Feature Stories

By Curt Herron

Although Mount Carmel had the fewest number of qualifiers of the three squads that were in the battle for the team title at last Saturday’s Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Class 3A Open Championships in Springfield, it got maximum points from the six individuals that it had on hand for the tournament.

The Caravan averaged 16.5 points per individual to score 99 points, which was 5.5 points better than DeKalb and Glenbard North, who tied for second place with 93.5 points. The Barbs averaged 11.7 points for each of their eight qualifiers while the Panthers received 8.5 points on average from their 11 competitors.

In an effective combination of scoring bonus points and winning close decisions, Coach Alex Tsirtsis’ squad went 24-7 with seven falls, two wins by technical fall and three major decisions to account for half of their wins and another quarter of their victories came in matches that they won by two points or less. The team champs also won their two head-to-head matchups against Glenbard North and the one against DeKalb.

While the team champions in Class 1A, Lena-Winslow/Stockton, and Class 2A, Marian Central Catholic, both won state, sectional and super regional championships, the Caravan’s only title in the IWCOA series came in the state finals. They finished third in the other two tournaments.

The last time that Mount Carmel won a state title was in 1994, when it completed a run of three-straight years as IHSA Class AA dual team champions and its coach was one of Illinois’ legendary figures, National Wrestling Hall of Famer Bill Weick.

Mount Carmel got a state championship from Ryan Boersma (285) while Damian Resendez (106), Zack Rotkvich (152) and Colin Kelly (160) all placed third, Eddie Enright (120) took fourth and Caleb Drousias (113) fell one win shy of a medal. Rotkvich was the only senior among them.

“We had five out of the six place and the one that lost in the blood round had a great tournament and he scored a lot of points for us, too,” Tsirtsis said. “So they came here to wrestle and that’s all that you can ask for and they got better in every match.”

Boersma completed a 12-0 season by winning 4-0 over Belleville West’s previously-unbeaten Dustin Olmstead (26-1) in the final championship of the day at 285. The junior, who competed for Providence Catholic the past two years, improved on his fifth-place medal from a year ago at the same weight by collecting a fall and a 6-0 decision before claiming a 2-1 win on an overtime tiebreaker in a key semifinal match against Glenbard North’s Paulie Robertson (26-2).

Resendez (14-3), a freshman, went 5-1 with two wins by technical fall and followed up on a 10-4 quarterfinal loss to Andrew runner-up Max Siegel (8-1) with four-straight wins to claim third place with a 9-1 victory over Jacobs’ Dominic Ducato (27-2).

Rotkvich (15-2), a senior, went 4-1 to take third place at 152 with all of his victories by two points or less. After falling 7-2 to Schaumburg runner-up Grant Hansen in the semifinals, he won 3-1 in sudden victory over Lockport’s Nate Ramsey (25-3) and then claimed a 3-2 victory over McHenry’s Brody Hallin (31-2).

Kelly (16-3), a freshman, claimed third place at 160 after going 5-1 with a fall and two major decisions with his lone loss coming to Batavia’s first-ever champion, unbeaten Mikey Caliendo (34-0). In the third-place match, he captured a 7-2 win over Sandburg’s Zach Bateman (15-4).

Enright (13-4), a freshman, went 4-2 and recorded three falls and won a tiebreaker while falling 3-1 in the 120 quarterfinals to Prospect’s unbeaten champion Will Baysingar (20-0) and then losing 6-4 to Stevenson’s Lorenzo Frezza (31-2) in the third-place match.

Drousias (11-7), a sophomore who recorded two falls and lost to St. Charles East’s unbeaten champ Ben Davino (30-0) in the 113 quarterfinals, fell a win shy of being the Caravan’s sixth medalist.

Also competing for the Caravan in the Elmhurst Sectional and the Marist Super Regional were freshman Carlos Perez (138), sophomore Joshua Kwiatkowski (126) and junior Owen Jacobson (170). Earlier in the week, Perez won the 138 title at the IWCOA’s Frosh-Soph Championships.

Trying to put together a successful season during a pandemic has certainly been one of the greatest challenges that coaches will ever face. But thanks to a lot of hard work and increased dedication, the Caravan were able to put together a truly memorable season.

“It’s been a weird year with how the regular season was and then kind of leading into this, but I think they really took it in stride toward these last two weeks,” Tsirtsis said. “I think with everything that’s been going on the last 14 or 15 months that everyone’s been chomping at the bit to have a little bit of the feeling of getting back.  

“Basically, we shut down everything two and a half weeks after the high school state tournament. So we went from a high of competing to nothing, so it felt good for everyone to get out here and compete against people that you haven’t seen in a little over a year. It really gets your competitive juices going again and it makes you feel alive.”

Tsirtsis has already accomplished a lot during his five seasons as the program’s coach, which isn’t that surprising considering his impressive credentials. He was a four-time Indiana state champion at Griffith and had a 236-0 record and then was an All-American and also a four-time Big 10 placewinner with 96 wins while competing for the University of Iowa, where he was on two NCAA DI championship teams.

Boersma is his fifth champion at the school, joining David Riojas (2017), Colton Drousias (2019), Sergio Lemley (2020) and Noah Mis (2020). He also led the Caravan to the IHSA dual team finals in 2020, where they finished in second place to Montini Catholic, which was the program’s best showing since Weick’s 2002 squad placed second to Providence Catholic.

The Caravan coach feels privileged to be able to coach at a school with a rich history that now boasts 23 champions who have won 35 titles.
“It’s crazy with the teams from the 1990s and the support we get from the alumni,” Tsirtsis said. “But it’s not only from the alumni, it’s from the school itself, they know how important wrestling is to Mount Carmel and they do a great job of supporting it. 

“This is more satisfying than competing yourself. You see kids go through highs and lows and you go through it with them. And then when you see them accomplish what they want to accomplish or even just make improvements, that’s what it’s all about. It’s just a process of growing and improving and the goal is to make an impact on peoples’ lives in a positive way.”

By Curt Herron

There are very few programs that will get the opportunity to do what Marian Central Catholic accomplished when it competed in last Friday’s Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Class 2A Open Championships in Springfield.

What the Hurricanes achieved that day was to set school records for most champions with three, finalists with four and medal winners with nine to help them to pile up a total of 178 points, which was 30.5 points better than runner-up Civic Memorial, to easily win the team title in the competition at Bank of Springfield Center.

In coach David Silva’s final day of his five-year tenure at the Woodstock school, his team had more champions and individual placewinners than the program had in the years before he took over in 2016-17 and the nine medals was one shy of the total that the school won in 20 years from its first medal winner in 1985 to 2016.

Silva, who is moving to Nashville, Tennessee to take a new job, also led the Hurricanes to their first three appearances in the IHSA dual team finals from 2018-20 and their third-place finish in 2019 marked the first time that they won a trophy in the sport. His teams went 108-13 in dual meets, losing just five times in four years with no losses this season.

Winning championships for Marian Central Catholic were seniors Dylan Connell (182) and Elon Rodriguez (126) and junior Nik Jimenez (132), who all finished unbeaten. Connell (24-0) is a four-time state champion while Rodriguez (25-0), a finalist for the second-straight year and three-time medal winner, and Jimenez (25-0), who was a finalist at Harvard last season, both won their first titles.

Connell won 9-1 over Civic Memorial’s Colton Carlisle in the 182 finals to join the exclusive four-time champions club. Rodriguez pulled out a thriller in the 126 finals, beating St. Patrick’s Sean Conway 3-2 in an overtime tiebreaker and Jimenez captured a 4-0 victory over Deerfield’s Rory Perlow in the 132 title match.

Right after Rodriguez and Jimenez won their titles, sophomore Chris Moore (138) hoped to capture another championship for the Hurricanes. But the 2020 champion while competing for Aurora Christian, suffered his only loss and finished with a 16-1 record after falling 7-2 in 138 finals to Civic Memorial’s Caleb Tyus, who also was unbeaten.

Third-place finishers junior Josh Glover (106) and senior Scott Burke (152) both fell in the quarterfinals to eventual champions, but then won their next four matches. Glover (11-2) bounced back from a loss to Joliet Catholic Academy’s Gylon Sims by claiming four-straight wins to take third and Burke (22-4) did the same thing after falling to Civic Memorial’s Vinny Zerban. It was the second state medal won by both Burke and Glover.

Sophomore Nick Davidson (16-9) fell in the 120 semifinals to Morton’s Connor Kidd and then split his next two matches to finish in fourth place and sophomore Charlie Fitzgerald (20-5) lost in the 113 quarterfinals to the eventual champion, Joliet Catholic Academy’s Shay Korhorn, and won three of his next four matches to finish fifth.  

Senior Joe Miller (21-9) went 2-2 after falling in the 220 quarterfinals to Glenwood’s Conner Miller to claim sixth place and freshman Max Astacio (14-4) was the team’s other qualifier and he went 1-2 at 145.

“These guys performed very well at the state tournament and I’m so proud of them because we worked really hard,” Silva said. “Our season kept being pushed back but even during that time we were finding opportunities to wrestle and compete and we’d travel out of state or do what we needed to do to keep these guys busy and active. I’m just super proud of their consistency in the room and their hard work.

“Some of these guys were sacrificing a lot of the senior year when normally they’d be hanging out with their friends or enjoying the summer. They were dedicated and they were loyal and they just followed through on everything and I’m so glad that they did because we ended in the right way. Finishing on top is obviously the goal, but we put so much time and effort into it so it was very fitting to go the way that we did.”

There were significant differences in the IWCOA and IHSA tournaments. The IWCOA competition was one day for each of the three classes, instead of everyone competing for three days. In addition, the champion being determined by the scored meet was the IHSA practice from 1937-83, but that was replaced in 1984 by the dual team finals, which takes place one week after the individual finals.

“I liked it,” Silva said of the IWCOA state finals format. “Having the one-day tournament was different, but it really had a spotlight on the guys who were performing well, and fortunately for us, our guys performed very well that day so these guys got the attention that they deserved. “The guys that score the most points win tournaments, and we were prepared to do that. It was kind of cool since guys were still going for majors, techsand pins and ordinarily you wouldn’t do that.”

