Feature Stories

By Chris Walker for the IWCOA

Dixon only had a single individual champion during the 40th annual Reaper Classic at Plano, but that’s all the Dukes needed to win the team title on Saturday.

That’s because the Dukes were busy at the award stand all day long. While 215-pounder Will Howell was the team’s lone champion, he was just one of the 10 Dukes who were called up to the podium.

“We only had one champ so it shows you how much these other guys contributed to coming out with a win,” Dixon coach Micah Hey said. “It’s an individual sport but it adds to the team score and we had third place matches and fifth place matches and we even had beginning wrestlers that got wins (Dylan Bopes, 285) and another who got two wins (Konner Koehler, 157). And it came down to the very end, too.”

Dixon’s Ayden Rowley (113), Jayden Weidman (144) and Steven Kitzman (175) each advanced to the finals and placed second, while Jack Ragan (106) and Jacob Renkes (126) each prevailed in their respective third-place matches for the Dukes.

Riley Paredes (120) and Cade Hey (150) each placed fourth for the Dukes while Jayce Kastner (165) and Zack Clevenger (190) were fifth.

“I was proud of everybody,” Micah Hey said. “They’ve been working real hard and it feels like we’ve had some tough times getting to the top of some of these tournaments so it was nice to come out on top.”

There certainly was a great deal of parity among the teams this year with 11 of the 20 teams seeing one of its own wrestlers place first.

Since the Dukes had 10 wrestlers on the award stand they were able to edge Yorkville Christian, 204 to 192 for the team title. Last season, the Dukes finished in ninth place without producing a single champion although Owen Brooks took second at 182. Dixon had not recently appeared in the Reaper Classic prior to last year.

Gibson City-Melvin Sibley was third with 187, Chicago DeLaSalle was fourth with 167 and St. Rita was fifth with 151.5. 

The host Reapers were sixth with 132.5.

“It’s been a good season for us so far,” Plano coach Dwayne Love said. “Last year we were ninth and this year we’re sixth so we’re climbing that ladder, and we brought in some different teams this year.”

Caidan Ronning won at 150 for the Reapers while Prince Amakiri took second at 190, Trevion Gilford placed third at 144, his brother, Antoine Gilford, was fourth at 138 and Luis Ballesteros also was fourth at 157.

“The Gilford twins both wrestled well and Luis (Ballesteros) wrestled well at 157,” Love said. “(Amakiri) placed second and had a good tournament. Just a few little tweaks with him and he’s going to fare out very well for us. He’s so athletic.”

Other teams included Princeton (131.5), Hoopeston (106), Amboy (80.5), Oregon (62), Metea Valley (54), Sandwich (51), East Aurora (50), St. Francis (50), Marmion (46), Proviso East (31), Mendota (23), St Viator (22), Marian Catholic (21.5) and St. Edward (14).

Yorkville Christian and Hoopeston were the only schools to produce more than one champion. Aiden Larsen (113), Ty Edwards (132) and Robby Nelson (157) were champions for Yorkville Christian while Talen Grady-Nelson (126) and Angel Zamora (175) won for Hoopeston.

Yorkville Christian was shooting for its third straight Reaper Classic title, but fell just short. The Mustangs didn’t have representation at 106 and 126 and pushed Tyler Gleason up to 165.

“It’s disappointing, especially for the seniors who are leaving, and we wanted them to leave with a team trophy since we had won it back-to-back,” Mustangs coach Mike Vester said. “This is going to sting a little bit to them, but I hope it helps in the long run.”

Amboy, Dixon, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley, Oregon, Plano, Princeton, Sandwich, St. Francis and St. Rita each had one champion. Princeton’s Casey Etheridge had the most pins in the least time, sticking five opponents in 4:46, while Amboy’s Lucas Blanton’s 2 tech falls in 7:17 were tops in the tournament for most tech falls in the least time. Blanton’s 55 total match points were also the most in the tournament by any wrestler.

Yorkville Christian’s Robby Nelson had the most team points scored with 31, and East Aurora’s Joaquin Ramierez had the most single match points in the tournament with 22.

The wrestler who finished with the largest seed-place difference was St. Francis’ Jaylen Torres, who won the title at 285 after being seeded 13th.

“Plano puts on an awesome tournament,” Hey said. “It ran real well and I was happy with the outcome. A lot of tough competition.”

Reaper Classic championship match breakdowns:

106 – Augustus Swanson, Princeton

Swanson remained undefeated, completing his championship weekend with a 14-2 major decision over Chicago DeLaSalle’s Jeremiah Lawrence at 106.

Dixon’s Jack Ragan, who was one of six Dukes to finish in third place or better, won by fall over Hoopeston’s Charlie Flores for third place and Amboy’s Ty Florschuetz also won by fall, defeating East Aurora’s Xavier Sebastian for fifth place.

113 – Aiden Larsen, Yorkville Christian

Larsen, a two-time state medalist, needed just 19 seconds to earn his first win after opening with a bye. A forfeit sent him into the finals where he pinned Dixon’s Ayden Rowley in 1:21 to improve to 13-0 on the season.

St. Rita sophomore Jack Hogan won by fall over Oregon’s Nelson Benesh for third place at 113, and Chicago De La Salle senior Darren Oman took fifth place after Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley sophomore Gage Martin forfeited.

120 – Landon Blanton, Amboy

Blanton hasn’t slowed down after his breakthrough debut a season ago where he became the first Amboy freshman to advance to state. He was also the program’s first state qualifier since 2018. After his fantastic 43-11 debut, Blanton has opened the 2023-2024 campaign at 14-0 after a tech fall win before back-to-back pins. Blanton won by fall over Chicago De La Salle’s Anthony Trendle in the 120-pound title match.

Yorkville Christian sophomore Eli Foster earned a 9-4 sudden victory against Dixon’s Riley Paredes for third place at 120, and St. Rita’s Luke Pappalas prevailed by decision over Marian Catholic’s Chase Tankson for fifth place.

126 – Talan Grady-Nelson, Hoopeston

Grady-Nelson acknowledged that he was simply hoping to place again on Saturday after taking fourth in last year’s Reaper Classic.

He found himself situated in the top spot, pushing his undefeated mark to 8-0 after a win by fall over St. Rita’s Liam Quigley.

The title bout was a high-scoring battle before Grady-Nelson locked it down with a pin.

“I had a takedown in the first period and then I got into bad positioning and he got a reversal and back points off that,” Grady-Nelson explained. “And then in the second period he got another reversal and got back points again and then by that point it was 10-8 and there was a lot of scoring, and then I got a reversal. I was getting back (points) and then I held him back and pinned him.”

While Grady-Nelson believes he’s improved a lot even from last year, he’s looking to do much more.

“I didn’t really expect to come out here and win it,” he said. “I was hoping to place because I got fourth last year so I was trying to get better than I did last year. I think I’ve improved a lot. I like where I’m at but still feel like I’ve got a lot to improve on. I’ll stay in the wrestling room and keep improving.”

Jacob Renkes helped Dixon win the team title, picking up points in his win by decision over Princeton’s Kaydin Gibson for third, while Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Gabe Ward won by fall over Amboy’s Chase Montavon for fifth.

132 – Ty Edwards, Yorkville Christian

Edwards was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning by fall over Marian Catholic’s Jeremiah Bolar, Chicago DeLaSalle’s Mario Perez and then St. Rita’s Nino Protti in the championship match at 132.

“I think the first day was good,” Edwards said. “I came out with heavy hands that’s what I was kind of focusing on, and been focusing on the past few weeks, and just getting to my offense. Today, the same thing and getting heavily physical. A few times the ref called me on it in the finals, but other than that it was a good tournament overall.”

Despite being named Most Outstanding Wrestler, Edwards showed humility, taking the time to point out a teammate’s success rather than continuing to talk about his own dominance.

Edwards offered praise for Eli Foster, who rallied for a sudden victory to win the 120 third place match against Dixon’s Riley Parades, who had won by a 9-2 decision over Foster in the quarterfinals.

“He went from losing to the Dixon kid to coming back the next time he wrestled him and beating him,” he said. 

Edwards improved to 14-0.

“I think now I’m a lot more physical than I was last year,” he said. “I was a little more lackadaisical with my hands. Now I’m just focusing on getting better.”

Chicago De La Salle’s Mario Perez defeated Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Hudson Babb by fall for third place at 132. In the fifth place match, Hoopeston’s Aiden Bell won by fall over St. Viator’s Caleb Jendras.

138 – Enzo Canali, St. Rita

After a hard fought 12-7 decision agains Princeton’s Ace Christiansen in the 138 semifinals, Canali earned a 5-0 decision over Yorkville Christian’s Grason Johnson to provide St. Rita with its lone title of the tournament. The Mustangs were one of 11 teams to at least produce a single champion in this year’s tournament.

Christiansen bounced back to defeat Plano’s Antoine Gilford by major decision in the third place match at 138 while Metea Valley’s Juan Arroyo took care of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Shawn Schlickman by fall in 17 seconds for fifth place.

144 – Miles Corder, Sandwich

Corder understands that injuries are a part of sports, but that doesn’t make them any easier to deal with, even when you’re on the other end of them and mentally distraught.

The Sandwich senior said he was pretty sure that Dixon junior Jayden Weidman dislocated his shoulder during the 144-pound title match, eerily taking him back to a similar situation several years ago that coincidentally occurred against Yorkville Christian’s Robby Nelson. who would end up being this year’s 157 champion.

“You don’t really move on,” Corder said after Weidman sustained his injury not even a minute into the action. “I don’t really move on. A similar thing happened in seventh or sixth grade year for regionals. Robby (Nelson), one of my friends from Yorkville Christian, dislocated his knee in the finals match. It’s happened quite a few times in my life to my opponents and I never want to hurt anyone in wrestling. It’s sports. My brother (freshman Cooper Corder) is out until the 27th (of December) because his knee is pretty jacked up.”

Injuries and illness limited the Indians from a participation standpoint this weekend as they only brought five wrestlers to Plano.

“Most of the team is out due to concussions and illnesses so we only brought five guys and three of us made it to the second day,” Corder said. “I think we’ve done pretty well so far this season.”

Plano’s Trevion Gilford won by major decision against Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Corbin Ragle for third place and St. Francis freshman Chase Siguenza won by decision against Yorkville Christian’s Tiras Lombardo for fifth place.

150 – Caidan Ronning, Plano

If you’re looking for an example of a kid who works hard and also is committed to being a great teammate, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who excels like Ronning.

Ronning won by decision against St. Rita’s Nolan Keenan to become the first Plano wrestler to become a Reaper Classic champion in seven years. Nico Nunez was the last Reaper to win a title in the Reaper Classic, taking the top spot at 120 in 2016.

“I was having a conversation with him and he said he broke the curse, because we hadn’t had a (Plano) champion in a while,” Reapers coach Dwayne Love said. “He’s put in the work. He did a lot of summer work. He wrestled with us and he’s gone to a lot of tournaments too, so it’s paying off. And he’s a kid that it’s just awesome to see him achieve like this. He’s a team captain. He leads the kids and they all rally behind him.”

He’s a really good wrestler who has become a great leader as well.

“He’s done a good job of maturing into that role,” Love said. “He’s a good student and just keeps achieving, and he’s good to have around he’s good for the program. I don’t know what else to say about him.”

Ronning recorded three pins before earning a 12-5 win over St. Rita’s Nolan Keenan in the 150-pound championship.

“I’ve been working all off-season, I put all my time into getting ready for this,” Ronning said. “I think I just wanted it more than he did. Coming into that he looked tired and was hanging his head right off the bat. He knew what he was doing. He’s a good kid, but I think he was too tired from the long day. A two-day tournament is long for everyone.”

Yorkville Christian’s John ‘Isaac’ Grady won by fall over Dixon’s Cade Hey for third place at 150 while Chicago De La Salle’s Patrick Young won by fall over Metea Valley’s Austin Wadas-Luis.

157 – Robby Nelson, Yorkville Christian

Nelson was a busy kid, wrestling four matches to earn his championship. After opening his competition with a major decision win, Nelson won by fall in his final three matches, including over Chicago DeLaSalle’s Nicholas Arvetis in the 157 final.

Nelson improved to 12-1.

Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Carson Maxey won by major decision against Plano’s Luis Ballesteros for third place at 157, and Princeton senior Preston Arkels took fifth place after Sandwich senior Sy Smith succumbed to an injury and couldn’t compete.

165 – Anthony Bauer, Oregon

Bauer hasn’t forgotten about what happened at the Reaper Classic a year ago.

Wrestling at 160, Bauer found himself on the wrong end of a 15-1 major decision to Yorkville Christian’s Tyler Martinez who went on to take third place in Class 1A last February.

“I came in here expecting to win,” Bauer said. “Last year I was in the finals and got pretty messed up by Tyler Martinez (now wrestling at NIU). So that kind of pushed me to get the plaque.”

Bauer opened the tournament the same way he finished it – with a pin.

After beating Mendota’s Reyli Sandoval in his opening bout, Bauer won by major decision over Princeton’s Casey Etheridge before edging Hoopeston’s Ayden Larkin to get to the finals where he won by fall over Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Cooper Miller.

“I like to use my losses as lessons to push me to strive to do better and to work on different types of positions,” he said. “I may have won a match but been weak in that position so I try to work on little things to get better.”

He’s certainly grown emotionally.

“I’ve grown the most in controlling how I wrestle,” he said. “I’ve been angry and have a little bit of a chip on my shoulder but now I’m able to control it. Last year I’d let my emotions get out  of hand, but this year I’m a lot better.”

Princeton sophomore Casey Etheridge won by fall against Hoopeston’s Ayden Larkin for third at 165 while Dixon’s Jayce Kastner also won by fall to secure fifth place, defeating Marmion’s Anthony Haddad.

175 – Angel Zamora, Hoopeston

Zamora took home the title at 175 after Dixon’s Steven Kitzman suffered an injury and could not compete.

Chicago DeLaSalle’s Josue Hernandez earned a hard fought 3-2 win over Amboy’s Lucas Blanton for third place at 175 while Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Lincoln Eastin beat Sandwich’s Kaden Clevenger by major decision on the fifth-place mat.

190 – Aiden Sancken, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley

Sancken pulled away late from Plano’s Prince Amakiri to earn a 14-8 decision to win at 190.

Leading 9-8, Sancken finished the bout scoring five straight points to improve to 8-0.

“I feel like it all starts in the practice room,” Sancken said. “Our coach always says it doesn’t matter if you’re down, getting pinned, your 0 to 14, it doesn’t matter, keep wrestling. I try to learn something from every match and I feel like that kind of pulled me through in the end. I kept thinking ‘keep wrestling, something is going to happen, one move could change it all’ and that’s what ended up happening.”

Going against a Plano kid who was wrestling in the comfy, familiar environs of his own gym helped fuel Sancken onward to victory.

“I feel like it fired me up that this is his home gym,” Sancken said. “He was going to have an edge but that’s nothing that matters to me. It’s just another wrestling match. I’m really happy with how I’ve wrestled. I haven’t had that many matches coming in here and winning this is big.”

Marmion freshman Luke Boersma won by fall over Chicago De La Salle junior Terrelle Jackson to claim third place while Dixon’s Zach Clevenger won bv decision against Yorkville Christian freshman Hayden Wheeler on the fifth-place mat.

215 – Will Howell, Dixon

Where there’s a will there’s a way and Dixon found a way to win the team title despite only having Will Howell crowned as a champion this year.

“We’re all super excited because we haven’t done it forever,” he said. “That was big. And this was big for us. We’re all super excited because we haven’t won this in forever. I think last year we placed tenth or maybe eighth or somewhere around there.”

Throwing proved to be key for Howell who won by decision over East Aurora’s Arnold Walker at 215.

“Most of my competition is usually a lot bigger than me because I’m a smaller 215,” Howell said. “I’m like 198 pounds so it’s pretty tough. So my goal was to get some throws in and just to try to stay on point and not get thrown myself.”

Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Gavin Johnson won by fall against Princeton’s Ian Morris to win the third place match at 215. For fifth place, Proviso East’s Edward Love won by fall over Amboy’s Evan Flanagan.

285 – Jaylen Torres, St. Francis

Torres has been preoccupied with football, helping the Spartans to a lengthy post-season run in the Class 5A playoffs that ended in the state semifinals.

“This was my first time wrestling since football so I’m just getting back into it,” he said. “It’s been difficult the first couple matches but I feel like I’m getting back into it now. This is my 12th year wrestling so I’ve been doing this since I’ve been young.”

Still just a sophomore, Torres is now a two-time Reaper Classic champion. He won by fall over Yorkville Christian’s Garrett Tunnell after edging Chicago DeLaSalle’s David McCarthy on a tie breaker in the semifinals.

“I’ve just been doing what I’ve been practicing the whole week,” Torres said. “I’m going to take more shots this year. Last year I really didn’t take any shots.”

Torres, who beat Plano’s Alex Diaz, in last year’s final, joins Swanson, Blanton and Edwards as wrestlers who won titles last season who duplicated the feat again this year.

Swanson repeated at 106 while Blanton won at 113 last year and 120 this year while Edwards was the 132 champ after winning at 120 last December.

McCarthy won by fall for third place over Mendota’s Angil Serrano and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Cohen Kean won by fall for fifth against Metea Valley’s Brady Jones.

Championship matches for the 40th annual Reaper Classic

106 – Augustus Swanson (Princeton) MD 14-2 Jeremiah Lawrence Chicago DeLaSalle)

113 – Aiden Larsen (Yorkville Christian) F 1:21 Ayden Rowley (Dixon)

120 – Landon Blanton (Amboy) F 3:21 Anthony Trendle (Chicago DeLaSalle)

126 – Talan Grady-Nelson (Hoopeston) F 3:58 Liam Quigley (St. Rita)

132 – Ty Edwards (Yorkville Christian) F 3:12 Nino Protti (St. Rita)

138 – Enzo Canali (St. Rita) D 5-0 Grason Johnson (Yorkville Christian)

144 – Miles Corder (Sandwich) Inj. 0:54 Jayden Weidman (Dixon)

150 – Caidan Ronning (Plano) D 12-5 Nolan Keenan (St. Rita)

157 – Robby Nelson (Yorkville Christian) F 3:30 Nicholas Arvetis (Chicago DeLaSalle)

165 – Anthony Bauer (Oregon) F 1:52 Cooper Miller (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley)

175 – Angel Zamora (Hoopeston) Inj 0:00 Steven Kitzman (Dixon)

190 – Aiden Sancken (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley) D 14-8 Prince Amakiri (Plano)

215 – Will Howell (Dixon) D 15-8 Arnold Walker (East Aurora)

285 – Jaylen Torres (St. Francis) F 2:00 Garrett Tunnell (Yorkville Christian)

Final scores: 1. Dixon (204) 2. Yorkville Christian (192) 3. GC-Melvin-Sibley (187) 4. De La Salle (167) 5. St. Rita (151.5) 6. Plano (132.5) 7. Princeton (131.5) 8. Hoopeston (106) 9. Amboy  (80.5) 10. Oregon (62) 11. Metea Valley (54) 12. Sandwich (51) 13. East Aurora (50) 14. St. Francis (50) 15. Marmion Academy (46) 16. Proviso East (31) 17. Mendota (23) 18. St. Viator (22) 19. Marian Catholic (21.5)  20. St. Edward (14)

By Curt Herron – For the IWCOA

Despite overcoming an hour and a half delay earlier in the day due when the competition came to a complete standstill due to issues with the scoring system, McHenry was unfazed as it headed into the final place matches at Saturday’s Waukegan Girls Tournament in its attempt to overcome Wheeling for top honors in the 29-team event.

Coach James Buss’ champion Warriors definitely proved to be up to the challenge as they captured wins in four of their five matches, which included two championships and two third-place finishes, to help them capture top honors by a 118-113 margin over Wheeling.

Lakes Community took third place with 99 points, while Morton co-op, the defending champions featuring athletes from Morton East and Morton West, edged Riverside-Brookfield 89-88 for fourth place. Dundee-Crown and Zion-Benton tied for sixth place with 87 points, Grayslake North finished eighth with 85 points and Round Lake beat out Maine West 79-75 for tenth place.

Buss, a two-time IHSA medalist at De La Salle Institute who won the Class 3A championship at 285 in 2012, was very pleased with how his team performed on a day that certainly turned out to be much longer than anyone had anticipated.

The Warriors received titles from Natalie Corona (145) and Sophia Brown (235) while Addison Hodges (115) and Bri Duran (120) both took third and Madalynn Sima (170) was fourth. While Jazmine Argueta (140) and Tania Garcia (155) fell short of medals, they provided key points for a squad that didn’t compete in last season’s tournament, which featured 18 teams.

“Our girls stepped up tremendously in the entire tournament,” Buss said. “Our girls started off a little slow in the morning but they kicked it into gear and they just kept winning and fighting for every point. It was so balanced and it’s great to see so many girls at a tournament. Last year we had three on our team and this year we have 30. I like that they’re doing team-bonding activities and are building each other up throughout the entire season.

“Our scoring system broke down, but it was a lot of fun because then our girls were able to relax and talk to girls in other programs. I don’t think that I’ve ever been congratulated so much with people saying that our girls were great after they won. I coached boys for the last 10 years and I haven’t seen an atmosphere like girls wrestling. Everyone’s matside and they’re cheering on our teammates and they’re cheering on other peoples’ teammates. It’s super awesome just to see how fast our sport is growing because of how nice everyone is to each other.”

Throughout much of the late stages of the tournament, coach Anthony Piltaver’s runner-up Wildcats looked like they might emerge as champions of a competition where they had placed 13th last season, 123 points behind the champions, Morton co-op.

Obviously having 11 scorers compared to five a year ago made a big difference for Wheeling, which was led by second-place finishes from Haydee Cruz (105), Madeline Chicas (155) and Jasmine Rene (190) while Elise Burkut (130) took third place. Isabella Gomez (115), Layah Woods (135), Krystal Diaz (155B) and Nikol Orendarchuk (170) all provided valuable points.

Lakes Community had a tournament-high three champions. Coach Devin Tortorice’s third-place Eagles were led by champions Zaryia Mouzon (105), Ava Babbs (125) and Josephine Larson (190) while Haven Sylves (110) took second place.

Round Lake had two title winners. Riley Kongkaeow (100) and Ireland McCain (115). The other champions were Harvard’s Alexa Herrera (110), Glenbrook North’s Ariella Dobin (120), Zion-Benton’s Emily Ortiz (130), Freeport’s Cadence Diduch (135), Morton’s Faith Comas (140), Riverside-Brookfield’s Estefany Bejarano (155) and Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker (170).

The tournament featured two-time IHSA champion Diduch and 2023 IHSA title winner Tucker. 

On a day where 11 of the 14 title matches were determined by falls, the other three finals were competitive with Comas claiming a 6-4 decision over Zion-Benton’s Adrianna Ketchum at 140 and Larson capturing a 3-1 decision over Rene in the 190 finals. And in the first finals at 100 in which Kongkaeow won 14-7 over Montini Catholic’s Kat Bell, it was 7-7 heading into the final period.

