By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

Geneseo gets past Normal Community to win Lincoln’s Floyd Bee Tournament

There was an exciting back and forth between Geneseo and Normal Community over two days to determine who would emerge as the team champions at Lincoln’s 32-team Floyd Bee Memorial Holiday Tournament.

When the drama finally concluded, the Maple Leafs and Ironmen had combined for a whopping 1,031 points with Geneseo prevailing by a 522-509 margin to capture the championship. There was similar drama in last year’s competition when Normal Community edged Lincoln-Way Central 403-402.5 for top honors while St. Patrick scored 398 points to finish third.

Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher co-op took third place with 391.5 points while Galesburg (289.5), DePaul College Prep (274.5), Jacksonville (237.5), Rock Island (232), Limestone (231), East Peoria (222), Lemont (217) and the host Railsplitters (214) were next in line in the event. 

1 – Geneseo

The champion Maple Leafs, coached by 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Jon Murray, had five title winners, Devan Hornback (19-2 at 138), Izaac Gaines (18-1 at 144), Malaki Jackson (11-1 at 150), Zachary Montez (19-0 at 165) and Kye Weinzierl (19-1 at 175). Landen Vincent (17-4 at 120), Tim Sebastian (13-8 at 126) and Grady Hull (18-3 at 157) finished third, Owen King (4-1 at 285) took fifth and Lincoln Barnett (10-9 at 138) and Colten Mooney (14-7 at 215) placed sixth. Brycen Fahnestock (10-10 at 106) and Elliott Kreiner (6-6 at 113) were ninth, Kie Smith (4-2 at 132) finished tenth, Brayden Franzen (5-4 at 285) placed 11th and Aaron Betcher (4-2 at 190) took 13th place.

2 – Normal Community

Winning titles for coach Trevor Kaufman’s runner-up Ironmen were Jackson Soney (20-4 at 106), Caden Correll (22-0 at 113) and Cole Gentsch (25-2 at 126) while Mason Soney (16-6 at 120) and Mason Caraway (17-7 at 215) both finished in second place. Brayden Manning (20-5 at 132) took third, Jaren Frankowiak (21-6 at 175) placed fourth while Elijah Conda (13-3 at 106), Luke Eganhouse (15-6 at 138) and Carter Mayes (22-3 at 157) all finished fifth. Daniel Bourbulas (8-6 at 190) took seventh, Ethan Cavallo (13-8 at 132) was ninth, Gavin Capodice (17-9 at 150), Cole Kretsinger (11-4 at 190) and Justin Curtis (5-4 at 285) all placed tenth.and Austin Chiesi (6-7 at 144) finished in 11th place.

3 – Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher

Top performers for coach Josh Carter’s third-place Falcons were runner-up Landen Lage (20-1 at 126) and third-place finisher Hudson Babb (18-4 at 150). Camden Bruckner (6-6 at 113),  Ethan Lowe (13-6 at 144) and Jaxon Wright (16-4 at 190) all finished fourth, Gage Martin (15-2 at 120) and Cooper Miller (17-5 at 165) took fifth, Nolan Lowe (18-4 at 132) and Corbin Ragle (13-6 at 157) placed sixth and Cohen Kean (14-5 at  215) claimed seventh place.

Other champions were Highland’s Tyson Rakers (18-1 at 157) and Ashton Zobrist (18-4 at 215), Rochester’s Miles Carroll (18-1 at 120), Sterling’s Zyan Westbrook (14-1 at 132), Lemont’s Judah Heeg (21-0 at 190) and East Peoria’s Jose Del Toro (25-1 at 285).

There was a four-way tie for the most team points with 54 between Del Toro, Heeg, Soney and Zobrist while Correll was right behind them with 53.5 points. Gentsch and Rakers both scored 53 points, Montez and Westbrook both had 52.5 and Gaines, Hornback and Weinzierl tied with 52 team points.

Additional second-place finishers were Galesburg’s Josiah Carter (15-6 at 150) and Larry Randolph (17-4 at 285), Rochester’s Pierce Bultmann (17-2 at 106), St. Patrick’s Daniel Goodwin (26-3 at 113), Lemont’s Cory Zator (18-5 at 132), DePaul College Prep’s Johnny Cunningham (18-2 at 138), Rock Island’s Antonio Parker (16-2 at 144), Jacksonville’s Joe Reif (20-4 at 157), East St. Louis’ Pierre Walton (16-1 at 165), Lincoln’s Dawson McConnell (15-2 at 175) and East Peoria’s Dalton Oakman (20-4 at 190).

Also placing third were Jersey Community’s Maddox Williams (20-3 at 106), DePaul College Prep’s Dimitri Dobre (14-3 at 113), Centennial’s Nehemie Mbangi (17-4 at 138), Lemont’s Julian Villianatos (18-7 at 144), Galesburg’s Anthony Makwala (16-3 at 165), Sterling’s Gage Tate (12-2 at 175), Danville’s Tavares Upshaw, Jr. (20-2 at 190), Limestone’s Ethan Dixon (13-4 at 215) and Jacksonville’s Aiden Surratt (22-5 at 285).

Others who took fourth place were DePaul College Prep’s Colin Bosak (14-6 at 120) and Drew Gerstung (18-3 at 150), Limestone’s Kaleb Fuchs (14-5 at 106), North Boone’s Gavin Ekberg (18-5 at 126), East Peoria’s Cooper Chester (18-8 at 132), Dunlap’s Tristan Mosack (20-7 at 138), Danville’s Josiah Williams (21-2 at 157), Carbondale’s Thomas Imboden (17-7 at 165), Peoria Notre Dame’s Joe Culp (22-5 at 215) and Saint Thomas More’s James Schmidt (18-3 at 285).

Also placing fifth were Peoria Notre Dame’s Josh Stedwill (21-8 at 113) and Ian Akers (26-1 at 132), Rock Island’s Maricio Parker (4-1 at 126), Galesburg’s Caleb Johnson (12-5 at 144), Rochester’s Drake Pfeiffer (8-3 at 150), Lanphier’s Jaylen Crowder (6-2 at 175), Springfield High’s Shamar Brownlee (15-5 at 190) and East Peoria’s Alec Del Toro (20-8 at 215).

Others who finished in sixth place were Jersey Community’s Bodey Waltz (15-6 at 126) and Timothy Shea Herrera (12-5 at 175), Rochester’s Harrison Kolba (12-4 at 106), Heyworth’s Emmett Roeder (18-13 at 113), Lincoln’s Ayden Shaw (13-6 at 120), Pekin’s Aydyn Artman (8-3 at 144), Sterling’s Landon Kenney (8-4 at 150), Dunlap’s Jayden Schmick (20-4 at 165), Marengo’s Conner Sacco (11-4 at 190) and Danville’s Nathan Scott (11-4 at 285).

Limestone’s Christian Johnson had the most total match points with 77 while Correll was next-best with 72. Geneseo’s Owen King and Galesburg’s Mason Taylor were the only two individuals who were able to record four falls during the competition.

Lincoln Floyd Bee Memorial Holiday Tournament place matches 

106

1st Place Match

Jackson Soney (Normal Community) 20-4, Jr. over Pierce Bultmann (Rochester) 17-2, So. (Dec 3-0)

3rd Place Match

Maddox Williams (Jerseyville) 20-3, Fr. over Kaleb Fuchs (Limestone) 14-5, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:31 (18-2))

5th Place Match

Elijah Conda (Normal Community) 13-3, Jr. over Harrison Kolba (Rochester) 12-4, Fr. (Fall 5:05)

7th Place Match

Tessa Donaldson (Pekin) 12-2, Jr. over Owen Schoonover (Centennial) 8-4, Jr. (Fall 1:52)

9th Place Match

Brycen Fahnestock (Geneseo) 10-10, Fr. over Angelo Parker (Rock Island) 13-5, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:08 (16-1))

11th Place Match

Carlos Juarez (Danville) 17-5, So. over Landon Nieslawski (Heyworth) 8-9, So. (MD 10-1)

13th Place Match

Alex Powers (Lemont) 9-9, Fr. over Issac Rabin (Glenwood) 9-8, Fr. (Fall 0:48)

15th Place Match

Declan McReynolds (Limestone) 11-9, So. over Jonah Cox (Highland) 5-9, Fr. (Fall 0:49)

17th Place Match

Kam Hawkins (Glenwood) 7-5, So. over Haley Ritcher (Heyworth) 3-3, Jr. (MD 15-6)

19th Place Match

Phoenix Criss (Lanphier) 9-4, Jr. over Jayce McMillon (Taylorville) 15-10, Fr. (For.)

21st Place Match

RJ Cinnamon (Saint Thomas More) 8-6, Fr. over Chad Bennett (Sterling) 4-8, Fr. (TF-1.5 3:00 (19-2))

113

1st Place Match

Caden Correll (Normal Community) 22-0, Sr. over Daniel Goodwin (St. Patrick) 26-3, Jr. (MD 13-2)

3rd Place Match

Dimitri Dobre (DePaul College Prep) 14-3, Sr. over Camden Brucker (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 6-6, Fr. (MD 14-3)

5th Place Match

Josh Stedwill (Peoria Notre Dame) 21-8, So. over Emmett Roeder (Heyworth) 18-13, Fr. (Fall 1:19)

7th Place Match

Kayne Hayes (Pekin) 11-6, Jr. over Kaiden Capranica (Limestone) 8-8, So. (Dec 8-6)

9th Place Match

Elliott Kreiner (Geneseo) 6-6, Fr. over Tyquez Hudson (Rock Island) 8-8, So. (Dec 11-6)

11th Place Match

Evan Jones (Sterling) 6-7, Jr. over Owen Thomas (Lincoln) 8-11, Jr. (Fall 0:47)

13th Place Match

Drew Patel (North Boone) 16-7, Fr. over Ian Holzmueller (Carbondale) 10-13, Fr. (TF-1.5 3:22 (16-0))

15th Place Match

Alex Woudenberg (Springfield) 1-16, Fr. over Brody Frey (Highland) 1-10, Fr. (MD 16-6)

17th Place Match

Deston Hill (East St. Louis) 7-8, So. over Reaghan Madura (Springfield High) 0-2, Sr. (Dec 8-7)

120

1st Place Match

Miles Carroll (Rochester) 18-1, So. over Mason Soney (Normal Community) 16-6, Fr. (Dec 10-5)

3rd Place Match

Landen Vincent (Geneseo) 17-4, Fr. over Colin Bosak (DePaul College Prep) 14-6, Jr. (MD 11-0)

5th Place Match

Gage Martin (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 15-2, Jr. over Ayden Shaw (Lincoln) 13-6, Jr. (Fall 0:18)

7th Place Match

Gavin Merkle (Highland) 14-6, Sr. over Hunter Hayes (Jacksonville) 17-7, Jr. (Dec 7-1)

9th Place Match

Christian Johnson (Limestone) 13-5, So. over Landon Darst (Galesburg) 11-9, Fr. (MD 26-14)

11th Place Match

Juvontae Williams (Danville) 11-4, Sr. over Bradley O`dell (Carbondale) 15-7, Fr. (Dec 13-8)

13th Place Match

Lincoln Hawkins (Pekin) 11-5, Fr. over Jimy Obedi (Rock Island) 4-10, Fr. (Fall 2:10)

15th Place Match

Hunter Hodge (Jersey Community) 9-7, Jr. over Jake Tuxhorn (Glenwood) 7-18, Fr. (MD 18-7)

17th Place Match

Landon Heckman (Sterling) 9-5, Jr. over Antonio Clark (East St. Louis) 11-9, Jr. (MD 14-2)

19th Place Match

Austin Barr (Rochester) 1-2, Fr. over Gavin Manning (East St. Louis) 2-3, So. (Fall 3:58)

21st Place Match

Joseph Wegierski (Jersey Community) 5-4, Fr. over Madison Bradley (Springfield High) 0-3, Sr. (Fall 1:35)

126

1st Place Match

Cole Gentsch (Normal Community) 25-2, Sr. over Landen Lage (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 20-1, Fr. (Dec 4-2)

3rd Place Match

Tim Sebastian (Geneseo) 13-8, Sr. over Gavin Ekberg (North Boone) 18-5, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:00 (15-0))

5th Place Match

Maricio Parker (Rock Island) 4-1, So. over Bodey Waltz (Jersey Community) 15-6, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:38 (19-2))

7th Place Match

Cort Pentecost (Lincoln) 14-4, Sr. over Ayden Swan (Carbondale) 13-11, Jr. (Fall 4:20)

9th Place Match

Cael Lyons (Sterling) 12-2, Jr. over Remi Joesting (Peoria Notre Dame) 20-9, Jr. (Dec 11-4)

11th Place Match

Joshua Jimenez (St. Patrick) 11-6, So. over Connor Maschek (DePaul College Prep) 9-10, So. (Fall 2:02)

13th Place Match

Parker Ludwig (Lemont) 9-10, Fr. over Neshawn Gates (Dunlap) 6-12, So. (Fall 4:23)

15th Place Match

Gavin Rule (Danville) 8-9, So. over King Wallace (Glenwood) 6-5, So. (For.)

17th Place Match

Dalton Davis (Pekin) 7-3, Sr. over Alexis Seymour (Jacksonville) 16-4, Sr. (Fall 2:16)

19th Place Match

Ethan Flannegan (Limestone) 2-2, Fr. over Keaden Hoyle (Lanphier) 1-6, Sr. (Fall 0:58)

21st Place Match

Promise Houston (East St. Louis) 7-7, Jr. over Gavin Maroon (Highland) 3-12, Fr. (Fall 0:46)

132

1st Place Match

Zyan Westbrook (Sterling) 14-1, Sr. over Cory Zator (Lemont) 18-5, Jr. (Dec 7-5)

3rd Place Match

Brayden Manning (Normal Community) 20-5, Fr. over Cooper Chester (East Peoria) 18-8, So. (For.)

5th Place Match

Ian Akers (Peoria Notre Dame) 26-1, Sr. over Nolan Lowe (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 18-4, So. (Fall 3:20)

7th Place Match

Elijah Venegas (Rock Island) 6-5, Sr. over Jordan Kholian (Jacksonville) 13-5, So. (For.)

9th Place Match

Ethan Cavallo (Normal Community) 13-8, Jr. over Kie Smith (Geneseo) 4-2, So. (TF-1.5 5:00 (18-3))

11th Place Match

Hayden Beebe (Marengo) 16-7, So. over Andrew Wegierski (Jersey Community) 11-8, So. (Fall 0:50)

13th Place Match

Nabiel Rosario (DePaul College Prep) 17-2, Sr. over Kayden Kapraun (Pekin) 3-10, So. (Fall 1:00)

15th Place Match

Finn Try (Glenwood) 7-6, Fr. over Elliott Kato (Centennial) 7-10, Jr. (For.)

17th Place Match

Karter Hild (Lincoln) 17-4, Sr. over Alan Rodriguez (Springfield High) 8-11, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:39 (16-0))

19th Place Match

Kalan Delbridge (Dunlap) 11-10, Sr. over Emiliano Bedolla (Urbana) 15-5, Sr. (For.)

138

1st Place Match

Devan Hornback (Geneseo) 19-2, Sr. over Johnny Cunningham (DePaul College Prep) 18-2, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:51 (16-1))

3rd Place Match

Nehemie Mbangi (Centennial) 17-4, Jr. over Tristan Mosack (Dunlap) 20-7, Sr. (MD 12-2)

5th Place Match

Luke Eganhouse (Normal Community) 15-6, Jr. over Lincoln Barnett (Geneseo) 10-9, Jr. (MD 15-7)

7th Place Match

Orlando Castellano (Galesburg) 14-7, So. over Giovanni Sundeen (Lincoln) 10-14, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:12 (18-3))

9th Place Match

Lakin Adams (Lincoln) 8-4, Jr. over Nic Mrozowski (Rochester) 13-6, So. (Dec 8-3)

11th Place Match

Jayson Fry (Rock Island) 5-2, Fr. over Elijah King (Rock Island) 4-6, Fr. (Dec 8-7)

13th Place Match

Connor Petrakis (Limestone) 5-6, Fr. over Xavier Toliver-Cook (Carbondale) 12-12, Jr. (Fall 1:44)

15th Place Match

Zaire Lee (Glenwood) 10-7, Jr. over Micheal Vacca (Heyworth) 5-9, Sr. (Fall 0:33)

17th Place Match

Jack Bartoletta (Peoria Notre Dame) 10-17, Jr. over Eli Britton (Glenwood) 11-6, Fr. (Dec 10-8)

19th Place Match

Logan Hoppes (Highland) 6-10, Sr. over Adrian Pineda (Sterling) 4-7, Fr. (TF-1.5 3:28 (20-0))

21st Place Match

Leandre Huggins (Lanphier) 3-9, So. over Mason Bruce (Springfield High) 2-14, So. (Fall 4:08)

23rd Place Match

Cain Tittsworth (Jersey Community) 8-9, Fr. over Revin Maldonado (Lemont) 5-12, So. (For.)

Cons. 1st

Tyler Hughes (Jacksonville) 12-9, Fr. over Christopher Taylor (Springfield High) 4-8, So. (Fall 2:32)

144

1st Place Match

Izaac Gaines (Geneseo) 18-1, So. over Antonio Parker (Rock Island) 16-2, Sr. (Dec 7-5)

3rd Place Match

Julian Villianatos (Lemont) 18-7, Sr. over Ethan Lowe (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 13-6, Jr. (MD 17-4)

5th Place Match

Caleb Johnson (Galesburg) 12-5, Sr. over Aydyn Artman (Pekin) 8-3, Sr. (Fall 2:27)

7th Place Match

Logan Hines (Limestone) 3-2, Jr. over Wesley Ortiz (Jacksonville) 12-8, Fr. (Fall 1:42)

9th Place Match

Joe Prideaux (Carbondale) 16-8, Jr. over Liam Kilgore (East Peoria) 14-14, So. (TF-1.5 4:34 (19-4))

11th Place Match

Austin Chiesi (Normal Community) 6-7, Jr. over Kyndell Johnson (Lanphier) 3-10, So. (MD 9-0)

13th Place Match

Joshua White (East St. Louis) 9-10, So. over Joshua Hammontree (Highland) 6-13, So. (Fall 1:50)

15th Place Match

Thomas Trybula (DePaul College Prep) 4-5, Jr. over Lane Sexton (Saint Thomas More) 5-11, So. (Dec 8-6)

17th Place Match

Hunter Boley (Marengo) 15-7, Jr. over Kendrick Pittman (Danville) 7-11, Jr. (Fall 1:14)

19th Place Match

Lazerrick Zander (Centennial) 3-8, Fr. over Kale Lawson (North Boone) 1-11, So. (Fall 1:45)

150

1st Place Match

Malaki Jackson (Geneseo) 11-1, Jr. over Josiah Carter (Galesburg) 15-6, Sr. (MD 22-10)

3rd Place Match

Hudson Babb (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 18-4, So. over Drew Gerstung (DePaul College Prep) 18-3, Sr. (Fall 4:41)

5th Place Match

Drake Pfeiffer (Rochester) 8-3, Sr. over Landon Kenney (Sterling) 8-4, Sr. (Fall 5:28)

7th Place Match

Owen Ostler (Marengo) 15-7, Jr. over Jonathan McCray (East St. Louis) 9-8, So. (For.)

9th Place Match

Bryce Bryant (Springfield High) 16-10, So. over Gavin Capodice (Normal Community) 17-9, Jr. (MD 13-4)

11th Place Match

Logan Stout (Heyworth) 14-16, So. over John Harper (Jacksonville) 12-11, So. (Dec 9-4)

13th Place Match

George Tate (Rock Island) 10-8, Jr. over Soma Palmgren (Limestone) 5-10, Jr. (Fall 2:52)

15th Place Match

Cam Bell (Lincoln) 13-6, So. over Tahj Morens (Lanphier) 7-9, Fr. (Fall 1:40)

17th Place Match

Colton Mosack (Dunlap) 19-4, So. over Edward McKeough (Lemont) 10-11, Jr. (Fall 3:27)

19th Place Match

Cody L Stevens (Springfield High) 11-11, Sr. over Beaudry Fisk (Galesburg) 2-3, So. (Fall 2:45)

21st Place Match

Ace Sumila (Danville) 2-2, Jr. over Camden Williams (Jersey Community) 10-9, Fr. (Fall 0:48)

23rd Place Match

Keandre Townes (Urbana) 6-7, Fr. over Tyshawn Welch (Carbondale) 10-12, Jr. (Fall 2:58)

Cons. 1st

Ethan Bridgeman (Pekin) 7-10, Jr. over Aidan Burwell (East Peoria) 4-12, Jr. (Fall 0:17)

Cons. 3rd

Levi Allison (Lincoln) 11-12, Jr. over Dominic Mercadante (North Boone) 6-13, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:31 

157

1st Place Match

Tyson Rakers (Highland) 18-1, Sr. over Joe Reif (Jacksonville) 20-4, Jr. (MD 13-2)

3rd Place Match

Grady Hull (Geneseo) 18-3, Jr. over Josiah Williams (Danville) 21-2, Jr. (Dec 4-1)

5th Place Match

Carter Mayes (Normal Community) 22-3, Jr. over Corbin Ragle (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 13-6, Sr. (Fall 2:41)

7th Place Match

Philip Christhilf (Saint Thomas More) 17-3, Sr. over Matthew Brendel (DePaul College Prep) 11-4, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:34 (19-3))

9th Place Match

Nicholas Hartley (Jersey Community) 11-5, Jr. over Don Patrick (Galesburg) 10-7, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:20 (15-0))

11th Place Match

Parker Stanke (Rock Island) 4-3, So. over Yanai Taylor (Urbana) 9-12, Sr. (Dec 12-8)

13th Place Match

Aiden Rudman (Lemont) 13-4, Jr. over Isaiah Rivera (East Peoria) 6-9, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:00 (15-0))

15th Place Match

John Couri (Peoria Notre Dame) 16-14, Sr. over Gavin Eales (Lincoln) 12-8, Jr. (MD 9-0)

17th Place Match

James Escobar (Rochester) 15-5, So. over Lucas Gosch (Pekin) 13-6, Jr. (Fall 1:25)

19th Place Match

Lonnez Smith (East St. Louis) 15-6, Jr. over Ryne Metelko (Lincoln) 12-9, Jr. (Fall 5:00)

21st Place Match

Tatum Allen (Sterling) 8-6, Sr. over Isaac Jin (Dunlap) 4-8, Sr. (Fall 1:58)

23rd Place Match

Hunter Bockelman (Heyworth) 17-12, Sr. over Carter Brooks (Heyworth) 8-7, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:34 (19-4))

Cons. 1st

Jacob Allen (Dunlap) 9-3, Sr. over Griffin Crow (Limestone) 8-8, So. (TF-1.5 4:05 (16-1))

Cons. 3rd

Colby Merriman (Lincoln) 6-9, So. over Lucas Ensor (Marengo) 1-5, Jr. (Fall 2:21)

Cons. 5th

Mark Bilek (St. Patrick) 10-11, Fr. over Sam Bratt (Glenwood) 4-7 (MD 17-6)

165 

1st Place Match

Zachary Montez (Geneseo) 19-0, Sr. over Pierre Walton (East St. Louis) 16-1, Jr. (Dec 4-1)

3rd Place Match

Anthony Makwala (Galesburg) 16-3, Jr. over Thomas Imboden (Carbondale) 17-7, Sr. (Dec 10-3)

5th Place Match

Cooper Miller (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 17-5, So. over Jayden Schmick (Dunlap) 20-4, So. (Dec 7-5)

7th Place Match

Maysen Smith (North Boone) 17-7, Sr. over Tristian Stamp (Heyworth) 17-12, Fr. (Fall 3:27)

9th Place Match

Aiden Frye (Lincoln) 13-5, Sr. over Trevor Tucker (Jersey Community) 9-6, So. (Fall 2:04)

11th Place Match

Dylan Lee (Danville) 8-6, Jr. over Liam Kobbeman (Highland) 12-11, Sr. (Dec 6-3)

13th Place Match

Andrew Brendel (DePaul College Prep) 9-8, Sr. over Brady Carroll (Normal Community) 6-5, Jr. (Fall 4:27)

15th Place Match

Christopher Wellman (Sterling) 7-8, Jr. over Ezarah David (Limestone) 6-10, So. (Dec 7-2)

17th Place Match

Kaleb Miller (Jacksonville) 15-9, Sr. over Nico Lococo (Lemont) 13-8, Sr. (MD 17-7)

19th Place Match

Sie Couri (Peoria Notre Dame) 17-11, Sr. over Ryan Hess (Marengo) 10-13, So. (Fall 4:48)

21st Place Match

Saxen Patrick (Galesburg) 3-2, Sr. over Cameron Foley (Rock Island) 3-5, So. (TF-1.5 3:00 (20-3))

23rd Place Match

Ethan Rusher (Taylorville) 14-11, Sr. over Cayden Smith (Lanphier) 1-9, So. (For.)

Cons. 1st

Kyle Marten (Lincoln) 7-8, Jr. over Trace Holmes (Pekin) 3-7, Jr. (Dec 12-8)

175

1st Place Match

Kye Weinzierl (Geneseo) 19-1, Jr. over Dawson McConnell (Lincoln) 15-2, Sr. (SV-1 16-13)

3rd Place Match

Gage Tate (Sterling) 12-2, Sr. over Jaren Frankowiak (Normal Community) 21-6, Jr. (Dec 14-7)

5th Place Match

Jaylen Crowder (Lanphier) 6-2, Sr. over Timothy Shea Herrera (Jersey Community) 12-5, Sr. (Fall 5:19)

7th Place Match

Corey Robinson (East St. Louis) 14-7, So. over Jonnah Fonner (Urbana) 14-5, So. (MD 18-8)

9th Place Match

Mason Taylor (Galesburg) 16-7, Jr. over Vincent DelliColli (Lemont) 7-7, Jr. (Fall 1:54)

11th Place Match

Brody Simons (Heyworth) 20-10, Fr. over Gavin Baros (Marengo) 13-7, Jr. (Dec 8-7)

13th Place Match

Cale Johnson (Galesburg) 3-2, So. over Brock Meyer (Jacksonville) 12-11, Fr. (MD 15-3)

15th Place Match

Brayden Flinn (East Peoria) 9-7, Jr. over Jeramiah Walden (Carbondale) 5-13, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:26 (23-4))

17th Place Match

Alex Welch (Dunlap) 9-6, So. over Michael Trout (DePaul College Prep) 9-6, Jr. (Dec 6-5)

19th Place Match

Cody Trowbridge (Highland) 7-2, Sr. over Josef Hamell (Taylorville) 6-12, Jr. (Fall 2:44)

21st Place Match

Julyan Mayares (Rock Island) 7-7, Jr. over Jarrett Kye (East St. Louis) 1-3, Fr. (Fall 4:39)

23rd Place Match

Christian Goodall (DePaul College Prep) 4-5, Sr. over Uriah Simmons (Glenwood) 4-7, Fr. (Fall 0:26)

Cons. 1st

Kaden Brucker (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 6-8, So. over Cam McDaniel (Lanphier) 0-3 (Fall 4:35)

190

1st Place Match

Judah Heeg (Lemont) 21-0, Jr. over Dalton Oakman (East Peoria) 20-4, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:19 (17-2))

3rd Place Match

Tavares Upshaw Jr (Danville) 20-2, Sr. over Jaxon Wright (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 16-4, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:45 (17-2))

5th Place Match

Shamar Brownlee (Springfield High) 15-5, Jr. over Conner Sacco (Marengo) 11-4, Jr. (Fall 3:00)

7th Place Match

Daniel Bourbulas (Normal Community) 8-6, So. over Bruce Ryder (Limestone) 8-10, Sr. (MD 13-4)

9th Place Match

Frankie Solis (Marengo) 12-2, So. over Cole Kretsinger (Normal Community) 11-4, Jr. (Fall 1:47)

11th Place Match

Jarrod Fulcher (Heyworth) 16-7, So. over Oliver Record-Frank (Springfield High) 9-14, Sr. (Fall 1:46)

13th Place Match

Aaron Betcher (Geneseo) 4-2, Sr. over Gabe Del Toro (East Peoria) 5-5, Fr. (MD 15-3)

15th Place Match

Joshua Hodge (Jersey Community) 3-4, Fr. over Colt Buntjer (Sterling) 2-7, Fr. (Dec 5-3)

17th Place Match

Ethan Greenwald (Highland) 6-3, Sr. over Matthew Schmitt (Dunlap) 12-5, Sr. (Dec 11-7)

19th Place Match

Alex Drees (DePaul College Prep) 11-7, Sr. over Emarrion Harris (Rock Island) 2-3, So. (TF-1.5 3:09 (16-0))

21st Place Match

Jace Marshall (Jersey Community) 9-8, Sr. over Dray Neal (Lincoln) 12-11, So. (SV-1 9-6)

23rd Place Match

Nathan Maloy (Galesburg) 7-7, Sr. over Joey Durham (Rochester) 1-4, Jr. (Fall 0:41)

Cons. 1st

Hayden Greenia (Jacksonville) 4-8, Fr. over Kyle Moore (East St. Louis) 4-5, So. (Fall 0:19)

Cons. 3rd

JaKyiren Herndon (Limestone) 1-3, So. over Robert Meacham (Lanphier) 1-7, Jr. (For.)

Cons. 5th

215 

1st Place Match

Ashton Zobrist (Highland) 18-4, Sr. over Mason Caraway (Normal Community) 17-7, Jr. (MD 14-4)

3rd Place Match

Ethan Dixon (Limestone) 13-4, Sr. over Joe Culp (Peoria Notre Dame) 22-5, Sr. (SV-1 4-1)

5th Place Match

Alec Del Toro (East Peoria) 20-8, Jr. over Colten Mooney (Geneseo) 14-7, So. (Fall 8:00)

7th Place Match

Cohen Kean (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 14-5, Sr. over Moses Kim (Centennial) 12-5, Sr. (Fall 2:00)

9th Place Match

Owen Bills (Marengo) 15-4, Jr. over Nick Davis (North Boone) 13-9, So. (Fall 3:36)

11th Place Match

Connor Daly (Carbondale) 16-11, Jr. over Zavian Turner (Normal Community) 7-6, Fr. (Fall 2:51)

13th Place Match

Charlie Tiezzi (Dunlap) 6-5, Jr. over Sean Kelly (St. Patrick) 2-3, Jr. (Dec 10-5)

15th Place Match

Javier Torres (Galesburg) 2-3, So. over Ethan Hill (East St. Louis) 1-4, So. (Fall 2:37)

17th Place Match

Rowan Stockwell (Rock Island) 11-4, So. over Bradyn Haynes (Pekin) 12-8, Fr. (Fall 4:57)

19th Place Match

Lamarian Rainey (Lanphier) 7-8, So. over Nicholas Woelfel (Jersey Community) 10-9, Sr. (MD 13-5)

21st Place Match

Tristan Souder (Jersey Community) 3-6, Sr. over Forfeit

23rd Place Match

Isiah Dandridge (Danville) 1-3, So. over Forfeit

Cons. 1st

Kevin Haywood (East St. Louis) 6-6, So. Bye

285

1st Place Match

Jose Del Toro (East Peoria) 25-1, Sr. over Larry Randolph (Galesburg) 17-4, Sr. (Dec 8-1)

3rd Place Match

Aiden Surratt (Jacksonville) 22-5, Sr. over James Schmidt (Saint Thomas More) 18-3, Sr. (M. For.)

5th Place Match

Owen King (Geneseo) 4-1, Sr. over Nathan Scott (Danville) 11-4, Jr. (Fall 1:36)

7th Place Match

Jordyn Lomax-Brown (Carbondale) 16-5, Sr. over Keegan Barnes (East Peoria) 11-6, Jr. (DQ)

9th Place Match

Hunter Wahtola (DePaul College Prep) 12-4, So. over Justin Curtis (Normal Community) 5-4, Sr. (Fall 1:12)

11th Place Match

Brayden Franzen (Geneseo) 5-4, Sr. over Colton Maltby (Rochester) 13-7, So. (Fall 1:30)

13th Place Match

Ethan Daniels (Jersey Community) 10-8, Sr. over Jaspher Williams (Dunlap) 11-12, So. (Fall 1:48)

15th Place Match

Logan Wachendorf (Lincoln) 11-7, Sr. over Charlie Reyes (Sterling) 7-7, Sr. (Fall 2:34)

17th Place Match

Brady Mullens (Peoria Notre Dame) 19-11, Sr. over Derek Lawson (Lanphier) 3-10, Sr. (Fall 2:16)

19th Place Match

Emilio Guzman (Rock Island) 10-7, Jr. over Carson Sexton (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 5-6, Fr. (Fall 0:53)

21st Place Match

Christian Allen (North Boone) 9-9, Jr. over Stephen Grichnik (Dunlap) 1-3, Sr. (Fall 4:22)

23rd Place Match

Phil Davis (North Boone) 3-4, Jr. over Dennis Rottmann (Highland) 2-14, Fr. (Fall 0:22)

Team scores

1. Geneseo 522, 2. Normal Community 509, 3. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher 391.5, 4. Galesburg 289.5,

5. DePaul College Prep 274.5, 6. Jacksonville 237.5, 7. Rock Island 232, 8. Limestone 231, 9. East Peoria 222, 10. Lemont 217, 11. Lincoln 214, 12. Jersey Community 198, 13. Sterling 193, 14. Highland 178, 15. Carbondale 175.5, 16. Danville 174, 17. Rochester 173, 18. Peoria Notre Dame 166.5, 19. Pekin 151, 20. East St. Louis 150.5, 21. Marengo 141, 22. Heyworth 130.5, 23. Dunlap 128, 24. North Boone 110.5, 25. Centennial 101, 26. Lanphier 82, 27. Springfield High 78.5, 28. Saint Thomas More 76, 29. St. Patrick 75.5, 30. Urbana 42, 31. Glenwood 30.5, 32. Taylorville 14. 

Sandwich wins championship of own Dual Team Tournament

Sandwich defeated Rockford East 43-35 to claim top honors at its own Sandwich Dual Team Tournament, which featured 11 schools as well as the Sandwich JV.

Coach Derek Jones champion Indians defeated Oak Lawn 52-25 to advance to the finals while coach Gene Lee’s runner-up E-Rabs edged Plainfield Central 41-40 to earn its spot opposite of the hosts. Plainfield Central beat Oak Lawn 40-37 to claim third place. And Rock Falls won 56-18 over Durand/Pecatonica for fifth place.

Sandwich got a 4-0 effort from Devon Blanchard (215/285) while Dom Urbanski (113), Colten Stone (132), Jack Forth (138/144) and Joshua Kotalik (150/157) all went 3-0 and Kaden Clevenger (190), Kai Kern (190) and Luis Murillo (215/285) went 2-0 for the day.

Rockford East was led by 4-0 performances from Dana Wickson (150), Ty Smart (165/175) and Eddie Esguerra (285). 

Coach Terry Kubski’s third-place Wildcats received 4-0 showings from Jayden Mizelle (120), Liam Thompson (126), Brody Rangel (132), Aiden Machalski (165) and Anthony Minnito (215). Faris Elayyan (144/150) was the lone Oak Lawn competitor to go unbeaten, winning twice.

Rock Falls received 4-0 efforts from Adan Oquendo (126) and Trail Stonitsch (165/175) while Scottie Hampton (106), Logan Thome (132) Tucker Ullrich (138), Logan Williamson (144) and Peighton Ahlstrand (190) all went 3-0. Stonitsch led all competitors with 50 total match points.

Saint Viator, which took seventh place with a 42-36 win over Genoa-Kingston, got 4-0 days from Colton Schneider (190) and Jericho Taguniod (215). Schneider was the only individual who recorded four falls. Peotone got a 4-0 effort from Blake Anderson (120/126) while John Meness (138) went 3-0.

There was a seven-way tie for the most team points with 24 between Anderson, Esguerra, Machalski, Minnito, Schneider, Taguniod and Sandwich JV’s Lydia Cartwright. And four individuals scored 23 team points, Oquendo, Rangel, Smart and Wickson.

Hononegah captures Mid-States Wrestling Classic championship

Hononegah scored 327.5 points to win the championship of the Mid-States Wrestling Classic, which was held at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Twelve Illinois teams took part in the 44-team competition and five of those placed in the top 10.

Weyauwega-Fremont, WI (292.5) took second and was followed by Downers Grove North (269), Wauconda (229) and Morton (213.5) to round out the top five teams in the field. Others from Illinois that finished in the top 20 were Grayslake Central (10th, 157), Downers Grove South (12th, 151.5), McHenry (13th, 138.5) and Dundee-Crown (17th, 108.5).

1 – Hononegah

Leading the way for coach Tyler DeMoss’ first-place Indians were champions Rocco Cassioppi (20-2 at 132), TJ Silva (21-2 at 144) and Connor Diemel (21-4 at 175) and runner-up Kristian DeClercq (15-7 at 106). Taking third were Jackson Olson (26-4 at 120) and Kurt Smith (20-4 at 190) and finishing fourth was Max Haskins (19-5 at 157). Greyson Cotone (4-3 at 165) took eighth and Evan Musil (17-7 at 138) and Ethan Ballard (11-9 at 215) placed 11th. 

3 – Downers Grove North

Top performers for coach Chris McGrath’s third-place Trojans were fourth-place finishers Tyler Tiancgo (22-5 at 120) and Jack Lasota (20-6 at 175) while Aidan Cummings (18-8 at 138), Caden Chiarelli (22-5 at 144) and Liam O’Sullivan (21-6 at 157) took fifth and Christian Chiarelli (17-5 at 132) was sixth. Damian Garcia (17-9 at 106) and Owen Kelly (10-8 at 150) both placed eighth, Nate Olona (15-7 at 215) took ninth and Alex Hengles (5-5 at 126) and Peter Rodriguez (19-8 at 285) finished 11th.

Besides Hononegah’s three title winners, others from Illinois who captured championships were Morton’s Harrison Dea (20-2 at 126) and Clay Mckee (23-3 at 165), Grayslake Central’s Vince DeMarco (23-1 at 106) and Round Lake’s William Cole (26-2 at 285). 

Other second-place finishers from Illinois were Wauconda’s Gavin Rockey (25-7 at 120) and Mike Merevick (27-8 at 190) and New Trier’s Tagg Miller (20-3 at 157).

Additional Illinois third-place finishers were Dundee-Crown’s Aiden Healey (23-6 at 106) and Teigen Moreno (25-3 at 215), Morton’s Noah Harris (19-7 at 113) and Grayslake Central’s William Lyle (21-6 at 165).

And others from Illinois who took fourth place were Wauconda’s Nicholas Ruiz (21-13 at 113) and Brian Hart (23-10 at 144) and Downers Grove South’s Jacobi Spraggins (17-3 at 285).

Also finishing in fifth place were McHenry’s Ryan Hanson (22-6 at 132) and Myles Wagner (7-4 at 150), Wauconda’s Maddon Gunn (15-14 at 106), New Trier’s Marcus Regalado (19-9 at 165) and Downers Grove South’s Noah Greene (16-5 at 175).

Sixth-place finishes were also turned in by Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Cullen Parks (6-6 at 106), Morton’s Caiden Robison (23-5 at 144), Downers Grove South’s Nick Spirek (14-8 at 150) and Lakes Community’s Julian Ramos (6-3 at 190).

DeMarco led all competitors with 47.5 team points while Cassioppi tied for second with 47, Cole tied for sixth with 46 and Diemel and Silva tied for 10th place with 45 team points. Downers Grove North’s Aidan Cummings led everyone in the competition with 103 total match points.

