream (Lincoln-Way West), MD 14-3

144 – Jimmy Whitaker (Barrington) over Zev Koransky (Oak Park and River Forest), MD 16-6

150 – Vince Tortoriello (Glenbard West) over Dana Wickson (Rockford East), D 5-4

157 – David Ogunsanya (Oak Park and River Forest) over Ty Smart (Rockford East), MD 14-5

165 – Declan Koch (Neenah, WI) over Izaac Gaines (Geneseo), MD 8-0

175 – Dayne Serio (West Aurora) over Kye Weinzierl (Geneseo), D 1-0

190 – Aaron Stewart (Warren Township) over Ryan Rosch (Wheaton North), F 1:16

215 – Jimmy Talley (Lincoln-Way West) over Phin Codinha (Glenbard West), TF 2:39

285 – Colin Murphy (Downers Grove North) over Jimmy Hillmann (Lyons Township), Inj. 4:00

Third-place matches of Hinsdale Central’s Rex Whitlatch Invitational

106 – Julian Hartwig (DeKalb) over Anthony Hayes (Carl Sandburg), D 1-0

113 – Kyle Hayes (Carl Sandburg) over Broden Butzke (Neenah, WI), F 1:34

120 – Evan Mishels (Stevenson) over Tanner Stone (Downers Grove South), MD 13-5

126 – Carter DiBenedetto (Lincoln-Way West) over Marcelo Cantu (Stevenson), MD 11-3

132 – Brady Glynn (Lincoln-Way West) over Brett Harman (Maine South), D 7-6

138 – Alejandro Aranda (Glenbard West) over Aiden Ortiz (Oswego), D 11-6

144 – Val Vihrov (Stevenson) over Oscar Kalman (Carl Sandburg), MD 13-2

150 – Aiden Noyes (Oak Park and River Forest) over Logan Dilallo (South Elgin), F 1:50

157 – Daniel Blanke (Barrington) over Landen Sheppard (Neenah, WI), F 2:25

165 – Brady Ritter (Carl Sandburg) over Max Herman (Lincoln-Way West), D 8-1

175 – Sam Cushman (Barrington) over Adnan Askar (Carl Sandburg), F 2:39

190 – Kaden Roth (Neenah, WI) over Santino Capodice (Minooka), F 1:43

215 – Colten Mooney (Geneseo) over Wyatt Hochgraber (Car Sandburg), D 4-3

285 – Robbie Murphy (Minooka) over Josh Stahl (Geneseo), D 2-1