Other second-place finishers were Plainfield Central’s Courtni Chuway (115), Grayslake Central’s Gianna Arzer (120), Waukegan’s Noelani Rodriguez (125), Fremd’s Kandice Wallace (130), Grayslake North’s Quinna Sheets (135), Harvard’s Ithandehui Rosas (145), Palatine’s Sabrina Cargill (170) and Maine West’s Eliana Garrett (235).

Corona, Diduch and Ortiz tied for the most team points with 28 while Babbs, Bejarano, Dobin, Herrera, McCain, Mouzon and Tucker all collected 26 team points. Among the finalists, the individual who made the biggest jump from where they were seeded to where they finished was Sheets, who drew the 15-seed at 135 but finished in second place.

Shortly before a break was going to be taken between rounds, the scoring system shut down. Fortunately, IWCOA Class of 2005 Hall of Famer Tony Clarke, who has been an official for 40 years and has served in a variety of key roles for the IWCOA and IHSA, was the tournament manager, so plans to score the meet in the traditional fashion were arranged and Waukegan coach Andres Santana and his staff got the tournament up and running again before too long.

Individuals who won titles in the B Division were McHenry’s Alexa Garcia (115), Maine South’s Grace Migasi (120), Morton’s Eveyln Miranda (125), Metea Valley’s Janiya Moore (130), Stevenson’s Isabella Baker (135), Zion-Benton’s Tegan Haske (140) and Grace Johnson (145) and Wheeling’s Krystal Diaz (155) and Stephanie Solano (170).

Here’s a look at the champions and weight classes at the Waukegan Girls Tournament

100 – Riley Kongkaeow, Round Lake

One of the many top matchups in the title matches at the Waukegan Girls Tournament was the first one between Round Lake’s Riley Kongkaeow and Montini Catholic’s Kat Bell at 100, which was a meeting of individuals who fell one win shy of medals at 100 at the 2023 IHSA Finals.

The match was even at 7-7 heading into the final period and that’s when Kongkaeow took control with a reversal and then a nearfall to help her capture a 14-7 decision for the 100 title. Kongkaeow, who also took first at Niles West, was one of two champions for the Panthers and earned her spot in the finals with an 11-3 win over Dundee-Crown’s Diamond Rodriguez.

“It was fun,” Kongkaeow said of the title matchup. “I want to try to place. I’ve been doing strength training and working on my technique. We have a lot of new girls, but they’re progressing quickly and I’m proud of them. I just kind of wanted to get my matches done because we were sitting here for a long time. I just wanted to wrestle my best. I just need to stick to my goals and just try to do the best that I can.”

Bell, who also won a title at Niles West and was one of three Broncos in the competition, recorded a fall in 1:33 in the semifinals over Freeport’s Aurielle Calmese. The semifinal losers met up in the third-place match with Rodriguez winning by fall in 5:05 over Calmese. 

105 – Zaryia Mouzon, Lakes Community

After losing a close decision to fall one loss shy of qualifying for the 2023 IHSA Finals, Zaryia Mouzon is determined to not come up short again of a state appearance in her senior year.

And she’s definitely off to a good start after winning a title in the opening week at her own Sandy Gussarson Invitational and then being the first of three champions for Lakes Community at Waukegan when she won by fall in 1:09 over Wheeling’s Haydee Cruz in the 105 title match. Mouzon also got a fall in 1:09 in her semifinal match with Dundee-Crown’s Leslie Figuroa.

“This is my second first-place tournament this year,” Mouzon said. “It was a little challenging my first year at Lakes because there were only two girls, me and Olivia Heft. In my sophomore year, I almost won sectionals and in my junior year, I almost won sectionals. And this year I haven’t lost one match yet. At our last tournament, four girls placed first. We had the least amount of girls on our team but we placed third as a team at our last tournament.”

Cruz, one of three second-place finishers for runner-up Wheeling, reached the 105 finals with a fall in 1:20 over Grant’s Jaiydyn Hoffman. Morton’ Hope Donnamario, who had the most falls in the least time with five in 3:07, claimed third place after recording a pin in 1:26 over Figuroa.

110 – Alexa Herrera, Harvard

When you live in a community like Harvard, which has produced one of the all-time winningest programs in state history, being able to excel in the sport is a big deal. And Alexa Herrera hopes that being a part of the Hornets’ program helps her to become the school’s first state medalist.

Herrera, who fell one win shy of a state trip last year and took third place at the Gussarson Invite, was one of two finalists for the Hornets and their lone champion after winning by fall in 1:50 in the 110 finals over Lakes Community’s Haven Sylves. She won her other two matches by fall, including in 1:28 in the semifinals over Plainfield Central’s Candice Cameron.

“Right now we have four girls on the team,” Herrera said. “(Harvard’s program) It’s run very well and they’re definitely preparing me to be the best that I can be. I started in the eighth grade and there were very few girls on the teams, so it’s great to watch it grow and to get bigger. 

Sylves, one of four finalists for the Eagles, entered on a high note after winning a title at her school’s Sandy Gussarson Invitational. She reached the title mat with a fall in 0:30 over Dundee-Crown’s Iris Torres. Warren Township’s Alyssa Bentley won 8-3 over Torres for third. 

115 – Ireland McCain, Round Lake

Ireland McCain is in good company as being among the select group who will be in pursuit of their third state medals this season. Round Lake’s McCain hopes to finish higher on the IHSA award stand after placing sixth at 115 last year and fifth at 120 in the inaugural IHSA Finals.

After placing fourth at Niles West to open the season, McCain was feeling better about things after claiming top honors in Waukegan at 115 by recording a fall in 1:51 over Plainfield Central’s Courtni Chuway in the title match. She got a pin in 0:59 in the semifinals over Riverside-Brookfield’s Frankie Abasta.

“We lost a few girls last year, but this year our girls are getting much better,”  McCain said. “We’re learning to be a good team and to work hard to do all of the things that we need to get done. I want to set the standards higher and place again. I’ve never seen anybody on the team see one of our teammates cry and not go up and try to fix it and help them. I think we’re very caring about each other.”

Chuway also reached the finals at the Minooka Thanksgiving Throwdown in the season’s first tournament but had to face Glenbard North’s Gabby Gomez. She advanced to the 115 title match against McCain with a fall in 0:34 over Wheeling’s Isabella Gomez. McHenry’s Addison Hodges took third place by recording a fall in 1:37 over Metea Valley’s Uliana Shevtsova.

120 – Ariella Dobin, Glenbrook North

Glenbrook North freshman Ariella Dobin continues to impress after adding to her season-opening championship at Niles West with a title at the Waukegan Girls Tournament after recording a fall in 1:27 over Grayslake Central’s Gianna Arzer in the 120 title match.

One of Glenbrook North two entrants, Dobin used two first-period falls to advance to the championship. In the semifinals, she won with a pin in 1:06 over Zion-Benton’s Anneliese Mata. Following her great start, Dobin has the opportunity to be the Spartans’ first state medalist.

“I wrestled in eighth grade and that was my first year,” Dobin said. “We have three girls. The whole team is very supportive and we just bring each other up and we’re creating a really great community of boys and girls. I’m really excited for the future of girls wrestling. I like that this is very hard but the outcome, when you win, that makes it feel so much better.”

Arzer, the lone individual representing Grayslake Central in the tournament, earned her spot in the 120 finals with three falls, needing just 18 seconds to record a fall in the semifinals over Palatine’s Amialis Izaguirre. In the third-place match, McHenry’s Bri Duran won by fall in 5:55 over Freeport’s Marijose Avila.

125 – Ava Babbs, Lakes Community

Ava Babbs made a name for herself a year ago when she and teammate Josephine Larson placed at state to give Lakes Community two medals in addition to its initial medal in 2022 that was claimed by Olivia Heft, who was a runner-up to Glenwood’s Maya Davis at 115.

Now Babbs, who took third at 125 a year ago, and Larson, who was fifth at 190 in 2023, hope to join Heft as the trio look to become the Eagles’ first two-time medalists. Babbs won her first two matches with falls in 1:11 and then pinned Waukegan’s Noelani Rodriguez in 5:22 in the finals.

“When I first started, it was the first year that there was a girls IHSA state, so that was fun,” Babbs said. “A lot of the people on my team, it was all our first year, so it’s been fun seeing the sport grow and people are getting better. It’s such a close, tight-knit community and everybody is really sweet, no matter the school or the competition, there’s really good sportsmanship. I like that we’re building a culture and traditions right now.”

Rodriguez, who qualified for the IHSA Finals last year and competed in the quarterfinals and opened this season with a title win at Niles West, advanced to the 125 finals with a fall in 2:00 over Lemont’s Molly O’Connor. In the third-place match, Riverside-Brookfield’s Eleanor Aphay won 14-4 over Morton’s Nayeli Rodriguez.

130 – Emily Ortiz, Zion-Benton

Emily Ortiz hopes to do what two others from Zion-Benton have accomplished in the first two years of the IHSA Finals, and that is to win a state medal. Ileen Castrejon took second in the inaugural state finals and then placed third a year ago while Rachel Williams-Henry finished fourth at the historic debut in 2022.

Ortiz saved the best for last for her four falls, needing nearly two periods in her opener and 5:53 in a semifinal victory over Wheeling’s Elise Burkut before capturing the 130 title with a pin in six seconds over Fremd’s Kandice Wallace. A week ago, she took second place at Niles West.

“Last week I took second in my bracket at Niles West,” Ortiz said. “At first I was nervous because it was a rough start and I was like, ‘I can’t do this.’ But I changed my mindset and I was like, ‘I got this, I’m going to take first,’ and I took first. I love my team. We’re all friends and we push each other in the mat room and we work hard.”

Wallace, one of three Vikings who competed and their only medalist, used two first-period pins to reach the 130 title match, including a pin in 1:14 over Warren Township’s Jane Kelly  in the semifinals. Berkut bounced back her semifinal loss to Ortiz by capturing a 13-5 major decision over Kelly in the third-place match.

135 – Cadence Diduch, Freeport 

Just six individuals have won two IHSA titles and only four are back this season. So whenever Cadence Diduch, Sydney Perry, Gabby Gomez and Angelina Cassioppi step onto the mat, all eyes will be focused on their performances.

Freeport’s Diduch, who went 11-0 last season to claim first at 125 and 22-3 in 2022 to win the 120 title in the inaugural IHSA Finals, was one of three Pretzels medal winners on the day. After recording three-straight first-period falls, including in 0:39 in the semifinals over Plainfield Central’s Miah Banda, Diduch captured the 135 title with a pin in 1:59 over Grayslake North’s Quinna Sheets.

Sheets, one of three medal winners from Grayslake North, was seeded 15th but made up 13 spots to meet the two-time defending IHSA champ following a 7-1 decision over Zion-Benton’s Jahmariona Thompson, who bounced back from that setback to capture third place with a fall in 0:50 over Maine West’s Ava Reyes.

140 – Faith Comas, Morton

Faith Comas has experienced a lot of memorable moments for Morton’s co-op team that includes athletes from Morton East and Morton West. The Mustangs were an early leader in the sport, as is seen by them having four medalists in the initial IHSA Finals in 2022.

Comas hopes that she can add her name to that list after being one of the program’s two state qualifiers last season. In a finals round where all but of the title matches ended with falls, senior Comas captured a 6-4 decision over Zion-Benton’s Adrianna Ketchum to take top honors at 140. She won two falls to reach the finals, recording a semifinal pin in 4:35 over Dundee-Crown’s Perla Lomeli.

“This is my fifth year wrestling,” Comas said. “And this is the second time that I ever got first place in anything for wrestling, so this was a pleasant surprise. Karla Topete, she placed at state fifth, and she was my partner when I was a sophomore. And Leilany De Leon got sixth, and she was my partner when I was a junior. I think it comes down to dedication. A lot of schools can have really big numbers, and we had big numbers before. It kind of dwindled down, but because those kids stayed dedicated, we’re able to progress, despite lower numbers.”

Ketchum, who joined 130 champion Emily Ortiz as finalists for the Zee-Bees, reached the 140 title mat by recording a fall in 1:54 over Mundelein’s Khloe Heerdegen. Lomeli won by fall in 0:44 over Heerdegen to claim third place.

145 – Natalie Corona, McHenry

With Wheeling holding a slight advantage over McHenry heading into the first- and third-place matches at the Waukegan Girls Tournament, it was critical for the eventual champion Warriors to get a title from Natalie Corona, and the returning state qualifier who won 30 matches a year ago was determined to capture the championship at 145..

She joined 235 title winner Sophia Brown as champions for coach James Buss’ Warriors, who edged Wheeling by a 118-113 margin to claim top honors . After getting a fall in 0:41 over Riverside-Brookfield’s Danely Villagomez in the semifinals, Corona needed just 11 seconds to pin Harvard’s Ithandehui Rosas on the 145 title mat.

“I was really proud of the whole team and how hard they worked,” Corona said. “Most of these girls are in their first year and they did a really good job today and I’m impressed. It was really good to relax for a little bit and it definitely prepared you for the matches. I think this is pretty good. We’ve worked hard to get this program up and running. And gathering all of these girls and going from three girls to 30 girls this year is crazy. It’s really good that everyone works hard so everyone gets good competition. I like that when we’re in the wrestling room that everyone pushes each other to get better and the coaches push each other to get better. Everyone just works super hard but we also have fun.”

Rosas, who joined 110 champion Alexa Herrera as the Hornets’ medalists, captured a 9-3 semifinal decision over Stevenson’s Sajra Sulejmani, who placed fourth at state at 145 last season and finished fifth at the same weight in the inaugural IHSA Finals. Villagomez claimed third place over Sulejmani due to a medical forfeit.

155 – Estefany Bejarano, Riverside-Brookfield

After getting Eleanor Aphay to state as its lone qualifier in the first IHSA Finals in 2022 and then having Danely Villagomez join Aphay at state as Riverside-Brookfield claimed its first victories there last season, the program looks for bigger and better things this season, such as having its initial medal winner.

Things have gotten off to a good start for the Bulldogs as Estefany Bejarano reached the top of the awards stand at 155 after getting a fall in 1:02 over Wheeling’s Madeline Chicas while Aphay and Villagomez both took third place. Bejarano only needed 10 seconds to record a fall in the semifinals over Stevenson’s Taylor Braden to assure her spot on the championship mat.

Chicas, one of three second-place finishers for coach Anthony Piltaver’s runner-up Wildcats, needed 11 seconds to record a fall over Grant’s Cassidy Graham to advance to the finals. For third place, Grayslake North’s Jacqueline Cordova-Marquina won by fall in 0:43 over Dundee-Crowns’s Mackenzie Lessner.

170 – Alicia Tucker, Plainfield Central 

Alicia Tucker caught a lot of peoples’ attention last season when she put together a memorable season where she posted a 34-2 record and not only became Plainfield Central’s first medalist in the sport, but she took top honors at 155 to become its first champion and one of three Wildcats female athletes to ever win an IHSA title in any sport.

Now she hopes to join a more exclusive group, the two-time champions. There’s only been six in the first two years of IHSA competition and four are competing this season, including Freeport’s Cadence Diduch, who also won a title in Waukegan. Tucker added to a season-opening title at Minooka with a first at 155 after winning by fall in 1:41 over Palatine’s Sabrina Cargill. She needed 32 seconds to get a pin in the semifinals over McHenry’s Madalynn Sima.

“It feels great, moving up a weight class and getting all of these wins,” Tucker said. “It’s a big confidence booster. It was a really long day and I’ve been up since early this morning. I’ve just been really tired and it took a lot to just focus back on being in the moment during that match. I remember last year at this same tournament, there were not nearly as many wrestlers as there are this year.” 

Cargill, a state qualifier last year who won 26 matches, was the Pirates’ lone medalist. She won her first two matches with falls in the opening period, including in 1:11 in the semifinals over Maine West’s Lillian Garrett, who claimed third place with a fall in 2:00 over Sima. 

190 – Josephine Larson, Lakes Community

Josephine Larson put the finishing touches on a successful day for third-place Lakes Community when she captured a 3-1 decision over Wheeling’s Jasmine Rene in the 190 finals to give the Eagles a tournament-high three champions, with the others being Zaryia Mouzon at 105 and Ava Babbs at 125.

Larson, who went 15-4 and took fifth at 190 at state in 2023, hopes to join teammates Olivia Heft and Babbs in becoming two-time medal winners. Babbs placed third last year while Heft was the program’s first medal winner in 2022 with a runner-up finish. Larson added to a season-opening title win at her school’s Sandy Gussarson Invitational by recording three falls, including one in 2:15 in the semifinals over Maine West’s Jathziry Valencia Carranza, to reach the title mat.

“My freshman year, we only had five girls on our team and this year we have nine, so it’s awesome,” Larson said. “Our team did really well in this tournament. We took third overall and I think that’s awesome because we have a ton of first-year wrestlers.”

Rene became Wheeling’s first state medalist a year ago when she went 18-10 and took fourth place at 190. She reached the title mat at 190 with a fall in 1:52 over Grayslake North’s Jeniah Robinson. Waukegan’s Jennifer Perez won 4-0 over Robinson to finish third.

235 – Sophia Brown, McHenry

There’s nothing quite like winning the last championship of the day to help assure that your team is going to capture a tournament team title. But that’s just what Sophia Brown was able to do in the 235 title match when she recorded a fall in 1:03 over Maine West’s Eliana Garrett to assure that coach James Buss’ Warriors would prevail over Wheeling for top honors at the Waukegan Girls Tournament.

Brown, who joined 145 title winner Natalie Corona as one of McHenry’s two champions, hopes to do something that only one other individual has achieved thus far in the program, and that’s placing at state, which Emma Garrett accomplished in 2022, when she took sixth place at 140. Brown earned her trip to the 235 title mat with a fall in 1:09 over Round Lakes’ Yareli Macias in her only other match.

Garrett, the top-finisher among Maine West’s three medalists, recorded a fall in 1:34 over Warren Township’s Olivia Zasadil in the semifinals in her first match of the competition. In the third place match at 235, Macias won by fall in 1:15 over Zasadil.

Championship matches for the Waukegan Girls Tournament

100 – Riley Kongkaeow (Round Lake) D 14-7 Kat Bell (Montini Catholic)

105 – Zaryia Mouzon (Lakes Community) F 1:09 Haydee Cruz (Wheeling)

110 – Alexa Herrera (Harvard) F 1:50 Haven Sylves (Lakes Community)

115 – Ireland McCain (Round Lake) F 1:51 Courtni Chuway (Plainfield Central)

120 – Ariella Dobin (Glenbrook North) F 1:27 Gianna Arzer (Grayslake Central)

125 – Ava Babbs (Lakes Community) F 5:22 Noelani Rodriguez (Waukegan)

130 – Emily Ortiz (Zion-Benton) F 0:06 Kandice Wallace (Fremd)

135 – Cadence Diduch (Freeport) F 1:59 Quinna Sheets (Grayslake North)

140 – Faith Comas (Morton) D 6-4 Adrianna Ketchum (Zion-Benton)

145 – Natalie Corona (McHenry) F 0:11 Ithandehui Rosas (Harvard)

155 – Estefany Bejarano (Riverside-Brookfield) F 1:02 Madeline Chicas (Wheeling)

170 – Alicia Tucker (Plainfield Central) F 1:41 Sabrina Cargill (Palatine)

190 – Josephine Larson (Lakes Community) D 3-1 Jasmine Rene (Wheeling)

235 – Sophia Brown (McHenry) F 1:03 Eliana Garrett (Maine West)

115 B – Alexa Garcia (McHenry) F 3:35 Karolina Jaramillo-Garcia (Round Lake)

120 B – Grace Migasi (Maine South) F 1:59 Mirissa Buhler (McHenry)

125 B – Evelyn Miranda (Morton) F 0:17 Kylila Marquez (McHenry)

130 B – Janiya Moore (Metea Valley) F 1:00 Lydia Dillon (Grayslake North)

135 B – Isabella Baker (Stevenson) F 0:16 Vanesa Penaloza (Freeport)

140 B – Tegan Haske (Zion-Benton) F 1:24 Kimberly Hernandez (Dundee-Crown)

145 B – Grace Johnson (Zion-Benton) F 0:10 Emily Anaya (Riverside-Brookfield)

155 B – Krystal Diaz (Wheeling) F 1:00 Natalie Gonzalez (Dundee-Crown)

170 B – Stephanie Solano (Wheeling) F 0:45 Zyon Jordan (Plainfield Central)

Team scoring for the Waukegan Girls Tournament

1. McHenry 118, 2. Wheeling 113, 3. Lakes Community 99, 4. Morton 89, 5. Riverside-Brookfield 88, 6. Dundee-Crown 87, 6. Zion-Benton 87, 8. Grayslake North 85, 9. Round Lake 79, 10. Maine West 75, 11. Plainfield Central 67, 12. Warren Township 61, 13. Harvard 52, 14. Freeport 50, 15. Stevenson 42, 16. Waukegan 40, 17. Metea Valley 36, 18. Palatine 35, 19. Lemont 31, 20. Glenbrook North 26, 21. Grayslake Central 22, 22. Fremd 20, 22. Montini Catholic 20, 24. Grant 19, 25. Mundelein 15, 26. Lake Forest 14, 26. Saint Viator 14, 28. Maine South 10, 29. Guilford 3.

• 

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

Mount Carmel claims top honors at Dan Gable Donnybrook

Mount Carmel defeated Liberty, MO 401-391 to capture the title of the 37-team Dan Gable Donnybrook, which was held in Coralville, Iowa.

Bettendorf, IA edged Joliet Catholic Academy 336-332.5 for third place while Marmion Academy (266) finished fifth. Lockport Township (188.5) was 16th, Lincoln-Way West (169.5) placed 19th, DeKalb (150) was 23rd, Marian Central Catholic (129.5) placed 26th, Huntley (89.5) was 30th and Antioch (52) took 36th.

Once again, an Illinois team won the competition. In 2022, Marmion Academy took first with Liberty, MO edging out Mount Carmel for second and Joliet Catholic Academy placed sixth.

Coach Alex Tsirtsis’ first-place Caravan received titles from Seth Mendoza (126), Edmund Enright (157) and Colin Kelly (175) and a runner-up finish from Justin Williamson (113). 

Mendoza captured a 9-4 decision over Waukee Northwest, IA’s Koufax Christensen in the 126 finals. Enright beat Iowa City High, IA’s Kael Voinovich 5-3 on an overtime tiebreaker in the 157 title match and Kelly won a 7-3 decision over Liberty, MO’s Peyton Westpfahl for the 175 championship. Williamson lost a 13-1 major decision to Liberty, MO’s Hunter Taylor in the 113 finals.

Mendoza, who also took first place at last year’s Donnybrook, won the 2023 IHSA Class 3A title at 113 and also took first at 106 in 2022. Enright, who improved upon a third from a year ago, was the IHSA 3A runner-up at 152 last season and took fourth at 120 in the 2021 IWCOA Finals.  Kelly, who moved up from a fourth last season, took second at 170 in last year’s IHSA 3A Finals after winning the 160 title in 2022 and placing third at 160 in the 2021 IWCOA Finals.

