By Gary Larsen for the IWCOAAll IWCOA rankings from Rob Sherrill’s Illinois Best Weekly

Glenwood’s Tyler Cox Invitational

Host Glenwood ran off with the team trophy of this year’s 16-team Tyler Cox Invite, posting a 285.5-179 edge over second-place Quincy. Grayslake Central (178) finished a single point behind Quincy in third, followed by Carbondale (143.5) and Evergreen Park (137) to round out the top five team finishes.

Glenwood coach Nick Anthony saw six of his boys scale the top of the awards stand, and the Titans also got a second, two thirds, one fourth, and two fifth-place finishes.

“Our wrestlers performed up to expectation with our top returners in Cooper Clarke, Pierce Bultmann, AJ Williams, Eli Smith and Cody Moss winning titles,” Anthony said. 

“Julian Rammelkamp had a breakout performance today, winning his first tournament of his high school career, and we expect him to continue to build off of his great performance.”

1st: Glenwood (285.5)

Titles from returning 2A state qualifiers in No. 8 Clarke (106), Bultmann (113), No. 9 Williams (132), Rammelkamp (165), No. 9 Smith (175) and defending 2A state champion and No. 1 Moss (285) spearheaded the day. Bultmann and Rammelkamp are currently ranked among the honorable mentions.
The Titans also got a second-place finish from Brody Commean (190), thirds from honorable mention Jaxon Ferguson (120) and Pierce Helm (157), a fourth from Braden Monahan (150), and fifths from Jake Tuxhorn (126) and Mason Streb (215).

“Newcomer Pierce Helm took third after winning an IESA title last year, and we are excited to see him get acclimated to the high school level and become a big time performer for us,” Anthony said.

“This was a good confidence booster for our team coming off the Marmion tournament last week and leading up to some competitive duals the next few weeks.”

2nd: Quincy (179)

Blue Devils’ coach Phil Neally got a pair of second-place finishes from Clayton McClelland (113) and Wyatt Boeing (120), thirds from Griffin Finch (106), Derik Lohmeyer (132), Rennie Lilo (150), and Eli Zanger (285), a fourth from Brad Kamm (215), a fifth from Caleb Nation (138), and a sixth from Roman Lilo (165).

3rd: Grayslake Central (178)

Coach Matt Joseph sent a quartet of Rams to the top of the awards stand in two-time state medalist and No. 2 2A Vince DeMarco (120), Owen Floral (138), Trevor Hengl (144), and No. 8 Warren Nash (150). Krish Sahu (132) placed second for the Rams, who also got a fifth from Jesus Castaneda (285) and a sixth from Johnny Lopez (157).

Additional individual champions:
126: Jayden Cervantes (Evergreen Park); 157: Anthony Brown (Collinsville); 190: Sergio Baity (Centennial); 215: Connor Daly (Carbondale)

Additional runners-up:
106: Bryce Kuhlman (Normal Community); 126: Christian Johnson (Notre Dame); 138: Trotter Titus (Charleston); 144: Nehemie Mbangi (Centennial); 150: Gavin Slack (Collinsville); 157: Marcus Gibson (Centennial); 165: Jon Martin (Carbondale); 175: Jayden Schmick (Dunlap); 215: Michael Stevenson (Collinsville); 285: Brady Mullens (Notre Dame)

Final team scores:
Glenwood (285.5), Quincy (179), Grayslake Central (178), Carbondale (143.5), Evergreen Park (137), Collinsville (134), Notre Dame (121.5), Champaign Centennial (108.5), Carterville (81), Normal Community West (74.5), O’Fallon (73), Dunlap (67.5), Charleston (48.5), Riverton (14), Metro East Lutheran (8), Peoria Heights (7).

Title match results:

106: Clarke (Glenwood) d. Kuhlman (Normal Community)  (D 7-1)

113: Bultmann (Glenwood) d. McClelland (Quincy)  (TF 5:00)

120: DeMarco (Grayslake C) d. Boeing (Quincy)  (D 9-3)

126: Cervantes (Evergreen Park) d. Johnson (Notre Dame) (TF 4:42)

132: Williams (Glenwood) d. Sahu (Grayslake C)  (D 8-1)

138: Floral (Grayslake C) d. Titus (Charleston)   (F 1:18)

144: Hengl (Grayslake C) d. Mbangi (Champaign Cent)  (MD 8-0)

150: Nash (Grayslake C) d. Slack (Carterville)  (F 0:52)

157: Brown (Collinsville) d. Gibson (Champaign Cent) (F 1:36)

165: Rammelkamp (Glenwood) d. Martin (Carbondale) (F 1:56)

175: Smith (Glenwood) d. Schmick (Dunlap High School)  (F 1:49)

190: Baity (Champaign Cent) d. Commean (Glenwood)  (F 3:01)

215: Daly (Carbondale) d. Stevenson (Collinsville) (D 7-5)

285: Moss (Glenwood) d. Mullens (Notre Dame) (F 1:29)

Third-place match results:
106: Finch (Quincy) d. Warchol (O`Fallon)  (F 1:00)

113: De La Cruz (Notre Dame) d. Couri (Notre Dame) (F 5:47)

120: Ferguson (Glenwood) d. Couri (Notre Dame) 7-4,  (F 0:53)

126: Swan (Carbondale)  d. Wood (Carterville)  (D 6-1)

132: Lohmeyer (Quincy) d. Joesting (Notre Dame)  (D 8-7)
138: Chatman (Evergreen Park) d. Hare (Collinsville)  (D 8-1)

144: WiIlson (Notre Dame) d. Toliver-Cook (Carbondale)  (F 5:06)

150: Lilo (Quincy) d. Monahan (Glenwood)  (D 4-3)

157: Helm (Glenwood) d. Al Janabi (O`Fallon)  (D 19-14)

165: Atkins (Notre Dame) d. Reynolds (Riverton)  (F 3:22)

175: Pfleger (Collinsville) d. Mueller (Dunlap) (F 1:20)

190: Mosack (Dunlap) d. Caffey (Carbondale)  (F 4:24)

215: Manrique (O`Fallon) d. Kamm (Quincy) (For.)

285: Zanger (Quincy) d. Johnson (Evergreen Park) (D 7-4)

Civic Memorial’s Steve Bradley Invitational

Host Civic Memorial edged out Murphysboro 211-201 for the team title at this year’s Steve Bradley Invitational on Saturday. The tournament is named for former long-time coach Bradley, who went 356-155 while guiding the program and whose 21-year career ran from 1987-2007.

Olympia (172.5) finished third, followed by Waterloo (169) and Vandalia (164.5).

Civic Memorial coach Jeremy Christeson sent a foursome of individual champs to the awards stand, in Avery Jaime (138), Greg Harkey (144), Knox Verbais (150) and James Wojcikiewicz (165). All four Eagles were dominant in their title matches.

Verbais won the Gary Wintjen Outstanding Wrestler Award after posting three falls and then a tech fall win on the title mat.

“I thought it was a good tourney with some tough competition for us,” Christeson said. “We had seven in the finals and won four of them and in a couple of the finals matches we were up and ended up losing. So that’s something that’s going to be addressed going forward.

“I thought we wrestled decent for the day. Murphysboro kept us on our toes all day for sure. Coach (Shea) Baker does an outstanding job down there in Murphysboro and they have a good team. I thought Olympia had some tough guys as well. I also thought Waterloo and Mascoutah looked solid.”

1st: Civic Memorial (211)
In addition to dominant performances from Jaime, Harkey, Verbais and Wojcikiewicz, the Eagles got second-place finishes from Cody Weidner (106), Tristan Ward (175) and Luke McCoy (190), and a third from Kevahn Flanagan (215).

Jaime is a returning state medal winner at 126 and is currently ranked No. 3 at 138 in 2A by Rob Sherrill. No. 7 Harkey is the lone freshman ranked at 144, Verbais is No. 2 at 150 after placing third in state at that weight last year, and two-time state qualifier Wojcikiewicz is No. 5 at 165.

2nd: Murphysboro (201)
Four second-place finishes paced Murphysboro, from Paxton Pyatt (120), Sergio Garcia (126), Maxon Stearns (165), and Caybren Hubbard (215). Coach Shea Baker also got thirds from Lemar Treshansky (144), Haegan Hughes (157) and Julien Tanner (285), a fourth from Jeret Edwards (138), and a sixth from Drevan Bramlet (113).

Pyatt is currently ranked No. 6 in 1A at 120, Tanner is No. 4 at 285, and Garcia, Treshansky, and Stearns are ranked among the honorable mentions.

3rd: Olympia (172.5)
Coach Josh Collins’ Spartans had a pair of individual champs in Connor Collins (106) and Darian Holloway (285). The freshman Collins is ranked No. 9 at 106 in 1A and Holloway is No. 3 at 285. Olympia also got a second from No. 5 Brandon Gaither (113), a fourth from Ryan Ballinger (126), fifths from Tucker Garey (120), Carter Knobloch (132), Kenzer Burrell (144) and Austin Kisner (157) and a sixth from Kaden Collins (165).

Additional individual champions:
113: No. 7 2A Matthew Deutch (Waterloo); 120: Dalton St. Angelo (Mt. Vernon); 126: Two-time state finalist, former state champion and No. 1 2A Preston Waughtel (Vandalia); 132: No. 3 2A Jordan Kholian (Jacksonville); 157: returning state runner-up in 2A at 150, No. 3 Brock Ross (Mascoutah); 175: Lonnez Smith (East St. Louis); 190: Brody Belville (Brentwood Academy MO); and 215: No. 2 Jaxson Mathenia (Waterloo), who placed second in 2A at 215 last season.

Additional runners-up:
132: Konnor Stephens (Waterloo); 138: Bo Dominguez (Brentwood MO); 144: Adrian Mendez (Granite City); 150: Tyler Barlow (Bloomington); 157: Dillon Hinton (Vandalia); 285: Jaylen Raab (Bloomington)

Closest calls:
East St. Louis’ Lonnez Smith and Civic Memorial’s Tristan Ward wrestled to the closest final score of any title match at 175, with Smith earning the 6-5 decision win.

Final team scores:
Civic Memorial (211), Murphysboro (201), Olympia (172.5), Waterloo (169), Vandalia (164.5), Mascoutah (122.5), Bloomington (111.5), Brentwood Academy TN (104.5), Mattoon (78.5), Granite City (75), Jacksonville (72), Mt. Vernon (68), Alton (45.5), Jerseyville (41.5), East St. Louis (34.5), Springfield (26.5), Highland (26), Centralia (23), Orchard Farm MO (21), Civic Memorial B (20), E. Alton-W. River (20), Lift for Life Academy MO (12)

Steve Bradley championship match results:

106: Connor Collins (Olympia)  d. Cody Weidner (Civic Mem)  (F 4:29)

113: Matthew Deutch (Waterloo)  d. Brandon Gaither (Olympia)  (F 3:24)

120: Dalton St Angelo (Mt. Vernon)  d. Paxton Pyatt (Murphysboro)  (D 6-0)

126: Preston Waughtel (Vandalia) d. Sergio Garcia (Murphysboro)  (TF 2:13)

132: Jordan Kholian (Jacksonville)  d. Konnor Stephens (Waterloo) (TF 4:16)

138: Avery Jaime (Civic M)  d. bo dominguez (Brentwood)  (F 2:23)

144: Greg Harkey (Civic M)  d. Adrian Mendez (Granite City)  (TF 3:42)

150: Knox Verbais (Civic M) d. Tyler Barlow (Bloomington)  (TF 5:54)

157: Brock Ross (Mascoutah) 6-0,  d. Dillon Hinton (Vandalia)  (D 8-5)

165: James Wojcikiewicz (Civic M) d. Maxon Stearns (Murphysboro)  (MD 9-0)

175: Lonnez Smith (East St. Louis) d. Tristian Ward (Civic Mem) (D 6-5)

190: Brody Belville (Brentwood)  d. Luke McCoy (Civic Mem) (TF 4:13)

215: Jaxson Mathenia (Waterloo) d. Caybren Hubbard (Murphysboro) (TF 0:56)

285: Darian Holloway (Olympia) d. Jaylen Raab (Bloomington)  (TF 3:40)

Third-place match results:

106: Kaden Daughtery (Vandalia)  d. Creed Cole (Mattoon)  (MD 8-0)

113: Cash Waymire (Brentwood)  d. Jaxtyn Howell (Mattoon) 1-2,  (MD 15-6)

120: Ryley Correll (Brentwood)  d. Aiden Evans (Vandalia)  (D 5-3)

126: Xavier Sonon-Hale (Mascoutah)  d. Ryan Ballinger (Olympia)  (TF 6:00)

132: Macguire Leck (Mascoutah)  d. Jack Schweitzer (Bloomington HS)  (D 7-2)

138: Eli Mabry (Vandalia) . d. Jeret Edwards (Murphysboro) 4-2,  (F 2:38)

144: Lemar Treshansky (Murphysboro)  d. Marcus Nobles (Mascoutah)  (TF 5:32)

150: Dade Kleinik (Vandalia)  d. Joe Newell (Waterloo) 3-2,  (F 1:03)

157: Haegan Hughes (Murphysboro) d. Ethan Flanigan (Civic Mem)  (TF 4:47)
165: Brayden Drew (Alton)  d. Bryce Bryant (Springfield) 2-3,  (D 7-1)

175: Jordan Sonon-Hale (Mascoutah)  d. Vince Goodman (Waterloo) D 12-5)

190: Ross Miller (Vandalia)  d. Brock Meyer (Jacksonville) (F 0:52)

215: Kevahn Flanigan (Civic Mem) d. Manning Moore (Brentwood) (F 1:09)

285: Julien Tanner (Murphysboro)  d. Dominic Swyers (Vandalia)  (F 1:44)

Lawrenceville’s Lawrence County Tournament

The host Indians took the team title at this year’s 13-team Lawrence County Tournament, posting a 204.5-169.5 scoring edge over second-place Robinson. Vandalia (168) finished a mere 1.5 points behind Robinson in third place, followed closely in fourth place by Olney (163), with Paris (136) rounding out the top five team finishes.

Lawrenceville had four champs on the day in Dalton Baker (106), Drew Seitzinger (126), Cale Seitzinger (150), and Malikye Williams (190).

1st: Lawrenceville (205.5)
In addition to individual titles from Baker, the Seitzingers, and Williams, coach Cody Bobe got a second from Jude DeCausey (215), a third from Daniel Kiser (157), thirds from Grayson Allender (113), Hudson Meek (144) and Nick Morehead (175), and sixths from Jude Shick (132) and Tucker Waldrop (165).

2nd: Robinson (169.5)
Coach Tanner Keeler’s boys brought home titles from Broady Kelly (138) and Lennox Parker (175), seconds from Landon Cornwell (113) and Gracen Elliott (120), thirds from Connor Schrader (150) and Tucker Hill (215), and fourths from Braxton Pethtel (190) and Jessiah Lee (285).

3rd: Vandalia (168)
Coach Pat Myers’ Vandals got a pair of individual titles from Riley Hinton (120) and Zayne Zinkgraf (157), a second from Corbin Meyers (165), thirds from Dylan Blain (144) and Zayvion Stout (190), fourths from Matthew Lash (106), Robbie McCoy (126), and Keagan Turner (150), and a sixth from Nic Jackson (138).

Final team scores:
Lawrenceville (205.5), Robinson (169.5), Vandalia (168), Olney (163), Paris (136), Mt. Carmel (123.5), Oblong (113), Johnston City (112), Herrin (108), Carmi-White County (79), Fairfield (54), Breese Central (47.5), Marshall (25)

Additional individual champions:
113: Hayden Hazel (Olney); 132: Declyn Paddock (Olney); 144: Jude Wirey (Oblong); 165: Joshua Lamour (Paris); 215: Zander Schrader (Olney); 285: Carter Pyatt (Mt. Carmel)

Additional runners-up:

106: Carter Poole (Fairfield); 126: Jedd Wellen (Fairfield); 132: Braden Berndt (Herrin); 138: Jace Weaver (Johnston City); 144: Elijah Miller (Johnston City); 150: Isaiah Hall (Mt. Carmel); 157: Garrett Rigdon (Paris); 175: Finn Lathrop (Olney); 190: Dominick Khoshaba (Herrin); 285: Gentry Michels (Olney)

Championship match results:106: Dalton Baker (Lawrenceville) d. Carter Poole (Fairfield)  (F 1:47)

113: Hayden Hazel (Olney) d. Landon Cornwell (Robinson)   (F 1:38)

120: Riley Hinton (Vandalia) d. Gracen Elliott (Robinson)  (F 5:53)

126: Drew Seitzinger (Lawrenceville) d. Jedd Wellen (Fairfield)  (F 3:28)

132: Dlyn Paddock (Olney) d. Braden Berndt (Herrin)  (D 9-6)

138: Broady Kelly (Robinson) d. Jace Weaver (Johnston City)  (TF 3:08)
144: Jude Wirey (Oblong) d. Elijah Miller (Johnston City)  (MD 16-5)

150: Cale Seitzinger (Lawrenceville) d. Isaiah Hall (Mt. Carmel)  (D 14-8)

157: Zayne Zinkgraf (Vandalia) d. Garret Rigdon (Paris)  (D 8-1)

165: Joshua Lamour (Paris) d. Corbin Meyers (Vandalia)  (MD 11-1)

175: Lenox Parker (Robinson) d. Finn Lathrop (Olney)  (F 2:48)

190: Malikye Williams (Lawrenceville) d. Dominick Khoshaba (Herrin)  (F 2:40)

215: Zander Schrader (Olney) d. Juded.ausey (Lawrenceville)  (F 2:36

285: Carter Pyatt (Mt. Carmel) d. Gentry Michels (Olney)  (TF-1.5 4:00 (15-0))

Third-place match results:

106: Thomas Stigler (Oblong) d. Matthew Lash (Vandalia)  (F 3:35)

113: Cameron Urbaniak (Herrin)  d. Julian Perez (Paris)  (TF-1.5 1:22 (16-0))

120: Christian Perez (Paris) d. Brennan Jeralds (Herrin)  (D 6-0)

126: Gage Wright (Paris) d. Robbie McCoy (Vandalia)  (F 4:50)

132: Coy Ramero (Paris) d. Kadin Melahn (Mt. Carmel)  (F 1:19)

138: Emmitt Cooley (Mt. Carmel) d. Owen Griffin (Oblong)  (D 12-9)

144: Dylan Blain (Vandalia) d. Tyler Russell (Herrin)  (F 1:59)

150: Connor Schrader (Robinson)  d. Keagan Turner (Vandalia)  (fft.)

157: Daniel Kiser (Lawrenceville) d. Dakota Woods (Mt. Carmel)  (F 3:08)

165: Cole Littlejohn (Oblong) d. Cole Evans (Carmi-White County)  (F 1:22)

175: Oliver Hoke (Oblong) d. Branson Burnett (Carmi-White County)  (F 1:19)

190: Zayvion Stout (Vandalia) d. Braxton Pethtel (Robinson) 2-3, . (F 5:52)

215: Tucker Hill (Robinson) d. Jackson Kling (Mt. Carmel)  (F 0:49)

285: Logan Curl (Paris) d. Jessiah Lee (Robinson)  (F 3:12)

Southeast Tournament

There was no team scoring at Springfield Southeast’s 21-team tournament. East Peoria led all teams with five individual champions and 11 wrestlers finishing in the top four of their weight classes. St. Joseph-Ogden and Danville had two champions apiece.

Championship match results:
106: Tucker Brown (E Peoria)  d. Carlos Juarez (Danville)  (DQ)
113: Ben Wells (S.J.-Ogden) d. Kohl Fuller (Hillsboro) (F 1:19)

120: Eli Carel (Warsaw) d. Bocephus Schnoor (Midwest C)  (F 1:56)

126: Yariah Shaw (Danville) d. Camden Getty (St. Joseph (S.J.-Ogden)  (D 9-4)

132: Trevion Murphy (MacArthur) d. Wyatt Brown (E Peoria)  (F 0:18)

138: Martavious Johnson (Eisenhower) d. Briar Kuhl (Hillsboro) (MD 9-1)

144: Cooper Chester (E Peoria) d. Gavin Watson (Sparta)  (F 3:10)

150: Braxton Glodo (Sparta) d. Cole Brooks (E Peoria)  (F 2:43)

157: Nathand Daly (S.J.-Ogden) d. Jovonis Lunford (Sacred Heart-Griffin) (F 3:32)

165: Malik Mosley (Urbana) d. Jeremy Judd (Sacred Heart-Griffin)  (F 5:11)

175: Josiah Williams (Danville) d. Coy Hayes (S.J.-Ogden)  (D 10-3)

190: Dalton Oakman (E Peoria) d. Ryker Gemberling (Deer Creek-Mack)  (F 0:18)

215: Alecd.el Toro (E Peoria) d. Brydon Walters (Knoxville)   (F 1:40)

285: Keegan Barnes (E Peoria) d.ylan Heinen (Sparta)  (D 5-0)

Third-place match results:
106: Kaci Eller (Midwest C) d. Leah Call (MacArthur)  (TB-1 4-2)

113: Cooper Stine (Sparta) d. Ben Marshall (Deer Creek-Mack)  (D 5-4)

120: Landon Bandy (Hillsboro) d. Jayce McMillon (Taylorville)  (F 0:51)

126: Alan Jaimes (Curie) d. Skyler Sturgeon (Hillsboro)  (SV-1 7-6)

132: Leland Pulido (Curie) d. Liam Kalar (Hillsboro) (D 3-0)

138: Nick Wall (Knoxville) d. Dante Wade (Springfield Southeast)  (TF 2:00)

144: Francisco Camargo (Curie) d. Keegan Albright (Taylorville)  (F 1:00)

150: Jamarkus Miller (E Peoria) d. Evan Smith (Warsaw) (D 7-0)

157: Caleb Clevenger (Knoxville) d. Aidan Burwell (E Peoria)  (For.

165: Andy Cuevas (Curie) d.ylan Lee (Danville)  (D 7-6)

175: Gabed.el Toro (E Peoria) d. Jonnah Fallonner (Urbana)  (D 8-2)

190: Casen Lyons (Sacred Heart-Griffin) d. Bodine Marable (Pittsfield)  (TF 2:12)

215: Fisher McEuen (Pittsfield)  d. Connor Hunsley (Taylorville) (F 1:39)

285: Richard Gilmore (Midwest C) d. Mason Currie (Hillsboro)  (F 0:35)

157 B:
1st: Wyatt Durham (E Peoria) d. Landyn Seal (Pittsfield)  (F 1:16)

2nd: Gavin Shomaker (Hillsboro) d. Santiago Valadez (Curie)  (D 2-1)

Washington Varsity Invitational
IC Catholic Prep sent 10 wrestlers to the finals and had eight individual champions in winning this year’s 8-team Washington Invitational. The Knights (292.5) were followed by Hersey (184.5), Oak Park and River Forest (168), host Washington (163.5) Rock Island (136.5), Oakwood/Salt Fork (112), Unity (1-2) and Plano (36).

Top-ranked defending 2A team champion IC Catholic also won last week’s Barrington team title. Host Washington is ranked No. 2 in 2A.

Individual champs for IC Catholic were Mike Bird (106), Max Cumbee (132), Frank Nitti (144), Jacob Alvarez (150), Aidan Arnett (157), Brody Kelly (175), Foley Calcagno (215) and Anthony Sebastian (285).
No. 8 Bird won a 6-4 decision over Washington’s top-ranked Symon Woods on the title mat at 106, while No. 3 Sebastian topped Washington’s No. 4 Sean Thornton by 1-0 decision in the finals at 285.

In other marquee finals matches, Oak Park’s returning state champion Michael Rundell, ranked No. 2 in 3A at 113, won by 8-0 major decision over 2A IC Catholic’s top-ranked Drew Murante. Hersey’s 3A No. 5 Oleksandr Havrylkiv won by fall over OPRF’s No. 1 Jamiel Castleberry at 126 pounds.

Championship matches:
106: Mike Bird (IC Catholic) d. Symon Woods (Washington) D 6-4
113: Michael rundell (OPRF) d. Drew Murante (IC Catholic) MD 8-0

120: Pedro Rangel (Oakwood/Salt Fork) d. Micah Jackson (Washington) D 9-6

126: Oleksandr Havrylkiv (Hersey) d. Jamiel Castelberry (OPRF) F 5:47

132: Max Cumbee (IC Catholic) d. Mason Swartz (Oakwood/Salt Fork) D 10-3
138: Devin Ehler (Oakwood/Salt Fork) d. Jack Hanrahan (IC Catholic) D 6-2
144: Frank Nitti (IC Catholic) d. Zev Koransky (OPRF) MD 11-2
150: Jacob Alvarez (IC Catholic) d. Aiden Noyes (OPRF) SV-1 4-1
157: Aidan Arnett (IC Catholic) d. David Ogunsanya (OPRF) d. 12-7
165: Wyatt Medlin (Washington) d. Frankie Tagoe (Hersey) TF 4:19
175: Brody Kelly (IC Catholic) d. Josh Heath (Unity) F 1:36
190: Grant Moga (Hersey) d. Wyatt Leman (Washington) MD 13-3
215: Foley Calcagno (IC Catholic) d. Johnathan Slump (Hersey) F 3:28
285: Anthony Sebastian (IC Catholic) d. Sean Thornton (Washington) D 1-0

Third-place matches:

106: Angelo Parker (Rock Island) d. Jordan Dezara (OPRF) D 12-5
113: Steven Uden (Oakwood) d. Stone McKone (Hersey) D 7-2

120: Liam Nikolakakis (OPRF) d. Josias Bolinger (Rock Island) F 3:12
126: Sam Murante (IC Catholic) d. Lucas Bach (Washington) MD 16-7
132: Logan Makiney (Washington) d. Alex Cohen (OPRF) D 8-1
138: AJ Daly (Unity) d. Maricio Parker (Rock Island) D 9-6
144: Hunter Shike (Unity) d. Tyler Huchel (Oakwood) D 7-0
150: Ian McGowan (Rock Island) d. Honorio Yin (Hersey) D 3-2}
157: Cruise Brolley (Washington) d. Jeremiah Hernandez (OPRF) TF 229
165: Abram Davidson (Unity) d. Gustavo Quiroz (Hersey) F 3:16
175: Drew Frank (Hersey) d. Emarion Harris (Rock Island) SV-1 12-9
190: Kylan Mitchell (Rock Island) d. Wade Leman (Washington) MD 13-3
215: Rowan Stockwell (Rock Island) d. Pierre Nelson (OPRF) D 6-5
285: MarQuan Young (Washington) d. Hersey (Harrison Lacaeyse (Hersey) F 3:10

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

Princeton’s 2nd Annual Girls PIT

35 teams traveled to Princeton for its 2nd Annual PIT tournament and when the dust settled, Minooka loaded the championship trophy onto the team bus.

Coach Paige Schoolman’s Indians posted 163 points, getting an individual title from Ezra Rodriquez (145) to lead the way among nine girls who finished in the top six of their weight classes.

“The girls had a nice week with dual wins over solid teams in Joliet West and Homewood-Flossmoor,” Minooka coach Paige Schoolman said. “The PIT was a great opportunity to get all of our girls matches and work on the skills we have been developing in practice.

“Our girls are starting to gel as a team and become supportive of each other. The more we wrestle for each other the better we will be throughout the year.” 

A dogfight for second place saw Geneseo edge out Ottawa, 144.5-144, with LaSalle-Peru hot on their heels with 140 points. Hampshire (112.5) rounded out the top five team finishers.

1st: Minooka (163)

Rodriquez used three first-period falls and a 9-3 decision in winning her title at 145, and Schoolman got a pair of second-place finishes from Therese Escano (105) and Sabina Charlebois (130). The Indians also got a third from Abigail Underhill (170), fourths from Marian Nordsell (110) and Gianna Boudonck (135), and fifths from Anastasia Dewey (125), Lexie Lakota (135), and Mia Lemberg (190).

“Sabina, Therese, and Ezra were impressive on the way to the finals,” Schoolman said. “Ezra dominated her bracket, Sabina imposed her will all day and came up just short, and Therese was outstanding in her debut at 105.  She is only a second-year wrestler that has  sky-high potential.”

Schoolman had high praise for all his placers at Princeton.

“Abby (170) is a second-year wrestler that just gets better every time she competes. She is a consistent worker and is getting better everyday.

“Marian (110) wrestled really well. She had a state qualifier on the ropes in the semis and just let it slip away at the last minute. Gianna (135) is another second-year wrestler that managed to battle through the bracket to the third-place match.

“Lexie (135) can be really good by the end of the year, Anastasia (125) looked great throughout every match, and Mia (190) is going to be a problem for girls in her weight class all year.”

2nd: Geneseo (144.5)

Maple Leafs coach Carley Rusk got a second-place finish from Sophia Urquiza (135) and a quartet of thirds from Addison Hadsall (100), Giana Wurslin (105), Lydia King (120) and Annibelle Juarez (140), and a fourth from Ayla Schultz (125).

3rd: Ottawa (144)
Coach Kevin Aughenbaugh got an individual title from Lily Gwaltney (110), seconds from Isabel Gwaltney (100), Ava Weatherford (140), and Juliana Thrush (235), and fourths from Val Munoz (115), Jaiyden Provance (140), and Alivia Butler (145).

PIT individual champions:

100: Chloe Collins (Olympia); 105: Annabelle Mueller (Hampshire); 110: Lily Gwaltney (Ottawa); 115: Laila Vaughn (Streator); 120: Stella Piazza (Hampshire); 125: Kiely Domyancich (LaSalle-Peru); 130: Sydney Cannon (Mt. Zion); 135: Michelle Naftzger (Erie); 140: Jaelyn Hare (East Moline); 145: Ezra Rodriquez (Minooka); 155: Aaliyah Swearingen (Kewanee); 170: Jessica Toomey (Mt. Zion); 190: Courtney Walls (Rock Island); 235: Phoenix Molina (Unity)

Final team scores:
Minooka (163), Geneseo (144.5), Ottawa (144), LaSalle-Peru (140), Hampshire (112.5), Freeport (106), Washington (100), Rock Island (84l.5), Erie (79.5), Kewanee (62), Dunlap (61), Mt. Zion (60), ROWVA (57.5), Streator (53.5), Olympia (52), Princeton (46), Tolono (46), Mahomet-Seymour (45), United (43), Normal Community West (38), Metamora (36), Genoa-Kingston (30), Moline (30), Illini West (28), Farmington (26), Galena (25), Illinois Valley Central (23), Morton (22), Rock Falls (20), Sherrard (19)

Close title matches:
In a matchup between returning multiple state medal winners, Unity’s Phoenix Molina won a 1-0 decision over Ottawa’s Juliana Thrush. Molina placed third at 235 last year while Thrush placed sixth.

Individual bests:
Geneseo’s Lydia King posted the most pins in the least time of anyone present, winning by fall in five matches in a grand total of 5:49. Erie’s Ayden Grawe had the most tech falls in the least time, with two techs in 4:09. Grawe also posted the fastest tech fall of the tournament, in 1:00. LaSalle-Peru’s Kiely Domyancich scored the most team points with 32, ROWVA’s Marissa Brown scored the most single-match points with 22, and Hampshire’s Madison Minson scored the most total match points with 60.
Kewanee’s JenDayia Crowe provided the largest seed-place difference, when she placed second as the No. 28 seed at 125.

PIT championship match results:
100: Chloe Collins (Olympia) d. Isabel Gwaltney (Ottawa) F 0:49
105: Annabelle Mueller (Hampshire) d. Therese Escano (Minooka) F 2:40
110: Lily Gwaltney (Ottawa) d. Rozlyn Mosher (Erie) F 5:56
115: Laila Vaughn (Streator) d. Lyndsey Brewer (Farmington) F 1:08
120: Stella Piazza (Hampshire) d. Kaiya Galindo (Freeport) F 0:49
125: Kiely Domyancich (LaSalle-Peru) d. JenDayia Crowe (Kewanee) F 1:04
130: Sydney Cannon (Mt. Zion) d. Sabina Charlebois (Minooka) F 3:36
135: Michelle Naftzger (Erie) d. Sophia Urquiza (Geneseo) F 1:25
140: Jaelyn Hare (United) d. Ava Weatherford (Ottawa) F 3:09
145: Ezra Rodriquez (Minooka) d. Leah Brammeier (Olympia) F 1:26
155: Aaliyah Swearingen (Kewanee) d. Arian Sabu (Normal West) F 1:12
170: Jessica Toomey (Mt. Zion) d. Grace Mordhorst (Washington) F 0:55
190: Courtney Walls (Rock Island) d. Patience Riggs (ROWVA) TF 2:55
235: Phoenix Molina (Unity) d. Juliana Thrush (Ottawa) D 1-0

Third-place results:
100: Addison Hadsall (Geneseo) d. Sierra Tuttle (Mahomet-Seymour) F 328
105: Giana Wurslin (Geneseo) d. Rylee Backes (Princeton) F 0:58
110: Sarah Lowery (LaSalle-Peru) d. Marian Nordsell (Minooka) D 6-4
115: Brea Balles (Freeport) d. Val Munoz (Ottawa) fft.
120: Lydia King (Geneseo) d. Lilyana Malagon (Illinois Valley Central) F 0:34
125: Calliope Willman (Metamora) d. Ayla Schultz (Geneseo) F 2:36
130: Ava Beldo (Unity) d. Ayden Grawe (Erie) F 1:02
135: Emma Ziegler (Washington) d. Gianna Boudonck (Minooka) F 2:17
140: Annibelle Juarez (Geneseo) d. Jaiyden Provance (Ottawa) F 1:12
145: Madison Minson (Hampshire) d. Alivia Butler (Ottawa) D 13-7
155: Paytyn Dykes (Washington) d. Marisa Eggersdorfer (LaSalle-Peru) F 1:46
170: Abigail Underhill (Minooka) d. Violet Gray (Vandalia) D 9-3
190: Samantha Diehl (Hampshire) d. Atalyssa Craig (Dunlap) F 0:52
235: Jakeria Wilson (Moline) d. Destiny Kaeding (Dunlap) F 3:43

Sterling’s Carson DeJarnatt Girls Invitational

Plainfield South snared the team title at this year’s 16-team Carson DeJarnatt Girls Invitational. The Cougars out-pointed second-place Galesburg 170.5-116, followed by Sycamore (98.5), St. Charles East (91.5), and host Sterling (85) to round out the first five team finishes.