Mid-States Wrestling Classic place matches

106

1st Place Match

Vince DeMarco (Grayslake Central) 23-1, So. over Kristian DeClercq (Hononegah) 15-7, So. (TF-1.5 4:43 (20-3))

3rd Place Match

Aiden Healey (Dundee-Crown) 23-6, Jr. over Oliver Millard (Clinton) 19-4, Fr. (Fall 2:31)

5th Place Match

Maddon Gunn (Wauconda) 15-14, Fr. over Cullen Parks (Bradley-Bourbonnais) 6-6, So. (Fall 3:39)

7th Place Match

Chase Heimerman (Cedar Grove-Belgium) 15-4, Jr. over Damian Garcia (Downers Grove North) 17-9, So. (Dec 7-4)

9th Place Match

Charlie Peterson (Monona Grove/McFarland) 13-7, Fr. over Zander Baehnman (Weyauwega-Fremont) 14-9, So. (Fall 3:52)

11th Place Match

Ryan Siebenthal (Morton) 10-11, So. over Alijah Martin (Appleton North) 7-10, So. (Fall 1:33)

113

1st Place Match

Camden Rugg (Union Grove) 20-0, So. over Jaydon LeNoble (Weyauwega-Fremont) 22-2, So. (TF-1.5 3:46 (15-0))

3rd Place Match

Noah Harris (Morton) 19-7, So. over Nicholas Ruiz (Wauconda) 21-13, Jr. (Fall 3:52)

5th Place Match

Dustin Schmirler (Merrill) 14-4, Jr. over Owen Feucht (East Troy) 17-10, Fr. (MD 8-0)

7th Place Match

Landon Heimerman (Cedar Grove-Belgium) 11-7, Fr. over Caleb Busfeild (Janesville Craig) 7-5, Fr. (MD 11-2)

9th Place Match

Jake Delleree (Ozaukee) 12-8, Fr. over Adam Schulz (West Bend East) 17-7, Fr. (MD 14-5)

11th Place Match

Anthony Ballweg (Monona Grove/McFarland) 13-10, Fr. over Owen Maly (Clinton) 14-9, So. (Fall 3:51)

120

1st Place Match

Aidan Gruenenfelder (Pecatonica-Argyle) 19-0, Sr. over Gavin Rockey (Wauconda) 25-7, Sr. (TF-1.5 6:00 (15-0))

3rd Place Match

Jackson Olson (Hononegah) 26-4, Jr. over Tyler Tiancgo (Downers Grove North) 22-5, Sr. (MD 14-3)

5th Place Match

Carsen Voskuil (Cedar Grove-Belgium) 16-3, Jr. over Josue Azuara (Weyauwega-Fremont) 18-7, So. (MD 15-3)

7th Place Match

Reece Moore (Sussex Hamilton) 15-7, Jr. over Broc Suchocki (Merrill) 12-6, Fr. (Dec 14-7)

9th Place Match

Sam Fahey (Oregon) 21-4, Fr. over Krish Sahu (Grayslake Central) 20-9, Jr. (MD 13-2)

11th Place Match

Jarvis Porcaro (Whitewater) 19-5, Sr. over Brody Watson (Morton) 14-11, Fr. (Dec 15-11)

126

1st Place Match

Harrison Dea (Morton) 20-2, Jr. over Lukas Orloff (Pecatonica-Argyle) 19-1, Jr. (MD 21-10)

3rd Place Match

Landen Bogard (East Troy) 23-3, So. over Jacob Hillshafer (West Bend East) 24-4, Sr. (Fall 0:28)

5th Place Match

Jackson Esser (Appleton North) 17-3 over Rilan Smith (Nicolet) 6-5, Sr. (MD 13-3)

7th Place Match

Riley Scherg (Weyauwega-Fremont) 20-5, Sr. over Dominic McGuire (Janesville Parker) 21-6, So. (MD 13-3)

9th Place Match

Evan Sigafus (Darlington-Blackhawk) 11-4, Fr. over Seth Kessen (Cedar Grove-Belgium) 14-6, Jr. (Fall 1:32)

11th Place Match

Alex Hengles (Downers Grove North) 5-5, Jr. over Wyatt Tomlinson (Poynette) 9-8, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:56 (16-0))

132

1st Place Match

Rocco Cassioppi (Hononegah) 20-2, So. over McAllister Ramage (Lake Country Lutheran) 15-1, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:39 (20-4))

3rd Place Match

Brady Collins (East Troy) 23-3, Jr. over Caleb Hillshafer (West Bend East) 21-6, Sr. (Fall 2:40)

5th Place Match

Ryan Hanson (McHenry) 22-6, Sr. over Christian Chiarelli (Downers Grove North) 17-5, Fr. (Fall 2:03)

7th Place Match

Jake Buss (Weyauwega-Fremont) 18-7, So. over Liam Halloran (Grayslake Central) 18-8, Sr. (Fall 2:24)

9th Place Match

Chris Gerardo (Dundee-Crown) 22-7, Sr. over Jadon Dinwiddie (Downers Grove South) 16-9, So. (Dec 4-0)

11th Place Match

Evan Fahey (Oregon) 19-3, Jr. over Emilio Chavarria (Round Lake) 17-12, Jr. (DFF)

138

1st Place Match

Karrsen Bussan (Pardeeville) 19-0, Fr. over Remington Skic (Merrill) 15-2, So. (MD 10-0)

3rd Place Match

Carter Birdyshaw (Weyauwega-Fremont) 21-4, So. over Jayden Ross (Sussex Hamilton) 16-6, Jr. (Dec 8-3)

5th Place Match

Aidan Cummings (Downers Grove North) 18-8, Sr. over Austin Nickels (Monona Grove/McFarland) 14-10, Sr. (MD 12-4)

7th Place Match

Sam Buchholz (Lake Country Lutheran) 17-3, Jr. over Drew Powell (Brookwood) 14-4, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:37 (17-0))

9th Place Match

Aiden Eisenberg (Grayslake Central) 15-11, Jr. over Logan Steffen (Oregon) 19-6, So. (Dec 8-7)

11th Place Match

Evan Musil (Hononegah) 17-7, So. over Shawn Sobczak (Janesville Parker) 11-7, Sr. (M. For.)

144

1st Place Match

TJ Silva (Hononegah) 21-2, Sr. over Cade Aaberg (Oregon) 21-2, So. (Dec 9-3)

3rd Place Match

Kingston Galetka (Pardeeville) 18-2, Jr. over Brian Hart (Wauconda) 23-10, So. (SV-1 12-9)

5th Place Match

Caden Chiarelli (Downers Grove North) 22-5, Jr. over Caiden Robison (Morton) 23-5, Sr. (M. For.)

7th Place Match

Aiden Marquette (Weyauwega-Fremont) 17-4, Sr. over Ryan Johnston (McHenry) 22-7, So. (TF-1.5 3:00 (15-0))

9th Place Match

Connor Friend (Whitewater) 21-4, Sr. over Leo Getchell (Janesville Craig) 22-6, So. (Fall 2:38)

11th Place Match

Drew Woolsey (Downers Grove South) 8-5, Sr. over Callum Wheeler (Merrill) 11-7, Sr. (M. For.)

150

1st Place Match

Owen Seffrood (Darlington-Blackhawk) 14-0, Sr. over Ben Lauer (Waukesha North) 16-5, Jr. (Inj. 0:40)

3rd Place Match

Collin Hamm (Weyauwega-Fremont) 19-2, Fr. over Joel Karls (Monona Grove/McFarland) 18-4, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:50 (20-4))

5th Place Match

Myles Wagner (McHenry) 7-4, Jr. over Nick Spirek (Downers Grove South) 14-8, Jr. (M. For.)

7th Place Match

Cameron Borneman (Bradley-Bourbonnais) 14-8, Sr. over Owen Kelly (Downers Grove North) 10-8, Sr. (Fall 0:20)

9th Place Match

Narciso Gonzalez (Round Lake) 13-7, So. over Traysen Thomason (Whitewater) 18-6, Sr. (Dec 7-2)

11th Place Match

Braeden Bakken (Oregon) 11-11, Sr. over Carter Jones (Morton) 16-10, Sr. (Fall 3:27)

157

1st Place Match

Cole Dummer (Union Grove) 19-1, Sr. over Tagg Miller (New Trier) 20-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:20 (17-1))

3rd Place Match

Ashton Meister (Poynette) 13-2, Sr. over Max Haskins (Hononegah) 19-5, Sr. (Dec 6-4)

5th Place Match

Liam O`Sullivan (Downers Grove North) 21-6, Sr. over Connor Johnson (Weyauwega-Fremont) 18-8, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:05 (18-3))

7th Place Match

Ethan Bilau (Fort Atkinson) 5-2, Sr. over Brody McKenna (Wauconda) 14-13, So. (MD 12-4)

9th Place Match

Brennan Hoffman (Sun Prairie East) 17-8, Sr. over Cooper Floden (McHenry) 13-5, Sr. (Fall 1:48)

11th Place Match

Mason Wollin (Lake Mills) 13-5, Jr. over Hayden Ballweg (Monona Grove/McFarland) 13-10, Sr. (Dec 8-1)

165

1st Place Match

Clay Mckee (Morton) 23-3, Sr. over Caleb Mackey (Pardeeville) 16-3, Sr. (Dec 2-0)

3rd Place Match

Willam Lyle (Grayslake Central) 21-6, Jr. over Xavier Denman (Monona Grove/McFarland) 17-5, Jr. (Dec 8-4)

5th Place Match

Marcus Regalado (New Trier) 19-9, Sr. over Rayhan Lopez (Fort Atkinson) 12-1, Sr. (M. For.)

7th Place Match

Pablo Salinas (Appleton North) 12-8 over Greyson Cotone (Hononegah) 4-3, Sr. (Dec 6-4)

9th Place Match

Evan Petrick (Union Grove) 16-5, Sr. over Hayden Bergles (West Bend East) 14-15, So. (Dec 4-1)

11th Place Match

Justus Castillo (Sussex Hamilton) 15-8, Sr. over Daniel Rosas (Harvard) 11-3, Sr. (M. For.)

175

1st Place Match

Connor Diemel (Hononegah) 21-4, Sr. over Carter McDaniel (Weyauwega-Fremont) 19-2, Sr. (MD 12-3)

3rd Place Match

Maddox Goebel (Darlington-Blackhawk) 14-1, Sr. over Jack Lasota (Downers Grove North) 20-6, Sr. (MD 19-7)

5th Place Match

Noah Greene (Downers Grove South) 16-5, So. over Austin Depies (Merrill) 13-6, Sr. (Fall 2:19)

7th Place Match

Brody Nichols (Delavan-Darien) 13-5, Sr. over Colton Mckee (Morton) 19-7, So. (Dec 4-1)

9th Place Match

Kayden Roach (Bradley-Bourbonnais) 16-6, So. over Colten Ballweg (Monona Grove/McFarland) 11-11, So. (Dec 8-2)

11th Place Match

Tomas Neumann (Oregon) 3-3, Sr. over Christian Cendajez (Wauconda) 6-6, Sr. (Dec 7-0)

190

1st Place Match

William Becker (Pardeeville) 19-0, Sr. over Mike Merevick (Wauconda) 27-8, Sr. (Fall 1:25)

3rd Place Match

Kurt Smith (Hononegah) 20-4, Sr. over Ross Crist (Darlington-Blackhawk) 12-3, Sr. (MD 13-1)

5th Place Match

Carter Wesley (Janesville Parker) 24-3, Sr. over Julian Ramos (Lakes Community) 6-3, Sr. (Fall 3:15)

7th Place Match

John Fusco (Delavan-Darien) 12-5, Jr. over Jacoby Pikulik (Janesville Craig) 19-7, Sr. (Dec 4-2)

9th Place Match

Carson Brooks (Merrill) 8-5, Sr. over Ben Mittag (Nicolet) 12-10, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:13 (15-0))

11th Place Match

Nolan Schrei (Weyauwega-Fremont) 13-10, Sr. over Brayden O`Connor (Bradley-Bourbonnais) 10-8, Jr. (Fall 0:50)

215

1st Place Match

Nate Grooms (Lake Country Lutheran) 15-1, Sr. over Cody Slater (Janesville Parker) 24-2, Jr. (Dec 6-5)

3rd Place Match

Teigen Moreno (Dundee-Crown) 25-3, Jr. over Dylan Beighton (Delavan-Darien) 15-3, Sr. (Dec 5-1)

5th Place Match

Noah Klug (Merrill) 16-3, Jr. over Weston Hackbarth (Sussex Hamilton) 11-6, Jr. (Dec 5-1)

7th Place Match

Brody Lidbury (McHenry) 18-6, So. over Thomas Cassady (Lake Mills) 18-5, Sr. (M. For.)

9th Place Match

Nate Olona (Downers Grove North) 15-7, Jr. over Dante Albrecht (Janesville Craig) 19-9, Sr. (Dec 6-0)

11th Place Match

Ethan Ballard (Hononegah) 11-9, Sr. over Brody Rudolph (Wauconda) 5-10, So. (MD 11-1)

285

1st Place Match

William Cole (Round Lake) 26-2, Sr. over Jovan Lopez (Ozaukee) 17-2, Sr. (Dec 1-0)

3rd Place Match

Deangelo Clay (Monona Grove/McFarland) 18-4, So. over Jacobi Spraggins (Downers Grove South) 17-3, Sr. (Dec 5-1)

5th Place Match

Evan Held (Nicolet) 18-7, Sr. over Austin Waldal (Union Grove) 16-7, Sr. (Fall 3:33)

7th Place Match

Kaden Drake (Darlington-Blackhawk) 10-5, So. over Joshua Gustum (Merrill) 10-8, Jr. (Fall 3:42)

9th Place Match

Edward Witkiewicz (Sun Prairie East) 18-7, Jr. over Roy Ramirez (Dundee-Crown) 19-12, Sr. (Fall 4:48)

11th Place Match

Peter Rodriguez (Downers Grove North) 19-8, Sr. over Loomis Finnegan (Wauconda) 12-15, Fr. (MD 10-0)

Team Scores

1. Hononegah 327.5, 2. Weyauwega-Fremont, WI 292.5, 3. Downers Grove North 269, 4. Wauconda 229, 5. Morton 213.5, 6. Monona Grove/McFarland, WI 193, 7. Merrill, WI 190, 8. Darlington-Blackhawk, WI 174, 9. Pardeeville, WI 165, 10. Grayslake Central 157, 11. Union Grove, WI 154, 12. Downers Grove South 151.5, 13. McHenry 138.5, 14. Janesville Parker, WI 125, 15. Oregon, WI 122.5, 16. Lake Country Lutheran, WI 113.5, 17. Dundee-Crown 108.5, 17. East Troy, WI 108.5, 19. West Bend East 103.5, 20. Sussex Hamilton, WI 100, 21, Janesville Craig, WI 95.5, 22. Delavan-Darien, WI 94.5, 23. Bradley-Bourbonnais 92.5, 24. Cedar Grove-Belgium, WI 88.5, 25. Nicolet, WI 84, 25. Pecatonica-Argyle, WI 84, 27. Round Lake 81.5, 28. New Trier 75.5, 29. Appleton North, WI 75, 30. Whitewater, WI 70, 31. Fort Atkinson, WI 68, 32. Poynette, WI 63, 33. Clinton, WI 59, 34. Ozaukee, WI 58.5, 35. Sun Prairie East, WI 54.5, 36. Waukesha North, WI 54, 37. Lake Mills, WI 53, 38. Lakes Community 39, 39. Brookfield, WI 26, 40. Harvard 17, 40. Turner, WI 17, 42 Horicon, WI 14.5, 43. Edgerton, WI 14, 44. Madison Memorial, WI 8.

Four from Illinois win titles at Granite City William Red Schmitt Holiday Tourney

Missouri teams claimed the top four spots and five of the top six and only three teams from Illinois finished in the top 10 at Granite City’s William Red Schmitt Holiday Tourney.

Columbia Hickman, MO repeated as team champions in the 30-team competition with 343 points while Christian Brothers College Prep, MO took second with 273 points to edge Lafayette, MO by two points. Jackson, MO (251), Paducah Tilghman, KY (172.5) and Whitfield, MO (164.5) completed the top six.

Belleville East scored 160.5 points to finish seventh and lead all Illinois teams while Waterloo (150) was eighth and Quincy Senior (143.5) took ninth place. Other Illinois teams in the top 20 were Batavia (11th, 137), Mascoutah (12th, 134), Triad (13th, 129), Mahomet-Seymour (14th, 121.5), Joliet Central (15th, 120), Collinsville (16th, 118), Andrew (17th, 115), Plainfield South (17th, 115) and York (19th, 113.5).

Illinois champions were Andrew’s Nadeem Haleem (21-3 at 120), Mascoutah’s Brock Ross (24-2 at 150), Mahomet-Seymour’s Marco Casillas (26-2 at 175) and Joliet Central’s Charles Walker (23-1 at 215). Casillas tied for fifth in team points with 42 while Ross tied for tenth in team points with 39.

Additional Missourians who won titles were Hickman’s Hank Benter (126), Quincey Crawford (132), Jordan Fincher (157) and Luke Hayden (165), CBC’s Kosta Hatzigeorgiou (106), Colin Rutlin (144) and Trey Craig (190), Lafayette’s Max Rowe (113), Whitfield’s Jackson Bassett (138) and Jackson’s Bryson Wessel (285). Bassett had the most team points with 45.5 while Hayden had 43.5 and Fincher and Hatzigeorgiou tied for third with 42.5 team points.

Individuals from Illinois who finished in second place were Batavia’s Kai Enos (18-5 at 113), Plainfield South’s Colin Bickett (18-4 at 175), Waterloo’s Jaxson Mathenia (16-2 at 215) and Geneva’s Joseph Pettit (18-1 at 285).

Illinois athletes who took third were O’Fallon’s Logan Thomas (19-6 at 157) and Gavin Gentille (21-4 at 215), Mascoutah’s Xavier Sonon-Hale (21-5 at 106), Normal West’s Dylan McGrew (20-5 at 113), York’s Mondo Martinelli (28-3 at 126), Collinsville’s Camron Minner (23-6 at 138), Plainfield South’s Chase Pierceall (11-4 at 165) and Waterloo’s Drew Glowacki (26-1 at 285).

Individuals from Illinois who finished fourth were Triad’s Colin Crouch (17-5 at 113) and Will Kelly (18-2 at 120), Belleville East’s Jackson Schadegg (11-9 at 106), Granite City’s Braxton Tolley (17-8 at 138), Quincy Senior’s Brody Baker (10-5 at 157) and Bloomington’s Kenner Bye (18-4 at 215).

Fifth-place finishers from Illinois were Plainfield South’s Drew Ritchie (18-9 at 106) and Ian Portillo (18-11 at 285), Belleville East’s Killian Raunch (14-8 at 157) and Terence Willis (19-5 at 165), Batavia’s Jack Duraski (18-4 at 132), York’s Jackson Hanselman (26-5 at 150) and Waterloo’s Jackson Deutch (15-6 at 190).

Competitors from Illinois who took sixth place were Quincy Senior’s Eli Roberts (14-6 at 150), Gunnar Derhake (15-5 at 165) and King Johnson (12-9 at 285), Joliet Central’s Liam Walsh (18-11 at 113), Mascoutah’s Macguire Leck (18-10 at 126), Belleville East’s Landon Weidler (4-4 at 132), Triad’s Braden Rowe (12-4 at 138), Granite City’s Eli Miller (15-9 at 175), Collinsville’s Scott Snyder (14-6 at 190) and York’s Mike Grazzini (13-6 at 215).

Three individuals from Illinois tied four Missourians as the leaders in falls with five. They were York’s Jackson Hanselman, Mascoutah’s Sean Murphy and Collinsville’s Camron Minner. Hickman’s Quincey Crawford had the most match points with 104 while Belleville East’s Braden Kelly led athletes from the east side of the river with 80 points, which tied for third.

Granite City William Red Schmitt Holiday Tourney place matches

106

1st Place Match

Kosta Hatzigeorgiou (CBC) 21-4, Fr. over Christian Prietto-Bottoms (Tilghman) 15-2, Jr. (Fall 3:22)

3rd Place Match

Xavier Sonon-Hale (Mascoutah) 21-5, Fr. over Jackson Schadegg (Belleville East) 11-9, So. (Dec 4-3)

5th Place Match

Drew Ritchie (Plainfield South) 18-9, Fr. over Max Layman (Lafayette) 8-7, Jr. (Fall 4:45)

7th Place Match

Matthew Deutch (Waterloo) 23-2, So. over Austin Jones (Alton) 18-9, Fr. (Fall 0:35)

9th Place Match

Jameson Young (North Point) 19-9, Fr. over Joseph Wasson (Francis Howell) 5-4, So. (TF-1.5 6:00 (16-1))

11th Place Match

Connor Castens (Collinsville) 12-9, Fr. over Donovan Lowery (Normal West) 13-14, So. (Fall 1:20)

13th Place Match

Benjamin Jurkovic (Andrew) 10-8, So. over Levi Apenbrinck (North Point) 2-5, . (TF-1.5 4:29 (16-1))

15th Place Match

Zachary Cooley (Granite City) 3-7, So. over Grady Schmelzer (Triad) 7-8, Fr. (Fall 0:52)

17th Place Match

Joey Calvillo (Batavia) 9-8, Fr. over Parker Kelly (Triad) 3-5, Fr. (MD 10-1)

19th Place Match

Griffin Finch (Quincy Senior) 6-9, Fr. over Zander Johnson (Granite City) 6-14, Fr. (Dec 6-3)

21st Place Match

Carter Warchol (O`Fallon) 9-11, Fr. over Bye

113

1st Place Match

Max Rowe (Lafayette) 12-2, So. over Kai Enos (Batavia) 18-5, Fr. (Fall 1:10)

3rd Place Match

Dylan McGrew (Normal West) 20-5, Sr. over Colin Crouch (Triad) 17-5, Fr. (Dec 11-10)

5th Place Match

Waylon Burress (CBC) 15-5, Fr. over Liam Walsh (Joliet Central) 18-11, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:21 (16-0))

7th Place Match

Nolan Londe (Whitfield) 12-8, Fr. over Jerry Donnelly (Andrew) 19-4, So. (M. For.)

9th Place Match

Case Simmons (Tilghman) 17-3, 8th. over Kamden Gerhardt (Jackson) 20-8, Jr. (Fall 2:26)

11th Place Match

Gideon Hayter (Mahomet-Seymour) 16-13, So. over Jaylen Sandy (Bloomington) 2-3, So. (M. For.)

13th Place Match

Clayton McClelland (Quincy Senior) 11-10, Fr. over Islom Ismanaliev (Plainfield South) 9-14, Fr. (Fall 2:00)

15th Place Match

Tommy Connors (York) 1-5, So. over Billy Green (Granite City) 6-10, Fr. (Fall 3:23)

17th Place Match

Jack Clark (Mt. Vernon) 12-5, So. over Dashun Caldwell (Granite City) 5-9, Jr. (Dec 11-10)

19th Place Match

Jayden Wiegand (O`Fallon) 10-9, Sr. over Damien Draughn (Belleville East) 1-5, So. (Fall 4:29)

21st Place Match

Dontre McClose (Geneva) 0-2, Sr. over Bye

120

1st Place Match

Nadeem Haleem (Andrew) 21-3, Jr. over Hogan Benter (Hickman) 11-2, So. (Dec 14-13)

3rd Place Match

Graidy Rice (Jackson) 23-4, Jr. over Will Kelly (Triad) 18-2, Jr. (Dec 12-11)

5th Place Match

Jackson Tenny (Lafayette) 9-5, Sr. over Jeremiah Pulliam (Tilghman) 12-6, Sr. (Dec 6-0)

7th Place Match

Aleck Allende (Joliet Central) 21-8, Sr. over Corbin Zeisset (Belleville East) 5-9, Jr. (Dec 14-9)

9th Place Match

Sam Sikorsky (Geneva) 18-7, Sr. over Derik Lohmeyer (Quincy Senior) 12-10, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:36 (17-2))

11th Place Match

Elias Chaney (Batavia) 9-13, Jr. over Jordan Thigpen (Collinsville) 11-12, Jr. (Dec 7-0)

13th Place Match

Jace Brown (Granite City) 14-8, So. over Elijah Vogt-Moser (Wentzville) 4-8, Jr. (Fall 3:15)

15th Place Match

Brody Apenbrinck (North Point) 11-14, Jr. over Carter Marshall (Waterloo) 4-6, Jr.

17th Place Match

Jaylen Sleet (CBC) 12-10, Fr. over Gage Tanner (Francis Howell) 4-7, Fr. (Fall 5:22)

19th Place Match

Liam Cardwell (O`Fallon) 7-11, So. over Jose Rivas Jr (Plainfield South) 1-6, Fr. (Fall 5:12)

21st Place Match

Draven VanAvery (Mt. Vernon) 6-7, So. over Bye

126

1st Place Match

Hank Benter (Hickman) 12-0, Sr. over Riley Sumner (Lafayette) 12-1, So. (MD 10-0)

3rd Place Match

Mondo Martinelli (York) 28-3, Sr. over Mitchel Baker (Jackson) 22-3, Fr. (Dec 12-10)

5th Place Match

Michael Fudge (CBC) 15-9, So. over Macguire Leck (Mascoutah) 18-10, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:30 (17-0))

7th Place Match

Jaydon Eddy (Jackson) 14-11, Fr. over Konnor Stephens (Waterloo) 18-8, Jr. (Fall 1:11)

9th Place Match

Wyatt Boeing (Quincy Senior) 11-7, Jr. over Liam Noonan (Mahomet-Seymour) 3-4, So. (Fall 4:23)

11th Place Match

Jowel Maldonado (Joliet Central) 14-14, Jr. over Justin Hamilton (Mt. Vernon) 10-9, Jr. (TF-1.5 6:00 (20-3))

13th Place Match

Brody Walsh (Joliet Central) 3-4 over Travis Rebout (Plainfield South) 4-17, Jr. (Dec 7-3)

15th Place Match

Jomal Dandridge (Alton) 5-18, Jr. over Hunter Pittman (Andrew) 4-3, Jr. (M. For.)

17th Place Match

Dewayne Wills (Tilghman) 8-4, So. over Griffen McGrew (Normal West) 12-12, So. (Fall 2:43)

19th Place Match

Delane Mosley (Belleville East) 2-2, Sr. over Chase Hare (Collinsville) 3-5, So. (Dec 21-20)

21st Place Match

Devon Trail (Wentzville) 3-10, So. over Miles Cintron (O`Fallon) 7-14, So. (Fall 5:12)

132

1st Place Match

Quincey Crawford (Hickman) 12-1, Fr. over Kade King (Jackson) 23-4, Jr. (Dec 3-2)

3rd Place Match

Yashua Amen (Whitfield) 17-3, Sr. over Michael Poulette (CBC) 17-8, So. (Fall 5:25)

5th Place Match

Jack Duraski (Batavia) 18-4 over Landon Weidler (Belleville East) 4-4 (Dec 9-8)

7th Place Match

Calum Brown (Lafayette) 11-3, Jr. over Glen Henry (Triad) 13-6, Jr. (MD 10-1)

9th Place Match

Mason Hare (Collinsville) 16-4, Jr. over Evan Pyles (Tilghman) 9-7, So. (TF-1.5 2:30 (16-0))

11th Place Match

Abram Rader (Normal West) 16-11, Sr. over Andrew Wendt (Geneva) 14-10, Sr. (Fall 2:25)

13th Place Match

Cristian Helton (Francis Howell) 7-5, Jr. over David Calderon (Joliet Central) 12-10, Jr. (Fall 4:22)

15th Place Match

Niko Truax (Mahomet-Seymour) 3-7, Fr. over Jake Zabresky (York) 14-9, Sr.

17th Place Match

Evan Wakefield (Quincy Senior) 8-7, Sr. over Adrian Mendez (Granite City) 13-9, Fr. (M. For.)

19th Place Match

Marquez Singleton (Alton) 9-12, Sr. over Silas Stachyra (Mt. Vernon) 3-10, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:28 (17-1))

21st Place Match

Chance Harrell (Hickman) 3-2 over Jeremiah Berry (O`Fallon) 4-6, Fr. (Fall 1:07)

138

1st Place Match

Jackson Bassett (Whitfield) 20-3, Jr. over Brady McMurtry (Hickman) 13-2, So. (DQ)

3rd Place Match

Camron Minner (Collinsville) 23-6, Sr. over Braxton Tolley (Granite City) 17-8, So. (Dec 6-5)

5th Place Match

Caleb Frankenberger (Lafayette) 12-3, So. over Braden Rowe (Triad) 12-4, Sr. (M. For.)

7th Place Match

Isaiah Kan (Joliet Central) 19-10, Sr. over Justus Vrona (Mahomet-Seymour) 19-8, Jr. (M. For.)

9th Place Match

Braden Kelly (Belleville East) 11-6, Sr. over Marshall Skelton (Alton) 21-9, Sr. (TF-1.5 5:02 (21-4))

11th Place Match

Desi Wade (Mascoutah) 22-6, Jr. over Evan Berkbuegler (North Point) 11-14, Sr. (MD 14-4)

13th Place Match

Diogo Freiria (Francis Howell) 12-8, Sr. over Koven Parks (Bolivar) 10-8, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:40 (15-0))

15th Place Match

Ben Deasy (Geneva) 9-9, Sr. over Dalton Lilledahl (Francis Howell) 8-4, Jr. (M. For.)

17th Place Match

Fischer Barr (Hickman) 4-1 over Shane Fukumoto (Batavia) 5-13, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:30 (18-1))

19th Place Match

Gannon Rice (Jackson) 15-10, Fr. over Leo Resendez (York) 2-3, Jr. (Fall 5:56)

21st Place Match

Tyler Barlow (Bloomington) 14-11, Jr. over Hani Haleem (Andrew) 9-14, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:11 (17-0))

144

1st Place Match

Colin Rutlin (CBC) 20-3, So. over Leo Buchheit (North Point) 24-3, Sr. (Dec 4-2)

3rd Place Match

Caleb Carter (Whitfield) 16-4, Sr. over Shane Oswald (Hickman) 10-3, So. (M. For.)

5th Place Match

Jaylin Bellamy (Tilghman) 12-5, Fr. over Matthew Wilson (Lafayette) 9-6, So. (Dec 10-7)

7th Place Match

Brody Smith (Triad) 14-6, Jr. over Cooper Kamm (Quincy Senior) 13-9, So. (MD 15-6)

9th Place Match

Cole Hubbard (Batavia) 16-6, Jr. over Rawley Evans (Jackson) 18-8, So. (TF-1.5 2:00 (17-2))

11th Place Match

Colton McClure (Mahomet-Seymour) 15-11, Jr. over Jax Mifflin (Waterloo) 14-12, So. (Fall 3:19)

13th Place Match

Adrian Bucaro (Collinsville) 9-10, Jr. over Tyler Nolan (Granite City) 6-15, Fr. (Dec 6-2)

15th Place Match

Andrew McElroy (Granite City) 7-15, So. over Dewayne Taylor (Belleville East) 7-9, Sr.

17th Place Match

Jacob Milam (Jackson) 15-7, Sr. over Jayden Wilkinson (Mascoutah) 12-8, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:25 (18-1))

19th Place Match

Nick Rociola (Andrew) 11-9, So. over Tremaine Cooper (Joliet Central) 12-10, Sr. (Fall 3:23)

21st Place Match

Edwin Ponce (Alton) 2-4, Sr. over Logan Green (Hazelwood West) 4-7, Jr. (Dec 8-3)

150

1st Place Match

Brock Ross (Mascoutah) 24-2, Jr. over Taryn Nichols (Hickman) 11-2, Jr. (Fall 1:35)

3rd Place Match

Rome Tate (Whitfield) 16-3, Sr. over Kaden Purler (North Point) 23-5, Sr. (Dec 4-2)

5th Place Match

Jackson Hanselman (York) 26-5, Jr. over Eli Roberts (Quincy Senior) 14-6, Sr. (Fall 2:50)

7th Place Match

Maddux NeSmith (Bolivar) 17-3, Sr. over Brayden Drew (Alton) 21-9, Jr. (Fall 0:34)

9th Place Match

Talon Decker (Mahomet-Seymour) 20-8, So. over Mason Todd (CBC) 15-8, So. (Dec 6-5)

11th Place Match

Caleb Schlick (Jackson) 13-6, So. over Mason Woodward (North Point) 9-6, Jr. (M. For.)

13th Place Match

Brady Lamoureux (Tilghman) 15-8, Jr. over Jacob Perez (Triad) 8-7, Sr. (Fall 3:05)

15th Place Match

Grey Jackson (Francis Howell) 3-6, Fr. over Carter Bub (Collinsville) 9-8, Sr.

17th Place Match

Miles Greenfield (Belleville East) 8-10, Fr. over Ahmed Al Janabi (O`Fallon) 9-10, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:37 (16-0))

19th Place Match

Nicholas Kuehnel (Lafayette) 6-6, Sr. over Blake Vande Loo (Batavia) 3-6, . (Fall 4:41)

21st Place Match

Luis Cabral (Andrew) 7-14, Jr. over Trevor Pomis (Normal West) 10-15, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:14 (17-1))

157

1st Place Match

Jordan Fincher (Hickman) 13-0, Jr. over Logan Redel (North Point) 21-5, Sr. (Fall 3:33)

3rd Place Match

Logan Thomas (O`Fallon) 19-6, Sr. over Brody Baker (Quincy Senior) 10-5, Jr. (Dec 6-2)

5th Place Match

Killian Rauch (Belleville East) 14-8, So. over Aidan Schoen (Lafayette) 12-1, Sr. (M. For.)

7th Place Match

Ethan O`Malley (Tilghman) 17-4, So. over Christian Fanetti (CBC) 16-7, Sr. (Dec 13-8)

9th Place Match

Sean Murphy (Mascoutah) 23-6, So. over Benjamin Gorny (York) 22-9, Jr. (Fall 2:28)

11th Place Match

Cale McCurry (Bolivar) 14-4, Jr. over Sawyer Goodwin (Jackson) 14-11 (Fall 1:57)

13th Place Match

Quinn Zeman (Andrew) 9-11, Sr. over Ayden Gratzl (Collinsville) 9-14, Sr. (Fall 2:57)

15th Place Match

Logan Alvarez (Normal West) 16-12, Sr. over Angel Blandon (Francis Howell) 4-11, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:06 (17-2))

17th Place Match

Chase Osborne (Batavia) 4-2, Sr. over Pearce Goodfield (Triad) 6-8, Jr. (Fall 1:20)

19th Place Match

Tanner Jaspering (Wentzville) 5-11, Jr. over William Savion (Mt. Vernon) 1-3 (TF-1.5 4:16 (19-3))

21st Place Match

John Sullivan (Mascoutah) 3-2 over Brock Vercher (North Point) 1-3 (Fall 5:45)

165

1st Place Match

Luke Hayden (Hickman) 13-0, So. over Jeremiah Drake (Lafayette) 12-3, Sr. (Fall 1:35)

3rd Place Match

Chase Pierceall (Plainfield South) 11-4, Jr. over Tanner Faulkner (CBC) 20-8, Jr. (SV-1 4-1)

5th Place Match

Terence Willis (Belleville East) 19-5, Sr. over Gunnar Derhake (Quincy Senior) 15-5, Sr. (Fall 4:34)

7th Place Match

Matthew May (Jackson) 18-9, Sr. over Colin Peyton (Batavia) 17-8 (Dec 3-1)

9th Place Match

Jordan Sonon-Hale (Mascoutah) 20-6, Jr. over Logan Bunn (Bolivar) 10-4, Jr. (Dec 9-6)

11th Place Match

Camden Galati (Francis Howell) 8-7, Jr. over Chris Dill (Mahomet-Seymour) 5-5, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:58 (18-2))

13th Place Match

Angelo Jura (Andrew) 13-10, Jr. over Esaias Jefferson (Mt. Vernon) 6-5, Jr. (Fall 2:37)

15th Place Match

Lincoln Breen (Francis Howell) 4-10, Fr. over Hudson Maddox (Waterloo) 4-6, So.

17th Place Match

Charles Pickett (Bloomington) 7-10, Sr. over Levi Merioles (Alton) 9-14, Sr. (Fall 0:44)

19th Place Match

Elijah Kolb (Granite City) 9-14, Sr. over Dylan Kanzler (Geneva) 0-3, . (Fall 2:16)

21st Place Match

Charles Berry (O`Fallon) 2-2, Jr. over Saxton Jenkins (Triad) 1-6, So. (Fall 0:39)

175

1st Place Match

Marco Casillas (Mahomet-Seymour) 26-2, Fr. over Colin Bickett (Plainfield South) 18-4, Sr. (M. For.)

3rd Place Match

Mason McCurry (Bolivar) 14-1, Sr. over Joah Moore (Jackson) 19-5, So. (MD 16-4)

5th Place Match

Beau Waldron (Hickman) 10-4, So. over Eli Miller (Granite City) 15-9, Fr. (Fall 4:34)

7th Place Match

Michael Tongay (Collinsville) 8-13, Sr. over Ben Hall (Tilghman) 10-3, Jr. (M. For.)

9th Place Match

Chrishon Croft (Hazelwood West) 5-4, Sr. over Truett Blount (Mascoutah) 9-10, Sr. (Fall 2:30)

11th Place Match

Vince Goodman (Waterloo) 18-8, Jr. over Brody Busch (Triad) 4-12, Fr. (Fall 1:10)

13th Place Match

Xavier Eggert (Joliet Central) 12-14, Sr. over Forfeit

15th Place Match

Luke Schneider (Francis Howell) 10-4, Sr. over Jack Brown (Batavia) 7-4

17th Place Match

Owen Hamer (CBC) 6-8, Sr. over Jack Ryan (Lafayette) 1-2, Sr. (Fall 0:50)

19th Place Match

Jaden Adams (Lafayette) 2-3, Sr. over Maddox Noles (O`Fallon) 3-5, Sr. (MD 11-3)

21st Place Match

Adrian Ryhmer (Mt. Vernon) 3-9, Jr. over Dylan Galvan (Hazelwood West) 8-9, So. (Fall 0:52)

190

1st Place Match

Trey Craig (CBC) 16-4, Jr. over Carter Brown (Lafayette) 6-2, So. (Dec 10-3)

3rd Place Match

DJ Wilson (Tilghman) 11-1, Jr. over Jordan Sostillio (Jackson) 19-10, Jr. (Dec 3-0)

5th Place Match

Jackson Deutch (Waterloo) 15-6, Sr. over Scott Snyder (Collinsville) 14-6, Sr. (Fall 0:42)

7th Place Match

Alec Gilomen (Triad) 13-8, So. over Triston Manrique (O`Fallon) 5-7, Jr. (Dec 9-6)

9th Place Match

Cedric King (Belleville East) 15-7, Sr. over Sam Harless (Bolivar) 9-6, Jr. (Fall 5:48)

11th Place Match

Mason Marks (Whitfield) 3-3 over Jackson Pierce (York) 8-8 (TF-1.5 2:26 (15-0))

13th Place Match

Logan Jones (Andrew) 4-11, Jr. over Alex Wells (Quincy Senior) 10-8, So. (Fall 1:18)

15th Place Match

Connor Gualandi (Joliet Central) 2-9, Jr. over Abel Faircloth (Mascoutah) 4-12, So. (Fall 1:52)

17th Place Match

Brody Fenton (North Point) 9-14, Jr. over Grant Bayless (Bolivar) 5-8, Jr. (Fall 1:07)

19th Place Match

Julius Pierscionek (Plainfield South) 4-12, Fr. over Wyatt Unrein (Francis Howell) 2-4, So. (M. For.)