Coach Ryan Cumbee’s third-place Hilltoppers received second-place finishes from Nino Ronchetti (190) and Dillan Johnson (285). Rochitti lost by technical fall in 5:38 to West Bend West, WI’s Connor Miraola in the 190 finals while Johnson was edged 5-4 in the 285 finals by West Bend West, WI’s Cole Mirasola. Johnson won a title in last year’s Donnybrook.

Johnson is a three-time defending champion, winning IHSA Class 2A titles at 285 in 2023 and 2022 and at 285 in the 2021 IWCOA Finals. Ronchetti took second in 2A at 182 last season.

Marmion Academy and Marian Central Catholic also each had a second-place finisher, Joey Favia (215) for the Cadets and Max Astacio (165) for the Hurricanes. 

Favia was edged 2-1 in the 215 finals by Fort Dodge, IA’s Dreshuan Ross. Astacio, who took fifth at 160 in the 2023 IHSA Class 1A  Finals, lost by technical fall in 5:27 in the 165 finals to Bettendorf’ IA’s Lincoln Jipp. He also was a top-10 finisher in last year’s event.

Other top performers for the champion Caravan included a fourth from Rylan Breen (190), a fifth from Liam Kelly (150), a sixth from Jairo Acuna (144), a seventh from William Jacobson (190) and a ninth from Evan Stanley (132). Breen also finished fifth last season. He’s a two-time IHSA Class 3A medalist taking fifth in 2023 and sixth in 2022, both times at 182.

Also turning in top-10 finishes for Joliet Catholic Academy were Luke Foster (106) with a fifth, Jason Hampton (120) with a sixth, Max Cumbee (113) with a seventh and Connor Cumbee (150), Luke Hamiti (157) and Max Corral (165) all finishing in eighth place. Connor Cumbee and Hampton also placed in the top 10 a year ago and later finished fourth in the IHSA 2A Finals, Hampton at 113 and Cumbee at 152.

Others in the top-10 for Marmion Academy were Nicholas Garcia (120) and Zach Stewart (138) with thirds, Ashton Hobson (144) with a fifth and Logan Conover (106) and Donny Pigoni (126) with sixths. Garcia and Stewart also placed in the top-10 at last year’s Donnybrook and Garcia took fourth at the 2023 IHSA 3A Finals at 106.

Also placing in the top-10 for Marian Central Catholic were Vance Williams (132) with a sixth and Austin Hagevold (106) with an eighth. Williams, who took second in Class 1A at 132 in 2023 and fourth at that weight in 2022, also had a top-10 Donnybrook finish last year.

Lockport Township’s top finisher was Justin Wardlow (138), who took fifth. The Porters also received eighth-place finishes from Timmy O’Connor (113) and Liam Zimmerman (132) while Durango Valles (175) took tenth. Zimmerman was also a top-10 finisher in 2022. Wardlow was the IHSA Class 3A runner-up at 120 in 2023.

Top performers for Lincoln-Way West were Luke Siwinski (138) with an eighth, Jase Salin (150) and Nate Elstner (190) with ninths and Shane Stream (113), who placed tenth.

DeKalb got a third-place finish from Jacob Luce (165) while Lamar Bradley (215) placed ninth. Luce, who took sixth at 152 in the 2023 IHSA 3A Finals, also placed in the top-10 last year.

Huntley’s was led by Markos Mihalopoulos (285), who finished eighth, giving him a second top-10 finish in the event. And leading Antioch was Chase Nobiling (138), who finished tenth.

Kelly tied Linn-Mar, IA’s Kane Naaktgeboren for the Donnybrook lead in most team points with 54 points while Mendoza (51.5) and Enright (51.5) tied for eighth place in that category.

Johnson led all competitors with the most falls in the least amount of time with four in 5:22. Salin (4 in 8:52) ranked fourth, Garcia (4 in 10:55) ranked seventh, Elstner (4 in 11:17) ranked eighth and Kelly (4 in 11:19) ranked ninth. Johnson also recorded the fastest fall in 0:11.

In the B Division, it was an all-Illinois matchup in the 132 finals as Huntley’s Gavin Nischke won by fall in 5:11 over Joliet Catholic Academy’s George Hollendoner. Other B Division first-place finishes were captured by Lockport Township’s Jaedon Calderon (144) and Lincoln-Way West’s Elijah Zepeda (165) while Huntley’s Lucas Bittman (175) also took second place.

Turner receives OWA at Girls Dan Gable Donnybrook

Lockport Township’s Morgan Turner won the 105 championship at the Girls Dan Gable Donnybrook in Coralville, Iowa, when she recorded a fall in 5:20 over Liberty, MO’s Sandy Breeden. As a result of her dominating tournament performance, the Porters sophomore newcomer received the Girls Outstanding Wrestler Award for the tournament. 

In the tournament, Turner scored 67 match points, which was 21 more that the next-best competitor, Cedar Rapids Prairie, IA’s Ciara Gomez-Bryant. She had two of the highest match point totals with a tournament-best 25 in her semifinals victory over Mason City, IA’s Layla Phillips and tied for fourth with 18 points in another triumph. She also had one of only two wins by technical fall in the tournament, against Phillips, and that was the quickest in 3:47. 

“Morgan wrestled well at the Donnybrook pinning or teching her way through the tournament,” Porters coach Jameson Oster said. “She dominated every match and was deserving of the OW award.”

Turner made history last season when she became the first girl to place in the IHSA Boys Finals by claiming third place at 106 in Class 2A while competing for Bremen. She went 4-1 at state, winning her first two matches before falling 3-0 in the semifinals to the eventual state champion, Grayslake Central’s Anthony Alanis, and then bounced back to win two two-point decisions. 

Five Illinois teams took part in the 43-team competition with the Turner’s Porters (210.5) taking 14th place, Huntley (149) finishing 20th, DeKalb (90) placing 31st, Joliet Catholic Academy (74) claiming 33rd place and Lincoln-Way West (63) in 34th place. 

Lockport Township also received fifth-place finishes from Claudia Heeney (130) and Rebekah Ramirez (235) and a sixth-place effort from Liz Ramirez (120). Heeney won a title in last year’s Donnybrook while Liz Ramirez took sixth place again. Heeney became the Porters’ first medalist when she took second place at 125 in last year’s IHSA Finals.

Huntley got four top-10 finishes as Taylor Casey (110) finished fifth, Jessica Olson (140) placed seventh, Janiah Slaughter (105) took ninth and Aubrie Rohrbacher (130) claimed tenth place. All four Red Raiders also placed in the top 10 in last year’s Donnybrook. Slaughter became the Red Raiders’ initial state placewinner when she finished third at 100 in the 2023 IHSA Finals.

DeKalb got a seventh from Aarianna Bloyd (235) and a ninth from Alex Gregorio-Perez (110), who also was in the top-10 a year ago.

Joliet Catholic Academy received a third-place finish from Cheya Bishop (170) and an eighth from Grace Laird (125), who won a title at last year’s Donnybrook. Bishop had the second-quickest fall in the tournament, at nine seconds. And Lincoln-Way West got a sixth-place finish from Zoe Dempsey (105) and a ninth from Alaina Hollendoner (120).

Edwardsville claims third at Francis Howell North Tournament

Edwardsville took third place with 33 points and Granite City was ninth with 17.5 points at the Francis Howell North Tournament in St. Charles, Missouri. Lafayette, MO won the championship with 58 points while Ft. Zumwalt South, MO took second with 47 points.

Winning championships for the Tigers were Logan Hiller (138) and Riley Steinkuehler (285) while Bryson Nuttall (113) and Aiden Stamp (157) both took second place.

Ryan Richie (126), Blake Mink (144) and Max Miller (175) took third and Levi Wilkinson (132) and Simon Schulte (190) finished fourth for a program that’s now coached by Eric Pretto.

Pretto, a Carl Sandburg graduate, is in his first year as head coach after serving the past few seasons as an assistant for 2019 IWCOA Hall Of Fame inductee Jon Wagner, who retired last season after winning over 500 dual meets in his 27 years leading the Tigers. 

Hiller capped a 5-0 day with a 6-4 decision over Ft. Zumwalt South’s Kyle Detchemendy while Steinkuehler also went 5-0 and won his final match by fall in 3:37 over Ft. Zumwalt South’s Junior Rudd.

Top performers for the Warriors were Dawson Hawthorne (120), who took second place, and Demarco Clark (285), who placed fourth.

Quincy Senior takes third at Board Hyland Cardinal Invite

Quincy Senior had a successful trip to Minnesota where it took third place with 162 points at the Board Hyland Cardinal Invitational in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. The Blue Devils, the lone Illinois team in the field, fell one half point behind Cumberland, WI while Hastings, MN took first with 179.5 points in the 15-team competition.

Owen Uppinghouse, who took third at 160 in Class 3A at the 2023 IHSA Finals, won the championship at 172 with a fall over Royalton-Upsala, MN’s Nicholas Leibold. Brody Baker (145) lost a one-point decision in the finals and Gunnar Derhake (160) also claimed a second-place finish for coach Phil Neally’s Blue Devils.

Eli Roberts (152) and Bryor Newbold (189) both took third place while Hugh Sharrow (114), Evan Wakefield (127) and Todd Smith (285) all finished in fourth place.

Cahokia finishes fifth at Westminster Tournament

Cahokia scored 112 points to take fifth place at the Westminster Tournament, which was hosted by Westminster Christian Academy in Town and Country, Missouri and won by Washington, Missouri with 180.5 points. The Comanches were the lone Illinois team in the field.

Cahokia was led by second-place finishes from Kindle Williams (150) and Issac Phipps (190) while Mark Norris (132) and Kindrick Williams (175) took third and Nathan Fisher (106) and Anthony Winters (138) finished fourth. Kindrick Williams tied for the largest seed to place difference, which was 12 spots, while Norris recorded four falls.

Brother Rice places sixth at Harvest Classic

Brother Rice scored 177 points to finish sixth at the 16-team Harvest Classic at Lake Central in St. John, Indiana. The Crusaders, the lone Illinois team in the competition, were just six points out of third place in an otherwise all-Indiana competition that was won by Penn with 235 points while the host school took second with 217 points.

The Crusaders advanced three individuals to the title mat with Gambino Perez being their lone champ. Perez won by fall in 1:13 over Highland, IN’s Hunter Sopkowski in the 165 finals. 

Oliver Davis (138) and Frank Meceli (150) both claimed second place while Jack O’Connor (144) placed third and Pat Gilholly (157) finished fourth. James Bennet (132) took fifth and had a tournament-high 65 match points, which was 16 points ahead of second place.

Andrew at Cliff Keen Independence Invitational

Three Andrew competitors claimed top-five finishes at the 33-team Cliff Keen Independence Invitational in Independence, Iowa. 

The Thunderbolts, who were one of six non-Iowa squads and the lone Illinois team in the competition, took 14th place with 172 points. Nadeem Haleem (113) and Max Siegel (126) both took fourth place while Michael McDonough (285) claimed fifth place. The Andrew trio all advanced to semifinals matches in their weight classes.

By Bobby Narang – For the IWCOA

ELGIN – Wrestling matches generally never run on schedule.

When you throw in a tournament packed with several teams from different regions of the state, it often leads to an even slower schedule.

Early-season weekend tournaments are notorious for blowing past any projected start time for finals.

Take for example the 2003 Chris Hruska Wrestling Classic at Conant in late November. The estimated start time for finals was 2 p.m.The actual start time was closer to 4 p.m.

Saturday’s Larkin Girls Royal Rumble in Elgin was no different.

The finals blew way past the projected start time, nearly four-plus hours later, due to a computer issue with the results. Several wrestlers said they had spent nearly 12 hours at the school, with the finals ending just before 8 p.m.

Just like in other sports, wrestling is a mental challenge, just as much as physical. Several champions said they resorted to unique methods to bid time during the long meet. 

Oak Forest captured the team title with 204 points while Batavia snared second place with 185 points. Joliet Township co-op, consisting of athletes from Joliet Central and Joliet West, just missed second place after scoring 182 points and the District 230 co-op of athletes from Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Stagg, finished in fourth place with 174 points in the 18-team field.

Coach John Sebek’s champion Bengals received titles from Camila O’Leary Salas (125), Ryann Reeves (170), Isabel Peralta (190) and Jessica Komolafe (235) while Madelyn Sears (140) placed second, Iyobosa Odiase (145) took third, Maya Coreas Funes (155) finished fourth, Marjorie Rodriguez (115) was fifth and Charlotte Pedroza (120) took sixth.

“I am very proud of how our girls wrestled, considering we were missing wrestlers at 100, 105 and 110 and a lot of other teams had full lineups,” Sebek said. “We had five girls in the finals, Camila O’Leary Salas, Maddy Sears, Ryann Reeves, Isabel Peralta and Jessica Komolafe. We also had four other girls place third through sixth, Iyobosa Odiase, Charlotte Pedroza, Marjorie Rodriguez and Maya Coreas Funes.

“We brought 12 girls to the event and only 10 could be considered for team points, so it shows the true heart and grit of this team. They battled all day long. We were also without our most experienced wrestler, Alexandra Sebek, who was a state finalist last year and is dealing with a high ankle sprain.

“Hats off to the girls and coaches of Batavia High School. It was neck and neck with them all day. Coach (Scott) Bayer and Coach Alvarado have a very young and talented team. They will be the team to beat very shortly.”

Glenbard West’s Alycia Perez, who was crowned the first champion of the night at 100 pounds, called it a tough and long day.

“I just reset my mind every time I felt tired and just had to push that feeling away and did sprints to keep moving,” Perez said.

In the 105-pound class, Addison Trail senior Veronica Cosio had a solid day to win her weight. She said her first time competing in the Royals Rumble was a unique experience.

“I made sure to keep my mental state and stay in a positive mindset even though it was a long and trying day and unexpected things happened,” Cosio said. “I kept a positive mindset throughout the day.”

At 110 pounds, Bartlett’s Angelina Carpintero took the title in her weight class, but not before some trying hours.

“Mentally, it was exhausting today,” Carpintero said. “I was trying so hard to not fall asleep, just kept eating and had a ton of Coke. I just kept busy, talking to my teammates, but I actually felt stronger because I had the extra time to rest.”

Glenbard North junior Gabby Gomez, the defending state champion at 115, added another first-place medal with three easy wins on Saturday. A veteran wrestler, Gomez said she enjoyed the long day but needed some extra caffeine.

“The tournament ran a little bit long, so I got a little tired and had a couple of energy drinks,” Gomez said. “I really liked the support and seeing all these girls have fun during the break. That was super cool.”

Other champions were District 230’s Sophia Figueroa (120) and Alyssa Keane (145), Glenbard North’s Keagan Edwards (130), Bolingbrook’s Katie Ramirez-Quintero (135), Richwoods’ Kaila Williams (140) and Batavia’s Sydney Perry (155), who was an undefeated IHSA champion at 145 in both 2022 and 2023.

Here’s a breakdown of the champions and their weight classes of the Larkin Girls Royal Rumble:

100 – Alycia Perez, Glenbard West

Alycia Perez won all four of her matches with pins, including defeating Batavia’s Lily Enos in 3:09 in the final. With her match surrounded by a lot of coaches and teammates, Glenbard West’s Perez started off the championship round with an impressive win over Enos, who took fifth at 100 in the 2023 IHSA Finals, to cap a strong day.

“I’m really motivated this year to make it to state, so this was a good start,” Perez said. “I just believed in myself and kept a good mindset. I learned that believing in myself and just trying hard really helped me. I didn’t know how that last match would go, but I just knew it would be tough.”

District 230’s Layan Saleh won by fall over Elgin’s Melissa Viveros for third place and Joliet Township’s Kassie Ruiz defeated Elgin’s Lourdes Hernandez 4-2 by sudden victory to claim fifth place.

105 – Veronica Cosio, Addison Trail

Addison Trail’s Veronica Cosio started her team off with a bright spot with four victories by fall to win the 105 title, defeating Richwoods’ Heaven Sewell in 1:04 in the championship match.

Cosio celebrated her title by doing a double-bicep pose on the podium.

“I was very confident in myself and believed in my abilities and went for it right away,” Cosio said. “I knew I had it in the last (match) and went for it. I feel really good. My mindset and mentality is better and I have way more confidence in myself this year.”

Elgin’s Mali Patino pinned Bartlett’s Kahlynn Spurgeon to take home the third-place medal while Joliet Township’s Alisa Carter pinned Bolingbrook’s Ashley Hobbs in the fifth-place match.

110 – Angelina Carpintero, Bartlett

Bartlett’s Angelina Carpintero was all smiles after she received her first-place medal during a rushed ceremony to the lateness of the event. She kept the early match tradition going by winning all of her four matches with pins, highlighted by a fall in 1:52 over Woodstock’s Eva Hermansson in the final.

“I told myself I wasn’t going to lose today, no matter how many points were against me,” Carpintero said. “I didn’t place at state last year at 110. I’m sticking at 110. I feel a lot stronger after doing offseason (work).”

Bolingbrook’s Alejandra Flores pinned Larkin’s Ashley Hammond in the third-place match, while Joliet Township’s Emma Schlismann pinned Harvest Christian’s Sam Macek for fifth place.

115 – Gabby Gomez, Glenbard North

Glenbard North’s Gabby Gomez had a strut in her step for most of the final few hours of Saturday’s meet. The junior was unfazed by the lengthy meet, relying on her championship background to handle the extra time. On the mat, the two-time defending state champion cruised to the 115-pound title. Gomez, who won an IHSA title at 115 last season and at 105 in 2022, earned a tough 9-0 major decision in the title match over Joliet Township’s Eliana Paramo, a two-time state medal winner and IHSA runner-up at 115 last season.

“I felt good today, so it’s always good to get this time of competition,” Gomez said. “There were a lot of first-time wrestlers today. I just tried to be aggressive. I had two really good matches, so I’m glad to get them before state.

“I feel more myself this year. Last year I was giving girls too much respect. Now, I’m just going to give it my all. I think I can do it again this year.”

Bartlett’s Emma Engels, who won the IHSA title at 100 last season, posted a 10-6 win over Addison Trail’s Nina Matthews in the third-place match. Oak Forest’s Marjorie Rodriguez notched a pin over Richwoods’ Brianna Johnson to collect a fifth-place medal.

120 – Sophia Figueroa, District 230

Sophia Figueroa closed out a tough class by pinning Glenbard West’s Karolina Konopka in 5;21 to win the title at 120. A junior for District 230’s co-op team, Figueroa said she relied on her strategy to defeat Konopka.

“I just tried to stay heavy on her hips and just knock her down when she tried to get up,” Figueroa said. “Going into this I wasn’t sure what I was going to do today, and even if I would make it to finals. I have to stay confident in my skills. I started thinking in the second period I could win it.”

Elgin’s Salome Patino claimed third place by medical forfeit over Thomas Kelly College Prep’s Jaqueline Dimas. Batavia’s Natalie Lenart pinned Oak Forest’s Charlotte Pedroza to win a fifth-place medal.

125 – Camila O’Leary Salas, Oak Forest

Oak Forest’s Camila O’Leary Salas capped off a big day with a pin in 0:30 over Batavia’s Mackenzie Harried in the 125 title match. The sophomore relied on a simple approach in her weight class.

“I just tried to pin them as quick as possible,” she said. “I like to get things done really fast. I was always trying to stay focused in my matches, knowing what they were doing. I think I performed pretty well today. I took a long nap during the break to help me.”

The first of the Bengals’ four title winners said she’s motivated to make a run at the state title after an injury ended her season early.

“I didn’t get cleared to wrestle (at 100 percent) until the summer,” she said. “It was hard on me. I had to push through it. There was some tension, but I just tried to have a good mentality.”

Conant’s Brooklyn Jones was enjoying pictures with her third-place medal after pinning West Chicago’s Susana Correa while Joliet Township’s Briahna Klobnak pinned Elgin’s Emily Pizano for fifth place.

130 – Keagan Edwards, Glenbard North

Keagan Edwards won the unofficial award for best celebration following her 7-2 win over Batavia’s Anabelle Guthke in the 130 title match. The Glenbard North sophomore was overcome with happiness, smiling nonstop for several minutes in bewilderment over her accomplishment, even asking someone near her if she won first place.

“This is my first, first place,” Edwards said. “I worked so hard last year and wasn’t winning, but I put in so much effort over the summer and it’s finally paying off. For me, it’s all about the effort I put in. I know how hard I work and have to do everything on the mat and believe in myself.”

Edwards said her ‘hype music’ helped her during the exhausting day. She prefers an old-school approach to her wrestling pre-match tunes.

“I listened to Led Zeppelin and AC/DC (today),” she said. “My dad raised me on it. It’s my favorite music.”

Woodstock’s Danica LaTessa earned a 6-4 win over District 230’s Mackenzie Conry in the third-place match and in a matchup of teammates, Addison Trail’s Brithany Mondragon pinned Ruth Castillo for fifth place.

135 – Katie Ramirez-Quintero, Bolingbrook

Bolingbrook’s Katie Ramirez-Quintero made her teammates proud by pinning District 230’s Lana Schuaibi to win her weight class. The 2022 IHSA sixth-place placewinner at 130 cherished her achievement after a trying offseason.

“I was just having with it today,” Ramirez-Quintero said. “I was struggling with an MCL tear for the past year. I kind of fell out of love with the sport. This year I’ve been focusing on what I love to do. I was out for a long time until September. This reassures me that I’m on the right path after I was struggling earlier.”

Joliet Township’s Izabel Barrera pinned Glenbard West’s Nydia Jotzat to capture third place while West Chicago’s Jenny Espinal recorded a 12-6 win over Batavia’s Amelia Howell to win fifth.

140 – Kaila Williams, Richwoods

Richwoods’ Kaila Williams had one of the longest days due her lengthy trek to the meet, but she made the trip worthwhile by pinning Oak Forest’s Madelyn Sears in 1:40 in the 140 title bout. She credited maintaining her composure for winning the title. She said she left Peoria at 5 a.m. on Saturday.

“The key for me was focusing on my moves and knowing what I want to do,” Williams said, a second-year wrestler. “I didn’t place at state last year, but I’m staying motivated and listening to my coaches. They helped me a lot today.”

Conant’s Ewa Krupa made a point to take several photos to celebrate her third-place pin over Joliet Township’s Veronica Klobnak and Glenbard West’s Poper Burke pinned Elgin’s Briana Anselmo to get fifth place.

145 – Alyssa Keane, District 230

District 230 junior Alyssa Keane, who took third place at 135 in the 2023 IHSA Finals, notched the 145-pound title by recording four pins, including a pin in 2:41 win over Glenbard West’s Miyalinna DeJesus in the 145 title match.

“I stayed confident,” Keane said. “I had to do what I did best. I placed third at state last year, so I’m trying not to cut as much as last year to be stronger going up against the girls I’m going up against this year. I feel a lot stronger and more confident this year. I have to just go out on the mat and do my job and I can’t have fun.”

Oak Forest’s Iyobosa Odiase pinned Conant’s Douaa Badou for third place while Joliet Township’s Vanessa O’Connor pinned Batavia’s Lyn Codo-Prim for fifth place.