Cougars coach Tom Redmon saw five individual champions scale the awards stand in Amie Fuentes (100), Kayla Ochotorena (115), Alexia Kachiroubas (120), Layla Spann (170), and Kimyra Patrick (190). Eight additional girls placed in the top six of their weight classes.

“It was an outstanding team effort and resulted in a team championship,” Redmon said. “We had five individual champions… all wrestled exceptionally well, and Layla (Spann) earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award for the upper weight classes.”

Team captains Fuentes and Ochotorena shined on their paths to winning the finals, as did Kachiroubas and freshman standout Patrick. Spann was dominant in pinning her way to the title at 170 pounds.
And no team title is won without contributions in the consolation bracket.

“I’m also proud of the girls who battled on the backside of their brackets to score crucial team points,” Redmon said. “Sophia Zuno (105) and Yuli Manrique (125) both fought back to place and are quickly becoming key contributors to our varsity lineup despite being underclassmen.”

1st place: Plainfield South (170.5)

In addition to its five champions, the Cougars got thirds from Yuliana Manrique (125) and Madelynn Cozzi (140), a fourth from Alycia Rodriguez (155), and fifths from Desirae Almazan-Delfierro (100), Sophia Zunno (105), Vida Sanchez (125), Eloise Simpson (130) and Sammie Ntone (190). Plainfield South got a sixth from Zola Buerdette (145), and an unscored sixth from Olivia Gounelis (120).

“Overall, this team championship reflects the growth we’re seeing across the entire squad,” Redmon said. “Our athletes are gaining confidence in their offense from neutral and showing far fewer of the mistakes we saw earlier in the season.

“As a coach, I’m thrilled with their progress and with the supportive, growth-focused culture they continue to build — one pushing everyone to raise their standards and elevate their performances.”

2nd place: Galesburg (116)

Coach Ryan Shipp got an individual title from Hannah Barton (155), seconds from Amyah Pruitt (130), Vivian Aldus (140), and Jasmine Dillard (170), a third from Dai Driana Wilford (135), a fourth from Macie Taylor (190), non-scoring fourths from Willow Pilger (130) and Delilah Gregory (135), and a fifth from Victoria Sutton (135).

3rd place: Sycamore (98.5)

Sycamore only entered seven wrestlers but got a pair of individual titles from Ema Durst (140) and Jasmine Enriquez (235) for coach Randy Culton, a second from Winter Beard (135), a third from Frankie McMurtry (170), a fourth from Ella West (110), and a fifth from Rayanna Graziano (235).

DeJarnatt individual champions:
100: Amie Fuentes (Plainfield South); 105: Saya Hongmoungkhoune (Rockford East); 110: Blair Grennan (Newman Central Catholic); 115: Kayla Ochotorena (Plainfield South); 120: Alexia Kachiroubas (Plainfield South); 125: Valentina Solorzano (St. Charles East); 130: Kerby Germann (Fulton); 135: Aubrey Herndon (Polo); 140: Ema Durst (Sycamore); 145: Vivianna Torres (Sterling); 155: Hannah Barton (Galesburg); 170: Layla Spann (Plainfield South); 190: Kimyra Patrick (Plainfield South); 235: Jasmine Enriquez (Sycamore)

Final team scores:
Plainfield South (170.5), Galesburg (116), Sycamore (98.5), St. Charles East (91.5), Sterling (85), Macomb (76), Newman Central Catholic (56), Fulton (54), DUPEC (53), Polo (52), Rockford East (50.5), Limestone (40), Clinton (37), Dixon (37), Guilford (17)

Individual bests:
Clinton’s Sandy Clark posted the most pins in the least time, pinning three opponents in 2:15, while Sycamore’s Frankie McMurtry posted the fastest pin in the tournament at 9 seconds. St. Charles East’s Sydney Stieb had the fastest tech fall win in 1:36. Stieb also scored the most single-match points with 21. Polo’s Aubrey Herndon and Plainfield South’s Yuliana Manrique tied for the most total match points with 41, and the largest seed-place difference went to Plainfield South’s Alexia Kachiroubas, who won the title at 120 as the No. 7 seed.

Championship match results:
100: Amie Fuentes (Plainfield S) d. Lynorah Hansen (Newman) (F 1:48)

105: Saya Hongmoungkhoune (Rockford E) d. Kylie Tate (Sterling) 2-4, (F 3:01)

110: Blair Grennan (Newman) d. Sydney Stieb (SC East)  (F 2:59)

115: Kayla Ochotorena (Plainfield S) d. Sophia Rivas (SC East) (F 2:45)

120: Alexia Kachiroubas (Plainfield S) d. Tylee D`Agostin (DUPEC)  (F 2:52)

125: Valentina Solorzano (SC East) d. Maria Hernandez (Macomb) 3-2,  (F 1:42)

130: Kerby Germann (Fulton) d. Amyah Pruitt (Galesburg) (F 2:16)

135: Aubrey Herndon (Polo) d. Winter Beard (Sycamore)  (MD 14-5)

140: Ema Durst (Sycamore) d. Vivian Aldus (Galesburg)  (TF 2:25)

145: Vivianna Torres (Sterling) d. Dru Hyde (Macomb) (F 3:35)

155: Hannah Barton (Galesburg) d. Diana Naxi (Clinton) (D 13-6)

170: Layla Spann (Plainfield S) d. Jasmine Dillard (Galesburg)  (F 3:22)

190: Kimyra Patrick (Plainfield S) d. Avery Lundgren (Macomb)  (F 2:22)

235: Jasmine Enriquez (Sycamore) d. Adryanna Castro (Rockford E) (F 0:19)

Third-place match results:

100: Sandy Clark (Clinton) d. Bailynn Dunham (SC East)  (F 1:21)

105: Lucy Bawinkel (Polo) d. Kachi Tijerina (SC East)  (F 2:35)

110: Nevaeh Delgado (Sterling) d. Ella West (Sycamore) 2-4, (F 0:46)

115: Tenley Hale (Limestone) d. Kaia Hale (Limestone) (F 1:16)

120: Tessa Fosdick (Fulton) 5-2, d. Kyara Chavez (Dixon) 3-2, (F 3:29)

125: Yuliana Manrique (Plainfield S) d. Abi Lahey (DUPEC)  (MD 14-5)

130: Ireland Dolan (DUPEC) d. Willow Pilger (Galesburg)  (F 1:21)

135: Dai Driana Wilford (Galesburg) d. Delilah Gregory (Galesburg)  (F 4:55)

140: Madelynn Cozzi (Plainfield S) d.  (Bye)

145: Rachel Lance (Dixon) d. Dana Kane (Macomb)  (F 0:19)

155: Talhia Hostetter (Limestone) d. Alycia Rodriguez (Plainfield S)  (F 4:31)

170: Frankie McMurtry (Sycamore) d. Aleigha Sharon (Macomb) 0-3,  (F 0:09)

190: Anjanne Haywood (Guilford) 5-2d. Macie Taylor (Galesburg) (F 0:28)

235: Arianna Tamayo (Sterling) d. Sophie Bolanos (Rockford E)  (For.)

Granite City Girls Invitational

Edwardsville dominated the 30-team field at Granite City for coach Jon Wagner. The Tigers had three individual champions and multiple place-winners in posting 243.5 team points. Triad (138) placed second, followed by Collinsville (130), Granite City (116.5) and Bartlett TN (107) to round out the fop five team finishes.

Wagner commented on his girls’ performance in The Intelligencer:

“I’m very proud of the girls and their competitive nature,” Wagner said. “They went down there to have some fun, but also to get after it a little. “They’ve been working really hard in the room every day, and this was a chance for them to show what they’re capable of.”

1st: Edwardsville (243.5)

The Tigers got individual titles from returning state medalist Emma Rogers (105), Genevieve Dykstra (115) and Victoria White (190) to lead the way. Rogers and Dykstra won by fall in the finals, while White and Granite City’s Demi Barnes competed in one of the few title matches that didn’t end by fall, with White winning 6-2 on the title mat.

Placing second for Edwardsville were Maddy Allen (100), Olive Linhorst (125) and a non-scoring wrestler in Kennedy Downs (235). Tigers finishing third were Adleight  Dewerff (110), Allie Chong (120), Lydia Blind (140), and non-scoring Brooklyn Alldredge (125). Gretchen Taylor (135) placed fourth and Angie Nunez (235) placed fifth.

“Vicky (White) is just resilient. She wrestled a really good girl from Granite City in the finals. It was a great match,” Wagner said. “She just continued to fight throughout the whole match. It was special to see.

“Emma was just Emma. She is always ready  to wrestle…she had a big match in the finals, and you’re never going to get anything easy against her.”

“Genevieve…she’s been working extremely hard, not just this season but in the offseason, and it really paid off. She looked good, she looked confident, move to move, and she was relentless.”

2nd: Triad (138)
Knights coach Lucas Bernal got an individual title from Makenna Steele (135), a second from Kaitlin Wood (170), thirds from Cloe Graumenz (115) and Beckah Burrelsman (235), and sixths from Imani Hawkins (140) and Terryiah Lamb-Carraway (190).

3rd: Collinsville (130)
The Kahoks sent three to the title mat for coach Adam Gillispie, with Londyn Long (125) winning an individual title and second-place finishes coming from Ivana Torres (110) and Leann Cory (155). Collinsville also got fifth-place finishes from Jazelle Young (115) and Addyson Bailey (145) and a sixth from Emma Ford (120).

Granite City individual champions:
Roxana’s Madelyn Murphy (100), Edwardsville’s Emma Rogers (105), Porta’s Alexia Glover (110), Genevieve Dystra (115), Hazelwood West of Missouri’s Yanni Smith (120), Collinsville’s Londyn Long (125), Cahokia’s Te’Aja Young (130), Triad’s Makenna Steele (135), Granite City’s Audrey Barnes (140), Cumberland’s Natalie Beaumont (145), Freeburg’s Grace Stratton (155), Bartlett, Missouri’s Paige McKendry (170), and Belleville West’s Andre’a Kirkpatrick (235).

Individual bests:
With five falls in 4:52 total time, Springfield Co-op’s Kimoreyee Ballard finished with the most pins in the least time of all wrestlers present in Granite City. Ballard also posted the fastest fall in 11 seconds. Jacksonville’s Kaitlyn Knight had the fastest tech fall in 1:42.
Three girls tied for the most team points scored with 32, in Freeburg’s Grace Stratton, Bartlett, Missouri’s Paige McKendry and Cahokia’s Te’Aja Young. Bartlett’s Terrellyn Cannon had the most single match points with 24, and Freeburg’s Brielle Becker scored the most total match points with 54.
Alton’s Aryanna Jones provided the largest seed-place difference as the No. 24 seed placed sixth at 125.

Final team scores:
Edwardsville (243.5), Triad (138.5), Collinsville (130), Granite City (116.5), Bartlett, MO (107), Belleville West (98), Glenwood (94), Springfield Co-Op (94), Cahokia (86), Hazelwood West MO (75), Freeburg (73), Waterloo (72), Civic Memorial (70.5), Jacksonville (70.5), Roxana (58.5), Porta (50), Cumberland (44), Belleville East (40), O’Fallon (39), Mascoutah (33), Highland (29.5), Robinson (29), Hazelwood Central MO (25), Alton (23.5), East St. Louis (23), Carbondale (20), Rochester (15), Jerseyville (7), Mt. Vernon (7), Notre Dame (0)

Championship results:
100: Madelyn Murphy (Roxana) d. Maddy Allen (Edwardsville) (TF 18-2)

105: Emma Rogers (Edwardsville) d. Kadi Wilbern (Glenwood) (F 0:52)
110: Alexia Glover (Porta) d. Ivana Torres (Collinsville) (F 2:52)
115: Genevieve Dykstra (Edwardsville) d. Ma`Kayla Bonner (Granite City) (F 1:26)
120: Yanni Smith (Hazelwood W) d. Cecelia Irwin (Springfield(Coop)) (F 3:47)
125: Londyn Long (Collinsville) d. Olive Linhorst (Edwardsville) (F 3:29)
130: Te`Aja Young (Cahokia) d. Isabella Resendez (Glenwood) (F 2:12)
135: Makenna Steele (Triad) d. Ja`yla Hurst (Belleville W) (F 1:57)
140: Audrey Barnes (Granite City) d. Scarlett Gentille (O`Fon) (F 3:11)
145: Natalie Beaumont (Cumberland) d. Lauren Arrington (Bartlett) (MD 14-6)
155: Grace Stratton (Freeburg) d. Leann Cory (Collinsville) (F 0:32)
170: Paige McKendry (Bartlett) d. Kaitlin Wood (Triad) ,  (F 1:48)
190: Victoria White (Edwardsville) d. Demi Barnes (Granite City) (D 6-2)
235: Andre`a Kirkpatrick (Belleville W) d. Kennedy Downs (Edwardsville) (F 3:30)

Third-place results:
100: Ariel Sipes (Porta) d. Dasia McCracken (Robinson) 5-2,  (F 1:17)
105: Phoenix Criss (Springfield Co-op) d. Janiya Fleming (Hazelwood W) (F 1:37)
110: Adleigh Dewerff (Edwardsville) d. Riley Weems (Belleville West) (F 1:33)
115: Cloe Graumenz (Triad) d. Olivia Jarrett (Glenwood) (F 3:06)
120: Allie Chong (Edwardsville) d. Kathleen Loyola (Carbondale) (MD 12-0)
125: Brooklyn Alldredge (Edwardsville) d. Lucy Baldwin (Waterloo) (D 4-1)
130: Ella Berg (Bartlett) d. Sidney Ufert (Roxana) (F 2:25)
135: Madelyn Edler (Waterloo) d. Gretchen Taylor (Edwardsville) (F 0:32)
140: Lydia Blind (Edwardsville) d. Macee Hammond (Robinson) (F 3:25)
145: Jariyah Powell (East St. Louis) d. Kyla Ford (Carbondale) (D 7-5)
155: Bailly Rabun (Hazelwood W) d. Terrellyn Cannon (Bartlett) (F 4:45)
170: Janylah Holman (Cahokia) d. Audrey Whipple (Civic Memorial) (F 1:57)
190: Kamryn Brown (Cahokia) d. Vanessa Kelley (Springfield(Coop)) (F 0:26)
235: Beckah Burrelsman (Triad) d. Nina Landmann (Highland) (F 2:30)

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

Plainfield North Dual Team Tournament

Lincoln-Way East coach Collin McKillip got a fine day’s work from his boys at this year’s 16-team dual tournament at Plainfield North, as the Griffins went a perfect 5-0 against De La Salle (78-5), Willowbrook (72-3), York (63-11), Glenbard North (46-27) and Joliet West (49-23).

Only Glenbard North came within 20 team points of the Griffins in any dual.

“We competed really well,” McKillip said. “We are a different team than last year with a lot of guys getting their first crack at varsity wrestling and we are starting to adapt really well.

“GBN and Joliet West are quality teams which ended up as good wins for our team. We really head into the meat of our schedule over the next three weekends so it should be fun.”

Going a perfect 5-0 for Lincoln-Way East were Dino Dajani (113), Lucas Ankario (132), JT Theis (138), and Kaidge Richardson (150), Max Mularz (157) and Colton Zvonar (190).

“They went unbeaten and won some big matches for them personally, to show themselves where they are at here early in the season,” McKillip said. “(Theis, Richardson and Zvonar) really are the pulse of our team to go along with our heavyweights Gage LaDere and Ryan Stingily. And Max is a senior finally getting his chance to really put his toe to the line at every meet this year.”

Joliet West finished second overall and went 4-1 on the day, topping Wauconda (44-32), Hinsdale Central (64-11), Plainfield North (52-24), and Moline (47-30) before losing to Lincoln-Way East.

Going unbeaten on the day for Joliet West coach Awais Arain were Francisco Oliva (106/113), Jakob Crandall (126/132), and Aiden Brown (165/175).

Glenbard North finished third overall, beating Rantoul (81-0), Dundee-Crown (68-9), Deerfield (45-23), and Moline (56-16) and suffering its lone loss to Lincoln-Way East (46-27).

Vannak Khiev (126/132) went a perfect 6-0 for Panthers coach Travis Cherry. Also going unbeaten for Glenbard North was Xavier Smiley (5-0 at 175).

Fourth-place Moline went 3-2 on the day, beating Auburn (78-6), McHenry (51-26) and Sandwich (56-23) before losing to Joliet West and Glenbard North. Matthew Hoss (113) and Housseyn Ndiaye (138) both went 5-0 for Maroons coach Jake Ruettiger.

Other unbeatens at Plainfield North (minimum 4 matches wrestled):

Dundee-Crown’s Teigen Moreno (5-0 at 215); De La Salle’s Justin Forbes (5-0 at 120); Deerfield’s Jake Pechter (5-0 at 106) and Alex Shvartsman (5-0 at 144/150); York’s Jackson Hanselman (5-0 at 165) and Noah Blust (4-0 at 175); Hinsdale Central’s Logan Barrios (5-0 at 132); McHenry’s Ryan Johnston (5-0 at 144) and Marc Walsh (5-0 at 285); Plainfield North’s Aidan Durell (4-0 at 126); and Wauconda’s Nicholas Ruiz (4-0 at 120), Brian Hart (5-0 at 157), Brody McKenna (5-0 at 175) and Finn Loomis (4-0 at 215).

Final team standings:
1. Lincoln-Way East 2. Joliet West 3. Glenbard North 4. Moline 5. Deerfield 6. Wauconda 7. York 8. Sandwich 9. Plainfield North 10. Willowbrook 11. McHenry 12. Rantoul 13. Hinsdale Central 14. Dundee-Crown 15. De La Salle 16. Auburn

Seneca Fighting Irish Invite
Seneca’s 19-team Fighting Irish Invite saw Canton take the team crown 233-205 over host Seneca. Kewanee (181.5) was third followed by Pontiac (157), and Central (155.5) to round out the top five team finishes.

Canton coach Zach Crawford likes what he’s seeing from his boys thus far.
“We had a really great day of wrestling,” Crawford said. “Performing this well early in the season is a huge boost as we move into a busy December schedule.”

The Little Giants got individual titles from Dyllan Steele (120), Maddux Steele (126) and returning state medal winner and No. 2-ranked Connor Williams (285) to lead a group of 10 wrestlers finishing in the top six of their weight classes.

Dyllan Steele gutted out a 1-0 decision for the title at 120 over Seneca’s Raiden Terry, while Maddux Steele and Williams each won by fall in the finals.

1st: Canton (233)
Crawford also got a pair of second-place finishes from Jacob Hardesty (132) and Daniel Kees (165), thirds from Rhett Larson (106), Jireh Hedges (138) and Alex Carrier (157), a fourth from Alex Webster (215), and a sixth from Dean Bruketta (113).
Dyllan Steele, Maddux Steele, Hardesty, and Carrier are all returning state qualifiers ranked in the top 10 of their weight classes in 2A.
“As a team, we were aggressive and kept our pace high as we continued to look to score points and have fun while wrestling,” Crawford said. “We definitely have some room to grow and develop as we progress through the season, but this is a great early season victory for us.”

2nd: Seneca (205)
Fighting Irish coach Todd Yegge had four individual champions in Chris Thompson (113), Ethan Othon (132), Gunner Varland (157) and Landen Venecia (190), plus seconds from Logan Kubat (106) and Raiden Terry (120), and a fourth from Parker Jones (150).

3rd: Kewanee (181.5)
Boilermakers coach Charley Eads got an individual title from Hunter Vancil (138), a second from Doug Swearingen (190), a third from Landon Wier (215), fourths from Trenton Edens (120), Kingston Peterson (126), Lain Taylor (144), Ace Lafollette (165), and Airies Simmons (285), and sixths from Ryan Conway (106), Chance DeSplinter (150), and Brayden Johnson (175).

Additional individual champions:
Amboy’s Aden Spinelli (106), Kewanees Hunter Vancil (138), Eureka’s Finn Hoffman (144), Pontiac’s Noah Davis (150), Brayden Quas (165), and Lucas Maier (175), and Central’s Brody O’Connor (215).

Additional runners-up:
Orion’s Landyn Leech (113), St. Bede’s Michael Benge (126), Streator’s Jesus Martinez (138), Central’s Evan Cox (144), Heyworth’s Nate Godfrey (150), Amboy’s Jose Lopez (157), Beardstown’s Gunner Looker (175), Aurora Central Catholic’s Alex Lopez (215), and Central’s Josh McCurry (285).

Close calls:
In addition to the 1-0 match between tournament champ Dyllan Steele and Raiden Terry, Kewanee’s Hunter Vancil won a 2-1 decision for the title at 138 against Streator’s Jesus Martinez.

Final team scores:
Canton (233), Seneca (205), Kewanee (181.5), Pontiac (157), Central (155.5), Orion (119), Eureka (105.5), Heyworth (95), Amboy (89), Beardstown (77.5), Manteno (76.5), St. Bede (70), Wheaton Academy (55), Streator (44.5), Seneca JV (39), Aurora Central Catholic (27), Walther Christian (24), Somonauk (14), St. Edward (0)

Championship match results:
106: Spinelli (Amboy) d. Kubat (Seneca) TF 3:00
113: Thompson (Seneca) d. Leech (Orion) D 9-2
120: D. Steele (Canton) d. Terry (Seneca) D 1-0
126: M. Steele (Canton) d. Benge (St. Bede) F 1:56
132: Othon (Seneca) d. Hardesty (Canton) D 9-4
138 Vancil (Kewanee) d. Martinez (Streator) D 2-1
144: Hoffman (Eureka) d. Cox (Central) D 5-1
150: Davis (Pontiac) d. Godfrey (Heyworth) F 2:48
157: Varland (Seneca) d. Lopez (Amboy) TF 2:58
165: Quas (Pontiac) d. Kees (Canton) F 3:23
175: Maier (Pontiac) d. Looker (Beardstown) D 11-4
190: Venecia (Seneca) d. Swearingen (Kewanee) F 3:08
215: O’Connor (Central) d. Lopez (Aurora Central Catholic) F 5:37
285: Williams (Canton) d. McCurry (Central) Florida 1:06

Third-place results:
106: Larson (Canton) d. Chestnut (Manteno) F 0:27
113: Chapman (Seneca JV) d. Daley (St. Bede) TF 5:17
120: Williams (Central) d. Edens (Kewanee) F 3:20
126: Voigts (Pontiac) d. Peterson (Kewanee) F 3:24
132: Wiles (Pontiac) d. Watson (Eureka) D 4-1
138: Hedges (Canton) d. Opperman (Pontiac) F 1:18
144: Heath (Amboy) d. Taylor (Kewanee) F 1:39
150: Bailey (Central) d. Jones (Seneca) F 1:27
157: Carrier (Canton) d. Leingang (Orion) F 3:14
165: Medrano (Beardstown) d. Lafollette (Kewanee) fft.
175: Stamp (Heyworth) d. Rodriguez (Walther) TF 2:18
190: Fulcher (Heyworth) d. Radtke (Central) F 2:31
215: Wier (Kewanee) d. Webster (Canton) F 5:22
285: Fulcher (Heyworth) d. Simmons (Kewanee) TF 1:09

Sterling’s 47th Carson DeJarnatt Invitational

Dixon layed claim to the team title at this year’s 13-team DeJarnatt Invite, winning 261-206.5 over second-place Newman Central Catholic. Clinton IA (206) finished a mere 1/2 point behind Newman in third, followed by host Sterling (146) and Galesburg (142) to round out the top five team finishes.

Dixon coach Micah Hey’s Dukes had four individual champions at Sterling, in Riley Paredes (106), Jack Ragan (120), Charlie Connors (144) and Dylan Bopes (285). All four improved to 6-0 on the season. Ragan is top-ranked in 1A at 120 pounds, Paredes is No. 5 at 106, and Connors is No. 8 at 144.

All 12 Dixon wrestlers entered in the tournament finished in the top six of their weight classes.
“It was a great weekend for all of our wrestlers,” Hey said. “Usually, you think of how you let some matches slip away, but this weekend those 50-50 matches mostly all went our way.”

1st: Dixon (261)

Dixon’s big guns showed up.

“Dylan Bopes (285) and Riley Paredes (106) looked real tough with three first-period pins,” Hey said.

Charlie Connors at 144 was named outstanding wrestler for the lower weights and our other champion, Jack Ragan, had two techs and a pin.”

Hey also got second-place finishes from Doolan Long (126), Preston Richards (150) and Dawson Kemp (215), thirds from Channing Sarver (138) and Adam Staples (157), fifths from Caz Barber (132) and Blake Dingley (175), and a sixth from Seth Shaffer (190).

2nd: Newman Central Catholic (206.5)

Comets coach Brody Ivey had a pair of individual champs in Landon Near (113) and Landon Blanton (132), plus seconds from Joe Morse (106), Javen Reyes (120) and Mathew Murray (285), thirds from Tyler Grennan (106) and Zhyler Hansen (126), fourths from Aiden Volz (138) and Ayden Gutierrez (165), a fifth from Ben Geske (157) and a sixth from Matthew Blackert (175).

3rd: Clinton IA (206)
The team from Clinton, Iowa had a pair of individual champs in Danny Peters (150) and Hayden Chandler (215), a pair of seconds from Alfonzo Herrera (138) and Nolan Eggers (165), and a pair of thirds from Jakob Litherland (120) and Brody Harrington (132). Clinton also got fourths from Ty Sander-Welzien (144), Damarius Robinson (190), Angel Lines (215) and Sloan Weaver (285), and sixths from Joaquin Donaire (138), Chase Collender (144), and Isaiah Lines (157).

Additional individual champions:
Woodstock’s Taqiuldin Baker (126), Rock Falls’ Tucker Ullrich (138), Galesburg’s Jack Bernardi (157) and Anthony Makwala (165), Fulton’s Mason Kuebel (175), and Macomb’s Jeshua McPheeters (190).

Additional tournament runners-up:
Sterling’s Evan Jones (113), Cael Lyons (132) and Colt Buntjer (190), Woodstock’s Landyn White (144) and Logan Wisner (157), and Galesburg’s Braiden Tucker (175).

Final team scores:
Dixon (261), Newman Central (206.5), Clinton IA (206), Sterling (146), Galesburg (142), Fulton (129.5), Woodstock (125.5), Rock Falls (119), LaSalle-Peru (74), Polo (41.5), Limestone (40), Macomb (34)

DeJarnatt championship match results:
106: Paredes (Dixon) d. Morse (Newman) F 1:51
113: Near (Newman) d. Jones (Sterling) F 3:04
120: Ragan (Dixon) d. Reyes (Newman) TF 3:52
126: Baker (Woodstock) d. Long (Dixon) D 7-5
132: Blanton (Newman) d. Lyons (Sterling) F 1:35
138: Ullrich (Rock Falls) d. Herrera (Clinton IA) F 1:58
144: Connors (Dixon) d. White (Woodstock) F 1:51
150: Peters (Clinton IA) d. Richards (Dixon) D 7-2
157: Bernardi (Galesburg) d. Wisner (Woodstock) D 7-2
165: Makwala (Galesburg) d. Eggers (Clinton IA) TF 1:33
175: Kuebel (Fulton) d. Tucker (Galesburg) F 0:42
190: McPheeters (Macomb) d. Buntjer (Sterling) D 3-1
215: Chandler (Clinton IA) d. Kemp (Dixon) MD 14-0
285: Bopes (Dixon) d. Murray (Newman) F 0:40

Third-place match results:
106: Grennan (Newman) d. Hartman (Fulton) MD 9-1
113: Price (Fulton) d. Malo (Woodstock) D 9-7
120: Litherland (Clinton, IA) d. Keller (Fulton) F 1:53
126: Hansen (Newman) d. Thome (Rock Falls) MD 15-5
132: Harrington (Clinton IA) d. Oquendo (Rock Falls) F 0:57
138: Sarver (Dixon) d. Volz (Newman) F 3:37
144: Tarbill (Rock Falls) d. Sander-Welzien (Clinton IA) TF 3:19
150: Calvin-Garcia (Woodstock) d. Fisk (Galesburg) MD 21-11
157: Staples (Dixon) d. McCarren (Polo) D 12-5
165: Watson (LaSalle-Peru) d. Gutierrez (Newman) F 3:03
175: Taylor (Galesburg) d. Lawrence (LaSalle-Peru) F 2:52
190: Johnson (Galesburg) d. Robinson (Clinton IA) D 4-3
215: Small (LaSalle-Peru) d. Lines (Clinton IA) F 1:37
285: Petty (Galesburg) d. Weaver (Clinton IA) D 5-3

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

Lincoln-Way’s co-op team, consisting of girls from Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East and Lincoln-Way West, enjoyed a very successful season in 2024-2025, by going 6-0 and winning 40-38 over Schaumburg to take first place at the IWCOA Girls State Dual Team Championship in Hoffman Estates and also capturing Antioch, Hampshire and Hoffman Estates invitational championships in addition to taking top honors at the Metamora Regional and claiming third place at the Geneseo Sectional.

But when it came to the ultimate tournament, the IHSA Finals, Lincoln-Way tied for 12th place with 28.5 points, while a co-op team from a district right next to it, District 230, featuring athletes from three schools, Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Stagg, won the state championship with 66 points and Hampshire took second and Kaneland placed third for the other trophies.

So the focus for coach Joshua Napier’s Lincoln-Way co-op team for 2025-2026 is not only enjoying continued tournament success during the regular season but also being able to get more than four state qualifiers and one medalist, Zoe Dempsey, a two-all-stater who finished in third place at 110, as it did at last year’s IHSA Finals in Bloomington.

Lincoln-Way kicked off its season on a high note on Wednesday when it easily captured the title at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown, where it had four champions, three second-place finishers and six others who placed fifth or better. That helped it to score 282 points, which was 120 points ahead of runner-up East Aurora, which easily set a record for biggest margin of a title win in the  three-year old tournament. 

It was quite an improvement, considering that Lincoln-Way placed eighth in last year’s Throwdown, finishing 63.5 points behind champion District 230, who didn’t participate in this year’s event and will compete in its first invite on Saturday at Larkin’s Royal Rumble in Elgin. Although there were 16 teams competing instead of the 29 that were on hand a year ago, this event was very balanced with all but three of the entering scoring 100 or more points.

“I think it was an excellent start to the season,” Napier said. “Our backups wrestled on Monday and I think it motivated these girls. They were excited to watch their teammates do well and then they carried it into today. 

“What I’m most proud of is that we’re developing these girls. If you look at the girls who were in the finals today, Zoe Zerial was a champ who started with us last year and is only a second-year wrestler. Ella Giertuga is a third-year wrestler who started for me at Central before the co-op existed. And another girl that’s a second-year wrestler is Liv Clumpner and Abby Kunz is also a second-year wrestler. So four of the seven girls have no more than two or three years of experience.” 

East Aurora edged Lockport Township 162-156 for second place while newcomer DeKalb edged the host school 149-144 for fourth place. Huntley (134.5), Hoffman Estates (126.5), Geneseo (121), Bolingbrook (117.5), West Aurora (112), Yorkville (112), first-time participant Plainfield South (106.5) and Joliet West were next in line. Coach Ryan Mick’s runner-up Tomcats made a huge improvement after scoring 24.5 points and finishing in 25th place last season.

Leading the way for Lincoln-Way co-op were champions Zoe Zerial (115), Zoe Dempsey (120), Liv Clumpner (140) and Ella Giertuga (145) while Mckenzie Steinke (100), Abby Kunz (140) and Riley DePolo (170) all placed second. Dempsey repeated as a champion in the tournament.

Grace Spangler (110) took third, Georgia Erhardt (110), Dani Schedin (130) and Jalyssa Venegas (235) placed fourth and Emmy Hoselton (105) and Aubrey Barnes (125) finished fifth. Kate Bohms (155), Aryana Moran (155) and Natalie Calleros (190) took eighth and Abby Lizak (120) and Avery Holeman (170) both added wins for the team champions.

The co-op team will also participate in the same tournaments that they won titles in last season as well as this weekend’s Dan Gable Donnybrook in Coralville, Iowa and also competitions at Oswego East and Conant during the 2026 portion of its schedule.

“We’re carrying over the momentum from last season and we had a good year,” Napier said. “We have goals. We know that we want to go back to the Dual Team State Championships and try to win that again. And we’d like to get a handful of qualifiers down and we had four last year. If we can get six or seven and get some of them on the podium, then we’ve got a shot at taking home a trophy, and that’s the goal. 

“We know what we’re doing and the credit has to go to them (his assistant coaches) as well. The girls put in the work but I feel like we’re teaching them the right things and we’re holding them accountable and that’s huge because that’s part of the sport.”