“The competition was there but the only difference was that there weren’t quite as many fans and the venue was different. But other than that, wrestling is wrestling and it didn’t matter if we had it in Springfield or if we had it in Champaign, the true competitors were going to come. I kept telling our guys to not be distracted about what other people were saying. If you’re a true competitor, you show up and you compete. I think it was a great showing for everyone.”

Other members of Hurricanes who competed when the team won the Naperville Athletic Center Sectional and Antioch Super Regionals were seniors Lou Gaddy (170) and Hugh Holian (160) and sophomores John Herff (195) and Ray Hughes (285).

Silva is very happy with the progress that the Hurricanes have made during his five years of leading the program. His nephew, Fernie Silva, who was a two-time finalist and 2016 Class 3A champion at Hononegah and wrestled at Indiana University, assisted him this season and will take over as the head coach of the program.

“I really put in a lot of time into this group,” said David Silva, who competed at Dundee-Crown and Elmhurst College. “When I started at Marian five years ago, a newspaper guy interviewed me and asked me what my goals and aspirations were and I told him that I wanted to create a program from the ground up that was very competitive and I wanted to win the state title. I wanted a team that competed not only at the tournament level to get state championships, but also on the dual team state level and to be at state every year. He kind of laughed and said that we could never do that at Marian, but we did, and I’m super proud of that.

“At Marian, we got kids who wanted to be elite, not only in the classroom, but in all aspects of their life. I tell people if you want what’s best for your kids you have to put them in the right environment. These kids have made that decision and when they’re at Marian, they thrive and I think it’s definitely worked out to everyones’ benefit. It’s been so rewarding for me to help these guys get to their goals. I really cherish the five years I’ve been able to spend with these guys and I’ll never forget, I know I won’t. I even get emotional thinking about it because it’s the relationships and we’ve spent some special times together.

“There’s going to be a change at the top with the coach but nothing will really change since they’ll keep training hard and there will be new guys coming in every year who have the same goals to be state champions. It’s going to be business as usual. I have a lot of faith in this program and what I built and I think it will continue on for years to come.

By Curt Herron

You know that a team has turned in a good performance in a major tournament when it loses all of its championship and third-place matches but is still able to win the title before that round even began, and that was the case at last Thursday’s Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association’s Class 1A Open Championships in Springfield.

Lena-Winslow/Stockton advanced all seven of its qualifiers to the first- and third-place mats and claimed four second-place finishes and three fourth-place showings, but despite that, the squad had already performed so well throughout the rest of the day that it had captured the team championship before those matches were even contested.

Coach Kevin Milder’s co-op team finished with 124.5 points, placing it ahead of Dakota, who took second place with 105.5, and IC Catholic, who placed third with 100.5 points.

The PantherHawks received second-place finishes from seniors Case Harmston (170), Jaden Rice (182) and Andrew Haas (195) and sophomore Garrett Luke (120) while finishing in fourth place were seniors Simon Rillie (145) and Jason Hermann (160) and sophomore Griffin Luke (152).

Four of those matches were decided by three points or less. Dakota and IC Catholic both had five medalists and they each won a title and claimed a third-place victory.

“I’m very proud of the kids,” Milder said. “This group really took the season and the tournament postseason very seriously and they worked hard. I had a good core of senior leadership in the room, and that was the core of my team from 2019 when we won the state title. 

“Just for them to be able to have the opportunity to kind of have some closure on their high school careers was huge for those guys.”

Rice (31-1) suffered his only loss in the 182 finals by 5-3 score to LeRoy’s Grant Sant Amour and Haas (26-5) lost 10-7 in the 195 finals to Tremont’s unbeaten Cooper Wendling.

Garrett Luke (23-5) fell 10-1 to Dakota’s Phoenix Blakely in the 120 finals and Harmston (30-2) lost by fall in 3:24 to Alleman’s Jack Patting in the 170 title match.

In the third-place matches, Rillie (28-6) lost 7-6 to LeRoy’s Owen Gulley at 145, Hermann (31-4) fell 5-1 in sudden victory to Yorkville Christian’s Tyler Martinez at 160 and Griffin Luke (25-5) lost by fall in 2:34 to Canton’s Joseph Norton at 152. Hermann and Rillie lost to eventual champions in the semifinals while Griffin Luke fell 8-7 in that round.

“We had a rough final round,” Milder said. “We had seven kids place and in the final round we had four in the finals and they all got second and the other three were in the third-place match and they got fourth. But to put ourselves into that position, I thought we wrestled really well. 

“And obviously the further you go into a tournament, the tougher the road is going to be. We had some tough matches but I think getting the team trophy was a big boost for our kids. They worked hard all throughout, so to have that result at the end of the tournament was very rewarding for the kids.”

Having any sort of a season was very important to nearly all teams, but Lena-Winslow/Stockton’s athletes showed their coach a special level of dedication.

“I think we initially went into it happy that we could do something,” Milder said of his team’s season. “The kids were excited about just getting back on the mat. As the state series got closer, I was really proud of my kids for sticking it out. Some of them were coming to practice after they had graduated or school was out. I was really proud of the kids for keeping up the hard work.”

“I know from talking with other programs that they had kids who weren’t showing up and other kids didn’t get into the tournament for whatever reasons. I commended my kids and said how proud I was that they were just putting in the work to do this. The work ethic is a big piece of it for us, our kids are committed and they work their butts off.”

That dedication isn’t surprising from a program that Milder has led since 1994-95 and which he led the Panthers to a state runner-up finish for their first trophy in 2012 and state championships in both 2017 and 2019. 

Boosted by an impressive 254-20 record during the past 10 seasons, Milder owns a 488-139 record in 27 years leading the program. 

This season’s team finished with a 21-1 record in dual meets and now has won 20 or more dual meets for seven straight years.

The northwest part of Illinois has been strong in the sport ever since the advent of the two-class system. In recent years, Dakota won four titles in a row from 2013-16 before Lena-Winslow/Stockton claimed its two titles in three years and Dakota captured its sixth title since 2006 last season.

One of the highlights for Milder’s team in the regular season was a dual meet that it hosted against Dakota on May 27 in a clash of the top-two ranked teams in Class 1A.
Lena-Winslow/Stockton won four overtime matches to claim a 40-28 victory.

“I think that the programs in our area have made everybody else better,” Milder said. “From the youth level, they’re just constantly getting tough matches all the way through.

“You’ve got to have a lot of courage to step on a mat and it’s just one-on-one and there’s no blending in like in other team sports. There’s really nowhere to hide when you’re one-on-one on the mat, so it definitely takes a different kind of kid to accept that and to embrace it.”

Individuals from the team that helped them win the Sandwich Sectional and Sandwich Super Regional were freshman Carson McPeek (126), junior Zach White (132) and sophomore Henry Engel (220) while those who were part of the Sandwich Super Regional champions were freshmen Noah Draeger (106) and Logan Breed (113).

By Curt Herron and Gary Larsen

The IWCOA Open State Championships crowned its Class 3A state champions and place-winners in Springfield on June 26. Here are the stories of those champions:

106 – Jameson Garcia, Marmion Academy

The best wrestlers hold onto a loss like a grudge, the way Marmion’s Jameson Garcia did over his state quarterfinal loss in Champaign as a freshman in 2020.

“Last year I lost in the blood rounds so I’ve been waiting for this day for a year,” Garcia said. “That’s what’s kept me pushing forward and excited to wrestle in this tournament.”

Garcia kicked off the 3A title round of the IWCOA Open state championships by putting last year’s grudge to rest. The Marmion sophomore won a 5-1 decision in his title match against Andrew’s Max Seigel to capture his first high school state crown.

“I knew that if I just continued to wrestle my style, it’s really hard for people to do their thing,” Garcia said. “(Seigel) is a tough wrestler and had good defense so I just had to create angles.”

Garcia (8-0) posted a tech fall, a pin, and then another tech fall in his semifinal match against Glenbard North’s Dominic Marre to reach the finals. Seigel (8-1) opened with a pair of straight decision wins and then posted a third in his 4-3 win in a state semifinal match against Jacobs’ Dominic Ducato.

In winning the title Garcia became the 13th state champion in Marmion history.

“I was a little smaller last year but I’ve just continued to do what I do best — hand-fight, get to my shots – and that’s really what I do. I also worked on positions that I needed to work on,” Garcia said.

Garcia credited his club coaches and a Marmion staff led by head coach Nate Fitzenreider for helping him win a state title.
Marmion assistant coach Sparty Chino believes the sky’s the limit for the Cadets’ sophomore.

“I know his ultimate goal is to be a three-time state champ, a Fargo champ, then an NCAA champ,” Chino said. “He’s just a sponge and you can’t help but give him information because you know he’ll take it and do it in his next match.”

Mt. Carmel’s Damien Recendez finished third at 106 via 9-1 decision over Ducato, and Marre placed fifth with a tech fall win over sixth-place Wiley Jessup of Fremd.

113 – Ben Davino, St. Charles East

Facing the biggest challenge of an exceptional freshman season, St. Charles East’s Ben Davino figured to have hands full against DeKalb senior Ben Aranda in their 113-pound title match in Springfield, and that certainly proved to be the case.

Aranda, trying to complete his career as a champion and also help the Barbs to perhaps win the team title, battled Davino through regulation and overtimes and into a tiebreaker where Davino allowed an escape and was able to get a takedown in the final seconds to help him complete a perfect 30-0 season with a 7-4 victory.

“It feels really good,” Davino said. “It’s everything I dreamed of. At first, I didn’t think that I’d get anything, but I’m super glad that (Rob) Porter helped to put this thing together. It took a lot of effort but it turned out awesome. It was a super exciting match and I didn’t believe in myself for some of it, but in the last 10 seconds, I was like, just go, go, go.”

Davino had few difficulties prior to the finals, recording a fall in 0:58 in his first match, another in 0:51 over Mount Carmel sophomore Caleb Drousias in the quarterfinals and a win by fall in 1:25 in the semifinals over Marist sophomore Jesse Herrera.  

Aranda, who placed fourth a year ago at 106, finished with an 18-2 record. He followed up on a win by technical fall with a fall in 1:35 in the quarterfinals over Lake Park freshman Vincent Merola and then a pin in 4:35 in the semifinals over Lincoln-Way Central junior Joey Malito.