155 – Sydney Perry, Batavia

As one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the state, Batavia’s Sydney Perry maintained a business-like approach for the majority of Saturday’s meet. The Bulldogs senior, who went 34-0 last season and won the IHSA title at 145 after going 21-0 and taking first at state at 145 in 2022, ended her trip to the Royal Rumble by pinning Hinsdale South’s Callie Carr in 1:58 in the 155 title match.

“I just stayed focused and kept my same goals and tried to help my team with the mental aspect,” Perry said. “I helped coach the girls and watched a lot of wrestling and chilled during most of the day. I’ve had a lot of character growth and feel more prepared this year and feel a lot better.”

Richwoods’ Jaida Johnson, who took second place at 155 in the inaugural IHSA Finals, got a win by fall in 0:21 over Oak Forest’s Maya Coreas Funes in the third-place bout. West Chicago’s Annette Huesca pinned Glenbard North’s Nathalie Miranda to take fifth place.

170 – Ryann Reeves, Oak Forest

Ryann Reeves was a dominant force in her weight class, showcasing her toughness and skills to capture two pins, ending the tournament with a win by fall in 1:34 over Joliet Township’s Bianca Campos in the 170 title match. The Oak Forest senior picked up wrestling last year for the first time and ended up advancing to state.

“I want to build on top of what I did last year at 155, which I still plan on wrestling at this year,” Reeves said. “I put all my faith in my hard work and it worked.”

Batavia’s Emma Abbate claimed third place over Thomas Kelly College Prep’s Sara Martinez Lopera by medical forfeit. Conant’s Lana Ton pinned Batavia’s Sarah Anderson to take fifth place.

190 – Isabel Peralta, Oak Forest

Oak Forest’s Isabel Peralta turned in a memorable four-victory day, ending by pinning Bolingbrook’s Aurelia Gil-Lane in 2:00 in the 190 title match to become one of the Bengals’ four champions. 

District 230’s Janae Vargas claimed third place over Thomas Kelly College Prep’s Liana Andrade by medical forfeit. Addison Trail’s JD Quijano pulled out a 5-0 win over Batavia’s Caoimhe Mitchell for fifth.

235 – Jessica Komolafe, Oak Forest

The final title match of the meet featured a quality win by Oak Forest’s Jessica Komolafe, who pinned District 230’s Emma Akpan,  who placed sixth at 235 in the 2023 IHSA Finals, in the 235 finals to become her team’s fourth champion.. 

Glenbard West’s Thanh Dinh claimed third place by medical forfeit over Thomas Kelly College Prep’s N’Dyia Mahon-Godfrey. Joliet Township’s Natalie Quiroz pinned Batavia’s Oliver Schafer for fifth.

Championship matches for the Larkin Girls Royal Rumble

100 – Alycia Perez (Glenbard West) F 3:09 Lily Enos (Batavia)
105 – Veronica Cosio (Addison Trail) F 1:04 Heaven Sewell (Richwoods)
110 – Angelina Carpintero (Bartlett) F 1:52 Eva Hermansson (Woodstock)
115 – Gabby Gomez (Glenbard North) MD 9-0 Eliana Paramo (Joliet Township)
120 – Sophia Figueroa (District 230) F 5:21 Karolina Konopka (Glenbard West)
125 – Camila O’Leary Salas (Oak Forest) F 0:30 Mackenzie Harried (Batavia)
130 – Keagan Edwards (Glenbard North) D 7-2 Anabelle Guthke (Batavia)
135 – Katie Ramirez-Quintero (Bolingbrook) F 2:52 Lana Shuaibi (District 230)
140 – Kaila Williams (Richwoods) F 1:40 Madelyn Sears (Oak Forest)
145 – Alyssa Keane (District 230) F 2:41 Miyalinna DeJesus (Glenbard West)
155 – Sydney Perry (Batavia) F 1:58 Callie Carr (Hinsdale South)
170 – Ryann Reeves (Oak Forest) F 1:34 Bianca Campos (Joliet Township)
190 – Isabel Peralta (Oak Forest) F 2:00 Aurelia Gil-Lane (Bolingbrook)
235 – Jessica Komolafe (Oak Forest) F 0:51 Emma Akpan (District 230)

Team standings for the Larkin Girls Royal Rumble

1. Oak Forest 204, 2. Batavia 185, 3. Joliet Township 182, 4. District 230 174, 5. Glenbard West 145, 6. Richwoods 111, 7. Addison Trail 96, 8. Bolingbrook 87.5, 9. Conant 83, 10. Glenbard North 73.5, 11. Elgin 70, 12. Bartlett 69, 13. Woodstock 65, 14. Thomas Kelly College Prep 56, 
15. Larkin 27, 16. Hinsdale South 24, 17. Harvest Christian 13.

By Curt Herron – For the IWCOA

Civic Memorial captures title at own Steve Bradley Invitational 

Civic Memorial finished strong to win the championship of its Steve Bradley Invitational, which featured seven ranked squads in Classes 2A and 1A among the 22 teams that took part in the event in Bethalto.

Coach Jeremy Christeson’s champion Eagles scored 190.5 points to take first place while Vandalia finished second with 167 points. 

Bloomington (148.5), Olympia (132), Mattoon (127), Benton (116), Murphysboro (115), Jacksonville (110), Waterloo (109), Oakville, MO (91.5) and Highland (85.5) rounded out the top half of the field.

Civic Memorial received titles from Avery Jamie (126), Bryce Griffin (165) and Luke McCoy (175) while Bradley Ruckman (120) placed second, James Wojcikiewicz (157) finished third and Brody Johnson (106) claimed fourth place.

Also for the Eagles, Kale Hawk (215) finished fifth, Jake Herrin (285) was sixth, Nathen Herrin (144) took seventh and Preston Furlow (132) placed eighth. Josh Harkey (138) also contributed points.

“I think we wrestled pretty well for the day,” Christeson said. “We still are not at full strength yet. We still have guys wrestling up a weight class, we were dealing with some sickness this weekend and some of our guys were a little banged up heading into the tourney. 

“We just talked about wresting through the excuses and getting your mind right and ready. There were some solid teams this year in the tourney and good competition, so we knew it would be tough. We are happy with some of the results and we’ve got to have a good week of practice to get ready for some tough duals in Indiana next weekend.”

Leading the way for coach Jason Clay’s runner-up Vandals were title winner Max Philpot (106) and second-place finishers Elijah Mabry (113) and Dillon Hinton (138). 

Also for Vandalia, Brody Matthews (126) took third, Kaden Tidwell (190) finished fourth, Keagan Turner (144) claimed fifth, Deon Moore (132) was sixth while Artan Mustafa (165) and Dominic Swyers (285) both took seventh place.

Other champions were Carlyle’s Preston Waughtel (113) and Tyson Waughtel (120), Benton’s Mason Tieffel (138), Mattoon’s Korbin Bateman (144), Highland’s Tyson Rakers (150), Murphysboro’s Liam Fox (157), Waterloo’s Jaxson Mathenia (190), Jacksonville’s Oliver Cooley (215), Bloomington’s Stephen Carr (285) and Oakville, MO’s Gokkhan Yurdanidze (132).

Four of the champions also won titles in last year’s invite, Carlyle’s Tyson Waughtel (120), Benton’s Tieffel (138), Mattoon’s Bateman (144) and Civic Memorial’s Griffin (165). 

Waughtel is a two-time state Class 1A champion, who went 50-1 last season and took first at 113 after winning the 106 title in 2022. Tieffel is a three-time medal winner and two-time 1A finalist who went 52-2 in 2023 and took first place at 138 last season after placing second at 126 in 2022. And Griffin is also a three-time medal winner who went 48-5 and placed second at 145 in Class 2A at 145 last season.

Also claiming second-place finishes were Bloomington’s Jaylen Sandy (106) and Maddox Kirts (165), East Alton-Wood River’s Jamal Burgess (132) and Drake Champlin (215), Jacksonville’s Joe Reif (157) and Aiden Surratt (285), Goreville’s Jeremiah Pulliam (126), Mascoutah’s Brock Ross (144), Mattoon’s Aidan Blackburn (150), Springfield High’s Keyshaun Harris (175) and Highland’s Ashton Zobrist (190).

Some of the closest championship matches included Carr getting past Surratt 6-4 by sudden victory at 285, Rakers winning 4-3 over Blackburn in a tiebreaker at 150, Bateman edging Ross 5-4 at 144 and Cooley prevailing 4-3 over Champlin at 215. 

Other third-place finishers were Jersey’s Hunter Hodge (106) and Connor Chin (175), Murphysboro’s Paxton Pyatt (113) and Julien Tanner (285), Benton’s Cohen Sweely (120) and Anthony Hernandez (144), Olympia’s Bentley Wise (150) and Nolen Yeary (215), Centralia’s Lane Griffin (132), Mattoon’s Ben Capitosti (138), Jacksonville’s James Cotton (165) and Freeburg’s Dane Olmstead (190).

Also finishing in fourth place were Mascoutah’s Jayden Wilkenson (132), Jordan Sonon-Hale (150) and Sean Murphy (157), Jacksonville’s Steven Easley (113), Waterloo’s Konnor Stephens (120), Bloomington’s M’khi Hollins (126), Murphysboro’s Bryce Edwards (138), Springfield High’s Gabe Ruvalcaba (144), East St. Louis’ Corey Robinson (165), Highland’s Thomas Mitchell (175), Jersey’s James Busch (285) and Oakville, MO’s Ethan Venable (215).

Additional fifth-place finishers were Olympia’s Austin Kisner (120), Cooper Phillips (138) and Kelton Graden (157), Waterloo’s Matthew Deutch (106) and Jackson Deutch (175), Mattoon’s Ean Freeman (165) and Blaine Howell (190), East St. Louis’ Pierre Walton (150) and Mehki McDowell (285), Highland’s Gavin Merkle (113), Centralia’s Nate LeCrone (126) and Murphysboro’s Sergio Garcia (132).

Carr, Philpot and Yurdanidze had the most team points with 30, Jamie, McCoy and Tyson Waughtel all scored 29.5 points, Tieffel had 29 points, Griffin collected 28 team points and Preston Waughtel fished with 27 points.

Philpot had the most falls in the least time with four in 2:44 and Jamie had the most total match points with 48.

Championship matches for Civic Memorial’s Steve Bradley Invitational

106 – Max Philpot (Vandalia) F 0:45 Jaylen Sandy (Bloomington)

113 – Preston Waughtel (Carlyle) TF 4:00 Elijah Mabry (Vandalia)

120 – Tyson Waughtel (Carlyle) F 0:49 Bradley Ruckman (Civic Memorial)

126 – Avery Jamie (Civic Memorial) F 1:07 Jeremiah Pulliam (Goreville)

132 – Gokkhan Yurdanidze (Oakville, MO) F 0:59 Jamal Burgess (East Alton-Wood River)

138 – Mason Tieffel (Benton) MD 17-6 Dillon Hinton (Vandalia)

144 – Korbin Bateman (Mattoon) D 5-4 Brock Ross (Mascoutah)

150 – Tyson Rakers (Highland) TB-1 4-3 Aidan Blackburn (Mattoon)

157 – Liam Fox (Murphysboro) D 7-1 Joe Reif (Jacksonville)

165 – Bryce Griffin (Civic Memorial) D 13-6 Maddox Kirts (Bloomington)

175 – Luke McCoy (Civic Memorial) F 1:58 Keyshaun Harris (Springfield High)

190 – Jaxson Mathenia (Waterloo) MD 10-2 Ashton Zobrist (Highland)

215 – Oliver Cooley (Jacksonville) D 4-3 Drake Champlin (East Alton-Wood River)

285 – Stephen Carr (Bloomington) SV-1 6-4 Aiden Surratt (Jacksonville)

Team standings for Civic Memorial’s Steve Bradley Invitational

1. Civic Memorial 190.5, 2. Vandalia 167, 3. Bloomington 148.5, 4. Olympia 132, 5. Mattoon 127, 6. Benton 116, 7. Murphysboro 115, 8. Jacksonville 110, 9. Waterloo 109, 10. Oakville, MO 91.5, 11. Highland 85.5, 12. Mascoutah 77, 13. Jersey 74.5, 14. Carlyle 71.5, 15. East St. Louis 70, 16. Centralia 62.5, 17. East Alton-Wood River 53, 18. Springfield High 41, 19. Goreville 40, 20. Freeburg 33, 21. Alton 29, 22. Civic Memorial B 12.

Edwardsville claims championship at Granite City Girls Invite

Edwardsville captured the title of the 33-team Granite City Girls Invite with 205 points while Bartlett, Tennessee was second with 141 points.  Fox, Missouri took third with 95 points. Collinsville (86), Normal West (77), Jacksonville (73), Mt. Vernon (62), Peoria Notre Dame (62), Glenwood (59) and Highland (58) rounded out the top 10.

Edwardsville coach Jon Wagner, a 2019 IWCOA Hall of Fame Inductee who won over 500 dual meets while leading the Tigers boys for 27 seasons, got individual titles from Gianna Linhorst (110), Holly Zugmaier (125) and Tayla Phillips (235) and second-place finishes from Genevieve Dykstra (100), Olive Linhorst (120) and Victoria White (190). and thirds from Olivia Coll (105) and Lydia Blind (135).

The Tigers also got thirds from Olivia Coll (105) and Lydia Blind (135), fourth-place finishes from Alison Kirk (100), Allie Chong (115) and Madison Aldrich (130) and fifths from Maddy Allen (105) and Abigail Hayes (190) while Abbrey DeWerff (170) also contributed points. 

Leading the way for coach Jordan May’s Collinsville Kahoks were champions Taylor Dawson (130) and Tashieya Taylor (155) as well as third-place finisher Leann Cory (140).

Normal West coach Margaret LeGates Lehr, who was the first girl to compete in wrestling in IHSA history while at Libertyville, got seconds from Cheyenne Anderson (110), Amelia McClure (125) and Cadence Duvall (235) while Alexis Clothier-Mattocks (190) took sixth.

Other champions were Glenwood’s Kadi Wilbern (105) and Jenna Tuxhorn (140), Jacksonville’s Alexis Seymour (120) and Hailey DeWitt (135), Roxana’s Madelyn Murphy (100), Auburn’s Jadyn Perry (145), Peoria Notre Dame’s Autumne Williams (170), Hazelwood Central, MO’s Carrington Reed (115) and Bartlett, TN’s Ayanna Omollo (190).

Also finishing in second place were Jersey’s Aliyah Brooks (135) and Rory Speidel (145), Belleville East’s Alexcia Harden (105), PORTA’s Alexia Glover (140), Highland’s August Rottmann (170), Bartlett, TN’s Emily Clement (115) and Paige McKendry (155) and Fox, MO’s Zoey Zimmerman (130).

All but one of the championship matches were determined by fall. The only one that wasn’t was in the 140 finals where Tuxhorn won a 9-0 major decision over Glover.

Williams claimed one of the biggest victories in the tournament when she won the title at 170 by fall in 1:07 over Rottmann, the 2023 IHSA champion at 170 who went 21-1 last year and also took third place at the same weight in the inaugural IHSA Finals.

IHSA medal winners who won championships were Dawson, who went 34-5 and placed third at 130 last season and took second place at 125 in 2022, and Seymour, who went 32-18 and placed fourth at 120 in the 2023 Finals.

Others who took third place were Mt. Vernon’s Lily Davis (100) and Dayton Phillips (145), Belleville West’s Jala Singleton (110), Springfield High’s Ella Miloncus (115), Alton’s Arryana Jones (120), Washington’s Lilly Bay (130), Highland’s Bryleigh Thomas (155), Belleville East’s Kami Ratcliff (170), Robinson’s Rylee Hammond (235) and Bartlett, TN’s Madyson Jones (125) and Fox, MO’s Abbigail Pogue (190).

Additional fourth-place finishers were Granite City’s Ma’Kayla Bonner (110), Civic Memorial’s Kendall Smith (120), Springfield High’s Anna Miloncus (125), Belleville East’s Lea Kuc (140), Auburn’s Heaven Workman (170), Peoria Notre Dame’s Bailey Amerman (190), Bartlett, TN’s Rebecca Humenik (105), Charlotte Mutchler (145) and Morgan Ragsdale (235) and Fox, MO’s Maleighia Stranger (135) and Meghan Breckenfelder (155).

Fifth-place finishes were also turned in by Auburn’s Jasmine Brown (115), Mt. Vernon’s Deziare Jones (120), Glenwood’s Isabella Resendez (125), Waterloo’s Nevaeh Gentelin (130), Granite City’s Jayden Malmkar (135), Marion’s Joelene Nappier-Feth (140), Belleville West’s Zoee Dozier (145), Peoria Notre Dame’s Martha Gardner (155), Alton’s Elanna Hickman (170) and Fox, MO’s Jaelyn Carmelo (110).

Seymour and Taylor led the way in team points with 34 apiece while Perry, Phillips, Reed and Williams all scored 28 team points. Dawson, DeWitt, Olive Linhorst, McKendry, Murphy, Omollo and Zugmaier all collected 26 team points.

Taylor had five falls in 2:47 while Jones and Seymour both also recorded five pins. And Dawson had the most total match points with 47, which were 14 more than the next-best total. 

Championship matches for Granite City’s Girls Invite

100 – Madelyn Murphy (Roxana) F 3:14 Genevieve Dykstra (Edwardsville)

105 – Kadi Wilbern (Glenwood) F 1:45 Alexcia Harden (Belleville East)

110 – Gianna Linhorst (Edwardsville) F 1:26 Cheyenne Anderson (Normal West)

115 – Carrington Reed (Hazelwood Central, MO) F 0:59 Emily Clement (Bartlett, TN)

120 – Alexis Seymour (Jacksonville) F 3:40 Olive Linhorst (Edwardsville)

125 – Holly Zugmaier (Edwardsville) F 4:47 Amelia McClure (Normal West)

130 – Taylor Dawson (Collinsville) F 2:33 Zoey Zimmermann (Fox, MO)

135 – Hailey DeWitt (Jacksonville) F 5:16 Aliyah Brooks (Jersey)

140 – Jenna Tuxhorn (Glenwood) MD 9-0 Alexia Glover (PORTA)

145 – Jadyn Perry (Auburn) F 0:50 Rory Speidel (Jersey)

155 – Tashieya Taylor (Collinsville) F 0:22 Paige McKendry (Bartlett, TN)

170 – Autumne Williams (Peoria Notre Dame) F 1:07 August Rottmann (Highland)

190 – Ayanna Omollo (Bartlett, TN) F 0:34 Victoria White (Edwardsville)

235 – Tayla Phillips (Edwardsville) F 2:45 Cadence Duvall (Normal West)

Team standings for Granite City’s Girls Invite

1. Edwardsville 205, 2. Bartlett, TN 141, 3. Fox, MO 95, 4. Collinsville 86, 5. Normal West 77, 6. Jacksonville 73, 7. Mt. Vernon 62, 7. Peoria Notre Dame 62, 9. Glenwood 59, 10. Highland 58, 11. Auburn 52, 12. Belleville East 50, 13. Belleville West 47, 14. Marion 45, 15. Alton 44, 16. Jersey 42, 17. Robinson 39, 18. Roxana 32, 19. Hazelwood Central, MO 31, 19. Springfield High 31, 21. Granite City 25, 22. Civic Memorial 24, 23. PORTA 22, 24. Washington 22, 25. Mascoutah 18, 26. Triad 16, 27. Rochester 11, 28. Waterloo 8, 29. Carbondale 4, 30. Cahokia 3, 31. Clayton, MO 1. 32. Liberty, MO 0, 32. McCluer North, MO 0.

Glenwood takes top honors at own Tyler Cox Memorial Invite

Glenwood won five titles and had six others place in the top four as it easily captured top honors over Grayslake Central by a 286.5-166.5 margin at its own 16-team Tyler Cox Memorial Invite in Chatham. The hosts also won the tournament championship last season.

Marion (155.5), Triad (141), Centennial (129), O’Fallon (122.5), Collinsville (111.5), Peoria Notre Dame (109.5), Dunlap (102) and East Peoria (101) rounded out the top-10 teams in the field.

Winning titles for coach Jerod Bruner’s champion Titans were Drew Davis (126), John Ben Maduena (138), Anny Williams (144), Max Wiezorek (190) and Cody Moss (215) while Tyler Clarke (106) and Jonah Broughman (165) took second place.

Glenwood also got third-place finishes from Jaxon Ferguson (113), Braxton Warren (150) and Justin Hay (175) while Julian Rammelkamp (157) finished fourth, Drew Moffitt (120) was fifth and Brad Dollus (132) placed seventh. Eli Moss (285) also scored points for the Titans.

Owen Ottino (126) and Maizon Milestone (165) also took third place and Kadi Wilbern (106) placed fourth competing for the Glenwood 2 team.

“We had a great weekend at home,” Bruner said. “It was to see Anny Williams collect his first varsity level tournament championship. Also, we thought Drew looked exceptional in his match against (Tyler) Weidman in the finals. John Ben still looks dominant at 138 pounds. Max Wiezorek and Cody Moss both collected their first championships of the season as well.

“We also enjoyed having Justin Hay and Jonah Broughman back in our lineup. Jaxon Ferguson plus the rest of our seniors, Brad Dollus, Owen Ottino, Braxton Warren and Eli Moss, continue to wrestle well for us and will always be in contention at these events.”

Top performers for coach Mathew Joseph’s runner-up Grayslake Central Rams were title winners Vince Demarco (106) and Matty Jens (175), second-place finisher Tyler Weidman (126) and also Trevor Hengl (138), who took third.

Rams who finished fourth were Krish Sahu (120) and Aidan Eisenberg (132) while Warren Nash (150) and Quetin Conkle (157) were fifth and Liam Halloran (132) and Jaxen Pratt (190) took sixth place.

Leading the way for coach Darren Lindsey’s third-place Wildcats were champion Caleb Ohnesorge (150) and second-place finishers Riddick Cook (120) and Caden Frey (144) while Justin Murphy (157) and Bryan Madinger (215) claimed third place.

Other champions were East Peoria’s Cooper Chester (113), Peoria Notre Dame’s Ian Akers (120), Carbondale’s Isaac Smith (132), O’Fallon’s Logan Thomas (157), Collinsville’s Cody Lutz (165) and Centennial’s Jack Barnhart (285).

Also finishing in second place were Dunlap’s Jayden Schmick (157) and Nick Mueller (175), Triad’s Shane Seip (113), Collinsville’s Camron Minner (132), Centennial’s Trevor Schoonover (138), Peoria Notre Dame’s Chase Daugherty (150), Southeast’s Chris Hull (190), O’Fallon’s Gavin Gentille (215) and East Peoria’s Jose Deltoro (285). 

Some of the closest championship matches included Demarco winning a 10-9 decision over Clarke at 106, Maduena edging Schoonover 2-0 at 138, Moss prevailing 6-4 over Gentille at 215 and Williams capturing an 8-4 victory over Frey at 144.

In one title match of particular interest, Jens captured a 5-1 decision over Mueller at 175 in a clash of the 2023 IHSA Class 2A champion at 182 beating the 2023 Class 2A runner-up at 160. Jens was a perfect 32-0 last season after going 47-3 and claiming second place at 182 in 2022. He also finished fifth at 170 in the 2021 IWCOA Finals to conclude a 28-7 debut season while Mueller finished 43-8 a year ago. 