Top performers for runner-up East Aurora were third-place finishers Valentina Barboza (125), Jaylene Dealba (190) and Lilli Ortiz (235) while Alyssa Galarza (155) finished fourth, Joselyn Llanos (110) and Ayelen Higuera (130) took fifth and Lupita Garcia (145) placed sixth. 

Leading the way for the third-place Porters was their lone title winner, two-time IHSA champion and three-time state finalist Claudia Henney (135), who became the only individual to win a title in all three years of the competition, and one of just three who have advanced to three title matches at the Throwdown. 

This was the first tournament for Lockport Township under their new coach, Amier Khamis, who also received a second-place finish from Sophie Kelner (190), third-place efforts from Camila Mendoza (115) and Dakota Obbish (155), fourths from Veronica Skibicki (120) and Mayra Vicencio (170) and fifths from Bella Romando (115) and Rebekah Ramirez (235).

Two other individuals captured their second title in the tournament, Huntley’s Janiah Slaughter (105), who also won in 2023, and West Aurora’s Aiyanah Sylvester (125), a repeat champion who also appeared in her third title match. The other three-time finalist, Huntley’s Aubrie Rohrbacher (130), finally got a first after falling to Heeney the last two years in title matches.

Coach Conor Infelise’s fourth-place Barbs had three champions in their tournament debut, Alex Gregorio-Perez (100), Larisza Gomez-Guevara (110) and Aarianna Bloyd (235) with Gomez-Guevara being one of the two freshman champions in the competition. 

Plainfield South had two title winners in its first year in the event, Layla Spann (170) and Kimyra Patrick (190), with the latter being the other freshman champion. Hoffman Estate’s Sydnee Allen (155) also won a title and joined Sylvester and Zerial as leaders in the most team points with 32 while Dempsey, Gregorio-Perez, Gomez-Guevera and Spann all collected 31.5 team points and Clumpner was next in line with 31 points.

Coach Paige Schoolman’s fifth-place Indians had three second-place finishers, Marian Nordsell (110), Angela Morales (115) and Sabina Charlebois (130) and Joliet West had two runners-up, Veronica Klobnak (135) and Vanessa O’Connor (145). The other second-place finishers were West Aurora’s Ruby Bolanos-Carbajal (105), Geneseo’s Lydia King (120), Morris’ Zara Lugo (125), Bolingbrook’s Savannah Burns (155) and Romeoville’s Henessis Villagrana (235).

The three closest titles matches were at 145, where Giertuga edged O’Connor 5-2 in sudden victory, at 190, where Patrick claimed a 7-4 decision over Kelner and at 235, where Bloyd won a 10-3 decision over Villagrana. 

The toughest weight class was likely at 120, where three 2025 IHSA medalists and one who just missed that honor competed with two-time all-stater Lincoln-Way co-op’s Zoe Dempsey (3rd at 110 in 2025, 5th at 105 in 2024) beating Geneseo’s two-time finalist Lydia King (4th at 120 in 2025) for the championship while Bolingbrook’s Alejandra Flores (4th at 115 in 2025) took third place after losing to King in the semifinals and Lockport Township’s Veronica Skibicki (8th at 110 in 2025) finished fourth after falling to Dempsey in the same round.

Lincoln-Way co-op’s Aubrey Barnes (5th at 125) and Huntley’s Isabelle Singer (5th at 120) both recorded five falls. Hoffman Estates’ Kami Florencio (4th at 125) collected the most total match points with 51 while Morris’ Zara Lugo had the largest seed-place difference after placing second as a 19th-seed at 125. 

Here’s a look at the champions and their weight classes at the Minooka Girls Thanksgiving Throwdown:

100 – Alex Gregorio-Perez, DeKalb

Alex Gregorio-Perez joined Reese Zimmer as DeKalb’s first two medalists in 2024 by claiming a sixth-place finish at 105, and then last season she became her school’s initial two-time medalist with another sixth-place effort at 105. The Barbs senior not only looks to become her school’s first three-time medal winner but also to finish much higher on the IHSA awards stand and she is encouraged that a few of her teammates may also give the school more than one All-Stater for the second time in three years, including two others who joined her as Throwdown champs.

Coach Conor Infelise’s Barbs, making their first appearance in the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown, finished in fourth place with 149 points, which was seven points behind third-place Lockport Township. Gregorio-Perez captured the title at 100 with a victory by technical fall in 4:00 over Lincoln-Way co-op freshman Mckenzie Steinke. She opened with a pin and a win by injury default before earning her spot on the title mat with a fall in 1:26 over Geneseo sophomore Addison Hadsall. She scored a team-high 31.5 points, as did the 110 champion and her training partner, freshman Larisza ‘GG’ Gomez-Guevara while senior Aarianna Bloyd concluded DeKalb’s fine debut showing in the competition with a title at 235.

“I’ve been working all year and me and her have become partners,” Gregorio-Perez said of teammate and champion Larisza Gomez-Guevara. “It’s so fun to have her to be a part of my program. “I’ve been going to practice and advocating for myself since I want more reps. And I want to work, if it’s during practice or after practice or cardio and doing stuff outside of the mat room and practice. I’ve been trying to put myself in more uncomfortable situations, because it’s better to be in uncomfortable situations to get me to where I’m at. Women’s wrestling is the best. The boys have a lot of competition.”

Steinke, one of seven finalists for Joshua Napier’s championship Lincoln-Way co-op, joined teammate Abby Kunz (second at 140), Gomez-Guevara and Plainfield South’s Kimyra Patrick (first at 190) as the lone freshmen to advance to the championship mat. She recorded falls in her first three high school matches, pinning Yorkville senior Danielle Turner in 3:13 in the semifinals to assure her spot in the finals. Hadsell claimed third place with a pin in 0:52 over Turner and in the fifth-place match, West Aurora sophomore Melissa Melgar won by fall in 0:50 over her Blackhawks teammate, freshman Hailey Autry.

105 – Janiah Slaughter, Huntley

Janiah Slaughter won a title at the initial Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown in 2023 to kick off a successful season where she became Huntley’s first two-time IHSA medal winner and also its first individual to compete in a state title match with a runner-up finish to Kaneland’s Angelina Gochis at 105 to follow up on her third-place showing at 100 in 2023 as a freshman. After being unable to add to her medal total in 2024-2025, the Red Raiders senior hopes to cap her career with another run at a state championship and kicked off her season with a first place effort at 105 to become one of five individuals who have claimed two or more titles in the tournament.

She was joined on the top of the awards stand by the program’s other two-time IHSA medal winner, senior Aubrie Rohrbacher, who took top honors at 130 to capture her first championship in three title mat appearances in the Throwdown. They were the two finalists and among five who placed in the top six for sixth-place Huntley, which is coached by Scott Horcher, who also is Aubrie’s grandfather. Slaughter scored 29.5 team points after recording a fall in 3:04 over West Aurora sophomore Ruby Bolanos-Carbajal in the 105 title match. She followed a victory by technical fall with a pin in 3:23 over Yorkville junior Analiese Garretson in the semifinals.

“I’ve been working really hard after missing my junior year,” Slaughter said. “I’m really happy to be able to be back and will just continue working hard. I’ve been training and doing a lot of conditioning and working with the boys more and sharpening my skills. Also, I’m working better in my mental skills and also my physical game, as well. Me and Aubrie came in together and we’ve gone to state together and were always pushing each other and always doing well, so it feels really good coming into our senior year. We’re going to be pushing each other really hard and going to the state tournament together and we’re going to be coming back with a bracket.”

Bolanos-Carbajal joined 125 champion Aiyanah Sylvester, a repeat title winner, as one of two finalists and four top-six placers for new Blackhawks coach Steve Wallace, whose team tied Yorkville for tenth place. The West Aurora sophomore, who was an IHSA qualifier last season at 100, reached the title mat with two falls, winning in 3:58 over DeKalb senior Jade Weiss, another 2025 state qualifier, in the semifinals in a rematch of their consolation match at state. Garretson took third place by injury default over Weiss. In the fifth-place match, Lincoln-Way co-op freshman Emmy Hoselton recorded a pin in 0:43 over Yorkville junior Ava Donahue.

110 – Larisza Gomez-Guevera, DeKalb

Larisza Gomez-Guevera, or GG as she likes to be called, definitely has had a good mentor as she prepared for her high school career competing for DeKalb. Since she began in the sport, she got the opportunity to learn from one of the Barbs’ first medalists and their initial two-time All-Stater, senior Alex Gregorio-Perez, who placed sixth in the state at 105 in each of the last two IHSA Finals. The freshman followed her training partner on the title mat and both of them were able to capture decisive championships at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown.

Gomez-Guevara won her first high school tournament title by recording a fall in 2:59 over Minooka junior Marian Nordsell in the 110 finals, making her the second of three title winners for coach Conor Infelise’s Barbs, who took fourth place in their debut in the competition with 149 points, which was seven points behind third place Lockport Township. DeKalb’s other title winner was senior Aarianna Bloyd, who took first place at 235, the same weight she fell one win shy of placing at in last year’s IHSA Finals. The two lowerweight Barbs champions tied with 31.5 team points as the freshman followed a win by technical fall with two other pins, with the second of those coming in 1:25 over Lincoln-Way co-op sophomore Grace Spangler in the semifinals.

“I know that I’m a freshman and it’s exciting to come out here,” Gomez-Guevara said. “I’ve been training with her (Alex Gregorio-Perez) over the last two summers, so she definitely makes me open up to a new environment. I started taking wrestling seriously in seventh grade and started training with her since then. You have to learn how to be uncomfortable to be comfortable, and she definitely helps me with that. I love the environment (of girls wrestling) since we uplift. We’re supposed to be enemies on the mat, but off the mat, there’s good friendships.”

Nordsell joined teammates Angela Morales (115) and Sabina Charlebois (130) as runner-up finishers to lead the way for coach Paige Schoolman’s fifth-place Indians. She had a team-high 26 team points after earning her spot in the finals with three falls, which was capped by a pin in 2:49 over Lincoln-Way co-op sophomore Georgia Erhardt. The third-place match featured two sophomores from coach Joshua Napier’s championship Lincoln-Way’s co-op team with Spangler winning by fall over Erhardt in 1:29. And in the fifth-place match, East Aurora sophomore Joselyn Llanos recorded a pin in 1:35 over Yorkville freshman Savannah Turner.

115 – Zoe Zerial, Lincoln-Way co-op

Zoe Zerial took third at 115 in the junior-varsity division of last year’s Thanksgiving Throwdown but in this year’s event, the sophomore became the first of four champions for the Lincoln-Way co-op team when she won by fall in 2:26 over Minooka sophomore Angela Morales in the 115 finals. She joined senior Zoe Dempsey (120), sophomore Liv Clumpner (140) and junior Ella Giertuga (145) as champions for coach Joshua Napier’s Lincoln-Way co-op team, which won its first title in the event with 282 points, a record 120 points ahead of runner-up East Aurora.

The Lincoln-Way East student was one of seven individuals who were able to reach the title mat for coach Joshua Napier’s champion Lincoln-Way co-op team, which finished in eighth place at last year’s Thanksgiving Throwdown but later went on to capture the first IWCOA State Dual Team Championship in Hoffman Estates. She tied West Aurora junior Aiyanah Sylvester and Hoffman Estates junior Sydnee Allen for the most team points in the event with 32 by getting four pins, and earned her spot on the 115 title mat around the same time as Dempsey did at 120 by getting a fall in 1:20 over Lockport Township sophomore Camila Mendoza in the semifinals.

“It was amazing and so much fun,” Zerial said. “It means a lot for the program to catch this big of a win so early on in the season, especially with all of the new girls on our team. It’s just showing us how we can bring in more people and still get better. It means so much. I like that we never give up, we are constantly going, going, going and trying to get better. (Her winning an individual title) It feels so good.”

Morales earned her spot in the 115 title match by capturing a 4-1 decision in the semifinals over her teammate, senior Aubry Smith, after opening the competition with two falls. She joined junior Marian Nordsell (110) and senior Sabina Charlebois (130) as second-place finishers to lead the way for coach Paige Schoolman’s host Indians, who claimed fifth place. Mendoza went on to capture third place by recording a fall in 2:15 over Smith. And the Porters also took fifth place as junior Bella Romando got a pin in 2:42 over Hoffman Estates’ Daniella Beneitez.

120 – Zoe Dempsey, Lincoln-Way co-op

Zoe Dempsey has some big goals as she concludes her successful career competing for Lincoln-Way West and being a part of the Lincoln-Way District’s co-op team for her final two seasons. A third-place finisher at 110 last year after taking fifth at 105 in 2024 while representing just the Warriors, she not only would like to join Gracie Guarino as the district’s second three-time medal winner but also do something that the current sophomore at North Central College achieved in both 2022 and 2023, which was competing in a state title match. She also hopes to help her co-op team claim its first trophy for a top-three finish in the IHSA Finals after helping to a first-place showing at the IWCOA State Dual Team Championship last season.

Dempsey kicked off her senior season in a good fashion as she was one of four champions and seven individuals who advanced to the title mat at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown to help coach Joshua Napier’s Lincoln-Way co-op team to easily capture the championship of the 16-team competition with 282 points, which was 120 points better than runner-up East Aurora, giving the co-op team the biggest margin of victory in the three-year history of the tournament.

She took first place at 120, which was arguably the toughest weight class in the event since it featured three returning medalists and one who fell one win shy of that goal. In the title match, she won by fall in 2:51 over Geneseo junior Lydia King. After opening with a win by technical fall and a pin, she earned her spot in the finals by recording a fall in 2:25 over Lockport Township junior Veronica Skibicki, in a rematch of a quarterfinals match from last season’s IHSA Finals.

“(Competing for the Lincoln-Way co-op) I feel like it just gives every girl an opportunity to have the right facilities, since some schools in the Lincoln-Way District don’t have adequate facilities for women as men,” Dempsey said. “I train hybrid at West and Central and both rooms are fantastic. And the boys have been very supportive with girls wrestling growing so much in these schools, and especially at West, I feel that it’s come together nicely there. I want to win it this year, it’s my last year. I just want to be on the top of the podium at the end of the year, that’s all that matters right now. I can definitely see Lincoln-Way taking home a trophy this year since we have some really high-quality girls this year.”

King, who became Geneseo’s first medalist last season by placing fourth at 120, was the lone finalist for coach Carley Rusk’s Maple Leafs, who took eighth place. She earned her spot in a title match for the second year in a row at the event by defeating a returning state placer, Bolingbrook senior Alejandra Flores, with a pin in 1:50. She also had first-period falls in her other two matches to give her a team-high 26 team points. Flores, who became the Raiders’ second all-stater last season when she took fourth at 115, finished third with a pin in 4:25 over Skibicki, who fell one win shy of a state medal at 110 in 2025. There was no fifth-place match as Plainfield South junior Kayla Ochotorena and Huntley sophomore Isabelle Singer both forfeited.

125 – Aiyanah Sylvester, West Aurora

Aiyanah Sylvester kicked off her 2024-2025 season on a high note by winning a title at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown and was still unbeaten after competing at the IWCOA Dual Dual Team Championships in Hoffman Estates to close out 2024, but the West Aurora athlete was unable to compete in the IHSA state series due to illness. Motivated by the disappointment of not being able to finish things up last season, the Blackhawks junior hopes to advance to state and also become the fifth individual from her school to medal there and she’s off to another good start after repeating as a champion at Minooka’s opening-day tourney, joining Lincoln-Way co-op’s Zoe Dempsey and Lockport Township’s Claudia Heeney in that feat.

Sylvester also took second place in the first Throwdown in 2023, becoming one of three three-time finalists in the tournament, with Huntley’s Aubrie Rohrbacher and Heeney the others. She captured her second title in the event by getting a pin in 1:08 over Morris senior Zara Lugo in the 125 finals. That tied her with Lincoln-Way co-op sophomore Zoe Zerial and Hoffman Estates junior Sydnee Allen for the most team points in the competition with 32. She was the lone champion and one of two finalists for the Blackhawks, who are now coached by Steve Wallace, who competed at West Aurora from 1990-1994 for 2004 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Lifetime Service Award recipient George Dyche. She opened the run to her second Throwdown title with two quick pins before winning by fall in 2:57 over East Aurora junior Valentina Barboza in the semifinals.

“I do feel really good and actually this tournament boosted my confidence a lot,” Sylvester said. “Last year, my season got cut short and this is one of my first tournaments in seven or eight months. Hopefully we can stay as one of the top teams with our new coaching staff and they’re pushing us every day and Mr. Wallace is a good coach. Win or lose, I’m just blessed to be able to step on to the mat again.”

Lugo, the lone finalist for coach Lenny Tryner’s Morris team, competed in five matches after being seeded 19th. She opened with a fall, got a win by technical fall and another pin. Her final win was the closest, when she prevailed in a high-scoring matchup in the semifinals with an 18-15 decision over Hoffman Estates senior Kami Flocencio. Barboza recorded a fall in 0:56 over Florencio to join Jaylene Dealba (190) and Lilli Ortiz (235) as third-place finishers who were the top placewinners for coach Ryan Mick’s Tomcats, who claimed second place with 162 points after they finished 25th in a 29-team field last season. And for fifth place, Lincoln-Way co-op sophomore Aubrey Barnes won by fall in 1:37 over Geneseo senior Ayla Schultz.

130 – Aubrie Rohrbacher, Huntley

Aubrie Rohrbacher proved that the third time’s the charm after she captured her first title in the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown after falling in the finals in 2023 and 2024 to Lockport Township’s Claudia Heeney, who’s won IHSA titles the past two seasons after taking second place in 2023. The Huntley senior claimed top honors at 130 by recording a fall in 5:05 over Minooka senior Sabina Charlebois and is now also one of a trio of three-time finalists in the tournament, joining West Aurora’s Aiyanah Sylvester and Heeney in that exclusive company. After suffering a heartbreaking injury in the semifinals of last season’s IHSA Finals, she hopes that she can finally make it to the championship match and that either her or senior teammate Janiah Slaughter, or perhaps even both, may become the Red Raiders’ first state champions.

Rohrbacher broke her foot in the semifinals at last year’s IHSA Finals and then battled through to place sixth at 130 after finishing third at 130 in 2024 to claim her first state medal and became her school’s second All-Stater. She joined two-time IHSA medalist Slaughter, the program’s first state medalist, as title winners for sixth-place Huntley, which is now coached by Aubrie’s grandfather, Scott Horcher. The rare case of a successful wrestler who will compete collegiately in lacrosse at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, she edged her longtime teammate and two-time tournament champion Slaughter, who won the title at 105, in team points by a 30-29.5 margin. She recorded opening-minute falls in her other two matches, winning in 0:49 over Lincoln-Way co-op sophomore Dani Schedin in the semifinals.

“I fought off a lot last year and I ended up making it to the semifinals,” Rohrbacher said. “But I unfortunately broke my foot during the middle of the match. It is tough, but it just kind of shows that you can put in a lot and you’re not always going to get the outcome that you want. So the important part is to keep pushing and keep going and try harder. I’ve had to come back from that and I’ve been training and training and just getting into my flow. And today, I definitely have finally caught my flow, even though it’s the first tournament. I have more goals for myself that are a little higher, and I’m really excited to work toward those goals. I’m really hoping that after we leave, that some of the things that we’ve helped this program grow with actually stay, like Janiah’s motivational Mondays and just supporting the team. (Her grandfather) He has a lot of experience and coached some of my uncles, and just coached this past year at Jacobs. I had  originally started wrestling to stay in shape for lacrosse. And it actually does help because with lacrosse, there’s a lot of hand-eye coordination and the speed and agility from wrestling is a major booster that helps. Although it seems that there were less teams at the tournament, it felt like there were the same amount of people because there are more girls on each team, and that’s really cool to see. It’s amazing to see how many people are joining and continuing with it.”

Charlebois joined junior Marian Nordsell (110) and sophomore Angela Morales (115) as second-place medalists and top finishers to lead the fifth-place Indians. She opened with a quick pin and then won by fall in 3:30 over Joliet West senior Briahna Klobnak in the semifinals. Her father Jeff was the IWCOA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2023 and was a Class AA runner-up in 1998 at Oswego. He is an assistant to head coach Paige Schoolman and the two succeeded 2009 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Bernie Ruettiger, who was in attendance for the event, by each taking teams to the IHSA Dual Team Finals in 2012 and 2013 after they assisted Ruettiger during which time he won a Class 3A title in 2010 and had second place squads in 2009 and 2011. In the third-place match, Klobnak won by fall in 1:30 over Schedin. And for fifth place, East Aurora’s Ayelen Higuera got a pin in 3:06 over Oswego sophomore Nina Witkowski.

135 – Claudia Heeney, Lockport Township

Claudia Heeney already has accomplished a lot during her historic three-year career at Lockport Township. The IHSA champion at 135 in 2025 over Prospect’s Viola Pianetto and at 130 in 2024 over Collinsville’s Taylor Dawson and a runner-up at 125 in 2023 to Freeport’s Cadence Diduch looks to join Hononegah’s Angelina Cassioppi, Glenbard North’s Gabby Gomez, Batavia’s Sydney Perry and Diduch as the only individuals to finish their careers with three or more IHSA titles and achieve something that only four-time state champion Cassioppi has done thus far, and that is to compete in four-straight IHSA title matches. But the Porters senior knows better than to look too far ahead and is really focused on the present, which in this case involves her becoming the first three-time champion at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown when she recorded a fall in 0:38 over Joliet West senior Veronica Klobnak to win the 135 title match.

Heeney has posted an impressive 109-4 record (.965 percent) and has only lost once in a competition in this state, which was in the 2023 IHSA Finals. The only two individuals who have participated in three or more IHSA Finals who had a better winning percentage were Gomez and Perry. She was the only title winner and was joined by 190 runner-up senior Sophie Kelner as one of two finalists for the Porters, who claimed third place with 156 points, which was six points behind runner-up East Aurora. It was the debut for new Lockport Township head coach Amier Khamis, who was a freshman on the first Lincoln-Way West team that qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals in 2013 for 2000 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Brian Glynn and he later assisted his Warriors head coach and also served as an assistant coach at Andrew. She collected 29.5 team points in just three matches after opening with a victory by technical fall in the quarterfinals and then became one of only three three-time finalists in the Thanksgiving Throwdown by winning with a pin in 0:33 over Minooka senior Lexie Lakota in the semifinals.

“It’s really exciting going into my senior year and hopefully we get another title and overall it’s just been such an experience,” Heeney said. “I feel like I push myself and I’m more competing against myself than I did in the years previously. In my experience, I feel like I haven’t been focusing on being one of the top girls in the state but being better than the person I was last year. I’ve just been training a lot and practicing every day and I’m really focusing on certain areas a lot. During the summer, I spent hours working on singular little things. It will be a really fun year since we have a lot of potential in the room. So I’m super excited to go and get after it.”

Klobnak, one of two second-place finishers for coach Erik Murry’s Tigers, tied 145 runner-up senior Vanessa O’Connor for the most team points for Joliet West with 26 points. She recorded opening-period falls in her other three matches, winning in 1:07 in the semifinals over DeKalb senior Kayden Johnson, who took third with a fall in 1:18 over Lakota. And in the fifth-place match, Bolingbrook junior Anaya Campbell won by fall in 3:00 over Huntley junior Grecia Garcia.

140 – Liv Clumpner, Lincoln-Way co-op

Liv Clumpner made an impressive improvement of going from a sixth-place finish in last year’s junior varsity division of the Thanksgiving Throwdown to winning a title at 140, and being one of four champions for the Lincoln-Way co-op team after the sophomore from Lincoln-Way East captured a 16-4 major decision in the 140 title match over a teammate, freshman Abby Kunz. 

She joined two-time title winner senior Zoe Dempsey (120) and first-time champions sophomore Zoe Zerial (115) and junior Ella Giertuga (145) on top of the awards stand and also was one of seven finalists for coach Joshua Napier’s team champions, who improved from an eighth-place showing last year to capture their first title in the competition with 282 points, which was 120 points better than runner-up East Aurora. Her other three victories were by falls in under one minute, which included a pin in 0:58 over Minooka sophomore Mel Williams in the semifinals.

“I’m very proud,” Clumpner said of her team’s title. “I definitely think it’s our hard work and everything that we put in and our technique. It works out well (the co-op), I think it’s like a perfect kind of blend from the three schools. I don’t think we’d be as successful if we were individual schools. It definitely helps having a lot of other good people in the room, it helps you to push yourself. It’s nice to start off the year at 4-0. I’m definitely excited for the rest of the season.”

Kunz was one of four freshmen who advanced to the title match with freshman teammate Mckenzie Steinke (100) also taking second place while DeKalb’s Larisza Gomez-Guevara (110) and Plainfield South’s Kimyra Patrick (190) both captured titles. The other Lincoln-Way co-op second-place finisher was junior Riley DePolo (170). She advanced to the 140 title mat with three falls, recording a pin in 2:46 in the semifinals over Yorkville sophomore Aviana Froelich, who went on to claim third place with a fall in 2:51 over Williams. And for fifth place, DeKalb sophomore Kara Zimmerman got a pin in 0:33 over Oswego sophomore Elin Ludvigson.

145 – Ella Giertuga, Lincoln-Way co-op

Ella Giertuga heads into her junior season with a lot of confidence after winning three-straight matches in the consolation bracket to become one of the Lincoln-Way co-op team’s four IHSA Finals qualifiers at the 2025 Geneseo Sectional. After kicking off her successful sophomore season with a fourth-place showing at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown, the Lincoln-Way East athlete is hopeful that her title win at 145 in this year’s competition is signs of more good things to come, such as a return trip to the state finals and perhaps getting a medal there.

Giertuga was victorious in one of the event’s closest title matches when she got a takedown in overtime to prevail 5-2 in sudden victory over Joliet West senior Vanessa O’Connor to join two-time champion senior Zoe Dempsey (120) and first-time title winners sophomores Zoe Zerial (115) and Liv Clumpner (140) as champions for Lincoln-Way’s co-op team that’s coached by Joshua Napier, which had seven finalists and scored 282 points to claim top honors in the 16-team competition by a record 120 points. She won her other two matches by fall, with the second of those coming in 5:45 over Geneseo sophomore Annibelle Juarez in the semifinals. 

“I feel like we’ve come pretty far from last year and we’re definitely starting off pretty strong this year with this win and I’m excited about that,” Giertuga said. “You get a lot of different looks when you have three different schools. I think it’s really beneficial to have a bunch of people and they all care about wrestling, so that’s good.”

O’Connor, who joined senior Veronica Klobnak (135) as one of two second-place finishers who led the way for coach Erik Murry’s Tigers, earned her spot on the 145 championship mat after recording a fall in 1:48 in the semifinals over Minooka senior Ezra Rodriguez while her first two victories were both pins that were settled during the opening minute. Rodriguez went on to claim third place by winning a fall in 3:37 over Juarez. And for fifth place, Oswego senior Joslynn Sheets captured a 3-2 decision over East Aurora junior Lupita Garcia.

155 – Sydnee Allen, Hoffman Estates

Sydnee Allen not only led the way for Hoffman Estates by being its lone champion and finalist at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown but she also tied West Aurora junior Aiyanah Sylvester and Lincoln-Way co-op sophomore Zoe Zerial for the most team points with 32 points after recording falls in all four of her matches for the Hawks, who placed seventh in the tournament and are now coached by a Hoffman Estates graduate and former assistant, Andrew Pettit.

Allen, a junior who missed the start of last season due to injury and then was unable to qualify for sectional competition from the strong Willowbrook Regional, wrapped up her successful Throwdown tournament title run by getting a pin in 1:14 over Bolingbrook junior Savannah Burns in the 155 championship match. After opening with two falls, she earned her spot on the title mat by recording a pin in 1:04 over East Aurora sophomore Alyssa Galarza.

“This year’s team has a lot of potential, especially with the seniors who paved the way last year like Sophia Ball, Abby Ji and Bella Chiovari,” Allen said. “It definitely gave us the opportunity to be like, okay, now we want it and it is our turn, and that’s definitely how I took it into the tournament. I was injured last year and couldn’t compete early in the season, so for me to be able to come in here and to wrestle like this and then to take first place is a big deal for me. There were a lot of tough opponents today, so it gave me the opportunity to see where I’m at and where I need to go in order to make it to the state tournament.”

Burns, the lone finalist for coach Jordan Hovel’s ninth-place Raiders, won her first three matches by fall with the third coming in the semifinals in 1:55 over Lockport Township senior Dakota Obbish, who went on to place third by getting a pin in 4:56 over Galarza. For fifth place, Huntley junior Roya Shayestehjah won by fall in 4:00 over Morris senior Nicolette Boelman.

170 – Layla Spann, Plainfield South

Layla Spann experienced a successful debut last season for Plainfield South, winning 29 matches, qualifying for the IHSA Finals and winning a match there while also being able to watch teammate Teagan Aurich bounce back from her first loss in the semifinals to finish 40-1 by placing third to become the third Cougar to earn a state medal. Now the sophomore and a freshman, Kimyra Patrick, are excited about what lies ahead for them after the pair both won titles at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown in their school’s first trip to the tournament.

Spann captured the championship at 170 by recording a fall in 1:44 over Lincoln-Way Central junior Riley DePolo and then Patrick followed with her title at 190. They were the lone finalists for coach Thomas Redmon’s Cougars, who took 12th place in a very balanced competition where 13 of the 16 entrants scored 100 or more points. Spann finished with a team-high 31.5 points, which was one-half point behind the three leaders in that category. She began her title run with a quick fall and followed with a win by technical fall before getting another pin, in 3:22, over Yorkville sophomore Lauryn Trotter in the semifinals to secure her spot on the title mat.

“I’ll just keep working on what I’m working on now in practice and just keep going hard and perfect what I’m doing in practice,” Spann said. “We’re very resilient.”

DePolo, is the daughter of Jason DePolo, an Associate Principal of Student Services at Lincoln-Way Central, who competed for 1995 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Mark Ruettiger at that school and then led the Knights for 10 seasons and took three teams to the IHSA Class 3A Dual Team Finals from 2013 to 2015 with the first of those taking fourth place. She was one of seven finalists for coach Joshua Napier’s champion Lincoln-Way co-op, who finished with 282 points and their 120-point margin over runner-up East Aurora is a new tournament-best. She won her first three matches by fall, with her third fall coming in 3:48 over Lockport Township senior Mayra Vicencio in the semifinals. Trotter claimed third place with a pin in 0:50 over Vicencio and in the fifth-place match, Oswego junior Makayla Hill, who was a champion in last year’s Throwdown, recorded a fall in 0:34 over Hoffman Estates’ Dayanara Elias-Mena.

190 – Kimyra Patrick, Plainfield South

Kimyra Patrick began her high school career at Plainfield South in impressive fashion by winning a championship at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown when she claimed a 7-4 decision over Lockport Township senior Sophie Kelner in the 190 title match. She was one of two title winners and four finalists who are in their freshman seasons, with the other Throwdown champion being DeKalb’s Larisza Gomez-Guevara, who captured top honors at 110.

She was one of two title winners for coach Thomas Redmon’s Cougars, who were making their initial appearance in the Throwdown. The team’s other champion was sophomore Layla Spann, who took first place at 170 around the same time that Patrick claimed top honors at her weight. Patrick will no doubt benefit from training with Spann, who qualified for the IHSA Finals as a freshman and won a match at state. The freshman also recorded falls in her other three matches, including winning in 5:42 over Yorkville senior Janiah Murray in the semifinals.

“It feels great,” Patrick said of winning a title in her first high school tournament. “I like how hard-working our team is and that we’re getting more mentally prepared for each match.”

Kelner, joined three-time champion senior Claudia Heeney as one of two title winners and finalists for the new head coach of the Porters, Amier Khamis, whose team took third place with 156 points, six points behind runner-up East Aurora. Kelner qualified for the IHSA Finals last season and won a match there to finish with 42 victories. She recorded falls in her first two matches, getting a pin in the semifinals in 5:39 over East Aurora freshman Jaylene Dealba, who went on to claim third place with a fall in 2:57 over Murray. In the fifth-place match, Minooka senior Mia Lemberg was a winner by fall in 1:21 over Yorkville sophomore Deeanna Rothaug.

235 – Aarianna Bloyd, DeKalb

Aarianna Bloyd experienced the disappointment of advancing to consolation round three and then falling one victory shy of capturing a medal at 235 at last season’s IHSA Finals. The Barbs senior hopes to join classmate and two-time medalist Alex Gregorio-Perez as just the third individual to earn a state medal and she kicked off her final season on a high note by capturing the 235 title at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown with a 10-3 decision over Romeoville junior Henessis Villagrana in the 235 title match in a rematch of last year’s consolation round one matchup in Bloomington between the two where Bloyd prevailed with a 3-2 decision.

Coach Conor Infelise’s Barbs made a nice debut in the competition, finishing in fourth place with 149 points, which was seven points behind third-place Lockport Township and five points better than the host Indians, who finished fifth. The Barbs had the second-highest total of title winners in the tournament with three, which was one less the team champion Lincoln-Way co-op had. Freshman Larisza Gomez-Guevara took first at 110 while Gregorio-Perez won at 100 in one of the first two title matches during the finals round. Bloyd recorded first-round falls in her other two matches, getting a pin in 1:19 over Lincoln-Way co-op junior Jalyssa Venegas in the semifinals.