21st Place Match

Terrance Woods (Wentzville) 1-8, Jr. over Bye

215

1st Place Match

Charles Walker (Joliet Central) 23-1, Sr. over Jaxson Mathenia (Waterloo) 16-2, So. (Dec 7-6)

3rd Place Match

Gavin Gentille (O`Fallon) 21-4, Sr. over Kenner Bye (Bloomington) 18-4, Sr. (Dec 1-0)

5th Place Match

Charlie Eifert (Jackson) 22-4, Jr. over Mike Grazzini (York) 13-6, Sr. (Fall 3:21)

7th Place Match

Triston Abram (CBC) 4-3, Sr. over Asher Sheldon (Batavia) 17-2 (M. For.)

9th Place Match

Cooper Sapp (Hickman) 4-3 over Darrell Bibbs (Belleville East) 4-3, Fr. (Dec 7-5)

11th Place Match

Cayden Duncan (Francis Howell) 8-6, Jr. over Drew Wooden (Hickman) 6-6, Sr. (M. For.)

13th Place Match

Tristan Burnett (Granite City) 8-10, So. over Avion Hearring (Lafayette) 3-7, Jr. (Fall 2:18)

15th Place Match

Jordan Angleton (Mt. Vernon) 6-11, Fr. over Hayden Hart (Mahomet-Seymour) 15-6

17th Place Match

Jamal Jones Jr (Plainfield South) 10-8, Sr. over Ben Schelp (Quincy Senior) 3-6 (Fall 1:08)

19th Place Match

Luke Perkins (Wentzville) 4-2, Jr. over Bye

21st Place Match

Ashton Schwab (Hazelwood West) 7-6, Jr. over Bye

285

1st Place Match

Bryson Wessel (Jackson) 20-2, Jr. over Joseph Pettit (Geneva) 18-1, Sr. (TB-1 3-2)

3rd Place Match

Drew Glowacki (Waterloo) 26-1, Sr. over Gabriel Casteblanco (Hazelwood West) 11-5, So. (Fall 1:51)

5th Place Match

Ian Portillo (Plainfield South) 18-11, Sr. over King Johnson (Quincy Senior) 12-9 (Dec 4-0)

7th Place Match

Ben Barfield (North Point) 11-14, Jr. over Phil Daniels (Mahomet-Seymour) 10-10, Jr. (M. For.)

9th Place Match

Jack Shepherd (Collinsville) 16-8, Sr. over Jakub Kowal (Plainfield South) 4-3, Jr. (Fall 1:57)

11th Place Match

Prosper Livingston-Holmes (Tilghman) 7-3, Fr. over Alecos Gerretse (Andrew) 5-20, Sr. (Fall 0:41)

13th Place Match

Landon Busch (Triad) 7-7, Sr. over Christian Diaz (York) 2-4, Sr. (Dec 6-3)

15th Place Match

Josiah Johnson (Batavia) 7-14 over Levi Harrell (Hickman) 6-4, Sr.

17th Place Match

Anthony Washington (Wentzville) 9-6, Sr. over Evan Patton (Joliet Central) 7-10, Jr. (Fall 0:30)

19th Place Match

Kavon Newby (Alton) 11-10, Jr. over Owen Hardy (Lafayette) 1-4, So. (Fall 2:43)

21st Place Match

Jonathon Caudle (O`Fallon) 9-7, So. over Holdan Burns (Mt. Vernon) 6-10, Fr. (Fall 0:20)

Team scores

1. Hickman, MO 343, 2. Christian Brothers College Prep, MO (CBC) 273, 3. Lafayette, MO 271, 4. Jackson, MO 251, 5, Tilghman, KY 172.5, 6. Whitfield, MO 164.5, 7. Belleville East 160.5, 8. Waterloo 150, 9. Quincy Senior 143.5, 10. North Point, MO 142, 11. Batavia 137, 12. Mascoutah 134, 13. Triad 129, 14. Mahomet-Seymour 121.5, 15. Joliet Central 120, 16. Collinsville 118, 17. Andrew 115, 17. Plainfield South 115, 19. York 113.5, 20. Bolivar, MO 90, 21. Granite City 81, 22. O’Fallon 78, 23. Geneva 64.5, 24. Normal West 59, 25. Francis Howell, MO 57.5, 26. Alton 53.5, 27. Bloomington 39, 28. Hazelwood West, MO 38, 29. Mt. Vernon 33, 30. Wentzville, MO 18.

Fremd takes second at 66-team Lourdes OTW Classic in Wisconsin

Fremd made an impressive statement by taking second place in the 66-team Lourdes OTW Wrestling Classic, which took place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. 

Coach Jeff Keske’s Vikings scored 258 points to finish ahead of third-place Germantown, WI, which had 245 points. Coleman, WI won the championship with 280 points. 

Evan Gosz (34-2 at 144) captured a championship while Trent Odachowski (15-10 at 120) and Drew Fifield (23-2 at 138) both took second place. Lucas Nance (25-7 at 165) finished fourth, Owen Jakubczak (21-5 at 285) placed eighth and Lucas Crandall (25-7 at 106) took ninth place. 

Gosz won the 144 title with a 5-2 decision over Oshkosh West, WI’s Edwyn Schroeder to cap a 5-0 showing. He ranked seventh for most team points with 49.5.

Odachowski lost by fall in 0:30 to West Bend West, WI’s Ethan Best in the 120 finals and Fifield lost by technical fall in 3:02 to Kewaskum, WI’s Ethan Immel in the 138 finals.

Lane Tech also participated in the tournament and it received fourth-place finishes from Alex Valentin (18-5 at 132) and Nasser Hammouche (20-7 at 157).

Edwardsville, Belleville West in top five at Hallsville, Missouri

Edwardsville scored 156.5 points to take third place and Belleville West collected 127.5 points to claim fifth at the 32-team Hallsville Holiday Tournament, which took place in Hallsville, Missouri.

Leading the way for coach Eric Pretto’s third-place Tigers were champion Austin Kunz (285) and second-place finisher Colton Madison (113). Kunz recorded a fall in 2:57 over Washington, MO’s Mac Ruoff in the 285 finals while Madison dropped an 8-3 decision in the 113 title match to Centralia, MO’s Waylon Adkisson. Kunz led all competitors with 34 team points and tied for first place with the most falls with five.

Benjamin Rashman (106) and Tyler Perry (132) both finished third while Dominic Dykstra (215) claimed fifth place and Ethan Knecht (138) took sixth. Also, George Ostrom (165), who competed for the Tigers junior-varsity, placed fourth.

Top performers for the fifth-place Maroons were champions Aiden Colbert (144) and Justin Riley (215). Colbert won a 13-3 major decision over St. Mary’s, MO’s Leo Niyonizigiye in the 144 finals while Riley was a winner by fall in 5:12 over St. Pius X, MO’s Justin Lehn in the 215 finals. The pair of champions tied for eighth place in team points with 30 apiece.

Alex Ramo (165) finished third, Cooper Boron (106) and Xander Goodwin (157) placed fifth and Wyatt Dahm (113) took sixth. Ramo tied one other individual for most total match points with 76.

Civic Memorial sixth at Mater Dei Holiday Classic in Indiana

Civic Memorial scored 98 points to claim a sixth-place finish in the 19-team Mater Dei Holiday Classic, which took place in Evansville, Indiana.

The Eagles were led by third-place finishers Bradley Ruckman (22-3 at 132) and Knox Verbais (21-5 at 150) while Nathen Herrin (19-8 at 144) and James Wojcikiewicz (21-6 at 165) placed fourth and Avery Jaime (18-7 at 126) finished fifth. Jaime collected 79 total match points, which was a tournament-best by 12 points.

By Mike Garofola for the IWCOA

Class 1A Richmond-Burton lifted its third championship trophy of the season when the Rockets outlasted a trio of 3A programs to earn the title at Palatine’s 69th annual Al Berman Holiday Classic.

The No. 7 team in 1A was chased all day by Grant (197.0), Stevenson (188.5) and Mundelein (122) but none of them were able to overtake Tony Nelson’s club, which amassed 218.5 overall points.

“This is a great bunch of young men who are fun to be around, and who have made the commitment to each other and the team, so our hope is the competition we’re getting against so many 2A and 3A teams will help us when the post-season arrives,” Nelson said.

The Berman crown will find itself alongside trophies won at Glenbrook South and at the Rockets’ own tournament this year. Next on the Rockets schedule is a stop at the 61st Lyle King Invite at Princeton beginning on January 10.

“It’s been good for all of us, particularly our younger guys, to compete in tournaments filled with 2A and 3A teams,” Richmond-Burton senior Emmett Nelson said. “But Princeton will be loaded with so many great 1A teams and we’ll be able to see where we stand with them.”

The field at the Berman Holiday Classic, the second oldest tournament in the state of Illinois, saw York crowned as last year’s champion. But this year the Dukes went south to the Granite City Tournament.

This year’s Berman still featured a highly-competitive field that put on a quality show before an appreciative audience.

Al Berman became a fixture in Palatine wrestling beginning in 1969 when he served as a freshman coach before taking charge of the junior varsity team in 1977. During his time as head coach at both levels, Al Berman’s record was 328-78-6.

In 1993, the Palatine Holiday Tournament changed its name to the Berman Holiday Classic in honor of Berman and his wife Sally, who devoted much of their time to the sport and program. Al Berman served in a variety of capacities at the IHSA State tournament, with his lovely wife Sally working there as well.

Berman was inducted into the IWCOA Hall of Fame in 2001, and both Al and Sally were named into the Palatine High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.

Al Berman Holiday Classic individual champions:

106- Lelan Nelson, Richmond-Burton

Richmond-Burton freshman Lelan Nelson (19-1) has been the perfect lead-off man for the No. 7 (1A) Rockets from his spot at 106 pounds.

With his championship run at the 69th Berman Holiday Classic, Nelson has now collected three major titles in brackets filled with plenty of 3A rivals who have not been able to solve the No. 5 man in the state.

“At the start of his first season in high school wrestling, I really feel as if Lelan wasn’t quite sure of things,” brother Emmett Nelson said. “But he has really turned the corner. He has a lot of confidence in himself and what he’s doing out there, and it’s shown in his results.”

Lelan Nelson recorded a pair of pins against 3A opponents to advance to his final with Stevenson freshmen Daniel Berdich (19-7) and once there it quickly became

a 7-0 advantage with a late near-fall as time ran out in the first period of an eventual 16-8 major decision victory.

Lake Park’s Liam Lovelace won a 13-5 major decision over Stevenson’s Daniel Berdich for third place at 106, and Zion-Benton’s Brayden Stroka won an 18-7 major decision for fifth place over Grant’s Brady Myatt.

113- Oleksandr (Sasha) Havrylkiv, Buffalo Grove

The appearance of two freshmen in the lower half of the Buffalo Grove lineup has provided an instant boost in the Bison attack. Both Oleksandr (Sasha) Havrylkiv and Mykola Shamray (120) have become quite a dynamic duo in the first half of their rookie seasons.

“(Sasha) is so solid on his feet,” Bison coach George Beres said. “He’s strong on both top and bottom, and his progression in how to run tilts, and legs has become a strength. Both he and Mykola are like sponges when it comes to how hard they work in the room.

“Both of the guys are so coachable, and the extra time they spent at Brunson has really helped them come along so much quicker than we could have expected.”

Havrylkiv (14-1) said his tactical plan before each of his three matches was to ‘just pin’ his opponents. That proved to be a sound tactic as he came close with two of his three bouts.

Havrylkiv, who moved here with his family from Ivano Frankivsk, Ukraine during the offseason, would sandwich a pair of tech-falls around his semi-final pin to set up his 17-2 tech-fall triumph over Evan Mishels (11-4) of Stevenson, paving the way to being named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler.

Grant’s Larry Quirk posted a tech fall over Stevenson’s Evan Mishels for third place, and Jacobs’ Anthony Martinez won a 14-11 sudden victory match for fifth place against Lake Zurich’s Collin Miltz.

120- Mykola Shamray, Buffalo Grove

The other half of the potent new Bison duo – Mykola Shamray – is beginning to make a name for himself now that he has settled into being a 120-pounder, after starting the season at 126.

“The adjustment from middle school wrestling was a little tough at the start because of the pace, and different styles of my opponents, but I feel a lot more comfortable than earlier in the season,” said Shamray, now 18-4 on the season.

“(Mykola) is another guy who has benefited greatly from being in the room at Brunson, and you can see it in the way he does his set-ups, his positioning, and defending,” Beres said.

In his final with Stevenson’s Ayush Bajaj (16-11), Shamray took a 3-0 advantage into the second period and rode the Patriots senior for nearly the entire period before putting the finishing touches on a 6-0 victory one minute from time.

Richmond-Burton’s Adam Glauser won by tech fall for third place over Mundelein’s Neftali Cernas, and Hinsdale South’s Alex Schuetz won 10-2 for fifth against Grant’s Breidyn Hoffman.

126- Vince Jasinski, Grant

The 126-pound weight class in the state is loaded at the top with the likes of Nicholas Garcia, Michael Esteban and Jason Hampton, all to be found in the top three in the state polls.

There’s plenty of talent spread across the top ten, including Grant’s No. 8 junior Vince Jasinski (22-0), who feels he’s ready to make his way onto the podium in Champaign in late February.

“The experience of making it downstate last year made me realize just what needs to be done in order to compete at a higher level,” Jasinski said. “So after a real solid offseason, I feel like it’s a reasonable expectation to get myself on the podium.”

Jasinski went 4-2 at Fargo over the summer.

Jasinski, who went 33-15 last season at 113, pinned his way to his title in Palatine. He nearly did the same one week earlier at Glenbrook South’s Rus Erb with a trio of pins to advance into his final with 2A star Adrian Cohen, whom he beat by technical fall.

Jacobs’ Ben Arbotante won by tech fall for third place against Bremen’s Malachi Turner, and Lake Park’s Luca Rutilli placed fifth via major decision against Lake Zurich’s Kellen Oxborrow.

132- Shawn Kogan, Stevenson

Stevenson’s No. 5 Shawn Kogan came back in sensational fashion following his third-place finish at the high-profile 58th Rex Whitlatch Invite at Hinsdale Central one week prior.

The Stevenson junior finished third in Hinsdale behind No. 6 Griff Powell (Lyons) and No. 7 Ulises Rosas (Glenbard West) in a deep 132-pound division.

“I’m not looking back to that sudden-victory loss (4-1) to Rosas because I’ve shown that I’m right there with the rest of the guys in our weight class,” said Kogan, now 22-1 following his tech fall victory over Sergio Hernandez from Lake Park.

“I have a win over Powell (15-14) in the final at Barrington, and two wins over No. 8 Madden Parker (Sandburg), so it’s ‘so far so good’ for me.

“I feel like I am more aggressive this year, my pace is so much better, and I am a much bigger 32-pounder compared to last year. Our room at Stevenson, plus the time I spend at Relentless with (Ryan) Prater and (Jordan) Blanton have been invaluable. So I feel really good about getting onto the podium in Champaign next month.

Kogan was a state qualifier last season with a 24-10 record.

Grant’s Ben Ramos placed third via 17-5 major decision over Lake Zurich’s Evan Honegger, and Hinsdale South’s Jason Jude won by fall for fifth place against Rolling Meadows’ Damien Ortega.

138- Erik Rodriguez, Grant

Grant junior Erik Rodriguez went out to a 4-0 advantage after four minutes in his final with Stevenson sophomore Mikey Polyakov (17-8) and would only concede an escape on his way to a 7-1 decision.

Rodriguez makes for the perfect partner in the Grant room with teammate Vince Jasinski — the other half of the Bulldogs’ lethal duo. Both are on course to make their marks in their respective weight divisions in the month of February.

“(Jasinski) and I compliment each other in the room,” Rodriguez said. “We challenge and push the other every day. We want to be the best we can. Plus, he’s a great guy and teammate.”

Rodriguez is hungry to get back to Champaign, after going 36-15 last season.

“I went 2-2 last year at state, and I wasn’t happy with that. But it gave me the edge needed to work even harder so I don’t have that feeling again this year,” Rodriguez said.

Lake Park’s Nick Merola won by 16-7 decision for third place against Oswego East’s Braeden Grisham, and South Elgin’s Aamir Nieves Allen won 11-5 against Zion-Benton’s Dylan Solesky for fifth place.

144 – Emmett Nelson, Richmond-Burton

Emmett Nelson was cruising along with a perfect record and in the stratosphere when the Richmond-Burton star slipped on the proverbial banana peel with a defeat in his Glenbrook South Rus Erb final against Antioch’s Chase Nobiling.

“Sometimes I just go at one speed, but I learned a lot with that loss, it was a real eye opener, and it definitely was a good loss as it helped get me back on track and motivated for the second half of the season,” Nelson said.

The No. 2 man at 144 in Class 1A behind Unity’s Kaden Inman and a three-time state medal winner and 1A finalist in 2022 and 2023, Nelson (17-1) used the Rus Erb experience as an inspiration, as witnessed by his thrashing of the competition at the Berman.

Two first-period falls sent the Rockets senior into his final with Buffalo Grove’s Bohdan Malaksianov (15-6) where he unleashed an array of weapons on his way to a 19-3 victory by technical fall in 2:00.

“Every weekend we’re in a tournament that is loaded with 2A and 3A teams and quality opponents, and all of us will be better prepared for the postseason because of it,” Nelson said.

Stevenson’s Devitt Narens won by medical forfeit over Mundelein’s Gael Diaz for third and Lake Zurich’s Blake Henning took fifth with a 12-10 decision over Hinsdale South’s Al Amir Almannai.

150 – Kiaven Sullivan, Hillcrest

Hillcrest senior Kiaven Sullivan continues to impress his rivals at 150 as well as head coach Keith Franklin as his season moves along in fine fashion.

Sullivan (15-2), a 2024 state qualifier who went 25-6 last season, collected his second major trophy of the season after cruising into his final with Stevenson junior Val Vihrov (14-6), who was forced out of action after suffering an unfortunate injury at 3:58. Sullivan recorded the most team points on the day with 29.5.

“(You) always want to finish matches outright, but we’re in late December, and nobody wants to unnecessarily aggravate injuries at this point in the season, so I understood completely the decision by the Stevenson bench to call the match,” Franklin said. 

“(Vihrov) was very good on his feet, and KJ (Kiaven) knew he needed to stay away from his headlocks before the match, however I believe he thought he could body lock the kid, but he found out quickly that would not be the case.

“KJ can get away with that stuff against lesser competition, but that’s why we make long drives to tournaments like this to get a good look at great opponents to help him learn to make adjustments on the fly. He found out when you try a blast double with bad technique the good guys will not allow you to finish a move like that.”

Grant’s Nate Flores won 10-4 over Grayslake North’s Owen Anderson for third and Richmond-Burton’s Dalton Youngs took fifth place with a major decision over Palatine’s Donovan Acosta.

157- Kevin Hernandez, Mundelein

Kevin Hernandez had the look of a champion from his very first match inside the Palatine gym.

The Mundelein senior, who is 20-2, came out of the blocks with a pin in 89 seconds, then followed up with impressive wins by technical fall in his next two contests, including a 19-2 final at 5:20 over Grayslake North senior Jacob Ronsman (17-3), who’s ranked tenth at 157 in 2A.

“I thought today went really well for me, I was able to push the pace in a way that I wanted to, plus I felt strong on top which is an important part of my game,” said Hernandez, who was a sectional qualifier a year ago with 35 wins.

“My focus, and attention to details last year was not where it needed to be, but this year is different. (Things) are different this year. I’ve been scoring early, and looking to continue to add points as often as I can, and my confidence is so much better than a year ago.”

Hernandez looks to continue to wrestle in college where he will plan on a degree in criminology and psychology with the hope of a career in law enforcement.

Grant’s Grayson Lennon won by technical fall over Palatine’s Alan Allende for third place and Jacobs’ Connor Zacarias captured a major decision over Zion-Benton’s Demar Dixon for fifth.

165 – Josh Rappa, Rolling Meadows

The Rappa wrestling family of Rolling Meadows doubled its pleasure when the fraternal twins of Josh and Jack each lifted a championship trophy for the first time this season.

“It feels good to win a tournament championship after having such a slow start to the season due to an injury,” Josh Rappa said.

“I lost two-plus weeks to a concussion, it really set me back in my training, the room and even my fitness, but you really have to be careful coming back from being concussed, especially since it is the second concussion I’ve suffered.

“Last year didn’t end very well for me at regionals (blood-round loss), so I wanted to make sure that wouldn’t happen again this year, so I’ve been putting in the extra work.”

Rappa (15-5), a junior, built a 5-0 advantage midway through the third period against Grayslake North junior Kacper Nalezny, then rode him hard while protecting an 8-3 lead en route to an 8-4 decision.

The Rappa brothers are that rare breed of three-sport stars (also football and baseball) that continues to impress Mustangs head coach Gary Parciak.

“I am convinced the dedication and discipline needed to be in three sports has led to both of these guys being such terrific young men,” Parciak said.

Hinsdale South’s Darrion Glover won by fall over Lake Zurich’s Kade Abrantes for third place while Richmond-Burton’s Dylan Falasca won 10-7 over Palatine’s Mejed Jabri to finish fifth.

175 – Blake Livdahl, Richmond-Burton

Another super soph came through for the tourney champions when Blake Livdahl dashed the hopes of a second-straight Berman title for hometown hero Trey Widlowski.

Trailing 3-2 after the first period, Palatine senior Widlowski (18-5) was unable to get the turn he wanted while riding Livdahl (20-2), who with under 30 seconds remaining in the second period increased his advantage with an escape.

It would soon be Livdahl’s match to lose when he put Widlowski to his back with a swift move to make it 9-2 in what was eventually became a 9-5 victory. Livdahl collected a tourney-high 36 match points for his club on the day.

“Like a lot of our younger guys, Blake has really adapted well to competing at the varsity level and at a tough weight as well,” Rockets head coach Tony Nelson said.

Livdahl’s lone defeats of the season have come at the hands of the Nos. 5 and 6 men in 2A: Antioch’s Ben Vazquez and Mahomet-Seymour’s Marco Casillas, with the loss to Vazquez coming in the final of the Rus Erb last weekend. The Berman crown gives Livdahl a second major trophy for the season, with the other coming at Rockford East. 

190- John (Jack) Rappa, Rolling Meadows

John Rappa, or as he prefers, Jack, could not be happier for his brother Josh than he was for his first championship bracket of the season.

“Josh has had to overcome time away with an injury, so it was great to see the hard work he’s put in to get back with us pay off, and for me, it feels great to finally win a tournament after losing to the same twice in my tournament finals,” Jack Rappa said.

The Mustangs junior won the 190 championship with an 8-1 decision over Grant junior Casey Gipson. He dropped finals matches in other tournaments to Richards’ Mike Taheny, a two-time state qualifier who is third-ranked at 190 in Class 2A.

Rappa says of his No. 8 spot in the state 3A rankings that it is nothing more than just a number, and only something that really matters in the postseason.

“To be honest, I really do not pay much attention to the polls because my focus is only my next opponent that I’ll face in order to get downstate where I’ll do whatever I need to do to get on the podium.”

Rappa was a sectional qualifier a year ago with a 25-13 record. He was an inside linebacker and is a catcher for the Mustangs varsity squads.

“Jack is an important and key figure on our football team and a great leader just as he is in our room,” Rolling Meadows coach Gary Parciak said.

For third place, Richmond-Burton’s Breckin Campbell won by medical forfeit over South Elgin’s Karl Pretzer. And in the fifth-place match, Zion-Benton’s Tyson Poyer captured a major decision over Stevenson’s Everett Ciezak.

215- Erick Worwa, Leyden

Erick Worwa got a taste of the postseason when he advanced into the Conant Sectional in 2024. This season, the bar is set higher for the Leyden senior, according to coach John Kading.

Worwa (17-2), who went 22-9 last season, has won two big trophies, one at Conant’s Hruska,

and now, the Berman, after getting three-straight pins to set up his final with Richmond-Burton’s Shane Falasca (20-6) that he led from start to finish en route to a hard-fought 11-5 decision.

“It was a good learning experience for Erick to qualify for sectionals, I really feel it was there that he found out what it takes to compete at a higher level in order to go further,” Kading said.

“He has made the commitment needed to get downstate, his work ethic and work rate is so much better than last season, and the extra effort he is putting in this year has turned into some very good results thus far.”

Oswego East’s Josh Edwards took third with a fall over Grayslake North;s David Williams. And Jacobs’ Lucas Retzler recorded a fall over Grant’s Matthew Longabaugh to claim fifth place.

285- Abisai Hernandez, Mundelein

Abisai Hernandez has come a long way since his sophomore season when made a brief appearance in Champaign to end his year with a very respectable 35-16 record.

The Mundelein big man came back with the wind in his sails last season with a dazzling 40-10 record and sixth place finish in 3A in an all-world heavyweight division to give the Mustangs program its first-ever state heavyweight medal and 21st overall medal in its history.

In the 285 championship match against Richmond-Burton senior Colin Kraus (14-6), an escape to start the second period broke a scoreless opening period, before a nifty takedown at the edge late in the period sent senior Hernandez (16-2) on his way to a 4-0 victory.

“You have to remember in a weight class that is typically filled with big, giant wrestlers, Abisai was always among the lightest, if not the lightest last year with him usually weighing in at 230,” Mustangs head coach Craig Stocker said.

“(That) would show just how much his speed and quickness helped him survive against those giants, but this year he’s coming in around 255-260, and he hasn’t lost anything at that weight.

The extra work he’s been putting in tells me he’s ready to make a serious run in the postseason.”

Stevenson’s Andrew Timmons pinned Zion-Benton’s Isaiah Tellado to take third place. And Jacobs’ Max Garcia won by fall over Palatine’s Jaylen Maiden in the fifth-place match.

Berman Holiday Classic results:

106

1st: Lelan Nelson (Richmond-Burton) 19-1, d. Daniel Berdich (Stevenson) 19-7,  (MD 16-8)

3rd: Liam Lovelace (Lake Park) 15-5, d. Christian Saucedo (Mundelein) 15-9,  (MD 13-5)

5th: Brayden Sroka (Zion-Benton) 12-5, d. Brady Myatt (Grant) 4-6,  (MD 18-7)

113

1st: Oleksandr Havrylkiv (Buffalo Grove) 14-1, d. Evan Mishels (Stevenson) 11-4,  (TF-1.5 4:00 (17-2)

3rd: Larry Quirk (Grant) 5-7, d. Kristian Gersch (Richmond-Burton) 11-8,  (TF-1.5 4:40 (20-2)

5th: Anthony Martinez (Jacobs) 6-11, d. Collin Miltz (Lake Zurich) 10-9,  (SV-1 14-11)

120

1st: Mykola Shamray (Buffalo Grove) 18-4, d. Ayush Bajaj (Stevenson) 16-11,  (D 6-0)

3rd: Adam Glauser (Richmond-Burton) 19-4, d. Neftali Cernas (Mundelein) 16-6,  (TF-1.5 2:28 (17-1)

5th: Alex Schuetz (Hinsdale South) 15-6, d. Breidyn Hoffman (Grant) 2-2,  (MD 10-2)

126

1st: Vince Jasinski (Grant) 22-2, d. Clayton Madula (Richmond-Burton) 20-5,  (F 5:09)

3rd: Ben Arbotante (Jacobs) 14-6, d. Malachi Turner (Bremen) 11-5,  (TF-1.5 2:00 (15-0)

5th: Luca Rutili (Lake Park) 15-9, d. Kellen Oxborrow (Lake Zurich) 9-7,  (MD 15-2)

132

1st: Shawn Kogan (Stevenson) 22-1, d. Sergio Hernandez (Lake Park) 17-4,  (TF-1.5 3:23 (19-4)

3rd: Ben Ramos (Grant) 11-7, d. Evan Honegger (Lake Zurich) 9-8,  (MD 17-5)

5th: Jason Jude (Hinsdale South) 9-5, d. Damien Ortega (Rolling Meadows) 5-11,  (F 5:45)

138

1st: Erik Rodriguez (Grant) 23-2, d. Mikey Polyakov (Stevenson) 17-8,  (D 7-1)

3rd: Nick Merola (Lake Park) 14-6, d. BRAEDEN GRISHAM (Oswego East) 15-7,  (MD 16-7)

5th: Aamir Nieves Allen (South Elgin) 4-1, d. Dylan Solesky (Zion-Benton) 22-9,  (D 11-5)

144

1st: Emmett Nelson (Richmond-Burton) 17-1, d. Bohdan Malaksianov (Buffalo Grove) 15-6,  (TF-1.5 2:00 (19-3)

3rd: Devitt Narens (Stevenson) 16-9, d. Gael Diaz (Mundelein) 11-7,  (Inj. 0:00)

5th: Blaze Henning (Lake Zurich) 12-9, d. Al Amir Almannai (Hinsdale South) 14-8,  (D 12-10)

150

1st: Kiaven Sullivan (Hillcrest) 15-2, d. Val Vihrov (Stevenson) 14-6,  (Inj. 3:58)

3rd: Nate Flores (Grant) 13-9, d. Owen Anderson (Grayslake North) 19-2,  (D 10-4)

5th: Dalton Youngs (Richmond-Burton) 12-10, d. Donovan Acosta (Palatine) 8-6,  (MD 10-0)

157

1st: Kevin Hernandez (Mundelein) 20-2, d. Jacob Ronsman (Grayslake North) 17-3,  (TF-1.5 5:20 (19-2)

3rd: Grayson Lennon (Grant) 15-12, d. Alan Allende (Palatine) 14-8,  (TF-1.5 4:36 (16-0)

5th: Connor Zacarias (Jacobs) 14-7, d. Demar Dixon (Zion-Benton) 10-10,  (MD 12-3)

165

1st: Josh Rappa (Rolling Meadows) 15-5, d. Kacper Nalezny (Grayslake North) 10-4,  (D 8-1)

3rd: Darrion Glover (Hinsdale South) 13-8, d. Kade Abrantes (Lake Zurich) 7-6,  (F 3:59)

5th: Dylan Falasca (Richmond-Burton) 15-10, d. Mejed Jabri (Palatine) 7-13,  (D 10-7)

175

1st: Blake Livdahl (Richmond-Burton) 20-2, d. Trey Widlowski (Palatine) 18-5,  (D 9-5)

3rd: Xavier Arroyo (Grant) 4-3, d. Sonny Tugs (Buffalo Grove) 9-10,  (D 9-7)

5th: Ben Miller (Hinsdale South) 14-7, d. Danny Hernandez (Mundelein) 16-9,  (MD 15-1)

190

1st: John Rappa (Rolling Meadows) 19-2, d. Casey Gipson (Grant) 22-6,  (D 8-1)

3rd: Breckin Campbell (Richmond-Burton) 18-7, d. Karl Pretzer (South Elgin) 2-2,  (Inj. 0:00)

5th: Tyson Poyer (Zion-Benton) 22-6, d. Everett Ciezak (Stevenson) 17-8,  (MD 11-0)

215

1st: Erick Worwa (Leyden) 17-2 d. Shane Falasca (Richmond B) 20-6  (D 11-5)

3rd: Josh Edwards (Oswego E) 14-9 d. David Williams (Grayslake N) 10-8(F 0:24)

5th: Lucas Retzler (Jacobs) 14-7 d. Matthew Longabaugh (Grant) 9-7 (F 1:23)

285

1st: Abisai Hernandez (Mundelein) 16-2 d. Colin Kraus (Richmond B) 14-6(Dec 4-0)

3rd: Andrew Timmons (Stevenson) 6-3 d. Isaiah Tellado (Z-Benton) 18-7 (F 0:52)

5th:Max Garcia (Jacobs) 13-7 d.Jaylen Maiden (Palatine) 11-8 (F 4:23)

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

PALATINE’S 4TH ANNUAL SALLY BERMAN GIRLS HOLIDAY CLASSIC

One day after Palatine hosted the second longest-running tournament in the state of Illinois, the 69th Al Berman Boys Holiday Classic, tournament officials turned around to run the 4th Sally Berman Girls Holiday Classic.

Al and Sally Berman were both inducted into the Palatine Hall of Fame 

in 2003 for their long-time contributions to the sport, two years after Mr. Berman was honored with his induction into the IWCOA Hall of Fame.

In 1993, the Palatine Holiday Wrestling Classic was officially re-named the Berman Holiday Classic, and with the introduction of girls into the sport, it seemed only natural to make the Sally Berman the permanent name for the girls tournament.

Al and Sally Berman met at Palatine high school and were married for 39 years until the passing of Al Berman in 2010 at the age of 70.

At last year’s Sally Berman, Oak Forest overwhelmed the field with 211.0 points, with Andrew next at 176.0 and Dundee-Crown with 102.0 points.

This year points were scattered evenly among the 24 clubs here to compete, and especially among the first eight behind tourney champion Grant.

Nine points would separate second through eighth place, with Palatine and West Chicago sharing second place with 110.0 points, and Dundee-Crown and Round Lake sharing fourth place with 108.0 total points.

Defending champion Oak Forest would sneak into fifth place at 109.0 points, and Bartlett would edge Burlington Central by one-half point (101.5-100.0) for seventh place honors.

There was an all-star cast on hand with nine returning state qualifiers, four of whom would earn a spot on the podium.

With this dazzling array of talent, with a combined overall record of 322-69, it’s no wonder there were just a few new champions at day’s end.

1st place: Grant (125.0 points)

The Lady Bulldogs collected 22 tech-falls and falls, and (160) match points, both tournament highs.

America Camacho was second at 120, with Myla Reyes (125) and Amaryllis Ramos (155) both took home third place medals.

2nd Place: Palatine (110.0 points)

The host Pirates garnered one half dozen top four medals, led by a second place finish by Sabrina Cargill (170), in addition Kevelyn Price (100) and Aiva Wikar (190) who each were third overall. 

Karimet Lawal (145), Brisa Perez (155) and Irma Villa Colunga (190) would all earn fourth place honors.

2nd Place: West Chicago (110.0 points)

West Chicago drew level with Palatine thanks in part to a second place finish from Brissia Bucio (105) and a quartet of fourth place medals by: Monica Sanchez (115), Roxanna Santiago (125), Batula Nasib (140) and Ariana Bonilla at 235.

4th place: Oak Forest (109.0 points)

2024 state qualifier Isabel Peralta pinned her way into the 190-pound where he registered a 15-5 major decision victory to push her record to 24-3. The senior was

39-6 last season, and recently won at the Larkin Girls Royal Rumble.

Brooklyn Strelow was second at 125, Marjorie Sanchez third at 115, and Adr Bille fourth overall at 170 pounds.

Other Sally Berman champions:
Riley Kongkaeow (Round Lake, 100, 22-1), Diamond Rodriguez (Dundee-Crown, 105, 19-0), Norah Cwik (Bartlett, 110, 4-0), Ireland McCain (Round Lake, 115, 20-4), Emma Engels (Bartlett, 120, 18-0), Lilly White (Bartlett, 125, 17-1), Emily Ortiz (Zion-Benton, 125, 21-4), Eva Krupa 

(Conant, 135, 22-2), Jillian Giller (New Trier, 140, 22-1), Naomi Foote (Zion-Benton, 145, 23-0), Callie Carr (Hinsdale South, 155, 20-0), Ryann Miller (Burlington Central, 170, 16-0), Jasmin Ocampo (Fremd, 235, 11-1).

Engels, White, Foote, Carr and Miller are now two-time Sally Berman champions.

For the second consecutive year, New Trier senior Jillian Giller was involved in the most exciting final of all. Giller, who will wrestle in the fall at Illinois Wesleyan, dropped a heart-breaking 9-8 decision in the closing moments to two-time state qualifier Alyssa Keane last season in a 140-pound final.

In her final with Quinn Janssens (24-2) the Oswego East sophomore had the better of it after taking a 7-0 advantage in the first period, and 9-4 lead after two.

“I was in a bit of trouble,” admitted Giller. “Before the third period coach (Andrew) Ortman told me to just go for it, and not to leave any points out there.”

With Janssens holding a 11-10 advantage with 30 seconds from time, Giller turned her opponent before putting the finishing touches on a pin at 5:16, much to the delight of the Trevians faithful.

Individual leaders:
Hinsdale South’s Zoey Allen’s 4 pins in 4:51 were the most pins in the least time in the tournament, while Bartlett’s Emma Engels had the most tech falls (2) in the least time (6:04). Conant’s Jasmine Zavaleta had the fastest fall in eight seconds, and Engels had the fastest tech fall in 1:56.

Bartlett’s Lilly White and Central’s Ryann Miller scored the most team points with 30 apiece, Rockford Jefferson’s Kylie Eiken scored the most single match points with 23, Engel’s scored the most total match points with 58, and the largest seed-place difference went to Grant’s Amaryllis. Ramos, as the 14th seed took third place at 155 pounds.

Team scores:
Grant 125.0, Palatine/West Chicago 110.0 each, Oak Forest 

109.0, Dundee-Crown/Round Lake 108.0 each, Bartlett 101.5, Burlington Central

101.0, Oswego East 98.5, Evanston 78.0, Conant 76.0, Lakes Community 69.0, 

New Trier 68.0, Zion-Benton 65.5, Bolingbrook /Downers Grove South 58.0 each,

Grayslake North/Hinsdale South 54.0 each, Fremd 45.0, Rockford Jefferson 28.5,

St. Viator 27.5, Andrew 20.5, Homewood-Flossmoor 11.0, Waukegan 0.