Davino won the fifth title for the Fighting Saints since the district split and the program now has 10 championships that have been won by seven individuals, with coach Jason Potter leading the way with three. Later in the round, the Barbs picked up their 12th title and got their 10th champion when Bradley Gillum won at 170, which helped DeKalb tie Glenbard North for second in the team standings with 93.5 points, which was 5.5 points behind champion Mount Carmel.

Malito (23-1) bounced back from his lone loss to capture a 10-3 win over Herrera (16-3) to claim third place while Glenbard West senior Hunter Bogwill (22-9) won by medical forfeit over Schaumburg sophomore Caden Kirchner (24-8) in the fifth-place match.

120 – Will Baysingar, Prospect

Top-ranked and unbeaten was how Baysingar arrived at this year’s IWCOA state tournament and that’s the way the sophomore departed the tournament, improving to 20-0 and winning the first state title of his career.
Baysingar won a 6-0 decision in the title match at 120 over Billy Meiszner of Providence Catholic and improved to 68-1 in his high school career through two seasons.

“This feels great,” Baysingar said. “I won a title back in kids’ club and that was a great feeling there, and it’s a great feeling now. It’s just pure happiness.”

Baysingar went into Springfield ranked No. 1 in Rob Sherrill’s IWCOA rankings.

Baysingar placed third in Illinois at 106 last year in Champaign, where he suffered the lone loss of his prep career, a 4-3 state semifinal decision to eventual champions Joe Fernau of Montini.

“That loss has been my motivation for the past year,” Baysingar said. “I’ve been working to get as strong as I can. I really wanted to work on my top (position) and my hand-fighting, I’ve stayed focused on the best matches I can get so I can prepare for the better opponents.

“I didn’t know we’d even have a state series this year and I’m really happy we did. It was a lot of fun.”

Baysingar posted a major decision and three straight decision wins in his state title run, capped by his win over Meiszner.  

“I wrestled (Meiszner) before and we’ve had some closer matches than this one. I won by a point once and a couple points by another,” Baysingar said. “I just really wanted to keep the tempo going. Usually the first takedown wins the match so I was focused on coming out aggressive and getting the fist score.”
Baysingar joined former Prospect greats Matt Boggess (2009) and Matt Wroblewski (2017) in becoming the third state champion in Prospect history.  

Meiszner reached the finals thanks to a 4-2 semifinal win over Sandburg’s Sammie Hayes. Stevenson’s Lorenzo Frezza placed third at 120 with a 6-4 win over fourth-place Eddie Enright of Mt. Carmel, and Hayes took fifth via fall over sixth-place Caelen Riley of Libertyville.

126 – Jacob Macatangay, Plainfield North

Jacob Macatangay wasted little time in setting the tone in the 126 pound championship match at Saturday’s IWCOA Class 3A Open Championships in Springfield.

The Plainfield North junior used a quick five-point move against Lake Park junior Dominik Mallinder and went on to dominate before getting a fall in 2:45 to make him the second Tiger to win a state title, joining Matt Hennessey, who won the program’s first title in 2018.  

“It was definitely a confidence booster,” said Macatangay. “(The five-point move) wasn’t my idea for scoring, but it worked out for me. More my ideal was getting my single-leg and getting in shots. But it definitely changed my confidence and helped me to push my offense more, too. I’ve worked really hard and practiced with my club coach (Mike Rundell) and he has helped me so much with my technique. I was so happy when I heard that they would have a state series. I was glad that I could redeem myself from last year. We started real young when I was a freshman, but our guys are getting more mature and seeing better opportunities as they get older. We’ve just grown so much.”

Macatangay, who placed sixth a year ago at 113, finished the season with a 34-0 record. In the semifinals, he recorded a fall in 1:04 over Fremd sophomore Maddox Khalimsky, he won his quarterfinal match by technical fall in 4:42 over Sandburg senior Matthew Parker and kicked off the day with a 15-2 victory.

Mallinder, who made his state debut and finished with a 26-2 record, hoped to capture the school’s seventh title and become the fifth Lancer to win a state championship and the first to do it since 1997, when Jamie Pales took top honors.  

He won 7-5 over Hinsdale Central sophomore Cody Tavoso in the semifinals, claimed a 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Stevenson senior Kei Yamato and got a fall in his opener.

Tavoso (20-1), who placed sixth last year, bounced back from his lone loss to claim a 5-1 victory over Khalimsky (19-2) for third place while DeKalb freshman Daniel Aranda (8-4) won 9-1 over Yamato (27-6) in the fifth-place match.

132 – Kole Brower, Moline

Brower left no doubt who the top 132-pounder was in Springfield, posting two tech falls and two major decision wins during his run to a state title.  

“I just worked hard and told myself that I’m better than everybody else, and that no one should beat me,” Brower said. “I train with the top guys and go out and find the best partners I can.”
Brower (23-0) won his title with a major decision over Dylan Gvillo (20-2) of Edwardsville. The top-ranked Moline junior won by tech fall in his quarterfinal match against No. 3 Matt Chi of Glenbard North, then did the same in his semifinal win over No. 4 Cole Rhemrev of Stevenson.
After failing to medal as a state qualifier last season, Brower turned on a switch after last year’s state finals.

“I worked hard before but I didn’t take it as seriously as I could have,” Brower said. “I looked at kids as better than me when they were beating me, and now I look at it like I should be beating them. I got faster, learned how to move my feet a little better and I know that I can’t hold back and I need to score every time.”
Brower became the first Moline state champion since 2014, when Adarios Jones won the title at 285 pounds. Brower and teammates Noah Tapia (138) and DeAnthony Parker (182) all won state titles this year, giving the program its 13th, 14th, and 15th state champions.
“We’re good,” Brower said matter-of-factly about this year’s team. “That’s all we are.”

Gvillo opened his tournament with a simple decision win and then earned two falls to reach the finals. Rhemrev placed third at 132 in a 10-2 win over fourth-place Chi, and Batavia’s Kaden Fetterolf took fifth via 4-3 decision over sixth-place Pierre Baldwin of West Chicago.

138 – Noah Tapia, Moline

After coming up one win shy of a state medal a year ago, Noah Tapia was determined to not fall short of a much bigger accomplishment this year, winning a state title.

The Moline sophomore got a takedown with 32 seconds left in overtime to win 6-4 on sudden victory over Lockport junior Keegan Roberson in the 138 pound finals at Saturday’s IWCOA Class 3A Open Championships in Springfield.

“That was definitely the scenario that you’re always imagining of winning the state finals in overtime,” Tapia said. “There was a time when me, Kole (Brower) and DJ (DeAnthony Parker) were uncertain if we’d even compete in this. But we kind of all decided that why wouldn’t we? This is an opportunity to be in that state tournament or it would have been a whole year that we would have lost. So we came out and performed like this and it feels great. And we got great support from parents, coaches and teammates.”

Tapia, who finished 8-0, beat Wheaton Warrenville South senior Aidan Waszak 9-3 in the semifinals and Stevenson senior Arad Peregoudov 17-4 in the quarterfinals. Roberson, who finished 24-3, got an 8-6 sudden victory in the semifinals over Huntley senior Jeremy Jakowitsch and claimed a 9-6 win over Glenbard North sophomore Nolan Allen in the quarterfinals.

It was an historic day for the Tapia and the Maroons, who claimed three individual titles with Kole Brower winning just ahead of him at 132 and DeAnthony Parker taking first at 182 and both finished with 23-0 records. It was Moline’s most titles at a single finals, with the previous high being two in 1969 with Paul Carther and Dwight McHenry being the champions. The Maroons now have 17 titles and 15 champions.

And the titles were Moline’s first since 2014, when Adarios Jones won. Highlighting the impact of the day, coach Jacob Ruettiger’s Maroons had one less championship than they had won in the previous 40 years. The Porters later claimed their 13th title and 12th champion when Andrew Blackburn-Forst won at 220. Had Roberson won, it would have been the third time that Lockport had two champions.

Jakowitsch (29-2) won 4-3 over Allen (15-2) to take third place for the second year in a row while Downers Grove North freshman Harrison Konder (20-4) claimed a 3-2 win over Waszak (23-5) 3-2 for fifth place.

145 – Ethan Stiles, Conant

Stiles placed third at 132 as a freshman in 3A last year while wrestling for Montini, before transferring to Conant and becoming the 7th state champion in program history at this year’s tournament. The sophomore is also the first state champ for Conant in 21 years, since Jim Kassner won the state crown at 215 in 2000.

Second-ranked Stiles (10-0) won a 12-1 major decision over top-ranked Tommy Curran (13-1) of DeKalb on the title mat.

Stiles kicked off his title run with a tech fall and then a simple decision win, before winning by major decision in his semifinal match against Justin Warnowski of Grant.  

Curran (13-1) opened with a tech fall before winning two decisions to reach the finals, capped by a 3-1 semifinal win over Neuqua Valley’s Bryce Boumans.

Stiles used a 5-point move near the edge early in the first period against Curran and never looked back, posting takedowns in the second and third periods en route to his major decision win.

In an interview with Tony LiFonti of Illinois Matmen after the win, Stiles talked about the win over Curran:

“Me and [Curran] have history,” Stiles explained. “We both beat each other last year, so I just came into the match knowing that I was going to dominate. I know what it takes to win that match, and that is putting lots of pressure on his head—I knew he would break and that’s what happened.”

Boumans finished third at 145 with a 5-1 win over fourth-place Warmowski, and Oswego’s Zach Sato took fifth via 6-1 decision over sixth-place Jake Matthews of Addison Trail.

152 – Damari Reed, Shepard

When a school has only had two individual state champions who won three state titles in boys athletics in its 44-year history, it’s usually not a good setting for someone who hopes to win a state title.

But don’t tell that to Shepard’s Damari Reed, who made the supporters of the school in south suburban Palos Heights very proud this week when he captured the 152-pound title in the IWCOA’s Class 3A Open Championships in Springfield.

Under the guidance of coach Scott Richardson, the Astros junior fought through overtime matches in the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals and edged Schaumburg senior Grant Hansen 5-3 in an overtime tiebreaker in the title match to give Shepard its fourth title in the sport, with the others won by Paul Kubski (1984) and Paul Cocco (1980, 1981).  