“We’re all very close, it’s a family,” Bloyd said. “So we’re all pushing each other, especially with me and Alex and building the program for four years now. I think it gave me discipline going to wrestle in some of the biggest tournaments around with my team. I’ve definitely seen in the past four years of it growing, that we’re having tougher matches and having to take a bad loss, but I think that’s good to wrestle a good girl and lose once in a while. I’m feeling very good. I’ve been training all summer, and preseason with hard-gos. Me and Alex have some big things to accomplish, along with our freshman. We’re looking forward to getting that state title this year.”

Villagrana, who won 22 matches while qualifying for state last season, was the lone finalist at the Throwdown for coach John Arlis’ Spartans. She recorded falls in her first three matches, which included a pin in 5:54 in the semifinals over East Aurora junior Lilli Ortiz, who went on to capture third place with a fall in 1:24 over Venegas. And in the fifth-place match, Lockport Township junior Rebekah Ramirez recorded a pin in 0:26 over Bolingbrook junior Cynthia Rios.

Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown team standings

1. Lincoln-Way co-op 282, 2. East Aurora 162, 3. Lockport Township 156, 4. DeKalb 149, 5. Minooka 144, 6. Huntley 134.5, 7. Hoffman Estates 126.5, 8. Geneseo 121, 9. Bolingbrook 117.5, 10. West Aurora 112, 10. Yorkville 112, 12. Plainfield South 106.5, 13. Joliet West 102, 14. Morris 74, 15. Romeoville 69.5, 16. Oswego 60.

Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown championship matches

100 – Alex Gregorio-Perez (DeKalb) over Mckenzie Steinke (Lincoln-Way co-op), TF 4:00

105 – Janiah Slaughter (Huntley) over Ruby Bolanos-Carbajal (West Aurora), F 3:04

110 – Larisza Gomez-Guevara (DeKalb) over Marian Nordsell (Minooka), F 2:59

115 – Zoe Zerial (Lincoln-Way co-op) over Angela Morales (Minooka), F 2:26

120 – Zoe Dempsey (Lincoln-Way co-op) over Lydia King (Geneseo), F 2:51

125 – Aiyanah Sylvester (West Aurora) over Zara Lugo (Morris), F 1:08

130 – Aubrie Rohrbacher (Huntley) over Sabina Charlebois (Minooka), F 5:05

135 – Claudia Heeney (Lockport Township) over Veronica Klobnak (Joliet West), F 0:38

140 – Liv Clumpner (Lincoln-Way co-op) over Abby Kunz (Lincoln-Way co-op), MD 16-4

145 – Ella Giertuga (Lincoln-Way co-op) over Vanessa O’Connor (Joliet West), SV 5-2

155 – Sydnee Allen (Hoffman Estates) over Savannah Burns (Bolingbrook), F 1:14

170 – Layla Spann (Plainfield South) over Riley DePolo (Lincoln-Way co-op), F 1:44

190 – Kimyra Patrick (Plainfield South) over Sophie Kelner (Lockport Township), D 7-4

235 – Aarianna Bloyd (DeKalb) over Henessis Villagrana (Romeoville), D 10-3

By Gary Larsen

Kelly Invitational
Thornton Fractional North ate well on the day before Thanksgiving, winning the team title at Wednesday’s 8-team Kelly Invitational. In edging second-place Argo by a 169-160 margin, the Meteors also had a day of firsts.
“Our three champs, Deshawn Jones at 132, Derrick Sparkman at 165, and Jalauni Johnston at 215, are all seniors who captured their first varsity tournament titles,” TF North coach Justin Viau said. “We also had guys who were wrestling in their first ever tournament out there winning matches and scoring points for the team.
“This is a great group of young men, and none of the individuals who wrestled today had any wrestling experience before high school.  The team has been working hard in the off season to close the gap and It’s awesome to see their hard work starting to pay off. Overall, these guys are starting to believe they can compete and I’m looking forward to watching them do so this season.”

Payton (114.5) placed third, followed by Hancock (104.5), Marist JV (95.5), Noble/UIC (76), Noble/Golder (70), and Kelly (45).

1st: Thornton Fractional North (169)

The Meteors sent six to the title mat to second-place Argo’s nine wrestlers in the finals, but edged the Argonauts thanks to team points scored by four wrestlers reaching the third-place mat.
TF North got individual titles from Deshawn Jones (132), Derrick Sparkman (165) and Jalauni Johnston (215), and seconds from Edwin Gomez (113), Maurice Walker (120) and Jabari Jones (157).
Kameron Washington (175) and Jorge Zavala (285) placed third, while Izaiah Salgado (106) and Cody Thornton (144) placed fourth.
Jones won a 9-6 decision over Marist’s Billy Leen for the title at 132 pounds. Sparkman used three pins to win the title at 165, while Johnston won by major decision and fall for his title at 215.

2nd: Argo (160.5)
The Argonauts had three champions on the day for coach Matt McMurray, in Adolfo Guerra (120), Skylar Arellano-Phipps (157) and Michael Starzyk (190). An additional six Argo wrestlers placed second, in David Guerra (126), John Valencia (138), Gio Romero (150), Dan Vazquez (165), Malachai Rios (175) and Dillan Bustillos (285).

3rd: Payton (114.5)
Payton coach Richard Kersten saw his Grizzlies match TF North and Argo with three individual champions, in Alonzo Gomez (113), Fraysean Clark (144) and Ben Hearon (285). Payton also got a second from Micah Ruiz (190), and fourths from Nicolas Benito (138), Juan Camilo Mejia (150) and Alfonso Virata (157).

Other individual champions at Kelly were Marist’s Rocco Maheras (106) and Max McLaughlin (138), Noble/UIC’s Leonardo Zapien (126), Kelly’s Leovardo Juarez (150), and Hancock’s Malakai Davis (175).

Hancock’s Davis finished with the most pins in the least time in the tournament, posting three falls in 4:23. Marist’s Rocco Maheras had the fastest tech fall, in 1:21, and TF North’s Johnston posted the day’s fastest fall, in 16 seconds.

Four wrestlers tied for the most team points scored with 24, in TF North’s Sparkman, Hancock’s Davis, and Payton’s Ben Hearon and Alonso Gomez. Payton’s Fraysean Clark scored the most total match points with 41, and the largest seed-place difference went to Payton’s Clark, who was seeded 8th and won the title at 144 pounds.

Championship match results:
106: Rocco Maheras (Marist) 2-0, d. Finley Egan (Marist) 1-1,  (MD 11-3)
113: Alonso Gomez (Payton) 3-0, d. Edwin Gomez (TF North) 1-1,  (F 4:53)
120: Adolfo Guerra (Argo) 2-0, d. Maurice Walker (TF North) 1-1,  (F 0:33)
126: Leonardo Zapien (Noble/UIC) 2-0, .d. David Guerra (Argo) 1-1,  (F 2:00)
132: Deshawn Jones (TF North) 2-0, d. Billy Leen (Marist) 2-1,  (D 9-6)
138: Max McLaughlin (Marist) 3-0, d. John Valencia (Argo) 1-1,  (D 9-2)
144: Fraysean Clark (Payton) 3-0, d. Ethan Smith (Marist) 2-1,  (TF 19-4)
150: Leovardo Juarez (Kelly) 3-0, d. Gio Romero (Argo) 1-1,  (D 4-2)
157: Skylar Arellano-Phipps (Argo) 2-0, d. Jabari Jones (TF North) 2-1,  (F 1:40)
165: Derrick Sparkman (TF North) 3-0, d. Dan Vazquez (Argo) 1-1,  (F 1:50)
175: Malakai Davis (Hancock) 3-0, d. Malachai Rios (Argo) 1-1,  (F 0:31)
190: Michael Starzyk (Argo) 2-0, d. Micah Ruiz (Payton) 2-1,  (F 5:12)
215: Jalauni Johnston (TF North) 2-0, d. Ruben Amador (Noble/Golder) 1-1,  (F 0:16)
285: Ben Hearon (Payton) 3-0, d. Dilan Bustillos (Argo) 1-1,  (F 0:53)

Third-place matches:
106: Jayden Romero (Noble/Golder) d. Izaiah Salgado (TF North) F 1:11
113: Vinney Biesiada (Marist) d. Nicholas Anguiano (Hancock) F 148
120: Adrian Galvan-Ramirez (Noble/Golder) d. Christipher Gavtan (Kelly) F 1:00
126: Hector Castellanos (TF North) d. Michael Reyes (Hancock) D 15-11
132: Julian Collins (Noble/UIC) d. Alejandro Salas (Noble/Golder) F 4:28
138: Adrian Rodriguez (Hancock) d. Nicholas Benito (Payton) F 1:39
144: Liam Drysch (Noble/Golder) d. Cody Thornton (TF North) F 0:30
150: Kendrian Walker (Noble/UIC) d. Camilo Mejia (Payton) F 0:27
157: Noel Cuevas (Hancock) d. Alfonso Virata (Payton) M. FFT.
165: Sergio Cuellar (Kelly) d. Francisco Ambriz (Hancock) F 5:00
175: Kameron Washington (TF North) d. Turner Liss (Marist) F 3:10
190: Benjamin Barrera (Hancock) d. Ernesto Ramirez (Noble/Golder) F 1:13
215: Kaleb Svenningsen (Hancock) d. Seth Turner (Noble/UIC) D 7-1
285: Jorge Zavala (TF North) d. Kavon Grant (Noble/UIC) F 2:25

Addison Trail Invitational
The 12-team tournament in Addison saw Tyrone Byrd’s Lincoln-Way Central squad dominate. The Knights won the team title with 301.5 points as all 14 wrestlers finishig in the top four, led by a trio of individual champions in Eric Hoselton (138), Jalen Byrd (190) and Aiden Hennings (285).
“I’m proud of our team for obviously winning the tournament, but more importantly for scoring bonus points in over 40 matches,” Byrd said.  “We had fourteen place in top four and that’s a testament to the team effort that they all put forth.
“We really drive home scoring every match point and team point that we can.  It was a complete team effort.  Our three champs Eric Hoselton, Jalen Byrd and Aiden Hennings all looked dominate on the day.”
Loyola placed second with 178 points, followed by Deerfield (160.5), St. Rita (146), Wheaton Academy (125), Addison Trail (101), Stagg (92), Niles North (77.5), Prairie Ridge (72.5), Lake Forest (59), Ottawa (57) and Elk Grove (51.5).

1st: Lincoln-Way Central (301.5)
In addition to titles won by Hoselton, Byrd, and Hennings, a quartet of Knights placed second in Jadon Zimmer (144), Dylan Wrobel (157), Evan Vogt (175) and Justin Langford (215). Placing third were Bannon Valent (106), Caleb Rogers (132), Ryne Nape (150), and Ethan Harvey (165), while Finn Fifer (113), Brooks McKay (120) and Connor Richardson (126) placed fourth to round out the Knights’ full lineup of medal-winners.
“We know that a wrestling season is a roller coaster and there will be ups and downs,” Byrd said. “We are going to enjoy this win and continue to improve with hopes of more championships throughout the season.”
In Rob Sherrill’s preseason 3A individual rankings, Zimmer opens the season ranked No. 6 at 138; Byrd is ranked No. 5 at 175; Hennings is No. 8 at 285; and Harvey is listed among the honorable mentions at 165.

2nd: Loyola Academy (178)
The Ramblers only entered nine wrestlers in the tournament and five of them won individual titles to lead all teams. Coach Matt Collum got titles from Niko Odiotti (106), Gavin Pardilla (126), James Hemmila (150), Danny Malan (157) and Kai Calcutt (215). Odiotti and Calcutt enter the year ranked No. 1 in their weight classes, while Pardilla, Hemmila, and Malan are all also listed among the 3A honorable mentions to start the season.
Daniel Myint (120) placed second for the Ramblers, while Mateo Hatzopoulos (138) finished third and Jackson Decrane (165) placed sixth.

3rd: Deerfield (160.5)
Coach Mark Pechter got a pair of individual titles from Jayme Cohen (113) and Adrian Cohen (132), plus a second from Jake Pechter (106), thirds from Jorey Becker (120) and Danny Martinez (126), and fourths from Alexander Shvartsman (144) and Jonathan Weissmueller (175).
Jayme Cohen is ranked No. 6 in 2A at 113 to start the year, Adrian Cohen is at No. 4 at 132, and Shvartsman is ranked No. 3 at 144.

Other individual champions at Addison Trail were the host Blazers’ Nikolas Duarte (120), St. Rita’s Jack Hogan (144), Wheaton Academy’s Tyler Jones (165),   and Prairie Ridge’s Aiden Rodriguez (175).
Duarte is ranked No. 6 at 113 and Hogan is No. 2 at 144 in 3A; Jones is No. 10 at 165 in 1A.

Lincoln-Way Central’s Hennings finished with the most pins in the least time, with four falls in 4:03, and his 30 team points scored were the most by any wrestler in the tournament. Deerfield’s Jack Jansen had the most tech falls in the least time, posting four in 9:34, plus the most total match points with 74 and the fastest tech fall in 52 seconds. LW Central’s Vogt posted the fastest pin, in 10 seconds, while Deerfield’s Daniel Krive scored the most single match points with 25.

Championship match results:
106: NIko Odiotti (Loyola) d. Jake Pechter (Deerfield) (TF 20-5)
113: Jayme Cohen (Deerfield) d. Mayson Munson (Ottawa) (TF 18-3)
120: Nikolas Duarte (Addison (A. Trail) d.Daniel Myint (Loyola) (MD 13-3)
126: Gavin Pardilla (Loyola) d. Cleto Protti (St. Rita) (TF 16-0)
132: Adrian Cohen (Deerfield) d. Zander Spatafore (Elk Grove) (F 1:10)
138: Eric Hoselton (LW Central) d.Luke Pappalas (St. Rita) (MD 9-1)
144: Jack Hogan (St. Rita) d.Jadon Zimmer (LW Central) (F 4:48)
150: James Hemmila (Loyola) d. Monte Bourke (St. Rita) (F 0:52)
157: Danny Malan (Loyola) d. Dylan Wrobel (LW Central) (TF 22-4)
165: Tyler Jones (Wheaton Academy) d.Micah Spinazzola (St. Rita) (D 7-2)
175: Aiden Rodriguez (Prairie Ridge) d.Evan Vogt (LW Central) (MD 18-7)
190: alen Byrd (LW Central) d.Jihad Suleiman (Stagg) (F 1:52)
215: Kai Calcutt (Loyola) d.Justin Langford (LW Central) (F 2:23)
285: Aiden Hennings (LW Central) d.Treydius Palmer (Niles North) (F 0:15)

Third-place match results:
106: Valent (LW Central) d. Robinson (Prairie Ridge) F 1:40
113: Gray (Addison Trail) d. Fifer (LW Central) F 1:26
120: Becker (Deerfield) d. McKay (LW Central) D 9-4
126: Martinez (Deerfield) d. Richardson (LW Central) TF 19-3
132: Rogers (LW Central) d. Demetrio (Lake Forest) TF 20-1
138: Hatzopoulos (Loyola) d. Shin (Wheaton Academy) D 8-6
144: Hoger (Wheaton Academy) d. Shvartsman (Deerfield) SV-1 13-10
150: Nape (LW Central) d. Cioper (Prairie Ridge) TF 15-0
157: Lehman (St. Rita) d. Moritz (Prairie Ridge) MD 10-2
165: Harvey (LW Central) d. Driscoll (Stagg) F 2:00
175: Bautista (Addison Trail) d. Weissmueller (Deerfield) D 14-13
190: Somenek (Elk Grove) d. Seneses (Wheaton Academy) F 3:41
215: Morales (Stagg) d. De Souza (Wheaton Academy) F 1:14
285: Garcia (Wheaton Academy) d. Sandifer (Lake Forest) D 13-11

Barrington’s Moore-Prettyman-Dunn Invitational
IC Catholic Prep snared this year’s team title, 367-244 over second-place Grant, in an annual two-day tournament that was forced to take place in a single day on Friday due to Saturday’s projected snowfall.
Thirty-three teams participated in one grueling day of wrestling.
Knights’ coach Danny Alcocer sent six wrestlers to the finals and had two champions in Max Cumbee (132) and Brody Kelly (175), four runners-up, plus four third-placers, one fourth and one fifth.
Cumbee posted two tech falls and one fall before winning a 12-5 semifinal decision over Loyola’s Gavin Padilla, then posting a 7-1 win for the title over Barrington’s Ryan Dorn.
Kelly was dominant in posting four falls and one tech fall, capped on the title mat by a fall over Wheaton North’s Ryan Rosch.
Last year’s Class 2A team state champs enter this season in Rob Sherrill’s rankings as the top-ranked team in 2A. Twelve of IC Prep’s wrestlers are ranked in the top six of their weight classes, including top-ranked returning state champs Cumbee and Kelly. Also top-ranked are Sam Murante (126) and Frank Nitti (144).
Loyola finished third at Barrington with 216.5 points, followed by Barrington (202.5), Hersey (194), Providence (191), Stevenson (169), Glenbard West (151), Wheaton North (126.5), Lyons (113), Joliet West (107.5), Grayslake Central (101.5), Hampshire (98), Crystal Lake Central (93.5), Wauconda (89), Downers Grove South (84) Bradley-Bourbonnais (70), Belleville East (67), Mundelein (64.5), Libertyville (61.5), Plainfield South (60), Buffalo Grove (59), Waubonsie Valley (57), Lane Tech (52.5), York (52), Lake Zurich (48.5), Plainfield Central (44.5), Francis Howell, MO (41), Jacobs (36.5), Glenbard East (28), Sandwich (25.5), Prospect (25), Fenwick (23).

1st: IC Catholic Prep (367)
In addition to individual titles from Cumbee and Kelly, the Knights got seconds from Drew Murante (113), Aiden Arnett (157), Foley Calcagno (215) and Anthony Sebastian (285). Placing third for IC Prep were Sam Murante (126), Frank Nitti (144), Jacob Alvarez (150) and Joey Pontrelli (165). The Knights also got a fourth from Mike Bird (106) and a fifth from Jack Hanrahan (138).

2nd: Grant (244)
Bulldogs coach Mark Jolcover sent a pair of champions to the awards stand in Vince Jasinski (144) and Casey Gipson (190). Jasinski placed fourth in Class 3A at 126 last year and is ranked No. 3 at 132 to start the season. He posted three falls, one tech fall and capped his day with a major decision win for the title against Crystal Lake Central’s Nicholas Marchese.
Gipson was a state qualifier last year and is currently ranked among the honorable mentions to start the year. He used three falls and a major decision to set up a win by fall for the title at 190 against Hersey’s Grant Moga.
Placing second for Grant were Jayce Glauser (120) and Erik Rodriguez (138), with sixths coming from Brayden Myatt (106), Larry Quirk (113), and Aaden Arroyo (175).
A showdown between two returning state medal winners at 138 saw No. 3-ranked Griff Powell of Lyons win a 6-3 decision over Loyola’s No. 2 Erik Rodriguez.

3rd: Loyola Academy
Ramblers coach Matt Collum has two No. 1-ranked returning state medal winners in his lineup in Niko Odiotti (106) and Kai Calcutt (215), and both won Barrington titles. Odiotti placed second at 106 in 3A last year; Calcutt has placed second twice and was a state champion at 215 in 2024.
James Hemmila (150) also won a Barrington title and he’s ranked among the honorable mentions at 150 to start the year.
Odiotti posted two tech falls and a pin before winning a 4-2 decision over IC Prep’s Drew Murante in the Barrington finals at 113. Calcutt posted three falls and then had a medical forfeit advancement to the title mat, where he won by 10-4 decision against IC Prep’s Foley Calcagno.
Hemmila used three falls in reaching the semifinals, where he won 12-7 over Joliet West’s Coehn Weber, and then an 8-0 major decision for the title at 150 against Glenbard West’s Vince Tortoriello.
Gavin Pardilla (132) also placed fourth for Loyola, Quentin Williams (106) and Danny Malan (157) placed fifth, and Daniel Myint (120) finished sixth.

Other individual champions at Barrington were Glenbard West’s Aidan Ortega (106), Buffalo Grove’s Mykola Shamray (120), Barrington’s Kaleb Pratt (126), Lyons’ Griff Powell (138), Providence’s returning 2A state champion, No. 1-ranked Justus Heeg (157), Hersey’s Frankie Tagoe (165), and Belleville East’s returning 3A state champion, top-ranked Jonathan Rulo (285).
After a long day of wrestling, Mundelein’s Michael Vincic had amassed the most pins in the least time, with five falls in 11:08. Glenbard West’s four tech falls in 13:28 were the most techs in the least time on the day.
Stevenson’s Valentin Vihrov had five pins/tech falls in 5:59 to lead all wrestlers in that combination category, and Downers Grove South’s Maksym Yakymshyn posted the fastest pin, in 11 seconds. Providence Catholic’s Tommy Banas had the fast tech fall in 56 seconds; IC Prep’s Brody Kelly scored the most team points with 42.5 to the 42 team points posted by Grant’s Casey Gipson; Wheaton North’s Ryan Rosch had the most single match points with 28 and the most total match points with 93; and the largest seed-place difference went to Providence’s Ameer Khalil, who was seeded 30th but finished fifth at 175.

Championship match results:
106: Aidan Ortega (Glenbard W) d. Jeremiah Arroyo-Mcmullan (Lane) D 13-11
113: Niko Odiotti (Loyola) d. Drew Murante (IC Prep) D 4-2
120: Mykola Shamray (Buffalo Grove) d. Jace Glauser (Grant) MD 10-2
126: Kaleb Pratt (Barrington) d. Oleksandr Havrylkiv (Hersey) D 1-0
132: Max Cumbee (IC Prep) d. Ryan Dorn (Barrington) D 7-1
138: Griff Powell (Lyons) d. Erik Rodriguez (Grant) D 6-3
144: Vince Jasinski (Grant) d. Nicholas Marchese (Crystal Lake C) MD 9-1
150: James Hemmila (Loyola) d. Vince Tortoriello (Glenbard W) MD 8-0
157: Justus Heeg (Providence) d. Aiden Arnett (IC Prep) MD 13-4
165: Frankie Tagoe (Hersey) d. Jackson Hanselman (York) D 10-6
175: Brody Kelly (IC Prep) d. Ryan Rosch (Wheaton N) F 2:45
190: Casey Gipson (Grant) d. Grant Moga (Hersey) F 3:52
215: Kai Calcutt (Loyola) d. Foley Calcagno (IC Prep) D 10-4
285: Jonathan Rulo (Belleville E) d. Anthony Sebastian (IC Prep) D 6-0

Third-place match results:
106: Dominic DeMarco (Grayslake C) d. Mike Bird (IC Prep) D 10-8
113: Daniel Berdich (Stevenson) d. Vince DeMarco (Grayslake C) F 3:28
120: Griffin Heeney (Providence) d. Tanner Stone (DG South) F 3:00
126: Sammy Murante (IC Prep) d. Saul Ramirez (Barrington) D 8-1
132: Shawn Kogan (Stevenson) d. Gavin Pardilla (Loyola) MD 10-1
138: Tommy Banas (Providence) d. Mikey Polyakov (Stevenson) MD 14-6
144: Franke Nitti (IC Prep) d. Jimmy Whitaker (Barrington) D 7-5
150: Jacob Alvarez (IC Prep) d. Coehn Weber (Joliet W) med. fft.
157: Daniel Blanke (Barrington) d. Brian Hart (Wauconda) F 1:31
165: Joey Pontrelli (IC Prep) d. Julian Flores (Wheaton N) SV-1 10-9
175: Brody McKenna (Wauconda) d. Sam Cushman (Barrington) TF 16-1
190: Ty Sabin (Plainfield C) d. Aaron Jafri (Barrington) F 3:22
215: Johnathan Slump (Hersey) d. Carter Hintz (Hampshire) med. fft.
285: Knox Homola (Hampshire) d. Anthony Forst (Waubonsie Valley) MD 10-2

Vernon Hills’ Varsity Cougar Thanksgiving Invitational
Vernon Hill’s annual tournament was one of the few that took place anywhere in Illinois due to Saturday’s state-wide snowfall. Three teams dropped out but 15 teams showed up, and when the dust settled it was Glenbrook South that captured the team title.
Glenbrook South posted a 225-156 edge over second-place Johnsburg. Crystal Lake South placed third with 144.5 points. The Titans won the team title for the second consecutive year and have finished second twice and third once in the past five years at Vernon Hills.
Coach Pat Castillo saw 11 of his wrestlers finish in the top four, including a pair of individual champions in Ermuun Urtnasan (126) and Roman Ocampo (138).
Urtnasan posted three tech fall wins on the day, capped by a 17-1 win on the title mat. Ocampo won by fall and simple decision before winning by fall on the title mat.
Niles North (142.5) placed fourth, followed by Glenbrook North (134), St. Viator (115), Bartlett (112), Cary-Grove (93), Evanston (79.5), Harvard (79), Vernon Hills (74), Grayslake North (68), Taft (65), Woodstock North (63.5), and Harvest Christian (58.5).

1st: Glenbrook South (225 points)
In addition to titles from Urtnasan and Ocampo, placing third for Glenbrook South were Diego Arteaga (120), Kale Schrauth (150), Dominic Marino (175) and Sain Uranbold (215). Finishing fourth were Jack Burton (144), Joey Marquardt (157), Jacob Shamoon (190), Louis Luna (215) and Joey Torres (285).

2nd: Johnsburg (156)
Coach James Sylvanus sent five wrestlers to the title mat and got an individual championship from Kainoa Ancog (157) among eight total wrestlers finishing in the top six of their weight classes.
Ancog posted three falls to win his title, capped by a fall at 0:38 in the finals against Niles North’s Nathan Eiduk. Placing second were Chase Vogel (120), Chase Davis (132), Duke Mays (190) and Jackson Hjorth (215). Micah Klos (138) and Tanner Hansen (150) placed fifth and Josh Key finished sixth (144) for the Skyhawks.

3rd: Crystal Lake South (144.5)
The Gators sent three individual champs to the awards stand in Logan Aarseth (113), Nathan Randle (144) and Aiden Marrello (165). Coach Trevor Jauch also got a second-place finish from Christopher Talbert (106) and fifths from Zachary Stinson (175) and Camden Moffet (285).

Other individual champions in Vernon Hills were Harvard’s Liam Parker (106), Taft’s Bernardo Roque (120), Harvest Christian’s Brennan O’Donnell (132) and Max Mulhearn (150), Niles North’s Nicholas Marcus (175), St. Viator’s Jaxon Penovich (190), Evanston’s Brooks Tyler (215) and No. 6 Jeremy Marshall (285).

Glenbrook North’s AJ Metallo’s five pins in 5:51 were the most pins in the least time of any wrestler present, while Glenbrook South’s Urtnasan had the most tech falls in the least time, with 3 techs in 9:16. Niles North’s Treydius Palmer had the fastest pin in 11 seconds, while Cary-Grove’s Jacob Turner posted the fastest tech fall in 1:22.
Johnsburg’s Ancog, Niles North’s Marcus, and St. Viator’s Penovich tied for the most team points scored with 30, and Glenbrook North’s Henry Hafner scored the most total match points with 82. St. Viator’s Thomas Emery provided the largest seed-place difference, as the 14th seed at 113 pounds placed third.

Vernon Hills championship match results:
106: Liam Parker (Harvard) d. Christopher Talbert (Crystal Lake S) F 1:16
113: Logan Aarseth (Crystal Lake S) d. Caleb Son (Glenbrook N) Inj. dflt.
120: Bernardo Roque (Taft) d. Chase Vogel (Johnsburg) D 10-4
126: Ermuun Urtnasan (Glenbrook S) d. Nathan Flores (St. Viator) TF 17-1
132: Brennan O’Donnell (Harvest Christian) d. Chase Davis (Johnsburg) TF 17-2
138: Roman Ocampo (Glenbrook S) d. Gael Garcia (Niles North) F 3:17
144: Nathan Randle (Crystal Lake S) d. Jordan Mokhtarian (Glenbrook N) TF 16-0
150: Max Mulhearn (Harvest Christian) d. Cameron Engels (Bartlett) F 5:03
157: Kainoa Ancog (Johnsburg) d. Nathan Eiduk (Niles North) F 0:38
165: Aiden Marrello (Crystal Lake S) d. Jacob Becker (Vernon Hills) F 3:50
175: Nicholas Marcus (Niles North) d. Diego Lopez (Evanston) F 2:15
190: Jaxon Penovich (St. Viator) d. Duke Mays (Johnsburg) F 1:33
215: Brooks Tyler (Evanston) d. Jackson Hjorth (Johnsburg) F 5:12
285: Jeremy Marshall (Evanston) d. Wynn Phillipi (St. Viator) D 9-2

Third-place results:
106: Gavin Ventura (Niles North) d. Alan Edwards (Evanston) F 0:27
113: Thomas Emery (St. Viator) d. Charles Dominguez (Vernon Hills) Inj. dflt.
120: Diego Arteaga (Glenbrook S) d. Olin Wiedel (Woodstock N) D 6-0
126: AJ Metallo (Glenbrook N) d. Charlie Parker (Harvard) F 2:21
132: Oliver Michie (Glenbrook N) d. Sonny Franciose (Bartlett) F 0:48
138: Jacob Turner (Cary-Grove) d. Joseph Caputo (Bartlett) F 3:15
144: Gus Saletta (Bartlett) d. Jack Burton (Glenbrook S) MD 15-6
150: Kale Schrauth (Glenbrook S) d. Isaac Johnson (Glenbrook N) F 5:37
157: Leonardo Zavala (Cary-Grove) d. Joey Marquardt (Glenbrook S) D 7-1
165: Brennan Peters (Harvard) d. Henry Hafner (Glenbrook N) F 1:11
175: Dominic Marino (Glenbrook S) d. Jordan Connor (Grayslake N) F 2:11
190: David Randecker (Woodstock N) d. Jacob Shamoon (Glenbrook S) F 1:10
215: Sain Uranbold (Glenbrook S) d. Louis Luna (Glenbrook S) MD 18-6
285: David Williams (Grayslake N) d. Joey Torres (Glenbrook S) F 1:47

Rockford East E-Rab Girls Invitational

Freeport received points from all eight of its individuals in the varsity division and six of those placed in the top six with one finishing second to score 110 points, assuring it of the title of Wednesday’s Rockford East E-Rab Girls Invitational, which featured 30 teams. Sandwich edged defending champ Warren Township 100.5-100 for second while Sycamore (94), South Elgin (93), Hampshire (91), LaSalle-Peru (90) and Kaneland (87) rounded out the top-eight teams.

Leading the way for coach Brad Parsons’ champion Lady Pretzels were runner-up Brea Balles (115) and third-place finishers Kaiya Galindo (120) and NaJeyah Wallace (155). Bella Martins (155) finished fourth, Lily Wurster (190) placed fifth and Ariyana Calmese (105) took sixth while Carolina Huertero (130) and Caydance Fellows (170) scored valuable team points and Nalani Isaac (170) took third place in the unscored junior-varsity bracket for Freeport, who took ninth place in last year’s competition, finishing 146 points behind the champion Blue Devils. In the tight team battle, the Pretzels helped their cause by recording a tournament-high 18 pins.

Top finishers for coach Derek Jones’ runner-up Lady Indians were runner-up Lydia Cartwright (120), third-place finishers Jessica Rios (115) and Alexia Cather (140) while Olivia Agajanian (110) and Norah Vick (125) finished fifth and Jazmin Rios (155) took sixth place. Karlie Hardekopf (115) and Ruby Ferguson (135) both won titles in the junior-varsity bracket. 

Coach Nick Grujanac’s third-place Blue Devils were led by champions Jane Kelly (135) and Tyanna Jackson (145), third-place finisher Hanna Bairstow (170) as well as Aaliyah Vazquez (120), who claimed fifth place. In the junior-varsity brackets, Sadie Fugelseth (140) placed first.

The other E-Rab Girls Invitational champions were LaSalle-Peru’s Kalista Frost (100) and Kiely Domyancich (125), Hampshire’s Amelia Nidelea-Polanin (120) and Samantha Diehl (190), Sycamore’s Ema Durst (140) and Jasmine Enriquez (235), Rockford East’s Saya Hongmoungkhoune (105), Antioch’s Londyn LLoyd (110), Crystal Lake South’s Annalee Aarseth (115), Richmond-Burton’s Madelyn Peterie (130), South Elgin’s Allison Garbacz (155) and Wyoming Seminary, PA’s Alexis Penley (170). 

Seven placewinners from the 2025 IHSA Finals claimed championships. Hongmoungkhoune won the 100 title last year while Aarseth was second at 110, Nidelea-Polanin took third at 115, Diehl placed third at 190, Durst was fourth at 140, Garbacz was fourth at 145 and Domyancich was fifth at 115. Penley, a six-time Illinois champion and two-time national champion in Freestyle and Folkstyle for the West Suburban Girls Wrestling Club in Naperville, is ranked 15th at 190 by Sports Illustrated and was her school’s lone entrant. Also, Garbacz was an honorable mention selection in the same national rankings at 155.

Petrerie led the varsity champions with 30 team points while Aarseth, Hongmoungkhoune, LLoyd and Penley all tied for second with 29.5 points. Penley edged Nidelea-Polanin 53-52 for the most total match points. Diehl, Domyancich, Durst, Hongmoungkhoune and Kelly also won titles in last year’s E-Rab Girls Invitational.