Sally Berman tournament results:

100

1st: Riley Kongkaeow (Round Lake) 22-1, d. Sunny Aitzemkour (New Trier) 11-6,  (F 2:20)

3rd: Kevelyn Price (Palatine) 12-7, d. Allison Leffew (Central) 6-4,  (F 0:46)

5th: Ester Migues-Gaytan (Grayslake N) 14-9, d. Brooklynn Eggins-Smith (Grant) 2-2,  (F 1:52)

105

1st: Diamond Rodriguez (D-Crown) 19-0, d. Brissia Bucio (W Chicago) 18-1,  (F 1:49)

3rd: Evalyn Idzik (St. Viator) 17-6, d. Valeria Gonzalez (Round Lake) 9-4,  (D 2-0)

5th: Melanie Granda (Central) 3-1, d. Ivette Quintana (Bollingbrook) 2-2, . (F 3:43)

110

1st: Norah Cwik (Bartlett) 4-0, d. Ruby Vences (Central) 17-6,  (F 2:55)

3rd: Iris Torres (D-Crown) 14-7, d. Tori Ooms (DG South) 7-4,  (F 1:26)

5th: Sophia Orcasitas (Oak Forest) 3-1, d. Jordan Rodriguez (Bollingbrook) 11-9,  (F 5:28)

115

1st: Ireland McCain (Round Lake) 20-4, d. Alejandra Flores (Bollingbrook) 12-3,  (F 3:47)

3rd: Marjorie Rodriguez (Oak Forest) 3-1, d. Monica Sanchez (W Chicago) 17-7,  (F 1:02)

5th: Jaiydyn Hoffman (Grant) 19-6, d. Ari Shala (DG South) 11-6,  (MD 19-8)

120

1st: Emma Engels (Bartlett) 18-0, d. America Camacho (Grant) 22-6,  (F 3:34)

3rd: Mia Nevarez (Oswego E) 16-8, d. Lilyann Blasius (Lakes) 17-12, . (F 0:57)

5th: Samantha Gipson (Evanston) 15-7, d. Mackensie Szajda (W Chicago) 14-5,  (D 12-10)

125

1st: Lilly White (Bartlett) 17-1, d. Brooklyn Strelow (Oak Forest) 3-1,  (F 4:17)

3rd: Myla Reyes (Grant) 19-7, d. Roxanna Santiago (W Chicago) 11-9,  (TF-1.5 5:08 (17-0)

5th:Jocelyn Cortes (Round Lake) 13-11, d. Coco Herro (Evanston) 3-5,  (D 6-0)

130

1st: Emily Ortiz (Zion Benton) 21-4, d. Soraya Walikonis (Central) 16-7,  (MD 14-0)

3rd: Brianna Perez (Round Lake) 14-8, d. Lauren Jalowiecki (Central) 8-7,  (F 1:27)

5th: Nayeli Arias (Palatine) 6-8, d. Michelle Galiegos (W Chicago) 3-2, . (D 11-5)

135

1st: Ewa Krupa (Conant) 22-2, d. Jasmine Zavaleta (Conant) 19-5,  (MD 17-3)

3rd: Ruby Gavina (D-Crown) 9-2, d. Eman Fakah (DG South) 5-4,  (F 1:14)

5th: Veronica Vera (Grant) 13-5, d. Elise Kaylor (Lakes) 13-8, . (F 3:25)

140

1st: Jillian Giller (New Trier) 22-1, d. Quinn Janssens (Oswego E) 24-2,  (F 5:16)

3rd: Lloyd Kowalczyk (Fremd) 10-5, d. Batula Nasib (W Chicago) 12-6,  (F 3:19)

5th: Grace Johnson (Zion Benton) 24-4, d. Annabelle Melton (Grant) 16-8,  (F 3:01)

145
1st: Naomi Foote (Zion Benton) 23-0, d. Kennedy Murray (Evanston) 14-3,  (D 4-0)

3rd: Tina Hasner (Lakes) 20-6, .d. Karimot Lawal (Palatine) 12-7,  (D 5-2)

5th: Ella Cooper (Oswego E) 14-7, d. Cassidy Graham (Grant) 17-8,  (F 2:35)

155

1st: Callie Carr (Hinsdale S) 20-0, d. Mackenzie Lessner (D-Crown) 11-3,  (TF-1.5 2:55 (18-0)

3rd: Amaryllis Ramos (Grant) 3-1, d. Brisa Perez (Palatine) 9-13,  (F 1:03)

5th: Analiese Aberman (Conant) 16-8, d. Neve Stateler (Grayslake N) 8-13,  (F 3:06)

170

1st: Ryann Miller (Central) 16-0, d. Sabrina Cargill (Palatine) 17-2,  (F 2:52)

3rd: Jessica Stover (Oswego E) 21-3, d. Adr Bille (Oak Forest) 2-2,  (F 1:02)

5th: Zoey Allen (Hinsdale S) 9-12, d. Jessica Vega (Andrew) 3-2, . (F 2:34)

190

1st: Isabel Peralta (Oak Forest) 24-3, d. Kylie Eilken (Rockford J) 9-4,  (MD 15-5)

3rd: Aiva Wikar (Palatine) 11-6, d. Irma Villa Colunga (Palatine) 12-4,  (F 3:02)

5th: Josyln Coon (Lakes) 3-1, .d. Fatima Gomez (Evanston) 11-7,  (F 0:47)

235

1st: Jasmin Ocampo (Fremd) 11-1, d. Allison Poole (Grayslake N) 18-5,  (F 1:14)

3rd: Gladys Reyes (D-Crown) 5-2, d. Ariana Bonilla (W Chicago) 12-8,  (F 0:30)

5th: Caroline Haiges (D-Crown) 11-5, d. Aniaah Garcia (Palatine) 6-8,  (F 0:18)

JACKSONVILLE’S CRIMSON LADIES HOLIDAY INVITE

Springfield’s co-op team snared the team title at Jacksonville’s 39-team Crimson Ladies Holiday Invite, with eight wrestlers placing in the top eight of their weight classes.

The Senators won 127-114.5 over second-place Collinsville, followed by Glenwood (98), Macomb (95) and Civic Memorial (93) to round out the top five team finishes.

1st place: Springfield Co-op (127 points)
Coach Cody Watts’ team got second-place finish from Phoenix Criss (105), thirds from Reaghan Madura (110), Meredith Gumz (115), and Ariella Miloncus (130), a fifth from Madison Bradley (120), and a sixth from Maya Bennett (155).

2nd place: Collinsville (114.5)
Collinsville got an individual title from Taylor Dawson (140), a second from Londyn Long (125), a third from Tashieya Taylor (155), a fourth from Addyson Bailey (135), and fifths from Claire Dudley (105) and Emma Ford (110).

3rd place: Glenwood (98)

Kadi Wilbern (105) and Jenna Tuxhorn (145) won titles for Glenwood, which also got a pair of fifth-place finishes from Kenzi Milestone (130) and Isabella Resendez (135).

Other Crimson Ladies Holiday Invite champions:
Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Justice Milligan (100), Glenwood’s Kadi Wilbern (105), Belleville West’s Jala Singleton (110), Civic Memorial’s Kendall Moss-Smith (115), Beardstown’s Daisy Gil (120), Vandalia’s Sophie Bowers (125), Jacksonville’s Alexis Seymour (130), O’Fallon’s Scarlett Gentile (135), O’Fallon’s Kira Thompson (155), Highland’s August Rottmann (170), Goreville’s Krista McBride (190), and Unity’s
Phoenix Molina (285).

Twelve title matches were decided by fall and one by major decision, so the title match of the day came at 130, where Jacksonville’s Alexis Seymour won a 5-4 decision over Morton’s Karen Canchola.

Team scores:
Springfield Co-op 127, Collinsville 114.5, Glenwood 98, Macomb 95, Civic Memorial 93, Triad 91, Belleville West 89, Vandalia 65.5, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 59, O’Fallon 58, Urbana 58, ROWVA 56, East Peoria 55, Westville 54, Unity 51, Highland 41, Normal West 41, Clinton 40, Mascoutah 39.5, Mahomet-Seymour 39, Jacksonville 38, Robinson 37.5, North Mac 31.5, Rochester 31, Morton 30, Goreville 29.5, Beardstown 28, Mt. Vernon 25.5, Notre Dame 25.5, Carlinville 23, Charleston 21.5, Rantoul 19.5, Canton 19, Jersey 19, Centennial 16, Hillsboro 11, Alton 9, Eisenhower 8, Unity Christian 0

Individual leaders:
Robinson’s Macee Hammond posted the most pins (5) in the least time (10:50) of any wrestler in the tournament, Mt. Vernon’s Daniya Musgrave had the most tech falls (2) in the least time (7:27), Triad’s Claire Crouch had the fastest fall in nine seconds, and Vandalia’s Sophie Bowers’ tech fall in 1:29 was the fastest in the field.
O’Fallon’s Kira Thompson scored the most team points with 30, while Collinsville’s Taylor Dawson and Springfield’s Maya Bennett tied for the most single match points with 22.  Rantoul’s Jasmine Johnson scored the most total match points with 57, and Alton’s Lola Sumpter provided the largest seed-place difference of the tournament, as the No. 21 seed at 155 placed eighth.

Crimson Ladies Holiday Invite results:

100
1st: Justice Milligan (GCMS) 11-0, d. Claire Crouch (Triad) 3-1,  (F 3:44)

3rd: LT Diephuis (Canton) 19-2, d. Abella Brown (Canton) 3-2,  (D 7-1)

5th: Sierra Tuttle (M-Seymour) 9-7, d. Lily Davis (Mt. Vernon ) 7-6,  (For.)
105

1st: Kadi Wilbern (Glenwood) 19-1, d. Phoenix Criss (Springfield) 8-3,  (F 3:07)

3rd: Jasmine Johnson (Rantoul) 5-4, d. Jhayla Lawson (Mascoutah) 4-3,  (TF-1.5 3:22 (19-3)

5th: Claire Dudley (Collinsville) 6-9, d. Josselyn Allen (Jersey) 4-6,  (F 1:17)

110

1st: Jala Singleton (Belleville W) 11-5, d. ariana humes (Clinton) 12-2,  (F 0:35)

3rd: Reaghan Madura (Springfield) 15-4, d. Carlly Ho (Rochester) 13-5,  (D 3-1)

5th: Emma Ford (Collinsville) 15-7, d. Cecelia Irwin (Springfield) 7-11,  (F 1:58)

115

1st: Kendall Moss-Smith (Civic Memorial) 16-3, d. Marissa Brown (ROWVA) 9-4,  (F 2:21)

3rd: Meredith Gumz (Springfield) 8-5, d. Alina Edwards (Springfield) 5-5,  (F 0:46)

5th: Lucie Eisenbarth (Rochester) 13-9, d. Ashley Ronan (North Mac) 3-3,  (F 4:25)

120

1st: Daisy Gil (Beardstown) 13-2, d. Morgan Krone-Smallhorn (Charleston) 5-3,  (F 0:54)

3rd: Zoey Nelson (Mascoutah) 10-3, d. Maria Hernandez (Macomb) 10-7,  (F 1:46)

5th: Madison Bradley (Springfield) 7-8, d. Laila Earney (Civic Memorial) 5-10,  (F 3:08)

125

1st: Sophie Bowers (Vandalia) 17-0, d. Londyn Long (Collinsville) 16-2,  (MD 9-0)

3rd: Daisy Smith (Triad) 4-1, d. Madison Peaslee (Westville) 5-4,  (F 0:33)

5th: Constance Brand (North Mac) 4-2, d. Izabella Paranto (East Peoria) 6-10,  (TF-1.5 4:34 (20-5)

130

1st: Alexis Seymour (Jacksonville ) 19-4, d. Karen Canchola (Morton) 14-2,  (D 5-4)

3rd: Ariella Miloncus (Springfield) 14-5, d. Ava Beldo (Champaign (Centennial) 13-4,  (F 4:52)

5th: Kenzi Milestone (Glenwood) 18-7, d. Alicia Dominguez (Civic Memorial) 7-8,  (F 4:09)

135

1st: Scarlett Gentille (O’Fon) 10-1, d. Samantha Scott (Carlinville) 6-1,  (F 1:54)

3rd: Taylor Sutton (East Peoria) 12-7, d. Addyson Bailey (Collinsville) 13-7,  (D 11-8)

5th: Isabella Resendez (Glenwood) 18-6, d. Imani Hawkins (Triad) 3-3,  (F 2:14)

140

1st: Taylor Dawson (Collinsville) 16-1, d. Kelly Ladd (Macomb) 18-2,  (F 4:26)

3rd: Rickasia Ivy (Urbana ) 16-4, d. Delaney Griffin (Civic Memorial) 9-3,  (F 5:27)

5th: Daniya Musgrave (Mt. Vernon ) 10-5, d. Amelia Watterson (Vandalia) 14-8,  (D 11-9)

145

1st: Jenna Tuxhorn (Glenwood) 19-1, d. Mikaela Mwangong (Macomb) 14-5,  (F 4:27)

3rd: Avery Schlickman (GCMS) 11-3, d. Audrey Whipple (Civic Memorial) 11-6,  (F 0:14)

5th: Vivian Guither (Normal W) 17-10, d. Zoe Dozier (Belleville W) 5-8,  (F 2:33)

155

1st: Kira Thompson (O’Fon) 11-1, d. Anna Vasey (Unity) 18-2,  (F 5:37)

3rd: Tashieya Taylor (Collinsville) 14-3, d. Dru Hyde (Macomb) 16-5,  (F 3:24)

5th: Macee Hammond (Robinson) 12-7, d. Maya Bennett (Springfield) 8-10,  (F 3:31)

Consolation 1st: Makenna Roedl (Westville) 2-1, .d. Kahlan Micheals (Mascoutah) 1-7,  (F 0:38)

Consolation 3rd: Micaela Gustafson (Belleville W) 1-4, d. Samariya Manuel (Eisenhower) 0-3,  (F 0:33)

170

1st: August Rottmann (Highland) 21-0, d. Autumne Williams (Notre Dame) 2-1,  (F 2:14)

3rd: Dezyrae Murray (East Peoria) 8-3, d. Ju`Bri Edwards (Belleville W) 9-3,  (F 2:31)

5th: Brynn Swyers (Vandalia) 14-5, d. DaLonna Buckley (ROWVA) 6-3,  (F 3:17)

Consolation 1st: Makenna Smith (Springfield) 4-9, d. Abygale Angelo (Jacksonville ) 2-9,  (F 2:58)

Consolation 3rd: Diana Naxi (Clinton) 3-6, d. Addi Wilson (Triad) 0-3,  (F 1:43)

190

1st: Krista McBride (Goreville) 4-0, d. Patience Riggs (ROWVA) 8-3,  (F 0:56)

3rd: Brooke Stelhorn (Belleville W) 10-3, d. Avery Lundgren (Macomb) 13-6,  (F 2:48)

5th: Sophia Elkins (Highland) 8-5, d. Nina Landmann (Highland) 4-4,  (F 5:46)

235

1st: Phoenix Molina (Unity) 16-3, d. Cadence Duvall (Normal W) 14-3,  (F 2:42)

3rd: Lillian Disanto (Urbana ) 22-6, d. Addison Briggs (Westville) 5-5,  (F 1:55)

5th: Jaycee Weitekamp (M-Seymour) 13-8, d. Gracey Simmons (Vandalia) 6-5,  (F 1:49)

OTTAWA’S HOLIDAY HOOTENANNY

This year’s Ottawa Holiday Hootenanny featured three levels of competition – Elite, Varsity, and JV — for each of the 30 teams present. 

The overall tournament champion was determined by combining the Elite and Varsity scores and when it was over, Geneseo stood atop the field.

Geneseo didn’t score the most points in either division but finished second to Morris in the Elite division and seventh in the Varsity division to Freeport to snare the combined team title.

Among 10 total wrestlers entered across both divisions, Geneseo coach Carley Rusk saw all 10 place in the top six of their weight classes, with two individual titles, two second-place finishes, one third, three fourths, and two fifths.

“We were very proud of the hard work and dedication that the girls showed at Ottawa,” Rusk said. “With only a one day break after wrestling 6 duals at the IWCOA dual state tournament, I was a little concerned with how we would perform at Ottawa. As usual, the girls took me by surprise and handled the situation very well.”

Two days after placing eighth in the IWCOA’s 16-team dual team invitational state tournament, the Maple Leafs showed their resilience in Ottawa.

“These girls are fighters,” Rusk said. “They know how to dig in and tough it out when things are hard. Their refusal to quit, even when things don’t seem to be going our way, is what has brought their success this year.”

1st place: Geneseo (171.5 points)

The Maple Leafs got an Elite division title from Lydia King (120) and a Varsity title from Molly Snyder to lead the way in Ottawa. Rusk also got seconds from Elite division second-place finishes from Mady Mooney (145) and Sophie Bellagamba (155), a third from Lauren Piquard (140) in the Elite division, Varsity fourths from Makayla Bros (110), Ayla Schultz (130) and Rachel Roodhouse (135), and Elite division fifths from Addison Hadsall (105) and Bella Curcuru (125).

“Lydia King and Molly Snyder had great tournament wins and did an amazing job working on the tweaks we had talked about at practice,” Rusk said. “I am very impressed with (Mady Mooney’s and Sophie Bellagamba’s) progress this year. They are practice partners and their dedication in the practice room is really showing through on the mat.

“I’m very excited to see where this year takes (Lauren Piquard)… I am also very excited to see where this year takes Ayla Schultz. She is a first year wrestler, just started in November, but her work ethic has already started to set her apart. She refuses to quit and her attention to detail in practice will continue to help her succeed. Rachael Roodhouse and Makayla Bros also brought home fourth-place medals for the team and it’s so great to see athletes step up when others are out due to injury. We are also so proud of our girls in the JV bracket that medaled, Lily Roodhouse (1st at 135) and Bella Kelley (4th at 145). They are doing the hard work to set us up for our future.”

2nd place: Morris (159)

All of Morrs’ medalists came in Elite division competition. Morris got titles from Maggie Gordon (110) and Morgan Congo (190), seconds from Makensi Martin (115) and Zara Lugo (125), thirds from Ellie Evans (105) and Tessa Neikirk (135), a fourth from Olyve Havens (140), a fifth from Danica Martin (120), and a sixth from Aubrie Porras (130).

3rd place: Plainfield South (135)
The Cougars medalists all came from Varsity division participation, led by individual champions Teagan Aurich (155) and Layla Spann (170). Plainfield South also got a second from Kayla Ochotorena (115), and thirds from Amie Fuentes (100), Alexia Kachiroubas (130), and Zola Burdette (140).

Individual champions in each division:
Elite
105: Montini’s Katelyn Bell; 110: Morris’ Maggie Gordon; 115: LaSalle-Peru’s Kiely Domyancich; 120: Geneseo’s Lydia King; 125: Richwoods’ Isabella Motteler; 130: Seneca’s Catalina Pacheco; 135: Seneca’s Sammie Greisen; 140: Ottawa’s Ava Weatherford; 145: Rochelle’s Dempsey Atkinson; 155: Plainfield South’s Teagan Aurich; 170: Oswego East’s Jessica Stover; 190: Morris’ Morgan Congo
Varsity
100: Geneseo’s Molly Snyder; 105: Lane Tech’s Sofia Guerrero; 110: Harvard’s Alexa Herrera; 115: Freeport’s Kaiya Galindo; 120: Rock Falls’ Ryleigh Eriks; 125: Bolingbrook’s Nayeli Nieto; 130: Sterling’s Skyann Munz; 135: Lane Tech’s Zabby Badru; 140: Sycamore’s Ema Durst; 145: Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Holly Hixon; 155: Bloomington’s Alicia Swank; 170: Plainfield South’s Layla Spann; 190: Harvard’s Jarithsie Mercado; 235: Ottawa’s Juliana Thrush
JV
105: Naperville Central’s Bella Lopez; 110: Erie’s Nevada Wells; 115: Sterling’s Addison Robbins; 120: Seneca’s Lilly Rademacher; 125: Morris’ Kaliyah Schmaedeke; 130: Ottawa’s Jaiyden Provance; 135: Geneseo’s Lily Roodhouse; 145: Morrs’ Nicolette Boelman; 155: Ottawa’s Mary Rodriguez; 170: Pontiac’s Olivia Miller; 190: Plainfield South’s Sammie Ntone; 235: Richwoods’ Kya Norman

Ottawa Holiday Hootenanny team championship scores:
Geneseo 171.5, Morris 159, Plainfield South 135, Freeport 129, Seneca 111, Maine East 102.5, Eerie 98.5, Harvard 98.5, Ottawa 98, Lane Tech 96, Kankakee 90.5, Sterling 85, Oak Park and River Forest 84, Sandwich 82, Oswego East 78, Bolingbrook 74, Rock Falls 74, Richwoods 72, Naperville Central 70, Glenbard North 67, Streator 67, Larkin 56, Princeton 49, Rochelle 46, Newman Central Catholic 39, Sycamore 37.5, Deer Creek 36, Mendota 36, Lemont 35, Guilford 26, Bloomington 26

Varsity division top 10 team scores:
Morris 243.5, Ottawa 217.5, Plainfield South 216.5, Geneseo 215.5, Seneca 140.5, Sterling 134, Freeport 129, Naperville Central 123, Oak Park and River Forest 109, Richwoods 103
Elite division top 10 team scores:
Morris 153.5, Geneseo 95, Sandwich 82, Oswego East 78, Streator 56, Seneca 49.5, Larkin 48, Erie 43, OPRF 37.5, Naperville Central 37
JV division top 10 team scores:
Ottawa 119, Morris 84, Plainfield South 81.5, Maine East 77.5, Erie 55.5, Naperville Central 53, Pontiac 52, Sterling 49, Glenbard North 47, Geneseo 44

Individual leaders:
Most pins, least time: Newman’s Kaylee Benyo, 4 pins in 4:55
Most tech falls, least time, and fastest tech fall: Ottawa’s Isabel Gwaltney, 1 tech fall in 1:21
Fastest fall: Morris’ Ellie Evans, 3 seconds
Most team points: five wrestlers tied with 30; Ottawa’s Juliana Thrush, Lane Tech’s Zabby Badru, Sterling’s Skyann Munz, Geneseo’s Lydia King, and Rock Falls’ Ryleigh Eriks
Most single match points: Sycamore’s Ema Durst, 22
Most total match points: Freeport’s Marijose Avila, 56

By Mike Garofola for the IWCOA

GLENBARD SOUTH RAIDER INVITATIONAL

Host Glenbard South took the crown at this year’s Glenbard South Raider Varsity Invite 24, getting three individual titles among its 11 medalists for coach Kenny Paoli.

The Raiders won 193-134 over second-place Waukegan, followed by Goode STEM Academy (118.5), St. Francis (108.5) Northridge Prep (90.5) to round out the top five team finishes.

“I’m proud of our performance with almost every wrestler contributing points to the team win,” Paoli said. “Danny Langner, Logan Price, and Diego Myers are all seniors that lead the way to a team win, all going 3-0 on the day with 8 of the 9 combined wins by pin.”

1st place: Glenbard South (193 points)

The Raiders got individual titles from Diego Myers (138), Logan Price (165) and Danny Langner (215), all by pins in the finals. South also got a trio of second-place finishes from Jin Tai (150), Anthony Kinney (157), and Reid Sebahar (175), thirds from Logan Murphy (113), Jordan Quaid Bowman (126), and Kurt Lewandowski (132), fourths from Rocco Marcantonio (120) and Drew Ames (190), and a fifth from Jimmy Delgado (132).

2nd place: Waukegan (134)

Coach Andres Santana got individual titles from Ira Medina (106) and Andrew Chirinos (120), a second from Lamero Ceaser (190), thirds from David Brown (144), Antonio Rosas-Martin (165) and Ivan Martinez (285), fourths from Triumph Thurman (157) and Matthew Urdialis (215), and a sixth from Truth Thurman (150).

3rd: Sarah Goode STEM Academy (118.5)

Coach Jared Presley’s Knights had a pair of individual champions in KeAndre Beal (113) and Xavier Woods (150), and got seconds from Isaiah Diaz (138) and Jayden Veal (144), thirds from Dylan Wilborn (190) and Thomas Davis (215), a sixth from Alexis Zacarias (132), and Isaiah Poole also placed fourth at 132 as a non-scoring wrestler for the Knights.

Team scores: Glenbard South 193, Waukegan 134, Sarah Goode STEM Academy 118.5, St. Francis 108.5, Northridge Prep 90.5, Highland Park 80.5, Westmont 74, Elgin 59, Lindblom 54, Kelly 52, Horizon/Southwest Chicago 41.5, Leyden 39, Noble/ITW Speer 36.5, Harvest Christian 9.5

Glenbard South Raider Invitational 24 results

106

1st: Ira Medina (Waukegan) 2-0, d. Mason Ponce (Westmont) 11-5,  (Dec 13-6)

3rd: Jonathan Mendoza-Rodriguez (Lindblom)

113
1st: KeAndre Beal (Goode) 6-3, d. Adrian Ortiz (Speer) 9-7,  (F 3:02)

3rd: Logan Murphy (Glenbard S)

120

1st: Andrew Chirinos (Waukegan) 7-5, d. Jaiden Casillas (Highland Park) 5-10,  (F 2:26)

3rd: Ardan Baglaev (Westmont) 15-4, d. Rocco Marcantonio (Glenbard S) 2-3,  (F 3:16)

126

1st: Joe Kopecky (Northridge Prep) 9-4, d. Brian Martinez (Highland Park) 4-10,  (F 1:07)

3rd: Jordan Quaid Bowman (Glenbard S) 11-4, d. Alonte Lorek (Horizon/Southwest ) 2-2, . (F 5:01)

5th: Dajuan Reed (Speer) 8-6, d. Mark Andrzejewski (St. Francis) 1-3,  (F 2:33)

132
1st: Jayden Edgar Gray (Elgin) 5-3, .d. Lawrence Walker (Westmont) 10-6,  (MD 15-3)

3rd: Kurt Lewandowski (Glenbard S) 4-8, d. Isaiah Poole (Goode) 8-7,  (F 0:51)

5th: Jimmy Delgado (Glenbard S) 1-3, d. Alexis Zacarias (Goode) 7-6,  (Dec 12-9)
138

1st: Diego Myers (Glenbard S) 13-9, d. Isaiah Diaz (Goode) 9-6,  (MD 10-2)

3rd: Drew Schietenger (Highland Park) 3-12, d. Luis Cruz (Speer) 6-8,  (F 1:17)

144

1st: Awwal Ogunsolu (Kelly) 12-2, d. Jayden Veal (Goode) 10-2,  (MD 21-8)

3rd: David Brown (Waukegan) 7-4, d. Max Mulhearn (Elgin (Harvest Christian) 8-3,  (F 1:44)

150

1st: Xavier Woods (Goode) 14-0, d. Jin Tai (Glenbard S) 16-4,  (TF-1.5 5:56 (24-8)

3rd: Chase Siguenza (St. Francis) 4-1, d. Mission Hatchell (Westmont) 13-6,  (Dec 8-5)

5th: Leovardo Juarez (Kelly) 11-5, d. Truth Thurman (Waukegan) 6-6,  (Dec 9-3)

157

1st: Maddox Hale (St. Francis) 4-0, d. Anthony Kinney (Glenbard S) 8-9,  (TF-1.5 5:11 (21-5)

3rd: Emilio Guzman (Elgin) 7-4, d. Triumph Thurman (Waukegan) 9-6,  (Dec 19-16)

5th: Emiliano Ruiz (Kelly) 4-2, d. Sean Patterson (Westmont) 14-9,  (MD 10-2)

165

1st: Logan Price (Glenbard S) 15-4, d. Jason Castro (Leyden) 2-1,  (F 3:55)
3rd: Antonio Rosas-Martin (Waukegan) 2-3, d. Miguel Perez (Speer) 4-7,  (F 2:33)

175

1st: Adam Haddad (Northridge Prep) 4-0, d. Reid Sebahar (Glenbard S) 16-9,  (TF-1.5 4:27 (19-3)

3rd: Erick Arroyo (Lindblom) 8-5, d. Mason Wagner (Northridge Prep) 2-2,  (F 0:33)

5th: James Reitmann (St. Francis) 2-2, d. Javier Romo (Leyden) 1-3,  (F 0:33)

190

1st: Sami Marrero (Horizon/Southwest ) 4-0, .d. Lamero Ceaser (Waukegan) 8-4,  (Dec 6-1)
3rd: Dylan Wilborn (Goode) 8-6, d. Drew Ames (Glenbard S) 8-6,  (F 4:39)

5th: Bryan Martinez (St. Francis) 3-2, d. Nick Belcore (Northridge Prep) 1-3,  (F 1:35)

215

1st: Danny Langner (Glenbard S) 19-4, d. Daniel Derbedyenyev (Highland Park) 7-9,  (F 2:34)

3rd: Thomas Davis (Goode) 11-6, d. Matthew Urdialis (Waukegan) 5-8,  (MD 14-3)

5th: Emmanuel De La Torre (Elgin) 3-2, .d. Yovany Amaya (Speer) 3-7,  (F 4:51)

285

1st: Jaylen Torres (St. Francis) 3-0, d. Josue Olivo (Lindblom) 8-3,  (F 3:04)

3rd: Ivan Martinez (Waukegan) 8-1, d. Rafael Castrejon-Tello (Westmont) 12-5,  (SV-1 10-7)

5th:Victor Juarez (Elgin) 9-8, d. Alex Aguinaga (Leyden) 3-3,  (F 5:03)

WHEATON WARRENVILLE SOUTH ED EWOLDT TOURNAMENT

Ed Ewoldt was a 1975 IWCOA Hall-of-Fame inductee who coached at the former Wheaton Central for 15 years, whose list of accomplishments is a mile long. Well before he retired from teaching in 1988, Ewoldt became known as Illinois’ wrestling historian and contributed 60-plus years of unselfish work in the sport.
At Wheaton Warrenville South’s Ed Ewoldt Tournament this year, Lyons Township posted a 258-200.5 win over second-place Dixon, followed by Wheeling (190), host WW South (163) and West Chicago to round out the top five team finishes.

The top three teams on the leader-board would dominate the proceedings all day long as they claimed 10 of the 14 individual titles in this field of 13 teams.

1st Place: Lyons Township (258.0 points)

One week after lifting the big trophy at the prestigious Rex Whitlatch at 132 pounds, Lyons Township junior Griff Powell (20-1) would lead the parade of six from LT to the top of the podium, to help his club run away from second place Dixon.

Roger Martinez would start LT on its way at 126, followed by Powell, Claudio Rodriguez (138), Cornell Fennessee (165), Everett Kittridge (175) and Nicky Arquilla (215) as Ewoldt champions.

Micky Ahrens (157) and Will Pleviak (190) were second, Ignacio Rodriguez (106), Luca Ligammari (113) and Jesse Nunez (144) were fourth.

Pleviak registered the quickest pin (9 seconds) of the tournament in his second round contest. The tournament champions collected the most top four medals of all with eleven.

2nd Place: Dixon (200.5)

Sophomore Jack Ragan (113, 20-0) continues to be the best man on the Dixon club following his impressive performance to validate his No. 5 spot in the state rankings after claiming his third major title of the season

The 2024 state qualifier would be joined by the freshmen duo of: Doolan Long (120, 17-4) and Preston Richards (144, 16-5) atop the podium.

Richards would earn a tourney high (28) points for his team, tying Mason Monce of Wheaton-Warrenville for that honor.

Charlie Connors (138) and Jayden Weidman (150) were each second, while Daniel Fordham (175) and Will Howell (215) earned third place medals. Spencer Pleskovitch was fourth at 165.

3rd Place: Wheeling (190.0)

106-champ Frankie Katz (17-2) was one of (11) Wildcats to earn medals here, and one of seven who advanced into the 2A sectional at Grayslake Central last year.

The Wildcats have come back from several years of sub-500 records to earn the No. 10 spot in the most recent polls with a 11-0-0 overall record.

Joey Romano (126), Austin Berger (144) and Eddie Juarez (215) were all second place medal winners, while Miguel Lopez (120), Max Katz (132) and John Scanlon at 157 were third overall.

Teammates Maxudali Lutfeliev (150), Danny Miranda (175), Johnny Dominguez (190) and Pablo Morales (285) earned fourth place medals.

Others earning championship medals were: Kiaven Sullivan (Hillcrest, 150, 14-2), Leo Rosas (West Chicago, 157, 14-3), Mason Monce (Wheaton-Warrenville South, 190, 13-8) and Ashton Kibbe (Wheaton-Warrenville South , 285, 16-5).

Final team scores:
Lyons Township 258.0, Dixon 200.5, Wheeling (190.0), Wheaton-Warrenville South 163.0, West Chicago 100.5, Evanston 94.5,

Waubonsie Valley 83.0, Willowbrook 75.0, Homewood-Flossmoor 55.0, Hillcrest 

44.5, Larkin 43.5, Thornton-Fractional South 43.0, Hoffman Estates 8.5.

Ed Ewoldt results:

106

1st: Frankie Katz (Wheeling) 17-2, d. Riley Paredes (Dixon) 13-4,  (D 6-5)

3rd: Rocco Valvano (WW South) 16-6, d. Ignacio Rodriguez (Lyons) 8-9,  (F 1:06)

5th: Santino Pignatelli (West Chicago) 0-1, d. () , . (Bye)

113

1st: Jack Ragan (Dixon) 20-0, d. EMANUEL RANGEL (West Chicago) 2-1,  (D 11-4)

3rd: Mason Goldman (Waubonsie) 12-5, d. Luca Ligammari (Lyons) 3-5,  (F 2:30)

5th: Aris Neal (Willowbrook) 15-5, d. Troy Lomeli (WW South) 8-8,  (D 5-2)

120

1st: Doolan Long (Dixon) 17-4, d. Michael Riggs (WW South) 14-7,  (F 4:27)

3rd: Miguel Lopez (Wheeling) 16-5, d. Jonathan Antonio (West Chicago) 1-2, . (F 3:49)

5th: Louie King (Lyons) 9-8, d. Amari Brown (Hillcrest) 10-9,  (TF-1.5 2:56 (19-3)

126

1st: Roger Martinez (Lyons) 18-4, d. Joey Romano (Wheeling) 18-5,  (TF-1.5 5:32 (18-3)

3rd: Adonis Wilson (TF South) 2-1, d. Maximiliano Contreras (Willowbrook) 8-8,  (MD 13-0)

5th: Matthew Lisowski (WW South) 8-10, d. Sal Garcia (Elgin (Larkin) 7-3, . (D 13-8)

132

1st: Griff Powell (Lyons) 20-1, d. Nathan Duffield (Waubonsie) 15-9,  (TF-1.5 2:00 (19-4)

3rd: Max Katz (Wheeling) 17-7, d. Nico Castillo (Elgin (Larkin) 10-8, . (F 1:01)

5th: BRIAN CORREA (West Chicago) 2-1, d. Roan Dukes (Homewood-F.) 11-7,  (F 5:58)

138

1st: Claudio Rodriguez (Lyons) 12-11, d. Charlie Connors (Dixon) 11-2,  (D 14-9)

3rd: DONAVAN AVILA (West Chicago) 2-1, d. Gavin` McPherson (Evanston) 6-6,  (TF-1.5 1:10 (17-2)

5th: Derrione Collier (Hillcrest) 8-5, d. Christopher Maher (Willowbrook) 6-13,  (F 3:00)

144

1st: Preston Richards (Dixon) 16-5, d. Austin Berger (Wheeling) 15-6,  (F 1:38)

3rd: Damari Miller (Elgin (Larkin) 13-4, .d. Jesse Nunez (Lyons) 1-2,  (MD 13-1)

5th: Daithan Narayanan (WW South) 14-11, d. Henry Maier (Homewood-F.) 9-6,  (F 1:36)

150

1st: Kiaven Sullivan (Hillcrest) 14-2, d. Jayden Weidman (Dixon) 18-5,  (MD 17-5)

3rd: Jeremiah Martin (Homewood-F.) 6-6, d. Maxudali Lutfeliev (Wheeling) 6-6,  (MD 11-1)

5th: Aiden Flores (Evanston) 8-8, d. Jose DeLaGarza (Lyons) 5-9,  (F 2:46)

157
1st: Leo Rosas (West Chicago) 14-3, d. Mickey Ahrens (Lyons) 10-10,  (D 9-5)

3rd: John Scanlon (Wheeling) 17-6, d. Art Bytyqi (Evanston) 10-9,  (F 2:30)

5th: David Miranda (Elgin (Larkin) 11-6, .d. Travis Jones (Willowbrook) 12-8,  (D 15-12)

165

1st: Cornell Fennessee (Lyons) 9-7, d. Titus Woodring (TF South) 2-1,  (D 10-7)

3rd: Noah Nau (WW South) 11-11, d. Spencer Pleskovitch (Dixon) 3-5,  (F 1:50)

5th: Nicholas Montesinos (Wheeling) 21-4, d. Diego Lopez (Evanston) 7-7,  (F 1:38)

175

1st: Everett Kittridge (Lyons) 13-8, d. Sean Gielarowski (Willowbrook) 4-4,  (MD 13-4)

3rd: Daniel Fordham (Dixon) 12-10, d. Danny Miranda (Wheeling) 11-8,  (F 5:10)

5th: Lucas Pretkelis (Waubonsie) 7-9, d. Ben Menzer (WW South) 2-2,  (F 1:23)

190

1st: Mason Monce (WW South) 13-8, d. Will Pleviak (Lyons) 14-5,  (F 3:43)

3rd: Brian Henry (Evanston) 11-5, d. Johnny Dominguez (Wheeling) 14-5,  (MD 12-4)

5th: LANDON RODRIGEZ (West Chicago) 3-1, d. Seth Shaffer (Dixon) 11-16,  (F 4:48)

215

1st: Nicky Arquilla (Lyons) 14-9, d. Eddie Juarez (Wheeling) 15-2,  (F 3:56)

3rd: Will Howell (Dixon) 13-5, d. Michael Pryor (Evanston) 8-6,  (F 1:54)

5th: Jon Santiago (Homewood-F.) 8-6, d. Jayden Derrick (TF South) 1-2,  (F 2:12)

285

1st: Ashton Kibbe (WW South) 16-5, d. Leonidas Hobson (Waubonsie) 15-9,  (F 2:12)

3rd: Jeremy Marshall (Evanston) 14-3, d. Pablo Morales (Wheeling) 17-4,  (D 5-1)

5th: Jimmy Hillmann (Lyons) 14-8, d. Dawson Kemp (Dixon) 3-4,  (F 1:07)

STEVE ECKERT HOLIDAY WRESTLING CLASSIC

Bolingbrook was after its third straight title here, but Naperville North had other ideas. The Huskies stayed in control all throughout to claim the big trophy at Morton’s Steve Eckert Holiday Wrestling Classic.

Eckert was a long-time teacher and wrestling coach at Morton, who was in the program 23 years, and 16 as its head coach (1999-2015). The Oak Lawn High School grad passed away in 2022 at the age of 71.

Fenwick placed second at Morton, Bolingbrook finished third, Maine West was fourth and Riverside-Brookfield rounded out the top five team finishes.

1st Place: Naperville North (217.0 points)

The Huskies first trip into the Morton Fieldhouse proved a memorable one as they used individual titles from Tyler Sternstein (150) and Tavfik Ibragimov (215), plus six top four medals to out-distance runner-up Fenwick by nearly 60 points.

Sternstein, a state qualifier a year ago with a 35-6 record, used a pair of tech-falls to reach his final where a 11-1 major decision gave the senior his first major trophy of the season.

Ibragimov won a week ago at the Bob Hein Invite at host West Chicago to led the Huskies to the team title there also.

Adam Beedon (113), Zachary Mally (144) and Timothy Garmon (157) were second overall, with teammates Ryan Beedon (120), Connor McDonald (126) and Kai Balice  at 132 all earning third-place medals.

2nd Place: Fenwick (166.5)

Fenwick would receive championship efforts from CJ Brown (113) and No. 7 Aiden Burns (157) who is now a two-time Steve Eckert champion.

The title gives Burns two majors for the season.

Harrison Brown was second at 106, Patrick Gilboy third at 215, and Brian Timpone (150) and Gianni Bertacchi (285) each placed fourth.

Gilboy is currently No. 9 in the state polls, and was a 2024 state qualifier.

3rd Place: Bolingbrook (161.5)

Bolingbrook outscored Riverside-Brookfield by 11 points for the team title at Morton a year ago. But despite the trio of-now two-time champions Jared Craig (126), Aaron Camacho (144) and Tommy McDermott (165) the Raiders were unable to muster enough points to overtake Fenwick for the second spot.

Camacho, No. 8 in the state at 2A, earned a tourney-high 29 team points for his club. Marcus Poe was second overall at 150.

Others earning championship medals were: Liam Kissane (St. Laurence, 106), Edgar Mosquera (Riverside-Brookfield, 120), Khalid Eid (St. Laurence, 132), Santiago Moya (Morton, 175), and Matthew Elzy (Riverside-Brookfield, 190).

The Stagg duo of Peter Rafacz (190) and Samer Suleiman (144) recorded two of the quickest pins on the day at 4:18, while Jubeil Kannike (Leo, 190) would earn the second fastest at just 12 seconds.

Jack Clausen from St. Laurence provided the most total match points for his club with 63 while Joe Nieto (Argo) garnered the most single match points on the day with 22.

With his title at 190, Matthew Elzy of Riverside-Brookfield is now a two-time Steve Eckert champion.