“The main thing for me coming from not such a big wrestling school, I have to push harder than any other person out here,” Reed said. “My whole thing is focusing and hard work, that’s what got me here today. Being from a south suburban high school, I don’t really have that many partners that can push me as well as I push them. But I still thank them for showing up for practice and working with me every day and my coach being with me. All three of my matches from the quarterfinals to the finals were all in overtime, and that’s called conditioning and hard work. I took on these big, muscle-bound dudes and I’m lean and lanky. I wanted to get my picture in the hallway since they post all of the state champions, so my face is going to be up there.”

Reed, who finished with a 15-1 record, won his first match at state in 2019 and lost the next two competing at 119 pounds. He did not participate in the postseason last year. After winning 9-2 in his first match, he beat Lockport senior Nate Ramsey 7-5 in sudden victory in the quarterfinals and then won 6-5 in an overtime tiebreaker over McHenry junior Brody Hallin in the semifinals. Then in the finals, he got a reversal in overtime to secure the championship.  

Hansen, who finished 27-1 after suffering his first loss, opened with a fall before claiming an 8-2 quarterfinal win over Libertyville freshman Matt Kubas and following that with a 7-2 semifinal win over Mount Carmel senior Zack Rotkvich. After going 0-2 in his state debut a year ago, he was hoping to become just the second Saxons champion and add to the two titles that Josh Marchok had won in 2011 and 2012.

Rotkvich (15-2) won 3-2 over Hallin (31-2) to finish third while Ramsey (25-3) beat Kubas (26-7) by a 14-3 score to take fifth place.

160 – Mikey Caliendo, Batavia

Is it utter domination and a history-making performance you want? Then look no further than the way Caliendo dominated his competition all season, punctuated by the history he made in Springfield for Batavia’s wrestling program.

Caliendo was a wrecking ball this year, finishing with a 34-0 record and doing it without giving up a single offensive point in 34 matches. Nobody keeps records on how many wrestlers have gone a whole season without giving up a single takedown or reversal, but you can bet Caliendo reached some rarefied air with that feat in 2021.

Even more importantly to Caliendo, his major decision over Minooka’s Jack McClimon on the title mat at 160 made him the first state champion in Batavia history.

“That’s always been my goal, since second or third grade in kids’ club,” Caliendo said. “I always wanted to be up on that wall.”

Logan Arlis, son of former Batavia and Naperville North coach Tom Arlis, was a state runner-up at 112 pounds in 2009. Matt Weight also wrestled for a state title at 215 pounds in 2000 and placed second for Batavia.
Logan Arlis is now an assistant coach at Batavia under head coach Scott Bayer, and has Caliendo is grateful for his influence.
“It really means a lot to him and to me that we could get someone on the wall,” Caliendo said of Arlis. “He puts in a lot of work for me, pushing me in the room. And training at Izzy Style, of course – that’s my second family over there. We’re never taking days off.
“I just put in more work and never stopped grinding this year. There are always ups and downs in this sport but even when you’re having your worst day, you can’t put off going into the gym and working out.”

Caliendo posted two falls and two major decisions to win his state crown, and will now head off to wrestle at North Dakota State University.  

McClimon (27-2) earned his spot on the title mat with a major decision win in his semifinal match against Tommy Boland of Marist.
Mt. Carmel’s Colin Kelly took third at 160 via 7-2 decision over fourth-place Zach Bateman of Sandburg, and Boland placed fifth with a fall against Lockport’s sixth-place Paul Kadlec.

170 – Bradley Gillum, DeKalb

After dropping a 3-1 decision in last year’s Class 3A title match at 160 to Edwardsville’s Luke Odom, DeKalb’s Bradley Gillum was determined to not fall short again.

With Naperville Central junior Antonio Torres trying to upset the party by becoming his school’s first champion since 1973, the Barbs junior accomplished what he set out to do and capped an 18-0 season with a 5-2 victory in the 170 title match at Saturday’s IWCOA Class 3A Open Champions in Springfield.  

“I knew that I needed to step it up just a little bit more,” Gillum said. “As a sophomore, it was a great accomplishment to get to the finals already, but I wasn’t satisfied with that, I wanted the bracket board. It was very iffy the entire year, but just because COVID hit, it didn’t mean that anyone else in Illinois was going to sit back and take the easy way out. All of my friends said that since last year I made it to the finals that I’d better win it the next year. Thanks to everybody who put this together. We could actually have it this year with all of the craziness that we’ve been through.”

That win also helped coach Sam Hiatt’s Barbs to 93.5 points, which tied them with Glenbard North for second in the team standings, 5.5 points behind champion Mount Carmel. They had four placewinners in addition to Gillum, with Ben Aranda and Tommy Curran falling in title matches and Daniel Aranda and Bryson Buhk placing fifth.

After recording a fall in 0:17 in his first match, Gillum claimed a 5-4 quarterfinal win over Barrington senior Marko Hennin and then won 11-1 over Conant senior Jack Hominac in the semifinals to advance to the finals for the second time in his third trip to state.  

Torres, who went 8-2 after taking fifth place at 170 for Waubonsie Valley last season, was hoping to become the Redhawks’ second champion and first in nearly 50 years, joining Doug Chirico, who won in 1973 while there was still one school in the district. Torres opened with a pin and then beat Edwardsville senior Drew Gvillo 12-3 in the quarterfinals and edged Loyola Academy junior Cooper Wettig by a 4-3 score in the semifinals to become the first from his school to reach the title mat since 1976.

Wettig (19-3) beat Hominac (28-3) by a 10-0 score to claim third place while Libertyville junior Josh Knudten (27-5) won 10-2 over Gvillo (21-3) in the fifth-place match.

182 – DeAnthony Parker, Moline

Not 10 minutes after he won an individual state title at 182 on Saturday, Parker already had no plans for any lengthy celebration.

“I’ll be back in the room Monday, getting ready for Fargo,” Parker said.

Parker (23-0) completed a perfect season and became the 15th state champion in Moline history, with his 10-2 major decision win over Libertyville’s Chase Baczek in the finals. He joined teammates Kole Brower (132) and Noah Tapia (138) as one of three Moline state champions crowned in Springfield.

Parker placed third in Illinois at last year’s state finals at 182, then put his shoulder to the wheel even harder in the time since.

“I’ve been traveling all around the country and I have a lot of people that support me and allowed me to do that,” Parker said. “I haven’t taken a break since last year’s state tournament. I’ve been wrestling ever since then.”
Parker entered the state finals ranked No. 1 at 182 and Baczek was ranked second. Parker reeled off three pins to reach the title mat, while Baczek (27-2) posted a tech fall and two simple decisions, capped by a 5-2 semifinal win over Alton’s Damien Jones.

Lake Park’s Ryan Riser took third at 182 with a 14-7 win over fourth-place Matt Arsenault of Plainfield Central, and Jones finished fifth with a 15-5 major over sixth-place Jackson Tonkovich.

Parker will join Batavia state champion Mikey Caliendo in wrestling for North Dakota State next year.

“We have a really good recruiting class, getting more good guys there, so we can take over (the program),” Parker said. “This feels good but now I have even bigger goals to focus on. I’m looking forward to wrestling in college.”

195 – Thomas Culp, Quincy

While Thomas Culp realizes that it’s tough to round up a lot of wrestlers in a basketball-crazed city like Quincy, he hopes that his accomplishment this week will help some more kids make the shift to the mat.

The Quincy senior concluded a 32-1 season by capturing an 11-4 victory over Glenbard North senior Patrick Curran in the 195 title match at Saturday’s IWCOA Class 3A Open Championships in Springfield.

“It’s been awhile since we’ve had one, 21 years, Jermaine Dade, he was really talented,” Culp said. “So this is huge. And it just shows that if you go in there and work every day of the week, if you work your butt off, it pays off. We don’t really have the most people come out for wrestling down here and we’re a 3A school so everyone who comes into the room, we like to go after them. When they said we might not have a state tournament, I almost cried, since I dreamed of winning the state title. It’s awesome to throw everybody off, when they say who does Quincy wrestling have any more, and this year we have a state champ and I’m going to represent the school well. Hopefully next year this will bring more kids out, and they’ll say, ‘Thomas Culp was the state champ’ and maybe I’ll try that.”

Culp won a match at state as a sophomore and got injured in his first state match a year ago. On Saturday, the Blue Devils senior wouldn’t let anything stop him as he recorded falls in his first three matches, recording his quickest pin in the semifinals in 0:44 over Glenbard West junior Phillip Dozier and had a fall in 2:49 in the quarterfinals over DeKalb junior Bryson Buhk.

Not only is Culp the first Blue Devils champion since Jermaine Dade won a title in 2000, he’s only the fourth in the program’s history but the first two title winners were from the 1940s and 1950s so Culp and Dade are the only ones to win titles during the past 64 years. He will continue his career and education at Missouri Baptist University.

Curran, who finished 24-3 and was the top-finisher of the Panthers’ five medal winners, got a fall in 3:43 over Marist junior Ghee Rachal (20-4) to earn his spot in the finals. The Glenbard North senior, who was making his first state trip, won his other two matches in falls with his quarterfinal match decided in 1:25 over Lincoln-Way Central senior Andrew Hesse. His efforts helped coach Travis Cherry’s Panthers to a second-place finish with DeKalb with 93.5 points while Mount Carmel won the title with 99 points.

In the third-place match, Dozier (24-2) won with a fall in 0:40 over Rachal (20-4) and Buhk (18-5) claimed a 5-3 decision over Hesse (20-6) to capture fifth place.

220 – Andrew Blackburn-Forst, Lockport

Five years ago, Lockport junior Blackburn-Forst was just a kid sitting in a grade-school classroom. But he already knew what he wanted his athletic future to look like.

“I was about in sixth grade when I heard about all these state champions coming out of Lockport and when I was in eighth grade, they won the state championship as a team,” Blackburn-Forst said. “That just made me feel like I was part of Lockport, that Lockport would be my team, and I’d get a chance to be a part of the rich history of the program. And now I’m on the wall with all those other guys.”

With his 10-3 state title-match win, third-ranked Blackburn-Forst (17-0) beat top-ranked Evan Roper (30-1) of Barrington to become the 13th state champion in Lockport history. He’s also the eighth state champ in Josh Oster’s 10 seasons as the Porters’ head coach.