The other state champion in the competition was Glenwood’s own Drew Davis, a  two-time title winner who won the Class 2A title at 113 to cap a 49-2 season in 2023 and also won the 2A championship at 106 the year before to complete a perfect 17-0 campaign. He took fourth at 106 as a freshman in 2021 at the IWCOA Finals to finish 32-3. Davis and Maduena were the only title winners at this tournament that also won a championship in the event a year ago

Others who finished in third place were Triad’s Will Kelly (106), Glen Henry (120) and Ben Baumgartner (132), Centennial’s Nehemie Mbangi (144), Dunlap’s Joseph Weeks (190) and Peoria Notre Dame’s Brady Mullens (285).

Additional fourth-place finishers were O’Fallon’s Jayden Wiegand (113) and Andrew Orloski (150), Carbondale’s Hatem Alshammari (126) and Connor Daly (175), Charleston’s Kenny Merrill (138), Southeast’s Frank Kittrell (144), Peoria Notre Dame’s Michael Kimbrough (165), Collinsville’s Scott Snyder (190), Peoria Heights’ Darien Jones (215) and East Peoria’s Keegan Barnes (285).

Akers, Barnhart, Davis and Thomas all collected 30 team points while Lutz had 29.5 points, Ohnesorge and Smith had 29 team points apiece and Chester, Jens, Maduena, Cody Moss and Wiezorek all collected 28.5 points.

East Peoria’s Dalton Oakman had the most falls in the least time with four in 4:52 while Barnhart recorded three pins in 2:52. Centennial also had the two individuals with the most total match points, Mbangi (46) and Schoonver (38).

Championship matches for Glenwood’s Tyler Cox Memorial Invite

106 – Vince Demarco (Grayslake Central) D 10-9 Tyler Clake (Glenwood)

113 – Cooper Chester (East Peoria) F 3:50 Shane Seip (Triad)

120 – Ian Akers (Peoria Notre Dame) F 3:24 Riddick Cook (Marion)

126 – Drew Davis (Glenwood) F 3:50 Tyler Weidman (Grayslake Central)

132 – Isaac Smith (Carbondale) F 1:25 Camron Minner (Collinsville)

138 – John Ben Maduena (Glenwood) D 2-0 Trevor Schoonover (Centennial)

144 – Anny Williams (Glenwood) D 8-4 Caden Frey (Marion)

150 – Caleb Ohnesorge (Marion) MD 9-1 Chase Daugherty (Peoria Notre Dame)

157 – Logan Thomas (O’Fallon) F 1:20 Jayden Schmick (Dunlap)

165 – Cody Lutz (Collinsville) F 1:50 Jonah Broughman ( Glenwood)

175 – Matty Jens (Grayslake Central) D 5-1 Nick Mueller (Dunlap)

190 – Max Wiezorek (Glenwood) F 5:15 Chris Hull (Southeast)

215 – Cody Moss (Glenwood) D 6-4 Gavin Gentille (O’Fallon)

285 – Jack Barnhart (Centennial) F 1:20 Jose Deltoro (East Peoria)

Team standings for Glenwood’s Tyler Cox Memorial Invite

1. Glenwood 286.5, 2. Grayslake Central 166.5, 3. Marion 155.5, 4. Triad 141, 5. Centennial 129, 6. O’Fallon 122.5, 7. Collinsville 111.5, 8. Peoria Notre Dame 109.5, 9. Dunlap 102, 10. East Peoria 101, 11. Carbondale 89, 12. Glenwood JV 84.5, 13. Charleston 44, 14. Southeast 37.5, 15. MacArthur 30.5, 16. Peoria Heights 29, 17. Decatur Eisenhower 12.5.

Lawrenceville wins title at own Lawrence County Tournament

Lawrenceville/Red Hill scored 232 points to beat Harrisburg, which had 212 points, for top honors at the 14-team Lawrence County Tournament in Lawrenceville. Fairfield (168), Richland County (144), Frankfort (133), Robinson (118) and Carterville (109.5) were next in line.

Coach Samuel Hyre’s champion Indians got title wins from Drew Seitzinger (106), Hudson Meek (144), Kasen Ochs (175) and Dylan Camden (285) while Dylan Aten (132) took second. Cale Seitzinger (138), Trevor Loy (150) and Dalton Spahn (157) all placed third.

Other top placers for the team champs were Delaney Ledbetter (113) and Malikye Walker (190), who took fourth, Jaxtyn Chansler (120), who was fifth, and Tyson Lucas (165), who placed sixth.

“I am pretty happy with the results from my team,” Hyre said. “The last couple years we have struggled to keep our kids healthy and have had some pretty big season-ending injuries with a lot of our better underclassmen.  

“We put a lot of emphasis in the offseason on weights and conditioning as a way to be more prepared for the beginning of the season and in better shape to avoid these one-off injuries. Healthy, we are a tough team to beat. The kids have put in the work and we look forward to a great season.”

Winning titles for coach Greg Langley’s runner-up Harrisburg Bulldogs were Avery Henderson (113), Tony Keene (126) and Kahmarie Terry (132) while Brock Felty (150) and Briar Butler (157) took second place and Brendan Hicks (190) and Zay Horton (285) finished third. Felty had the largest seed to place difference of anyone in the field, going from a 12-seed to a runner-up.

Top performers for coach Jordan Griffith’s third-place Fairfield Mules were champion Talan Keoughan (165) and third-place finishers Carter Poole (106) and Keegan Bare (215). Turning in fourth-place finishes were Jedd Wellen (120), Karson White (138) and Chris Graver (285).

Other champions were Oblong/Palestine/Hutsonville’s Ian Rosborough (120), Richland County’s Carson Bissey (138), Robinson’s Ben Mullins (150), Herrin’s Blue Bishop (157), Carmi-White County’s Nelson Rider (190) and Frankfort’s Brandon Turner (215) .

Also taking second place were Frankfort’s Aiden Milligan (106), Hayeden Hughes (113) and Conner Henson (190), Carterville’s Landyn Flood (120) and Zechariah Miller (285), Johnston City’s Jace Weaver (126) and Jude Beers (215), Robinson’s Lenox Parker (144) and Kahne Hyre (165), O/P/H’s Cole Littlejohn (138) and Richland County’s Logan McDonald (175).

In some of the closest title matches, Terry edged Aten 11-9 in overtime at 132, Keoughan claimed a 5-2 decision over Hyre at 165 and Camden prevailed 5-2 over Miller at 285. All of the other title matches were determined by falls, wins by technical fall or major decisions.

Also finishing third were Johnston City’s Benjamin Harris (132) and Randy Fuqua (175), Carmi-White County’s Travor Mason (113), Robinson’s Keaton Ault (120), Richland County’s Kaeden Davis (126), Frankfort’s Lucas Parker (144) and Carterville’s Jacob Grob (165).

Carterville had four fourth-place finishers, Sabastion Ramiro (126), Spencer Crotser (144), Merrick Orendoff (150) and Terry Mick (175). Also taking fourth place were Richland County’s Baxter Smith (106), Tuff Troyer (132) and Jashun McKinley (215), Frankfort’s Eric Duncan (157) and Paris’ Robert Wells (165).

There was a six-way for the most team points with 28 between Bissey, Keene, Ochs, Rider, Drew Seitzinger and Turner while Bishop had 27.5 points and Rosborough scored 26.5 points.

Rosborough tallied 55 match points, which was 23 better than second place thanks to three of his victories coming courtesy of technical falls, which was two more than anyone else. 

Three individuals who took fifth recorded four falls in less than 5:00. They were Harrisburg’s Cody Gunter (4:06) at 144, Mt, Carmel’s Evan Berberich (4:55) at 285 and Fairfield’s Bronson Rilea (4:58) at 190. 

Championship matches for Lawrenceville’s Lawrence County Tournament

106 – Drew Seitzinger (Lawrenceville) F 1:25 Aiden Milligan (Frankfort)

113 – Avery Henderson (Harrisburg) F 1:22 Hayeden Hughes (Frankfort)

120 – Ian Rosborough (Oblong/Palestine/Hutsonville) TF 17-2 Landyn Flood (Carterville)

126 – Tony Keene (Harrisburg) F 2:33 Jace Weaver (Johnston City)

132 – Kahmarie Terry (Harrisburg) D 11-9 OT Dylan Aten (Lawrenceville)

138 – Carson Bissey (Richland County) F 0:30 Cole Littlejohn (Oblong/Palestine/Hutsonville)

144 – Hudson Meek (Lawrenceville) MD 13-2 Lenox Parker (Robinson)

150 – Ben Mullins (Robinson) F 1:44 Brock Felty (Harrisburg)

157 – Blue Bishop (Herrin) TF 16-0 Briar Butler (Harrisburg)

165 – Talan Keoughan (Fairfield) D 5-2 Kahne Hyre (Robinson)

175 – Kasen Ochs (Lawrenceville) F 3:39 Logan McDonald (Richland County)

190 – Nelson Rider (Carmi-White County) F 3:59 Conner Henson (Frankfort)

215 – Brandon Turner (Frankfort) F 1:47 Jude Beers (Johnston City)

285 – Dylan Camden (Lawrenceville) D 5-2 Zechariah Miller (Carterville)

Team standings for Lawrenceville’s Lawrence County Tournament

1. Lawrenceville 232, 2. Harrisburg 212, 3. Fairfield 168, 4. Richland County 144, 5. Frankfort 133,  6. Robinson 118, 7. Carterville 109.5, 8. Oblong/Palestine/Hutsonville 85.5, 9. Johnston City 78, 10. Carmi-White County 68, 11. Herrin 56.5, 12. Mt. Carmel 39.5, 13. Paris 37, 14. Breese Central 13.

By Dave Surico for the IWCOA

Giardini Invitational at Rockford East

Geneseo pushed past Rochelle for the tourney title in the 24-team event, named for IWCOA hall of famer Gary Giardini, head coach at Rockford East from 1967-79 and a long-time wrestling official.

Giardini attended Rockford East and was a coach, athletic director, and teacher there for 36 years.

Both of the top two teams at this year’s invitational featured three titleists. Tim Sebastian (113), Zachary Montez (150) and Kye Weinzierl (165) got to the top step for champion Geneseo (232.5 points).

Xavier Villalobos (126), Brock Metzger (190) and Kaiden Morris (215) excelled for runner-up Rochelle (223).

“It went back and forth all day between the top four or so teams,” said Geneseo coach Jon Murray. “A good high school competition where several key matches throughout the day made the difference in the long run, and a great effort from most of our guys.”

Geneseo was further powered to the top trophy by: second place finishes from Grady Hull (132) and Izaac Gaines (138); third place medals from Devan Hornback (126), Malaki Jackson (157) and Brayden Franzen (285); a fifth place win from Logan Palmer; and a seventh-place result from Aaron Betcher (215)

Rochelle received: a runner-up finish from Grant Gensler (165); third place finishes from Freddie Hernandez (106), Thomas Tourdot (120) and Brenden Voight (144); a fourth place result from Keagan Albers (113); a sixth place placing for Frank Nasca (132) and a seventh-place win from Roman Villalobos (175).

St. Patrick (199) finished third behind lower-weight titles from sophomores Daniel Goodwin (106), Calvin Stahl (120) and senior Olin Walker (132).

Gage Decker took first at 157 for fourth place Mahomet-Seymour (172). Emmett Nelson took 144-pound honors for fifth place Richmond-Burton (153.5). Host and seventh place finisher Rockford East (136.5) saw Donald Cannon take the top spot at 138.

Eighth-place Crystal Lake South (131) received titles from Caden Casimino (175) and Andy Burburija (285). Casimino was also notable at the meet for several other accomplishments. The senior posted the most individual team points of the meet with 32, and far surpassed his 19th seed with the bracket title.

Hampshire finished sixth with 140.5 points.

Goodwin (10-0), Sebastian (7-0), Villalobos (7-0), Cannon (5-0), Nelson (6-0), Montez (7-0), Decker (7-0), Weinzieri (7-0), Casimino (5-0), Metzger (8-0), Morris (8-0) and Burburija (5-0) exited the tournament with their perfect season-records intact.

Northridge Prep’s Jon Suter (third, 165), and St. Patrick’s Aiden Gomez (fifth, 215) and Devin Nichol (fourth, 175) topped the tournament with five pins each. Suter posted his pins in a meet-leading 7 minutes, 3 seconds.

Tournament runner-up finishes were achieved from: Eric Bush, Johnsburg (106); Jack Koenig, St. Patrick (113); Clay Maduala, Richmond-Burton (120); Lincoln Hoger, Wheaton Academy (126); Nickolas Karamaniolas, St. Patrick, (144); Chasen Kazmierczak, Wheaton Academy (150); Kayden Marolf, United (157); Kaden Combs, Woodstock North (175); Zack Canaday, Woodstock, (190); Andrew Ryan, Woodstock (215); and Lee Smith, Rockford East (285).

Third place match winners included: Zach Bumeter, Metamora (113); Reegan Kellett, LaSalle-Peru (132); Dylan Weigel Belmont/Platteville, WI (138); Isaac Jones, Richmond-Burton (150); Malachi Cannon, Rockford East (175); Carter Hintz, Hampshire (190); and Dom Ariola, Crystal Lake South (215).

Fourth place medalists included: Blake Trickey, United (106); Joseph Young, Rockford East (120); Justus Vrona, Mahomet-Seymour (126); Xavier Marolf, United (132); Talon Decker, Mahomet-Seymour (138); Grady Neil, Metamora (144); Aric Abott, Hampshire (150); Van Grasser, St. Patrick (157); A.J. Demos, Mahomet-Seymour (165); Kadyn Davis, Belmont/Platteville, WI (190); Mason Mandurano, Belmont/Platteville, WI (215); Lionel Senior, Thornton (285).

Championship matches

106: Daniel Goodwin, St. Patrick, d. Eric Bush, Johnsburg, 4-2

113: Tim Sebastian, Geneseo, p. Jack Koenig, St. Patrick, 2:53

120: Calvin Stahl, St. Patrick, d. Clay Maduala, Richmond-Burton, 7-2

126: Xavier Villalobos, Rochelle, md. Lincoln Hoger, Wheaton Academy, 10-1

132: Olin Walker, St. Patrick, d. Grady Hull, Geneseo, 10-8

138: Donald Cannon, Rockford East, d. Izaac Gaines, Geneseo, 10-7

144: Emmett Nelson, Richmond-Burton, d. Nikolas Karamaniolas, St. Patrick, 3-1

150: Zachary Montez, Geneseo, tf. Chasen Kazmierczak, Wheaton Academy, 5:37, 26-8)

157: Gage Decker, Mahomet-Seymour, p. Kayden Marolf, United, 2:24

165: Kye Weinzierl, Geneseo, d. Grant Gensler, Rochelle, 5-4

175: Caden Casimino, Crystal Lake South, p. Kaden Combs, Woodstock North, 4:52

190: Brock Metzger, Rochelle, d. Zach Canaday, Woodstock, 3-2

215: Kaiden Morris, Rochelle, md. Andrew Ryan, Woodstock, 12-0

285: Andy Burburija, Crystal Lake South, d. Lee Smith, Rockford East, 3-0

Elias George Tournament at Evanston

The Wildkits proved to be rude hosts and took the title with 241 points. Chicago Public League representatives Amundsen (178) and Mather (171) rounded out the top three teams.

The annual tournament is named for Elias George, an IWCOA hall-of-famer who coached the Wildkits from 1958-2000 and amassed a career coaching record of 614-158-25. 

Marco Terrizzi (132), Eren Atac (138), Bryan Lemus (144), Rodrigo Salinas (157), Xavier Starks (165), and Jeremy Marshall (285) claimed titles for Evanston, which also received third place finishes from Nicholas Biglari (106), Manny Holloway (150) and Rijad Dizdarevic (190).

Matthew Nguyen (106), Omar Polsky (120), Adrian Zepeda (190) and Willian Cano (215) climbed to the top step for Amundsen. Biafra Bartlett (106) and John Norton (165) achieved second place results. Jaxon Aiello-Zittnan (120) and James Reshoft (165) recorded third place wins. Ian Uting (132) and Mohammed Osman (157) added fourth place team points.

Jacob Scott (175) was the lone titleist for Mather. Charles-evi Seri (113), Tommy Lam (120), John Lopez (144) and Julian Lopez (150) finished as the runner-up in their weight classes. Omobobola Bankole (144), Danny Tinoco (175) and Jaxien Jervis-Orr (215) took home third place medals. Cameron Murdock (138) and Urijah Haycock (150) secured fourth place finishes.

Luis Fernandez (126) collected the top medal for Tilden. Sarah Goode’s Xavier Woods conquered the 150-pound bracket. Ridgewood’s Islam Khater led his team with the 113-pound title.

Amundsen’s Cano led the meet with four pins and 30 team points.

Evanston’s JV and girls teams combined for a fourth place finish at 129 points. Mather’s girls team competed and finished last in the 11-team competition.

Fifth-place Goode (125.5 points) saw Isaiah Poole (126), Isaiah Diaz (138), Dylan Wilborn (190) and Thomas Davis (215) get to the second step. Evanston JV & girls got runnerup finishes from Nate Guftason (132), Andy Ciriaco (175) and Iam Sims (285). Tyler Saylor was second best for Tilden at 157 pounds.

The third place medals winners were rounded out by: Dyllan Ornelas, Speer (113); Leo Reyes, Niles West (126); Zach Weston, Evanston JV & girls (132); Kalvin Moore, Phillips (138); Aiden Flores, Evanston JV & girls (157); and Jorge Miranda, Speer (285).

Additional wrestlers gaining the fourth spot on the medal stand were: Andrew Price, Phillips (120); Fayyaz Munshi, Niles West (126); Miguel Morales, Evanston JV & girls (144); Andrew Stevens, Evanston JV & girls (165); David Khamoo, Niles West (175); Antonio Casas, Speer (190); Christian Okechukwu, Evanston JV & girls (285).

Championship matches

106: Matthew Nguyen, Amundsen, p. Biafra Bartlett, Amundsen, 0:34

113: Islam Khater, Ridgewood, p. Charles-evi Seri, Mather, 0:27

120: Omar Polsky, Amundsen, d. Tommy Lam, Mather, 17-10

126: Luis Fernandez, Tilden, p. Isaiah Poole, Sarah Goode, 0:31

132: Marco Terrizzi, Evanston, p. Nate Guftason, Evanston JV & girls, 0:44

138: Eren Atac, Evanston, p. Isaiah Diaz, Sarah Goode, 1:25

144: Bryan Lemus, Evanston, p. John Lopez, Mather, 1:53

150: Xavier Woods, Goode, tf. Julian Lopez, Mather, 22-6

157: Rodrigo Salinas, Evanston, p. Tyler Saylor, Tilden, 2:42

165: Xavier Starks, Evanston, p. John Norton, Amundsen, 1:37

175: Jacob Scott, Mather, p. Andy Ciriaco, Evanston JV & girls, 2:50

190: Adrian Zepeda, Amundsen, p. Dylan Wilborn, Sarah Goode, 3:23

215: Willian Cano, Amundsen, p. Thomas Davis, Sarah Goode, 0:36

285: Jeremy Marshall, Evanston, d. Ian Sims, Evanston JV & girls, 4-0

Matozzi Invitational at Hinsdale South

The host Hornets rolled to the win in the tournament named after their long-time former coach, Mike Matozzi.

 Hinsdale South posted an impressive 245 points to easily outpace Fenwick (141) in the 11-team tournament.

Highland Park was the only other team to eclipse the 100-point barrier. The Giants finished third with 107.

Hinsdale South emerged with eight champions, two runners-up and a fourth place finisher.

 The Hornets titlelist crew included: Jamarion Moffett (106); Alexander Schuetz (120); Toqir Mir (126); Andrew Musil (150); Benjamin Miller (157); Jovani Piazza (175); Alec Miller (190); and Gavin Slaughter (285). The hosts saw half of their champions outperform their seeds: Miller (fourth); Schuetz (fourth); Slaughter (fourth): and Moffett (third).

Second place finishes were delivered by Mikey Wallace (113), Noah Ririe (144) and Nathanial Fundator, who was seeded ninth at 190. Apollo Cobb (132) and Al Amir Almannai (138) earned fourth place points.

Fenwick finished second without a champion. Solanus Daley (132), Aiden Burns (165) and Patrick Gilboy (175) led the way with second place finishes. Harrison Brown (106), C.J. Brown (120), Elam Staple (150) and Gianni Bertacchi (285) won third place matches. Max Kenny (144), Luke D’Alise (190) and Myles Moriarity (215) took fourth place prizes.

Landen Dmitry Derbedyenyev led Highland Park with the title at 165.  Alexander Gudgeon (106) posted a second place result. Elijah Moore (175) and Luis Ramirez-Huicochea (215) finished third. Gerardo Gutierrez-Lopez (120), Angel Riano (150) and Daniel Derbedyenyev (285) concluded the meet in fourth place. 

Fifth place Argo was the only other team with multiple champions: Kevin Bustillos (138) and eighth-seeded Aldo Gutierrez (144). Diego Myers won at 132 for fourth place Glenbard South. Xavier Bitner took the 215-pound bracket for seventh place St. Laurence. Jayden Scott, whose four pins led the tournament, won at 113 for eighth place T.F. South. Back of the Yards finished sixth.

Additional second place medalists included: Henry Manning, St. Laurence (120); Adonis Wilson, T.F. South (126); Jordan Quaid-Bowman, Glenbard South (132); Grant Rabanus, St. Francis (138); Nicolas Mara, Back of the Yards (150); Reid Sebahar, Glenbard South (157); Dan Langner, GS (215); and Jesus Ibarra, Argo (285).

Ranking as third place match-winners were: Nathan Martinez, St. Laurence (113); Carter Leshock, Tinley Park (126); Jin Tai, Glenbard South (138); Chase Siguenza, St. Francis (144); Saeed Ullah, Back of the Yards (157); Ben Conte, St. Francis (165); E’Mon Arnold, T.F. South (190);

The invitational’s fourth place finishers included: Yazmin Mendoza-Valdez, Back of the Yards (106); Tyler Gray, Tinley Park (113); Aidan Romo, Argo (126); Darell Ortiz, Argo (157); Logan Price, Glenbard South (165); Axel Correa, Back of the Yards (175).

Moffett, Schuetz, Mir, Bustillos, Gutierrez, Musil, Miller, Dmitry Derbedyenyev, Piazza; Bitner and Slaughter exited the tournament with their perfect season records intact.