Final Team Standings: Naperville North 217.0, Fenwick 166.5, Bolingbrook 161.5, Maine West 147.5, Riverside-Brookfield 144.5, St. Laurence 128.5, Morton 102.0, Staff 101.0, Maine East 70.5, Argo 65.5, Shepard 52.0, Chicago Leo 39.0,

Phoenix Military Academy 31.0, Spencer Court, KY. 28.0, Montini Catholic 22.0,

Ridgewood 0.0

Steve Eckert results:
106

1st: Liam Kissane (St. Laurence) 12-3, d. Harrison Brown (Fenwick) 10-5,  (D 7-0)

3rd: Duncan Tenezaca (Maine East) 13-7, d. Angel Jacobo (Morton) 15-12,  (F 0:53)

5th: Quinn Karstens (Naperville N) 8-9, d. Daniel Torres (Stagg) 2-7,  (D 6-3)

113
1st: Brown CJ (Fenwick) 10-3, d. Adam Beedon (Naperville N) 15-2,  (D 16-14)

3rd: Javier Corral (Stagg) 9-8, d. Jairo Kish (Maine East) 11-9,  (D 9-3)

5th: Joseph Hernandez-Mendoza (Bolingbrook) 6-6, d. David Roldan (Morton) 15-11,  (F 3:55)

120

1st: Edgar Mosquera (R.-Brookfield) 16-0, d. Luca Burgio (Maine West) 14-6,  (TF-1.5 1:54 (18-1)

3rd: Ryan Beedon (Naperville N) 14-6, d. Joel Waggoner (Montini) 2-2,  (TF-1.5 3:21 (20-2)

5th: Juan Najera (Stagg) 7-9, d. Tristan Rodriguez (Morton) 12-12,  (F 3:44)

126

1st: Jared Craig (Bolingbrook) 14-4, d. Logan Battersby (Maine West) 19-5,  (F 3:12)

3rd: Connor McDonald (Naperville N) 17-3, d. Jalen Henderson (Shepard) 5-9,  (F 1:36)

5th: Elijah Torres (Phoenix) 14-4, d. Jose Berrios (Morton) 14-15,  (SV-1 17-10)

132

1st: Khalid Eid (St. Laurence) 15-0, d. Dulguun Nyamdavaa (Maine East) 12-7,  (MD 14-3)

3rd: Kai Balice (Naperville N) 10-7, d. Jacob Godoy (R.-Brookfield) 10-7,  (D 7-0)

5th: Ben Crumlish (Maine West) 5-6, d. Myles Monis (Montini) 6-6,  (Inj. 0:00)

138

1st: Ben Messier (Naperville N) 17-1, d. Kenny Max (Fenwick) 14-5,  (F 3:01)

3rd: Aldo Gutierrez (Argo) 15-7, d. Benjamin Malmberg (Maine West) 14-12,  (F 1:41)

5th: Anthony Trujillo (Morton) 18-11, d. Tony Lombardo (R.-Brookfield) 11-8,  (MD 13-2)

144

1st: Aaron Camacho (Bolingbrook) 4-0, d. Zachary Mally (Naperville N) 14-5,  (F 1:26)

3rd: Samer Suleiman (Stagg) 11-2, d. Jacob VanAllen (Argo) 17-4,  (SV-1 13-10)

5th: Eiam Staples (Fenwick) 8-6, d. Brandon Jordan (Spencer County) 15-7,  (F 5:14)

150

1st: Tyler Sternstein (Naperville N) 16-3, d. Marcus Poe (Bolingbrook) 10-6,  (MD 11-1)

3rd: Dylan Kroschel (Maine West) 14-7, d. Brian Timpone (Fenwick) 7-5,  (F 0:50)

5th: TaVaryis Howard (Shepard) 15-9, d. Simeon Hector (R.-Brookfield) 7-13,  (F 5:55)

157

1st: Aiden Burns (Fenwick) 17-1, d. Timothy Garmon (Naperville N) 9-6,  (TF-1.5 3:23 (19-4)

3rd: Ethan Rivas (R.-Brookfield) 11-6, d. Riley Sanford (Spencer County) 14-5,  (D 11-8)

5th: Louis Avalos (Maine West) 12-6, d. Joaquin Gaskin (Bolingbrook) 7-7,  (F 5:14)

165
1st: Tommy McDermott (Bolingbrook) 19-3, d. Peter Greco (Maine West) 18-4,  (TF-1.5 6:00 (16-1)

3rd: Jack Clausen (St. Laurence) 12-5, d. Max Strong (R.-Brookfield) 13-9,  (MD 12-3)

5th: Dominic Espositio (Fenwick) 12-6, d. Isaiah Martinez (Shepard) 12-12,  (D 7-0)

175

1st: Santiago Moya (Morton) 16-4, d. Matthew Zalinski (St. Laurence) 10-5,  (D 5-3)

3rd: Nicholas O`Connor (R.-Brookfield) 13-4, d. Zbigniew Kordalewski (Maine West) 15-9,  (F 1:21)

5th: Nick Negrete (St. Laurence) 7-5, d. Aiden Hill (Shepard) 11-5,  (Inj. 0:00)

190

1st: Matthew Elzy (R.-Brookfield) 10-4, d. Adnan Shkeir (Maine East) 15-3,  (TF-1.5 2:56 (19-4)

3rd: Peter Rafacz (Stagg) 8-5, d. Joshua Shanahan (Bolingbrook) 4-2,  (F 2:33)

5th: Andrew Banaszak (St. Laurence) 9-6, d. Jack Paris (Fenwick) 16-5,  (DQ)

215

1st: Tavfik Ibragimov (Naperville N) 16-3, d. Kaleb Abney (Phoenix) 14-2,  (F 3:24)

3rd: Patrick Gilboy (Fenwick) 14-4, d. Nathan Morales (Stagg) 6-2,  (F 1:56)

5th: Xavier Bitner (St. Laurence) 5-2, d. Carlos Arriaza (Morton) 14-15,  (D 2-0)

285

1st: Nicholas Armour (Leo) 10-1, d. Remy Avalos (Argo) 12-6,  (F 3:43)

3rd: Daniel Lopez (Morton) 12-13, d. Gianni Bertacchi (Fenwick) 11-9,  (F 0:48)

5th: Nathaniel Zeffeld (Bolingbrook) 3-2, d. Angelo Guiterez (St. Laurence) 8-7,  (F 1:09)

By Chris Walker For The IWCOA

The holiday season is a time for giving, and for 32 lucky high school wrestling teams, they just had an opportunity to compete in the premier dual team tournament in Illinois right after Christmas.

The Flavin, hosted by DeKalb, is a great gift those wrestlers and their teams can give one another, especially since it arrived during the midpoint of the season, allowing them to gauge where they’re at as a team and what they need to improve on as they head into the final half of the season in 2025.

Chicago Catholic League powerhouses Marmion, Montini and IC Prep earned a spot in the Champion’s Pool after winning their respective brackets on Friday where they were joined by Detroit Catholic Central (DCC).

IC Prep opened with a 48-27 victory against Oswego in the Wayne Miller Bracket. They survived Lockport, 37-35, and Joliet Catholic Academy, 33-27, to earn the opportunity to wrestle for the overall team dual title.

Marmion beat Libertyville 63-18 to open play in the Dan Cliffe Bracket. The Cadets proceeded to defeat Hersey, 45-17, and Yorkville, 52-29.

Montini beat Moline, 64-18, and Lincoln-Way West, 50-21, to get started in the Rich Harvey Bracket, before earning a 39-32 win over Washington.

DCC, which easily traveled the farthest to get to DeKalb, would win the 25th version in the wonderful history of this tournament. DCC was the lone team to win all six of its duals. 

The winners made their five-hour road trip worthwhile, which is par for the course for the wrestling powerhouse which has won 17 state titles including back-to-back titles the past two seasons.

Marmion placed second in the Champion’s Pool. After falling, 44-23, to DCC, the Cadets beat Montini, 38-30 and IC Prep, 37-30. And the Cadets did it without their full lineup so there is certainly reason to be excited about what lies ahead.

“For our team to miss five starters and to win against rivals like Montini and ICC minus all that firepower, it shows that when we’re healthy we’re going to be a pretty fun team to watch,” Marmion coach Anthony Cirrincione said. “It will happen. We’re probably a couple weeks away, but once we have all of our kids ready to roll it’s going to be fun to watch.”

Nicholas Garcia (126) and Mateusz Nycz each went 6-0 for the Cadets. Demetrios Carrera (132) went 5-0, winning one of his five matches at 138. Colton Wyller (106) went 5-1 and Joseph Favia (215) went 4-1. Wyller’s only loss was a 8-2 decision against Klichurov while Favia dropped a 7-3 decision to DCC sophomore Connor Bercume.

Luke Boersma (190) opened the match against Montini with a fall at 1:55 over Nick Kois.

Favia and Nycz followed with pins of their own in 1:54 each.

“I’ve improved my strength a lot from last year,” Boersma said. “I was over muscled. Now I’m using my technique more to get to my offense and scoring more. (Against Kois), I was able to get underhooks and then I took him down and turned him, and put him away with a half towards the end of the first period.”

A 6-5 decision by Grayson Garcia (144) over Will Konder followed by Jonathan Kopcio (150) winning by fall over Joey Gabreleski and Andrew Haritos getting a 21-11 major over Kevin May sealed the victory for the Cadets. Kopcio’s win was a particularly big one for the Cadets.

“Kopcio basically sealed the dual for us,” Boersma said. “That was really cool especially since he’s not like a top wrestler. You just never know. He may not be one of the best guys on the team but he could step up in that situation and do whatever we needed him to do to win.”

Marmion won its first six bouts against IC Prep before forfeiting its first of four matches. IC Prep would forfeit three.

Montini, which would take third place overall, gave DCC its biggest challenge in the final dual for the two teams on Saturday night, but the Broncos came up short, 35-26.

“I think we wrestled fantastic,” said Montini’s Kam Luif, who scored a 12-1 major victory over DCC’s Nathan Walkowiak at 138. “We all battled as a team and we grew as a team. We just got closer and understand what a dual team is and we were actually wrestling like that. It was awesome.”

Luif went 6-0 in the tournament. He wrestled at 138 save for going up to 144 to defeat IC Prep’s Aidan Arnett by a 10-5 decision. 

Erik Klichurov (106) and Allen Woo (113) also were undefeated for the Broncos while Bobby Ruscitti (120), Josh Vazquez (126, with one match at 132), Santino Tenuta (165) and AJ Tack (175) each went 5-1.

The Broncos defeated IC Prep, 37-29, in their first match in the Champion’s Pool before coming up short, 38-30, against Marmion.

“We put it up to our coaches who got us ready for this,” Luif said. “They got us mentally ready. Anything we needed to get, it’s all thanks to the coaches. I think they’re the best coaches in the country.”

Luif would certainly have liked to see his team pull out victories in their final two duals, but he also understood the significance of the tournament and what it’s true purpose is in allowing teams to assess their status.

“Nothing really stood out, it’s just keep pushing in the room, keep dominating and scoring points, and that’s what we go out there to do,” Luif said. “We’ll go back into the room and coaches will pick out things and we’ll work on all those. It’s reps and reps in the gym and stuff like that that helps me grow as a wrestler. Even if you lose, that will help me grow even more. It gives me the edge to get to the next level.”

IC Prep’s Brody Kelly had a massive tournament, winning his four matches at 175 as well as a pair at 190 to finish 6-0.

“I think getting into my ties and working my offense and working on my pins from neutral to top, it helped me get all my points today,” Kelly said. “We all train really hard so we know what it takes to do good at these tournaments so it’s fun to be testing out how we can do in these tournaments.”

Deven Casey went 5-0 for the Knights at 132 and was named Most Outstanding Wrestling for his team.

“It’s great getting the OW of the team, it’s something too because I’m a senior and team captain,” he said. “It’s nice to lead and show them the expectations, you know, they all look up to me. Everything I do, the way I wrestle, I know they’re watching me.”

Anthony Sebastian (285) went 5-1 for the Knights.

“It’s great watching (my teammates) wrestle,” Casey said. “A shout out to Anthony Sebastian who had a great tournament. Not a lot of guys know him. He’s won a lot of matches, a lot of close ones, and the team is doing great. We have a lot of things to work on. We’re at mid-season on Tuesday (Dec. 31).”

A year ago, Washington topped Montini, 30-28, to win the Class 2A dual team title. 

On Friday, Montini got the better of Washington, 39-32, and the Broncos moved onto the Champions Bracket and Washington went into the Gold Pool.

“There were some guys on the team that were emotional, but for the majority of guys this is just information to make some adjustments for in February,”Washington junior Wyatt Medlin said.

“We lost to Montini and they are 2A and we’ll see them at the end of the year. So getting some information, some moves that can be made, will help us get better by developing. And Washington is great at developing guys. I’m a little biased but from the beginning of the year until the end of February we are the most developed team.”

Washington won the Gold Pool after defeating JCA, 34-31, dropping a 38-34 decision to Yorkville, and then finishing with a 39-32 win over Sandburg.

Noah Woods (120/126), Peyton Cox (144), Medlin (150/157), Josh Hoffer (215) and Sean Thornton (285) each went 6-0 over the weekend to lead Washington to fifth place overall. Symon Woods (106) went 5-1 while Woods split duties going 3-0 at 120 and 126 while Medlin was 2-0 at 157 and 4-0 at 150.

“I felt good,” Medlin said. “I missed out on a few extra bonus points and got a couple tech falls instead of pins. We’re just getting better. Everyone is getting better. The Flavin is essential for Washington’s growth as a team from an end of the year standpoint. We need to get exposed now and lose a few duals. 

“You wrestle your hardest to win and regardless of the result you use the data to get better for your next bout.”

Cox concurred with his teammate.

“I think everybody wants to win, you go into it to win and I think our team and coaching staff understands we’re going in to win,” Cox said. “We want to compete and we want to get better and take things away from it and figure things out. I think we did good securing bonus points. I think some things we need to work on are staying off our backs and wrestling positioning. I mean, honestly, I was really happy with the way we competed.”

Cox had four pins, a tech fall and a forfeit win.

“I don’t have much to complain about,” he said. “I was a little sick going into this weekend so I didn’t know how conditioning was going to work out. I scored points. We talk about protecting your six (points) because you have six points for a team and getting that for the team is all I want to do.”

Washington has got something special going on in the suburbs of Peoria.

“It’s a culture thing,” Medlin said. “I remember being 10 years old in 2016 and sitting in the dual team stands watching Washington win its first state title and I remember being so fired up. To think that it’s me now is really special. Kannon Webster was my role model. I want to be just as successful and hope it has a domino effect from there. Washington has a great legacy of hard-working, really disciplined young men.”

Webster, a three-time state champion, is now wrestling at the University of Illinois, which is where Medlin is committed.

“For me personally I love the dual meet tournament,” Medlin said. “One thing is you can’t get too caught in lows and highs. I think Washington program-wise we’ve got guys willing to fight for something bigger than themselves. Two years ago Cael Miller lost in the state blood round in the individual tournament and then beat that same kid in the state semifinals for the dual team, putting his team on the line willing to fight harder for the team, doing something bigger than just for himself. I love my team. I love the team format and how everyone is warming up together and ready to go. And I like being a leader.”

Cox calls the Washington wrestling community family. 

“I’m blessed to be a part of a program where we really are a family,” he said. “At the end of the day we have each other’s back when wrestling and outside of it. It’s on our t-shirts – hashtag family. We take pride in being a team and family.”

On paper, and in the trophy case, Washington is the team to beat from Tazewell County again this year having won the last two 2A state titles and six since 2016. But, it’s also a new team under the same name.

“We came in with a new team and coach told us that this team is not state champions,” Cox said. “He doesn’t like ‘defending state champions,’ because there are new guys on the roster.”

Washington will head to The Clash XXII in La Crosse, Wisc., next weekend. It’s another similar type of challenge as The Flavin.

“Personally I think this is the best dual team tournament we have on our schedule,” Cox said. “We have The Clash next. When I first got into high school The Clash was harder (than the Flavin) but every single year (The Flavin) gets harder and harder. You get a team like Detroit out-of-state that’s a hammer and a bunch of nationally-ranked teams like JCA, Marmion and IC Prep, us, Yorkville and Sandburg. There’s 12 top teams here, all really solid and hammer teams. So it’s good for us to get a look at that and it’s a really cool tournament, the way they run it and advertise it.”

Joliet Catholic Academy fell short, 34-31, against Washington, but rallied to take second place behind them in the Gold Bracket after beating Sandburg, 35-27, and Yorkville, 44-27.

“Coming in here there were a lot of expectations on our team and the fact of the matter is we’re not at full strength, but it’s not an excuse,” JCA coach Ryan Cumbee said. “Did we meet the expectations? No. But at the same time it’s the middle of the season and we got better and that’s the bottom line. Everyone who wrestled and competed got better and that’s really the end goal. I can’t tell the kids not to worry about the result, but focus on the process and then in turn be worried about the result. We didn’t get the results we wanted, but at the end of the day, it’s process-driven and I thought we did well.”

There’s nothing like The Flavin.

“It’s tougher than the dual state tournament and that’s no disrespect to the IHSA, but you have some of the best teams in the state competing here and six hard matches,” Cumbee said. “You don’t get that anywhere else.”

The Hilltoppers just competed at the 3rd annual National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dual Classic in Oklahoma.

“That was tough competition but only five matches,” Cumbee said. “This is one match after another and is a grind no matter what. And we just love that for these kids. We go to the Cheesehead (Invitational in Kaukauna, Wise.) next week and we’ll be tested again, but after that it’s going to be honing in and getting ourselves ready for the state tournament.

Kane Robles (106) went 6-0 overall with one of his victories coming at 113 for JCA. Jason Hampton (126/132) went 3-0 at 126 and 2-1 at 132. Nolan Vogel (150), Vince Tidal (157) and Nicolas Ronchetti (190) went 5-1. Luke Hamiti (165) was 5-0 and dropped his one bout at 175. Maddux Tindal (120) and Isaac Clauson (175) went 4-1 for the Hilltoppers.

Cumbee tipped his hat to Hampton, and put the junior’s place in the program in perspective. 

“He got the MVP of the tournament for us,” Cumbee said. “And I’ve been coaching since 2003 and he’s the best leader I’ve ever coached.”

Hampton credits his father for helping mold him into the leader he is today.

“It’s my dad,” he said. “And just growing up and being the oldest brother and having to take charge in the house and stuff.”

Hampton’s lone loss was a sudden victory decision against Sandburg’s Madden Parker. He won a tiebreaker against IC Prep’s Max Calmby, as well as had a pair of tech falls, a pin and a major during the tournament. 

“I’d say I wrestled pretty good,” Hampton said. “I had left a match out there and left it up to the refs. It’s a good tournament. I enjoy the dual tournament. It’s really fun to see some of the best guys at my weight, the best guys in the state and being able to wrestle them to see where I’m at. I just try to finish matches strong and wrestle hard here in all the duals.”

Sandburg finished third amongst the four teams in the Gold Pool, dropping duals to JCA and Washington after opening with a win over Yorkville.

Yorkville was fourth, getting a victory over Washington in its middle dual and losing to JCA and Sandburg.

Rocco Hayes (113) went undefeated for the Eagles, pinning all five opponents that he faced. He also received a forfeit victory.  Madden Parker (132), Brady Ritter (138), Ryan Hinger (144), Ahmad Alomari (175) and Omar Alhmoud (285) went 4-2.

Jack Ferguson and Luke Zook went undefeated to lead Yorkville. Ferguson went 3-0 at 165 and 3-0 at 157 while Zook went 2-0 at 190 and 3-0 at 175. Donovan Rosauer (150) was 5-1 and Luke Chrisse went 4-2, going 4-1 at 215 and dropping his match at 285 against Mateusz.

Lincoln-Way East won the Silver Pool and was followed by Lincoln-Way West, St. Charles East and Hersey.

Lockport won the Bronze Pool. Naperville Central placed second and was followed by Barrington and DeKalb.

West Aurora won Pool A. Luxemburg-Casco took second, Glenbard North was third and Rochelle was fourth.

Glenbard West was the Pool B champion. Deerfield followed as did Mukwonago, Wisc., and Oswego.

Minooka captured the Pool C title. Chatham (Glenwood), Sycamore and Prospect followed.

Glenbard East took home the Pool D title. Moline placed second, Pewaukee, Wisc., came in third and Libertyville was fourth.

“It’s really great how we built this tournament up where to be the best you’ve got to beat the best,” DeKalb senior 175-pounder Sean Kolkebeck said. “If you go the whole year without wrestling anybody good then you’re going to fall short at the state tournament. It’s important to get in front of it and wrestle kids you know you’re going to see at state. Wrestle hard and really test yourself. Iron sharpens iron. You’re not going to get better wrestling a kid who is not good.”

Definitely not lost amongst the hours of wrestling was the opportunity it allowed for teams to stick together for the entirety of duals, rather than going to this mat and and that, making it impossible for wrestlers and coaches to capture a complete tournament experience. 

“It’s definitely more emotional with six duals,” Cirrincione said. “There’s more emotion in dual meets than there is in individual tournaments. There’s good blood, there can be bad blood and all that leads to more emotions so it’s actually a lot more draining to be in six duals over two days than an individual tournament. You’re more invested in each match. In a tournament I might get a quarter of my team that I sit in a chair for, where here you’re in the chair for every single match. They all matter. We have performance expectations. You have competitive expectations. So it’s just a lot more draining and a lot more entertaining as well.”

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

The Oak Forest Bengals Bash Girls Invite was an interesting competition in several ways.

First of all, the 30-team competition highlighted a lot of the top talent in the south suburbs, whose schools have been among the early leaders in girls wrestling in Illinois.

Another point of interest is the co-op arrangement, which has been very beneficial for boys teams at small schools, but has also been used in girls wrestling by some larger schools.

The champion of the competition, District 230, includes athletes primarily from two of the schools in that district, Andrew and Carl Sandburg, as well as a few from the other, Stagg.

Meanwhile, Joliet Central took second and its story is noteworthy because this is the first year that the Joliet Township District has had separate teams for its Central and West high schools.

Taking third place in the Bengals Bash was the Lincoln-Way co-op, which had athletes representing Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way West in previous years but now individuals from those two schools as well as those from Lincoln-Way East are together as one.

A good example of what some school districts are doing is what’s happening in the Bremen District, which Oak Forest is in. The host Bengals competed as did Hillcrest and Bremen, and while Tinley Park did not, it has its own team. Oak Forest placed ninth and Hillcrest had a champion and finished tenth. 

There also was a first-year program in the tournament, Marist, a school that has enjoyed a long and successful tradition in wrestling with its program being led by 1995 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Mark Gervais for 25 years and by Brendan Heffernan for the last 17 years. The RedHawks finished in fifth place in the competition.

Other south suburban programs who placed in the top 10 were Oak Lawn, which tied for fifth, and Homewood-Flossmoor, who took seventh. And teams from well out of the area added to the quality of the event as Wheeling finished fourth and Grant placed eighth.

It was a hectic day at the competition since the school also hosted a Bengals Boys Bash for sophomores and freshmen. But Bengals boys coach Shawn Forst, who led his program to four IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals appearances from 2014 to 2018, which included thirds in 2014 and 2015, and the rest of the school’s coaches put on a quality exhibition of southside wrestling.

District 230 co-op, which is coached by Liz Short, added to titles that it won early in the season at Minooka and Fremd when it finished with 290 points, which put it well in front of second-place Joliet Central, who scored 179 points. Lincoln-Way co-op (141), Wheeling (131.5), Marist (111), Oak Lawn (111), Homewood-Flossmoor (109.5), Grant (106.5), Oak Forest (98) and Hillcrest (90.5) rounded out the top third of the field.

Winning titles for District 230 were Emma Akpan (190), Nola Oben (155), Tatum De La Vega (105) and Jade Hardee (100) while Joliet Central’s champions were Izabel Barrera (135) and Valeria Hernandez (235) and Lincoln-Way co-op got a first-place finish from Sadie Sparks (125).

Other Bengals Bash Girls Invite champions were Curie Metropolitan’s Giselle Arambula (110), Metea Valley’s Janiya Moore (115), Homewood-Flossmoor’s Nina Hamm (120), Wheeling’s Elise Burkut (130), Hillcrest’s Christiara Finley (140), Cumberland’s Natalie Beaumont (145) and Marist’s Sarah Parker (170). Akpan is a two-time IHSA medalist while Beaumont took second place at 135 at the IHSA Finals last season and Hamm was a medal winner at state in 2023.

District 230 coach Liz Short is in her first season with the co-op team after leading the Joliet Township co-op program. While happy to be in her new position, she is also grateful for having had the opportunity to lead Joliet Township to a lot of success in its early years, and is quite clear that she will continue to do her best to try to help the growth of girls wrestling in Illinois.

“There’s a lot of different people from the schools and everyone is showing up for each other and it makes the team stronger when we have that good mix and people are there to help each other, and get each other stronger and to help us grow,” Short said. “I love Joliet Township and I’m so thankful for my opportunity there and to see the progress of girls wrestling. I’ll continue to offer those opportunities in freestyle and we’re trying to make the whole state stronger.”

Akpan had the most team points with 34, Hamm (33.5) and Oben (32.5) were next. Beaumont, De La Vega, Hernandez and Parker all tied with 32 points, Arambula had 31.5 and Barrera and Moore scored 31 points each. Moore edged Burkut 57-55 for the most total match points. 

Joliet Central had two second-place finishers, Alisa Carter (105) and April Ortiz (130) while Wheeling also had two individuals who took second, Layah Woods (135) and Krystal Diaz (145).

Others who finished in second place were Curie Metropolitan’s Evelin Martinez (100), Hillcrest’s Taniya Moss (110), Peotone’s Kennedy Mort (115), Homewood-Flossmoor’s Natalia Coleman (120), Grant’s Myla Reyes (125), Mother McAuley’s Maggie Zuber (140), Downers Grove North’s Jahdi’yah Hibbler (155), Lincoln-Way co-op’s Jenna Lee (170), Oak Forest’s Isabel Peralta (190) and District 230 co-op’s Gabbi Vasquez (235).

Here’s a look at the champions and their weight classes at the Oak Forest Bengals Bash Girls Invite

100 – Jade Hardee, District 230

Jade Hardee got the ball rolling for the District 230 co-op team when she became the first of its four champions at Oak Forest’s Bengals Bash Girls Invite when she won by fall in 1:49 over Curie Metropolitan’s Evelin Martinez in the 100 title match. 

Hardee, a freshman, was one of the five finalists for the co-op that has athletes from Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Stagg and is coached by Liz Short. Her team claimed top honors with 290 points, which was 111 points ahead of runner-up Joliet Central. Hardee won her other two matches with first-period falls, pinning Bloom Township’s Lillian O’Brian in 1:25 in the semifinals.

“They’re (her teammates) doing very good and Liz (Short) is like the perfect coach,” Hardee said. “Everyone is catching on very quickly because she’s a very good coach. I really like if someone is down, we always bring them back up. If you have a good match, they cheer you up and even if you have a bad match, they still cheer you up. They’re just overall very supportive and I’m very glad that I got to be part of Andrew (co-op). And I also look up to people that I don’t even know. I’m like, ‘I want to try this in a match because I them saw them succeed at it.’”

Martinez, who was an IHSA qualifier in 2024 and one of the two finalists for coach Yahya Muhammad’s Condors, recorded three falls to reach the 100 title mat, with the last of those pins coming in 0:58 over Joliet Central’s Ariadna Arciniega in the semifinals. For third, Wheeling’s Haydee Cruz was a winner by fall in 0:39 over O’Brian. And for fifth place, Arciniega won an 8-7 decision over Rich Township’s Saryia Maddox.

105 – Tatum De La Vega, District 230

Tatum De La Vega won her first-ever title and made it 2-for-2 in title matches for the coach Liz Short’s District 230 co-op of athletes from Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Stagg when she won the 105 title at the Bengals Bash Girls Invite with a fall in 1:27 over Joliet Central’s Alisa Carter. 

De La Vega, a sophomore, recorded three other falls, with the first those requiring the most time on the mat. She earned her spot as one of the five finalists and eventually one of four champs for her co-op team, which claimed top honors in the competition by 111 points, when she got a pin in 1:13 over Downers Grove North’s Jaszmyn Dotson in the semifinals. De La Vega tied for fourth in team points with 32.

“It feels good because I’ve never gotten first before,” De La Vega said. “I went against the girl that was in my finals and I lost to her, so I was getting that in my head, but when I won, it wasn’t even that bad. I keep on practicing, even if I don’t feel like it, so you just have to push harder. I love this team, it’s pushed me to be better and I’m going to miss all of this year’s seniors. I like that they’re all there for you (her team) and they’re always there to cheer you on.”

Carter, one of four finalists for coach Marcus McCullum’s runner-up Steelwomen, also reached the 105 finals with three falls, all of which came in the opening period. In the semifinals, she won in 1:23 over Marist’s Shae Halleran. Bolingbrook’s Mikaela Najera captured third place with a pin in 2:47 over Halleran and for fifth place, Dotson won by technical fall over Bolingbrook’s Sharleen Barrera.

110 – Giselle Arambula, Curie Metropolitan

Giselle Arambula became Curie Metropolitan’s lone champion in the Bengals Bash when she captured the title at 110 with a fall in 1:02 over Hillcrest’s Taniya Moss.

Arambula, a junior who was of two finalists for coach Yahya Muhammad’s Condors, opened with a fall, followed that with a win by technical fall and then recorded a pin in 1:10 over Westinghouse’s Kimani Glasper. Last season she went 22-7 and fell one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Evanston Township Sectional.

“I really enjoy the high school,” Arambula said of Curie. “I love my team and I love my coaches, it’s such a positive atmosphere. The coaches are amazing and they’re always helping me out and improving on what I can do. There are a bunch of newcomers on this team now but we also have some veterans. What I’ve done to try to get better is hitting the gym, doing freestyle competitions and camps throughout the summer to try to benefit myself.”

Moss, one of two finalists as well as two medal winners for coach Keith Franklin’s Hawks, followed two falls with a 6-5 decision over Evergreen Park’s Riley Osborn in the semifinals to earn her spot on the 110 title mat. In the third-place match, Glasper captured an 11-1 major decision over Osborn and for fifth place, Bolingbrook’s Jordan Rodriguez was a winner by fall in 2:00 over Lincoln-Way co-op’s Zoe Zerial.

115 – Janiya Moore, Metea Valley

Janiya Moore had a very productive three-day stretch, where she captured a title at Hampshire two days before doing the same thing at Oak Forest’s Bengals Bash. The sophomore was Metea Valley’s lone finalist and became the only champion for coach Kevin Garbis’ Mustangs when she won a 5-1 decision over Peotone’s Kennedy Mort in the 115 title match.

Moore, who went 17-12 last season but was unable to advance from the Shepard Regional, opened with two wins by technical fall before getting pins in her next two matches, earning her spot in the finals with a pin in 1:29 over District 230’s Sophia Figueroa, who went 28-4 last season and fell short of earning a medal at 115 in the IHSA Finals. She had the most total match points with 57, which was two more than the 130 champion, Wheeling’s Elise Burkut.  

“I’m really glad that I got first,” Moore said. “I’ve just been working myself harder in practice. I just like how fun it is in general (competing for Metea Valley). I think it’s really cool that this is going well.”

Mort, the lone finalist but one of three top-four finishers among four entrants for coach Greg Goberville’s Blue Devils, advanced to the 115 title mat thanks to three falls, with the last those coming in 4:47 over Grant’s Kayden Manis in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Figueroa was a winner by technical fall over Oak Lawn’s Allison Nava and for fifth place, Bremen’s De’neasia Hawkins won by medical forfeit over Manis.

120 – Nina Hamm, Homewood-Flossmoor

Nina Hamm got the unusual opportunity to meet up with a teammate for a championship in a large tournament when she faced Natalia Coleman in an all-Homewood-Flossmoor matchup in the 120 finals. The senior, who took sixth place at 110 in the 2023 IHSA Finals, went on to win by fall in 0:38 over Coleman and they were the lone finalists for coach Scott Aronson’s Vikings.

Hamm earned her spot on the 120 title mat at the Bengals Bash after opening with a win by technical fall and then collecting three first-period pins with the third of those being in 2:00 over Grant’s America Camacho in the semifinals. She ranked second in most team points with 33.5, which was just .5 points behind the leader in that category, District 230’s Emma Akpan.

“It was kind of bad because I had to go against my teammate, but she’ll have more opportunities and this is my last year,” Hamm said of her finals match. It’s been an incredible journey and I love how we’re continuing to grow girls wrestling. Even though I won’t be here, I know that it will be in good hands. I love how just when I went to my freshman year, girls wrestling was starting, and then I joined it and I think I joined it at the perfect time. We were always surrounded by such welcoming people into the sport. The plan is that this is going to be my last year of wrestling and then I’m going to go into firefighting.”

Coleman won her first three matches by fall and all came in the first minute, which was capped by a pin in 0:53 over Peotone’s Kaylee Bordreau in the semifinals to assure the all-Vikings title match at 120. For third place, Camacho was a winner by fall in 3:59 over Bordreau and for fifth place, Marist’s Tracy Balnis got a pin in 0:52 over Curie Metropolitan’s Jasmine Quiroz.

125 – Sadie Sparks, Lincoln-Way

Sadie Sparks provided the highlight for the Lincoln-Way co-op team that includes athletes from Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East and Lincoln-Way West, when she won by technical fall over Grant’s Myla Reyes in the 125 finals to become her team’s lone Bengals Bash champion. 

The freshman was one of two finalists for coach Joshua Napier’s team, who took third place.

Sparks, who also got to be part of a team title when Lincoln-Way co-op easily claimed top honors at  Hampshire’s Whip-Purs Women’s Classic two days earlier, opened with another win by technical fall, then won a 7-2 decision and she earned her spot in the finals with a fall in 0:29 over Oak Forest’s Brooklyn Strelow in the semifinals.

“I’m really thankful for the Lincoln-Way program,” Sparks said. “Not only do our coaches have a lot of experience and knowledge, but they also care a lot. He (Joshua Napier) was the freshman coach and he’s doing a beautiful job in my opinion. I don’t want to get too cocky, but we’re starting off our year good. I like our work ethic. I took as many opportunities as I could since there’s a lot of preseason and summer stuff that Lincoln-Way wants to keep all year around. And always perform better in school when I’m involved in something.”

Reyes, the lone finalist for coach Mark Jolcover’s Lady Bulldogs, recorded falls in her first three matches and advanced to the title mat with a pin in 5:00 over Riverside-Brookfield’s Frankie Abasta in the semifinals. District 230’s Hala Salem took third place after winning a 6-1 decision against a teammate, Piper Booe. And for fifth place, Strelow won by fall in 1:50 over Abasta.

130 – Elise Burkut, Wheeling

Elise Burkut captured her second major tournament title in three days when she added to her championship at Hampshire two days earlier with a first-place finish at Oak Forest’s Bengals Bash after getting a win by technical fall over Joliet Central’s April Ortiz in the 130 finals.

Burkut, a junior who went 29-11 last season and qualified for the IHSA Finals, was the lone champion and one of three finalists for coach Anthony Piltaver’s Wildcats. She opened with two first-period falls before winning a major decision in the quarterfinals and then getting a bye in the semifinals to advance to the 130 title match. Burkut finished with 55 total match points, which ranked her second to the 115 title winner, Metea Valley’s Janiya Moore, who had 57 points.

“This feels more like a family than any other sport to me,” Burkut said. “I came here from a swimming background, so I already had the mental strength and some strength and some endurance, so I just needed the technique to work on. So I took the time in my summers, falls and springs, I’ve just been going to practice and getting better.  I mostly came to the sport because of my brother, Eugene. I was dragged to a practice once just to try it out and here we are. He’s a sophomore and I’m a junior but he’s been wrestling longer. Knowing how the competition has changed over the years, it really gets me super hyped-up. With all of the schools teaching different things, it’s really fun figuring out what makes these wrestlers tick, and just using that to my advantage.”

Ortiz, one of four finalists for coach Marcus McCullum’s runner-up Steelwomen, followed two pins with an 11-1 major decision in the semifinals over District 230 co-op’s Mackenzie Conry to reach the 130 title mat. Downers Grove North’s Natalia Cruz claimed third place after winning by fall in 1:29 over Peotone’s Annie Bergeron and Conry finished fifth after receiving a bye.

135 – Izabel Barrera, Joliet Central

Izabel Barrera enjoyed a successful 2023-2024 season where she finished 24-9 and joined three-time medalist and two-time runner-up Eliana Paramo as one of Joliet Township co-op’s two IHSA state qualifiers. Now the junior, competing for Joliet Central, hopes to not only get back to the IHSA Finals but become the fourth individual from JT schools to win a state medal.

Barrera was one of two champions and four finalists for coach Marcus McCullum’s runner-up Steelwomen at Oak Forest’s Bengals Bash after winning an 11-2 decision over Wheeling’s Layah Woods in the 135 title match. She opened with two falls and then added another pin in 2:25 in the semifinals over Bremen’s Amelia Quinlan to secure her spot in the finals.

“It feels weird, it’s definitely different, but it’s a good change,” Barrera said of the two Joliet Township teams. “I like this new coach a lot because it’s slower steps to get better. It’s teaching me not to be so fast-paced but getting it down first and then doing it. I wrestled freestyle during the offseason. So I went to a lot of developments and practices. There’s a lot of newcomers so it’s good to know that the sport of wrestling is growing more and more every day.”

Woods, one of three finalists for coach Anthony Piltaver’s Wildcats, followed a fall with a 12-1 major decision before getting a pin in 5:00 in the semifinals over Homewood-Flossmoor’s Amara Nwoye, who went to claim third place with a fall in 0:15 over Wauconda’s Jatziry Godoy. And for fifth place, District 230’s Anastasia Dvorak recorded a pin in 1:28 over Quinlan.

140 – Christiara Finley, Hillcrest

Christiara Finley provided the highlight for Hillcrest as it competed in a tournament at another school in the Bremen District, Oak Forest, when the senior captured top honors at 140 in the Bengals Bash Girls Invite after claiming a 12-5 decision over Mother McAuley’s Maggie Zuber.

Finley, one of two finalists and the lone title winner for coach Keith Franklin’s Hawks, opened with a win by technical fall and followed with two falls, with the second of those coming in the semifinals when she needed just 0:39 to pin District 230 co-op’s Isabella De La Vega. She earlier won tournaments at Eisenhower and at Beat the Streets.

“I’ve won every one I’ve wrestled in, I’m undefeated,” Finley said. “It’s definitely been my coaches. My coaches push me really further than I could push myself. And just having my teammates on the side and them cheering for me definitely helps. I’ve been working over the summer. I’ve only been wrestling for two years, but I’m seeing the progress in everything.”

Zuber, the lone finalist and medal winner for coach Samantha Barrientos’ Mighty Macs, got a pin in her initial match, followed up with a win by technical fall and secured her spot on the 140 title mat with a fall in 0:40 over Joliet Central’s Amaya Crowder in the semifinals. For third place, Metea Valley’s Rosie Picari recorded a fall in 0:22 over Lincoln-Way co-op’s Liv Clumpner and in the fifth-place match, De La Vega won by medical forfeit over Crowder. 

145 – Natalie Beaumont, Cumberland

Natalie Beaumont took second place at 135 last season at the IHSA Finals, falling by a 10-1 major decision to one of the four three-time state champions, Freeport’s Cadence Diduch, to finish with a 19-3 record. The Cumberland junior not only looks to get back to the title mat at state but wants to claim a title this time. She made the long trek from Cumberland County to Oak Forest to compete in a big tournament and her trip paid off as she won the 145 title of the Bengals Bash Girls Invite with a fall in 2:39 over Wheeling’s Krystal Diaz. 

Beaumont, the only competitor in the field for the Pirates, whose program is led by coach Ash Edmonds, won her first three matches with falls in the opening period, assuring her spot in the finals with a pin in 0:31 over Homewood-Flossmoor’s Madelynn McClements in the semifinals. She tied for fourth place for the most team points with 32.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Beaumont said. “I compete against some of these girls over the summer and go to tournaments with them, and it’s pretty cool getting a small school’s name out there, because most people don’t know where Cumberland is. A lot of these schools up here have two or three times the amount of kids that we do, so it’s pretty cool. I still wrestle boys in practice and it definitely gives you more energy in matches because you’re a lot stronger. This is my seventh year. During high school, I’ve definitely got to see more girls tournaments and the state tournament is always one of the fun ones, obviously. When I started in fifth grade, there were one or two other girls in the gym for a tournament and now there’s huge tournaments of just girls. It’s crazy seeing all of these teams have girls teams bigger than our boys teams back home.”