Blackburn-Forst used two pins and a decision to reach the finals, stopping No. 4 Ryan Golnick of Jacobs and No. 5 Drew Bielawski of Downers Grove North along the way. Roper won a 6-4 decision over No. 2 Dzhabrail Khurshidov of West Aurora in his quarterfinal, then pinned Naperville North’s Dane Tsao in their semifinal match.

Blackburn-Forst led 3-1 in the third period against Roper in the title match and had a 5-point move to make it 8-1. Is that when he smelled blood in the water?

“He’s a phenomenal wrestler,” Blackburn-Forst said of Roper. “But I smelled blood on that first-period throw. That’s when I was smelling it and I was going for it.”

Golnick finished third at 220 via 2-1 decision over Khurshidov, and Tsao took fifth with an 11-2 major over sixth-place Bielawski.

285 – Ryan Boersma, Mount Carmel

After going to state twice while at Providence Catholic and finishing fifth a year ago at 285, Ryan Boersma was hopeful that his first visit at his new school might result in a title.

It’s safe to say that the Mount Carmel junior got more than he bargained for since not only did Boersma win an individual title at 285 pounds in Saturday’s IWCOA Class 3A Open Championships at Springfield but he also got to celebrate with his Caravan teammates after their six-man state contingent won the team title.

Boersma, who went 12-0 this season, defeated Belleville West senior Dustin Olmstead 4-0 in a clash of unbeatens in the 285 title match to cap a special day for Mount Carmel, which last won a state championship in the sport in 1994 that featured a run of three-straight title teams for hall of fame coach Bill Weick.

“I won and the team got there, too, which I’m most happy about,” Boersma said. “And we only had six guys and we didn’t have half of our starters, so all of our guys who came did really well and that was awesome. And what was really big was that they accommodated the guys who wanted to do the junior duals, too, which was huge since we were competing for Team Illinois. And look at what happened, the top four weights were all won by junior dual team members. This will be a day to remember, that’s for sure.”

Coach Alex Tsirtsis’s Caravan, who finished second in last year’s dual team competition to champion Montini, got third-place finishes from Damian Resendez, Zack Rotkvich and Colin Kelly and Eddie Enright took fourth to help them win the team title with 99 points, which was 5.5 better than DeKalb and Glenbard North, who tied for second place.

After opening with a fall, Boersma claimed a 6-0 quarterfinal victory over Fremd senior Brian Clay (21-6) and then won 2-1 on a tiebreaker over Glenbard North junior Paulie Robertson in the semifinals for his 100th win. In the finals, Boersma got a third-period takedown to assure that he would be the Caravan’s fourth champ in the past three years, following Sergio Lemley and Noah Mis (2020) and Colton Drousias (2019). Mount Carmel now has 22 state champions who have captured 34 titles.

Olmstead, who took third last year at 285 and finished 26-1 after suffering his first loss, got a 4-3 ultimate tiebreaker win over Lishman in the semifinals and had a fall in 3:12 over Maine East’s Kevin Wingate in the quarterfinals. He was hoping to become the Maroons’ fifth state champion and first since Mech Spraggins in 2013. In the third-place match, Robertson (26-2) won 4-3 by ultimate tiebreaker over Montini senior Colin Baker (10-4) and Lake Zurich senior Alan Pantoja took fifth with a 6-3 decision over West Aurora’s Jordan Lishman.

By Curt Herron and Gary Larsen

The IWCOA Open State Championships crowned its Class 2A state champions and place-winners in Springfield on June 25. Here are the stories of those champions:

106 – Gylon Sims, Joliet Catholic Academy

Sims (16-2) was a state runner-up last year at 106, and arguably no one feels the sting of a state tournament loss quite like the wrestler who loses on a state title mat.

But Sims chose to use his experience downstate last year as a revelation.
“Freshman year I did better than I expected to do and me getting second place just made me hungry. It made me open my eyes to my potential and how much I could do,” Sims said. “I came back this here planning to win the state title and I did just that.”

Top-ranked at 106 in Rob Sherrill’s IWCOA rankings, Sims won a 6-3 over No. 2 Josh Glover of Marian Central, then posted a major decision in his semifinal to reach the title mat against No. 4 Brady Foster of Mattoon.
Foster reached the title mat after a pin, a major decision, and then a 6-1 semifinal win over Edgar Albino, Jr. of Antioch.

Sims led 2-1 in the third period over Foster in the title match and found a takedown en route to a 4-2 win, capping his sophomore year with a state championship.

“There’s no plan. I just go out there, wrestle hard and give it all I’ve got,” Sims said.

“It feels amazing. I accomplished so much but I’m not satisfied and I never will be satisfied. Now I plan on going to Fargo and after that, heading onto my next season.”

Sims is now the third state champion in JCA history, joining Paul Mudron (1967) and three-time champion Dean Hamiti (2018-20).
Afterwards, Sims tipped his hat to JCA head coach Ryan Cumbee and his entire coaching staff.

“They’re very passionate and I’m very grateful for all of them,” Sims said. “They want nothing but the best for me and that’s why I’m glad I chose JCA, because these coaches are going to push me to be the best version of myself.
“I was more of a grit, toughness wrestler last year and now I understand that technique is very important. I didn’t really know how to wrestle my freshman year.”

Glover placed third at 106 with a 6-2 win over fourth-place Andrew Davis of Chatham Glenwood, and Albino placed fifth with a 5-0 decision over sixth-place Anthony Alanis of Grayslake Central.

113 – Shay Kohorn, Joliet Catholic Academy

When your training partner wins a state title just before you step on the mat to try to do the same, the huge challenge facing you suddenly becomes a bit less stressful.

That’s the position that Joliet Catholic Academy junior Shay Kohorn found himself on Friday at the outset of the IWCOA Class 2A Open Championships in Springfield.

Once Hilltopper two-time finalist Gylon Sims beat Mattoon’s Brady Foster 4-2 in an exciting match for the 106 title, Korhorn (15-2) got his chance to duplicate that effort and did just that with an equalling compelling 7-5 sudden victory over Normal West’s previously-unbeaten sophomore Froylan Racey (23-1).

The two battled to a 5-5 draw through regulation and then just 10 seconds into the overtime, Korhorn got a takedown to clinch the championship. A year after going 1-2 at state, the JCA junior beat Marian Central Catholic sophomore Charlie Fitzgerald 5-3 in the quarterfinals and MacArthur senior Cameron Lee 9-1 in the semifinals.

“I got taken down going into the second period and that was hard to deal with, but I got right back on my feet and decided that I had to go now since it was the last match of the season, you might as well go out crazy,” Korhorn said. “It definitely helped me that (he) Gylon won. I love wrestling with Gylon in the room, we scrap every day. Especially on our feet, we go hand-in-hand, it’s just always a battle. And DJ (Dean Hamiti) is a great captain in the room and everyone loves to follow him. Coach Cumbee has built such a great team in these past four years and he does not plan on stopping soon. It’s going to be a great program.”

The consecutive titles and later a third championship from freshman Dillan Johnson at 285 capped a truly historic day for the program, which was awarded a first-ever trophy for a third-place finish after scoring 97 points. During its history, Joliet Catholic had won only four state titles, with three of those being claimed by Dean Hamiti in the past three seasons and the first back in 1967 by Pat Mudron.  

Galesburg freshman Gauge Shipp (23-2) took third place following a 10-7 victory over Prairie Ridge sophomore Tyler Evans (18-5) while Fitzgerald (20-5) won 8-6 in sudden victory over Lee (15-4) to claim fifth place. Racey, who was making his first state tournament appearance, advanced to the title mat with a pin of Shipp in the semifinals.

120 – Markel Baker, Freeport

Like Sims, Baker was also a state runner-up last year and he used that title-match loss to toss a shovelful of coal into the blast furnace of his motivation.

“I used it all the time. It’s all I was thinking about was that feeling when you lose. It’s not the best feeling,” Baker said. “It made me want to be more aggressive and want it more, instead of just going downstate just for the show.”
Baker fought off an early takedown attempt from Morton’s Connor Kidd on the title mat in Springfield, then got one of his own to take a 2-0 lead. The Freeport junior used a Blair bar to a half, early in the second period, before winning by fall.

Baker went into the state finals ranked No. 1 at 120 and improved to 26-0 with the win. He was dominant all day, posting a major, a fall, and then a tech fall in his semifinal to reach the finals.

Baker joined Major Dedmond (2019) and Pete Rhode (1984) to become the third state champion in Freeport history. He managed that feat thanks to some incremental improvement since last season.

“I’m way quicker and work my technique way better this year,” Baker said. “Last year I was more of an elbow-control type guy. This year I’m more of a push-the-pace, low-single, snap, go-behind guy,” Baker said.

Baker expressed gratitude for Freeport head coach Anthony Dedmond, former teammate Major Dedmond, along with Dakota coach Pete Alber. His plans for next season are obvious.

“Next year I’m definitely looking for another state title,” Baker said, “and I have to get better at everything.”

Kidd (21-4) reached the title mat with a pin of Marian Central Catholic’s Nick Davidson in their semifinal match, after winning by fall and 13-8 decision to open the tournament.

Deerfield’s Lucas Wittkamp placed third at 120 by forfeit over fourth-place Davidson, and fifth-place Rocky Almendarez won 10-8 over sixth-place Noah O’Connor of Lemont.

126 – Elon Rodriguez, Marian Central Catholic

On a day where Marian Central Catholic won the IWCOA Class 2A title, Elon Rodriguez capped an unbeaten season by winning his first state championship and third medal.

The senior finished with a 25-0 record after claiming a 3-2 overtime tiebreaker victory over St. Patrick junior Sean Conway (20-3) in the IWCOA Class 2A Open Championships in Springfield. A year ago, Rodriguez lost a tight title match, falling 4-2 to TF North’s Nasir Bailey at 120. Conway, who also won his third state medal and advanced to his first finals, hoped to become the Shamrocks’ third champion and their first since Joe Fagiano in 2006.

Rodriguez and his teammates made program history by setting records for champions (three), finalists (four) and medalists (nine) from their 10 qualifiers. Those performances helped coach David Silva’s squad to capture the team title with 178 points, which was well ahead of runner-up Civic Memorial, who had 147.5 points. Nik Jimenez (25-0)followed Rodriguez with a title at 132, Dylan Connell (24-0) won at 182 to claim his fourth title and Chris Moore (16-1) took second at 138.