Championship matches

106: Jamarion Moffett, Hinsdale S., p. Alexander Gudgeon, Highland Park 2:51

113: Jayden Scott, T.F. South, p. Mikey Wallace, Hinsdale S. 3:59

120: Alexander Schuetz, Hinsdale S. p. Henry Manning, St. Laurence, 1:36

126: Toqir Mir, Hinsdale South, p. Adonis Wilson, T.F. South, 0:30

132: Diego Myers, Glenbard S., d. Jordan Quaid, Glenbard S., 10-8

138: Kevin Bustillos, Argo, p. Grant Rabanus, St. Francis, 2:10

144: Aldo Gutierrez, Argo, d. Noah Ririe, Hinsdale South, 8-

150: Andrew Musil, Hinsdale South, p. Nicolas Mata, Back of the Yards, 4:20

157: Benjamin Miller, Hinsdale South, d. Reid Sebahar, Glenbard South, 7-6

165: Landen Dmitry Derbedyenyev, Highland Park, p. Aiden Burns, Fenwick, 1:08

175: Jovani Piazza, Hinsdale South, p. Patrick Gilboy, Fenwick, 1:08

190: Alec Miller, Hinsdale South, p. Nathaniel Fundator, Hinsdale South, 0:31

215: Xavier Bitner, St. Laurence, d. Dan Langner, Glenbard South, 1-0

285: Andy Burburija, Crystal Lake South, d. Lee Smith, Rockford East, 3-0

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

Riverside-Brookfield coach Nick Curby has quietly been building his wrestling program the old-fashioned way — slowly turning raw freshmen into quality varsity wrestlers.

The Bulldogs have a kids’ club feeder system that figures to bear fruit down the road. But for now, Curby has a battalion of juniors that were good as freshmen, better as sophomores, and are now carrying the program.

“We only have four seniors in the lineup and the rest are all juniors,” Curby said. “Ever since those juniors were a real good freshmen group, we’ve been gearing up for their (varsity) stretch. I thought we’d take a step back last year when they were all sophomores but they rose to the challenge.”

On Saturday, the Bulldogs met the challenge to stop being bridesmaids in Bensenville. That’s where Fenton’s Weiss Invitational takes place every year. 

Fenton’s invitational is named for Steve Weiss, who was Fenton’s head coach for 22 years, retiring after the 1989-90 season. Weiss is in the IWCOA hall of fame and his 1973 Fenton team won Illinois’ team state title. He was the IWCOA coach of the year in 1973 and the president of the IWCOA from 1981-82.

After finishing second twice at the Weiss in recent years, R-B’s third bite at the apple was finally sweet.

Riverside-Brookfield won the team title 236.5 – 206.5 over second-place South Elgin at this year’s 16-team Weiss Invite. DePaul College Prep (184) placed third, followed by host Fenton (111) and Saint Ignatius (110.5) to round out the top five.

Riverside-Brookfield had 12 wrestlers place in the top four of their respective weight classes, led by a pair of individual champions in Edgar Mosquera (113) and Matt Elzy (190).

R-B led the field with seven wrestlers reaching the title mat, followed by South Elgin and DePaul College Prep with five apiece.

Placing second for the Bulldogs were Mateo Arauz (120), Jacob Godoy (132), Ricky Blanco (138), Josh Gonzalez (144), and Ethan Rivas (157). Mateo Gonzalez (106), Nathan Stanard (126), Cade Tomkins (165) and Max Strong (175) all won their third-place matches, and Jacob Noe (150) placed fourth for a team that continues to rise.

“We have a lot of guys returning from last year and seven of us were sophomores last year and we all returned,” Elzy said. “We keep getting better and better.”

Elzy’s coach aims to keep pushing the right buttons.

“We knew we had moved down this road so I just keep raising the bar,” Curby said. “They’ve been working hard. And even though we have some experience, we also have some new guys in the lineup. And those guys know what’s expected.

“We’ve taken second here twice. They knew coming into this year that we had some big goals and this was a first step.”

Second-place South Elgin had four champions for coach Jim Gloudeman, in Julius Avendano (106), Demetrios Carrera (120), Tommy Roath (285) and the wrestler that walked away with the tournament’s outstanding wrestler award, Leo Rosas (150).

“This is my first one and it feels really good,” Rosas said. “Last year, I had a great season but I caught a concussion at sectionals and my season ended like that. This year I’m working hard, a hundred percent at practice, I’m ranked, and all of that makes me feel good. And it gives me motivation to keep pushing.”

Third-place DePaul also had three individual champs in Nabiel Rosario (126), Max Rosen (138) and Hunter Wahtola (215).

Also winning individual titles were Bremen’s Izaiah Gonzalez (132), Waubonsie Valley’s Ethan Wojtowich (144), Richards’ Dom Paul (157) and Mike Taheney (175), and Fenton’s Jovany Zuniga (165).

Fenton’s Steve Weiss Invitational championship match breakdowns:

106 – Julius Avendano, South Elgin

The first of the Storm’s four individual champions, Avendano won by fall over DePaul’s Dimitri Dobre on the title mat, one week after placing second at Conant’s 17-team Hruska Classic.

Avendano won by fall in his semifinal match against Riverside-Brookfield’s Mateo Gonzalez, while Dobre won his semifinal by fall over Niles West’s Hgsham Ghiasuddin.

Gonzalez pinned Ghiasuddin for third place, and Saint Ignatius’ Pat Moroney won by fall for fifth against Richards’ Declan McKirdie.

113 – Edgar Mosquera, Riverside-Brookfield

Mosquera opened his day with two wins by fall before winning a 5-2 decision on the title mat at 113 against DePaul’s Oliver Chapman.

Mosquera won by fall in his semifinal against Fenton’s Gabriel Hernandez, while Chapman won by fall over Fenton’s Anthony Bigham in their semifinal.

Mosquera led 3-2 after two periods before another takedown gave him the 5-2 win.

“Edgar was a state qualifier as a freshman, hit some bumps last year and didn’t qualify, and now he eats and breathes wrestling,” Bulldogs coach Nick Curby said. “And a lot of that is on his own, too. He’s always YouTubing stuff and bringing me stuff to me to ask about this or that. There were some holes in his technique last year that we highlighted and so far he has really made sure that those are the things he’s focused on.”

Bigham won by fall for third place against Hernandez, and Saint Viator’s Elliot Heckard won by fall for fifth against South Elgin’s Anthony Lazare.

120 — Demetrios Carrera, South Elgin

One week after placing third at Conant’s Hruska Classic, Carrera posted a tech fall followed by two pins, capped with a fall on the title mat against Riverside-Brookfield’s Mateo Arauz.

Carrera topped Saint Ignatius’ Alex Villanueva in their semifinal match, and Arauz beat Saint Viator’s Collin McInerney in the other semifinal at 120.

Villanueva won by tech fall for third place over McInerney, and Waubonsie Valley’s Nathan Duffield won by fall on the fifth-place mat against Richards’ Xavier Martin.

126 – Nabiel Rosario, DePaul College Prep

Rosario provided a bit of everything on his way to winning the title at 126. He started his day with a fall, then won a 14-0 major decision in his semifinal match before winning a 12-7 decision in his finals match against Palatine’s Daniel Derevlyak.

The title match was tied 6-6 in the second period before Rosario scored the final six offensive points of the match. Derevlyak won by fall in his semifinal match against Richard’s Amir Akilani.

Riverside-Brookfield’s Nathan Stanard won by fall for third place against Akilani, and Proviso East’s Jaedon Otero won by fall for third place against Elmwood Park’s Shawn Hanton.

132 – Izaiah Gonzalez, Bremen

After Bremen’s Izaiah Gonzalez won a 13-7 decision in his quarterfinal match, he wasn’t happy with the energy he was bringing. So he did what most people who’d been up since 5 a.m. might do.

“I’m not going to lie — after that match I took a power nap for about twenty minutes up in the bleachers,” Gonzalez said. “That nap really boosted me.”

One semifinal tech fall and one pin in the finals later, and the well-rested Gonzalez had captured the title at 132 pounds.

He’s a young wrestler off to a fast start in 2023.

“I won two matches in two duals this week so I’m 8-0 right now,” Gonzalez said. ”I’m a sophomore and I was on jayvee last year. Last year was a good experience and I feel like I took a big step since then.”

Gonzalez beat Fenton’s Rene Reyna to reach the finals, where he met Riverside-Brookfield’s Jacob Godoy. Godoy reached the finals with a 3-2 semifinal decision win against DePaul’s Johnny Cunningham.

Cunningham won a 6-2 decision in overtime on the third-place mat against Reyna, and Saint Ignatius’ Colton Huff won by fall for third against Leo’s Vandell Dudley.

138 – Max Rosen, DePaul College Prep

Three pins and a tournament title made up Rosen’s day in Bensenville, and nobody in the field at 138 managed to escape the first period against him. Rosen’s pins came at 1:06, 0:26, and 1:19, so he spent a grand total of just under three minutes out on the mats in his three matches in Bensenville.

Rosen topped South Elgin’s Travis Barrera in his semifinal match before beating Riverside-Brookfield’s Ricky Blanco in the finals. Blanco won by tech fall in his semifinal match.

Palatine’s Miguel Allende won by fall on the third-place mat against Barrera, and Proviso East’s Zion Gay won by fall against Fenton’s Esteban Bello for fifth place.

144 – Ethan Wojtowich, Waubonsie Valley

The Warriors’ senior used a pair of pins to reach the finals, where he won a 10-4 decision against Riverside-Brookfield’s Josh Gonzalez.

“I felt a little bit light today and felt like I could move around a little bit more,” Wojtowich said. “I felt a little bit quicker. In my last match I felt like I could scramble somewhat and I felt good in those positions.”

Wojtowich pinned Palatine’s Alex Pena in a semifinal match, while Gonzalez pinned South Elgin’s Dane Henson to reach the finals.

Wojtowich placed third at Barrington’s 32-team Moore-Prettyman tournament to start the season. He’s opening up offensively this year and his approach in his senior year illuminates the evolution that many-a-wrestler goes through.

“Sophomore year I did decent wrestling varsity full-time, and last year I was kind of getting into it but this year, I definitely know where I am and what I want to,” Wojtowich said. “My mindset has changed. Before I might think ‘this guy is so much better than me’. But now I’m going to strive for every win.”

Pena won a major decision on the third-place mat against Henson, and DePaul’s Hugh Costello won a 10-8 decision in overtime on the fifth-place mat against Saint Ignatius’ Ashok Chacko.

150 – Leo Rosas, South Elgin

The tournament’s outstanding wrestler award-winner won his second individual tournament title of the year Saturday, one week after scaling the podium as a champion at Conant’s Hruska Invitational.

Rosas reeled off two pins to reach the finals at Fenton, where he won by fall against Saint Ignatius’ Nate Sanchez.

Rosas is currently ranked seventh at 150 in Rob Sherrill’s Illinois 3A rankings. He tracks his improvement this year to a universal truth in the sport for most top wrestlers in Illinois.

“Off-season work,” Rosas said. “That’s where it counts. You have to wrestle all year round. Now I feel like my gas tank is better. I’m doing cardio, hitting that bike as much as I can, and that has been a big step for me since last year.”

Sanchez gutted out a 7-6 decision in his semifinal match against Fenton’s Omar Diaz. Diaz went on to place third with a 7-5 decision over Riverside-Brookfield’s Jacob Noe, and DePaul’s Andrew Brendel won by fall for fifth place against Proviso East’s Chris Otero.

157 – Dom Paul, Richards

The Richards senior is recovering from a ruptured thumb ligament and wasn’t sure how he’d feel Saturday at Fenton.

Did Paul’s wrapped thumb bother him? “It didn’t today,” Paul said after posting three pins to win the title at 157.

“I felt great today. At first I was a little nervous because one little slip-up could hurt it again. But I felt good and once that adrenaline kicks in, I don’t really feel it. I’m hoping in a couple weeks I don’t even need the brace.”

Paul didn’t have to wrestle a third period Saturday, courtesy of his three pins, capped by a fall on the title mat against Riverside-Brookfield’s Ethan Rivas.

Paul’s varsity odyssey in the sport began three years ago as a 152-pound freshman.

“I was pretty hefty,” Paul said. “I worked down to 145 sophomore year, then down to 138 junior year. But then last summer I put on some size, eating whatever I wanted and hitting the weights hard, and got up to 157.”

Freshman aren’t often able to out-muscle middle-weight upperclassmen, and Paul was once one of those freshman. Three years later, he’s able to both move opponents around and use his technique. “This year, I want to be on that (state finals) podium,” he said.

South Elgin’s Jacob Lopez won by fall for third place against Westmont’s Sean Patterson, and DePaul’s Matthew Brendel took fifth with a major decision win against Niles West’s Ivan Gonzalez.

165 – Jovany Zuniga, Fenton

After losing a match a few days prior to Saturday’s Weiss Invite, Fenton’s Jovany Zuniga knew he had to put it in his rearview mirror, no matter how much that loss stung.

Of course, that loss still served a purpose.

“My confidence was down a little but it also motivated me,” Zuniga said of the loss. “I realize I need to get better.”

Zuniga used a weekday loss as fuel to win a weekend tournament title. He used three pins to get it, capped by a fall on the title mat at 165 against South Elgin’s Kosta Carrera.

Zuniga had to bear down during his semifinal match against Riverside-Brookfield’s Cade Tomkins before winning by third-period fall.

“I had a tough second match and I just kept thinking about being stubborn and not letting it get to me,” Zuniga said. “It’s too easy to relax and lose and you have to force yourself to be stubborn about it.

“I focused on my stuff and once I start controlling the match with my momentum, I was able to get the pin. Now I just want to keep finishing my shots and stay consistent.”

Tomkins won by fall for third place against Palatine’s Drew Dreksler, and Saint Viator’s Devin Adams won by major decision for fifth place against Richards’ Anthony Outsey.

175 – Mike Taheney, Richards

Taheney was yet another individual champion at Fenton who posted a trio of pins Saturday, and he capped his day with a fall on the title mat against Bremen’s Adrian Esparza. 

Taheney won by fall in his semifinal match against Proviso East’s Clarence Wellington to reach the finals, and Esparza pinned Riverside-Brookfield’s Max Strong in their semifinal.

Strong beat Wellington by fall on the third-place mat, while DePaul’s Titus Bautista won a 9-7 decision for fifth place against South Elgin’s Michael Cwenar.

190 – Matt Elzy, Riverside-Brookfield

The junior Elzy gave the team champion Bulldogs their second individual title,

after going into the tournament in a slightly sour mood over the way he’d been wrestling recently.

“I was getting a little complacent, a little sloppy,” Elzy said, “and today I just fought until the end.

“I just think about all the times I didn’t get what I wanted because I wasn’t able to do it, or things went wrong. I think about how I’ll feel after the match because there’s nothing worse than losing when you could have won.”

Elzy’s reinvigoration resulted in three pins Saturday, capped by a second-period fall over Fenton’s Rulin Palacios.

Riverside-Brookfield coach Nick Curby sees Elzy at a different level this season.

“Last year he was like two matches away from qualifying for state,” Curby said. “Now he found a style that fits him and he’s really working hard. Last year he was ‘Headlock Matt’ but we finally worked that out and he has a lot of really good skill. And he’s a lot stronger this year.”

Palatine’s Trey Widloweski won by fall for third place against South Elgin’s Karl Pretzer, and Saint Viator’s Phu Truong won a 3-2 decision for fifth place against Bremen’s Jaime Martinez.

215 – Hunter Wahtola, DePaul College Prep

DePaul tied South Elgin for the most individual champions with three, and Wahtola joined teammates Rosario and Rosen as a title-winner with a fall against Saint Ignatius’ Melson Ngassa in the finals at 215.

Wahtola is a rarity in the sport as a 215-pound varsity freshman. And despite posting three pins and winning the first tournament title of his high school career, the big freshman know what he want to work on.

“Getting out from bottom,” Wahtola said. “It’s all just about hard work and I need to work more on it. And I want to get better on top so I have to work on my positioning.”

Wahtola won by fall in his semifinal match against Waubonsie Valley’s Josh Housour, and Ngassa won by fall over South Elgin’s Joey Cronin to reach the finals.

Housour won a 5-4 decision on the third-place mat against Cronin, and Saint Viator’s Ryan Hutchens won by fall for fifth against Proviso East’s Edward Love.

285 – Tommy Roath, South Elgin

South Elgin’s big man gave the Storm its third individual champion when he won by fall at 30 seconds on the title mat against Fenton’s Josh Zuniga. Roath reached the finals with an 8-2 semifinal decision against Niles West’s Alex Hernandez.

Zuniga posted a pair of pins to reach the finals, including a fall against Leo’s Nicholas Armour in their semifinal match.

Armour went on to win a 7-0 decision on the third-place mat against Hernandez, and Waubonsie Valley’s Leonidas Hoson won by fall for fifth against Bremen’s Marco Olivera.

2023 Steve Weiss Invitational championship matches:

106 – Julius Avendano (South Elgin) F 1:44 Dimitri Dobre (DePaul)

113 – Edgar Mosquera (Riverside-Brookfield) D 5-2 Oliver Chapman (DePaul)

120 – Demetrios Carrera (South Elgin) F 2:25 Mateo Arauz (Riverside-Brookfield)

126 – Nabiel Rosario (DePaul) D 12-7 Daniel Derevlyak (Palatine)

132 – Izaiah Gonzalez (Bremen) F 2:55 Jacob Godoy (Riverside-Brookfield)

138 – Max Rosen (DePaul) F 1:19 Ricky Blanco (Riverside-Brookfield)

144 – Ethan Wojtowich (Waubonsie Valley) D 10-4 Josh Gonzalez (Riverside-Brookfield)

150 – Leo Rosas (South Elgin) F :51 Nate Sanchez (Saint Ignatius)

157 – Dom Paul (Richards) F 2:45 Ethan Rivas (Riverside-Brookfield)

165 – Jovany Zuniga (Fenton) F :53 Kosta Carrera (South Elgin)

175 – Mike Taheney (Richards) F 4:21 Adrian Esparza (Bremen)

190 – Mike Elzy (Riverside-Brookfield) F 2:41 Rulin Palacios (Fenton)

215 – Hunter Wahtola (DePaul) F2:29 Melson Ngassa (Saint Ignatius)

285 – Tommy Roath (South Elgin) F 0:30 Josh Zuniga (Fenton) 

Final team scores: Riverside-Brookfield 235.5, South Elgin 206.5, DePaul 184, Fenton 111, Saint Ignatius 110.5, Palatine 106, Richards 98, Waubonsie Valley 83, Bremen 82.5, Saint Viator 78, Proviso East 76, Fenton JV 46.5, Niles West 46, Leo 36.5, Westmont 25, Elmwood Park 9.

By Patrick Z. McGavin for the IWCOA

Will Denny is not quite where he wants to be. The top-ranked wrestler in Class 3A at 150 pounds is still rounding into prime shape.

After finishing fourth at the state tournament last year, he is ready for an encore. “It was an awesome experience even though in the end it was not what I wanted,” Denny said. 

“In the long run, it set a fuel under my fire.”

His higher aspirations underscored the Redhawks’ superb collective performance Saturday at the McLaughlin Classic at Joliet Central.

Wrestling at 157 pounds, Denny earned the most outstanding wrestler award in the upper weights, powering the repeat championship by Marist.

“It’s awesome, and definitely an accomplishment,” he said. “My coaches told me to have fun this week, and that’s what I did. It’s truly a blessing to be awarded that. We have a great group of guys, and I love being teammates with them.”

Marist had an unbeatable combination of high-end talent and depth for the 27-team field.

The Redhawks had a tournament-best six finalists and eleven top-five finishes in finishing with 269.5 points. Lincoln-Way Central was runner-up at 217.5 points, followed by Normal (203.5) and Deerfield (173).

Denny and Conor Phelan (190 pounds) won championships for the Redhawks, who had had four runner-up finishes, two thirds, a fourth, and a fifth.

Nine schools divided the 14 championships, with Normal and Deerfield each finishing with three top finishers. Lincoln-Way Central, Joliet Central, Providence, Peotone, Morton (Ill.) and Romeoville had one championship apiece. 

McLaughlin Classic championship match breakdowns:

106 – Jackson Soney, Normal Community

Every wrestler has their own inimitable style. Jackson Soney has his own nomenclature.

“I call it the cow-catcher, where you just put your arm under him, and run it,” the Normal Community freshman said.

Soney overwhelmed Lincoln-Way Central freshman Eric Hoselton with the second period fall in the championship match, and improve his season record to 10-0.

“I was just getting out there and staying aggressive, and just being calm in the stressful moment, and just making sure I know in my head that I trained hard for this tournament,” Soney said.

Soney created the early advantage with two takedowns in the first period. Hoselton responded with some aggressive actions of his own at the start of the second period. Twice he got deep with a single-leg, but Soney maneuvered out of danger.

“I just tried to stay calm, and focus on where he was weak positionally,” Soney said. “I could defend those single legs, and get him back down.” 

Soney authored one of the most dominant runs by ostensibly crushing the field.

His day started with a 0:19 fall, and took off from there. After another fall in under a minute during the quarterfinals he dominated Marist’s Elio Gil with an 11-1 major in the semifinals.

Until he encountered the buzzsaw that was Soney, Hoselton (6-1) swept through the lower bracket, posting two falls and a technical fall (15-0) over Homewood-Flossmoor’s Davion Henry in the semifinals.

Henry topped Gil for third via 5-4 ultimate tie-breaker, and Wheaton North’s Rocco Macellaio posted a second-period fall of Stagg’s Javier Corral for fifth place.

113 – Caden Correll, Normal Community

Caden Correll had plenty of visual evidence to support his most outstanding wrestler honor. He also had the quick, sure, and dominant manner to back it up.

“I always want to be aggressive, and get that first takedown,” he said. “Put as many points on the board, and you’re going to win.”

The Normal sophomore blitzed Harrison Dea of Morton by first-period fall for the championship.

Correll finished fifth at 106 pounds in Class 3A last season. Dea finished fifth at the same weight in Class 2A.

Correll engineered an early five-point maneuver with a takedown and back points, and never looked back.

“He had an under hook, and I felt his pressure,” Correll said. “I trust myself to throw it, and hit it, and that’s what I did. I went for it, and got it.”

Correll (9-0) showed imposing technique, flexibility and skill in demolishing the field to earn the most outstanding wrestler award in the lower weights.

His victory over Dea marked the culmination of an effective and highly-efficient day, posting three falls and a technical fall.

After his 18-3 technical fall over St. Rita’s Jack Hogan in the quarterfinals, he overpowered Stagg’s Jaime Corral with a first period fall.

Despite suffering a quick loss by fall in the final, the sophomore Dea (4-1) marked himself  as a wrestler to watch in central Illinois. He posted a fall, a major decision and a third-period fall over Kennedy’s Victor Alvarado in the semifinals to reach the finals.

Alvarado won by injury default over Corral for third place, and Hogan defeated Homewood-Flossmoor’s Diondre Henry 10-7 for fifth.

120 – Brian Farley, Romeoville

Few wrestlers had such a direct and visceral form of payback staring them down like Romeoville senior Brian Farley.

“The memory of losing against him last year in the semifinals just motivated me, and pushed me,” Farley said. “I’ve been winning this whole year so far, and today it led me to this moment, and I was ready.”

Farley captured the title with the 7-2 victory over previously undefeated Cole Gentsch of Normal, securing crucial early points with a takedown in the closing moments of the first period.

His second-period reversal and subsequent takedown pulled the momentum decisively in his favor.

“I worked on my legs this year, and just being mentally tough,” Farley said. “I just wanted to keep going, and keep the momentum. My style is to try and control the match.” 