Diaz, one of three finalists for coach Anthony Piltaver’s Wildcats, went 15-7 last season but was unable to advance to the Schaumburg Sectional. She won all of her initial three matches with falls in the opening period, earning her spot in the 145 finals with a pin in 1:23 over District 230 co-op’s Ahlam Mehyar. In the third-place match, Grant’s Annabelle Melton won by fall in 0:42 over McClements and for fifth place, Mehyar got a pin in 1:39 over Grant’s Cassidy Graham. 

155 – Nola Oben, District 230

Nola Oben continues to impress during her return to the sport after taking last season off as the District 230 senior won her second title of year and made her third finals appearance to help her co-op team that includes athletes from Carl Sandburg, Andrew and Stagg, add to first-place team finishes at Minooka and Fremd when she won the the 155 title at Oak Forest’s Bengals Bash by recording a fall in 3:37 over Downers Grove North’s Jahdi’yaj Hibbler.

Oben, one of four champions and five finalists for coach Liz Short’s co-op team that defeated runner-up Joliet Central by a 290-179 margin for top honors, followed two quick falls with an 18-6 major decision before earning her spot on the title mat with a win by technical fall over Oak Lawn’s Charvelle McLain in the semifinals. She ranked third in most team points with 32.5.

“Actually I prefer it being a district team rather than being split into individual schools, since it’s more girls and you have more partners,” Oben said. “Everyone is working hard at practice and I feel that just by showing up that they’re going to get better,. So even if you don’t do good, if you show up and try, you’ll get better, for sure.”

Hibbler, the lone finalist for coach Marcos Rico’s Trojans, recorded pins in her other three matches, advancing to the 155 finals with a fall in 3:11 over Homewood-Flossmoor’s Rachel Nugin in the semifinals. McLain, who advanced to state last season, claimed third place with a pin in 22 seconds over Nugin. And for fifth, Wauconda’s Gesselle Vazquez won by fall in 3:49 over Marist’s Lilly Lara.

170 – Sarah Parker, Marist

Sarah Parker and her teammates at Marist are enjoying a successful debut for their program as is evidenced by their fifth-place finish at Oak Forest’s Bengals Bash. The lone champion and finalist for coach Kelly Sullivan’s RedHawks, she captured the championship at 170 by recording a fall in 1:04 over Lincoln-Way co-op’s Jenna Lee. 

Parker collected pins in all four of her matches and the last three of those concluded in the first period, which included a fall in 0:41 against another Lincoln-Way co-op competitor in the semifinals, Sara Damirbek. She finished with 32 team points, which tied her for fourth place.

“It feels great, but it’s weird because we’re the first girl wrestlers, ” Parker said of being at Marist. “Marist has one of the better and more expansive programs on the south side, so it feels great to know that I’m a part of it. It’s a growing sport, so we all get to grow into it together. I just went into it thinking that I just had to try my best and then I just kept doing it, so I’ve stuck with it. We’re like a family and that’s amazing. We all try our best and we get to all work together.” 

Lee was one of two finalists for coach Joshua Napier’s third-place Lincoln-Way co-op team, which includes individuals from Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East and Lincoln-Way West. She followed two quick pins with a fall in 3:16 over District 230’s Avery Santiago to earn her spot in the 170 finals. Damirbek claimed third with a 13-6 decision over District 230’s Adriana Vela. For fifth, Santiago won an 11-3 major decision over Downers Grove North’s Alyssa Andreen.

190 – Emma Akpan, District 230

Emma Akpan continues to roll along, capturing her third title of the season and helping District 230 to add Oak Forest’s Bengals Bash to earlier team championships won at Minooka and Fremd when she took top honors at 190 with a fall in 2:00 over Oak Forest’s Isabel Peralta to become one of the four first-place finishers for her co-op team, that consists of athletes from Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Stagg. The District 230 co-op team, which is coached by Liz Short, won the title with 290 points while Joliet Central was next with 179.

Akpan, a senior who went 34-8 last season and finished fourth at 190 in the IHSA Finals after taking sixth place at state at 235 in 2023, led all competitors with 34 team points after becoming one of the five individuals to record five falls and four of her pins came in the opening period, including in 49 seconds in the semifinals when she beat Oak Lawn’s Nataly Romero to become one of her team’s five finalists.

“We have a lot of new people, more than ever, but they’re all growing really quickly and they’re getting a lot of new skills every single day,” Akpan said. “Usually we would have 10 new people join, but this time it was around 20 new people and it added a lot to the team. I got to teach so many people so many things. I couldn’t be prouder of them. Some of these people, it’s their first-time placing or the first time doing moves that we taught them. It’s just great seeing everyone progress. It’s been a bunch of firsts for me and I’m so glad that I get to be a part of it.”

Peralta, a senior who went 39-6 last season and qualified for the IHSA Finals, was the lone finalist for the host Bengals, who are coached by Jamie Hubbard. She followed two first-period falls with a pin in 2:27 over Lincoln-Way co-op’s Maryanna Quezada in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Joliet Central’s Evelyn Perez-Bedolla won by fall in 27 seconds over Romero and for fifth place, Quezada captured a 1-0 decision over Evergreen Park’s Lili Meierkort.

235 – Valeria Hernandez, Joliet Central

Valeria Hernandez assured Joliet Central of a second title and denied District 230 of a fifth first-place effort when she recorded a fall in 4:52 over Gabbi Vasquez in the 235 championship match at Oak Forest’s Bengals Bash. With Izabel Barrera joining her as a title winner at 135 to lead the way, coach Marcus McCullum’s Steelwomen took second place in the 30-team competition with 179 points, which was 38 points ahead of third-place Lincoln-Way co-op. 

Hernandez, a senior who was of four finalists for her team, won all four of her matches by fall, which included one in 4:47 over Oak Lawn’s Nathalia Vega to assure herself of a spot in the 235 finals. She tied three others for fourth place in most team points with 32.

“Everybody is getting more opportunities now,” Hernandez said of the two JT teams. “Our teams are both strong so at every weight we’re getting more opportunities to wrestle in tournaments. Our coach has been working us hard. It was pretty exciting because I had to go up a weight class today, but I still performed well and overall our team did good and we placed second.”

Vasquez, one of five finalists for coach Liz Short’s champion District 230 co-op team, opened with two falls before claiming an 8-1 decision in the semifinals over Rich Township’s Amaya McClain. In the third-place match, Lincoln-Way co-op’s Jalyssa Venegas won by fall in 3:39 over McClain. And for fifth, Vega won by medical default over Shepard’s Karrine Jenkins.

Oak Forest Bengals Bash Girls Invite place matches

100

1st Place Match

Jade Hardee (District 230 co-op) won by fall over Evelin Martinez (Curie Metropolitan) (Fall 1:49)

3rd Place Match

Haydee Cruz (Wheeling) won by fall over Lillian O`Brian (Bloom Township) (Fall 0:39)

5th Place Match

Ariadna Arciniega (Joliet Central) won by decision over Saryia Maddox (Rich Township) (Dec 8-7)

Consolation 1st

Kassandra Ruiz (Joliet Central) won by fall over Ella Quigley (Mother McAuley) (Fall 2:30)

105

1st Place Match

Tatum De La Vega (District 230 co-op) won by fall over Alisa Carter (Joliet Central) (Fall 1:27)

3rd Place Match

Mikaela Najera (Bolingbrook) won by fall over Shae Halleran (Marist) (Fall 2:47)

5th Place Match

Jaszmyn Dotson (Downers Grove North) won by tech fall over Sharleen Barrera (Bolingbrook) (TF 16-0)

Consolation 1st

Grace Spangler (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by fall over Iris Cardenas (Evergreen Park) (Fall 1:48)

110

1st Place Match

Giselle Arambula (Curie Metropolitan) won by fall over Taniya Moss (Hillcrest) (Fall 1:02)

3rd Place Match

Kimani Glasper (Westinghouse) won by major decision over Riley Osborn (Evergreen Park) (Maj 11-1)

5th Place Match

Jordan Rodriguez (Bolingbrook) won by fall over Zoe Zerial (Lincoln-Way co-op) (Fall 2:00)

Consolation 1st

Anusha Nagar (Metea Valley) won by decision over Sophia Orcasitas (Oak Forest) (Dec 3-2)

115

1st Place Match

Janiya Moore (Metea Valley) won by decision over Kennedy Mort (Peotone) (Dec 5-1)

3rd Place Match

Sophia Figueroa (District 230) won by tech fall over Allison Nava (Oak Lawn) (TF 16-0)

5th Place Match

De`neasia Hawkins (Bremen) won by injury default over Kayden Manis (Grant) (Inj. 0:00)

Consolation 1st

Jaiydyn Hoffman (Grant) won by decision over Mayali Suarez (Wheeling) (Dec 8-1)

120

1st Place Match

Nina Hamm (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by fall over Natalia Coleman (Homewood-Flossmoor) (Fall 0:38)

3rd Place Match

America Camacho (Grant) won by fall over Kaylee Bordreau (Peotone) (Fall 3:59)

5th Place Match

Tracy Balnis (Marist) won by fall over Jasmine Quiroz (Curie Metropolitan) (Fall 0:52)

Consolation 1st

Brynnley Krauchun (District 230 co-op) won by fall over Abby Lizak (Lincoln-Way co-op) (Fall 1:32)

125

1st Place Match

Sadie Sparks (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by tech fall over Myla Reyes (Grant) (TF 20-3)

3rd Place Match

Hala Salem (District 230 co-op) won by decision over Piper Booe (District 230 co-op) (Dec 6-1)

5th Place Match

Brooklyn Strelow (Oak Forest) won by fall over Frankie Abasta (Riverside-Brookfield) (Fall 1:50)

Consolation 1st

Zoe Kamper (Marist) won by fall over Valentina Gonzalez (Downers Grove North) (Fall 1:43)

130

1st Place Match

Elise Burkut (Wheeling) won by tech fall over April Ortiz (Joliet Central) (TF 18-3)

3rd Place Match

Natalia Cruz (Downers Grove North) won by fall over Annie Bergeron (Peotone) (Fall 1:29)

5th Place Match

Mackenzie Conry (District 230 co-op) received a bye

Consolation 1st

Sam Durbin (Marist) won by decision over Riona Jurik (Oak Forest) (Dec 8-5)

135

1st Place Match

Izabel Barrera (Joliet Central) won by major decision over Layah Woods (Wheeling) (Maj 11-2)

3rd Place Match

Amara Nwoye (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by fall over Jatziry Godoy (Wauconda) (Fall 0:15)

5th Place Match

Anastasia Dvorak (District 230 co-op) won by fall over Amelia Quinlan (Bremen) (Fall 1:28)

Consolation 1st

Stella Harris (Marist) won by fall over Veronica Vera (Grant) (Fall 1:36)

140

1st Place Match

Christiara Finley (Hillcrest) won by decision over Maggie Zuber (Mother McAuley) (Dec 12-5)

3rd Place Match

Rosie Picari (Metea Valley) won by fall over Liv Clumpner (Lincoln-Way co-op) (Fall 0:22)

5th Place Match

Isabella De La Vega (District 230 co-op) won by medical forfeit over Amaya Crowder (Joliet Central) (MFFL)

Consolation 1st

Emily Anaya (Riverside-Brookfield) won by fall over Diana Vargas (Joliet Central) (Fall 3:31)

145

1st Place Match

Natalie Beaumont (Cumberland) won by fall over Krystal Diaz (Wheeling) (Fall 2:39)

3rd Place Match

Annabelle Melton (Grant) won by fall over Madelynn McClements (Homewood-Flossmoor) (Fall 0:42)

5th Place Match

Ahlam Mehyar (District 230 co-op) won by fall over Cassidy Graham (Grant) (Fall 1:39)

Consolation 1st

Savannah Burns (Bolingbrook) won by decision over Lyobosa Odiase (Oak Forest) (Dec 8-2)

155

1st Place Match

Nola Oben (District 230 co-op) won by fall over Jahdi`yah Hibbler (Downers Grove North) (Fall 3:37)

3rd Place Match

Charvelle McLain (Oak Lawn) won by fall over Rachel Nugin (Homewood-Flossmoor) (Fall 0:22)

5th Place Match

Gesselle Vazquez (Wauconda) won by fall over Lilly Lara (Marist) (Fall 3:49)

Consolation 1st

Nikol Orendarchuk (Wheeling) won by decision over Adr Bille (Oak Forest) (Dec 1-0)

170

1st Place Match

Sarah Parker (Marist) won by fall over Jenna Lee (Lincoln-Way co-op) (Fall 1:04)

3rd Place Match

Sara Damirbek (New Lenox (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by decision over Adriana Vela (District 230 co-op) (Dec 13-6)

5th Place Match

Avery Santiago (District 230 co-op) won by major decision over Alyssa Andreen (Downers Grove North) (Maj 11-3)

Consolation 1st

Sydney West (Hillcrest) won by fall over Estefany Bejarano (Riverside-Brookfield) (Fall 1:26)

190

1st Place Match

Emma Akpan (District 230 co-op) won by fall over Isabel Peralta (Oak Forest) (Fall 2:00)

3rd Place Match

Evelyn Perez-Bedolla (Joliet Central) won by fall over Nataly Romero (Oak Lawn) (Fall 0:27)

5th Place Match

Maryanna Quezada (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by decision over Lili Meierikort (Evergreen Park) (Dec 1-0)

Consolation 1st

Cai Triplett (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by fall over Jordyn Coleman-Harrison (Hillcrest) (Fall 1:44)

235

1st Place Match

Valeria Hernandez (Joliet Central) won by fall over Gabbi Vasquez (District 230 co-op) (Fall 4:52)

3rd Place Match

Jalyssa Venegas (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by fall over Amaya McClain (Rich Township) (Fall 3:39)

5th Place Match

Nathalia Vega (Oak Lawn) won by injury default over Karrine Jenkins (Shepard) (Inj. 0:00)

Consolation 1st

Tamera Gibbs (Hillcrest) won by decision over Nancy Herrera (District 230 co-op) (Dec 1-0)

Team scores

1. District 230 co-op (Andrew/Carl Sandburg/Stagg) 290, 2. Joliet Central 179, 3. Lincoln-Way co-op (Lincoln-Way Central/Lincoln-Way East/Lincoln-Way West) 141, 4. Wheeling 131.5, 5. Marist 111, 5. Oak Lawn 111, 7. Homewood-Flossmoor 109.5, 8. Grant 106.5, 9. Oak Forest 98, 10. Hillcrest 90.5, 11. Downers Grove North 88, 12. Curie Metropolitan 84.5, 13. Bolingbrook 79, 14. Peotone 71, 15. Metea Valley 66, 16. Rich Township 51, 17. Bremen 49, 18. Evergreen Park 46, 19. Mother McAuley 41.5, 20. Wauconda 36.5, 21. Riverside-Brookfield 35, 22. Cumberland 32, 23. Westinghouse 29, 24. Bloom Township 27, 25. Eisenhower 22, 26. Shepard 16, 27. Thornton Fractional North 6, 28. Crete-Monee 4.

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

Saturday’s IWCOA Girls’ State Dual Team Championship at Hoffman Estates crowned the first dual-format girls’ team state champion in Illinois history.

That history belongs to Lincoln-Way.

Program history will show that it was Zoe Dempsey’s pin in the final match of the state title dual against Schaumburg that gave Lincoln-Way a 40-38 win, and the first girls dual-format team state title ever in Illinois.

“That’s storybook — our best wrestler with a chance to put it away,” Lincoln-Way coach Josh Napier said.
“It’s so exciting,” Lincoln-Way senior Riley Cooney said. “I’m so happy and we have worked so hard these past weeks for this. I’m so proud of this team. A good amount of our lineup are first-year wrestlers and they’ve been so good.”

Dempsey’s pin capped a comeback that sent Lincoln-Way’s girls into a frenzy: hugging, hollering, and grins from ear-to-ear always mark a state title win, and Dempsey was engulfed by a mob of deliriously happy teammates after her pin handed them a dual team state crown.
The two teams tied 7-7 in matches won.

“It was just two solid all-around teams going at it,” Dempsey said. “I liked the energy we had today. Nobody gave up. We were losing pretty bad to Schaumburg, but nobody was giving up.

“I think this just sets a standard for every girl that’s coming into Lincoln-Way, that we’re the best.”

It may have been team captain Dempsey playing the ultimate hero, riding up on her white horse to save the day, but there had better be room up on that horse for co-captain Cooney.

It’s arguable that what Cooney did against Schaumburg was the most important match wrestled all day by any wrestler — and it was a loss.

Cooney bumped up in weight to 130 against Schaumburg and lost 1-0 to Isabella Rivas. In 32 duals across hundreds of matches wrestled among 16 teams on Saturday, Rivas-Cooney was the only match that ended in a 1-0 decision.

“Riley lost 1-0 but I don’t think she knows how important that match was,” Napier said. “I know she wanted to win but she’s wrestling up and if she got pinned, we lose that dual.”

Trailing Schaumburg 38-18 with four matches remaining, a forfeit win at 235 for Lincoln-Way’s Riley DePolo made it 38-24. And that set the stage for the heart of Napier’s lineup.

An 8-0 major decision win at 100 pounds from Lincoln-Way’s Monica Alvarez made it 38-28. Teammate Emily Peyton followed with a pin at 105 to make it 38-34, setting the stage for Dempsey’s heroics at 110.
“We knew where we might lose some matches but we like to call our little 100 to 120 wrestlers ‘murderer’s row’,” Napier said. “We know we’ve got tough ones there and we needed to win all three. They got it done – two seniors and a junior, girls that have been with me for three or four years now.”
Schaumburg’s wrestlers and coaching staff were naturally disappointed in the loss, but positivity still carried the day for the Saxons.

“Hats off the Lincoln Way,” Schaumburg coach Matt Gruszka said. “They have really come on and they had a hell of a tournament. They wrestled very tough. We bled some points where maybe we shouldn’t have but that’s how it goes.

“The IWCOA did a fantastic job putting this together and giving these girls a chance like this. It was awesome.”

The IWCOA has hosted girls individual state tournaments for years, prior to the IHSA making girls wrestling a sport for the 2022-23 season. The organization threw its hat in the ring for a dual-format state tournament for girls in Illinois for the first time this year.

IWCOA president Rob Porter explained the rationale for the tournament:

“Some of the coaches around the state started talking about it and it just kind of evolved from that,” Porter said. “To know we could do it as an invitational during the season and not have it affect regionals or sectionals, so the girls could have high-level competition and not have it affect their individual opportunities — that was a big factor.”

When the day was over, Schaumburg’s Hope Zerafa-Lazarevic didn’t dwell on her team’s loss to Lincoln-Way, opting instead to see numerous silver linings in a great day for girls wrestling in Illinois.
Zerafa-Lazarevic showed as much class, maturity and perspective in defeat as you might ever get from a high school student-athlete.

“I am just so grateful to the IWCOA for hosting this and giving us this platform,” Zerafa-Lazarevic said. “The IHSA said that we couldn’t do it and I think we proved them wrong today. We all worked really, really hard today and I’m proud of everybody who stepped on a mat, whether it was my team or not. Everyone wrestled hard and you saw some great matches today.”

Pins from Lincoln-Way’s Aubrey Barnes (115) and Sadie Sparks (125) bookended a pin by Schaumburg’s Madyson Meyer (120) to start the state championship dual. Schaumburg took a 15-12 lead on Isabella Rivas’ 1-0 win at 130 and a pin from Sharon Olorunfemi (135).

Lincoln-Way took an 18-15 lead on an Ella Giertuga pin at 140, but Schaumburg reeled off pins from Zerafa-Lazarevic (145), Shreya Gosain (155) and Nadia Razzak (190), and a tech fall win from Alya Razzak (170) in building its 38-18 lead.

DePolo, Alvarez, and Peyton set the stage for Dempsey, and her second-period pin to win a team state title. Lincoln-Way is young and currently banged up, but Napier and assistant coaches Skylar Novak, Alan Durham, Eric Balluff, Bill Guide and Matt Schedin saw girls up and down the lineup got it done through six duals wrestled Saturday.“Aubrey Barnes wrestled out of her mind, and she’s getting better every time she wrestles,” Napier said. “Sierra Heatherly is a first year wrestler with a bad back and she also pulled out some big wins for us.

“It was very well run by Hoffman Estates and Leo Clark, and the IWCOA did an amazing thing for these girls. I hope this can spark the IHSA conversation going forward.”

Lincoln-Way improved to 11-0 in duals with the win in the finals.
“It was cool to hear that we were going to state but now that we’re actually here and we actually won it — it’s so exciting,” Cooney said.

“At the beginning of the season in our first tournaments, a lot of our girls didn’t really know what to expect or what it was about. But they’ve all worked their way up and they’re all becoming more aggressive attacking their opponents and it’s really good to see.”

Zerafa-Lazarevic was similarly proud of her program’s performance.

“We are so grateful to our coaches -(Matt) Gruszka, (Jake) Hughes, and (Jason) Bonilla — all of them scouted, they made spreadsheets of all of these teams, so we were really ready for our action. Every girl was ready.

“We are definitely big dual fans. The reason we do well in individual tournaments is because we really do think of the team; we think of saving team points. So a tournament like this kind of fell right into our skill set as a team. We think about going for team points all the time and it’s just a really good tight knit group of girls.”

Lincoln-Way went 3-0 in pool play, topping Phoenix Military Academy (56-24), West Aurora (54-29) and Batavia (45-33), in a dual that went 8-6 in matches won for Lincoln-Way, which then won 8 matches in a 41-33 win over Edwardsville in a championship quarterfinal dual.

Lincoln-Way earned another 8-6 edge in matches won in its state semifinal win over Hoffman Estates, winning 47-36 to reach the state title mat.

Schaumburg also went 3-0 in opening pool play with wins over Morton (54-27), Homewood-Flossmoor (60-21), and host Hoffman Estates (48-27). The Saxons then won 48-33 in a state quarterfinal dual against West Aurora, before posting an 8-6 edge in matches won and a 43-36 victory over the District 230 team, consisting of wrestlers from Andrew, Carl Sandburg, and Stagg.

District 230 went on to finish third in state with a 60-24 win over Hoffman Estates; Edwardsville placed fifth with a 47-33 win over West Aurora; and Minooka placed seventh with a 54-29 win over Geneseo.

In the consolation bracket, Batavia took first place with a 42-42 tiebreaker win over DeKalb; Huntley won the third-place dual 48-35 over JS Morton; Phoenix Military won the fifth-place dual 48-36 over Lockport, and Homewood-Flossmoor took seventh in a 46-36 win over Rickover Naval Academy. 

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

When a team wins two tournament titles in three weeks after needing nearly all of last season to accomplish the same feat, then usually something really good is happening.

That’s how the Lawrence County co-op featuring the two schools in its county, Lawrenceville and Red Hill, views its prospects heading into 2025 after it captured top honors at Cumberland’s Skull & Crossbones, a 20-team competition that took place last weekend in Toledo.

Coach Cody Bobe, in his first season of leading the program that had been coached by Sam Hyre for several years, saw his team follow up on a title at their own Lawrence County Tournament on December 7 with a second championship against a much bigger field.

Despite having only one champion, Lawrence County received team points from all 12 of its entrants and used three runner-up finishes to go along with two fourths, two fifths and a sixth to help it to 172.5 points, which was 14 points ahead of runner-up Salem, who had 158.5 points.

Shelbyville claimed third place with 154 points while Lichfield was fourth with 146, Althoff Catholic took fifth with 137.5 points and the host Pirates edged Monticello 127.5-125.5 for sixth. Harrisburg (106.5), Fairfield (95.5) and Effingham (94) rounded out the top half of the field.

Leading the way for Lawrence County was Cale Seitzinger, who captured the title at 138. Kyler Guercio (106), Hudson Meek (144) and Nick Morehead (175) also advanced to the title mat but placed second. 

Keegan Liston (150) and Daniel Kiser (157) placed fourth, Delaney Ledbetter (113) and Dylan Camden (285) finished fifth and Malikye Williams (190) claimed sixth. Drew Seitzinger (120), Grayson Allender (126) and Wyatt Scott (215) didn’t place but added 19.5 critical team points.

Salem finishing second is a big deal because this is only the program’s third season. With co-coaches Brian Camp and Rob Ring leading the way, the Wildcats hope to have their first IHSA medalist in 2025. Keyton King took first place at 150 in the Skull & Crossbones while Carson Osborne was the runner-up at 190.

Despite only having eight competitors, Shelbyville finished in third place. Coach Caleb Duckett’s Rams were led at the Skull & Crossbones by Ryne Peavler, who won the title at 165 while Bodee Fathauer (132) and Andre Townsend (285) both settled for second place.

Litchfield/Mt. Olive co-op, which is coached by Chance Davidson, finished fourth and had three title winners and a tournament-high five finalists. Winning championships for the Purple Panthers were Vinny Moore (120), Clayton Hauter (144) and Tristan Staggs (215) while Rilynn Younker (113), who was fourth at 110 in the 2024 IHSA Girls Finals, and Braxton Kieffer (157) took second place.

Finishing in fifth place was Althoff Catholic, which is coached by Emauel Brooks. His Crusaders had a tournament-high four title winners, defending IHSA Class 1A 285 champion Jason Dowell (285) in addition to Brenden Rayl (132), Dawson Hawthorne (126) and Jacobi Cobbs (106).

The host Pirates, who are coached by Ash Edmonds, took sixth place and were led by champion Owen McGinnis (157) and runner-up Harley Pierce (138).

Monticello, which took seventh place, was led by title winner Hunter Romano (190) and second-place finishers Ezekiel Young (120) and Nick Litchfield (126).

Others who captured Skull & Crossbones titles were Fairfield’s Talan Keoughan (175) and Oakwood/Salt Fork co-op’s Weston Frazier (113). Also taking second place were Effingham’s Baker Moon (150), Herrin’s Kolby Coffey (165) and Harrisburg’s Gunner Wayman (215).

Five individuals repeated as champions in the tournament. They were Dowell, Keoughan, McGinnis, Rayl and Staggs. Peavler made the move up from runner-up to champion while Young, a 2023 title winner in the competition, lost in the finals to Moore, who took third last year. 

King also went from third to first place while Romano took fourth last year and Seitzinger did not place and they both won titles. Cobbs, Frazier, Hawthorne and Hauter weren’t in the 2023 field.

Dowell led the way in most team points with 31.5 while Staggs was second with 30 and Keoughan took third with 29.5 points. Peavler was next with 28.5 while Cobbs, McGinnis and Romano tied with 28 points. King scored 27.5 while Hawtorne and Rayl tied with 27 team points.

Staggs was the lone competitor in the field that recorded four falls. And Richland County’s Zander Schrader had the most total match points with 54 while Peavler was next with 51. 

Oakwood/Salt Fork co-op, the top-ranked team in the field and defending champions in the Skull & Crossbones, sent most of their top individuals to a dual meet at Coal City the night before for a clash of top 10 Class 1A teams, which the Coalers won.

Here are the champions and weight classes of the Skull & Crossbones 

106 – Jacobi Cobbs, Althoff Catholic

Jacobi Cobbs went 44-6 as a freshman competing in Mehlville, Missouri but fell one win shy of a trip to the state finals in that state. So this season he decided to try his luck on the other side of the Mississippi River and is excited to be competing for Althoff Catholic. He already is making a name for himself after earning the top spot at 106 in the Class 1A rankings by Illinois Matmen and he improved to 12-1 after winning by fall in 0:51 over Lawrence County co-op freshman Kyler Guercio in the 106 title match at the Skull & Crossbones.

He won all three of his matches with first-period pins, earning his spot on the title mat with a fall in 17 seconds against Salem junior Aden Doolen. This was his first invitational tournament as an Illinois athlete and he joined Dawson Hawthorne, Brenden Rayl and Jason Dowell as title winners to give coach Emanuel Brooks’ Crusaders a tournament-high four champions.

“I’m coming to Althoff because I have better coaches here and it might help me get better,” Cobbs said. “I haven’t skipped a single practice and I work hard in every practice and I never stop. They support you a lot, make good teammates and support you in the wrestling room.”

Guercio (11-2) was one of four finalists for Lawrence County, a co-op team, involving athletes from Lawrenceville and Red Hill that is coached by Cody Bobe. He earned his spot on the 106 title with two first-period falls, with the last of those coming in 1:10 over Effingham freshman Brendan Stewart in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Doolen (10-6) captured a 9-5 decision over Stewart (14-5). Fairfield sophomore Carter Poole won by technical fall in 1:54 over Monticello sophomore River Young to claim fifth place.

113 – Weston Frazier, Oakwood/Salt Fork

Weston Frazier was missing many of his Oakwood/Salt Fork co-op teammates for the Skull & Crossbones since they had made the long trip to Coal City the previous day to compete in a dual meet against the Coalers in a clash of top-10 teams in Class 1A. So while coach Mike Glosser’s team was not able to defend its title in the competition with only eight individuals participating, it was able to get a title win at 113 from Frazier, who is a freshman.

Frazier (9-2), who was one of two top-six finishers and the lone finalist for his team, won the 113 championship with a win by technical fall in 5:44 over Litchfield/Mt. Olive sophomore Rilynn Younker. He also collected a win by technical fall in his opener before earning his spot on the title mat with a 12-0 major decision over Cumberland junior Peyton Groves in the semifinals.

“It feels pretty cool, pretty fun,” I had a good time,” Frazier said. “I feel like we’ll be pretty good if we stay as a team and stay together. I really like the coaches and I really like the team and the school. It’s just a good place to be.”

Younker (15-5), who placed fourth at 110 in the 2024 IHSA Girls Finals in Bloomington, was one of a tournament-high five finalists for coach Chance Davidson’s Purple Panthers, who took fourth place. She won with falls in her first two matches, earning her spot on the title mat with a pin in 3:35 over Effingham freshman Cole Dulumback in the semifinals. Groves (11-7) won by fall in 3:22 over Dulumback (13-4) to finish third and Lawrence County co-op sophomore Delaney Ledbetter (5-4) took fifth with a fall in 3:08 over Herrin sophomore Brennan Jeralds.

120 – Vinny Moore, Litchfield/Mt. Olive

Vinny Moore has qualified for state in each of his first two seasons but after going 34-10 and falling a bit short of a medal at 110, the Litchfield/Mt. Olive co-op junior hopes to be one of individuals from the program who will get back on the awards stand at state after the Panthers missed out on a medal in 2024. Moore improved to 18-1 after capturing top honors at 120 in the Skull & Crossbones with a 10-0 major decision over Monticello sophomore Ezekiel Young. In the latest rankings, Young was ranked eighth while Moore was ninth.

One of a tournament-high five finalists and three title winners for coach Chance Davidson’s Purple Panthers, Moore advanced to the 120 title match with a win by technical fall and then a fall in 2:48 over Effingham senior Kaiden Stewart in the semifinals. 

“I’ve had a lot of good matches in the past, but I think this year is the year that I think I can push through all of the hard ones and probably do something with it,” Moore said. “I have a great team and a great coaching staff and everyone that’s surrounding me is good. I did a lot of offseason work and I travelled to a lot of different states for dual teams and working out. And I overall tried to improve my diet. Just wrestling helps you get better at wrestling.”

Young (8-2), one of three finalists for coach Andy Moore’s Sages, opened with a victory by technical fall and advanced to the title mat with a pin in 4:18 over Salem freshman Rylan Moore. Stewart (16-3) recorded a fall in 0:40 over Moore (13-5) to claim third place and in the fifth-place match, Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine co-op senior Mason Correll (10-3) got a pin in 5:18 over Shelbyville sophomore Colin Wells (8-8).

126 – Dawson Hawthorne, Althoff Catholic

Dawson Hawthorne had a successful freshman season and went 30-5 but got hurt right before the postseason and was unable to finish on a good note. So the Althoff Catholic sophomore has big plans for the upcoming season and they just got a boost after he won a 5-0 decision over Monticello junior Nick Litchfield in the 126 championship match at the Skull & Crossbones.

Hawthorne (6-0), the second of four champions for coach Emanuel Brooks’ Crusaders, used two falls and a major decision to advance to the 126 title mat. Ranked seventh at 120, he got his second pin in the semifinals where he won in 2:54 over Fairfield junior Jedd Wellen.

“We have a returning state champion and we picked up Jacobi Cobbs from Missouri and I got second as an eighth grader at state (IKWF),” Hawthorne said. “It’s fun, because we’re all like brothers. We all support each other and we push each other to do the best we can. We all push each other in the room and that makes it fun. And we all joke like we’re brothers, too. This year means a lot to me, coming back from an injury, so hopefully I can get to the podium.”

Litchfield, one of three finalists for coach Andy Moore’s Sages, opened with a win by technical fall and then won a 9-0 major decision in the semifinals over Shelbyville freshman Johnathan Kirkbride (10-7), who then went on to claim third place by winning a 5-4 decision over Wellen. Cumberland junior Sawyer Welbaum (13-3) took fifth place after recording a fall in 1:52 over Salem freshman Caleb Osborne (12-5). 

132 – Brenden Rayl, Althoff Catholic

Brenden Rayl made it 3-for-3 for Althoff Catholic on the title mat when he followed Jacobi Cobbs and Dawson Hawthorne as champions at the first five weights of the Skull & Crossbones and the trio would later be joined in the last title match by defending IHSA Class 1A heavyweight champion Jason Dowell. The senior, who was ranked sixth at 132, claimed top honors at 132 with a win by technical fall in 3:24 over Shelbyville junior Bodee Fathauer.

Rayl, who is off to a 14-0 start, is a two-time IHSA qualifier who went 35-4 last season but fell one win shy of earning a medal at 126, so he’s focused on finally getting to the state awards stand this season. After needing just 13 seconds to secure a pin in his opener, he claimed a win by technical fall in 2:46 over Herrin junior Braden Berndt in the semifinals.

“We’ve got tons of good practice partners and we’re always working, even through sickness and injuries,” Rayl said. “This program is full of hammers and they want to be here. They come out to wrestle, they’re set toward it, they want to get after it. I’m really close with all of them and with them seeing me want to succeed, it makes them want to succeed even more. We have a great coach. I think that a lot of it is the mindset and I think right now my mindset is pretty good, but there’s always room for improvement. You’ve got to have that feeling that no matter who I step out there with, we’re going to fight and I’m going to come out on top, that’s what matters.”

Fathauer (14-4), one of three finalists for coach Caleb Duckett’s third-place Rams, was a state qualifier in 2023 who went 30-16 last season and fell one win shy of a state trip. He used two falls to reach the semifinals, where he won by technical fall in 4:28 over Cumberland sophomore Logan Aaron (12-6), who took third place by claiming a 17-7 major decision over Berndt (9-6). For fifth place, Richland County sophomore Kaeden Davis (15-5) won by fall in 3:41 over Johnston City senior Gabe Lively (9-4).

138 – Cale Seitzinger, Lawrence County

Cale Seitzinger was the lone champion among four finalists for the Lawrence County co-op, which features athletes from Lawrenceville and Red Hill. The team, which is coached by Cody Bobe, won the Skull & Crossbones championship with 172.5 points, which was 14 better than runner-up Salem. This title comes two weeks after it took first place at its own tournament. Seitzinger, a junior who didn’t place in the 2023 tourney, improved to 13-1 after winning a 15-4 major decision over Cumberland sophomore Harley Pierce in the 138 championship match.

Seitzinger, who went 28-16 last season but fell one win shy of advancing to the sectional, got a win by technical fall in 3:34 in his first match and then claimed a 7-3 decision in the semifinals over Johnston City junior Jace Weaver to earn his spot on the 138 championship mat.

“Everybody has been working hard and it’s really been showing off,” Seitzinger said. “I have a lot of good people right around my weight and we go back and forth in practice and it really helps. All of the season is just about the end of the year, really. And everyone is practicing and working hard and getting experience right now. I did a lot of offseason stuff this year and it really helps to have people around that I’m close to that wrestle, all of my friends, and we really push each other around the practice room. Everyone works hard and nobody gives up in their match even if they’re wrestling tough guys. And I like my coaches.”

Pierce (10-6), one of two finalists for coach Ash Edmonds’ host Pirates, opened with two pins before capturing a 15-2 major decision over Monticello sophomore Luke Andruczyk. For third place, Weaver (10-4) won by fall in 2:45 over Andruczyk (10-6). And for fifth, Salem sophomore Kevan Moore (13-4) got a pin in 5:46 over Effingham freshman Jeremiah Giles (6-4).

144 – Clayton Hauter, Litchfield/Mt. Olive

Clayton Hauter helped Litchfield/Mt. Olive co-op to enjoy a successful day at the Skull & Crossbones when he became the second of three champions for coach Chance Davidson’s Purple Panthers, following Vinny Moore and preceding Tristan Staggs to help their team claim fourth place in the 20-team competition. The senior improved to 18-3 after winning a 7-4 decision over Lawrence County co-op sophomore Hudson Meek in the 144 title match.

Hauter, who captured his first high school tournament title, went 24-15 last season and qualified for the Vandalia Sectional. He opened with a fall and then captured a 16-3 major decision over Cumberland junior Jaxson Dukeman in the semifinals to make him one of Litchfield’s five finalists, which was the highest total for any of the 20 teams in the tournament.

“Honestly, I’m so proud of them, every single one of our guys,” Hauter said. “It’s about how hard you go in practice, that’s when it matters, and we help each other. We had guys that lost at PORTA last week and then beat them. I had never won a high school tournament. It feels great. I have to thank God, I wouldn’t be anywhere without him and my dad. The people that push and it’s hard work, but it pays off. We all have a very special bond. It’s amazing, it’s something else.”

Meek (11-3), one of four finalists for coach Cody Bobe’s champion Lawrence County co-op team, went 32-13 last season and fell one victory shy of a trip to state. He got a win by technical fall in his opener and then earned his spot on the 144 title mat by recording a fall in 0:53 over Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine co-op freshman Jude Wirey in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Dukeman (10-7) won by fall in 3:12 over Wirey (12-5). And for fifth place, Salem freshman Kade Orrell (14-4) got a pin in 4:49 over Breese Central junior Jay Klemish (11-10). 

150 – Keyton King, Salem

Keyton King highlighted a memorable day for Salem, a third-year program that took second place in Cumberland’s Skull & Crossbones, finishing ahead of several well-established programs. King, a senior, improved to 14-1 after becoming the only champion for his team when he won by fall in 1:08 in the 150 title match over Effingham junior Baker Moon. He improved from a third-place finish from a year ago.

King, who went 39-6 last season but was unable to advance to state from the Class 1A Vandalia Sectional, was one of two finalists and eight individuals who placed sixth or better for the runner-up Wildcats, who are coached by Brian Camp and Rob Ring. They scored 158.5 points to finish 14 points behind champion Lawrence County and were 4.5 points ahead of third-place Shelbyville. King, who’s ranked 10th at 150 in 1A and hopes to be his school’s first state medal winner, opened with a win by technical fall in 2:49 and earned his spot on the 150 title mat with a pin in 2:42 over Oakwood/Salt Fork co-op sophomore Keagan Leclaire in the semifinals. 

“I’m pretty happy because I got third last year,” King said. “I came in ready to win this year and I’m pretty excited that our team ended up getting second because we’re only a third-year team. We went to PSF Wrestling and we had a bunch of guys going there and working all year-round. That really helped us out a bunch. This gives me confidence. I’ve just wrestled all year-round and worked hard, and I didn’t really ever stop. I only started in my sophomore year and I’ve been wrestling since. I’m excited to see what they (Salem) can do in the next couple of years.”