Additional second-place finishers were Harlem’s Mya Olejiniczak (100) and Madison Heneks (130), Seneca’s Sammie Greisen (125) and Haiden Lavarier (145), Belvidere North’s Emily Taylor (140) and Savanna Trevino (235), Saint Viator’s Charlotte Nold (105), Kaneland’s Thalia Paton (110), Rockford East’s Natalya Montoya (135), Crystal Lake Central’s Cait Jones (155), Sycamore’s Frankie McMurtry (170) and Guilford’s Anjanne Haywood (190). Jones posted the largest seed-to-place difference in the invite, improving 13 positions from her 15th-seed.

The closest championship match was at 100 where Frost edged Olejiniczak 8-6. At 125, Domyancich claimed a 10-4 decision over Greisen, who was a state medalist in 2024, while Garbacz captured a 15-3 major decision over Jones at 155. Hongmoungkhoune won by injury default in 5:22 over Nold at 105 and Penley won by technical fall in 4:00 over McMurtry at 170.

In title matches decided by fall, LLoyd won in 3:17 over Paton at 110, Aarseth was a winner in 1:22 over Balles at 115, Nidelea-Polanin won in 1:35 over Cartwright at 120 and Peterie was a winner in 2:30 over Heneks at 130. Also, Kelly won in 1:02 over Montoya at 135, Durst was a winner in 3:35 over Taylor at 140, Jackson won in 1:32 over Lavarier at 145, Diehl was a winner in 3:10 over Haywood at 190 and Enriquez won in 1:32 over Trevino at 235.

Other third-place finishers were Kaneland’s Amadahy Torres (100) and Reygan Behrends (145),

Hampshire’s Annabelle Mueller (105), LaSalle-Peru’s Sarah Lowery (110), Hersey’s Soha Faisal (125), Belvidere North’s Rowan Cello (130), Sycamore’s Winter Beard (135), Jefferson’s Kylie Eilken (190) and Thornton Township’s Miniyai Adams (235). Mueller was the lone individual in the tournament to capture three victories by technical fall.

Also finishing fourth were Hersey’s Alexandra Gumino (120) and Abigail Tellez Laguna (170), Antioch’s Magdelyn Brough (130) and Rylee Dunlavy (140), Johnsburg’s Arianna Deckmann (190) and Carmen Sierra (235), Loyola Academy’s Emma Matsunaga (100), South Elgin’s Leila Ruiz (105), Sterling’s Nevaeh Delgado (110), Byron’s Rylie Dach (115), Thornton Township’s Kayla Beard (125), Jefferson’s Stand Paw (135) and LaSalle-Peru’s Avalyn Edwall (145).

Additional fifth-place finishers were Jefferson’s Danika Lamb (100), Hersey’s Emma Strohmeier (105), South Elgin’s Azucena Rodriguez (115), Rochelle’s Cammyla Macias (130), Thornton Township’s Shuntara Freeman (135), Barrington’s Nicole Dziura (140), Hampshire’s Madison Minson (145), Loyola Academy’s Mma Akela (155), Antioch’s Josie Blau (170) and Harlem’s Carla Pineda (235). Lamb also had recorded the most pins in the least time with four in 4:01.

Sixth-place showings were also turned in by Kaneland’s Bella Gruber (130), Chloe Cervantes (140) and Alexis Zahlit (170), South Elgin’s Anni Romo (110) and Ivary Ortiz (190), Hersey’s A’shira Manuel (100), Saint Viator’s Evalyn Idzik (115), Richmond-Burton’s Breanna Warren (120), Barrington’s April Tavarez (125), Fremd’s Gobbileg Erdenebat (135), Sterling’s Vivianna Torres (145) and Marengo’s Madalynn Woodcock (235).

The other title winners in the junior-varsity brackets were Thornton Township’s Camila Olvera-Garnica (100), Tayonne Frye (105) and Tyler Lee (145), Hersey’s Nikita Variano (120) and Leah Osorio (190), LaSalle-Peru’s Amelia Buckley (110), Saint Viator’s Fiona Monaco (125), Richmond-Burton’s Brooklyn Peterie (130), Hononegah’s Bellani Villa (155), Antioch’s Malina Cook (170) and Streamwood’s Airam Fernandez (235).

Rockford East E-Rab Girls Invitational team standings

1. Freeport 110, 2. Sandwich 100.5, 3. Warren Township 100, 4. Sycamore 94, 5. South Elgin 93, 6. Hampshire 91, 7. LaSalle-Peru 90, 8. Kaneland 87, 9. Hersey 82, 10. Antioch 73.5, 11. Harlem 72, 12. Belvidere North 71, 13. Jefferson 66, 14. Rockford East 57.5, 15. Richmond-Burton 52, 16. Thornton Township 50, 17. Seneca 42, 18. Loyola Academy 37.5, 19. Johnsburg 36, 20. Sterling 34, 21. Saint Viator 33, 22. Crystal Lake South 31.5, 23. Wyoming Seminary, PA 29.5, 24. Crystal Lake Central 28, 25. Guilford 25, 26. Barrington 24.5, 27. Fremd 17, 28. Byron 13, 28. Marengo 13, 28. Rochelle 13, 31. Hononegah 12, 32. Grayslake Central 11.

Rockford East E-Rab Girls Invitational championship matches

100 – Kalista Frost (LaSalle-Peru) over Mya Olejiniczak (Harlem), D 8-6
105 – Saya Hongmoungkhoune (Rockford East) over Charlotte Nold (Saint Viator), Inj. 5:22
110 – Londyn LLoyd (Antioch) over Thalia Paton (Kaneland), F 3:17
115 – Annalee Aarseth (Crystal Lake South) over Brea Balles (Freeport), F 1:22
120 – Amelia Nidelea-Polanin (Hampshire) over Lydia Cartwright (Sandwich), F 1:35
125 – Kiely Domyancich (LaSalle-Peru) over Sammie Greisen (Seneca), D 10-4
130 – Madelyn Peterie (Richnond-Burton) over Madison Heneks (Harlem), F 2:30
135 – Jane Kelly (Warren Township) over Natalya Montoya (Rockford East), F 1:02
140 – Ema Durst (Sycamore) over Emily Taylor (Belvidere North), F 3:35
145 – Tyanna Jackson (Warren Township) over Haiden Lavarier (Seneca), F 1:32
155 – Allison Garbacz (South Elgin) over Cait Jones (Crystal Lake Central), MD 15-3
170 – Alexis Penley (Wyoming Seminary, PA) over Frankie McMurtry (Sycamore), TF 4:00
190 – Samantha Diehl (Hampshire) over Anjanne Haywood (Guilford), F 3:10
235 – Jasmine Enriquez (Sycamore) over Savanna Trevino (Belvidere North), F 1:32

By Chris Walker for the IWCOA

AURORA — Fresh off winning the first dual team state title in program history while returning the majority of its top wrestlers, Marmion Academy won the 2nd annual Marmion Cadet Classic on Wednesday, earning six individual titles along the way.

The Cadets finished with 566 points, easily outdistancing themselves from runner-up Marist’s 354 and third-place Warren’s 300. Lincoln-Way West was fourth with 295.5 and Oak Park and River Forest took fifth with 284.5 to round out the top five.

“We lost three seniors (Mateusz Nycz, Anthony Haddad and Andrew Haritos) that were in the lineup last year,” Marmion coach Anthony Cirrincione said. “Obviously, good kids, and we love those kids, and two of them were here helping today, and the whole team is back and that’s a pretty special group.”

For Marmion, it’s starting over but not starting from scratch for 2025-2026. The Cadets also won the inaugural Cadet Classic last winter.

“They are definitely building off of last year,” Cirrincione said. “We lost a coach that kind of ran our room in Nate Fitzenreider. It’s a big loss a loss that you can’t always make up for, but the coaches have all come together and are doing a great job and we’re all kind of talking through things and coming up with plans and just putting our best foot forward. It’s been a great start to the year.”

Opponents do not need to magnify their target when they see Marmion.

“We’re the hunted, no question about it, but our kids, we don’t look at the sport like everyone else,” Cirrincione said. “I think that’s what makes Marmion special is we look at this as a vessel to get into a college we couldn’t get into without it and set our lives up. So when it comes to pressure and expectations and all those things, we have all that, but we know ultimately this is a sport. You put your all into academics and athletics and you set yourself up for life for the work you do here.”

Working up an appetite and getting to eat their fill on Thanksgiving was the reason Marmion debuted this tournament for its wrestlers and many others around the state a year ago. 

“The no. 1 reason this was created was to give the kids Thanksgiving day, that’s the number one reason,” Cirrincione said. “The second (reason) was get a bunch of matches, and a bunch of data to see if what you’re working on is being implemented and what better way than to have five good matches to see this is something we as a group need to improve on, this is something we need to think about as coaches that we’re not seeing or, hey, we’re doing the right stuff (but) we’re just making these little mistakes and now we need to make adjustments.”

Kids lose out on a lot as wrestlers, so this tournament has found a way for the kids to collect data the day before collecting calories, without having to count them.

“Giving the kids Thanksgiving back is super important to us because you take away Thanksgiving and Christmas for a lot of these kids,” Cirrincione said. “And most of the time these kids are sitting at Thanksgiving dinner nibbling while everyone else is having their meal and they’re miserable and can’t understand why they’re not happy and we wanted to have that back and they got that back.”

And for the Marmion kids in particular, they got to enjoy the comforts of home.

“Last year it was still a pretty good tournament, but we just like doubled, tripled the amount of competition from last year,” Marmion senior 144-pounder Demetrios Carrera said. “I think it’s great to give all these kids around the state an opportunity to come and compete against some of the top kids in the state, and I just love it because we are with all the guys and we get to can be in our home environment and have a really good tournament. I think it really helps us being able to compete at our fullest and have each other’s backs and stuff. 

“At Marmion we’re always hanging around each other in and outside of school and having fun. I think what’s most important is being able to still work hard when it’s time to get better but at the same time outside of the room we’re still staying close as a family and have a close bond and have fun. That’s good.”

Final team scores: Marmion (566), Marist (364), Warren Township (300), Lincoln-Way West (295.5), Oak Park and River Forest (284.5), Mount Carmel (281), Hononegah (270.5), Portage IN (255), Glenwood (250.5), Civic Memorial (248), West Aurora (210), Antioch (205), Mahomet-Seymour (197), Oakwood (194), Naperville Central (192.5), Washington (185), Marian Central Catholic (184), St. Patrick (178), Lockport Township (169), Huntley (168.5), Plainfield North (157), Fremd (144.5), Notre Dame (139.5), Quincy (118.5), West Chicago (104), Evergreen Park (78.5), Crown Point IN (70), Kaneland (33), DuSable (-1).

Cadet Classic champions:

106 – Colton Wyller, Marmion

Wyller got the Cadets rolling as the first of their six championship winners. The junior scored a 14-3 major decision against Marist’s Elio Gil to get the Cadets on the board.

A first-minute pin, tech fall victory and another major decision served as the pathway toward’s Wyller’s title. He also won at 106 in last year’s inaugural Cadet Classic.

Mount Carmel’s Sebastian Gracia took third with a 17-1 tech fall win over Washington’s Symon Woods. Glenwood’s Cooper Clark placed fifth via 19-7 major decision over Warren’s Diego Rea.

113 – Caleb Noble, Warren

Warren junior Caleb Noble (Arizona State) began his quest for a third state title with a 7-1 victory over Oak Park and River Forest’s MJ Rundell at 113 pounds. The clash between state champions (Noble at 113 last year and at 106 in 2024) and Rundell (106 last year) was decided by a couple of takedowns from Noble.

“I’ve made adjustments in the room going (up against) big people,” Noble said. “I’ve been wrestling with Aaron Stewart (175 pounds) and he’s made an impact on my wrestling for the better. I’m used to bigger people so when I came out here it’s just a mindset thing. I know I’ve been through a lot more than these kids and I think that’s what separates me. I want to say I’ve changed the way I’ve not necessarily moved, but my rhythms have. I think I’ve changed my rhythms and I think that’s important for a wrestler. If somebody is predictable then they’re just going to be beatable at that point. You can’t telegraph anything.”

His dad also continues to inspire and push. 

“My dad is always in my ear 24/7,” he said. “He was a great wrestler. He kind of like stays on me all the time and I know it’s from love and he might yell at me sometimes, but he tells me not to take it personally. When we get in the car and we have a hard day at practice and he apologizes, it’s just wrestling.”

His dad helps him with his moves, which often turn into a show; hence, he’s “Showtime” when he hits the mat. 

“My dad will tell me the moves I need to work on,” he said. “Before, when I was little, he used to badger me about it, but now he gives me the moves and knows that I’m mature enough to execute those moves and if I have it wrong a little bit he might try to critique it, but ultimately he shows a move and I usually I try to change the move to fitting my wrestling style. And he has no shame behind that. He lets me wrestle freely and what he says, what I do out there is what Showtime does, you’re on his time.”

Marmion’s Preston Morrison won by medical forfeit for third against Notre Dame’s Ray Long, and St. Patrick’s Jack Koenig took fifth with a 15-5 major decision over Oakwood’s Steven Uden.

120 – Danny Goodwin, St. Patrick 

Goodwin, who was last year’s Class 2A runner-up at 113 pounds, scored a 4-0 win against Portage’s  (Indiana) Zavier Acuna to win the title for his squad’s lone championship.

After opening the tournament with a 11-1 win over Notre Dame’s Lucas Goldman, Goodwin earned tech fall wins over Lincoln-Way West’s Charlie Tustin and Quincy’s Wyatt Boeing.

Marmion’s Brody Page won 11-4 for third against Quincy’s Wyatt Boeing, and Oakwood’s Weston Frazier on 8-3 over Washington’s Lucas Bach on the fifth-place mat.

126 – Jamiel Castleberry, Oak Park and River Forest

Well, it certainly did not take long for a couple of standouts from 120 to meet again at 126 just a year later.

Castleberry, who took fifth in the state at 120 in Class 3A, had to get past Hononegah senior Jackson Olson, who placed fourth a season ago.

“That was pretty good, Castleberry said. “I would love to get to my offense more, but I think I wrestled solid for the first time.”

Consistency is something Castleberry is striving for every practice, every match.

“Last year there were a bunch of ups and downs, so this year I just want to win,” he said. “Last year I was winning matches and then losing to kids I wasn’t supposed to be losing to. Working hard and always getting extra reps after practice. My coach Jason Renteria, he’s big about getting extra reps. We have accountability partners and mine is MJ Rundell. He holds me accountable a lot.”

Battling through such a tough tournament to kick off the season wasn’t necessarily what Castleberry expected. While he impressed with his wrestling, he was impressed by his fellow competitors.

“It’s tough competition, and I didn’t think it would be this tough, he said. “We usually go to West Aurora first to start the year, but we both kind of came here. Our team, I feel could be pretty special. We’ve got some seniors leaving which will be sad. They’re a key part of the team but I feel we could do good and get a team trophy if everybody works hard and puts effort into it.  I want to win it all this year and put up bonus points in every dual, all pins.”

Marian Central Catholic’s Austin Hagevold placed third with a 6-3 win over Marmion’s Aidan McClure, and Plainfield North’s Aidan Durell won by fall on the fifth-place mat against Mahoment-Seymour’s Gideon Hayter.

132 – Nicholas Garcia, Marmion

Illinois recruit Nicholas Garcia hopes to head to Champaign as a three-time state champion in three weight classes. Garcia was a state champ at 113 in 2024 and at 126 last season.

He picked up his first big tournament win of the year with a 19-4 tech fall win over Oakwood’s Mason Swartz to capture the title.

Garcia pinned his first two opponents in the tournament and recorded a 20-4 tech fall win against Lockport’s Isaac Zimmerman in the semifinal. Garcia was injured at the start of last season and did not compete in the inaugural tournament a season ago.

Lockport Township’s Isaac Zimmerman won by fall over Marist’s Jon Beals for third place, and Lincoln-Way West’s Brady Glynn placed fifth with a 10-2 decision over Portage’s Ayden Campbell.

138 – Zach Stewart, Marmion
Top-ranked Stewart is realizing that he’ll be in the Purdue black and gold before he knows it. He’s looking to add to a resume which includes a state title at 138 during his sophomore season and a second place finish at 144 as a junior last year.

“It all went by fast and everybody was like it goes so fast but you know the days go slow, the weeks go fast, the months go fast,” he said. “And I’m going to miss it because I’ve really enjoyed my time here.”

Stewart won by tech fall over Marist’s Axel Rodriguez, 21-5 at 4:21, to capture the 138 title. Stewart was one of three Cadets to also win titles in this tournament in its first two seasons, joining Colton Wyller and Demetrios Carrera. 

“This is super cool because it’s a nice start-up, warm-up tournament and then this year you come here and you’ve got all these tough matches,” Stewart said. “You’ve got (Jimmy) Mastny vs. (Aaron) Stewart, you’ve got (Wyatt) Medlin vs. (Justin) Wardlow going on right now, It’s really cool to see how it’s expanded already so fast. I really like it here.”

As far as self analysis goes, Stewart liked the way he got around the mat.

“I liked my movement,” he said. “I really liked how I was able to attack both sides of the body because I’ve been struggling with that recently so I really liked that… it was kind of go-with-the-flow wrestling which is what I’ve struggled with but I was very happy with how I wrestled today.”

He’s particularly fond of his crew.

“Our team obviously has the same goal to win team state, but we all decided as a team that we should all get closer together because last year we were all close but we do more things as a team now,” he said,. “We all go out to eat more, we all do extra work after practice together, we all go do bike sprints and stuff. It’s really kind of creating that bond of we’re all struggling together so we’re all kind of growing and learning from what we’ve been up to.”

Lincoln-Way West’s Shane Stream won a 4-1 decision on the third-place mat against St. Patrick’s Patrick Hulne, and Oakwood’s Devin Ehler took fifth with a fall against Fremd’s Drew Fifield.

144 – Demetrios Carrera, Marmion

It didn’t take long for a big rematch to occur this season as Carrera and Mount Carmel’s Justin Williamson met for the title after the two battled in the state consolation semifinals at 132 last year. 

In February, Carrera edged Williamson, 6-5, and proceeded to place third in the state while Williamson rebounded to take fifth. 

Saturday proved to be another fantastic battle between the two, with Carrera earning his second straight win over Williamson with a takedown for sudden victory in overtime, 9-6.

“It was a good match,” Carrera said. “I think he wrestled well. I think that I could’ve gotten into my offense more. I think I was a little sloppy on some of my finishes and attack, but overall I think even through all the hiccups and stuff, I got the job done and I guess what matters is we can go back in the room and make some tweaks and adjustments of what I need to do to make sure I can clean up the sloppiness and do better in the future.”

One area where Carrera continues to grow is toward sharpening his mental edge.

“My mindset has kind of tweaked a little bit,” he said. “Obviously, I think I’ve grown in my technique and cleaned up a lot of things from last season and stuff, and keep improving, but my mindset was one of the biggest things. Being able to go out there and even push at that point where you’re tired and just keeping the pace going even when you are tired. I think that was the biggest thing for me, not feeling sorry for yourself and just keep pushing through even when you feel tired because you know you are both tired out there. I think that was the biggest change for me.”

The tougher the competition, the less that separates the greats.

“It’s about those little adjustments that you make and just little tweaks of getting one percent better each day and continuing to move forward,” Carrera said. “Even on your bad days you are going in there and putting in the work and learning. I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Naperville Central’s Jacob Cochran won the third-place match 7-0 over Oak Park and River Forest’s Zev Koransky, while Oakwood’s Tyler Huchel placed fifth via a 6-3 decision over Civic Memorial’s Greg Harkey.

150 – Rocco Cassioppi, Hononegah

The junior enters his upperclassmen years having already committed to the University of Wisconsin after taking second place in the state at 106 in Class 3A as a freshman, and winning a state title at 132 a season ago.

At 150 in this tournament, Cassioppi earned a 17-2 tech fall victory over Marist’s Tommy Fidler.

It was two days of tech fall wins for Cassioppi who won all four of his bouts that way, outscoring opponents, 72-10. Dominant, no doubt, and it matches the 72-10 record the Bulls had during the 1995-1996 season when they won 72 regular season games and only lost 10 times.

It looks like Rockton has plenty more winning to come from Cassioppi this year and next before he heads off to Madison.

Marist’s Tommy Fidler placed third by medical forfeit over Marmion’s Ashton Hobson, and West Chicago’s Leo Rosas took fifth with a 4-2 decision over OPRF’s AJ Noyes.

157 – Wyatt Medlin, Washington

Wyatt Medlin has spent his life around the Washington wrestling program, but his talents on the mat have taken him all over the world, including multiple trips to Russia as well as his soon-to-be new home in Champaign at the University of Illinois.

“For me, I’ve been around the Washington program since I was a toddler,” he said. “My dad was coach there and now finally it’s my last year and I’m a senior in high school. It’s kind of surreal. Last year they made me a team captain. We didn’t have a ton of seniors so I was a junior team captain, but we put an asterisk next to that because there were still seniors above you who kind of called the shots. The year being the captain it feels nice. I feel like I have a sense of responsibility of keeping my guys accountable, and we have a tough team.”

Medlin had one of the toughest championship bouts in Aurora, meeting Lockport’s Justin Wardlow in the final. Top-ranked in 3A, Wardlow is a three-time state runner-up while Medlin is a returning two-time state champ in 2A placed third in Champaign as a freshman.

“This tournament is spectacular,” Medlin said. “Second annual and it’s tougher than ninety percent of state brackets. Wardlow in the final, that’s the no. 1 ranked guy in 3A. Fargo champ in my bracket, bunch of state placers in my bracket, this is good stuff. Down in 2A Washington does a good job of getting good tournaments and good competition but state-wide 2A isn’t as deep as 3A so it’s nice getting that 3A competition early on in the season. I couldn’t ask for a better tournament. I’m grateful for it.”

As one would expect, Medlin’s life revolves around wrestling. It’s his life.

“I wrestled all off-season,” he said. “Spent a month training in Russia. The hospitality and training was great over there. This was like my fifth time there. I took a few of the U of I guys down there and I’ve been training a lot at U of I, close to home and yeah wrestled in Fargo, double-finalist in Greco.”

In the third-place match, Marist’s Ethan Sonne won a 14-2 major decision over OPRF’s David Ogunsanya, and Antioch’s Dominic Garcia played fifth via 8-2 decision over Portage’s Lincoln Underwood.

165 – Liam Kelly, Mount Carmel

Kelly’s used to winning so capturing a championship in the first tournament of the season isn’t the hugest deal, but then again…

“I loved it,” he said. “I thought this tournament was great even though it was a little long. I loved the competition. I thought it was a good test for the first week of the season.”

He was happy to get a 16-4 win against Warren standout Royce Lopez.

“I felt good about getting to my read attacks clean,” he said. “My hand fighting felt good. I felt great.”

After helping the Caravan win the Class 3A team dual state title in 2024, Kelly won the individual title last year at 157.

“After winning state last year I trained all off-season with coach Alex Tsirtsis,” he said. “He helped me all summer get better, and I trained up at U of I a lot with those guys. They all helped me get a lot better.”

Kelly expects big things from his fellow wrestlers this winter.

“I think we’ll be good,” he said. “We could win state this year. We’ve got young kids, a bunch of freshmen who are good and can help us out a lot, and a heavyweight playing football right now. The football team is always winning so they are always ending their season at Thanksgiving every year so team is looking great.”

As for passing down words of advice to his teammates, Kelly said he’s simply sharing what’s been taught to him.

“I just kind of get my two cents in to these guys,” he said. “I usually look up to coach (Tsirtsis) and have got a lot of good advice from him and try to pass it on to the younger guys.”

Hononegah’s Bruno Cassioppi took third with a 7-0 decision over Lincoln-Way West’s Max Herman, and Civic Memorial’s James Wojcikiewicz placed fifth via technical fall over West Aurora’s Marcus Quintana.

175 – Brody Sendele, Rockton (Hononegah)

A host of ranked 175-pounders got an early-season look at each other in Aurora.

University of Wisconsin recruit Sendele took down Warren’s Ilia Dvoriannikov in 1:39 to capture the 175 title. The match featured the top two-ranked 175-pounders in Illinois per Rob Sherrill’s rankings.

The junior Sendele is ranked No. 1 in 3A after placing third at 157 in Champaign as a freshman and second last year at 165 pounds. No. 2 senior Dvoryannikov placed second at 165 as a sophomore and third as a junior.

Sendele also earned a 10-3 decision against St. Patrick’s Van Grasser, pinned Plainfield North’s Raphael Tovar in 1:49 and collected a 17-1 tech fall win over Mt. Carmel’s Brandon Beavers.

West Aurora’s No. 3 Dayne Serio placed sixth at 165 as last season. He lost by fall to Dvoriannikov in Saturday’s semifinals, then beat another ranked wrestler by 3-0 sudden victory decision for third place, in St. Patrick’s Van Grasser. Grasser is ranked among the honorable mentions at 175 and is a two-time state medal winner.

Glenwood’s Elijah Smith won a 4-3 decision for fifth place against Mount Carmel’s Danny Lynch. Smith is No. 9 in 2A to start the season.

190 – Jimmy Mastny, Marian Central Catholic

The Most Outstanding Wrestler among a field that included 13 nationally-ranked athletes and 83 wrestlers ranked in Illinois, Mastny pinned Fremd’s Lucas Nance in 1:37 for the 190 title.

Ranked No. 1 in 2A, Mastny had two pins leading up to his semifinal match. His toughest test against Warren’s Aaron Stewart occurred during the semifinals and was one of the premier matchups during the tournament. Two-time state champion Stewart is top-ranked at 190 pounds in 3A.

Stewart is also among the most elite all-around athletes in the state. Stewart is looking to be a rare two-sport athlete at the Division 1 level, as he is committed to wrestle and play football at the University of Illinois.

Mastny is also a two-time state champ, having won the Illinois crown at 157 as a freshman and 190 as a sophomore. Mastny took Stewart down with 16 seconds remaining in the second period and the three-point takedown propelled him to the 4-1 victory.

“Everyone knows Aaron Stewart – he’s won everything he could win,” Mastny said. “Holding him down for a while and just getting to my attack in the second was a big deal. I’m just trying to get better every day, learning new stuff, critiquing stuff from matches. For me personally, it’s just about learning more and probably trying to start in college as a freshman.”

Ranked No. 4 in 2A, Mahomet-Seymour’s Marco Casillas won a 7-5 decision for third place over Fremd’s Nance, who is ranked No. 4 in 3A. Naperville Central’s Paul Peradotti took fifth with a 7-2 decision over Mount Carmel’s Kenneth Seggerson.

215 – Luke Boersma, Marmion

Junior Luke Boersma would likely dominate sophomore Luke Boersma.

“I definitely feel stronger,” he said. “I mean, I tried to get stronger last offseason, but I feel this year I got even better and I plan to keep on improving to achieve my goals.”

Boersma pinned Marian’s Dan French late in the third period while ahead 11-7 to take home the title. He also earned a first period pin against Warren’s Pearce Estrada and a couple early second period pins against Marist’s Tom O’Brien and Civic Memorial Bethalto’s Kevahn Flanagan before he got to French. 

“In the best way possible, he’s gotten a lot denser,” Cadets coach Anthony Cirrincione said. “He’s thick and he’s stronger and you couple it with the kind of positions he likes to wrestle in that maybe other people don’t like to wrestle in and he’s going to be in the advantage a lot of the times. It’s been really good to see.”

Boersma recognized that improved strength could pay off drastically so put in the work during the off-season and has already received dividends. Last year he helped the team win a state dual title. Now he’s winning individual titles. During last year’s Cadet Classic he placed fifth at 190.

He’s certainly hanging with great company with his siblings. His older brother Ryan (University of Illinois/Mount Carmel) and sister Abbey (University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point/Minooka) continue to share his love and success of the sport.

“I have been working on technique with both of them for a long time,” he said. “I’ve been going down to U of I to get extra work in with Ryan this preseason and that has definitely helped me a lot with my technique.”

When asked if he’s the best wrestler in the family now, Boersma paused for a couple seconds before responding. Boersma smirked at the tough question.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s a tall task to achieve.”

Warren’s Caleb Vanleer won by fall for third place against Marist’s Tom O’Brien, and Lincoln-Way West’s Jimmy Talley won by fall for fifth place against Mahomet-Seymour’s Phil Daniels.

285 – Joey Favia, Marmion 

The senior Favia pinned Glenwood’s Cody Moss in 1:46 to finish the tournament. Two-time state qualifier and state runner-up two years ago at 215, Favia is currently ranked No. 3 in Illinois.

Returning state champion Moss is top-ranked in 2A after winning the heavyweight state crown last season.

Favia rolled through the competition impressively on Saturday, earning pins in each of his matches leading up to the final against Evergreen Park’s Willie Johnson, Washington’s Sean Thornton and Marist’s Jack Watson.

Antioch’s Owen Shea placed third by fall over Marist’s Jack Watson, and West Aurora’s Alfonso Aguilar won by 5-3 decision on the fifth-place mat against Washington’s Sean Thornton.

Eight extraordinary individuals will be honored Sunday, October 19, 2025, by the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Bloomington, Illinois.

Ron Coit, Mike Garland, Jim Heffernan, Jeff Hill, Rob Ledin and Rob Sherrill will be honored with the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award.  MMA superstar and UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes will be honored with the Outstanding American award and Aurora College wrestler Antonia Phillips will receive the Chapter’s Medal of Courage at this honors banquet and induction ceremony.

Illinois Chapter Honors Banquet Details

When: October 19, 2025

Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington
10 Brickyard Dr, Bloomington, IL 61701

To purchase tickets for the banquet or make a donation to the Chapter, please follow this link to the NWHOF banquet registration website.

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

The popularity of the IWCOA’s Girls Championships has surged in the past few years and the 2025 competition established a new standard in impressive fashion.

A total of 452 girls took part in the two-day competition at Bank of Springfield Center, which was a 50 percent boost from last year’s field, which was 301. And this year’s tournament had a 220 percent gain from the 2023 Championships, when 141 participated.

The eight sectionals also had a 60 percent increase from a year ago with 572 on hand this year and 357 taking part in 2024. The Boys Frosh/Soph Championship also established a new record this season with 591 competitors so the combined total of 1,043 for both events.

Fourteen schools had first-place finishers in the Girls Championships with Metea Valley being the only one that had two title winners, Janiya Moore (115) and Alketa Picari (135).

The west suburbs had the most champions with Naperville Central’s Annika Hull (95), Glenbard West’s Jivona Brown (100), Lisle Senior’s Sophie Crescenzo (125), Oak Park and River Forest’s Isabella Miller (140), J. Sterling Morton’s Anali Wilson (190) and Glenbard North’s Asreilla Wallace (235) joining Moore and Picari as title winners. 

Other Chicago-area first-place finishers were Lockport Township’s Averi Colella (105), Warren Township’s Aaliyah Vazquez (110), Kankakee’s Taniyah Sherman (120) and Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Giancarla Garduno (145).

Champions from central Illinois programs were Springfield co-op’s Ariella Miloncus (130) and Richwoods’ Sydney Johnson (170) while southern Illinois also had a first-place finisher, Murphysboro’s Nahima Mateo (155).

Springfield co-op’s Ariella Miloncus won her third title at the Championships, also taking firsts in 2022 and 2023 in her other two appearances and she could not compete in the event last season since she qualified for the IHSA Individual Finals. The co-op team features athletes from Springfield High, Lanphier and Southeast.

Champions who moved up from a year ago (with finishes in 2024 listed) were Kankakee’s Taniyah Sherman (third at 115), Metea Valley’s Alketa Picari (third at 145), Naperville Central’s Annika Hull (fourth at 95), Richwoods’ Sydney Johnson (fourth at 170), Glenbard North’s Asreilla Wallace (fourth at 235), Metea Valley’s Janiya Moore (fifth at 110), Oak Park and River Forest’s Isabella Miller (sixth at 140) and Warren Township’s Aaliyah Vazquez (DNP at 125).

Glenbard North advanced three to title matches as Keagan Edwards (130) and Suzanne Stalley (140) both took second. And Springfield co-op also had a runner-up, Reaghan Madura (110).

Additional second-place finishers from Chicago-area schools were Larkin’s Ashley Hammond (105), Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Aubrianna Rapier (120), District 230 co-op involving Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Stagg’s Piper Booe (125), Conant’s Ewa Krupa (135), Plainfield North’s Viktoriia Rodnikova (145), Plainfield East’s Kaitlyn Bucholz (155), Cary-Grove’s Denver Gier (170) and Shepard’s Karrine Jenkins (235). Rodnikova also took second place last year at 140. 

Other individuals who finished in second place from downstate Illinois schools were Olympia’s Mya Downs (95), Geneseo’s Addison Hadsall (100), Pekin’s Violet Pennington (115) and Waterloo’s Izabell McBride (190).

Some of the closest championship matches included Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Giancarla Garduno getting past Plainfield North’s Viktoriia Rodnikova 6-3 by sudden victory at 145, Warren Township’s Aaliyah Vazquez edging Springfield co-op’s Reaghan Madura 5-4 at 110, J. Sterling Morton’s Anali Wilson prevailing over Waterloo’s Izabell McBride 1-0 at 190 and Oak Park and River Forest’s Isabella Miller defeating Glenbard North’s Suzanne Stalley 6-4 at 140.

There was a three-way tie for the most teams points with 34 between Glenbard West’s Jivona Brown, Kankakee’s Taniyah Sherman and Lisle Senior’s Sophie Crescenzo while Springfield co-op’s Ariella Miloncus and Murphysboro’s Nahima Mateo tied for fourth with 33 points. 

Metea Valley’s Alketa Picari scored 32.5 points while Naperville Central’s Annika Hull, Oak Park and River Forest’s Isabella Miller and Glenbard North’s Asreilla Wallace all had 32 points and Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Giancarla Garduno rounded out the top 10 with 31 team points.