Farley broke the early run of top-seeded wrestlers capturing the championship.

He emerged from the lower bracket with a convincing technical fall and an electric 3-0 victory over Marist’s Tommy Fidler in the semifinals.

Before suffering his first loss, Gentsch (7-1) posted two first-period falls and a major decision over Stagg’s Anas Ahmed in the semifinals.

Fidler captured a 10-0 major over Ahmed in the third-place match, and Plainfield East’s Aiden Villar defeated Deerfield’s Adrian Cohen by 8-2 decision for fifth place.

126 – Tommy Banas, Providence Catholic

Tommy Banas had his own internal clock.

He knew the moment was pressing, and time was slipping away.

“I knew I was down by one, and I had to get this takedown as soon as possible,” he said. “If I lose, I’m going to regret it, and if I win, I’m going to be happy.”

Banas stunned Marist’s George Marinopoulos with a takedown with 19 seconds remaining for a 2-1 championship victory. 

“He opened up and I had the high-crotch, and I was able to finish it,” Banas said. 

The match was a dazzling blend of matching style, technique and strategy. The first period ended without any scoring, and Marinopoulos successfully rode Banas the entire second period.

Marinopoulos appeared to gain the upper hand with the escape at the 4:30 mark. But Banas had one final action.

In improving to 12-0, Banas showed his mettle, balance, toughness and skill on his feet; moving through the lower bracket he encountered little resistance, registering three impressive falls.

His second-period fall of Homewood-Flossmoor’s Robye Williams in the semifinals paved his championship path.

Marinopoulos was equally dominant at the top of the bracket, running roughshod over the field with a technical fall (22-6) and two quick falls during his subsequent rounds.

He defeated Caleb Lenning of Morton with a devastating quick fall at 1:15 in the semifinals.

Lenning captured the third-place match by injury default over Williams. Joliet Central’s Aleck Allende posted a third-period fall of Normal’s Ethan Cavallo in the fifth-place bout.

132 – Luke Reddy, Deerfield

With two excellent wrestlers in constant motion, circling and looking for any advantage, Luke Reddy made his move.

His first period takedown paved the way for the scintillating 3-1 victory over Marist’s Michael Esteban for the championship victory.

His takedown happened at the 1:17 mark and Reddy added a second-period escape in creating further separation.

Reddy improved his record to 10-1 with his superb blend of quickness, speed, skill and grace.

He dominated the lower bracket with two falls and a major decision. His second period fall of St. Rita’s Nino Protti was the ideal prelude to his performance in the championship match.

Esteban was a whirling dervish through the top of the bracket, annihilating the field with his smooth, fluid style and sharp technique.

He ran the gamut through his preliminaries with a technical fall, two falls, and an 11-6 decision over Lincoln-Way Central’s Jadon Zimmer in the semifinals.

Protti edged Zimmer 9-5 in the third-place match. Providence’s Justus Snapp posted the third- period fall of Wheaton North’s David Hyde for fifth place.

138 – Jordan Rasof, Deerfield

Deerfield’s Jordan Rasof imagined his victory, and then applied his own reasoning.

“I went into these matches with the right mindset, and I put the work in, and I knew there was no way the guys next to me were going to beat me,” he said.

Rasof utilized a fast start for an impressive 10-1 major decision over Braden Kelly of Belleville East for the championship. His first period takedown and back points for the 5-0 advantage created the ideal template.

“I like to keep a relentless pace, and just keep the guy guessing,” he said. “I like to break guys, and never give them a chance to breathe.”

Rasof finished sixth at 126 in Class 2A last season.

Rasof (8-2) had an intriguing run to the championship, blitzing his first two opponents by technical fall and making very quick work of his quarterfinal opponent, winning by fall at 0:35.

Marist sophomore Ethan Sonne provided the most significant resistance during a fantastic back-and-forth semifinal that ended narrowly in Rasof’s favor at 10-9.

Kelly used an impressive 8-1 decision over higher-seeded Ethan Harvey of Lincoln-Way Central as a catalyst for his championship match run. His second-period fall of Normal’s Carter Mayes clinched his slot against Rasof in the title match.

Mayes captured third place with – second period fall of Sonne. In the fifth-place match, St. Rita’s Enzo Canali defeated Harvey 4-1.

144 – Mark Martinez, Deerfield

Mark Martinez created his own state of mind.

“I really tried to stay aggressive, take my shots, and I wanted to set the tone and wrestle my match, and not let them take it to me,” he said. 

He registered two takedowns in each of the first two periods, and parlayed it into a commanding 16-3 major over Ameer Alamawi of Lincoln-Way Central for the championship.

Martinez (8-1) made a commanding assertion as the most dominant wrestler of the invitational.

He posted three first period falls in reaching the championship match. He needed, respectively, just 1:20, 1:47 and 1:39, of wrestling time to knock out the opposition.

His first-period fall of Brian Ingram of Homewood-Flossmoor in the semifinals propelled him into the championship round.

Alami (6-1) was equally impressive, stunning top-seed Micha Spinazzola of Peotone with a second-period fall during the semifinals of the top bracket. Alami also posted a first-period fall, and a decisive 7-1 victory over Belleville East’s Dewayne Taylor in the quarterfinals.

Spinazzola rebounded from his first loss for a second-period fall of Ingram in the third-place match. Marist’s Matthew Cornfield earned a first period fall over Joliet Central’s Jorge Robles on the fifth-place mat.

150 – Steven Marvin, Morton

Talk about a reversal of fortune.

Life changes quickly in the sport, a point of emphasis for Morton’s Steven Marvin.

Trailing for a solid portion of his championship match against Jalen Byrd of Lincoln-Way Central, Marvin pulled out a remarkable comeback with a late fall at 5:54.

It was the kind of classic back-and-forth where every action appeared linked to an equally opposite reaction.

A Byrd takedown in the first period was matched by a Marvin reversal. Byrd appeared to get the upper hand with a second period reversal.

Byrd took the 4-2 lead into the final period, where he began on top, and Marvin made his move with just over a minute remaining for a match-tying reversal.

He was not satisfied. With Byrd trying to escape, Marvin began to turn him. Byrd tried to get out by switching positions but Marvin caught him on his back for the stunning final action. 

Marvin finished in the top eight last season in Class 2A, one match away from a state medal. 

Marvin (4-0) emerged from the lower bracket, revealing a versatile and skilled style that flummoxed his opposition. He posted two falls, and a 9-2 decision over Ryan Rosch of Wheaton North during the quarterfinals.

He foreshadowed his championship match with a second-period fall of previously-undefeated Jayden Campbell of Normal in the semifinals.

Byrd (6-1) was virtually untouchable leading up to the final moments of the championship match. He posted two falls and a 16-0 technical fall over Nolan Keegan of St. Rita in the semifinals of the top bracket. 

Campbell responded to his semifinal defeat with a first-period fall of Keenan for third place. Rosch won by technical fall (21-5) over Marian Catholic’s Jonah Greenwood for fifth place.

157 – Will Denny, Marist

Will Denny was electric on his feet, and overpowering at close contact.

His three first period takedowns created an unstoppable momentum in a 23-8 technical fall win over Plainfield East’s Niko Duggan in the championship.

Denny kept cutting Duggan to continue attacking on his feet.

“I like to be under control, and make it my match and not worry about what other people are doing,” Denny said.

The technical fall in the championship provided the perfect symmetry for Denny, underscoring his credentials for the most outstanding wrestler in the upper weights.

Denny (4-0) had two falls and two technical falls, creating the perfect bookend to his breathtaking performance.

He posted two quick falls in the preliminaries, leading up to his 23-8 technical fall win over Providence Catholic’s Geno Papes in their semifinal match.

Despite his championship loss, Duggan (8-1) showed considerable promise of his own, posting two lightning-fast pins in under a minute in qualifying for the semifinals of the lower bracket.

He dispatched Caden Harvey of Lincoln-Way Central with the 10-2 major decision.

Papes edged Harvey 7-5 in the third-place match. In the fifth-place match, Belleville East’s Killian Rauch defeated Bishop McNamara’s Tristin Golden by medical forfeit.

165 – Ian Kreske, Peotone

Even if his football season ended with a second-round loss against eventual state champion Byron, Peotone’s Ian Kreske earned special value.

“I played linebacker and tight end, and we were a big running team,” he said. “I felt like that helped a lot. “You saw that today. With my conditioning, and just staying on them constantly, I was really able to push the pace.”

Kreske outlasted Marist’s Kevin Tompkins 7-3 to capture the championship, gaining early momentum with a first-period takedown. 

Kreske (4-0) smashed through the upper bracket with some sharp and telling performances. After opening the preliminary action with a fall and technical fall, he edged Jerry Nono of Plainfield East 8-5 in the semifinals.

In the lower bracket, Tompkins (3-1) fought through a tough quarterfinal against Kristian Meloy of Lincoln-Way East. His 5-3 decision propelled him to the semifinals against Malakai Scott of Crete-Monee.

Tompkins swept into the final by dint of a 13-0 major over Scott.

Nino posted a second-period fall of Scott in the third-place match. Wheaton North’s Julian Flores captured a 7-4 decision over Lincoln-Way Central’s Kristian Meloy for fifth place. 

175 – Tim Key, Lincoln-Way Central

It was a victory with a bit of an asterisk, when Lincoln-Way Central’s Tim Key won by injury default on the title mat against Marist’s Ricky Ericksen.

Ericksen used a takedown and near-fall points to lead 7-0 at the end of the first period, but even amid the positive moments the warning signs emerged.

Ericksen had to be medically evaluated at the end of the period, and twice during the second period. He was up 7-3 when the match was called with 3:23.

Key (6-1) had a difficult path to the championship navigating the lower bracket. After two convincing victories with a major decision and first-period fall, he won 4-3 against Romeoville’s Mason Gougis in the semifinals.

Ericksen (3-1) breezed through the top bracket with his sharp and telling command of form, style and punishing strength. He began with an 18-3 technical fall, and never slowed down, registering a quick quarterfinal fall before beating Providence’s Michael O’Connor by fall in their semifinal.

Gougis captured a major decision over O’Connor for third place. In the fifth-place match, Wheaton North’s Jammey Waters posted a second-period fall against Morton’s Tyus Almasy.

190 – Connor Phelan, Marist

The toughest choice of the coaches and the tournament directors was undoubtedly the outstanding wrestler in the upper weights.

If Denny was a memorable and just choice, his teammate Conor Phelan had his own telling arguments.

Phelan (5-0) rampaged through the field with five falls, and only one of those matches lasting into the second period. Phelan finished third at 182 pounds in Class 3A last season.

He won the championship with a fall at 1:47 of Wheaton North’s Milo Saenz Palencia that was a master class in strength, power, and force.

Five matches, five falls, and it was lights out for the competition.

Until he ran into the buzzsaw that was Phelan in the championship round, Saenz Palencia was terrific in his own right, posting three falls and a major decision in blasting through the lower bracket.

His late third-period fall of Shepard’s Yazen Ashkar in the semifinals set up his match against Phelan.

In the third-place match, Aiden Hennings of Lincoln-Way Central registered a first-period fall of Ashkar. Morton’s Brennan Bjorling edged Belleville East’s Cedric King 2-1 for fifth place.

215 – Charles Walker, Joliet Central

Just call the hometown hero the perfect ten.

Charles Walker made sure the home fans had something profound to cheer about. Walker posted a 15-2 major decision over Deerfield’s Max Drumke to win the Steelmen’s lone individual title.

“This means a lot to me,” Walker said. “I’m not sure my team expected this, but I did.”

After a scoreless first period, Walker took control with a five-point move off a reversal and back points. He never looked back.

“I chose the down position, and I hit the switch, and I went on top,” he said. “I’m usually an upper-body strength guy, but today I really focused on my shots and quickness.”

Walker finished in the top eight in Class 3A last season, one match away from a state medal.

Walker (10-0) annihilated the top half of the bracket with three falls in reaching the final. After dispatching his quarterfinal opponent in under a minute, he needed just 1:24 to win by fall against Romeoville’s Mohamad Almadani.

Drumke (9-2) was also commanding and dynamic coming out of the lower bracket. He had three falls through the early series, the most significant his second-period fall of Marist’s Tommy O’Brien in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, O’Brien posted a first-period fall of Almadani. Wheaton North’s Zeke Psenicka posted the 12-5 decision over St. Rita’s Pat Conneely on the fifth-place mat.

285 – Cooper Caraway, Normal Community

Cooper Caraway was in a slightly surreal place: down in a title match after Stagg’s Terrell Williams secured an opening takedown.

“Honestly, it was a wake up call, but we practice every single day and I was able to get back into my stuff,” Caraway said.

Caraway recovered and quickly took control, with a reversal and takedown he converted into a fall at 0:59 in the championship match.

After helping the football team to a 12-1 run to the Class 7A semifinals, Caraway is already in mid-season form. “I’m still knocking some of the rust off,” he said. “Football was fun, and we went as far as we could.”

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

Seneca’s Irish Invite

Whenever you can send nine wrestlers to the title mat in a 17-team field, odds are you’re in the driver’s seat of a tournament. And Central kept its hand on the wheel on Saturday, winning six individual titles and seeing 12 wrestlers finish in the top five of their weight classes.

Comets coach Travis Williams couldn’t have been happier with the team title his boys from Clifton won at this year’s Seneca Irish Invite, and their second consecutive Irish Invite crown.

“The boys did amazing,” Williams said. “We’re excited to get everyone in the early season weight classes where we feel like we can compete at our best. exciting to win a tournament back-to-back seasons as well, especially by a convincing margin over some other top 20 programs in 1A.”

Central finished with a 270-219 win over second-place Seneca. Orion (165) placed third, Ottawa (151) was fourth, and Kewanee (131) rounded out the top five team finishes.

The Comets got individual titles from Everett Bailey (126), Kayden Cody (132), Gianni Panozzo (144), Evan Cox (150), Chris Andrade (165), and Noah Gomez (285), and seconds from Blake Hemp (120), Giona Panozzo (138), and Hunter Hull (175).

Central also got to-five finishes from Brody O’Connor (3rd at 215), Beau Williams (4th at 113), and Max Joseph (fifth at 190).

“Nine finalist and placing twelve of thirteen exceeded expectations and gave us an amazing run early on the team points,” Williams said. “We had a stretch where we pinned twenty matches in a row today.”

The freshman Bailey won the first tournament title of his high school career, the senior Cody won his second career tournament title, and Cox bumped up two weights to win his first tournament crown.

Gomez pinned his way to his second consecutive Seneca title, and after winning a wrestle-off to earn his spot in the Central lineup, all Andrade did was reach the finals and gut-out a 4-2 sudden victory decision.

And all Gianni Panozzo did in winning his title was post four falls and go un-scored upon. Panozzo was also named the tournament’s Lower Weight Most Valuable Wrestler.

Hull lost by decision in the finals at 175 to Manteno’s Carter Watkins, but beat Seneca’s Asher Hamby by 4-2 decision in their semifinal match, and had “a great individual day,” Williams said.

Second-place host Seneca got individual titles from Nate Othon (157) and Chris Peura (215), and coach Todd Yegge got seconds from Raiden Terry (106) and Jeremy Gagnon (285). 

Beardstown’s Chuck Dailey (285) posted five pins in 3:48 to lead the tournament in the most pins in the least time; the most tech fall wins in the least time went to Walther Christian’s Caleb Peterson (126), with two tech falls in 8:30; the tournament’s fastest fall came in 10 seconds by Heyworth’s Jack Rutledge (120).

Three wrestlers tied for the most team points scored with 30, in Central’s Gianni Panozzo (144), and Seneca’s Nate Othon (157) and Chris Peura (215), and 11th-seeded champion Othon ended with the largest seed-place difference. 

Walther’s Peterson’s 24 points were the most in any single match; his 64 total match points also led the tournament; and the day’s closest title match came when Orion’s Maddux Anderson won a 2-1 decision at 190 against King’s Calvin Savage. Also winning titles at the Irish Invite were Streator’s Nick Pollett (106), Ottawa’s Ivan Munoz (113), Amboy’s Landon Blanton (120), Kewanee’s Benjamin Taylor (138), Manteno’s Carter Watkins (175), and Orion’s Maddux Anderson (190).

Other wrestlers placing second included Kewanee’s Kingston Peterson (113) and Alejandro Duarte (215), Nolan Lowe (126), Ethan Lowe (144), and Joshua Caraballo (157) of University (Normal), Eureka’s Owen Stoller (132), St. Bede’s Logan Pineda (150), Orion’s Nolan Loete (165), King’s Calvin Savage (190), 

Third-place finishers also included Orion’s Tyler Olson (106), Pontiac’s Kooper Wiles (113), Seneca’s Ethan Othon (120) and Asher Hamby (175), Walther Christian’s Caleb Peterson (126), Kewanee’s Chance DeSplinter (132), University’s Hayden Washum (138) and Grayson Moody (165), Ottawa’s Malachi Snyder (144) and Ryan Wilson (190), Eureka’s Sam Hoffman (150), Streator’s Steven Goplin (157), and Beardstown’s Chunk Dailey (285).

Placing fourth at Seneca were Ottawa’s Giovanni Hernandez (106), Andrew Ristau (165), Wyatt Reding (175) and Ethan Day (285), University’s Joshua Butler (120), Orion’s Cole Perkins (126), Cavan Terry (132) and Kaden Edmunds (157), Manteno’s Joe Carney (138), Beardstown’s Luis De La Cruz (144) and Shadrach Mafhina (215), Pontiac’s Sam Hoffman (150), and Seneca’s Landen Venecia (190).

Championship matches at Seneca’s Irish Invite:

106 — Nicholas Pollett (Streator) D 4-2 Raiden Terry (Seneca)

113 — Ivan Munoz (Ottawa) F 5:43 Kingston Peterson (Kewanee)

120 — Landon Blanton (Amboy) F 5:35 Blake Hemp (Central)

126 — Everett Bailey (Central) D 11-8 Nolan Lowe (University)

132 — Kayden Cody (Central) F 1:33 Owen Stoller (Eureka)

138 — Benjamin Taylor (Kewanee) F 3:05 Giona Panozzo (Central)

144 — Gianni Panozzo (Central) F 4:00 Ethan Lowe (University)

150 — Evan Cox (Central) D 9-6 Logan Pineda (St. Bede)

157 — Nate Othon (Seneca) F 2:36 Joshua Carabello (University)

165 — Chris Andrade (Central) SV-1 4-2 Nolan Loete (Orion)

175 — Carter Watkins (Manteno) D 8-2 Hunter Hull (Central)

190 — Maddux Anderson (Orion) D 2-1 Calvin Savage (King)

215 — Chris Peura (Seneca) F 1:17 Alejandro Duarte (Kewanee)

285 — Noah Gomez (Central) F 5:01 Jeremy Gagnon (Seneca)

Final team scores: Central 270, Seneca 219, Orion 165, Ottawa 151, Kewanee 131, University 123, Amboy 84.5, Beardstown 84, Streator 69, Eureka 63, Pontiac 59, Manteno 54.5, St. Bede 39, Heyworth 31, Walther Christian 25, King 22, Somonauk 0

Sterling’s 45th Annual Carson DeJarnatt Invitational

With five individual champs and two runners-up, Dixon snared the team title at Saturday’s 45th annual Carson DeJarnatt Invitational, hosted by Sterling.

Dixon’s 228.5 team points topped the nine-team field with host Sterling (179.5) taking second placed. Galesburg (166.5), Clinton, IA (151), and Newman Central Catholic (132.5) rounded out the top five, followed by Limestone (103.5), Fulton (84), Rock Falls (75) and Oak Lawn (72).

Dixon coach Micah Hey got individual titles from Jack Ragan (106), Ayden Rowley (113), Cade Hey (150), Steven Kitzman (175) and Will Howell (215), plus seconds from Gavin Kramer (132) and Jayden Weidman (144). The Dukes also got a third from Jayce Kastner (165), fourths from Riley Paredes (120), Jacob Renkes (126), and James Simpson (138), a fifth from Spencer Pleskovitch and a sixth from heavyweight Kit Wedekind.

“I was real proud of the way we wrestled this weekend,” Hey said. “Our 106-pounder Jack Ragan has gotten us off to great starts this year and did it again this tournament. Cade Hey at 150 pinned his way through the tournament and looked real sharp. Really they all did a nice job and contributed in some way.”

Second-place Sterling got individual titles from Zyan Westbrook (120) and Isaiah Mendoza (157), and Golden Warriors coach Nolan Baker got seconds from Gage Tate (175) and Oswaldo Navarro (285).

Sterling’s long-time tournament is named for IWCOA and National Wrestling Hall of Fame coach Carson DeJarnatt, who retired in 1990 after coaching Sterling for 21 years, 19 as head coach.

Rock Falls’ Logan Thome (126) had the tournament’s most pins in the least amount of time, posting three falls in 3:11, while teammate Jacob Hosler (285) had the fastest pin in 13 seconds. Limestone’s Dakota Hentz (113) had the fastest tech fall win at 3:34, and Sterling’s Isaiah Mendoza (157) posted the most points in a single match with 20, and the most total match points with 34. Honors for the largest seed-place difference went to Brady Jennings from Clinton, Iowa; the ninth-seeded Jennings placed second at 150 pounds.

Also winning individual titles in Sterling were Galesburg’s Rocky Almendarez (126) and Gauge Shipp (138), Rock Falls’ Adan Oquendo (132), Newman’s Carter Rude (144) and Daniel Kelly (165), Clinton, Iowa’s Mason Luckritz (190), and Limestone’s Taylor Dixon (285).

Others placing second in Sterling were Newman’s Blair Grennan (106), Zhyler Hansen (120), and Brady Grennan (138), Oak Lawn’s Ryan Bisoyana (113) and Ammar Elayyan (126), Clinton, Iowa’s Brady Jennings (150) and Chandler Hayden (215), Galesburg’s Josiah Carter (157) and Anthony Makwala (165), and Fulton’s Mason Kuebel (190).

Championship matches at Sterling’s Carson DeJarnatt Invitational:

106 – Jack Ragan (Dixon) F 2:41 Blair Grennan (Newman)

113 – Ayden Rowley (Dixon) F 2:00 Ryan Bisoyana (Oak Lawn)

120 – Zyan Westbrook (Sterling) F 1:35 Zhyler Hansen (Newman)

126 – Rocky Almendarez (Galesburg) F 3:17 Ammar Elayyan (Oak Lawn)

132 – Adan Oquendo (Rock Falls) D 7-2 Gavin Kramer (Dixon)

138 – Gauge Shipp (Galesburg) D 6-2 Brady Grennan (Newman)

144 – Carter Rude (Newman) F 1:00 Jayden Weidman (Dixon)

150 – Cade Hey (Dixon) F 2:57 Brady Jennings (Clinton, IA)

157 – Isaiah Mendoza (Sterling) D 7-6 Josiah Carter (Galesburg)

165 – Daniel Kelly (Newman) D 5-2 Anthony Makwala (Galesburg)

175 – Steven Kitzman (Dixon) D 13-6 Gage Tate (Sterling)

190 – Mason Luckritz (Clinton, IA) F 2:17 Mason Kuebel (Fulton)

215 – Will Howell (Dixon) D 7-6 Hayden Chandler (Clinton, IA)

285 – Taylor Dixon (Limestone) F 2:51 Oswaldo Navarro (Sterling)

Final team scores: Dixon 228.5, Sterling 179.5, Galesburg 166.4, Clinton, IA 151, Newman Central Catholic 132.5, Limestone 103.5, Fulton 84, Rock Falls 75, Oak Lawn 72

Lincoln-Way East captures Plainfield North Dual Team Tournament

Lincoln-Way East defeated Plainfield North 48-17 to claim top honors in the 16-team Plainfield North Dual Team Tournament in Plainfield to repeat as champions in the competition while the host Tigers moved up one spot from a year ago.