“We had four people in the finals and were looking to go 4-for-4, so I had to start us off with a win,” said Rodriguez, who will continue his education and career at Triton College. “Thiswas a perfect way to end it. Honestly, it felt like a dream out there. I’d been to the finals before and it felt kind of normal, but this was very special. It would have been tough (if no tournament) and I feel that we wouldn’t have gone as hard. I just wouldn’t have gotten better if there wasn’t something to look forward to at the end.”

Rodriguez earned his second-straight finals appearance with a 12-3 semifinal victory over Glenwood sophomore Thomas Vansacik (32-6). In fact, he won each of his first three matches by 12-3 scores, with his quarterfinal win coming against Triad junior Chase Hall (18-6), a two-time medalist.

In the third-place match, Civic Memorial freshman Bryce Griffin (28-1) won 8-0 over Oak Forest sophomore Caden Muselman (15-6) and in the fifth-place match, Hall edged Vansacik by a 3-2 score. Conway beat Muselman 9-1 in the semifinals after handing Griffin his only loss in the quarterfinals by a 3-2 score on an ultimate tiebreaker.

132 – Nik Jimenez, Marian Central Catholic

The top-ranked junior finished his individual season unbeaten at 26-0 and became the third state champion in program history, joining four-time state champ Dylan Connell (2018-21), and two-time state champ Rich Powers (1985-86).

Jimenez was a state qualifier as a freshman and placed second at 126 last year in Champaign, as a 1A wrestler for Harvard, before transferring to Marian this year.

Jimenez posted two falls before winning a 7-1 semifinal decision, sending him to the title match against second-ranked Rory Perlow of Deerfield.
“We wrestled in sectionals and I pinned him in the first period, so I knew today was going to be harder,” Jimenez said. “But we don’t really worry much about scouting at Marian — it’s more focused on us, personally, and what we’re going to do out there.”

Like multiple 2A state champs in Springfield, Jimenez used his loss on the title mat last year to propel him back for another shot at a state title this season.

“It wasn’t really placing second that affected me last year, it was how I lost,” Jimenez said of his tech fall loss to 1A state champion Tristan Daugherty of Peoria Notre Dame. “Instead of having the attitude of just placing and hoping for the best, I wanted this year to be my year and I just went out and got it.”

Jimenez is happy with his decision to transfer to Marian under head coach David Silva.

“Our coaches made me a better wrestler overall,” Jimenez said. “I’m always being pushed in the practice room. And nothing changes after this. I’ll be back at practice soon and we’re always grinding. I can always improved in strength and stamina, and overall I just want to improve myself for next year.”

Perlow (25-3) used three decisions to reach the title match, including an 8-1 semifinal decision over Antioch’s Anthony Streib.

Joliet Catholic’s Owen O’Connor placed third at 132 via 10-2 decision over fourth-place Streib, and Oak Forest’s Ivan Corral took fifth with a 5-1 win over sixth-place Collin Reif of Jacksonville.

138 – Caleb Tyus, Civic Memorial

Just about everything went right for Caleb Tyus on his final day of competing for Civic Memorial on Friday at the IWCOA Class 2A Open Championships in Springfield.

The senior capped a 31-0 season by winning his first title by a 7-2 score over previously-unbeaten Marian Central Catholic sophomore Chris Moore (16-1) in the 138 finals while competing in his second straight title match and earning a third top-three medal. Two of his teammates, senior Vinny Zerban and sophomore Abraham Wojcikiewicz, also won titles and two others, his brother, senior Caine Tyus, and junior Colton Carlisle, also were in the grand march before the finals.

About the only thing that didn’t go well for him was that his brother, who’s also a three-time medalist, had to injury defaultin the finals at 145 against Sycamore’s Brayden Peet after struggling to get through his semifinal win. As for team highlights, the Eagles took second place in Class 2A with 147.5 points, which ranked second behind 2A champion Marian Central Catholic, who had 178 points. His team established new program records with three champions, five finalists and six placewinners.

“We’ve worked hard and it’s obviously showing,” Caleb Tyus said. “It feels so good in my last year to get second (as a team), it feels crazy. Last year it was only me at the grand march so it feels different now. It was good to have our whole team here.”

Caleb Tyus reached the title match with a 5-0 semifinal victory over previously-unbeaten St. Laurence senior Mike Rodriguez (20-1). After getting a fall in his opener, he won 6-1 over Rochelle junior Caleb Nadig (26-5) in the quarterfinals. Moore, who opened with two victories by technical fall, won 3-0 over Rock Island junior Aoci Bernard (22-5) in the semifinals to advance to the finals along with teammates Elon Rodriguez (126), Nik Jimenez (132) and Dylan Connell (182), who all went on to win titles.

Mike Rodriguez won a 7-1 decision over two-time medalist Nadig in the third place while Deerfield junior Lucio Morgan (24-5) claimed a 3-1 victory over Bernard to finish fifth.

145 – Brayden Peet, Sycamore

The evolution from underclassmen to upperclassmen often comes down to what Peet experienced from his sophomore year to this season’s junior campaign.

“I’m more confident. It’s all mental for me. I had the ability last year, I just wasn’t there mentally,” Peet said. “My wrestling got better since last year but last year my nerves would get to me, until I finally realized that it just doesn’t matter. I just have to go out there and wrestle.”
Peet used two tech falls to reach a semifinal at 145 against Jalon Strong of Cahokia, winning 9-3 but having to work hard to the final buzzer.

“That kid had endless energy,” Peet said of Strong. “He just kept coming and I was just praying I could hold on.”
Peet finished the year as a state champion with a perfect 35-0 record. Unfortunately for Peet and Civic Memorial’s Caine Tyus, their slated meeting on the state title mat didn’t happen. Tyus had to injury default after suffering a leg injury in his 3-0 semifinal win over Crystal Lake Central’s Dillon Carlson.

“Obviously I would have rather wrestled in the final. I don’t want to win that way. I’d rather wrestle and lose than win that way,” Peet said. “So it’s like a happy-sad moment. But I’m happy with the season I had. I put in all the work I needed to, 24-7, all the time. I wrestled all year.”
Peet became the third state champion in Sycamore program history, joining Austin Culton (2012) and Kyle Akins (2013).  

Tyus posted two pins before his semifinal win and finished the year with a 16-1 record.
Carlson went on to place third at 145 via 5-1 decision over fourth-place Anthony Montez of Geneseo, and Strong placed fifth with an 8-4 win over sixth-place Austin O’Donoghue of Lincoln.

152 – Vinny Zerban, Civic Memorial

After enjoying a successful three years at St. Louis’ Christian Brothers College, where he won a 2019 Class 4A state title and earned second- and third-place medals and also was a member of two team champions, Vinny Zerban decided to complete his prep career along with some longtime friends at Civic Memorial.

On Friday in the IWCOA Class 2A Open Championships in Springfield, senior Zerban completed a 28-0 season by recording a fall in 0:48 over Deerfield junior Benjamin Shvartsman (23-2) in the 152 title match.  

He advanced to the finals with a fall in 3:38 over Sterling junior Andrew Kested (27-4) in the semifinals and posted a 12-5 quarterfinal win over Marian Central Catholic senior Scott Burke (22-4) after winning by technical fall in his first match.

Zerban’s efforts helped Civic Memorial to turn in its best showing ever in a state finals. Coach Jeremy Christeson’s squad established new records for champions (three), finalists (five) and medal winners (six) which helped them to take second place with 147.5 points, which was only behind Class 2A champion Marian Central Catholic, (178). Joining Verban as champions were Caleb Tyus (138) and Abraham Wojcikiewicz (160) while Caine Tyus (145) and Colton Carlisle (182) took second and Bryce Griffin (126) was third.

“This has probably been the best day in a while,” Zerban said. “Last year, I lost a tough semis match while I was wrestling 160. I was out of shape and had to put a lot of work in to get to where I am. I think this is the best team that we’re ever going to have. This feels a lot better than winning Missouri’s in my sophomore year.”

Shvartsman, who won a fifth-place medal a year ago, claimed a 7-0 semifinal victory over Mattoon junior Kiefer Duncan (21-5). After getting a pin in his first match, he won a 3-1 decision over Mascoutah’s Kylan Montgomery in the quarterfinals. Burke won by fall in 1:54 over Geneseo senior Bruce Moore to claim third place while Kested beat Duncan by medical forfeit to finish fifth.

160 – Abraham Wojcikiewicz, Civic Memorial

Wojcikiewicz was the lone freshman to qualify downstate last year at 145, finishing with a 39-9 record after the individual state finals in Champaign. He wrestled mainly against upperclassmen last season and lost to a senior and a junior in his two downstate matches.

Wojcikiewicz is not a freshman anymore. This year, Wojcikiewicz was one of five sophomores among 16 state qualifiers at 160 and he grinded his way to a state championship. Wojcikiewicz opened with decisions of 9-1 and 7-1 before winning 5-4 in his state semifinal over Bennett Duggan of Lake Forest.

Wojcikiewicz then posted the lone takedown of the title match to win a 3-2 decision over Boylan’s Dathan Wickson. It wasn’t the first time Wojoikiewicz (29-1) wrestled the previously unbeaten Wickson (19-1).

“I wrestled him in Iowa and lost to him 8-3,” Wojcikiewicz said. “I tried to get my underhooks and get my shots off of that to slow him down, since he was quite a bit quicker than me the last time I wrestled him.”

Wojcikiewicz joined teammates Caleb Tyus (138) and Vinny Zerban (152) to give Civic Memorial a third state champion in Springfield. The trio joined three-time state champion Kip Kristoff (1982-83, ’85), Mark Kristoff (1982), Jason Christeson (1997), and David Pearce (2012) to give their program seven state champions.

“We have a lot of great guys and we’re always working in the room. We build off of each other,” Wojcikiewicz said. “It always helps to have lots of good teammates around you to help you get better.”

Wickson used a pin and then a major decision win to reach the semifinals, where he won 4-3 over Saint Viator’s Gaetano Console.

Duggan placed third with a 7-4 win over fourth-place Console, and Deerfield’s Aiden Cohen took fifth via 7-3 decision over Sycamore’s Zach Crawford.