Champaign Central’s London Grant had the most total match points with 86, Pekin’s Madizyn Megrant ranked second with 76 points and Lincoln-Way co-op’s Emily Peyton was third with 72 points. Megrant and Peyton also were the only two individuals in the Girls Championships who won three matches by technical fall.

There were three competitors who collected six falls during the Championships, Minooka’s Sabina Charlebois, West Aurora’s Kaylee Martinez and Oak Forest’s Brooklyn Strelow.

Here’s a look at the title winners at the IWCOA Girls Championships and other medalists at their weight classes:

95 – Annika Hull, Naperville Central

Annika Hull had a successful season by most standards after going 28-12 and she won a title at Eisenhower, took second at Ottawa Township and her own school’s invite, was third at Curie and fourth at Niles West. But the Naperville Central senior was disappointed that she fell a bit short of advancing to the Schaumburg Sectional from the Hinsdale South Regional. So she decided to compete in the IWCOA Girls Championship series again and she closed her career on a high note after winning the title at 95 with a fall in 2:15 over Olympia senior Mya Downs.

Hull, one of two medalists and the lone finalist for the Redhawks, who are coached by 2011 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Rob Porter, who is also serves as the IWCOA President, qualified for the Finals by winning the title at her own school’s sectional. She received a bye and then recorded falls in next four matches, winning in 4:21 over Mahomet-Seymour’s Sierra Tuttle in the quarterfinals and then in 2:58 over Robinson’s Serenity Canady in the semifinals. Hull also competed in the Championships last season and claimed fourth place at 95.

“Having coach (Rob) Porter as a coach, he’s always just made me focus on the next match, rather than actually winning the whole thing,” Hull said. “So it kind of made me look at it one step at a time, rather than the big picture, which really helped me a lot. So when I was out there in my last match, I was more thinking of winning the match rather than winning the actual tournament itself, which put me in a better mindset. At first, you don’t really know that you won, you’re just in shock. But then when you see your coach in the corner and he’s all happy and everything, you really feel accomplished and that you just did a good job out there. It was a really tough competition. Coach Porter was proud of how far I did come in my actual state run, but he knew I could have done better. Seeing me make it to the finals, he was like, ‘I knew you could be a finals placer.’ I was actually the first one on the team at Naperville Central. And just watching the team grow, along with coach Porter, I always liked having him in my corner and having him there to coach me. And to see our team grow, since we went from two to now 11.”

Mya Downs, who went 20-10 and took second place at the Pontiac Regional before falling a bit shy of qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals at the Highland Sectional, was a member of her school’s first qualifier for the IHSA Class 1A Dual Team Finals since 2017, where it lost 53-22 to eventual champion Coal City in the quarterfinals. The lone qualifier for coach Josh Collins’ Spartans in the Girls Championships, she also received a bye before getting a fall and then claimed a 2-0 decision over Lincoln-Way co-op’s Monica Alvarez in the quarterfinals before capturing a 9-5 decision over Joliet Central’s Kassandra Ruiz in the semifinals. 

Lincoln-Way co-op’s Monica Alvarez lost in the quarterfinals to Mya Downs and bounced back from that with four-straight victories to capture third place with a fall in 3:25 over Joliet Central’s Kassandra Ruiz. For fifth place, Mahomet-Seymour’s Sierra Tuttle claimed a 13-7 win by sudden victory over Robinson’s Serenity Canady. And for seventh place, Bloom Township’s Lillian O’Brien won by fall in 2:18 over Heyworth’s Haley Richter.

100 – Jivona Brown, Glenbard West

Jivona Brown went 19-12 this season and took third in the West Suburban Conference and fourth at Larkin but was unable to advance to the IHSA Individual Finals after falling a bit short of qualifying from the Schaumburg Sectional. So the Glenbard West senior wanted one more opportunity to compete along with her teammates and got that chance when she qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championship by taking first place at the Naperville Central Sectional.  

Brown claimed victories in all five of her matches in the Championship with pins, winning in 1:18 over West Aurora’s Melissa Melgar in the quarterfinals and in 3:38 over Mahomet-Seymour’s Madilyn Becker in the semifinals and then capturing the title at 100 in 1:29 over Geneseo freshman Addison Hadsall to become the lone finalist and one of four medal winners for coach Pat McCluskey’s Hilltoppers. Brown tied Lisle Senior’s Sophie Crescenzo, the champion at 125, and Kankakee’s Taniyah Sherman, the title winner at 120, for the most team points with 34. They were the only three champions who won all five of their matches with falls.

“Being able to go into this and to end up with a title is something that I really didn’t think was going to happen,” Brown said. “In general, me and my teammates, especially some of the older girls that were with me the entire time, we came just to have some fun. Our sectional ended up being really, really hard, and we didn’t make it all the way, so we chose the IWCOA as a last go for all of us. So being able to end up with the title was honestly mind-blowing and is something that I consider to be a very defining moment in my wrestling career. It was definitely a real special team. A lot of these girls I ended up practically growing up with, so being able to come to the IWCOA, we were like, ‘let’s just all do it together and have fun, let’s just be the team that we’ve always been.’ It was just a very special bonding moment for all of us. It was a humongous tournament, I’ve never been to anything outside of a school tournament, so walking into the IWCOA, was like, ‘whoa’. This was my first time competing in the 100 bracket ever, so I was like, ‘I have no idea what I’m expecting.’ So it was kind of weird to be a senior that’s in the know about everything you should have some background knowledge, and I didn’t. I’ve only been wrestling for two seasons, so everything is fairly new to me. For me and my girls, it was like anything could happen. Being able to go in and kind of go where the wind blows was really fun.”

Addison Hadsall, who went 33-16 and won titles at the first Princeton Invitational Tournament and the Jacksonville Regional and also placed fourth at Canton, fell a bit short of advancing from the sectional that her school hosted to miss out on a trip to the IHSA Individual Finals. So the freshman entered the IWCOA Girls Championship series and qualified for state by taking first at the Sterling Sectional. She opened with a quick pin and a major decision before winning by fall in 2:13 over Bismarck-Henning Rossville-Alvin coop’s Gracie Pattison in the quarterfinals and then advanced to the 100 title mat with a pin in 1:31 over Glenbrook North’s Leah Stringfellow to become the lone finalist and one of two medalists for coach Carley Rusk’s Maple Leafs.

Lincoln-Way’s Emily Peyton bounced back from a 13-5 loss to Glenbrook North’s Leah Stringfellow in the quarterfinals to win four in a row, capping that run with a 10-4 decision over Stringfellow to claim third place. Peyton was one of two individuals in the tournament who had three wins by technical fall and tied for third in total match points with 72. For fifth place, Wheeling’s Haydee Cruz claimed a 5-0 decision over Mahomet-Seymour’s Madilyn Becker. And for seventh place, Richwoods’ Leah White won 2-0 over Burlington Central’s Melanie Granada.  

105 – Averi Colella, Lockport Township

Averi Colella made history by becoming the first girl at Lockport Township to collect 100 wins and was 40-13 and qualified for the IHSA Individual Finals in 2024. In her senior season, she went 44-10 and won a title at Oswego East, took second at Minooka and Niles West and placed third at Hoffman Estates and the Hinsdale South Regional but fell one win shy of advancing from the Schaumburg Sectional. So Colella decided to finish her career on a better note at the IWCOA Girls Championships and that paid off for her since she claimed the title at 105 with a victory by technical fall over Larkin senior Ashley Hammond.

Colella qualified for her trip to Springfield by taking first at the Thornton Township Sectional. After collecting a fall in her opener, she got a pin in 4:53 over Schaumburg’s Justice Girod in the quarterfinals. Colella earned her spot in the 105 finals with a 7-0 decision over West Chicago’s Brissia Bucio in the semifinals to become the only medalist for coach Nathaniel Roth’s Porters.

“Our assistant coach, Sam Fuentes, organized the postseason IWCOA Tournament for us,” Colella said. “I wanted to continue and we had some girls that wanted to be in it but the school does not fund it, so we had to pay our own way. Although she couldn’t wrestle in it because she was in the IHSA tournament, Rebekah Ramirez came with us. I felt like I was supposed to go to state but didn’t get super lucky in the blood round at the (Schaumburg) Sectional. Veronica (Skibicki) was my partner in the room and went as an alternate and got to wrestle at state and made the second day. The lower weight classes were loaded. When I got to the title match, I knew I’d win. I had pinned her at the sectional and this time I had a tech fall.”

Ashley Hammond saw her 30-14 season come to an end when she lost to Colella in consolation round three at the Schaumburg Sectional. The senior also enjoyed a lot of success in tournaments, winning titles at East Aurora and Conant, taking second place at her school’s invite, Curie and the Willowbrook Regional and fourth at Minooka and Ottawa Township. She qualified for the Championships by taking first at the Naperville Central Sectional and recorded falls in her first three matches, needing 1:59 to defeat Vernon Hills’ Hanna Lee in the quarterfinals. The lone medalist for coach Patrick Hillebrand’s Royals captured a 16-5 major decision over Plainfield East’s Angelina Nettey in the semifinals. She took fifth at 105 in last year’s IWCOA competition.

Maine East’s Eliana Badeen lost her second match and then won six in a row to claim third place with a fall in 4:49 over Plainfield East’s Angelina Nettey. For fifth, West Chicago’s Brissia Bucio recorded a pin in 2:52 over Schaumburg’s Justice Girod and for seventh place, Granite City’s Briana Ramirez won an 8-0 major decision over Anna-Jonesboro’s Haydyn Williamson.

110 – Aaliyah Vazquez, Warren Township

Aaliyah Vazquez came up a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the New Trier Sectional but the Warren Township sophomore had a lot of positives in her 29-10 season. She won titles at Rockford East and Niles West, finished second at Waukegan, Westosha Central, WI, Bolingbrook, Conant and Lake County and was third at the Round Lake Regional. Vazquez decided to end things on a better note and did just that by taking first place at 110 at the IWCOA Girls Championship with a 5-4 decision over Springfield co-op senior Reaghan Madura.

Vazquez qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championship with a first-place finish at the Lake Zurich Sectional. After getting a pin and win by technical fall in her first two matches, she claimed a 15-5 major decision over Crane Medical Prep’s Hannah Chong in the quarterfinals before winning by technical fall over Streator Township’s Addison Yacko in the semifinals. She was the lone finalist and one of two medal winners for coach Nick Grujanac’s Blue Devils.

“I had some new things and I kind of wanted to put them out there and do what I do, and I love wrestling,” Vazquez said. “I’ve been wrestling since seventh grade.This sport teaches you a lot of discipline and how to work hard and be patient. It’s just really fun when you get to learn all of the basics and all of the fun moves and get fluent with it. Since the (Warren Township) boys can get titles), us girls can get them, too. This was like a redemption from sectionals and all of that.”

Reaghan Madura, who fell a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the Highland Sectional went 22-8 in her final season. She won the title at Lanphier’s Jeff Gardner Memorial, took seconds at Pontiac, Canton and the Mt. Zion Regional and was third at Granite City and Jacksonville. She qualified for the IWCOA Championships by taking first at the Granite City Sectional. After getting a win by technical fall and a major decision, Madura won a 9-3 decision over ROWVA’s Marissa Brown in the quarterfinals and a 10-6 decision over Willowbrook’s Angelina Manlapaz in the semifinals to become one of two finalists, with 130 champ Ariella Miloncus the other, for coach Sean Kenny’s co-op team, that includes athletes from Springfield High, Lanphier and Southeast.

Woodstock’s Eva Hermansson lost her second match and then won six in a row to claim third place with a 7-4 decision over Streator Township’s Addison Yacko. For fifth place, Willowbrook’s Angelina Manlapaz won by fall in 4:03 over Pekin’s Madizyn Megrant, who joined Lincoln-Way’s Emily Peyton as the only two individuals with three wins by technical fall. And for seventh place, St. Charles East’s Sydney Stieb was a winner by technical fall over Saint Viator’s Evalyn Idzik.

115 – Janiya Moore, Metea Valley

Janiya Moore closed out a successful sophomore season with a 43-6 record but fell one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Schaumburg Sectional. In addition, she won two tournaments at Oswego East and also took firsts at Waukegan, Hampshire and Oak Forest, second at East Aurora and thirds at Niles West, Conant and the Hinsdale South Regional. With all of that success, it was no surprise that she would want to compete again in the IWCOA Girls Championships and that was wise decision since she took first place at 115 after claiming an 8-3 decision over Pekin sophomore Violet Pennington in the title match, helping Metea Valley to be the only team in the event with two champions as Alketa Picari also took first place at 135.

Moore, who took fifth at 110 last season, qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships by winning the title at the Naperville Central Sectional. After opening with a win by technical fall and a pin, she claimed another win by technical fall over Westville’s Kiley Knight in the quarterfinals and then earned her spot in the 115 title match with a 5-3 decision over York’s Charlie Dolan. Title winners Moore and Picari were the lone qualifiers for coach Kevin Garbis’ Mustangs.

“This gives me a boost and I feel like I’m more confident now that I can win,” Moore said. “Last year, I got fifth (at the IWCOA), so being first is really exciting and gives me a lot of confidence. I feel like winning this just proves that I 100 percent could have made it to state and I could have placed. I’m super glad that both of our boys made it (to IWCOA state) and I’m super glad that she (Alketa) made it. And even if they just competed at sectionals, I’m glad that everyone could just come together and try to learn. I’m super glad that I got to wrestle girls that were really good. This is good because we live and we learn, and this was a learning experience overall.”

Violet Pennington finished 9-5 and advanced to the Geneseo Sectional. She won a title at the Mid-Illini Conference, was second in the Metamora Township Regional and took fourth place at Normal Community. She advanced to the IWCOA Girls Championships after taking first at the Heyworth Sectional. Pennington, one of two medalists and the lone finalist for coach John Jacobs’ Lady Dragons, opened with a victory by technical fall and then got a pin. She won by fall in 3:23 over Edwardsville’s Gigi Linhorst in the quarterfinals and then advanced to the 115 title match with another pin, this one in 3:53 over Morris’ Makensi Martin in the semifinals.

Edwardsville’s Gigi Linhorst lost to Violet Pennington in the quarterfinals and then won four-straight matches to claim third place with a 12-6 decision over Morris’ Makensi Martin. For fifth place, York’s Charlie Dolan captured a 9-4 decision over Grant’s America Camacho. And for seventh place, West Aurora’s Kaylee Martinez, who tied two other individuals for the most falls with six, recorded a pin in 0:38 over Sherrard’s Sophia Bradarich. 

120 – Taniyah Sherman, Kankakee

Taniyah Sherman completed her junior season with an 18-4 record but her quest to advance to the IHSA Individual Finals came up a bit short at the Geneseo Sectional. So the Kankakee junior, who won a title at Pontiac, took second at Ottawa Township and placed third at the Metamora Township Regional, decided to see how well she could do in the IWCOA Girls Championships series after placing third at 115 in 2024. She not only got back to the state finals but she captured the title at 120 with a fall in 4:20 over Bradley-Bourbonnais sophomore Aubrianna Rapier, avenging a loss when the two met up for the title at the Thornton Township Sectional between athletes whose schools are less than five miles away from each other.

Sherman took second place in the IWCOA Thornton Township Sectional, when she lost to Rapier by fall in 2:09 in the title match. She then proceeded to win all five of her matches in Springfield with pins, becoming one of three champions who pulled off that feat, with the others being Glenbard West’s Jivona Brown, who took first place at 100, and Lisle Senior’s Sophie Crescenzio, who won a title right after her at 125. Not surprisingly, all three of those champions also tied for the most team points with 34. She got a fall in 2:32 over West Aurora’s Lailonie Molina in the quarterfinals and then earned her spot in the 120 finals with a pin in 3:44 over Schaumburg’s Isabella Rivas to become the lone medalist for coach Brad Burns’ Lady Kays.

“Yes, I’m pleased,” Sherman said. “At sectionals, I went through a really hard part of the bracket and it got into my head a little bit. But here, it was just about having fun and there was no pressure. And it’s so much fun to see all of these different people. There were so many people here and it was so fun meeting so many different people. The growth this year has been amazing with so many new girls wrestling and so many people are giving it a try. I’ve been wrestling for three years now and when I started, I was only wrestling boys but now there’s so many girls wrestling, I love how fast the sport is growing. I had an amazing time wrestling here, there’s so many girls here with so many different skill levels. I’m still learning as I go in every match, and that’s the fun part. Last year, I came in third and I knew that I could have done better, and now I did better.”

Aubrianna Rapier came up one win short of advancing to the IHSA Finals at the Geneseo Sectional and also competed in the Metamora Township Regional, but she did so at 125, so she didn’t face Sherman there. Rapier had two third-place finishes to highlight her 18-5 season, at Eisenhower in Blue Island and also at the regional. She qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships in Springfield by taking first at the Thornton Township Sectional, where she pinned Sherman in 2:09 in the 120 title match. After not placing in the event last season, she won her first four matches with pins, beating Lake Forest’s Mirabelle Duboeuf in 0:56 in the quarterfinals and Rock Falls’ Ryleigh Eriks in 3:38 in the semifinals to earn another matchup with Sherman. She was the lone medalist for coach Micky Spiwak’s Boilermakers.

In the third-place match, Schaumburg’s Isabella Rivas won by fall in 3:55 over West Aurora’s Lailonie Molina. For fifth place, Glenbard West’s Valentina Fantoni won by medical forfeit over Rock Falls’ Ryleigh Eriks. And for seventh place, Oswego East’s Mia Nevarez was a winner by fall in 2:45 over Marist’s Ava Enright.

125 – Sophie Crescenzo, Lisle Senior

Sophie Crescenzo went 18-7 this past season and fell one win short of qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals from the Schaumburg Sectional. She took second at Bolingbrook, was third at Fremd and the Hinsdale South Regional and placed fourth at Hampshire. Disappointed about not getting an opportunity to compete in Bloomington, the freshman at Lisle Senior decided to take part in the IWCOA Girls Championships and that proved to be a good decision since she captured the title at 125 with a fall in 1:39 over District 230 co-op freshman Piper Booe in the finals.

Crescenzo qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships by winning the Naperville Central Sectional title. Following two first-period falls in her opening two matches in Springfield, she recorded a pin in 4:07 over Minooka’s Sabina Charlebois in the quarterfinals and also won by fall in 4:44 over Edwardsville’s Olive Linhorst in the semifinals. The lone medal winner for coach Brandon Wolak’s Lions, she joined the two individuals who won championships before her, Glenbard West’s Jivona Brown (100) and Kankakee’s Taniya Sherman (120) as the only title winners in the finals who competed in five matches and won each by fall. She also tied Brown and Sherman as the leaders in the Championships for the most team points with 34.

“I’m so proud of myself with how far I’ve come,” Crescenzo said. “I was so close to state, I lost my match by one point in the blood round, so I was right there, but I think that this is better. (About wrestling) I can’t even explain it, it’s changed my life in so many ways. Just the atmosphere of everyone, all of the girls and the love, it’s so fun.”

Piper Booe, who went 28-16 this season, also fell one win away from qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the New Trier Sectional to cap a successful debut season where she took third at the Rich Township Regional and was fourth at Oak Forest. She was the lone qualifier for coach Liz Short’s District 230 co-op team, which featured athletes from Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Stagg, that claimed the IHSA championship at the Finals in Bloomington. Booe also won her first four matches in the Girls Championships by fall, winning in 10 seconds over Schaumburg’s Lauren Brehmer in the quarterfinals and then in 2:11 over Sherrard’s Kylie Mathis in the semifinals. 

Minooka’s Sabina Charlebois lost to Crescenzo in the quarterfinals and then won four in a row to claim third place with a victory by fall in 2:28 over Edwardsville’s Olive Linhorst. For fifth place, Oak Forest’s Brooklyn Strelow recorded a pin in 1:53 over Sherrard’s Kylie Mathis. And for seventh place, Neuqua Valley’s Zuzanna Wegiera was a winner by technical fall over Urbana’s Randi Campe. Charlebois and Strelow were two of the three individuals in the finals who recorded six falls, with West Aurora’s Kaylee Martinez, the other one.

130 – Ariella Miloncus, Springfield co-op

Ariella Miloncus, a senior for the Springfield co-op team, which includes athletes from Springfield High, Lanphier and Southeast, captured her third title at the IWCOA Girls Championship after winning by fall in 4:52 over Glenbard North junior Keagan Edwards in the 130 finals, adding to first-place finishes in 2023 and 2022 and qualifying for the IHSA Finals in 2024. She posted a 21-8 record this season but fell one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Highland Sectional. She also took first at the Mt. Zion Regional, placed second at Pontiac, Springfield’s Joe Bee and Canton and claimed a third-place finish at Jacksonville. 

Miloncus took first in the IWCOA Granite City Sectional to qualify for the event for the third time and won her initial two matches with first-period pins. In the quarterfinals, she captured a 15-3 major decision over Downers Grove North’s Natalia Cruz in the quarterfinals and then earned another trip to the title match in Springfield following a win by fall in 2:02 over Geneseo’s Bella Curcuru. Miloncus was one of two finalists for coach Sean Kenny’s Springfield co-op team.

“I’ve won this three times, also in my freshman and sophomore years,” Miloncus said. “Junior year, I couldn’t wrestle because I went to IHSA state and this year, unfortunately, lost by one match and the sectional had a difficult bracket. All three of our high schools, we all work together as one team, it’s a change, but it helps us to come together. The team this year has pushed me a lot. From my freshman year, it was just me pretty much. I’m so excited that whenever you first step on the mat, you’re scared, but you know  people are there supporting you and that you have a family behind you. If I’m going up against someone, if I win or I lose, we’re all supportive of one another, especially in girls wrestling. The boys are a lot different, it’s a lot more competitive, but us girls know that it’s a growing sport, so we have to stick together.”

Keagan Edwards went 41-8 this season and fell a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Individuals Finals at the Schaumburg Sectional. She won titles at Glenbard South, Morris, Batavia and the DuKane Conference, placed second at Niles West and finished third at Ottawa Township and the Willowbrook Regional. She qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships with a third-place finish at the Naperville Central Sectional and won her first four matches with pins, winning in 4:54 over Homewood-Flossmoor’s Amara Nwoye in the quarterfinals and earning her spot on the 130 title mat with a pin 2:06 over Galesburg’s Amyah Pruitt in the semifinals. She was one of three finalists and two second-place finishers in the event for coach Chris Edwards’ Panthers.

In the third-place match, Galesburg’s Amyah Pruitt was a winner by fall in 1:55 over Geneseo’s Bella Curcuru. For fifth place, Downers Grove North’s Natalia Cruz recorded a pin in 2:13 over Bolingbrook’s Anaya Campbell and for seventh place, Lake Zurich’s Caitlin Ruley captured a 5-0 decision over Joliet Central’s April Ortiz.

135 – Alketa Picari, Metea Valley

Alketa Picari and Janiya Moore found themselves in similar, yet very disappointing, positions on the final day at the Schaumburg Sectional when they both missed out on advancing to the IHSA Individual Finals by one victory. The Metea Valley sophomores were in the same positions on the last day of the IWCOA Girls Championships, except this time it was certainly a much more enjoyable scenario since they both captured championships in the Finals in Springfield to make the Mustangs the only team to have more than one first-place finisher. Picari won by fall in 2:19 over Conant junior Ewa Krupa in the 135 title match, shortly after Moore took first place at 115.

Picari, who went 35-11 this season, and Moore were the two IWCOA qualifiers for coach Kevin Garbis’ Mustangs. She took second place In the Hinsdale South Regional and was third at Waukegan, East Aurora, Conant and Oswego East before falling short at the Schaumburg Sectional. She advanced to the IWCOA Championships after winning a title at the Naperville Central Sectional. After opening with a quick pin and a 12-2 major decision, Picari claimed a win by technical fall over Freeburg’s Kyliee Sudja in the quarterfinals before earning her spot in the 135 title match by recording a fall in 2:55 over DeKalb’s Lana Zimmerman in the semifinals. She improved on her showing in the event last season when she finished in third place at 145.

“It feels good actually and we wanted to win together,” Picari said of winning the title along with Moore. “It’s good just having somebody by your side and we had to warm up together, even though we were at different weights. This gets it rolling for our team, because our girls team is pretty small, we don’t have that many people. All of the competition has helped our team so much. I like the community around it and feeling that you can be tough as a girl in a sport like this. Even now, guys will come up to me and they’ll be like, ‘you just mess around and pull each others’ hair, don’t you?’ It’s just such a different sport than other sports. You have so many opportunities and you’re not on the bench, and I like that.”

Ewa Krupa, who went 39-8 this season, also fell one victory short of qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals at the Schaumburg Sectional. She captured titles at Larkin and Palatine, took second place at Maine East, the Mid Suburban League and the Willowbrook Regional and was third at her own school’s invite. Krupa qualified for the IWCOA Championships by taking first place at the Lake Zurich Sectional and in Springfield, she advanced to the 135 title match with four falls, with the last two pins in less time than the first two. She won by fall in 1:52 over Morris’ Olyve Havens in the quarterfinals and then got a pin in 1:28 over Ottawa Township’s Ava Weatherford in the semifinals. She was the lone IWCOA state qualifier for coach Brad Bessemer’s Cougars.

In the third-place match, DeKalb’s Lana Zimmerman won by fall in 2:53 over Ottawa Township’s Ava Weatherford. In the fifth-place match, Morris’ Olyve Havens recorded a pin in 1:57 over Champaign Central’s London Grant, who led all competitors in the Girls Championships with 86 total match points. And for seventh place, Dundee-Crown’s Ruby Gavina captured a 13-7 decision over Maine East’s Alena Oshana.

140 – Isabella Miller, Oak Park and River Forest

Isabella Miller was like so many other title winners in the IWCOA Championships that aspired to qualify for the IHSA Individual Finals but fell a bit short doing that at the Schaumburg Sectional. So after going 20-9 this season and finishing second at Ottawa Township and Conant and taking third place at the Willowbrook Regional, the Oak Park and River Forest junior decided to try to end on a better note at the Championships in Springfield and she did just that as she won the title at 140 after claiming a 6-4 decision over Glenbard North freshman Suzanne Stalley.

Miller, who qualified for the IWCOA Championships by capturing first place in the Evanston Township Sectional, won her first four matches by fall before facing her toughest test on the 140 title mat. The first three of those pins came in the opening period, including one in 1:13 over Hinsdale Central’s Tiyanna Hart, in the quarterfinals before she earned her spot in the 140 finals with a fall in 3:00 over Freeburg’s Aubrey Raban. Miller, who placed sixth at 140 in last year’s competition, was the lone finalist and one of two medalists for coach Patrick Woulfe’s Huskies. 

“The girls are a lot better than they were last year,” Miller said. “I’m a junior, but this is only my second year. I actually was wrestling guys at a club, and these two girls were like, ‘just actually join the wrestling team, and I said, ‘okay.’ It’s awesome to compete for it (OPRF). It’s like a whole other family, besides obviously your family at home. We have a pretty decent-size team and a lot of the girls are getting better and it’s fun to watch them all grow, too. Actually the girl I wrestled, I wrestled her at regionals, so we were talking the whole time before our match and she was a really fun girl to wrestle. She’s good and she almost got me. I was really nervous.”

Suzanne Stalley competed in several tournaments in her freshman season and fell short of advancing from the Willowbrook Regional. She finished with a 32-14 record and won a title at Glenbard South, took second place in the DuKane Conference and was fourth at Batavia. Stalley advanced to the IWCOA Championships by taking first place at the Naperville Central Sectional. After opening with two falls, she won a 12-10 decision over Murphysboro’s Roxie Royster in the quarterfinals and then earned her spot in the 140 finals with a pin in 1:44 over Naperville Central’s Arianna Rico in the semifinals. She joined 235 champion Asreilla Wallace and 130 runner-up Keagan Edwards as finalists and the medalists for coach Chris Edwards’ Panthers.

Barrington’s Nicole Dziura lost in the quarterfinals but then won four matches in a row to claim third place with a fall in 4:10 over Hinsdale Central’s Tiyanna Hart, who lost to Isabella Miller in the quarterfinals before winning her next three matches. For fifth place, Freeburg’s Aubrey Raban recorded a pin in 2:22 over Naperville Central’s Arianna Rico. And for seventh place, Antioch’s Sasha Johnson was a winner by fall in 3:43 over Murphysboro’s Roxie Royster.

145 – Giancarla Garduno, Saint Ignatius College Prep

Giancarla Garduno and Viktoriia Rodnikova couldn’t decide in regulation who would claim top honors at 145 at the IWCOA Girls Championships so the outcome required more than six minutes to be resolved. With things scoreless through the first two periods, Saint Ignatius College Prep sophomore Garduno got a takedown while Plainfield North sophomore  Rodnikova used two escapes and a penalty point in the third period to force extra time. Garduno finally ended the drama when she got another takedown with 36 seconds left in overtime to capture a 6-3 win by sudden victory to prevail in the only title match in the event that required extra time.

Garduno went 19-4 and fell one win short of advancing to the IHSA Individual Finals from the New Trier Sectional. The lone qualifier for coach Ben Sanchez’s Wolfpack, she won a title at Beat the Streets and took second place at Rich Township, Garduno qualified for the IWCOA Championships by taking first place at the Shepard Sectional and she got pins in her first three matches, winning in 2:52 over Sandwich’s Jazmin Rios in the quarterfinals and then capturing a 13-4 major decision over Robinson’s Macee Hammond in the semifinals. In 2024, she made history for her program by being its first regional champion and its initial qualifier for the IHSA Finals, where she fell one win shy of getting a medal at 140 and finished with a 25-4 record.

“I went to public schools my whole life until I got a scholarship and got the chance to go to Saint Ignatius,” Garduno said. “It was a big change, it was something new and something different. I got into wrestling my eighth grade year, and I was going to Ignatius for wrestling. I became the first girls state qualifier at Saint Ignatius and the first regional champ of the girls. I feel great because  it’s something that they’ll know me for and I’m proud of myself and I just really enjoy wrestling for Saint Ignatius. I have a lot of friends from other teams and I enjoy being with them and I hang around with them at tournaments. I’m also really close with the girls on my team.”  

Viktoriia Rodnikova, who had a 24-9 record this season a came up a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the Schaumburg Sectional, took first place at Minooka and the Southwest Prairie Conference, placed third at Oswego East and Hinsdale South Regional and finished fourth at another invite at Oswego East. She qualified for the Girls Championships by winning the title at the Thornton Township Sectional. The lone qualifier for coach Michael Parton’s Tigers won her first two matches in Springfield with pins and then captured a 4-1 decision over Warren Township’s Tyanna Jackson in the quarterfinals before getting a pin in 1:28 over Bolingbrook’s Savannnah Burns in the semifinals to earn her spot in the 145 title match. She also competed in the IWCOA Girls Championships last season and settled for a second place finish at 140.

In the third-place match, Bolingbrook’s Savannah Burns recorded a fall in 2:59 over Robinson’s Macee Hammond. For fifth place, Lincoln-Wa co-op’s Bailey Mitchell captured a 4-2 decision over Warren Township’s Tyanna Jackson. And for seventh place, Tinley Park’s Rylee Hernandez was a winner by fall in 2:57 over St. Laurence’s Hannah Marusarz.

155 – Nahima Mateo, Murphysboro

Nahima Mateo was very happy when Murphysboro was able to qualify for the IHSA Class 1A Dual Team Finals for the third time in its history and make its first trip to state since 2016. So after going 21-6 and falling one win shy of a trip to state from the Highland Sectional, the junior decided that she’d try to add to the success that coach Shea Baker’s Red Devils enjoyed this season by competing in the IWCOA Girls Championships, and she not only was able to qualify for state, she won the title at 155 with a fall in 4:22 over Plainfield East junior Kaitlyn Bucholz.

Mateo, who took second place at Cape Girardeau, Missouri’s Cape Central invite and had third-place finishes at Carbondale, Anna-Jonesboro and the Civic Memorial Regional, qualified for the Girls Championships by taking first place at the Granite City Sectional. She opened the competition with two first-period falls before capturing a 16-4 major decision over Tremont’s Paytyn Dykes in the quarterfinals and then got a pin in 1:59 over Woodstock’s Brianna Crown in the semifinals to become the lone finalist and one of two medal winners for Murphysboro.

“I really am proud of them, everybody worked hard and all of them are good people,” Mateo said of Murphysboro’s boys qualifying for Dual Team State. “Sometimes I practice with the boys and sometimes I practice with my girls and all of them help me to do better. You have to have a good mindset and enjoy the sport. Some of the people that I’ve wrestled before, we are friends. This is my first year and I’m so glad that I joined this.”

Kaitlyn Bucholz, who went 30-9 this season but was unable to advance from the Hinsdale South Regional, joined a significant number of eventual IHSA champions as a title winner at Hoffman Estates, placed second at Minooka, took third in the Southwest Prairie Conference and finished fourth at Oswego East to highlight her successful season. She qualified for the Championships by taking first place at the Thornton Township Sectional and then recorded first-period falls in her first three matches, winning in 1:38 over Roxana’s Emma Gischer in the quarterfinals and then got a pin in 2:12 over Glenbard West’s Miyalinna DeJesus to become the lone finalist and one of two medalists, who also were the two qualifiers, for coach Julian Ochoa’s Bengals.