Glenbard North won 43-30 over York to finish third, Minooka and Moline tied for fifth place and Joliet West beat Canton 42-36 to finish in seventh place.

Coach Kevin Rockett’s champion Griffins went 5-0, beating Morris 57-18, Joliet West 63-17 and Hinsdale Central 56-15 to open the event and then won 39-27 over York before meeting the hosts for the title.

Coach Adrian Cervantes’ runner-up Tigers won 59-16 over Round Lake, 78-6 over Willowbrook and 45-23 over Canton before earning their spot in the finals with a 40-27 victory over Glenbard North.

Turning in 5-0 efforts for Lincoln-Way East were Kaidge Richardson (126), Domanic Abeja (150) and Alexander Lizak (157) while Tyson Zvonar (132), Brayden Mortell (138), Jackson Zaeske (175), Isaiah Williams (190) and Ryan Stingily (285) went 4-1. Christian Darnell (165) went 3-0 and Colton Zvonar (165) went 2-0.

Plainfield North received 5-0 showings from Maddox Garbis (113) and Leonardo Tovar (190) while Luke Grindstaff (138), Lucas Frydrychowski (144), Robert Tota (150), Sam Zito (157/165) and Ralphael Tovar (157/165) all went 4-1.

Going 5-0 for Glenbard North were Dominick Marre (120) and Kalani Khiev (126) while Jaiden Quito (106/113), Christian Chavez (132), Rylan Kradle (150), Julian Holland (175), Tyler Ott (190) and Brian Petrancosta (215) all turned in 4-1 efforts.

York got 5-0 efforts from Zachary Parisi (132), Frankie Nitti (138), Danny DeCristofaro (175) and Austin Bagdasarian (215) while Jake Kubycheck (120) and Jackson Hanselman (144) went 4-1.

Turning 4-0 records for Minooka were Cale Stonisch (138), Kaden Meyer (157) and AJ Frescura (165) while Mason Vogt (106), Casey Janicki (113), Noah Avina (120), Francisco Ditrolio (144) and Ben Cyrkiel (150) all posted 3-1 records.

Moline got 4-0 records from Collin Ledbetter (106) and Zander Ealy (165) while Issac Perez (113/120), Jack Sibley (150), Deanthony Simpson (157), Jaxson Krantz (175/190) and Bennett Gorgal (285) had 3-1 records while James Soliz (190) and Nehemiah Lenzen (215) went 2-0.

Leading the way for Joliet West with 5-0 records were Joseph Pedrosa (120) and Carson Weber (144) while Coehn Weber (126) and Adrian Hernandez (138) both went 4-1.

Canton was led by Connor Williams (285), who went 5-0, while Jacob Hardesty (106), Gus Lidwell (175), Danny Murphy (190) and Grant Kessler (215) all had 4-1 records, Jack Jochums (132) went 3-0 and Maddux Steele (113/120) posted a 3-1 record.

Dundee-Crown and Sandwich tied for tenth, Morris and Willowbrook tied for 12th and Hinsdale Central, Hoffman Estates, Prairie Ridge and Round Lake were also in the competition.

Dundee-Crown was led by 3-1 efforts from Chris Gerardo (126), Jose Gavina (165/175) and Teigen Moreno (215) while Sandwich got 3-1 records from Jacob Ross (106) and Cooper Corder (132).

Morris got 4-0 showings from Owen Sater (106) and Brock Claypool (113) while Brandon Anderson (120), Carter Skoff (132), Tyler Semlar (144/150) and Andrew Paull (157/165) all went 3-1. Willowbrook’s Noah Brockie (175) went 4-0 and Emiliano Cokalli (165) was 2-0.

Hinsdale Central was led by Brady Koschik (215) and Marko Ivanisevic (285), who both went 3-0. Hoffman Estates’ top performers were Abdulhamid Olowu (285), who went 3-0, and Alazar Eyob (132/138), who went 3-1.

Prairie Ridge’s top performers were Mikey Meade (126), who went 4-0, as well as Jake Lowitzki (113), Xander York (157) and John Fallaw (285), who all went 3-0, and Christian Pease (138), who went 3-1. Round Lake was led by Grayson Kongkaeow (126), who went 4-0, Alejandro Cordova (120), who went 3-0, William Cole (285), who was 2-0 and Marshawn Washington (138), who went 3-1. 

Lincoln-Way East’s Lizak had five falls in 4:50 and Griffin Abeja recorded five falls in 7:47 to both finish with 30 team points, which also led all competitors. Plainfield North’s Leonardo Tovar, Joliet West’s Carson Weber and Canton’s Connor Williams all had 28 team points. 

Lincoln-Way East’s Kaidge Richardson had the most total match points with 68 while Plainfield North’s Maddox Garbis had 61 match points and York’s Zachary Parisi had 60 match points.

By Chris Walker for the IWCOA

It was 38 years ago this month that the Bears released The Super Bowl Shuffle. On Saturday, Montini Catholic won the 2nd Annual Neuqua Valley Scuffle.

Montini wasn’t there to start no trouble, The Broncos showed up to win the Neuqua Valley Scuffle

The Broncos had four champions, five others who placed second and another who took third during Saturday’s tournament in Naperville.

“It’s a nice win for our kids,” said Montini coach Mike Bukovsky, a 2023 National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Illinois Chapter Inductee. “They did a nice job. We’re still a little football hungover and trying to get through some sickness and stuff. We had two starters out today, but everybody does now so it’s not like we’re different from anybody else. We’re doing all right. It was a good day for us.”

The Broncos, who scored 227.5 points, were in a two-team battle for the title with Warren Township, who scored 201 points. 

“We get a few of these tournaments a year and it’s nice to take advantage,” Bukovsky said. “We wanted to try to come in and win this tournament. It was one of our goals in the offseason and obviously we have post season goals and things attached to that. We have had a couple duals in getting warmed up, but today was a nice test with some really quality teams – some 3A teams. I’m happy with the way we responded overall.”

Scary from the standpoint of potential opponents, the Broncos are young with 11 of their 14 starters coming back next year, but they aren’t looking beyond this season. They have no reason to not focus on the now.

“We’re very young,” Bukovsky said. “We only have three seniors. It’s been a nice group. They’re very close knit.”

Joshua Vazquez (126), Kam Luif (132), Jeremy Huf (138) and Alex Marre (175) were the four Broncos who took home framed brackets documenting their respective championships.

Well, they named Kam Luif Most Outstanding
Pin, pin, pin, he kept advancing
As a freshman he took sixth in state last year
Now he’s older, stronger and without fear

“Kam is very humble,” Bukovsky said. “He’s a great kid who works year-round. He placed as a freshman so it’s nice to see him get a nice award. He’s kind of an unsung guy, but one of the backbones, one of our leaders. He does the right thing all the time and has done a great job so far.”

Luif wasn’t too surprised to be named Most Outstanding Wrestler at this year’s Scuffle after he pinned all three of his opponents.

“Coming in here and training I know it’s always a possibility,” he said. “I know my coaches put me in a great spot to win these awards and stuff like that.”

It’s so far, so good for the Broncos.

“Our team this year is way more disciplined,” Luif said. “We’re all getting into the room and working hard everyday. We’re all family, too. We all bond and I think that’s what makes us a great team. And Coach (Bukovsky) is back, which is really big. He’s on top of everything. He keeps everything organized and makes everything run much better.”

He’s Jeremy Huf and he’s tougher than most
Better watch out, or you’ll be toast
He’s only been a Bronco for a little while
But he’s fittin’ in nicely and winnin’ in style

Huf transferred from Prospect and has found a new home.

“I’ve definitely gotten used to the atmosphere and this is definitely where I want to be,” he said. “I think it’s awesome trying to carry on the legacy of Montini. I think for sure that this year people are definitely going to see some unexpected things from Montini. We’re going to get in the room and push each other. We want better for each other.”

While a bit banged up, Huf didn’t let his injuries deter his drive for success.

“He’s been great and he’s battling some injury situations,” Bukovsky said. “He fought through that today and did a great job. Up and down the lineup we’ve had so many good performances. I think some of our gas tanks aren’t where they need to be right now, especially with some of the football guys, but we’ll get there.”

Allen Woo (106), Michael Malizzio (113), Isaac Mayora (120), Santino Tenuta (157) and Mick Ranquist (285) weren’t crowned champions for the Broncos but fought hard all the way into their title bouts. AJ Tack (165) took third, Jaxon Lane (190) placed fifth and Lewis Wais-Montoya (150) finished sixth.

Oak Park and River Forest (151) placed third, Loyola Academy (141) was fourth and Elk Grove (117) was fifth to round out the top five team finishers. Bolingbrook (94.5) followed in sixth place, while Neuqua Valley (91.5), Bartlett (66), Reavis (50) and Taft (49) were also in the 10-team field.

“It’s nice to see kids back in action and see some good solid wrestling,” Neuqua Valley coach Aaron Huber said. “There are some really good schools here and competition was great. Nice to see our kids competing at that level, getting everything out of every match that we went through, and seeing some good stuff from some other kids, regardless of schools.”

The whole idea behind the creation of the Scuffle was to bring a variety of good teams together for aggressive wrestling.

“There are some tough teams here and some teams that are fairly solid that have some good standout kids that can compete,” Huber said. “It gives everybody an opportunity to compete so that’s nice for every program regardless of where your kids are. So you’re finding good competition at every level for your athletes.”

Warren also had four champions, Caleb Noble (106), Jonathon Marquez (113), Aaron Stewart (157) and Royce Lopez (165) while Loyola had three title winners, Gavin Pardilla (120), Quinn Herbert (190) and Kai Calcutt (215). 

The other title winners were Bolingbrook’s Aaron Camacho (144), OPRF’s David Ogunsanya (150) and Elk Grove’s Mikey Milovich (285).

The host Wildcats didn’t have any champions, taking seventh place with Jay Chidley (144) and Magomed Nurudinov (190) finishing as runner ups.

“It is early and we’re trying to find all the positives that are going to get us to the point of where we want to be in February,” Huber said. “That’s the ultimate goal for us – improving after every single match, finding our weak spots to improve upon in practice and finding those highlights where we can come back and use that to refocus and making sure we’re in the right spot and right path for the end of the season.”

Here’s a rundown of the Neuqua Valley Scuffle champions and their weight classes:

106 – Caleb Noble, Warren

The 106-pound title bout saw the No. 4-ranked wrestlers in 3A and 2A meet, with Warren freshman Caleb Noble taking care of Montini’s Allen Woo, who is also a freshman.

“It went well,” Noble said. “Since I’m very young in this, I have so much to learn during these four years (in high school). One thing I took out of this was you’re not going to get all the calls so I just have to adapt to the calls of the refs.”

Noble pinned Loyola Academy’s Quentin Williams in 1:15 prior to his 18-6 major decision over Woo.

“I think our team is pretty good,” Noble said. “We’ve definitely got some tough wrestlers. Aaron Stewart is really good and should’ve won state last year. Jonathon (Marquez) is my practice partner and is very tough and Royce Lopez is tough, too.”

OPRF’s MJ Rundell won by fall for third against Loyola’s Quentin Williams.

113 – Jonathon Marquez, Warren

Ranked No. 6 in Class 3A, Warren’s Jonathon Marquez displayed the skills he used to advance to state at 106 last year, while earning a championship at 113 with a hard-fought 7-2 win over Montini’s Michael Malizzio.

After receiving a bye in the quarterfinals, Marquez needed just 1:26 to take down Taft’s Angel Rivera to earn a berth in the finals.

Bolingbrook’s Isaac Harris won a 12-4 decision over OPRF’s Gabriel Rojas for third and Neuqua Valley’s Brady Podracky won 4-1 over Taft’s Angel Rivera on the fifth-place mat.

120 – Gavin Pardilla, Loyola

Loyola’s Gavin Pardilla, who qualified for state as a freshman last season, scored a 12-0 major decision victory against Montini’s Isaac Mayora in the 120 finals. 

Pardilla earned an 18-2 win by technical fall over Warren’s Evan Glowinski in his previous bout.

Warren’s Evan Glowinski placed third by fall over Bolingbrook’s Jared Craig and OPRF’s Ruben Acevedo placed fifth by fall against Neuqua Valley’s Eesh Bandla.

126 – Joshua Vazquez, Montini

In one of the more exciting title battles of the tournament, Montini’s Joshua Vazquez prevailed against Elk Grove’s Grant Madl 5-3 in sudden victory in the 126 finals. 

Vazquez, a junior, is the top-ranked wrestler at 120 pounds in 2A while Madl, a senior, is No. 8 at 126 pounds in 3A. Vazquez opened with a bye before winning by fall over Bartlett’s Cameron Engels in 47 seconds.

OPRF’s Zev Koransky won a 9-2 decision for third over Bartlett’s Cameron Engels and Taft’s Miguel Guevara won by fall for fifth against Neuqua Valley’s Colin Folley.

132 – Kam Luif, Montini

Kam Luif became the second straight Montini wrestler to be named Most Outstanding at the Scuffle, following in the footsteps of David Mayora, who won it last year.

He pinned Warren’s Michael Schillen in 3:06 and Reavis’ Vladamir Vasquez in 3:10 in the semifinals and then expedited the process in the 132 championship bout, attacking Elk Grove’s Nicasio Acino and recording a fall in 52 seconds.

“I got to my attack with a high-c right away,” Luif said. “I then had the leg up in the air and saw his head and kind of went for it and just stuck him.”

It was the first time Luif had been acquainted with Acino.

“I had never wrestled him,” Luif said. “I like wrestling someone I haven’t wrestled before because it puts me in a better position to go back in the room and see what I could’ve done better, especially if he did something I’d never seen before and I can go into the room and work that position.”

Reavis’ Vladamir Vasquez won by fall for third against Loyola’s Danny Malan and Bartlett’s Joseph Caputo won a 10-6 decision for fifth against Warren’s Michael Schillen.

138 – Jeremy Huf, Montini

It was the first tournament for Jeremy Huf in the Montini singlet. 

Huf needed just 40 seconds to defeat Elk Grove’s Matt Korwel by fall in the semifinals before battling from start to finish to survive OPRF’s Joseph Knackstedt in the 138 finals with a 2-1 decision.

“It was pretty good, but like always I’ve got stuff to work on,” Huf said. “I’m just excited and ready to wrestle. It was my first tournament with Montini so I’m very excited for this season. This was a good tournament. I’m excited to get back in the room and continue to work. I think we’re going to pull off some upsets and it’s going to be a good year.”

OPRF’s Aiden John Noyes won by fall for third place against Reavis’ Zach Koschnitzki, and Warren’s Kyle Miron took fifth by fall against Elk Grove’s Matt Korwel.

144 – Aaron Camacho, Bolingbrook

Sparring with Montini alum Dylan Burnoski during practice has boosted Aaron Camacho’s confidence this season. 

After pinning Bartlett’s Nick Barton and Taft’s Jierich Uy, the Bolingbrook sophomore won by technical fall 21-5 over Neuqua Valley’s Jay Chidley to take home the 144 title.

“My confidence has gone higher since my new practice partner, and (Burnoski) has helped me a lot,” Camacho said. “I feel like the work I’ve done with him has helped my confidence. I also have a room partner (Tommy McDermott) who’s heavier than me and pushes me, which gives me more confidence in my matches.”

Chidley, who was donning a Montreal Expos cap when he wasn’t wrestling, took an aggressive approach.

“I love baseball and I wish I was good at it, but I’m good at wrestling so I’ve got that,” he joked. “I love baseball and have the hat because I like the Expos specifically.”

He certainly liked his tournament up until falling short against Camacho.

“I came into today with the mindset that I wanted to try new things that would get me a win,” he said. “I’ve been told for years to take shots and be aggressive, which is what I did in the matches today. It was a fun tournament. The more confident I get in my shots, the more successful I’m going to be. I’m pretty confident the success I had today will continue forward in the season as long as I keep working at it.”

OPRF’s Ryan Wozniak won a 9-7 decision over Warren’s Simon Castillo to place third and Bartlett’s Nick Barton won by fall for fifth against Taft’s Jierich Uy.

150 – David Ogunsanya, OPRF

Since he won by medical forfeit in the semifinals, OPRF sophomore David Ogunsanya only had to wrestle in the 150 championship bout, picking up point after point in a 21-6 win by technical fall over Warren’s Nico Hermsen.

Bolingbrook’s Marcus Poe took third place after winning a 9-8 decision over Neuqua Valley’s Nick Pape and Bartlett’s Ezekiel Carillo won by medical forfeit for fifth against Montini’s Lewis Wais-Montoya.

157 – Aaron Stewart, Warren

Currently ranked No. 2 in 3A and coming off a 43-2 season and third place finish in the state, Warren’s Aaron Stewart has high expectations again this season. 

After taking care of Neuqua Valley’s Andrew Dalson in 0:37, he won by a 24-9 technical fall against Montini’s Santino Tenuta to take the top spot on the award stand at 157 in this year’s Scuffle.

Loyola’s Sam Thompson won by injury default on the third-place mat against Elk Grove’s Anthony Macina and OPRF’s Isaac Davies won a 14-1 major decision for fifth against Neuqua Valley’s Andrew Dalson.

165 – Royce Lopez, Warren

A state qualifier at 160 last season, Warren’s Royce Lopez found himself in a peculiar situation late in the first period of his 165 championship match against Bolingbrook’s Tommy McDermott.

“At the end of the first period I got into a funky situation but got two back points so it was 4-1 at the end of the first period,” Lopez said. “He was a tough kid, pretty long. My game plan was mostly outside singles.”

Warren took McDermott down a couple more times, picking up points enroute to a 17-5 major decision.

“I’m into pushing the pace of the match, that’s how I wrestle,” Lopez said. “I’m trying to score as many points as I can to get that match over with.”

Getting back on the mat after facing Libertyville on Friday was key.

“Practice is hard; we have a lot of tough wrestlers in our room,” Lopez said. “We train as hard as we can seven days out of the week most of the time. (On Friday) we went against Libertyville and it could’ve done better, but you just have to build off of that. It’s early in the season so I think we’re going to be a very good team.”

Lopez was particularly impressed with the team’s effort in the Scuffle.

“I saw a lot of heart today compared to yesterday where we had some hiccups in our matches,” he said. “Today we showed a lot of heart. Even when we lost, guys fought hard.”

Montini’s AJ Tack took third place with an 8-6 decision against Neuqua Valley’s Maddox Menendez and OPRF’s Hugh Vanek placed fifth via fall against Reavis’ Robert Soto.

175 – Alex Marre, Montini

Fresh off an All-State football season where he helped lead Montini into the Class 3A semifinals, senior Alex Marre defeated Loyola’s Sebastian Gal by fall in 0:34 in the semifinals before scoring a 14-6 major decision over Elk Grove’s Benny Schlosser in the 175 title bout.

Taft’s Steven Tantchev won a sudden victory 3-1 decision on the third-place mat against Neuqua Valley’s Deividas Lewitan and Loyola’s Sebastian Gal won a 16-3 major decision for fifth against Bolingbrook’s Geno Vargas.

190 – Quinn Herbert, Loyola

Just a week ago, Loyola’s Quinn Herbert was helping the Ramblers take care of Lincoln-Way East for their second consecutive Class 8A football title over the Griffins. As a Chicago Catholic League All-Conference selection, Herbert played a huge part on the football field and has wasted no time in transitioning back into wrestling. 

Herbert had a pair of pins in capturing one of the four individual titles procured by the Ramblers, winning by fall over Neuqua Valley’s Magomed Nurudinov in the 190 title match.

Bartlett’s Ryan Gura placed third with a 12-7 decision against Warren’s Donald Powyer and Montini’s Jaxon Lane won by fall for fifth against OPRF’s Ben Martin.

215 – Kai Calcutt, Loyola

Coming off a 40-9 season as a freshman, Loyola’s Kai Calcutt narrowly lost a state title one season ago, falling 3-2 by ultimate tiebreaker in the Class 3A 220 final to Yorkville’s Ben Alvarez.

His dominance was evident whenever he stepped on the mat in Naperville, winning by fall over OPRF’s Eric Harris in his semifinals match before earning the 215 title by fall in 1:09 over Warren senior Anthony Soto.

OPRF’s Eric Harris won by fall for third against Warren’s Caleb Van Leer and Elk Grove’s Dylan Berkowitz took fifth with a fall against Taft’s Christopher Osta.

285 – Mikey Milovich, Elk Grove

Surviving a 2-1 bout against Loyola’s Joey Herbert in the semis, Elk Grove’s Mikey Milovich carried the momentum of the victory into his 285 title match, where he pinned Montini’s Mick Ranquist in 3:28.

Loyola’s Joey Herbert won by fall for third against Bolingbrook’s Isaac Amoh and Warren’s Jason Bolender won by fall for fifth against Reavis’ Jacob Ramirez.

2023 Neuqua Valley Scuffle championship match results

106 – Caleb Noble (Warren) MD 18-6 Allen Woo (Montini)
113 – Jonathon Marquez (Warren) D 7-2 Michael Malizzio (Montini)
120 – Gavin Pardilla (Loyola) MD 12-0 Isaac Mayora (Montini)
126 – Joshua Vazquez (Montini) SV-1 5-3 Grant Madl (Elk Grove)
132 – Kam Luif (Montini) F 0:52 Nicasio Acino (Elk Grove)
138 – Jeremy Huf (Montini) D 2-1 Joseph Knackstedt (OPRF)
144 – Aaron Camacho (Bolingbrook) TF 21-5 Jay Chidley (Neuqua Valley)
150 – David Ogunsanya (OPRF) TF 21-6 Nico Hermsen (Warren)
157 – Aaron Stewart (Warren) TF 24-9 Santino Tenuta (Montini)
165 – Royce Lopez (Warren) MD 17-5 Tommy McDermott (Bolingbrook)
175 – Alex Marre (Montini) MD 14-6 Benny Schlosser (Elk Grove)
190 – Quinn Herbert (Loyola) F 0:00 Magomed Nurudinov (Neuqua Valley)
215: Kai Calcutt (Loyola) F 1:09 Anthony Soto (Warren)
285: Mikey Milovich (Elk Grove) F 3:28 Mick Ranquist (Montini)

Final team scores – Montini (227.5); Warren (201); OPRF (151); Loyola (141); Elk Grove (117); Bolingbrook (94.5); Neuqua Valley (91.5); Bartlett (66); Reavis (50); Taft (49).