170 – Caden Ernd, Crystal Lake Central

Crystal Lake Central had an impressive run between 2009 and 2017 when seven different individuals accounted for 15 state titles and coach Justen Lehr’s program advanced to seven dual meet team finals and won five trophies, including two second-place finishes.

The Tigers hadn’t won any titles since that time but that all changed on Friday in the IWCOA Class 2A Open Championships in Springfield when Caden Ernd edged Carbondale’s Luke Daly 1-0 in a clash of unbeaten seniors in the 170 title match. Ernd (13-0) got an escape in the second period and prevented Daly (25-1) from doing the same in the third.

Ernd, who placed third last year, advanced to the finals with a 5-1 semifinal victory over Grayslake Central freshman Matthew Jens (28-7) after recording falls in his first two matches while Daly, who placed fifth in 2020, won 7-1 over Crystal Lake South junior Shane Moran (15-4) in the semifinals after getting a pin and a 7-0 quarterfinal victory.  

“This is exciting,” said Ernd, who plans to continue his career and education at the University of Illinois. “I am thankful that the IWCOA has put this on for all of the kids, but especially the seniors, because I wanted to call myself a state champ. It was an interesting season, for sure, but I made the most out of it. Most of the kids who showed up put a show on, just like the regular high school state tournament. This feels awesome and I can’t thank the people around me enough, the coaches, team, family, everyone.”

Daly, who will continue his career and education at Michigan State University, hoped to become the Terriers’ first state champion since 2017 when Cameron Caffey won and just the third individual from his school to capture a title, with Zane Richards taking firsts in both 2011 and 2012.

In the third-place match, Brother Rice junior Tom Bennett (18-2) won 6-4 over Moran while Jens claimed a 13-8 decision over Geneseo senior Clay DeBaillie (17-5) for fifth.

182 – Dylan Connell, Marian Central Catholic

The University of Illinois-bound senior joined the elite ranks of four-time Illinois state champions when he won by major decision in his title match against Civic Memorial’s Colton Carlisle.

Per the IHSA website, only 15 wrestlers in Illinois’ long history have now managed that feat. Three years ago, as the lone freshman 152-pounder weighing in at the state finals in Champaign, he never imagined four state titles would be part of his future.

“That freshman year, I went to the weigh-ins in Champaign and texted my dad ‘these kids are going to kill me’,” Connell said. “But I took it one match at a time and kept coming out on top. It’s unexplainable and unbelievable. I never thought I’d get to this point.”

Martell Boone, Jared Head, and Joey Jens were the names of the first three opponents Connell beat on a state title mat, and he won his first three titles at 152, 160, and 170 pounds.

Connell joined teammates Elon Rodriguez (126) and Nik Jimenez (132) in winning state titles in Springfield to give the program four state champs, including two-time state champ Rich Powers (1986-87).

Connell (24-0) was ranked No. 1 from wire-to-wire this season in completing his quartet of state championships. He posted three first-period pins to reach the title match in Springfield.

“I just had to believe in myself, no matter what happened,” Connell said. “I couldn’t get my head too high. Everyone I wrestled had nothing to lose and I just had to show what I’ve been working for. I’ll be happy today and then I’ll get back to work. I leave (for U of I) in a couple weeks.”

And for any top-notch eighth-grade kids’ club wrestlers out there, who might have visions of four high school state titles dancing in their heads, Connell has some simple but profound advice:
“Just believe in yourself, your coaches, and don’t skip practices and workouts,” Connell said. “Keep working and you’ll get out what you put into this sport.”
Third-ranked Carlisle (28-3) posted two falls and then a major decision win in his semifinal against Lemont’s Moe Kahlil.
Crystal Lake South’s KT Sivertsen took third via fall over fourth-place Khalil, and Mahomet-Seymour’s Brennan Houser took fifth with a major decision over sixth-place Kaleb Lind of Lakes.

195 – Donnie Hidden, Washington

Just when it looked like the 195 pound title match between Washington’s Donnie Hidden and Mahomet-Seymour’s Mateo Casillas was headed to overtime, Hidden recorded a takedown with five seconds left to give him a 3-1 victory over the previously-unbeaten sophomore in the IWCOA Class 2A Open Championships in Springfield.

Hidden (23-2), a junior who placed fourth last year, is the 11th different Panther to win a state title in the past 11 years. Casillas (27-1), who was making his first state appearance, hoped to become his program’s first champion since Andrew Brewer pulled off the feat in 2009.

The Panthers’ champion followed up on an opening fall with a 6-2 quarterfinal victory over Carbondale’s Aiden Taylor (23-3) and then claimed a 5-3 win in the semifinals over St. Patrick junior Alex Goworowski (20-6).

“That’s what we learn, to keep grinding the entire match,” Hidden said. “I was just looking the entire match for that small ankle shot off of a bad shot of his, and it finally paid off in the third period, which is perfect and it all went well from there. Thanks so much for (the IWCOA) for providing this tournament. For that, I get to live this experience of finally doing something that I’ve dreamed of since I was six. There are some kids who aren’t here, but the best kids are showing up and they’ll always compete with you. Everyone has the drive to be great. I was in the same shoes as the frosh-soph kids my first year and took eighth. Then I came back and got fourth last year and bumped up 40 pounds.”

Casillas also opened with a fall and then won a pair of one-point decisions, 3-2 in the quarterfinals over Notre Dame’s Sean Swinkle (21-4) and 4-3 in the semifinals over Crystal Lake Central senior Julian Ryerson (21-7) to earn his spot in the title match.

In the third-place match, Ryerson recorded a fall in 1:01 over East Peoria junior Zach Eaton (20-9) and LaSalle-Peru sophomore Connor Lorden (35-4) claimed fifth place when he recorded a fall in 4:55 over Goworowski.

220 – David Polaski, Mascoutah

The senior Polaski joined Lavion Mayes (2012) to become the second state champion in Mascoutah history, and he did it by learning how to flip a switch when he steps on the mat.

“In the past I was kind of a passive wrestler. I like to think I’m a nice guy off the mat,” Polaski said. “But I was bringing that onto the mat. So I had just had to find a ‘demon mode’ almost.”

Third-ranked Polaski improved to 27-2 with his 9-4 title-mat decision over previously unbeaten and top-ranked Conner Miller (34-1) of Glenwood. Miller topped Polaski at this year’s sectional meet.

“He was a well-rounded wrestler. I wrestled him last week and lost to him by a point,” Polaski said of Miller. “I didn’t take last week as seriously as I needed to and I could have done better. I was up one point with fifteen seconds and I circled out but he took me down. So I knew I had to compete today.”

A second-period takedown and near-fall gave Polaski a 6-2 lead after two periods. A Polaski escape to start the third and a Miller takedown made it 7-4 on the way to the 9-4 final score.

Polaski won all four of his state finals matches by straight decisions, including a 5-4 semifinal decision over No. 6 Jake Lester of Grayslake Central.

Miller used three straight decisions to reach the title match, capped by a 6-4 win in a semifinal match against Cary-Grove’s Joe Swanson.

Lester went on to place third with a 3-1 decision over fourth-place Swanson, and Mahomet-Seymour’s Daniel Renshaw took fifth via fall over Marian’s Joe Miller.

285 – Dillan Johnson, Joliet Catholic Academy

History had already been made by Joliet Catholic Academy’s wrestling program before Dillan Johnson even stepped on the mat for the 285 title match at Friday’s IWCOA Class 2A Open Championships in Springfield.

After getting title wins from Gylon Sims at 106 and Shay Korhorn at 113, the Hilltoppers had two state champions at a finals for the first time and were already assured of a third place finish. But freshman Johnson made sure that he would add to the special occasion by giving his team its third title of the day when he recorded a fall in 1:56 over Aurora Christian sophomore Braden Hunter to conclude a 20-0 debut season.

Coach Ryan Cumbee’s JCA team finished with 97 points, which was nine better than fourth-place Deerfield. Going into the day, the program had won a total of four state titles with Dean Hamiti winning three of those in the past three years and Pat Mudron capturing the school’s first title in 1967 when he was the heavyweight champion.

“It feels great,” Johnson said. “My dad was telling me about how if I win this it will be a good stepping stone for further success down the line. My coaches have been trying to get me to wrestle like that all year and I finally listened. They make all of the difference and I’m very grateful to all of them. I’m very grateful since for the longest time I thought there would be no wrestling season, then we got the six-week season and then this tournament, so I was happy that we had some type of season.”

The freshman champion opened with a fall in 1:59 and then won 20-7 in the quarterfinals over Lakes John Sullivan (12-4) and 11-3 in the semifinals over Glenwood sophomore Alex Hamrick (35-1). Meanwhile Hunter (8-2), Aurora Christian’s lone qualifier, followed a fall with a 5-0 decision over Notre Dame sophomore Karl Schmalz (19-6) in the quarterfinals and a 4-3 victory on a tiebreaker over Washington junior Tyler Casey (21-7) in the semifinals.

Hamrick bounced back from his first loss to win 3-1 over Antioch senior Max Ness (19-4) for third place while Casey captured a 1-0 decision over Schmalz to finish fifth.

By Gary Larsen and Curt Herron

The IWCOA Open State Championships crowned its Class 1A state champions and place-winners in Springfield on June 24. Here are the stories of those champions:

106 – Jarek Wehrle, Vandalia

After knocking on the door for each of the past three years, Wehrle was definitely ready for it to finally open for him this year and it certainly did for the Vandalia senior.

Wehrle finished sixth at state as both a freshman and a sophomore and then placed fourth a year ago, so understandably, he not only wanted to be in the grand march but also on top of the awards stand at 106 pounds in the IWCOA Class 1A Open Championships and both things happened on Thursday.

Following two falls and a decision in his first three matches, Wehrle, who finished 43-4, kicked off the finals session with a 7-2 victory over Yorkville Christian freshman Ty Edwards (26-1), who was unbeaten. Wehrle jumped out to a 4-0 lead to help him become the Vandals’ fourth champion and the first since Jo-E Smith in 2007.  

“This is the one,” Wehrle said. “Last year this was my goal, too, but I came up short, so I just had to bounce back and come after this one. I just want to thank God because I couldn’t have done it without Him, he’s number one. This is really a blessing, honestly. So many seniors didn’t think they’d get a match and some people thought it wasn’t going to be legit. But I’m really happy with the way they put it on, it feels like the real deal. At Vandalia, we just always have good kids and I’m proud to be another one of those kids.”