In the third-place match, Glenbard West’s Miyalinna DeJesus won 5-2 in sudden victory over Woodstock’s Brianna Crown. For fifth place, Tremont’s Paytyn Dykes captured a 3-1 decision over Wheeling’s Madeline Chicas. And for seventh place, Sycamore’s Avelina McMurtry claimed a 12-2 major decision over Roxana’s Emma Gischer.

170 – Sydney Johnson, Richwoods

Sydney Johnson is proud to continue her family’s tradition of sisters having success in state tournaments for Richwoods, following in the footsteps of Arie and Jaida, by taking first place at 170 in the IWCOA Girls Championships after the junior won a 10-4 decision over Cary-Grove  senior Denver Gier. Arie won the 2021 IWCOA title at 152 in 2021 and was fourth at 145 in the first IHSA Individual Finals in 2022. That same year, Jaida was an IHSA runner-up at 155 and she took second at 155 in 2024 to become the first Lady Knight to be a two-time IHSA medalist. This is her second medal in the event, improving on her fourth-place finish at 170 last season.

Johnson, who went 22-7 this season and fell one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Geneseo Sectional, won titles at Pontiac and Metamora Township, placed second at Ottawa Township and Canton and finished fourth at the Metamora Township Sectional. She qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships by finishing in second place at the Heyworth Sectional and then she won close decisions in her first two matches in Springfield. After recording a fall in 0:50 over Yorkville’s Lauryn Trotter in the quarterfinals, she earned her spot in the 170 title match by capturing a 4-3 decision over Oak Park and River Forest’s Caliyah Campbell that resulted in her being the lone finalist and one of three medal winners for coach Rob Penney’s Lady Knights.

“It does feel good,” Johnson said. “I came here last year and I placed fourth, so my goal was to place above that and grow, and I succeeded since I took first. (Richwoods) They’ve been doing it for a long time, so we’re like a family and each year, someone excels and there’s been three of us (Johnson sisters at Richwoods). I like the friends and the company that you keep, the people that support you with your wrestling and as you’re going through your matches, and the hard times, too.”

Denver Gier, who went 15-7 this season and fell a bit shy of advancing from the Hampshire Regional, took second place at Rockford East, placed third at Oswego East and finished fourth at Westosha Central, Wisconsin. She qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships by taking first place at the Lake Zurich Sectional. The only IWCOA state qualifier for coach Amy Saldivar-Castaneda’s Trojans, she collected victories in each of her first four matches with falls, winning in 1:59 over Jacksonville’s Olivia Monroe in the quarterfinals and then in 3:00 over Champaign Central’s Iyjah Grant in the semifinals to earn her spot in the 170 finals.

In the third-place match, Oak Park and River Forest’s Caliyah Campbell claimed a 6-4 decision over Champaign Central’s Iyjah Grant. In the fifth-place match, Yorkville’s Lauryn Trotter won by fall in 1:18 over Vandalia’s Brynn Swyers. And for seventh place, Marist’s Sarah Parker recorded a pin in 0:55 over Hononegah’s Linda Villa.

190 – Anali Wilson, J. Sterling Morton

Anali Wilson had a 21-20 record and lost both of her matches in the New Trier Sectional in addition to having some tournament successes during her sophomore season at J. Sterling Morton. But while others in the IWCOA Girls Championships had better records and more top finishes to their credit, Wilson put everything together over the course of two weekends and that helped her to become a surprise title winner after she used a second-period escape to help her win a 1-0 decision over Waterloo sophomore Izabell McBride in the 190 title match to become one of the 15 champions and the lone medal winner for coach Fernando Arratia’s Mustangs.

Wilson won a title at Kelly, took second at the Rickover Naval Academy Regional, placed third at Waukegan and finished fourth at Curie Metropolitan before qualifying for the IWCOA Girls Championships by capturing first place at the Evanston Township Sectional. She received a bye in her opener and followed that with a 10-3 win before pulling out a 2-0 victory over Belleville West’s Andre’a Kirkpatrick in the quarterfinals and then claimed a 13-8 decision over Glenbard East’s Nadine Spandiary in the semifinals to earn her spot in the 190 championship match.

Izabell McBride closed out her trip to the Girls Championships by finishing with three close decisions. She prevailed 5-4 in the quarterfinals over Westville co-op’s Addison Briggs and captured a 9-7 decision over Palatine’s Irma Villa Colunga in the semifinals before dropping the one-point heartbreaker in the tilde match to Wilson. The lone IWCOA qualifier for coach Ryan Wiggers’ Bulldogs, she qualified for state by winning the Granite City Sectional and she also had a bye in the first round and won with a quick fall after that. McBride competed in last year’s IWCOA Championships but did not place. She finished this season with a 16-12 record after falling one victory shy of qualifying from the Highland Sectional and also had second-place finishes at Marion, O’Fallon and the Civic Memorial Regional and placed third at Granite City.

For third place, Glenbard East’s Nadine Spandiary recorded a fall in 0:21 over Palatine’s Irma Villa Colunga. For fifth place, Lincoln-Way co-op’s Riley DePolo was a winner by fall in 3:22 over Blue Island Eisenhower’s Phoebe Heyboer. And for seventh place, Belleville West’s Andre’a Kirkpatrick claimed an 11-5 decision over Westville/ Georgetown-Ridge Farm’s Addison Briggs.

235 – Asreilla Wallace, Glenbard North

Asreilla Wallace was the final near miss of those that just missed qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals from the Schaumburg Sectional who went on to be title winners at the IWCOA Girls Championships when the Glenbard North sophomore recorded a fall in 1:16 over Shepard sophomore Karrine Jenkins to claim top honors at 235. Wallace went 33-12 this season and fell one win shy of advancing from the Schaumburg Sectional. She won titles at Waukegan and the DuKane Conference and placed third at Niles West, Kelly and the Willowbrook Regional. 

Wallace qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships by taking first place at the Naperville Central Sectional. She received a bye and followed that with a quick fall before recording a pin in 2:27 over East Aurora’s Lilli Ortiz in the quarterfinals and then she collected her third of four pins in 4:06 over Richwoods’ Marley Clark in the semifinals to become one of the three finalists and medal winners for Chris Edwards’ Panthers. Wallace also participated in the same competition last season and finished in fourth place at 235. 

Karrine Jenkins went 26-12 this season and fell one win shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the New Trier Sectional. She took second at the South Suburban Conference and the Rich Township Regional and was third at Eisenhower. Jenkins qualified for the Girls Championships by winning the sectional title at her own school. She got a bye in her first match in Springfield and then recorded a quick pin. She followed with a fall in 2:11 over Belvidere North’s Savannah Trevino in the quarterfinals and won a 9-0 major decision over West Chicago’s Ariana Bonilla in the semifinals to become a finalist and the lone medalist for coach Tyler Karas’ Astros. 

For third place, Richwoods’ Marley Clark was a winner by fall in 4:08 over West Chicago’s Ariana Bonilla. In the fifth-place match, East Aurora’s Lilli Ortiz won with a pin in 2:02 over Glenbard West’s Thanh Dinh. And for seventh place, McHenry’s Nala Hernandez claimed a 5-0 decision over Belvidere North’s Savannah Trevino.

IWCOA Girls Championships – Place matches

95

1st Place Match

Annika Hull (Naperville Central) won by fall over Mya Downs (Olympia) (Fall 2:15)

3rd Place Match

Monica Alvarez (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by fall over Kassandra Ruiz (Joliet Central) (Fall 3:25)

5th Place Match

Sierra Tuttle (Mahomet-Seymour) won in sudden victory over Serenity Canady (Robinson) (SV-1 13-7)

7th Place Match

Lillian O`Brien (Bloom Township) won by fall over Haley Richter (Heyworth) (Fall 2:18)

100

1st Place Match

Jivona Brown (Glenbard West) won by fall over Addison Hadsall (Geneseo) (Fall 1:29)

3rd Place Match

Emily Peyton (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by decision over Leah Stringfellow (Glenbrook North) (Dec 10-4)

5th Place Match

Haydee Cruz (Wheeling) won by decision over Madilyn Becker (Mahomet-Seymour) (Dec 5-0)

7th Place Match

Leah White (Richwoods) won by decision over Melanie Granada (Burlington Central) (Dec 2-0)

105

1st Place Match

Averi Colella (Lockport Township) won by tech fall over Ashley Hammond (Larkin) (TF 16-1)

3rd Place Match

Eliana Badeen (Maine East) won by fall over Angelina Nettey (Plainfield East) (Fall 4:49)

5th Place Match

Brissia Bucio (West Chicago) won by fall over Justice Girod (Schaumburg) (Fall 2:52)

7th Place Match

Briana Ramirez (Granite City) won by major decision over Haydyn Williamson (Anna-Jonesboro) (Maj 8-0)

110

1st Place Match

Aaliyah Vazquez (Warren Township) won by decision over Reaghan Madura (Springfield co-op) (Dec 5-4)

3rd Place Match

Eva Hermansson (Woodstock) won by decision over Addison Yacko (Streator Township) (Dec 7-4)

5th Place Match

Angelina Manlapaz (Willowbrook) won by fall over Madizyn Megrant (Pekin) (Fall 4:03)

7th Place Match

Sydney Stieb (St. Charles East) won by tech fall over Evalyn Idzik (Saint Viator) (TF 15-0)

115

1st Place Match

Janiya Moore (Metea Valley) won by decision over Violet Pennington (Pekin) (Dec 8-3)

3rd Place Match

Gigi Linhorst (Edwardsville) won by decision over Makensi Martin (Morris) (Dec 12-6)

5th Place Match

Charlie Dolan (York) won by decision over America Camacho (Grant) (Dec 9-4)

7th Place Match

Kaylee Martinez (West Aurora) won by fall over Sophia Bradarich (Sherrard) (Fall 0:38)

120

1st Place Match

Taniyah Sherman (Kankakee) won by fall over Aubrianna Rapier (Bradley-Bourbonnais) (Fall 4:20)

3rd Place Match

Isabella Rivas (Schaumburg) won by fall over Lailonie Molina (West Aurora) (Fall 3:55)

5th Place Match

Valentina Fantoni (Glenbard West) won by medical forfeit over Ryleigh Eriks (Rock Falls) (MFF)

7th Place Match

Mia Nevarez (Oswego East\) won by fall over Ava Enright (Marist) (Fall 2:45)

125

1st Place Match

Sophie Crescenzo (Lisle Senior) won by fall over Piper Booe (District 230 co-op) (Fall 1:39)

3rd Place Match

Sabina Charlebois (Minooka) won by fall over Olive Linhorst (Edwardsville) (Fall 2:28)

5th Place Match

Brooklyn Strelow (Oak Forest) won by fall over Kylie Mathis (Sherrard) (Fall 1:53)

7th Place Match

Zuzanna Wegiera (Neuqua Valley) won by tech fall over Randi Campe (Urbana) (TF 17-1)

130

1st Place Match

Ariella Miloncus (Springfield co-op) won by fall over Keagan Edwards (Glenbard North) (Fall 4:52)

3rd Place Match

Amyah Pruitt (Galesburg) won by fall over Bella Curcuru (Geneseo) (Fall 1:55)

5th Place Match

Natalia Cruz (Downers Grove North) won by fall over Anaya Campbell (Bolingbrook) (Fall 2:13)

7th Place Match

Caitlin Ruley (Lake Zurich) won by decision over April Ortiz (Joliet Central) (Dec 5-0)

135

1st Place Match

Alketa Picari (Metea Valley) won by fall over Ewa Krupa (Conant) (Fall 2:19)

3rd Place Match

Lana Zimmerman (DeKalb) won by fall over Ava Weatherford (Ottawa Township) (Fall 2:53)

5th Place Match

Olyve Havens (Morris) won by fall over London Grant (Champaign Central) (Fall 1:57)

7th Place Match

Ruby Gavina (Dundee-Crown) won by decision over Alena Oshana (Maine East) (Dec 13-7)

140

1st Place Match

Isabella Miller (Oak Park and River Forest) won by decision over Suzanne Stalley (Glenbard North) (Dec 6-4)

3rd Place Match

Nicole Dziura (Barrington) won by fall over Tiyanna Hart (Hinsdale Central) (Fall 4:10)

5th Place Match

Aubrey Raban (Freeburg) won by fall over Arianna Rico (Naperville Central) (Fall 2:22)

7th Place Match

Sasha Johnson (Antioch) won by fall over Roxie Royster (Murphysboro) (Fall 3:43)

145

1st Place Match

Giancarla Garduno (Saint Ignatius College Prep) won in sudden victory over Viktoriia Rodnikova (Plainfield North) (SV-1 6-3)

3rd Place Match

Savannah Burns (Bolingbrook) won by fall over Macee Hammond (Robinson) (Fall 2:59)

5th Place Match

Bailey Mitchell (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by decision over Tyanna Jackson (Warren Township) (Dec 4-2)

7th Place Match

Rylee Hernandez (Tinley Park) won by fall over Hannah Marusarz (St. Laurence) (Fall 2:57)

155

1st Place Match

Nahima Mateo (Murphysboro) won by fall over Kaitlyn Bucholz (Plainfield East) (Fall 4:22)

3rd Place Match

Miyalinna DeJesus (Glenbard West) won in sudden victory – 1 over Brianna Crown (Woodstock) (SV-1 5-2)

5th Place Match

Paytyn Dykes (Tremont) won by decision over Madeline Chicas (Wheeling) (Dec 3-1)

7th Place Match

Avelina McMurtry (Sycamore) won by major decision over Emma Gischer (Roxana) (Maj 12-2)

170

1st Place Match

Sydney Johnson (Richwoods) won by decision over Denver Gier (Cary-Grove) (Dec 10-4)

3rd Place Match

Caliyah Campbell (Oak Park and River Forest) won by decision over Iyjah Grant (Champaign Central) (Dec 6-4)

5th Place Match

Lauryn Trotter (Yorkville) won by fall over Brynn Swyers (Vandalia) (Fall 1:18)

7th Place Match

Sarah Parker (Marist) won by fall over Linda Villa (Hononegah) (Fall 0:55)

190

1st Place Match

Anali Wilson (J. Sterling Morton) won by decision over Izabell McBride (Waterloo) (Dec 1-0)

3rd Place Match

Nadine Spandiary (Glenbard East) won by fall over Irma Villa Colunga (Palatine) (Fall 0:21)

5th Place Match

Riley DePolo (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by fall over Phoebe Heyboer (Blue Island Eisenhower) (Fall 3:22)

7th Place Match

Andre`a Kirkpatrick (Belleville West) won by decision over Addison Briggs (Westville) (Dec 11-5)

235

1st Place Match

Asreilla Wallace (Glenbard North) won by fall over Karrine Jenkins (Shepard) (Fall 1:16)

3rd Place Match

Marley Clark (Richwoods) won by fall over Ariana Bonilla (West Chicago) (Fall 4:08)

5th Place Match

Lilli Ortiz (East Aurora) won by fall over Thanh Dinh (Glenbard West) (Fall 2:02)

7th Place Match

Nala Hernandez (McHenry) won by decision over Savannah Trevino (Belvidere North) (Dec 5-0)

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

With the increase to 40-man brackets, the IWCOA Freshman/Sophomore Championship was assured to be a record-breaker, and it certainly was as it had a total of 591 competitors and with 452 girls competing in the Girls Championship, 1,043 individuals were on hand for the pair of two-day tournaments which took place at Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield.

Fourteen schools had champions and one team had two title winners, Geneseo, which got firsts at 215 from Colten Mooney and at 285 from Josh Stahl to give 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Jon Murray a nice going away present after he served as the Maple Leafs head coach for 23 years and also was an assistant at the school under 2002 IWCOA Hall of Famer Larry Kanke for eight seasons. Both champions also were members of the team’s qualifier for the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals, marking the program’s fifth state appearance since 2013.

Mount Carmel’s Jaxon Jorgensen won the title at 138 after being a part of the Caravan’s team that saw its hopes of repeating as IHSA Class 3A champions dashed by eventual runner-up Hononegah in the quarterfinals. 

The western suburbs were well-represented with five champs as Wheaton Warrenville South’s Rocco Valvano (101), West Aurora’s Gabe Richmond (106), Downers Grove South’s Jadon Dinwiddie (126), Downers Grove North’s Christian Chiarelli (144) and Glenbard West’s Tallis Taylor (150) all won titles, with the last three of those from the West Suburban Conference.

Chicago’s south side had another champion, Marist’s Roberto Rangel (113), the south suburbs also got a title winner, Homewood-Flossmoor’s Adante Washington (132) and the southwest suburbs also had a first-place finisher, Minooka’s Kaden Meyer (175).

The north suburbs had a title winner, Warren Township’s Nicholas Hermsen (157) and the northwest suburbs also had a champion, Jacobs’ Enrique Garcia (120).

Winning a title for a school from the north central part of the state was Marquette Academy’s Reily Leifheit (165), whose school is in Ottawa. And the Metro East area also had a champion, O’Fallon’s Payton Chanerl (190).

Some of the closest championship matches saw Valvano prevailing over IC Catholic Prep’s Mike Bird 4-1 in sudden victory at 101, Mooney edging Freeburg’s Dane Olmstead 1-0 at 215, Hermsen getting past Byron’s Will Julian 5-2 at 157, Richmond beating Downers Grove South’s Tanner Stone 11-7 at 106 and Garcia defeating Buffalo Grove’s Mykola Shamray 7-3 at 120.

Bradley-Bourbonnais had two second-place finishers, Zach Hoffner (113) and Kayden Roach (165) while West Aurora had another finalist who took second place, Malan Hatfield (150), and Downers Grove South also had another finalist who was a runner-up, Ryker Czubak (190). 

Others who settled for second  place were St. Charles East’s Jayden Hernandez (126), Schaumburg’s Aiden Quevedo (132), Huntley’s Gavin Nischke (138), Quincy Notre Dame’s Cale Hilbing (144), Centennial’s Sergio Baity (175) and Notre Dame College Prep’s Sean Cook (285).

Leifheit led all competitors with 32.5 team points while Washington was just behind with 32 points and Meyer was next-best with 31.5 team points. Others who were among the leaders in team points were Richmond (31), Garcia (30.5), Stahl (30), Jorgensen (29.5), Rangel (29.5), Hermsen (29), Chanerl (28.5) and Olmstead (28.5).

Libertyville’s James Scanio had the most total match points with 101 while Meyer (93) was second and Chanerl (91) ranked third. Scanio also led the way in most wins by technical fall with five and Washington’s MarQwuan Young led everyone in the field with five pins. 

Here’s a look at the champions and the medalists in their weight classes from the IWCOA Freshman/Sophomore Championship

101 – Rocco Valvano, Wheaton Warrenville South

Rocco Valvano experienced a very successful freshman season for Wheaton Warrenville South, going 30-12 while falling a bit shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional after being a runner-up in the DuKane Conference, taking third place at his school’s Ed Ewoldt invite and the Marmion Academy Regional and also finishing fourth at Geneva while competing for coach Matt Janosek’s Tigers..

Valvano decided that he still had more to accomplish so he won the IWCOA Glenbard South Regional and then earned his spot in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament by taking third place in the Naperville Central Sectional. And following the success that he had in his debut season, he saved his best for last as he capped his tournament run with a title, getting a takedown with 18 seconds left in the first overtime to claim a 4-1 win by sudden victory over IC Catholic Prep freshman Mike Bird in the 101 finals. After opening with a quick fall and an 8-2 decision, he beat Rockridge’s Nate Lower with a 13-5 major decision in the quarterfinals and earned his spot on the title mat with a 13-9 decision over Lincoln-Way East’s Nathan Powers in the semifinals.

“It was really exciting, especially because it was in overtime and I lost to him three times,” Valvano said of Bird. “I got 30 wins for varsity, giving up a lot of weight, too. We had a hard sectional and I was one match away from the blood round. Wrestling with heavier kids, kids that pushed me and they were just better than me and I’d just get beat in the wrestling room. This gives me a lot of confidence. I have to put on some weight for next year and I want to make it downstate. I’m going to Reno Worlds and I placed sixth last year and hoping to get top three.”  

Mike Bird, who went 24-18, was one of five freshmen who were members of IC Catholic Prep’s first-ever IHSA champions, which was coached by Danny Alcocer, that beat two-time defending champion Washington 46-17 in the title meet at the 2A Dual Team Finals in Bloomington. He got the opportunity to compete at state, winning by technical fall in the quarterfinals victory over Geneseo. During his debut season for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights, he placed third at Washington and Geneseo and was fourth at Antioch. Because he was at team state, he only had to compete in the Evanston Township Sectional, which he won. After opening with a win by technical fall and a major decision, he claimed a win by technical fall over Zion-Benton’s Brayden Sroka in the quarterfinals and advanced to the finals with a 3-1 decision over West Aurora’s Aiden Ambre.

Winnebago’s Cam Whitehead won six six-straight matches to take third place, capping that impressive run with a victory by technical fall over Zion-Benton’s Brayden Sroka, who pinned him in 2:52 in his second match. West Aurora’s Aidan Ambre claimed fifth place by pulling out an 8-7 decision over Lincoln-Way East’s Nathan Powers. And for seventh place, Fremd’s Lucas Crandall prevailed with a 14-11 win by sudden victory over Alton Senior’s Austin Jones.

106 – Gabe Richmond, West Aurora

Gabe Richmond was looking for a better finish for his freshman season after the West Aurora athlete finished one win shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional. Despite coming so close to a state trip. he’s understandably proud after going 25-9 and also being an Upstate Eight Conference champion while taking second place at the Marmion Academy Regional and third at Antioch to kick off his successful debut season.

Richmond was one of seven qualifiers, three medalists, two finalists and the lone champion for coach Andrew Plata’s Blackhawks. Richmond, who captured the 106 title with an 11-7 decision over Downers Grove South freshman Tanner Stone, was joined on the title mat by Malan Hatfield, who finished second at 150. He claimed first place at the IWCOA Glenbard South Regional and then captured the Naperville Central Sectional title with a 7-3 decision over Stone and then won his first three state matches by fall, with the quickest of those coming in 1:50 in the quarterfinals over Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Cullen Parks. Richmond earned his spot on the 106 title mat with an 8-0 major decision over Barrington’s Matthew Blanke in the semifinals.

“I didn’t start off on varsity, I had to work my way up,” Richmond said. “We had a pretty good season, winning conference, and a bunch of tournaments. I got to sectionals and I lost in the blood round. In Dom Serio’s freshman year, he lost in the blood round and then he won this exact tournament and he was a state finalist this year. The West Aurora program is pretty good and the coaching staff is amazing and they’re very involved in everything, so we have some pretty good practices.”

Tanner Stone is a freshman for coach Zachary Holtzman’s Mustangs, who had five qualifiers who all won medals, and two other finalists, Jadon Dinwiddie, who took first at 126, and Ryker Czubak, who placed second at 190. Stone fell a bit short of a trip to state from the 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional after going 13-4 with one of the highlights of his debut season being a runner-up at his own regional. After winning the IWCOA Regional at Oswego East, he lost to Richmond 7-3 in the Naperville Central Sectional title match. He opened at state with a fall in 1:00 and a 7-0 decision, then won a 3-1 decision over IC Catholic Prep’s Drew Murante in the quarterfinals and reached the 106 title match with a 16-2 major decision over Buffalo Grove’s Stone McKone.

IC Catholic Prep’s Drew Murante, a member of coach Danny Alcocer’s IHSA Class 2A champion Knights, bounced back from his 3-1 quarterfinal loss to Downers Grove South’s Tanner Stone to win four matches in the consolation bracket with the last of those being an 8-6 decision in the third-place match over Morris’ Parker Barry, who lost his second match to Stone before winning five in a row. Barry also tied for third in most wins by technical fall with three. In the fifth-place match, Barrington’s Matthew Blanke captured an 8-3 decision over Buffalo Grove’s Stone McKone and for seventh place, DeKalb’s Julian Hartwig was a winner by fall in 1:45 over Lawrence County’s Kyler Guercio.

113 – Roberto Rangel, Marist

Roberto Rangel was at a tough weight class for Marist but still was able to compete in The Clash Duals in Wisconsin and he also took fourth place at the Illini Classic, where his team won the 24-team competition. Although he was 19-4 after that tournament, he didn’t get the chance to participate in the IHSA state series so he decided to conclude his sophomore season on a high note and he did just that by taking first place at 113 in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament after getting a win by technical fall over Bradley-Bourbonnais sophomore Zach Hoffner in the title match.

Rangel qualified for IWCOA Frosh/Soph state after winning titles at the Richards Regional and the Shepard Sectional. He was the lone champion and finalist and one of three medalists of the 12 qualifiers for coach Brendan Heffernan’s RedHawks. After opening with a major decision and a pin, he won a 16-3 major decision over West Aurora’s Eric Castillo in the quarterfinals and then captured an 11-6 decision over Normal Community’s Mason Soney in the semifinals.

“I didn’t wrestle at varsity much, but when they needed me, I wrestled, so I got a lot of varsity experience,” Rangel said. “(Marist) We have really good coaches and they always help me in the room whenever I need it and I stay after some times to go over some moves. The coaching has really helped me out in this tournament. I’ve definitely improved and the coaching is what has gotten me here. This gives me a lot of confidence and it’s going to help, for sure.”

Zach Hoffner, who joined Kayden Roach (165) as one of two second-place finishers and three medal winners for coach Micky Spiwak’s Boilermakers, finished 34-14 this season and fell a bit short of advancing to the IHSA Individual Finals from the Class 3A Joliet Central Sectional after winning a title at Reed-Custer and taking fourth place at the SWSC Tom Lahey Tournament and the Rich Township Regional. After qualifying for the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals with title wins at the Joliet Central Regional and the Thornton Township Sectional, he opened with two major decisions and won another major decision in the quarterfinals by a 12-2 score over Grant’s Breiydyn Hoffman before claiming a 9-6 decision over Addison Trail’s Santiago Trejo-Huerigo in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, Normal Community’s Mason Soney captured a 12-4 major decision over West Chicago’s Emanuel Rangel, who lost his second match before winning the next five. In the fifth-place match, Addison Trail’s Santiago Trejo-Huerigo won a 5-4 decision over Grant’s Breiydyn Hoffman and for seventh place, Cahokia’s Nathan Fisher claimed an 11-6 decision over Yorkville’s Landon Jenkins.

120 – Enrique Garcia, Jacobs

Enrique Garcia lost in the consolation semifinals of the Class 3A Barrington Sectional to fall one win shy of a trip to the IHSA Individual Tournament after the freshman for coach Gary Conrad’s Golden Eagles had one his best finishes of his 30-10 season, a second-place finish at the Hononegah Regional. He wanted to finish off his debut season on a better note and did that by winning the 120 title at the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament with a 7-3 decision over Buffalo Grove freshman Mykola Shamray after getting an escape and takedown in the final period.

Garcia, the lone qualifier for his school, advanced to the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals with a 6-3 decision over Shamray in the Lake Zurich Sectional championship match one week after he won a regional title at Lake Zurich. He won by fall in his first match in Springfield and followed with a win by technical fall. He recorded a pin in 2:34 over Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Raziel Perez in the quarterfinals and earned a second title match in two weeks against Shamray when he claimed a 16-5 major decision over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Matthew Laird in the semifinals.

“For varsity, I went 30-9 and for the IWCOA state series, I was undefeated,” Garcia said. “I lost in the blood round at sectionals, to junior Jackson Olson, he was really tough. I feel a lot more motivated and I’m going to be training a lot more in the offseason just so I can place at state. I’m going to be pushing a lot harder because I do not want to feel that same feeling again. I’m proud of myself, but I just know that I can do better, so I’m going to keep on striving for better things.”

Mykola Shamray, who went 35-9 this season, also fell a bit shy of qualifying from the Class 3A Barrington Sectional. He won titles for coach George Beres’ Bison at Palatine, Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy and Larkin and took third at his school’s invite and at the Dundee-Crown Regional. He won the title at the IWCOA Lakes Community Regional before falling 6-3 to Garcia at the Lake Zurich Sectional to advance to the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals. After opening with a fall and a 3-2 decision, he won a 7-4 decision in the quarterfinals over Joliet West’s Joseph Pedrosa and claimed a 9-2 decision over Lincoln-Way Central’s Eric Hoselton in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, Lincoln-Way Central’s Eric Hoselton captured a 12-9 decision over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Matthew Laird, who was a member of the Hilltoppers’ third-place team in Class 3A, that was coached by 2025 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Ryan Cumbee. For fifth place, Joliet West’s Joseph Pedrosa was a winner by fall in 1:27 over Marist’s Colin Phelan and in the seventh-place match, Yorkville’s Nolan Chrisse won an 11-3 major decision over Moline’s Collin Ledbetter.

126 – Jadon Dinwiddie, Downers Grove South

Jadon Didwiddle led the way for Downers Grove South as coach Zachary Holtzman’s Mustangs placed all five of their qualifiers for the IWCOA Frosh/Sophomore Tournament in the top eight at their weights as he was one of three finalists and the lone champion for his team after the sophomore won a 12-2 major decision over St. Charles East sophomore Jayden Hernandez in the 126 title match while Tanner Stone (106) and Ryker Czubak (190) both took second place. 

Dinwiddie, who went 25-11 this season, won titles at the IWCOA Oswego East Regional and Naperville Central Sectional, where he was to meet up with Hernandez in the finals but did not due to a medical forfeit. He opened the event with a win by technical fall before claiming a 7-5 decision. His next two matches were also decisions as he won 11-5 in the quarterfinals over Marist’s Jacob Crawford and got a 10-5 win over Rock Island’s Maricio Parker in the semifinals.

“It feels really good,” Dinwiddie said. “I didn’t compete in the IHSA because I got a concussion the week before. It was a pretty good season and I went 25-11. I had a lot of good wins, but I also got beat up by a bunch of the top-ranked guys. I’ve been telling myself that I’m the best wrestler through my matches and obviously, it’s helping, and I got a major decision in the finals.”

Jayden Hernandez, who won the DuKane Conference JV title, was the lone medalist for coach Jason Potter’s Fighting Saints. He won the IWCOA Glenbard South Regional title but was not able to meet Dinwiddie in the Naperville Central Sectional finals due to a medical forfeit. Hernandez opened with a major decision and a 4-3 decision. He beat New Trier’s Zacarias Slaastad 20-11 in the quarterfinals and won a 13-7 decision over Freeburg’s Lukas Quartz in the semifinals.

Lincoln-Way East’s Joshua Theis was edged by Dinwiddie 7-5 in his second match but then won six in a row to finish in third place following a 3-2 decision over Marist’s Jacob Crawford. In the fifth-place match, Rock Island’s Maricio Parker claimed a 12-3 major decision over Freeburg’s Lukas Quartz and in the seventh-place match, Marquette Academy’s Koby Clark captured a 9-0 major decision over Glenbrook South’s Roman Ocampo.

132 – Adante Washington, Homewood-Flossmoor

Adante Washington qualified for the IHSA Individual Finals last season when he went 25-13 as a freshman while competing for Joliet Catholic Academy. But he did not compete in the state series this season as a sophomore at Homewood-Flossmoor after claiming second place in the SouthWest Suburban Conference Tom Lahey Tournament and third-place finishes at Joliet Central and Hoffman Estates to finish with a 24-9 record for coach Jim Sokoloski’s Vikings.

Washington decided to end his season in a better fashion by competing in the IWCOA Frosh/ Soph Tournament and that paid off as he won the championship at 132 with a win by technical fall over Schaumburg sophomore Aiden Quevedo. He advanced to Springfield after winning titles at the Joliet Central Regional and Thornton Township Sectional and got a pin and a win by technical fall in his first two matches. He followed with two more wins by technical fall, beating Morton’s Lincoln Yerby in the quarterfinals and Marmion Academy’s Jonathan Kopcio in the semifinals. He was the only medalist among the Vikings’ four qualifiers for the competition. He finished second in most team points with 32, which was one-half point behind the leader, Marquette Academy’s Reily Leifheit, the 165 champion. He also ranked second in most victories by technical fall with four.

“It feels great,” Washington said. “I realize I made quite a few mistakes in my matches. I made it to state (IHSA) last year and I lost in the blood round. It’s good to have the feeling that you won.”

Aiden Quevedo, a sophomore who went 32-16, was able to be a member of the first Schaumburg team that qualified for the IHSA Class 3A Dual Team Finals. He competed in their first-ever match in Bloomington and lost a 3-1 decision to Marmion Academy’s Grayson Garcia and the Cadets went on to win their initial IHSA championship. Also during his successful season for coach Mike LeVanti’s Saxons, he won a title at the Lake Park Regional, took second at Buffalo Grove and at the Mid-Suburban League Championship and fell one win shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals at the Conant Sectional. He took first at the IWCOA Lake Zurich Sectional and became the lone finalist and one of three medalists in Springfield after opening with an 8-6 decision and a pin before prevailing 1-0 over Champaign Central’s Malachi Hutchison in the quarterfinals and he won an 8-0 major decision over Auburn’s Trey Boston in the semifinals.

Lincoln-Way West’s Shane Stream lost his second match and then went on to win six in a row to claim third place with a 9-6 decision over Moline’s Housseyn Ndiaye, who also lost his second match before winning his next five prior to losing to Stream. For fifth place, Auburn/ Franklin/ New Berlin’s Trey Boston won a 6-4 decision over Marmion Academy’s Jonathan Kopcio, who was a member of the Cadets, coached by Anthony Cirrincione and Nathan Fitzenreider, who won the IHSA Class 3A Dual Team championship 42-31 over Hononegah for their first state title. For seventh, Yorkville’s Vincent Konecki claimed a 10-3 decision over Morton’s Lincoln Yerby.