Moon (9-2), who went 27-14 last season but fell one win shy of advancing from the Class 1A Robinson Regional, was the lone finalist for coach Bryan McMillan’s Flaming Hearts. He advanced to the finals with two first-period falls, with the second of those coming in the semifinals in 1:29 over Lawrence County co-op sophomore Keegan Liston. For third place, Leclaire (7-4) was a winner by fall in 1:29 over Liston (7-4). And for fifth place, Harrisburg senior Brock Felty (10-9) recorded a pin in 1:47 over Richland County freshman Levi Paddock.

157 – Owen McGinnis, Cumberland

Owen McGinnis had an impressive sophomore season in 2023-2024 where he went 44-7 and qualified for the Class 1A IHSA Finals. But instead of just getting to state this season, the Cumberland junior wants to finish on the award state. He definitely made the home crowd in Toledo happy after becoming the lone champion for the Pirates in their Skull & Crossbones when he took first place at 157 with a fall in 4:33 over Litchfield co-op junior Braxton Kieffer.

McGinnis, who improved to 15-2 and is ranked fifth at 157 in Class 1A, repeated as a champion in his own tournament and was one of two finalists for coach Ash Edmonds’ Pirates. After winning by fall in his opener, McGinnis earned his spot on the 157 title mat with a pin in 4:46 over Lawrence County co-op junior Daniel Kiser in the semifinals.

“It’s just a good time to come out here with all of your teammates and show the work that you’ve been putting in in the wrestling room,” McGinnis said of competing at his school’s tournament. “The coaches support you, and the teammates, you put in the work and you’re with them every day, it’s just like a brotherhood. This summer I lifted in the weight room and I got bigger for football and wrestling. I was a linebacker and a running back.”

Kieffer (14-2), who went 34-10 last season but fell one win shy of advancing to state from the Class 1A Vandalia Sectional following a 6-0 loss to McGinnis in the consolation semifinals, was one of a tournament-high five finalists for coach Chance Davidson’s Purple Panthers, a co-op team that includes athletes from Litchfield and Mt. Olive. After opening with a win by technical fall, Kieffer, who’s ranked eighth at 157 in 1A, won an 8-3 decision in the semifinals over Breese Central junior Matthew Walsh (17-5), who went on to take third place with a fall in 4:33 over Kiser. For fifth place, Fairfield senior Nic Masterson (11-6) won by medical forfeit over Herrin senior Jack Finley (10-4).

165 – Ryne Peavler, Shelbyville

Ryne Peavler went 40-9 last season and qualified for the IHSA Class 1A Finals as a sophomore but was 0-2 there. The Shelbyville junior not only wants to get back to state but hopes to medal there and he’s definitely off to a good start with a 15-1 record after capturing the 165 title at Cumberland’s Skull & Crossbones with a 17-6 major decision over Herrin senior Kolby Coffey.

Peavler, who’s ranked tenth in Class 1A at 165 and was one of three finalists and the lone champion for coach Caleb Duckett’s third-place Rams, opened with a pair of first-period pins before claiming a win by technical fall in 4:08 over Salem junior Granger Motch in the semifinals.
He improved from a runner-up showing that he had in the 2023 tournament.

“I believe that we did really good considering the fact that we only had eight wrestlers today, and three of them, this is their first year back,” Peavler said. “So it was a very good tournament. It’s just my hometown and I’ve been here for so long and made a lot of connections with my coaches that I see them more as family members than I do as coaches any more. We just got a new coach and we’ve pretty much just adopted him into the family as if he’d been here for awhile. It’s just a really tight-knit, small community. I just really need to be able to get a wide variety of matches and different experiences. It’s not all about winning and losing, it’s more so getting the best challenges that you can to become the best person you can be.”

Coffey (12-2), who went 30-15 last season but failed to advance from his own regional to the Class 1A Vandalia Sectional, was the lone finalist for coach Kelsey Lewis’ Tigers. He got a pin in his opener, followed that with a 9-1 major decision and earned a trip to the 165 title mat by claiming an 11-7 decision in the semifinals over Harrisburg senior Briar Butler (15-3), who went to claim third place with a fall in 1:41 over Motch (14-4). For fifth place, Althoff Catholic’s Austin Wilkinson (10-6) was a winner by fall in 3:12 over Effingham junior Gage Emmerich (5-4).

175 – Talan Keoughan, Fairfield

Talan Keoughan was one of five individuals who repeated as a champion at Cumberland’s Skull & Crossbones and the Fairfield senior hopes that his repeat title win and 15-3 start is just the beginning of his quest to not only qualify for the IHSA Finals for the first time but also to win a medal there, a feat that has been achieved by only four others in his program. He won the 175 title with a victory by technical fall in 3:07 over Lawrence County co-op’s Nick Morehead.

Keoughan, the lone finalist for coach Jordan Griffith’s Mules, opened with two first-period falls before getting another pin in the initial period when he got a pin in 1:44 over Shelbyville senior Tucker Kull to earn his spot in the 175 championship match.

“It was amazing,” Keoughan said. “I suffered a medical forfeit two weeks ago and hurt my shoulder in a tournament. I just asked my coach to put me in there since I wanted to prove that no matter what, that I can wrestle with the best of the best.  It’s all been about my cardio and my mindset. I came in here and knew that I was going to have a good kid. He won the PORTA Invite, which is a very hard tournament, and I saw him in the semis. I just had to leave it all on the mat and I showed everybody that I know that I can do all of this and I can win state. In Fairfield we don’t have a youth program and we don’t have a wrestling room, we roll our mats into the girls small gym. But it’s not really about what kind of things we have because my coaches and all of my teammates have made it so easy for me to love this sport so much.”  

Morehead (11-7) was one of four finalists for coach Cody Bobe’s champion Lawrence County co-op team, which includes athletes from Lawrenceville and Red Hill. The team scored  172.5 points to claim top honors in the 20-team tourney, which was 14 points better than runner-up Salem. Morehead followed a fall with a 5-3 decision in the quarterfinals and advanced to the 175 title mat following a fall in 4:38 over Harrisburg senior Caleb Williford in the semifinals. For third place, Kull (13-2) won by medical forfeit over Willford (10-4). And for fifth place, Salem junior Killian Merrill (13-4) got a pin in 1:15 over Litchfield co-op junior Jayden Ellinger (15-4).

190 – Hunter Romano, Monticello

Hunter Romano provided Monticello with its biggest highlight of the Skull & Crossbones when he recorded a fall in 1:01 over Salem senior Carson Osborne in the 190 championship match to become his school’s only title winner. Romano, a senior who improved to 9-1, was one of three finalists for coach Andy Moore’s Sages. He finished in fourth place at last year’s tournament.

Romano, who went 32-14 last season but was unable to advance out of the Class 1A Unity Regional, opened with a first-minute fall and then earned his way to the 190 title match with  another quick pin, this one in 0:42 over Harrisburg junior Braxton Welge in the semifinals.

“I didn’t wrestle for very long, but there were good matches all the way around,” Romano said. “We got Nick Litchfield this year and he took second here and Zeke Young did very well, as well. And we have a couple of newcomers too that are looking real good. Trey Leynes is a new practice partner for me, so I’m excited about this group of guys. I’ve done a lot of work with the Casillas brothers, Mateo and Marco, we’re very close with both of them. Hard work, the same as everyone else, I just have to keep moving. I’m looking forward to it.”

Osborne (14-3), was one of two finalists for runner-up Salem, who’s coached by  Brian Camp and Rob Ring. The Wildcats, who are a third-year program, scored 158.5 points, which was 14 points behind champion Lawrence County co-op. Osborne, who went 19-15 last season and advanced to the 1A Vandalia Sectional, followed a first-period pin with a victory by technical fall in 3:51 in the semifinals over Shelbyville senior Gavan Rhodes. In the third-place match, Welge (13-3) won by fall in 1:32 over Rhodes (12-6). For fifth, Richland County senior Ilario Catania (12-4) recorded a pin in 5:00 over Lawrence County co-op junior Malikye Williams (7-4).

215 – Tristan Staggs, Litchfield/Mt. Olive

Tristan Staggs repeated as a champion at the Skull & Crossbones and he also was one of three champions and a tournament-best five finalists for Litchfield/Mt. Olive, which helped coach Chance Davidson’s team claim fourth place with 146 points. Staggs joined Vinny Moore and Clayton Hauter as champions for their team, which is a co-op that have athletes from Litchfield and Mt. Olive. He won the 215 title with a fall in 1:31 over Harrisburrg junior Gunner Wayman.

Staggs, a junior who improved to 17-2, went 26-8 last season but fell one win shy of advancing from the Class 1A Auburn Regional. He recorded three first-period falls to reach the 215 title mat, getting a pin in 0:51 in the semifinals over Shelbyville junior Taven Agney.

“We’re pretty close,” Staggs said. “I don’t hang out with them all of the time, I like to be by myself. When I’m by myself, I’m more focused mentally, but when I’m with people I feel like I’m goofing off more. In the beginning of the season I wasn’t doing so good, I gassed out pretty quickly. One of the kids I wrestled here today I pinned in the first period but in the beginning of the season I beat him only by one point. I just put in a bunch of hard work because I wasn’t doing so well, so I just kept persevering through it. When I see other people win on my team or they get first, it’s like, “I’ve got to win, too.’”

Wayman (8-3), a junior who was the lone finalist for coach Greg Langley’s Bulldogs, opened with two first-period falls before getting a pin in 2:59 in the semifinals over Richland County junior Zander Schrader (15-5), who went on to capture third place with a fall in 3:58 over Agney (11-6). For fifth place, Bismarck-Henning Rossville-Alvin/Armstrong co-op senior Ricky Smith was a winner by fall in 5:45 over Althoff Catholic junior Braden Bush (6-4).

285 – Jason Dowell, Althoff Catholic

Jason Dowell is understandably very grateful of the fact that he was able to be the IHSA Class 1A champion at 285 in 2024, completing a 32-2 junior season with a dramatic 2-1 decision over St. Francis’ Jaylen Torres in the title match. The Althoff Catholic senior hopes to do what only four others from his program have accomplished, winning two or more state titles and he’s off to a good start toward that goal after winning the Skull & Crossbones title at 285 for the second year in a row, beating Shelbyville senior Andre Townsend by technical fall in 6:00 in the finals.

Dowell (11-0) was one of five repeat champions in the competition and also helped coach Emanuel Brooks’ Crusaders have a tournament-best four title winners as they went 4-0 in championship matches with Jacobi Cobbs, Dawson Hawthorne and Brenden Rayl joining him on top of the awards stand. The top-ranked individual at 285 in 1A opened with two first-minute falls before recording a pin in 1:22 over Fairfield senior Bentley Rogers in the semifinals.

“I was just real happy to be here and real happy to win my bracket,” Dowell said. “I just trust in God and trust the process that he has for me. I trust his will and trust to walk with Him. I’ve been doing that for a very long time right now. (Coach Emanuel Brooks) “I look at him as a father/big brother, he’s been there for me through some really hard times, the lows and of course, the highs. He’s been a blessing straight from God and I can’t thank God enough for that man. Of course with Emanuel Brooks as our coach, it’s hard to have a room for just a bunch of mean kids. We want to go in there and have fun and make each other better and improve every day.”

Townsend (15-2) was one of three finalists for coach Caleb Duckett’s Rams, who ended up taking third place in the 20-team competition with 154 points, which was just 4.5 points behind runner-up Salem. Townsend, who went 33-8 last season and fell a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Class 1A Finals from the Vandalia Sectional, recorded falls in his first two matches before getting a pin in 2:00 over Harrisburg’s Matt Brown in the semifinals.In the third-place match, Rogers (14-4) won by fall in 3:10 over Brown (17-3) and for fifth, Lawrence County co-op senior Dylan Camden (9-5) recorded a pin in 0:27 over Mt. Carmel freshman Carter Pyatt (8-7).

Skull & Crossbones place matches

106

1st Place Match

Jacobi Cobbs (Althoff Catholic) 12-1, So. over Kyler Guercio (Lawrence County) 11-2, Fr. (Fall 0:51)

3rd Place Match

Aden Doolen (Salem) 10-6, Jr. over Brendan Stewart (Effingham) 14-5, Fr. (Dec 9-5)

5th Place Match

Carter Poole (Fairfield) 7-9, So. over River Young (Monticello) 6-9, So. (TF-1.5 1:54 (18-1))

113

1st Place Match

Weston Frazier (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 9-2, Fr. over Rilynn Younker (Litchfield) 15-5, So. (TF-1.5 5:44 (16-1))

3rd Place Match

Peyton Groves (Cumberland) 11-7, Jr. over Cole Dulumback (Effingham) 13-4, Fr. (Fall 3:22)

5th Place Match

Delaney Ledbetter (Lawrence County) 5-4, So. over Brennan Jeralds (Herrin) 7-6, So. (Fall 3:08)

120

1st Place Match

Vinny Moore (Litchfield) 18-1, Jr. over Ezekiel Young (Monticello) 8-2, So. (MD 10-0)

3rd Place Match

Kaiden Stewart (Effingham) 16-3, Sr. over Rylan Moore (Salem) 13-5, Fr. (Fall 0:40)

5th Place Match

Mason Correll (Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine) 10-3, Sr. over Colin Wells (Shelbyville) 8-8, So. (Fall 5:18)

126

1st Place Match

Dawson Hawthorne (Althoff Catholic) 6-0, So. over Nick Litchfield (Monticello) 11-6, Jr. (Dec 5-0)

3rd Place Match

Johnathan Kirkbride (Shelbyville) 10-7, Fr. over Jedd Wellen (Fairfield) 2-2, Jr. (Dec 5-4)

5th Place Match

Sawyer Welbaum (Cumberland) 13-3, Jr. over Caleb Osborne (Salem) 12-5, Fr. (Fall 1:52)

132

1st Place Match

Brenden Rayl (Althoff Catholic) 14-0, Sr. over Bodee Fathauer (Shelbyville) 14-4, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:24 (16-1))

3rd Place Match

Logan Aaron (Cumberland) 12-6, So. over Braden Berndt (Herrin) 9-6, Jr. (MD 17-7)

5th Place Match

Kaeden Davis (Richland County) 15-5, So. over Gabe Lively (Johnston City) 9-4, Sr. (Fall 3:41)

138

1st Place Match

Cale Seitzinger (Lawrence County) 13-1, Jr. over Harley Pierce (Cumberland) 10-6, So. (MD 15-4)

3rd Place Match

Jace Weaver (Johnston City) 10-4, Jr. over Luke Andruczyk (Monticello) 10-6, So. (Fall 2:45)

5th Place Match

Kevan Moore (Salem) 13-4, So. over Jeremiah Giles (Effingham) 6-4, Fr. (Fall 5:46)

144

1st Place Match

Clayton Hauter (Litchfield) 18-3, Sr. over Hudson Meek (Lawrence County) 11-3, So. (Dec 7-4)

3rd Place Match

Jaxson Dukeman (Cumberland) 10-7, Jr. over Jude Wirey (Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine) 12-5, Fr. (Fall 3:12)

5th Place Match

Kade Orrell (Salem) 14-4, Fr. over Jay Klemish (Breese Central) 11-10, Jr. (Fall 4:49)

150

1st Place Match

Keyton King (Salem) 14-1, Sr. over Baker Moon (Effingham) 9-2, Jr. (Fall 1:08)

3rd Place Match

Keagan Leclaire (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 7-4, So. over Keegan Liston (Lawrence County) 7-4, So. (Fall 1:29)

5th Place Match

Brock Felty (Harrisburg) 10-9, Sr. over Levi Paddock (Richland County) 3-4, Fr. (Fall 1:47)

157

1st Place Match

Owen McGinnis (Cumberland) 15-2, Jr. over Braxton Kieffer (Litchfield) 14-2, Jr. (Fall 4:33)

3rd Place Match

Matthew Walsh (Breese Central) 17-5, Jr. over Daniel Kiser (Lawrence County) 11-5, Jr. (MD 12-2)

5th Place Match

Nic Masterson (Fairfield) 11-6, Sr. over Jack Finley (Herrin) 10-4, Sr. (M. For.)

165

1st Place Match

Ryne Peavler (Shelbyville) 15-1, Jr. over Kolby Coffey (Herrin) 12-2, Sr. (MD 17-6)

3rd Place Match

Briar Butler (Harrisburg) 15-3, Sr. over Granger Motch (Salem) 14-4, Jr. (Fall 1:41)

5th Place Match

Austin Wilkinson (Althoff Catholic) 10-6, Fr. over Gage Emmerich (Effingham) 5-4, Jr. (Fall 3:12)

175

Guaranteed Places

1st Place Match

Talan Keoughan (Fairfield) 15-3, Sr. over Nick Morehead (Lawrence County) 11-7, So. (TF-1.5 3:07 (18-1))

3rd Place Match

Tucker Kull (Shelbyville) 13-2, Sr. over Caleb Williford (Harrisburg) 10-4, Sr. (M. For.)

5th Place Match

Killian Merrill (Salem) 13-4, Jr. over Jayden Ellinger (Litchfield) 15-4, Jr. (Fall 1:15)

190

1st Place Match

Hunter Romano (Monticello) 9-1, Sr. over Carson Osborne (Salem) 14-3, Sr. (Fall 1:01)

3rd Place Match

Braxton Welge (Harrisburg) 13-3, Jr. over Gavan Rhodes (Shelbyville) 12-6, Sr. (Fall 1:32)

5th Place Match

Ilario Catania (Richland County) 12-4, Sr. over Malikye Williams (Lawrence County) 7-4, Jr. (Fall 5:00)

215

1st Place Match

Tristan Staggs (Litchfield) 17-2, Jr. over Gunner Wayman (Harrisburg) 8-3, Jr. (Fall 1:31)

3rd Place Match

Zander Schrader (Richland County) 15-5, Jr. over Taven Agney (Shelbyville) 11-6, Jr. (Fall 3:58)

5th Place Match

Ricky Smith (Bismarck-Henning Rossville-Alvin/Armstrong) 5-6, Sr. over Braden Bush (Althoff Catholic) 6-4, Jr. (Fall 5:45)

285

Gu1st Place Match

Jason Dowell (Althoff Catholic) 11-0, Sr. over Andre Townsend (Shelbyville) 15-2, Sr. (TF-1.5 6:00 (17-1))

3rd Place Match

Bentley Rogers (Fairfield) 14-4, Sr. over Matt Brown (Harrisburg) 17-3, Jr. (Fall 3:10)

5th Place Match

Dylan Camden (Lawrence County) 9-5, Sr. over Carter Pyatt (Mt. Carmel) 8-7, Fr. (Fall 0:27)

8th Place Match

Kam Acord (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 3-4, Sr. over Anthony Escobedo (Robinson) 5-7, Fr. (For.)

Cons. A Champ

Devin Hansel (Litchfield) 15-7, Sr. over Landynn Balla (Bismarck-Henning Rossville-Alvin/Armstrong) 8-3, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:54 (18-2))

Cons. B Champ

Luke Pruett (Breese Central) 7-13, So. over Nate Darnell (Monticello) 3-7, Jr. (Fall 1:09)

Team scores

1. Lawrence County co-op 172.5, 2. Salem 158.5, 3. Shelbyville 154, 4. Litchfield/Mt. Olive co-op 146, 5. Althoff Catholic 137.5, 6. Cumberland 127.5, 7. Monticello 125.5, 8. Harrisburg 106.5, 9. Fairfield 95.5, 10. Effingham 94, 11. Richland County 73.5, 12. Oakwood/Salt Fork co-op 71, 13. Herrin 57.5, 14. Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine co-op 46.5, 15. Johnston City 46, 16. Mt. Carmel 42.5, 17. Breese Central 29, 18. Bismarck-Henning Rossville-Alvin/Armstrong co-op 28, 19. Pinckneyville 15, 20. Robinson 10.

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

Three big dogs tore into each other at this year’s 36th Annual Al Dvorak Invitational on Sunday, as the team title hung in the balance heading into the championship round for IC Catholic Prep, St. Charles East and Montini.

And in the program’s first Dvorak appearance under coach Danny Alcocer, IC Prep snared its first-ever Dvorak team title, edging second-place St. Charles East 204.5-202, with Montini just off the lead with 188.5 and Yorkville well in the hunt with 182.5 points.

“It was a close one,” IC Catholic Prep coach Danny Alcocer said. “I thought we needed two champs but we ended up doing it with one, with bonus points.

“The tournament was a battle, the whole way. Starting on Day Two some of our young freshmen came through on the backside for us and got some big wins in that blood round. That gave us a little cushion there. It was nice to get the job done, but like I told these guys, we’re not going to celebrate because it’s right back to work. Hopefully we can celebrate come February or March.”

IC Prep senior Deven Casey won the Dvorak title at 132, while teammates Brody Kelly (175) and Foley Calcagno (215) both reached the finals and placed second.

Casey and his boys kept their noses to the grindstone as the tight team title race unfolded.

“We were definitely aware of it, but we weren’t looking at it too closely throughout the tournament,” Casey said. “We knew we were doing well and we were just focused on getting bonus points for sure. And that definitely made the difference.

“We’re definitely happy but we want the team title in February. It was cool to win at the Dvorak, but we really want to win in February.”
The Knights also got a third-place finish from Aidan Arnett (144), a fourth from Anthony Sebastian (285), and sixths from Jacob Alvarez (138) and Isaac Barrientos (190). 

And in a tournament in which the team title was decided by a mere 2.5 points, IC Prep also got invaluable team points from Dominic Pasquale (106), Mike Bird (113), Kannon Judycki (120), Joey Pontrelli (150), and Nate Brown (165).

“This team is solid,” Alcocer said. “The goal every year is to try to win that team (state) title and this year we’re a young team with four freshmen in the starting lineup, but the freshmen are really coming through. They all keep working hard I think we’ll be in a very good spot by the end of the year.”

St. Charles East was the two-time defending Dvorak team champion and the Saints almost pulled off the three-peat. Despite graduating a ton of talent from last year’s squad, coach Jason Potter’s program might still be a force to be reckoned with.

“We have a lot of guys in the room who haven’t got a lot of recognition that worked really hard in the off-season and are willing to work hard in the room,” Saints junior Dom Munaretto said. “So Anthony (Gutierrez) and I are doing our best to set an example. We’ve seen a lot of improvement and I think we’ll see more before the state tournament. Because this team keeps getting better and better.”

IC Prep is currently ranked third in 2A behind No. 1 Montini and No. 2 Washington; Saint Charles East is ranked No. 8 in 3A.

Rounding out the top 10 Dvorak team finishes were fifth-place Edwardsville (161.5), Hononegah (158), Marian Central Catholic (151) Hersey (150.5), Lincoln-Way East (126) and Glenbard North (124).

Domination was a common theme in Dvorak’s individual title matches this year; nine of 14 championship matches featured bonus points, with four tech falls, three pins and two major decision wins.

The closest finals match was a doozy, with Fremd’s top-ranked Evan Gosz using a third-period takedown to come from behind and win a 5-3 decision over long-time rival Maksim Mukhamedaliyev of Hersey.

The Dvorak’s Outstanding Wrestler Award went to Belleville East’s top-seeded heavyweight Jonathan Rulo, whose day of four falls and one major decision ended with a fall for the title against second-seeded William Cole of Round Lake. Rulo and Cole are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at 285 in Class 3A, respectively.

Individual Dvorak champions:

106: Vince DeMarco, Grayslake Central
There was no panic for Grayslake Central sophomore Vince DeMarco.
Trailing 3-0 after two periods in the finals against Edwardsville’s Michael McNamara, DeMarco simply drew on his experience.“I’ve been in enough tournaments and had enough experiences where I know how to get out of a hole,” DeMarco said. “I know that no matter what happens, I’m always in it.”
One third-period down-block and a drag-go-behind, and DeMarco knotted the score 3-3, “and then I got a turn on top, and there you go,” DeMarco said after his 5-3 win gave him his first Dvorak title.
One year after placing fourth in Champaign in 2A, DeMarco (19-1) is Illinois’ top-ranked 106-pounder. He feels like a different wrestler in his sophomore campaign.

“My hand fighting is a lot better this year, so I’m able to set up my attacks a lot better,” he said. “The new rule changes for takedowns is really helping me a lot, and I’m also bigger. Last year I was a little undersized.”
DeMarco was seeded second behind Plainfield North’s Maddox Garbis (10-0) who had to medical forfeit his semifinal match to Edwardsville’s Michael McNamara (17-2).
DeMarco topped third-seeded Vannak Khiev (18-3) of Glenbard North in their semifinal before winning a 7-3 decision for the title against McNamara, whose first-period takedown set the stage in the final.
“I shot a single leg and and brought it up on my shelf, but he picked my ankle back and I got taken down and leg ridden pretty much the whole first period,” DeMarco said. “From there, it was pretend like it’s the start of the match again and go get a takedown, which I know I can do.”
Notre Dame’s Ray Long finished third, Normal Community’s Jackson Soney was fourth, Glenbard North’s Vannak Khiev placed fifth, and Garbis was sixth at 106.

113: Caden Correll, Normal Community
The top two seeds met in the finals when top-seeded Allen Woo (17-3) of Montini and second-seeded Caden Correll (19-0) of Normal Community squared off.
Correll proved himself yet again.
Having already won a 13-8 decision this year over nationally-ranked No. 1 Caleb Noble (106) of Warren, Correll beat returning state champion Woo via 7-3 decision to win this year’s Dvorak title at 113. Woo is currently ranked No. 1 in 2A.
“I wrestled (Woo) at Fargo over the summer and he beat me,” Correll said. “My goal going into the match was to be as aggressive as I can and put up as many points as I can. It was about realizing that I can score on him with my attacks so get to those attacks as often as I can.”

Currently ranked third in 3A at 113, Correll has placed fifth twice in Champaign. He has embraced a new level of aggression this season.

“It kind of takes a while in this sport to understand and realize that your attacks are working, and have the confidence to just go out and be super aggressive,” he said. “You get there eventually and once you get there, it feels good.”

Huntley’s Colin Abordo placed third, Crystal Lake Central’s Jackson Marlett took fourth, Lockport’s Anthony Sutton finished fifth and Marian Central’s Austin Hagewold placed sixth at 113.

120: Dom Munaretto, St. Charles East
St. Charles East junior Dom Munaretto was dominant throughout the two-day tournament and won his third Dvorak title with an 11-3 decision over Marian Central Catholic’s Brayden Teunissen. A scoreless first period gave way to a second that ended with a 7-2 lead for Munaretto.
“That was like our fourth time wrestling so we know each other well,” Munaretto said. “He had a good game plan but as the match went on, I was able to break him a little bit, pushing the pace on him, keep him opening up so I can get to my attacks. It was an opportunity and a challenge to find new ways to get to my attacks.”
Munaretto and Teunissen have both been Illinois state champs and state runners-up in their careers. Munaretto is currently ranked No. 1 in Illinois in 3A and No. 7 nationally; Teunissen is ranked No. 1 in 1A as a defending state champion at 120 pounds.
And with now-graduated starters like Ben Davino, Tyler Guerra, Jayden Colon, Gavin Connolly, and Brody Murray no longer in the Saints’ practice room, Munaretto feels the onus upon him.
“It’s an opportunity to be a leader,” Munaretto said. “They’d been the upperclassman and the leaders in the room and now it’s me and Anthony (Gutierrez) who get to run the room so it’s a great opportunity to show everyone what we’re capable of. I’m really enjoying it.”
Montini’s Mikey Malizzio took third, Hersey’s Anthony Orozco was fourth, Hononegah’s Jackson Olson finished fifth and Schaumburg’s Brady Phelps took sixth at 120.

126: Rocco Cassioppi, Hononegah
Hononegah sophomore Rocco Cassioppi (16-2) won the second Dvorak title of his young career, topping Montini’s Josh Vazquez (11-4) on the title mat in a 10-2 major decision. Cassioppi placed second in Illinois at 106 as a freshman in 3A and Vazquez is a three-time state medalist in 2A.

Cassioppi led 3-0 after a period, then escaped to start the second and posted another takedown for a 7-2 lead heading into the third period.
One more takedown made it 10-2 and that’s where it stayed.
Cassioppi was one of 11 top seeds to win Dvorak titles on Sunday. Second-seeded Vazquez, ranked No. 1 at 126 in 2A, fell to 11-4 with the loss. Cassioppi, ranked No. 5 heading into the Dvorak, won by tech fall over No. 4 Kalani Khiev of Glenbard North in a semifinal match, then improved to 16-2 with his win over Vazquez.
Khiev went on to take third place, Notre Dame’s John Sheehy was fourth, Normal Community’s Cole Gentsch was fifth and Hersey’s Riddick Variano took sixth at 126.

132: Deven Casey, IC Catholic Prep
IC Prep three-time state medalist Deven Casey was one of the nine wrestlers in the tournament who dominated their way to individual titles. Three falls and a major decision in his semifinal sent Casey (20-2) to the title mat, where he won by tech fall against Lockport’s Liam Zimmerman (17-3).
Third-seeded Zimmerman upset second-seeded Tommy Banas (11-4) of Providence Catholic by 4-0 decision in their semifinal match, but Casey had too much to handle in the finals.
“I felt good,” Casey said. “I’m never too focused on my opponents, never overthinking it, and I just kind of wrestle whoever’s in front of me. I don’t watch too much film. Sometimes maybe I’ll ask my dad what a given (opponent) does but mostly, I just go out there and focus on my offense rather than what the other guy is going to do.”
Casey is currently the top-ranked 132-pounder in Illinois in Class 2A, and won a state title last year at 120 pounds. He has also placed third twice in Champaign.
“I don’t know what more I can say about Deven Casey,” IC Prep coach Danny Alcocer said. “He’s just a great leader and a fantastic wrestler. He really shows these young guys on our team how we expect them to compete. And when you have leadership like that, it creates a great environment.”

Providence Catholic’s Tommy Banas finished third at this year’s Dvorak, Hersey’s Elijah Garza was fourth, Milton’s Devin Bobzien was fifth and Montini’s Jeremy Huf placed sixth at 132.

138: TJ Silva, Hononegah

Top-seeded Hononegah senior TJ Silva (17-2) got in plenty of work on his feet in Harlem, using three tech fall wins to put himself in the finals, where he posted a first-period fall against Montini’s second-seeded Kam Luif (15-1).
Silva has a switch he turns on whenever he enters the circle, and he hit that switch against Luif.
“Off the mat I can by your friend, anytime,” Silva said. “On the mat, I’m as mean as can be.”
Silva is a three-time state medalist, including a state title, and has reached the state title match every year of his high school career.
“It’s always the same goal — get into the state finals and do whatever I have to do,” Silva said. “Last year I didn’t really get the outcome I wanted so now it’s pushing to get the outcome that I want. I’m just working hard and not giving anyone any respect, whether they’re number one or number two or whatever.
“It’s a hard tournament for sure, but in my training I’m just so confident in how hard I work in the practice room that there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to win any of these matches.”
Montini junior Luif has medaled twice in Champaign, placing sixth and third in 2A. He reached the Dvorak finals with a 9-1 win over Edwardsville’s Ryan Richie. Silva used a tech fall in his semifinal win over Lincoln-Way East’s Tyson Zvonar.
Zvonar went on to take third place, Richie was fourth, St. Charles East’s Gavin Woodmancy placed fifth and IC Prep’s Jacob Alvarez finished sixth at 138.

144: Evan Gosz, Fremd
If Fremd’s Evan Gosz and Hersey’s Maksim Mukhamedaliyev weren’t already tired of wrestling each other, Illinois’ top two-ranked wrestlers at 144 in 3A were fated to square off yet again in this year’s Dvorak title match at 144.
“We’ve probably wrestled each other eight or ten times in high school,” Gosz said. “We’re both smart wrestlers and we obviously know each other very well and he definitely surprised me this time. He wrestled a super smart match and he got me a little off-guard.”
In their previous meeting this season, Gosz won by tech fall. But second-ranked Mukhamedaliyev earned a first-period takedown and led 3-1 after two periods of their Dvorak title match.
Mukhamedaliyev (17-4) seemed primed for his first win against top-ranked Gosz (27-2). But a Gosz escape to start the third period made it 3-2 and a Gosz takedown effectively gave him the 5-3 win.
“I was nervous but I knew it could finish on him,” Gosz said. “It was just whether I was going to get a good shot and get a good finish on him. Last year, honestly, I didn’t have the gas tank I needed so it was nice to see that I could get that late takedown.”
Having placed third twice and second once in Champaign, Gosz is now one of those No. 1-ranked wrestlers that everyone is gunning for.
“It’s nerve-racking, but also exciting that I have a target on my back,” Gosz said. “People are watching film to know what to expect from me and I kind of saw that at the Dvorak. It’s exciting to get to show how dominant I can be but the Dvorak also showed me what I need to work on, and the mistakes I made, so I can get ready for the next test.”
IC Prep’s Aidan Arnett took third, Schaumburg’s Callen Kirchner was fourth, Milton’s Gage Gross took fifth and Lincoln-Way East’s Kaidge Richardson finished sixth at 144.

150: Justus Heeg, Providence Catholic
He’s not doing it alone, but Providence Catholic freshman Justus Heeg is doing more than his part to try to bring the Celtics’ program back to prominence in Illinois.
Heeg improved to 16-2 when he won by 7-2 decision on a Dvorak title mat over Joliet West senior Carson Weber (19-4).
Heeg is ranked second in 2A behind Washington’s returning state champion Wyatt Medlin, but the freshman also already has a high school state championship to his credit: as an eighth-grader last season, Heeg won a Minnesota high school state title at 139 pounds.
Weber is a three-time Illinois state qualifier and placed third at 144 in Champaign last year. After a scoreless first period, Heeg used a takedown in the second and another in the third on his way to winning his first Dvorak title.
Marian Central’s Vance Williams took third, Yorkville’s Donovan Rosauer was fourth, Wheaton North’s Ryan Rosch placed fifth and Glenbard North’s Treshon Williams finished sixth at 150.

157: Jack Ferguson, Yorkville
Unbeaten Yorkville senior Jack Ferguson (18-0) stayed that way, capped by the second of three title-match pins for the day over Huntley’s Radic Dvorak (23-3).
Ferguson is a three-time state qualifier who placed fifth last year in Champaign at 150 pounds. He’s currently ranked second in 3A at 157 behind last year’s state champion at 150, Marist’s Will Denny.
As a Dvorak top seed, Ferguson posted two tech falls and two major decision wins to reach the finals, including a 14-4 major in his semifinal against Wheaton North’s fourth-ranked Thomas Fulton (18-4).
Huntley’s fifth-ranked Dvorak reached the finals with a fall in his semifinal against Normal Community’s Carter Mayes (18-2).  Mayes went on to place third, Plainfield North’s Luke Grindstaff took fourth, Fulton placed fifth and Lockport’s Jaedon Calderon finished sixth at 157.

165: Anthony Gutierrez, St. Charles East
The top-ranked 165-pounder in 3A, St. Charles East senior Anthony Gutierrez (17-2) gave the Saints their second Dvorak title of the day and the second of his career when he won 5-0 in the finals over Montini junior Santino Tenuta (14-1).
Gutierrez’s win handed Tenuta, seeded third and top-ranked in 2A, his first loss of the season. Gutierrez has placed sixth and fourth in Champaign; Tenuta is a two-time state qualifier.
Gutierrez posted two falls before posting a third in the semifinal round over fourth-seeded Tommy McDermott (16-3) of Bolingbrook. The Saints’ senior has not lost to an Illinois wrestler this season. Tenuta had a tech fall, a major decision win, and a fall to reach the semifinals, where he won 12-6 over Fremd’s Lucas Nance (22-5).
Bolingbrook’s Tommy McDermott took third, Belleville East’s Terence Willis was fourth, Fremd’s Lucas Nance captured fifth and Yorkville’s Caleb Viscogliosi finished sixth at 165.

175: Caleb Dennee, Marshfield, WI
Ranked No. 10 in the nation at 175 by Flowrestling, Marshfield, Wisconsin’s top-seeded Caleb Dennee (18-0) had a tech fall and two pins to reach the semifinal round, where he won 11-7 over fourth-seeded, two-time Illinois state medalist Luke Zook (18-1) of Yorkville, currently ranked No. 2 in Illinois in 3A.
Dennee then won a 9-5 decision on the title mat against IC Prep’s Brody Kelly (17-3), ranked No. 1 in Illinois in 2A at 175, one year after placing 2nd at 150 in Champaign. Kelly won his Dvorak semifinal match by fall over second-seeded Ilia Dvoriannikov (19-3) of Vernon Hills, currently ranked No. 2 in Illinois at 165 pounds.

Zook wrestled back for third place, Hononegah’s Connor Diemel was fourth, Dvoriannikov took fifth and Lincoln-Way East’s Jackson Zaeske finished sixth at 175.

190: Jimmy Mastny, Marian Central Catholic
Mastny was a tornado looking for a trailer park throughout this year’s Dvorak, and the sophomore wreaked havoc over the field at 190 pounds.
Ranked 5th nationally at 190 by Flowrestling and No. 1 in Illinois in 1A, the sophomore Mastny (20-1) had two falls and three tech falls to win his first career Dvorak title. He won by tech fall on the title mat over previously-unbeaten Cayden Parks (23-1) of Crystal Lake Central, who is top-ranked in 2A at 190 pounds.
Mastny was an Illinois state champion as a freshman last year at 157 pounds for Marian Central. The jump from 157 to 190 has been no problem for the talented sophomore.

“I’d say I’ve always had confidence. I’ve been wrestling since I was 10 or 12 years old,” Mastny said. “I’ve definitely gotten better in my attacks and shooting, now I need to work on getting more angles.”
Mastny’s lone loss this year came at the nationally-formidable Ironman Tournament in Ohio, to nationally-ranked De’Alcapon Veazy of Ponderosa, Colorado.
Wauconda’s Mike Merevick placed third at the Dvorak, Hononegah’s Kurt Smith took fourth, Yorkville’s Ryder Janeczko was fifth and IC Prep’s Isaac Barrientos finished sixth at 175.

215: Kai Calcutt, Loyola Academy
If Marian’s Jimmy Mastny was a tornado, Loyola Academy junior Kai Calcutt was a typhoon at this year’s Dvorak, one season after an injury forced him to injury default in the finals at last year’s tournament.
“Last year, my knee popped here and I was out for like three weeks,” Calcutt said. “I had to wear a brace and I didn’t really feel healthy until after the state tournament.”
Top-ranked and top-seeded Calcutt (9-0) won the state title at 215 last year and was the state runner-up at 220 as a freshman. He posted a tech fall win on a Dvorak title mat against IC Prep’s second-seeded Foley Calcagno (16-4), ranked third in 2A and a two-time state medalist.
Calcutt is not yet close to being in wrestling shape after playing an extended football season, and entered the Dvorak having only wrestled four matches all year. But Calcutt was a man on a mission, posting three pins and two tech fall wins en route to winning his first Dvorak title and erasing last year’s title-mat injury default.
“After football this year I was overweight, I was beat up and I was in football condition,” Calcutt said. “There’s great competition and great wrestlers here and it was a big test for me because my first tournament was last week. I came off of our state game in football at 240 and then I got sick for a week and that actually helped because I lost weight while I was sick. It was a perfect time to get sick.

“I definitely feel stronger this year. I got a lot stronger over the summer and I wasn’t satisfied with my wrestling. Now I’ve just got to keep working.”

Yorkville’s Luke Chrisse took third place, Edwardsville’s Roman Janek was fourth, St. Charles East’s Cooper Murray placed fifth and Crystal Lake Central’s Tommy McNeill finished sixth at 215.

285: Jonathan Rulo, Belleville East
If you’re chasing the dream of a state title, you’re downright hungry to wrestle the best competition possible towards getting ready for the state finals in Champaign. It helps when your head coach is putting you in exactly that position.
Belleville East coach Rashad Riley is doing just that for the Lancers.