138 – Jaxon Jorgensen, Mount Carmel

Jaxon Jorgensen was disappointed that he was unable to qualify for the IHSA Individual Finals after falling short at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional. But the sophomore got the next best thing by getting the opportunity to compete in the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the second year in a row when defending champion Mount Carmel edged Marist 35-34 at the Yorkville Sectional. Jorgensen, who missed much of the season due to injury, finished 8-6 after the Caravan lost 34-32 to eventual runner-up Hononegah in the quarterfinals. After that, he decided to compete in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament to conclude his shortened season and that move paid off as he won the title at 138 after capturing a win by technical fall over Huntley’s Gavin Nischke to become the lone medalist for coach Alex Tsirtsis’ Caravan. 

Jorgensen, who won a title at the J. Sterling Morton Regional and took third place in the Chicago Catholic League, qualified for the IWCOA State Finals by taking first place at the Shepard Sectional. After opening the competition with two major decisions, he recorded a fall in 1:38 over Wheaton North’s Jay Doherty in the quarterfinals and then earned his spot in the 138 title match by capturing a 5-3 decision over Granite City’s Braxton Tolley in the semifinals.

“Most of the season, I was hurt, so I didn’t get back into wrestling until conference,” Jorgensen said. “And at sectionals, I just had a bad tournament. (Being on Mount Carmel’s state team) That was a really fun experience, probably one of my favorites. Beating Marist was probably my favorite experience at Mount Carmel. We just have great coaches and it’s a really tough room where you have good partners every day.”

Gavin Nischke, a sophomore who was the lone medalist for coach B.J. Bertelsman’s Red Raiders, went 32-18 this season and fell a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals from the Class 3A Barrington Sectional. He finished second at the Hononegah Regional and took fourth place at Geneseo. He earned his trip to the Frosh/Soph Tournament in Springfield by winning the regional and sectional titles at Lake Zurich. After opening with a victory by technical fall and a pin, he captured a 15-4 major decision over Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Jayden Cooper in the quarterfinals and then won by fall in 4:36 over Amboy co-op’s Caiden Heath in the semifinals. 

In the third-place match, Granite City’s Braxton Tolley won by fall in 1:53 over Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille/ Ohio’s Caiden Heath. For fifth place, Hersey’s Nolan Variano, who was a member of coach Joe Rupslauk’s Huskies who qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the first time since 1997, won by technical fall over Wheaton North’s Jay Doherty and in for seventh place, Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Jayden Cooper captured a 5-1 decision over Schaumburg’s Brody Hinkle, who was a member of coach Mike LeVanti’s Saxons, who qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the first time .

144 – Christian Chiarelli, Downers Grove North

Christian Chiarelli turned in a successful freshman season at Downers Grove North by going 29-14 but he was disappointed about taking fourth at the Class 3A Naperville North Regional to miss out on joining his brother Caden at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. So he decided to compete in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament and he not only qualified for state, he won the title at 144 with an 11-5 major decision over Quincy Notre Dame sophomore Cale Hilbing.

Chiarelli, who was the lone medalist for coach Chris McGrath’s Trojans, also finished fourth at Geneva this season. After taking second at the IWCOA Oswego East Regional, he won the title at the Naperville Central Sectional to earn his trip to Springfield. He opened with a victory by technical fall and followed that with a pin before edging St. Laurence’s Khalid Eid 4-3 in the quarterfinals and he won an 8-2 decision over Bolingbrook’s Elijah Flowers in the semifinals.

“I lost in the regionals in the third-place match, so I was an alternate for sectionals,” Chiarelli said. “I think this puts me in a good spot for next year. In the Downers Grove North program, we have some really good coaches. And we had a really good senior class that pushed me really well and they were really cool and you could learn from them. And my brother, Caden, is a junior and he’s my wrestling partner.”

Cale Hilbing went 35-15 this season but came up a bit shy of qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals from the Class 1A Clinton Sectional. He won a title at Rochester, took second in his school’s invite, was third at the Canton Regional and finished fourth at Quincy Senior. He qualified for the IWCOA Frosh/Soph State Tournament after claiming titles in both the Southeast Regional and at the Granite City Sectional. After opening with a pin and a 12-3 major decision, he won 4-0 over Olympia’s Austin Kistner in the quarterfinals and claimed a 3-0 decision over Naperville North’s Timothy Garmon to become the lone medalist for coach Adam Steinkamp’s Raiders.

Olympia’s Austin Kistner, who got to compete with his team against eventual champion Coal City in their first trip to the IHSA Dual Team Finals since 2017, bounced back from his loss in the quarterfinals with four-straight wins to claim third place, capping things with a 7-4 decision over Naperville North’s Timothy Garmon. In the fifth-place match, St. Laurence’s Khalid Eid won a 9-0 major decision over Bolingbrook’s Elijah Flowers. And for seventh, Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy’s Jayden Patterson-Veal captured a 12-5 decision over Schaumburg’s John Gough, who was a member of coach Mike LeVanti’s Saxons, who earned their first-ever trip to the IHSA Dual Team Finals.

150 – Tallis Taylor, Glenbard West

Tallis Taylor and Malan Hatfield both fell one win shy of earning a trip to the IHSA Individual Finals while competing at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional. So it wasn’t that surprising that the two sophomores would meet up not once, or twice, but three times against each other in IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament title matches. And on each of those occasions, Glenbard West’s Taylor defeated West Aurora’s Hatfield with the third matchup in the 150 state title match, where Taylor claimed his biggest margin of victory over Hatfield with an 11-1 major decision.

Taylor took second place at the Naperville North Regional and Oak Park and River Forest invite and was third at his school’s Chappell invite and finished with a 24-9 record for coach Pat McCluskey’s Hilltoppers. Taylor beat Hatfield 6-1 for the IWCOA Glenbard South Regional title and edged him 11-10 for the Naperville Central Sectional championship. After opening state competition with a win by technical fall and a 4-0 decision, Taylor captured a 13-6 decision over Olympia’s Kaden Collins in the quarterfinals and earned a 7-0 decision over Hinsdale South’s Brady Miller in the semifinals to become the lone finalist and one of two medalists for his team.

“This felt a lot more competitive this year, there were a lot more kids,” Taylor said. “I lost in the blood round at Hinsdale. (Competing for Glenbard West) I think we have a really good culture and we have a lot of history. The coach is really nice, the coaches are all close to the kids and we have a really close group of people. We’re just a super-close team.”

Malan Hatfield, who finished 24-12 this season, won a title at the Upstate Eight Conference, took second at the Marmion Academy Regional, placed third at Larkin and took fourth at Geneva for coach Andrew Plata’s Blackhawks. He joined 106 champion Gabe Richmond as one of two finalists for West Aurora after getting a pin in his opener, following that with an 8-2 decision and then capturing a 14-1 major decision over Byron’s Cael O’Horo in the quarterfinals and then getting a victory by disqualification over Belleville East’s Landon Weidler in the semifinals.

Stagg’s Samer Suleiman lost his second match and then won six in a row to claim third place with a 9-1 major decision over Sparta/ Steeleville’s Gavin Watson, who won seven-straight matches after losing in his opener. For fifth place, Hinsdale South’s Brady Miller won by disqualification over Belleville East’s Landon Weidler. And in the seventh-place match, Robinson’s Ben Mullins won by fall in 2:22 over Olympia’s Kaden Collins, who also was a member of coach Josh Collins’ Spartans, who qualified for the IHSA 1A Dual Team Finals for the first time since 2017. 

157 – Nicholas Hermsen, Warren Township

Nicholas Hermsen didn’t get the opportunity to compete in the IHSA state series this season but that didn’t prevent the Warren Township athlete from completing his sophomore season on a high note and that’s just what he did by participating in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament where he claimed the 157 championship at the State Finals in Springfield with a 5-2 decision over Byron sophomore Will Julian. One of four individuals from his school that qualified for the state finals, Hermsen was the only medal winner for coach Brad Janecek’s Blue Devils.

Hermsen, who finished with a 17-9 record, opened his season with a second-place finish at Neuqua Valley and concluded it with a third-place showing at the Lake County Invite. He began the IWCOA series in a good fashion by winning a title at the Lakes Community Regional and then followed up on that by taking first place at the Lake Zurich Sectional. Hermsen got wins by technical fall in his first two matches at the state finals before capturing a 13-3 major decision over Lockport Township’s Christian Czerwinski in the quarterfinals and then he earned his spot on the 157 title mat by claiming a 10-2 major decision over Yorkville’s Maximus Delgado.

“Warren Township is a great program and I wanted to go there before high school.” Hermsen said. “We had two state champions last year and this year and multiple state qualifiers. It’s an amazing opportunity to go to a school and a program like that. They’re always pushing me to my limit, and it shows. I had some tough luck and I was not able to make the best of it, so I came here and I did it. I know that I’m capable if I keep pushing myself and keep working, I know that next year I can make a big statement and put my name out there.”

Will Julian was hoping to bounce back from one of the most frustrating tales of anyone in the IHSA state series. The Byron sophomore was one of five individuals ranked among the top six in Class 1A at 157 who were at the Oregon Sectional. And he missed advancing to the IHSA Individual Finals in Champaign by one victory while the top four finishers at Oregon, Newman Central Catholic’s Briar Ivey, Riverdale’s Blake Smith, Erie/ Prophetstown’s Wyatt Goossens and Wheaton Academy’s Chasen Kazmierczak, also took the first four spots on the awards stand at state, with Smith and Ivey trading the top two positions from sectional to state. Julian, who went 39-5, also fell one win shy of a trip to the IHSA Finals from his own sectional in 2024. He won titles at Metamora, Orion and the Byron Regional, and took third at the Lyle King Princeton Invitational Tournament for Tigers coach Mike Elsbury, who’s retiring this season. Julian kicked off his IWCOA Tournament with titles at the Huntley Regional and Sterling Sectional. He won his first two matches in Springfield with pins, then got a win by technical fall over Wauconda’s Brody McKenna in the quarterfinals and won a 9-7 decision over Glenwood’s Julian Rammelkamp in the semifinals to become the lone medalist for his school in the event. 

In the third-place match, Yorkville’s Maximus Delgado claimed a 2-0 decision over Lockport Township’s Christian Czerwinski. In the fifth-place match, Glenwood’s Julian Rammelkamp, a member of coach Jerod Bruner’s Titans, who qualified for the Class 2A Dual Team Finals for the second year in a row, got a win by technical fall over Glenbard North’s Xavier Smiley. And in the seventh-place match, Wauconda’s Brody McKenna captured a 12-8 decision over Stillman Valley’s Ethan Waugh, who tied one other individual for second place for the most falls with four.

165 – Reily Leifheit, Marquette Academy

Reily Leifheit took fourth place last season at the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament as a freshman for Marquette Academy and he hoped that his experiences in Springfield in 2024 could help him to qualify for the IHSA Individual Finals this season. But as many others who competed in the Class 1A Oregon Sectional learned the hard way, not every deserving individual would be able to advance, and Leifheit was one of those who fell one win shy of their goal. As a result, he competed in the Frosh/Soph Tournament again and this time he won the 165 title by recording a fall in 4:46 over Bradley-Bourbonnais sophomore Kayden Roach. 

Leifheit went 38-7 this season and took second at Plano, Unity, Orion and the St. Bede Academy Regional and third at Reed-Custer. He used first-place finishes at the IWCOA Normal Community Regional and Heyworth Sectional to qualify for the Finals. Leifheit got a pin in his opener and followed with a win by technical fall before getting a fall in 2:39 over Rochester’s James Escobar in the quarterfinals and then won a 14-0 major decision over Montini Catholic’s Kevin May in the semifinals to become the lone finalist for coach Trent Lyons’ Crusaders.

“We had a couple of kids that came in that are looking good and I’m just excited for next year,” Leifheit said. “I’m going to work harder than ever.”

Kayden Roach finished with a 34-15 this season but the Bradley-Bourbonnais sophomore was unable to advance to state from the Class 3A Joliet Central Sectional. He claimed second place at Reed-Custer, thirds at Chicago’s Sullivan and the Rich Township Regional and a fourth at the Tom Lahey SouthWest Suburban Conference meet and advanced in the IWCOA series with titles at the Joliet Central Regional and the Thornton Township Sectional. He was one of three medalists and joined Zach Hoffner (113) as second-place finishers for coach Micky Spiwak’s Boilermakers. He opened with a win by technical fall and followed with a 13-4 major decision before recording a pin in 4:54 over Downers Grove North’s Rex Chavez in the quarterfinals and then claiming a 7-1 decision over Metamora Township’s Mark Aeschliman in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, Metamora Township’s Mark Aeschliman won a 7-2 decision over Notre Dame College Prep’s Jeremy Hamm, who lost to Leifheit in his second match and then won five in a row. For fifth place, Rochester’s James Escobar won by medical forfeit over Montini Catholic’s Kevin May, who was a member of the Broncos’ third-place team in Class 2A that was coached by Mike Bukovsky, a 2023 recipient of the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Illinois Chapter. For seventh place, Barrington’s Samuel Cushman won by fall in 1:42 over Addison Trail’s Alen Bautista.

175 – Kaden Meyer, Minooka

Kaden Meyer suffered the same fate as many other top-notch competitors at the rugged Class 3A Joliet Central Sectional when the Minooka sophomore came up a bit short of advancing the the IHSA Individual Finals despite going 36-9 and winning a title at Joliet Central, finishing second at Hinsdale Central and in the Southwest Prairie Conference, placing third at the 3A Normal Community Regional and finishing fourth at the Illini Classic for the Indians, who are coached by Mike Kimberlin, who is one of the 15 inductees in this year’s class for the IWCOA Hall of Fame. Meyer wasn’t content with the success he had this season so he decided to compete in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament and wound up capturing first place at 175 with a victory by technical fall over Centennial sophomore Sergio Baity in the title match.

Meyer qualified for the IWCOA Finals with first-place finishes at the Joliet West Regional and the Thornton Township Sectional. He was the lone medalist for Minooka after opening with a first-period pin and following that with a victory by technical fall. He collected another win by technical fall over Naperville North’s JT Hill in the quarterfinals and earned his spot on the 175 title mat by capturing a 14-6 major decision over Libertyville’s James Scanio in the semifinals. He ranked second in total match points (93) behind Libertyville’s James Scanio (101), third in most team points (31.5), behind Marquette Academy’s Reily Leifheit (32.5) and Homewood-Flossmoor’s Adante Washington (32) and tied for third in wins by technical fall (3).

“Coach Kimberlin is a great dude,” Meyer said. “He always coaches us real well and he’s a funny dude to be around. He’s a real nice coach who always cares about you. If you’re having a bad day, he’ll pick you up. He always loves wrestling and he loves coaching and is still a very strong guy. We’re still trying to build back our team since we lose kids to private schools. But Kimberlin does a great job going to the local clubs and always has the IKWF and IESA kids come into the room to wrestle. It’s a great tradition at Minooka. The Joliet Central Sectional was definitely the toughest of all the sectionals and our regional was the toughest, at Normal. This year my goal came up a little bit short, losing at sectionals. It’s just motivation after coming here to win and tech’ing, majoring and pinning everyone here.”

Sergio Baity went 24-10 this season and came up a bit short of advancing to the IHSA Finals in his hometown from the Class 2A Lincoln Sectional. The sophomore took second place in the Big 12 Conference and at the Mahomet-Seymour Regional. Baity qualified for the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals by winning the Clinton Regional and taking second at the Heyworth Sectional. The lone qualifier for coach Colin Rotramel’s Chargers, he recorded pins in his first two matches and then was a winner by technical fall over Stagg’s Jihad Suleiman in the quarterfinals and advanced to the 175 title match with another fall, this one in 2:37, over Prairie Ridge’s Aiden Rodriguez

In the third-place match, Libertyville’s James Scanio was a winner by technical fall over Prairie Ridge’s Aiden Rodriguez. Scanio led everyone in the competition in total match points (101) and also for the most wins by technical fall (5). For fifth place, J. Sterling Morton’s Santiago Moya claimed a 5-4 decision over Granite City’s Eli Miller. For seventh place, Lincoln-Way Central’s Justin Langford recorded a pin in 2:10 over Proviso West’s Isiah Robinson. 

190 – Payton Chanerl, O’Fallon

Payton Chanerl posted a 20-9 record during his sophomore season but was not able to qualify for the IHSA Individual Finals from the Class 3A Joliet Central Sectional after claiming thirds at Glenwood and the Edwardsville Regional for coach Chris Schlachter’s Panthers, so he decided to go after the next best thing, which was seeing how well he’s fare in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament. And that proved to be a good call on his part since O’Fallon’s lone qualifier claimed the title at 190 with an 11-5 decision over Downers Grove South freshman Ryker Czubak.

Chanerl qualified for the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals in Springfield after winning titles at both the Belleville West Regional and the Granite City Sectional. In his first match, he won a 21-7 major decision and followed that with a win by technical fall. In the quarterfinals, he captured an 18-9 major decision over Normal Community’s Daniel Bourbulas and then earned his spot in the 190 title match with an 18-6 major decision over Joliet West’s Jacob Tyderek in the semifinals. He ranked third in total match points with 91.

“I wasn’t expecting to become a state champ since I’m wrestling like 10 pounds up since I’m at 182,” Chanerl said. “I ran into a bad weight class at sectionals. I beat plenty of state qualifiers this year, but I got unlucky with the hardest sectional bracket in the state, where I had the top six in the state at Joliet. This was an amazing experience. After having the downfall at sectionals, it was just nice to come here and be able to win. I wasn’t expecting to win this since I was pretty bummed out. Next year, I’m going to be a state qualifier, that’s the goal.”

Ryker Czubak finished with a 14-11 record in his freshman season and only had one top-four finish in a varsity event prior to competing in the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional, which was a third-place showing at his school’s regional tournament, but despite that, he fell one win shy of earning a trip to the IHSA Individual Finals in Champaign in his debut season for coach Zachary Holtzman’s Mustangs. He advanced to the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals with titles at both the Oswego East Regional and the Naperville Central Sectional. He recorded falls in his first two matches in Springfield before recording another pin in 4:03 over Shelbyville’s Hayden Mudgette in the quarterfinals and then he captured an 8-0 major decision over Metea Valley’s Bohdan Postoroniuk in the semifinals to become one of five medal winners and joined 126 champion Jadon Dinwiddie and 106 runner-up Tanner Stone as finalists for Downers Grove South.

Rock Island’s Rowan Stockwell lost his second match and then won six-straight to claim third place, with the last of those wins being an 11-2 major decision over Morris’ Malachi Congo, who fell to Czubak in his second match and then five in a row. In the fifth-place match, Metea Valley’s Bohdan Postoroniuk won a 14-8 decision over Joliet West’s Jacob Tyderek. And in the seventh-place match, Lena-Winslow/ Stockton’s Aiden Larson was a winner by fall in 3:23 over Normal Community’s Daniel Bourboulas.

215 – Colten Mooney, Geneseo

Colten Mooney and Josh Stahl gave retiring Geneseo coach Jon Murray, a 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame Inductee, one final highlight when they closed out the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament by winning titles at 215 and 285, respectively. Mooney went 34-15 and fell one win shy of qualifying from the Class 2A Washington Sectional for the IHSA Individual Finals. The sophomore won titles at Morton and the Western Big 6 Conference and was second at the Dixon Regional as well as being a member of the Maple Leafs’ fifth team under Murray that advanced to the IHSA Dual Team Finals, where they fell in the quarterfinals to the eventual champs, IC Catholic Prep.

Mooney captured the championship at 215 in dramatic fashion when he used an escape in the second period to help him claim a 1-0 decision over Freeburg sophomore Dane Olmstead in the title match. He didn’t compete in a regional to start the IWCOA series since he was in the Dual Team Finals, so instead, he advanced with a title win at the Sterling Sectional. After getting a fall in his first match in Springfield, he won a 15-3 major decision before claiming decisions in his next three matches, which included a 7-0 win over Murphysboro’s Caybren Hubbard in the quarterfinals and also a 4-0 victory over Glenbard West’s Phin Codinha in the semifinals.

“Coach Murray has always been a prominent figure in my life and I’ve been training under him my whole life, so it was good to win a Fresh/Soph state title under him,” Mooney said. “I just like our hard work ethic in the room and I love our no-quit determination. Just never stop, all gas, no breaks. I started a little late and then I stopped for a while for COVID and things. So coming back and just working hard in the room and just believing that I could be a state champion. And just praying and working every day in the room and outside of the room in normal life, too, and just trying to be a better person, it helps.”

Dane Olmstead, who went 30-6 with a title at Carmi and a second-place finish at the 1A Roxana Regional, fell a bit shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Class 1A Carterville Sectional. He was one of the three qualifiers who all won medals with Olmstead the lone finalist for the Midgets, who are coached by Dan Quartz. He advanced to the IWCOA Finals after taking second place at the Belleville West Regional and fourth place at the Granite City Sectional. Olmstead recorded pins in his first two matches and then won a 16-3 major decision over Sycamore’s Clyde Nott before collecting a victory by technical fall over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Aiden Bishop in the quarterfinals. Then he earned his spot in the 215 title match by capturing a 4-2 decision over Edwardsville’s Braylon Hill-Lomax in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, Glenbard West’s Phin Codinha was a winner by fall in 1:39 over Murphysboro’s Caybren Hubbard, who was a member of coach Shea Baker’s Red Devils, who qualified for the IHSA 1A Dual Team Finals for the first time since 2016. The fifth-place match featured two individuals whose teams were in the IHSA 3A Dual Team Finals, as Edwardsville’s Braylon Hill-Lomax, a member of coach Eric Pretto’s Tigers, who advanced to state for the first time since 2019, captured a 7-2 decision over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Aiden Bishop, who was a member of the Hilltoppers’ third-place team that captured a state trophy for the third time in four-straight years that it has qualified for coach Ryan Cumbee, who is one of the 15 inductees for this year’s class of the IWCOA Hall of Fame. And for seventh place, Richmond-Burton’s Shane Falasca was a winner by fall in 1:25 over Downers Grove South’s Chris Cali. 

285 – Josh Stahl, Geneseo

Josh Stahl only competed in five varsity matches and he won all of them and after being a member of Geneseo’s second qualifier for the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals in three seasons and the fifth to get to state in its history, he decided to see if he could conclude his sophomore season on another high note by taking part in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament. Stahl capped an exciting day for retiring coach Jon Murray, a 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee, when he won a 5-0 decision over Notre Dame College Prep sophomore Sean Cook in the 285 title match to become one on two IWCOA champions for the Maple Leafs, with sophomore Colten Mooney preceding him on top of the awards after he took first at 215. Thanks to its late success on the title mat, Geneseo was the only team with two champions in the competition.

Stahl had one other highlight at the varsity level this season and that was taking first place at Orion. Because he was on the Dual Team Final team, which lost to eventual IHSA Class 2A champion IC Catholic Prep, he only had to compete in a sectional tournament to earn a trip to Springfield, and he won the title at the Sterling Sectional. After opening with a fall and then a 4-1 decision, he recorded a pin in 4:36 over Warren Township’s Nolan Lopez in the quarterfinals and then he won by fall in 2:33 over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Daniel Dalach in the semifinals. Stahl and Mooney were the only medal winners for the Maple Leafs at the Frosh/Soph Tournament.

“It’s a lot of fun (being at Geneseo),” Stahl said. “Jon Murray is a legend and he’s been such a great coach. It sucked that I only had him for my freshman and sophomore year but I’m glad he’s going into retirement with the two state champs and I’m happy to have him as my coach. And the coaching staff that is coming up is going to be great. It’s a small town, and if you’re a football player, everybody loves you, and when it comes to wrestling, it’s our top sport and we love all the guys that do it and the team is just so great. This feels amazing. If you told me last week that I’d be a state champ, I wouldn’t have believed you. To be here now, I give all glory to God and I thank Him for putting me in this position.”

Sean Cook was one of two medalists and the lone finalist for coach Anthony Genovesi’s Dons. He was listed as having an 0-0 varsity record but he did get a pin in his team’s dual meet sectional matchup with the eventual IHSA Class 2A champions, IC Catholic Prep, at the Wheeling Sectional. Cook also didn’t appear to be a likely candidate to reach the title mat in at state after qualifying for a trip to Springfield with third-place finishes at his own school’s regional and the Evanston Township Sectional. He opened with a quick pin and then won a 4-0 decision before capturing a pair of two-point decisions, claiming a 4-2 win over Freeburg’s Jack Amann in the quarterfinals and a 7-5 victory over Downers Grove South’s Michael Danial in the semifinals to set up a matchup of two individuals with six wins between them for the 285 championship.

Washington’s MarQwuan Young bounced back from a loss in the quarterfinals with four-straight wins to claim third with a victory by technical fall over Sycamore’s Maddox McRoberts, who lost his second match before winning five in a row. Young also was a member of coach Nick Miller’s Class 2A runner-up Panthers, who lost 46-17 to IC Catholic Prep in the title meet to fall short of a three-peating as IHSA champions, however it was the program’s ninth time that it placed first or second in the past 10 seasons. The third-place match also featured two leaders in falls as Young led the way with five and McRoberts tied one other for second with four. For fifth place, Downers Grove South’s Michael Danial won a 7-0 decision over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Daniel Dalach, a member of the Hilltoppers’ third-place team in Class 3A, which is coached by 2025 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Ryan Cumbee. For seventh, Freeburg’s Jack Amann won by fall in 2:52 over Moline’s Alijah Martin.

IWCOA Frosh/Soph State Championship – Place Matches

101

1st Place Match

Rocco Valvano (Wheaton Warrenville South) won in sudden victory over Mike Bird (IC Catholic Prep) (SV-1 4-1)

3rd Place Match

Cam Whitehead (Winnebago) won by tech fall over Brayden Sroka (Zion-Benton) (TF 18-3)

5th Place Match

Aidan Ambre (West Aurora) won by decision over Nathan Powers (Lincoln-Way East) (Dec 8-7)

7th Place Match

Lucas Crandall (Fremd) won in sudden victory over Austin Jones (Alton) (SV-1 14-11)

106

1st Place Match

Gabe Richmond (West Aurora) won by decision over Tanner Stone (Downers Grove South) (Dec 11-7)

3rd Place Match

Drew Murante (IC Catholic Prep) won by decision over Parker Barry (Morris) (Dec 8-6)

5th Place Match

Matthew Blanke (Barrrington) won by decision over Stone McKone (Buffalo Grove) (Dec 8-3)

7th Place Match

Julian Hartwig (DeKalb) won by fall over Kyler Guercio (Lawerence County) (Fall 1:45)

113

1st Place Match

Roberto Rangel (Marist) won by tech fall over Zach Hoffner (Bradley-Bourbonnais) (TF 17-2)

3rd Place Match

Mason Soney (Normal Community) won by major decision over Emanuel Rangel (West Chicago) (Maj 12-4)

5th Place Match

Santiago Trejo-Huerigo (Addison Trail) won by decision over Breiydyn Hoffman (Grant) (Dec 5-4)

7th Place Match

Nathan Fisher (Cahokia) won by decision over Landon Jenkins (Yorkville) (Dec 11-6)

120

1st Place Match

Enrique Garcia (Jacobs) won by decision over Mykola Shamray (Buffalo Grove) (Dec 7-3)

3rd Place Match

Eric Hoselton (Lincoln-Way Central) won by decision over Matthew Laird (Joliet Catholic Academy) (Dec 12-9)

5th Place Match

Joseph Pedrosa (Joliet West) won by fall over Colin Phelan (Marist) (Fall 1:27)

7th Place Match

Nolan Chrisse (Yorkville) won by major decision over Collin Ledbetter (Moline) (Maj 11-3)

126

1st Place Match

Jadon Dinwiddie (Downers Grove South) won by major decision over Jayden Hernandez (St. Charles East) (Maj 12-2)

3rd Place Match

Joshua Theis (Lincoln-Way East) won by decision over Jacob Crawford (Marist) (Dec 3-2)

5th Place Match

Maricio Parker (Rock Island) won by major decision over Lukas Quartz (Freeburg) (Maj 12-3)

7th Place Match

Koby Clark (Marquette Academy) won by major decision over Roman Ocampo (Glenbrook South) (Maj 9-0)

132

1st Place Match

Adante Washington (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by tech fall over Aiden Quevedo (Schaumburg) (TF 20-4)

3rd Place Match

Shane Stream (Lincoln-Way West) won by decision over Housseyn Ndiaye (Moline) (Dec 9-6)

5th Place Match

Trey Boston (Auburn) won by decision over Jonathan Kopcio (Marmion Academy) (Dec 6-4)

7th Place Match

Vincent Konecki (Yorkville) won by decision over Lincoln Yerby (Morton) (Dec 10-3)

138

1st Place Match

Jaxon Jorgensen (Mount Carmel) won by tech fall over Gavin Nischke (Huntley) (TF 23-3)

3rd Place Match

Braxton Tolley (Granite City) won by fall over Caiden Heath (Amboy co-op) (Fall 1:53)

5th Place Match

Nolan Variano (Hersey) won by tech fall over Jay Doherty (Wheaton North) (TF 18-2)

7th Place Match

Jayden Cooper (Bradley-Bourbonnais) won by decision over Brody Hinkle (Schaumburg) (Dec 5-1)

144

1st Place Match

Christian Chiarelli (Downers Grove North) won by decision over Cale Hilbing (Quincy Notre Dame) (Dec 11-5)

3rd Place Match

Austin Kistner (Olympia) won by decision over Timothy Garmon (Naperville North) (Dec 7-4)

5th Place Match

Khalid Eid (St. Laurence) won by major decision over Elijah Flowers (Bolingbrook) (Maj 9-0)

7th Place Match

Jayden Patterson-Veal (Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy) won by decision over John Gough (Schaumburg) (Dec 12-5)

150

1st Place Match

Tallis Taylor (Glenbard West) won by major decision over Malan Hatfield (West Aurora) (Maj 11-1)

3rd Place Match

Samer Suleiman (Stagg) won by major decision over Gavin Watson (Sparta) (Maj 9-1)

5th Place Match

Brady Miller (Hinsdale South) won by disqualification over Landon Weidler (Belleville East) (DQ)

7th Place Match

Ben Mullins (Robinson) won by fall over Kaden Collins (Olympia) (Fall 2:22)

157

1st Place Match

Nicholas Hermsen (Warren) won by decision over Will Julian (Byron) (Dec 5-2)

3rd Place Match

Maximus Delgado (Yorkville) won by decision over Christian Czerwinski (Lockport Township) (Dec 2-0)

5th Place Match

Julian Rammelkamp (Glenwood) won by tech fall over Xavier Smiley (Glenbard North) (TF 17-0)

7th Place Match

Brody McKenna (Wauconda) won by decision over Ethan Waugh (Stillman Valley) (Dec 12-8)

165

1st Place Match

Reily Leifheit (Marquette Academy) won by fall over Kayden Roach (Bradley-Bourbonnais) (Fall 4:46)

3rd Place Match

Mark Aeschliman (Metamora Township) won by decision over Jeramy Hamm (Notre Dame College Prep) (Dec 7-2)

5th Place Match

James Escobar (Rochester) won by medical forfeit over Kevin May (Montini Catholic) (MFF)

7th Place Match

Samuel Cushman (Barrrington) won by fall over Alen Bautista (Addison Trail) (Fall 1:42)

175

1st Place Match

Kaden Meyer (Minooka) won by tech fall over Sergio Baity (Centennial) (TF 23-8)

3rd Place Match

James Scanio (Libertyville) won by tech fall over Aiden Rodriguez (Prairie Ridge) (TF 21-6)

5th Place Match

Santiago Moya (J. Sterling Morton) won by decision over Eli Miller (Granite City) (Dec 5-4)

7th Place Match

Justin Langford (Lincoln-Way Central) won by fall over Isiah Robinson (Proviso West) (Fall 2:10)

190

Payton Chanerl (O`Fallon) won by decision over Ryker Czubak (Downers Grove South) (Dec 11-5)

3rd Place Match

Rowan Stockwell (Rock Island) won by major decision over Malachi Congo (Morris) (Maj 11-2)

5th Place Match

Bohdan Postoroniuk (Metea Valley) won by decision over Jacob Tyderek (Joliet West) (Dec 14-8)

7th Place Match

Aiden Larson (Lena-Winslow/ Stockton) won by fall over Daniel Bourbulas (Normal Community) (Fall 3:23)

215

1st Place Match

Colten Mooney (Geneseo) won by decision over Dane Olmstead (Freeburg) (Dec 1-0)

3rd Place Match

Phin Codinha (Glenbard West) won by fall over Caybren Hubbard (Murphysboro) (Fall 1:39)

5th Place Match

Braylon Hill-Lomax (Edwardsville) won by decision over Aiden Bishop (Joliet Catholic Academy) (Dec 7-2)

7th Place Match

Shane Falasca (Richmond-Burton) won by fall over Chris Cali (Downers Grove South) (Fall 1:25)

285

1st Place Match

Josh Stahl (Geneseo) won by decision over Sean Cook (Notre Dame College Prep) (Dec 5-0)

3rd Place Match

MarQwuan Young (Washington) won by tech fall over Maddox McRoberts (Sycamore) (TF 17-1)

5th Place Match

Michael Danial (Downers Grove South) won by decision over Daniel Dalach (Joliet Catholic Academy) (Dec 7-0)

7th Place Match

Jack Amann (Freeburg) won by fall over Alijah Martin (Moline) (Fall 2:52)