“We have traveled north every weekend in December knowing that’s where not just (Rulo) but our entire team is going to get the best competition,” Riley said. “So far (Rulo) has passed every test but we all know the test he’s yet to pass, and that’s the state tournament. It’s time to get over that hump and prove he’s the best heavyweight in Illinois regardless of class.”
Rulo (15-0) aced his most recent test and won a Dvorak Outstanding Wrestler Award in the process. The Lancers’ junior – ranked No. 1 in 3A – won by fall at 0:48 on a Dvorak title mat against No. 2 William Cole (21-2) of Round Lake. Rulo has placed second and third downstate, and Cole placed fourth.

Rulo’s four pins and a major decision helped earn him Sunday’s OWA.
“(Rulo) is having a great season so far and he’s just looking for quality matches,” Riley said. “We know all the top heavyweights are up north.”
St. Charles East’s Matt Medina placed third, IC Prep’s Anthony Sebastian took fourth, Edwardsville’s Riley Ste was fifth and Lincoln-Way East’s Ryan Stingly finished sixth at 285.

Team scores:
IC Catholic Prep 204.5, St. Charles East 202, Montini 188.5, Yorkville 182.5, Edwardsville 161.5, Hononegah 158, Marian Central Catholic 151, Hersey 150.5, Lincoln-Way East 126, Glenbard North 124, Providence Catholic 121.5, Lockport 118, Belleville East 107, Normal Community 101, Marshfield, WI 99.5, Huntley 99, Crystal Lake Central 96.5, Joliet West 93, Wheaton North 92, Moline 77.5, Notre Dame 76, Lincoln-Way Central 75.5, Wauconda 74.5, Schaumburg 70, Fremd 66, Milton, WI 65.5, Loyola Academy 63.5, McHenry 59.5, Plainfield North 59, St. Rita 55.5, Libertyville 52.5, Bolingbrook 50.5, Grayslake Central 46.5, Conant 46.5, Plainfield South 44, Round Lake 43, Freeport 33, Harlem 30, Belvidere North 25, Prairie Ridge 24, Vernon Hills 19.5, Dakota 19, Proviso West 0

Al Dvorak Invitational results:
106

1st: Vince DeMarco (Grayslake C) 19-1, d. Michael McNamara (Edwardsville) 17-2,  (D 7-3)

3rd: Ray Long (Notre Dame) 23-3, d. Jackson Soney (Normal C) 14-4,  (D 14-7)

5th: Vannak Khiev (Glenbard N) 18-3, d. Maddox Garbis (Plainfield N) 10-0,  (M. For.)

113

1st: Caden Correll (Normal C) 19-0, .d. Allen Woo (Montini) 17-3,  (D 7-3)

3rd: Colin Abordo (Huntley) 24-5, d. Jackson Marlett (CL Central) 22-4,  (D 1-0)

5th: Anthony Sutton (Lockport) 15-5, d. Austin Hagevold (Marian) 13-2,  (M. For.)

120

1st: Dom Munaretto (SC East) 19-0, d. Brayden Teunissen (Marian) 7-1,  (MD 11-3)

3rd: Mikey Malizzio (Montini) 14-4, d. Anthony Orozco (Hersey) 12-3,  (D 7-1)

5th: Jackson Olson (Hononegah) 20-3, d. Brady Phelps (Schaumburg) 17-1,  (M. For.)

126

1st: Rocco Cassioppi (Hononegah) 16-2, d. Josh Vazquez (Montini) 11-4,  (MD 10-2)

3rd: Kalani Khiev (Glenbard N) 22-1, d. John Sheehy (Notre Dame) 21-3,  (MD 13-4)

5th: Cole Gentsch (Normal C) 20-2, d. Riddick Variano (Hersey) 17-7,  (MD 15-3)

132

1st: Deven Casey (IC Prep) 20-2, d. Liam Zimmerman (Lockport) 17-3,  (TF-1.5 3:38 (18-3))

3rd: Tommy Banas (Providence) 11-4, d. Elijah Garza (Hersey) 16-5,  (D 14-9)

5th: Devin Bobzien (Milton WI) 15-2, d. Jeremy Huf (Montini) 11-5,  (D 7-0)

138

1st: TJ Silva (Hononegah) 17-2, d. Kam Luif (Montini) 15-1,  (F 1:25)

3rd: Tyson Zvonar (LW East) 16-2, d. Ryan Richie (Edwardsville) 17-3,  (D 12-6)

5th: Gavin Woodmancy (SC East) 14-4, d. Jacob Alvarez (IC Prep) 11-7,  (D 11-7)

144

1st: Evan Gosz (Fremd) 27-2, d. Maksim Mukhamedaliyev (Hersey) 17-4,  (D 5-3)

3rd: Aidan Arnett (IC Prep) 16-5, d. Callen Kirchner (Schaumburg) 22-3,  (F 4:00)

5th: Gage Gross (Milton WI) 17-2, d. Kaidge Richardson (LW East) 15-4,  (F 1:47)

150

1st: Justus Heeg (Providence) 16-2, d. Carson Weber (Joliet W) 19-4,  (D 7-2)

3rd: Vance Williams (Marian) 10-2, d. Donovan Rosauer (Yorkville) 15-2,  (F 2:32)

5th: Ryan Rosch (Wheaton N) 12-2, d. Treshon Williams (Glenbard N) 13-4,  (D 4-1)

157

1st: Jack Ferguson (Yorkville) 18-0, d. Radic Dvorak (Huntley) 23-3,  (F 2:52)

3rd: Carter Mayes (Normal C) 18-2, d. Luke Grindstaff (Plainfield N) 18-3,  (D 5-3)

5th: Thomas Fulton (Wheaton N) 18-4, d. Jaedon Calderon (Lockport) 12-4,  (F 1:04)

165

1st: Anthony Gutierrez (SC East) 17-2, d. Santino Tenuta (Montini) 14-1,  (D 5-0)

3rd: Tommy McDermott (Bolingbrook) 16-3, d. terence willis (Belleville E) 14-3,  (F 0:34)

5th: Lucas Nance (Fremd) 22-5, d. Caleb Viscogliosi (Yorkville) 17-4,  (MD 13-5)

175

1st: Caleb Dennee (Marshfield) 17-0, d. Brody Kelly (IC Prep) 17-3,  (D 9-5)

3rd: Luke Zook (Yorkville) 18-1, d. Connor Diemel (Hononegah) 17-4,  (MD 9-1)

5th: Ilia Dvoriannikov (Vernon Hills) 19-3, d. Jackson Zaeske (LW East) 19-5,  (D 6-2)

190

1st: Jimmy Mastny (Marian) 20-1, d. Cayden Parks (CL Central) 23-1,  (TF-1.5 3:42 (17-2))

3rd: Mike Merevick (Wauconda) 23-7, d. Kurt Smith (Hononegah) 16-3,  (D 5-4)

5th: Ryder Janeczko (Yorkville) 17-2, d. Isaac Barrientos (IC Prep) 11-6,  (F 0:44)

215

1st: Kai Calcutt (Wilmette (Loyola)) 9-0, d. Foley Calcagno (IC Prep) 16-4,  (TF-1.5 3:28 (23-5))

3rd: Luke Chrisse (Yorkville) 18-2, .d. Roman Janek (Edwardsville) 15-3,  (MD 14-2)

5th: Cooper Murray (SC East) 13-5, d. Tommy McNeil (CL Central) 23-4,  (D 7-5)

285

1st: Jonathan Rulo (Belleville E) 15-0, d. William Cole (Round Lake) 21-2,  (F 0:48)

3rd: Matt Medina (SC East) 10-4, d. Anthony Sebastian (IC Prep) 11-4,  (F 4:09)

5th: Riley Ste (Edwardsville) 16-4, d. Ryan Stingly (LW East) 10-4,  (F 2:45)

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

Richwoods captures championship at Metamora Holiday Classic

Richwoods had three champions and four second-place finishers to help it win the title of the 14-team Metamora Holiday Classic with 221 points, which was 48 points ahead of runner-up Byron, who claimed second place with 173 points. Galesburg (145), Peoria Notre Dame (139) and the host Redbirds (134.5) rounded out the top five teams in the competition.

1 – Richwoods

Leading the way for coach Rod Boyer’s champion Knights were title winners Wensley Rahn (106), Gabe Robb (138) and Gabe Martinez (175) while Tyler Wieland (126), Colton Boyer (132) Rikyis Doss (144) and Shaun Anderson (285) all took second place. Finishing third were Nathan Ortiz (120), Christopher Harris (150) and Michael Kimbrough (190) while Benjamin Owen (113) and Phoenix Wombacher (165) both took fifth place.

2 – Byron 

Top performers for coach Mike Elsbury’s runner-up Tigers were champions Jackson Norris (120), Will Julian (157) and Jared Claunch (285) while Brody Stien (165) and Jarett Ross (215) placed second, Finishing fourth were Hunter King (132), Dylan Dach (138) and Issac Alvarez (175) while Aiden Salo (106) and Cael O’Horo (150) took sixth place.

3 – Galesburg

Coach Greg Leibach’s third-place Silver Streaks got a title win from Anthony Makwala (165) while Josiah Carter (150) and Don Patrick (157) took second place. Finishing third were 

Orlando Castellano (138) and Caleb Johnson (144) while LaVant Ritenour (215) and Larry Randolph (285) placed fourth and Landon Darst (120) and Mason Taylor (175) took fifth.

Peoria Notre Dame had four champions, Josh Stedwill (113), Remi Joesting (126), Ian Akers (132) and Joe Culp (215) while host Metamora had two title winners, Connor Graham (144) and Grady Neal (150). The other champion was Pontiac’s Jackson Crawford (190).

Eureka had three second-place finishers, Conner Knapp (106), Henry Watson (120) and Finn Hoffman (138) while St. Joseph-Ogden’s Jackson Walsh (113), Peoria High’s Sargent Maubach (175) and Ottawa Township’s Wes Weatherford (190) also claimed second place

There was a seven-way tie for the most team points with 25 between Akers, Claunch, Culp, Julian, Makwala, Neal and Norris while Graham, Martinez, Robb and Stedwill had 24.5 points.

Saint Thomas More’s Philip Christiff and Peoria High’s Jshawn Wilson tied for the most total match points with 59 and St. Joseph-Ogden’s Aiden Hundley was the only individual who was able to record four falls.

Metamora Holiday Classic place matches

106

1st Place Match

Wensley Rahn (Richwoods) 11-1, So. over Conner Knapp (Eureka) 9-6, Fr. (Fall 0:55)

3rd Place Match

Ben Wells (St. Joseph-Ogden) 12-3, Fr. over RJ Cinnamon (Saint Thomas More) 6-4, Fr. (TF-1.5 0:00 (19-2))

5th Place Match

Camden Gangloff (Metamora) 6-9, Fr. over Aiden Salo (Byron) 2-3, Fr. (Inj. 0:00)

113

1st Place Match (round robin)

Josh Stedwill (Peoria Notre Dame) 17-6, So. over Jackson Walsh (St. Joseph-Ogden) 13-4, Sr. (Dec 8-2)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Brendan Foster (Metamora) 7-9, Fr. over Jude Fosdick (Metamora) 6-5, Fr. (Fall 4:59)

5th Place Match (round robin)

Benjamin Owen (Richwoods) 6-8, So. over Joesph Dixon (Manual) 3-12, So. (Fall 4:09)

120

1st Place Match

Jackson Norris (Byron) 4-0, Sr. over Henry Watson (Eureka) 13-7, So. (Dec 10-4)

3rd Place Match

Nathan Ortiz (Richwoods) 10-4, Fr. over Camden Getty (St. Joseph-Ogden) 8-5, Jr. (TF-1.5 0:00 (22-7))

5th Place Match

Landon Darst (Galesburg) 8-7, Fr. over Freddie Couri (Peoria Notre Dame) 8-5, So. (Dec 15-9)

126

1st Place Match (round robin)

Remi Joesting (Peoria Notre Dame) 17-5, Jr. over Tyler Wieland (Richwoods) 6-2, Sr. (Fall 2:34)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Kade Schieber (Metamora) 3-11, Fr. over Gabe Cortez (Ottawa Township) 1-3, Jr. (Fall 1:55)

132

1st Place Match

Ian Akers (Peoria Notre Dame) 21-0, Sr. over Colton Boyer (Richwoods) 13-2, Sr. (TF-1.5 0:00 (16-0))

3rd Place Match

Noah Davis (Pontiac) 15-9, So. over Hunter King (Byron) 4-3, So. (Fall 5:26)

5th Place Match

Brady Rickey (ROWVA) 7-8, So. over Jshawn Wilson (Peoria High) 3-3, Fr. (MD 16-8)

138

1st Place Match

Gabe Robb (Richwoods) 9-2, Jr. over Finn Hoffman (Eureka) 16-4, Fr. (Dec 13-10)

3rd Place Match

Orlando Castellano (Galesburg) 11-5, So. over Dylan Dach (Byron) 6-3, Fr. (MD 25-15)

5th Place Match

Aiden Hundley (St. Joseph-Ogden) 8-9, So. over Jack Bartoletta (Peoria Notre Dame) 7-13, Jr. (Fall 3:12)

144

1st Place Match

Connor Graham (Metamora) 18-3, Jr. over Rikyis Doss (Richwoods) 12-2, Sr. (Dec 15-11)

3rd Place Match

Caleb Johnson (Galesburg) 8-4, Sr. over Chris Walker (Peoria High) 3-2, Sr. (Fall 5:32)

5th Place Match

Landen Butts (St. Joseph-Ogden) 9-6, Sr. over Gavin Allis (Eureka) 7-8, Jr. (Fall 4:54)

150

1st Place Match

Grady Neal (Metamora) 16-2, So. over Josiah Carter (Galesburg) 11-5, Sr. (Dec 11-4)

3rd Place Match

Christopher Harris (Richwoods) 12-3, Sr. over Brayden Quas (Pontiac) 9-7, Fr. (Fall 0:55)

5th Place Match

Nathan Daly (St. Joseph-Ogden) 7-2, Jr. over Cael O`Horo (Byron) 5-3, So. (Fall 1:03)

157

1st Place Match

Will Julian (Byron) 6-0, So. over Don Patrick (Galesburg) 7-5, Sr. (Fall 1:28)

3rd Place Match

Lucas Maier (Pontiac) 14-4, Fr. over Sam Hoffman (Eureka) 16-7, Jr. (Fall 2:40)

5th Place Match

Saul Swanson (Metamora) 11-8, So. over John Couri (Peoria Notre Dame) 13-11, Sr. (MD 17-5)

165

1st Place Match

Anthony Makwala (Galesburg) 12-2, Jr. over Brody Stien (Byron) 4-2, So. (MD 14-3)

3rd Place Match

Philip Christhilf (Saint Thomas More) 14-1, Sr. over Mark Aeschliman (Metamora) 11-10, Fr. (Dec 16-11)

5th Place Match

Phoenix Wombacher (Richwoods) 9-6, Sr. over Jason Crawford (Peoria High) 2-3, Sr. (Fall 3:45)

175

1st Place Match

Gabe Martinez (Richwoods) 14-0, Sr. over Sargent Maubach (Peoria High) 2-1, Sr. (Dec 8-5)

3rd Place Match

Owen Kearfott (Ottawa Township) 9-6, Sr. over Issac Alvarez (Byron) 4-2, Jr. (Fall 1:23)

5th Place Match

Mason Taylor (Galesburg) 12-6, Jr. over Ian Tyler (Metamora) 4-6, Jr. (Fall 0:27)

190

1st Place Match

Jackson Crawford (Pontiac) 5-5, Sr. over Wes Weatherford (Ottawa Township) 14-6, So. (Fall 3:40)

3rd Place Match

Michael Kimbrough (Richwoods) 9-2, So. over Bobby Stickelmaier (Peoria Notre Dame) 4-8, Sr. (Dec 9-2)

5th Place Match

Ashton Helberg (Eureka) 10-10, Fr. over Chaz Bowlin (St. Joseph-Ogden) 1-5, Sr. (TF-1.5 0:00 (16-0))

215

1st Place Match

Joe Culp (Peoria Notre Dame) 17-3, Sr. over Jarett Ross (Byron) 4-1, Sr. (MD 13-2)

3rd Place Match

Nathan Phillips (St. Joseph-Ogden) 12-5, Sr. over LaVant Ritenour (Galesburg) 7-7, Jr. (Fall 2:32)

5th Place Match

Brennan Tabor (Metamora) 6-12, Sr. over Aubreyanun Bailey (Manual) 9-8, Sr. (For.)

285

1st Place Match

Jared Claunch (Byron) 5-1, Sr. over Shaun Anderson (Richwoods) 8-3, Sr. (Fall 3:37)

3rd Place Match

James Schmidt (Saint Thomas More) 15-2, Sr. over Larry Randolph (Galesburg) 13-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 0:00 (16-0))

5th Place Match

Brady Mullens (Peoria Notre Dame) 15-9, Sr. over Alvaro Meza (Metamora) 10-10, Sr. (Dec 2-0)

Team scores

1. Richwoods 221, 2. Byron 173, 3. Galesburg 145, 4. Peoria Notre Dame 139, 5. Metamora 134.5, 6. St. Joseph-Ogden 116.5, 7. Eureka 91.5, 8. Pontiac 76.5, 9. Peoria High 52, 10. Saint Thomas More 46.5, 11. Ottawa Township 45.5, 12. ROWVA 16.5, 13. Manual 11.

El Paso-Gridley prevails in three-way battle at Clinton Holiday Tournament

There were only six points separating the top three teams at the Clinton Holiday Tournament and when the drama ended, El Paso-Gridley edged Westville/Georgetown-Ridge Farm co-op 236.5-232 for the title while the host Maroons had 230.5 points to claim third in their 15-team competition. Clifton Central/Iroquois West co-op (182.5) finished in fourth place and Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth co-op (174) took fifth place.

1 – El Paso-Gridley

Leading the way for coach Caden Tjarks’ first-place Titans were champions Kole Petta (106), Tom Erwin (113) and Ryden Barker (215) while Dominic Ricconi (190) and Christopher Blackmore (285) both placed third. Ben Graham (126) and Parker Key (144) took fourth place while Nolan Whitman (138) and Jude Roth (150) finished fifth and Christian Clark (150) and Bryson Foster (165) both claimed sixth place. 

2 – Westville/Georgetown-Ridge Farm

Coach Austin Hedrick’s runner-up Tigers had four champions, Gabriel Kiddoo (150), Logan Mahaffey (157), Ethan Miller (190) and Josiah Sedlacek (285) while Vance Johnson (132) took second, Ty McMasters (138) was third, Bleighten Irelan (215) finished fourth, Liam Hughes (144) placed fifth and Justin Nose (175) captured sixth place.

3 – Clinton

The host Maroons, who are coached by Matt Cooper, had one champion, Logan Thoms (165) while Briley Carter (113), Kristan Hibbard (190) and Dawson Thayer (285) all placed second. Taking third place were Cayden Bostic (106) and Brayden Dalton (126) while RJ Stamp (150), Jacob Hubble (157) and Oliver Reed (175) finished fourth and Van Angel (215) was fifth. 

Others title winners were Warrensburg-Latham’s Logan Roberts (120) and Kaden Roberts (132), University High’s Ruben Rivera (126), MacArthur’s Brenden Turnbo (138), Farmington’s Bradlee Ellis (144) and Heyworth’s Brody Simons (175).

Clifton Central had four second-place finishers, Owen Robinson (126), Evan Cox (144), Giona Panozzo (150) and Brody O’Connor (215) while Rantoul had two individuals who placed second, Darius Williams (157) and Brandon Almanza (165). Also finishing in second place were MacArthur’s Jamarius Meyrick (106), University High’s Joshua Butler (120), Farmington’s Chase Frye (138) and Lincoln’s Soren Aukamp (175). 

There was a four-way tie for the most team points with 36 between Barker, Ellis, Erwin and Simons. Kiddoo and Mahaffey were right behind them with 35.5 points, Petta and Rivera tied with 35 team points, Thoms collected 34 points and Kaden Roberts had 33.5 team points. 

University High’s Ruben Rivera edged Clinton’s Briley Carter 69-68 for the most total match points and Farmington’s Bradlee Ellis had the most pins in the least time with five in 3:47.

Clinton Holiday Tournament place matches

106

1st Place Match

Kole Petta (El Paso-Gridley) 13-3, Fr. over Jamarius Meyrick (MacArthur) 15-5, Sr. (Fall 1:35)

3rd Place Match

Cayden Bostic (Clinton) 10-3, Fr. over Jayce McMillon (Taylorville) 13-10, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:27 (19-4))

5th Place Match

Landon Nieslawski (Heyworth) 6-6, So. over Jayden Schmider (Farmington) 9-11, Fr. (Fall 1:44)

7th Place Match

Wiatt Coady (Taylorville) 0-4, Fr. (Bye)

113

1st Place Match

Tom Erwin (El Paso-Gridley) 18-0, Fr. over Briley Carter (Clinton) 11-2, So. (Fall 5:26)

3rd Place Match

Taygan Gossard (Warrensburg-Latham) 13-4, Jr. over Parker Zerfass (Farmington) 11-9, So. (MD 15-6)

5th Place Match

Emmett Roeder (Heyworth) 15-11, Fr. over Owen Thomas (Lincoln) 4-8, Jr. (Fall 0:54)

7th Place Match

Matthew Salas (Clifton Central) 8-10, Jr. over Ariana Humes (Clinton) 0-5, Sr. (Fall 3:20)

120

1st Place Match (round robin)

Logan Roberts (Warrensburg-Latham) 15-1, Sr. over Joshua Butler (University High) 13-6, Sr. (Dec 7-0)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Beau Williams (Clifton Central) 9-8, So. over Tristan Green (MacArthur) 4-10, So. (Fall 1:20)

5th Place

Zack Eckhardt (Lincoln) 3-7, So.

126

1st Place Match (round robin)

Ruben Rivera (University High) 23-3, Jr. over Owen Robinson (Clifton Central) 12-6, Fr. (TF-1.5 2:26 (20-3))

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Brayden Dalton (Clinton) 8-6, Fr. over Ben Graham (El Paso-Gridley) 11-7, Fr. (Fall 3:56)

5th and 6th Place

Miles Dennis (Metro-East Lutheran) 8-2, Jr. and Jordan Jones (Farmington) 16-8, Fr.

7th and 8th Place

Blaise Rogers (Taylorville) 12-10, So. and James Brewer (Lincoln) 6-5, Sr.

132

1st Place Match

Kaden Roberts (Warrensburg-Latham) 13-1, Sr. over Vance Johnson (Westville) 15-7, So. (Fall 4:37)

3rd Place Match

Garritt Benstine (Streator Township) 8-5, Jr. over Landon Christner (Ridgeview/Lexington) 3-6, Jr. (Dec 17-10)

5th Place Match

Tanilyn Reed (MacArthur) 13-8 over Lincoln Coffey (Taylorville) 10-14, So. (UTB 10-9)

7th Place Match

Braydence Pettyjohn (MacArthur) 5-8, So. over Colin Martinez (El Paso-Gridley) 4-12, Fr. (Fall 0:32)

138

1st Place Match (round robin)

Brenden Turnbo (MacArthur) 14-5, Sr. over Chase Frye (Farmington) 13-5, Fr. (MD 19-10)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Ty McMasters (Westville) 7-4, Jr. over John Randles (Clifton Central) 8-7, Jr. (M. For.

5th and 6th Place

Nolan Whitman (El Paso-Gridley) 8-9, Jr. and Francisco Lopez Banderas (Warrensburg-Latham) 10-8, So.

7th and 8th Place

Riley Simpson (Lincoln) 7-6, Jr. and Cyrus Fisher (University High) 6-12, Fr.

144

1st Place Match

Bradlee Ellis (Farmington) 17-1, Jr. over Evan Cox (Clifton Central) 17-2, Jr. (Fall 0:20)

3rd Place Match

Hayden Washum (University High) 17-6, So. over Parker Key (El Paso-Gridley) 14-4, Sr. (Fall 2:28)

5th Place Match

Liam Hughes (Westville) 7-4, Fr. over Trevor Soice (Heyworth) 11-6, Jr. (M. For.)

7th Place Match

Carter Bostic (Clinton) 8-6, So. over Preston Bessonette (Warrensburg-Latham) 10-8, Fr. (MD 10-2)

150

1st Place Match

Gabriel Kiddoo (Westville) 13-2, Sr. over Giona Panozzo (Clifton Central) 16-3, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:20 (21-5))

3rd Place Match

Joshua Caraballo (University High) 19-8, Sr. over RJ Stamp (Clinton) 2-2, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:37 (19-4))

5th Place Match

Jude Roth (El Paso-Gridley) 8-9, So. over Christian Clark (El Paso-Gridley) 6-5, Fr. (Fall 1:17)

7th Place Match

Wyatt Buck (Rantoul) 7-5, Sr. over Levi Allison (Lincoln) 8-7, Jr. (Dec 13-7)

157

1st Place Match

Logan Mahaffey (Westville) 13-4, Sr. over Darius Williams (Rantoul) 7-2, Sr. (TF-1.5 1:27 (20-5))

3rd Place Match

Carter Brooks (Heyworth) 7-3, Jr. over Jacob Hubble (Clinton) 4-7, Sr. (Fall 4:20)

5th Place Match

Hunter Bockelman (Heyworth) 15-9, Sr. over Isaiah Cook (Warrensburg-Latham) 6-7, Fr. (Inj. 1:18)

7th Place Match

Gavin Eales (Lincoln) 6-2, Jr. over Noah Lambert (University High) 7-5, Jr. (Fall 1:45)

165

1st Place Match

Logan Thoms (Clinton) 11-2, Sr. over Brandon Almanza (Rantoul) 7-9, Jr. (Fall 5:07)

3rd Place Match

Tristian Stamp (Heyworth) 15-9, Fr. over Dillon Durbin (Farmington) 7-3, So. (Fall 1:12)

5th Place Match

Jarod Krigbaum (Warrensburg-Latham) 9-6, Jr. over Bryson Foster (El Paso-Gridley) 5-6, So. (Fall 3:57)

7th Place Match

Ethan Rusher (Taylorville) 18-10, Sr. over Blake Edge (Ridgeview/Lexington) 4-5, So. (Dec 15-9)

175

1st Place Match (round robin)

Brody Simons (Heyworth) 17-8, Fr. over Soren Aukamp (Lincoln) 9-1, Sr. (Fall 3:55)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Cooper Moyer (Clifton Central) 11-9, Sr. over Oliver Reed (Clinton) 4-6, So. (Fall 3:25)

5th and 6th Place

Shane Johnson (Warrensburg-Latham) 12-7, Sr. and Justin Nose (Westville) 13-6, Jr.

7th and 8th Place

Ryan Kerr (El Paso-Gridley) 8-10, So. and Alex Mager (Rantoul) 7-11, Fr.

190

1st Place Match (round robin)

Ethan Miller (Westville) 13-0, Jr. over Kristan Hibbard (Clinton) 12-2, Sr. (MD 12-3)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Dominic Ricconi (El Paso-Gridley) 7-4, Sr. over Charlie Karun (University High) 17-11, Sr. (TF-1.5 6:00 (19-4))

5th and 6th Place

Jarrod Fulcher (Heyworth) 13-5, So. and Devin Thompson (Streator Township) 8-6, Sr.

7th and 8th Place 

Julian Martinez (Clifton Central) 9-10, Sr. and Dray Neal (Lincoln) 7-5, So.

215

1st Place Match

Ryden Barker (El Paso-Gridley) 16-1, Sr. over Brody O`Connor (Clifton Central) 14-4, Jr. (Fall 2:35)

3rd Place Match

Drew Owen (Rantoul) 10-8, Sr. over Bleighten Irelan (Westville) 6-5, Jr. (Dec 6-2)

5th Place Match

Van Angel (Clinton) 9-7, So. over Tanner Jacobs (Warrensburg-Latham) 7-10, Jr. (Fall 1:46)

7th Place Match

Aidan Hager (University High) 5-17, So. over Dave Advincula (Clinton) 2-7, So. (M. For.)

285

1st Place Match (round robin)

Josiah Sedlacek (Westville) 13-3, Sr. over Dawson Thayer (Clinton) 4-0, Sr. (M. For.)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Christopher Blackmore (El Paso-Gridley) 12-5, Sr. over Josh McCurry (Clifton Central) 10-9, So. (Fall 3:03)

5th and 6th Place 

Aiden Ferris (Streator Township) 12-3, Jr, and Jack Kerley (Warrensburg-Latham) 14-6, Jr.

7th and 8th Place 

Loni Bektososki (Heyworth) 5-12, So. and Ben Buis (El Paso-Gridley), 2-4, So.

Team scores

1. El Paso-Gridley 236.5, 2. Westville/Georgetown-Ridge Farm co-op 232, 3. Clinton 230.5, 4. Clifton Central/Iroquois West co-op 182.5, 5. Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth co-op 174, 6. Heyworth 153.5, 7. University High 143.5, 8. Farmington/Cuba co-op 123.5, 9. MacArthur 97, 10. Rantoul 81, 11. Lincoln 78, 12. Taylorville 54.5, 13. Streator Township/Woodland co-op 52.5, 14. Metro-East Lutheran 28, 15. Ridgeview/Lexington co-op 26.

Glenwood claims top honors at Springfield Joe Bee Memorial

Glenwood had three champions and three second-place finishers to help it capture the title of Springfield’s Joe Bee Memorial with 239 points while PORTA took second with 197.5 points. Glenbard South (131), Normal West (115) and Pekin (111.5) rounded out the top five in the 21-team competition, which took place at Lanphier.

The tournament is named in honor of Joe Bee, a two-time medalist for Springfield High who also competed for Eastern Illinois University’s wrestling team. He died in a tragic drowning accident in 1996 at the age of 21 along with his Panthers teammate Tim Fix, who was from Plainfield.

1 – Glenwood

Winning titles for coach Jerod Bruner’s champion Titans were Tyler Clarke (126), Elijah Smith (175) and Max Wiezorek (190) while Larson Nestar (150), Maizon Milestone (165) and Cody Moss (285) finished in second place. Cooper Clarke (106) and Mason Streb (215) were third, 

Jullian Rammelkamp (157) finished fourth, AJ Williams (132) placed fifth and Jake Tuxhorn (120) and John Vallar (138) took sixth place.

2 – PORTA

Leading the way for PORTA’s Bluejays, whose coach is 2011 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Hill, the IHSA’s all-time leader in dual meet wins, were title winners Mike Minor (144), Logan Baker (150) and Justin Zimmerman (157) while Coyt Rademaker (106), Kainin Fillbright (113) and Zach Bryant (132) took second place. Dane Jiannoni (190) captured third place, Ryan McCoy (120) finished fourth and Max King (126) claimed fifth place.

3 – Glenbard South

Top performers for coach Kenny Paoli’s third-place Raiders were champion Danny Langer (215) and second-place finishers Jordan Quaid-Bowman (126) and Jin Tai (144). Logan Price (165) took third place, Diego Myers (138) finished fifth and Logan Murphy (113) claimed sixth place.

Other champions were Cahokia’s Nathan Fisher (106) and Kindall Williams (165), Unity Christian’s Garrett VerHeecke (132) and Clinton VerHeecke (138), Normal West’s Dylan McGrew (113), Pekin’s Lincoln Hawkins (120) and East Peoria’s Jose Del Toro (285).

Additional second-place finishers were Macomb’s Ethan Hoyt (120), Granite City’s Braxton Tolley (138), Normal West’s Logan Alvarez (157), Springfield High’s Keyshaun Harris (175),

Southeast’s Chris Hull (190) and Centennial’s Moses Kim (215).

There was a four-way tie for the most team points with 30 between Clinton VerHeecke, Langner, Minor and Williams while Wiezorek was next with 29.5 points. Clarke and Zimmerman each had 28 team points while Garrett VerHeecke, Baker and Smith were next-best with 27 points.

There was a tie for total match points of 71 between Auburn’s Cade Venrick and Glenwwood’s AJ Williams. Mahomet-Seymour’s Hayden Hart was the lone individual in the field with five falls.

Springfield Joe Bee Memorial place matches

106

1st Place Match

Nathan Fisher (Cahokia) 10-3, So. over Coyt Rademaker (PORTA) 15-3, Fr. (Fall 3:30)

3rd Place Match

Cooper Clarke (Glenwood) 14-7, Fr. over Donovan Lowery (Normal West) 11-9, So. (Fall 4:22)

5th Place Match

Zachary Cooley (Granite City) 2-2, So. over Zander Johnson (Granite City) 7-11, Fr. (Dec 6-4)

113

1st Place Match

Dylan McGrew (Normal West) 14-4, Sr. over Kainin Fillbright (PORTA) 16-3, Fr. (MD 17-7)

3rd Place Match

Kayne Hayes (Pekin) 8-4, Jr. over Dashun Caldwell (Granite City) 4-7, Jr. (Fall 4:43)

5th Place Match

Billy Green (Granite City) 5-4, Fr. over Logan Murphy (Glenbard South) 3-4, So. (TF-1.5 3:24 (15-0))

120

1st Place Match

Lincoln Hawkins (Pekin) 9-3, Fr. over Ethan Hoyt (Macomb) 11-3, Jr. (Dec 3-0)

3rd Place Match

Jace Brown (Granite City) 11-5, So. over Ryan McCoy (PORTA) 10-7, Fr. (MD 18-5)

5th Place Match

Austin Herron (LaSalle-Peru) 10-6, Jr. over Jake Tuxhorn (Glenwood) 6-12, Fr. (Fall 1:23)

126

1st Place Match

Tyler Clarke (Glenwood) 15-6, Sr. over Jordan Quaid-Bowman (Glenbard South) 6-3, Jr. (Fall 1:55)

3rd Place Match

Harrison Lott (Riverton) 6-3, So. over Griffen McGrew (Normal West) 10-11, So. (Fall 2:57)

5th Place Match

Max King (PORTA) 10-7, Fr. over Dalton Davis (Pekin) 3-2, Sr. (Fall 0:58)

132

1st Place Match

Garrett VerHeecke (Unity Christian) 16-1, Jr. over Zach Bryant (PORTA) 16-3, Jr. (TF-1.5 0:00 (15-0))

3rd Place Match

Abram Rader (Normal West) 14-7, Sr. over Drayven Hamm (Auburn) 9-6, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:42 (16-1))

5th Place Match

AJ Williams (Glenwood) 13-9, Jr. over Adrian Mendez (Granite City) 11-8, Fr. (TF-1.5 5:42 (21-5))

138

1st Place Match

Clinton VerHeecke (Unity Christian) 16-0, Jr. over Braxton Tolley (Granite City) 12-5, So. (Fall 2:16)

3rd Place Match

Reegan Kellett (LaSalle-Peru) 14-4, Sr. over Trey Boston (Auburn) 9-5, Fr. (Fall 5:29)

5th Place Match

Diego Myers (Glenbard South) 9-8, Sr. over John Vallar (Glenwood) 13-8, Jr. (Fall 1:21)

144

1st Place Match

Mike Minor (PORTA) 8-0, Sr. over Jin Tai (Glenbard South) 12-3, Jr. (Dec 11-8)

3rd Place Match

Nehemie Mbangi (Centennial) 11-3, Jr. over Jaxxon Long (Normal West) 16-5, Sr. (Dec 9-3)

5th Place Match

Aydyn Artman (Pekin) 5-1, Sr. over Cade Venrick (Auburn) 12-4, Sr. (NC)

150

1st Place Match

Logan Baker (PORTA) 17-3, Jr. over Larson Nestar (Glenwood) 10-6, Sr. (M. For.)

3rd Place Match

Bryce Bryant (Springfield High) 12-8, So. over Anthony Steskal (Lanphier) 2-2, Jr. (For.)

5th Place Match

Caleb Plut (LaSalle-Peru) 11-3, So. over Caleb Berg (Unity Christian) 13-6, So. (Fall 2:43)

157

1st Place Match

Justin Zimmerman (PORTA) 18-0, Jr. over Logan Alvarez (Normal West) 13-8, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:20 (17-0))

3rd Place Match

Cohen Green (Macomb) 12-5, Sr. over Jullian Rammelkamp (Glenwood) 17-9, So. (Fall 3:01)

5th Place Match

Lucas Gosch (Pekin) 10-4, Jr. over Zachary Pocivasek (LaSalle-Peru) 10-7, Sr. (TF-1.5 2:07 (21-5))

165

1st Place Match

Kindall Williams (Cahokia) 8-3, Sr. over Maizon Milestone (Glenwood) 15-7, Sr. (Fall 2:40)

3rd Place Match

Logan Price (Glenbard South) 10-4, Sr. over Atsard Aplogan (Macomb) 16-6, Sr. (Fall 2:56)

5th Place Match

Chris Dill (Mahomet-Seymour) 3-1, Fr. over Elijah Kolb (Granite City) 7-12, Sr. (Dec 11-4)

175

1st Place Match

Elijah Smith (Glenwood) 18-4, So. over Keyshaun Harris (Springfield High) 6-2, Sr. (Fall 3:02)

3rd Place Match

Eli Miller (Granite City) 12-5, Fr. over Maliki Fitch (Auburn) 13-4, Sr. (Fall 1:30)

5th Place Match

Jaylen Crowder (Lanphier) 2-1 over Alexander Waller (Pekin) 8-5, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:50 (18-3))

190

1st Place Match

Max Wiezorek (Glenwood) 21-2, Sr. over Chris Hull (Southeast) 13-5, Jr. (Fall 2:42)

3rd Place Match

Dane Jiannoni (PORTA) 14-4, Sr. over Martez Williams (Cahokia) 8-3, So. (Fall 3:08)

5th Place Match

Shamar Brownlee (Springfield High) 11-4, Jr. over Gabe Del Toro (East Peoria) 3-2, Fr. (Fall 1:08)

215

1st Place Match

Danny Langner (Glenbard South) 14-4, Sr. over Moses Kim (Centennial) 8-1, Sr. (Fall 1:00)

3rd Place Match

Mason Streb (Glenwood) 14-10, Jr. over Ashton Schwab (Hazelwood West, MO) 6-4, Jr. (Fall 1:51)

5th Place Match

Hayden Hart (Mahomet-Seymour) 5-1, Sr. over Bradyn Haynes (Pekin) 9-6, Fr. (Fall 3:54)

285

Guaranteed Places

1st Place Match

Jose Del Toro (East Peoria) 19-0, Sr. over Cody Moss (Glenwood) 18-4, Jr. (Dec 5-4)

3rd Place Match

Gabriel Casteblanco (Hazelwood West, MO) 9-2, So. over Zeb Johnson (Cardinal Ritter, MO) 13-9, Jr. (Fall 4:58)

5th Place Match

Demarco Clark (Cahokia) 11-2, Sr. over Alex Brown (Macomb) 15-8, Sr. (Fall 1:28)

Team scores

1. Glenwood 239, 2. PORTA/A-C Central/Greenview/Havana co-op 197.5, 3. Glenbard South 131, 4. Normal West 115, 5. Pekin 111.5, 6. Granite City 98.5, 7. Cahokia 87, 8. Unity Christian/Argenta-Oreana co-op 73, 9. Springfield High 71.5, 10. Macomb 66, 11. Auburn/Franklin/New Berlin co-op 63.5, 12. Centennial 59, 13. LaSalle-Peru 57, 14. Lanphier 39.5, 15. East Peoria 36.5, 16. Hazelwood West, MO 36, 17. Mahomet-Seymour 34, 18. Southeast 30, 19. Sacred Heart-Griffin 26, 20. Riverton 22.5, 21. Cardinal Ritter, MO 18.5

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