Wehrle won 8-4 over Farmington freshman Keygan Jennings (27-5) in the quarterfinals and by fall over Coal City freshman Brant Widlowski (20-4) in 3:26 in the semifinals.

Auburn freshman Anthony Ruzic (32-3) claimed third place with an 11-5 victory over Mercer County freshman Ethan Monson (20-3) while Jennings took fifth place after winning on medical forfeiture against Widlowski. In the other semifinal match at that weight, Edwards defeated Ruzic by a 7-4 score.

113 – Saul Trejo, IC Catholic Prep

A state title match between two returning state champions went exactly the way it should have gone between Trejo and Oakwood’s Gage Reed. There was early aggression from Trejo, a comeback from Reed, and ultimately a 6-5 decision win for the sophomore Trejo to give him his second state championship.
“That was amazing. By far the toughest match I’ve had this year,” Trejo said. “I’ve heard of (Reed) before but we never met. He’s a great kid, a returning state champ, and I knew what he was coming with and I knew I had to defend my title as well.”
Trejo went into the state finals ranked second behind Reed at 113, per Rob Sherrill’s IWCOA rankings.
Trejo joins former IC Catholic star Joey Bianchini as a two-time state champion for the Knights. He finished the year with a 43-3 record after posting two falls and then a 3-0 semifinal decision over Litchfield’s Carter Powell before taking on Reed.
The senior Reed won a state title at 113 as a junior while Trejo won the state crown at 106 last year as a freshman.

Trejo took a step forward in development since last year’s state title run.

“I’ve grown up and matured thanks to my coaches and my team,” Trejo said. “It was also about perfecting the moves I had last year so that no defense could stop it. I learned a couple new moves but it was such a short season we all just tried to perfect what we were learning.
“This feels amazing and it gives me thoughts that I can be a four-timer. It doesn’t even feel real at this moment but it feels great.”
Newman’s Brady Grennan placed third at 113 via fall over fourth-place Trevor Hedges of Canton, and Litchfield’s Carter Powell took fifth with a 10-7 win over sixth-place Aaron Niemeyer of East Alton-Wood River.

120 – Phoenix Blakely, Dakota

Blakely not only just included himself with an exclusive list of nine Dakota wrestlers who have won two state titles. But he also joins an even more impressive company of those that pulled off the feat in their first two years, Josh Alber and Seth Milks.
On Thursday, the sophomore turned in a second-consecutive impressive display at state when he repeated as state champion after capturing the 120 title at the IWCOA Class 1A Open Championships in Springfield. Blakely improved to 27-1 after capturing a 10-1 victory over Lena-Winslow/Stockton sophomore Garrett Luke (23-5) in the title match.

He won his first two matches with first-minute falls and then recorded another major decision in the semifinals when he claimed a 12-0 win over IC Catholic junior Nick Renteria.

“I’m very proud of how I competed today,” Blakely said. ” I feel blessed to have this state tournament. My mindset was to demolish everybody I was put up against. Our coaches are amazing.”

Luke, who placed third a year ago, had a more difficult path to reach the finals, winning 5-1 in the quarterfinals over Oakwood sophomore Reef Pacot (27-3) and 4-3 in the semifinals over Benton freshman Mason Tieffel (33-1), who suffered his only loss in that match.

Tieffel recorded a 5-1 win over Pacot to claim third place while Renteria was a winner by technical fall in 2:17 over LeRoy senior Josh Sexton (21-7) in the fifth-place match.

126 – Paul Ishikawa, Illini Bluffs

Ishikawa provided one of many moments of title-match drama in Springfield when he secured a takedown in overtime against East Alton-Wood River’s Jason Shaw to win a 3-1 decision and become the fourth state champion in Illini Bluffs program history.
Ishikawa is also his program’s first state champion in 35 years, joining John Haage (1978), Jeff Threet (1982), and Mark Kawolsky (1986) to stand atop the downstate awards stand.
With only seconds remaining in the first overtime period, Ishikawa saw his chance against Shaw and he took it.

“I knew I wanted to get the takedown in those last couple seconds because I didn’t think I was going to ride him out,” Ishikawa said.

Ishikawa finished the tournament with a 30-2 record and came into Springfield ranked sixth in Illinois. The sophomore also won an overtime match 7-5 in his quarterfinal against No. 4 Evan Reilly of Sandwich.
Ishikawa then beat Illinois’ No. 2-ranked Dresden Grimm of Auburn in the semifinals before taking on No. 1 Shaw with a state title on the line.

“We knew he’d try to cradle me because he’s taller and I’m smaller,” Ishikawa said of Shaw. “We didn’t want to go to bottom but I was confident I could get away. I wrestled him about five years ago and over the summer he beat my brother, so that definitely pushed me to beat him.”
Ishikawa finished one win away from medaling at 113 in Champaign last season, when he set the program record for takedowns in a season with 107.
Topping that takedown record in a pandemic-shortened season was a tall order.

“I was trying to beat that this year and take down everyone I could,” Ishikawa said. “I moved up in weight sometimes to get the best matches and I ended up with something like 81 takedowns this year.”
Zach Foote of Camp Point Central placed third at 126 with a fall over Princeton’s fourth-place Matthew Harris, and Seneca’s Owen Feiner finished fifth in an 8-2 decision over sixth-place Grimm.

132 – Ethen Doty, West Carroll

When an individual reaches the height of winning a state title and then falls just short of that level the next year, they need to get back to the pinnacle again and that’s just what Ethen Doty did on Thursday.

The senior from West Carroll advanced to his third-straight state finals and won his second title when he claimed a 7-6 victory over previously-unbeaten Murphysboro junior Arojae Hart in the Class 1A 132 finals at the IWCOA Class Open Championships.  

Doty, who will continue his career at Upper Iowa University, becomes the fourth individual from a Savanna school to win two state titles, a feat which was last accomplished at Savanna in 1977, when that program dominated Class 1A in the tournament’s early years. This is the first time that someone from a school there has been a four-time medalist.

“It was great, it felt amazing,” Doty said. “I knew I only had 30 seconds left and I tried to hold my ground at the end. Last year I had an injury and I wrestled through the season with a torn meniscus and I still got second and that even got me more motivated for this year. I loved to be able to get a state series instead of having nothing. Ending on the second place (from last year) would not have been fun.”

Doty, who finished 10-1, recorded three straight falls to reach the finals, with each of those lasting less than 75 seconds. He earned his spot in the finals with a fall in 1:14 over Dwight junior Dillon Sarff (24-4) in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Hart earned his spot in the finals with an 8-3 victory over Dakota junior Maddux Blakely (29-3).

In the third-place match, Blakely defeated Sarff 8-3 and in the fifth-place match, Harvard senior Bryce Fiegel (24-5) won by fall in 5:10 over Canton senior Bryce Walton (22-7).

138 – Will Rude, Newman Central Catholic

Rude was an undersized nose guard on Newman’s football team, and he showed the same relentless pursuit on the wrestling mat this season. In one of the most dominant downstate title runs in Springfield, the junior finished the year with a record of 29-0 after posting three pins and then a 9-0 major decision on the title mat over Dakota’s Tyler Simmer.
Rude became the 25th state champion in Newman’s storied program history.
“It feels pretty great. It’s the best season I’ve had and it feels amazing,” Rude said. “Honestly, I just had great coaches and teammates that helped me through.”
Rude went into the state finals ranked No. 1 at 138 and faced No. 2 Simmer for the third time this season in Springfield. Simmer posted two falls before winning by DQ in his semifinal match.
Familiarity between two wrestlers can make for matches that get progressively closer but Rude came out in fifth gear in the title match. “I tried to keep to what I thought would work against him and just tried to mix it up a little,” Rude said.
Rude will attempt to become a back-to-back champion next season in his senior year. His advice to younger wrestlers aiming to climb atop the state finals podium is simple:
“I’d say stay determined, work on the stuff coaches say you need to work on, and don’t take criticism too hard,” Rude said. “Everyone is just trying to help you.”
Rude also had a ritual before every match that kept him grounded.
“Something I did personally to help me get ready for every match — and this may seem weird to some people — but I prayed before every match,” Rude said. “For me, it was like I kind of had someone else helping me out, and keeping me safe. It’s nice to think of that in a sport that’s so individual.”

Canton’s Andrew Hedges finished third at 138 with a fall of fourth-place Trevor Bonk of Camp Point Central, and Oregon’s Seth Stevens took fifth on a DQ against sixth-place Ivan Rosas of Harvard.

145 – Blain Christie, Bishop McNamara

Even though Blain Christie wasn’t among thefavored contenders in the 145-pound weight class, the third-place finisher at 120 from a year ago figured that with the success that his program has had in producing champions that he had as good of a chance as anyone.

And that’s what the 21-1 senior from Bishop McNamara went out and did as he defeated three individuals who were ranked ahead of him, with the highlight of those being an 8-6 victory over Oregon senior Andrew Herbst (33-2) in the finals.  

Christie, who will continue his career at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, is the first individual at his school to win a title since 2016, when Kyle Betourne claimed his second.

After getting a win by technical fall in his first match, he claimed a 9-0 quarterfinal victory over Rockridge sophomore Reese Finch and then won 12-5 in the semifinals over Lena-Winslow/Stockton senior Simon Rillie (28-6) to earn his spot in the grand march. In the finals, he got a takedown in the third period to effectively secure his title win.  

“Me and my brother (Luke) did the state series and even though we don’t have a lot of wrestlers, the ones that we produce are good,” Christie said. “No one has the level of training that we do with Jake Kimberlin, who was a DI wrestler and Anthony Rink, who was on his way to be a DIII national champ. I know with the training that I have what it takes to win and if I get in the right mental state before a match, it’s going to be hard to stop me. It was nice to get this one last chance and to accomplish a life-long goal.”

LeRoy senior Owen Gulley (26-2) edged Rillie 7-6 in the third-place match while Ridgeview senior Billy Tay (22-3) claimed an 8-3 victory over Reed-Custer senior Adell Gamboa (15-8) to claim fifth place. In the other semifinal match, Herbst advanced to the finals with an 8-4 victory over Gamboa.

152 — Will Carlile, Litchfield

Carlile became Litchfield’s first state champion last year and he topped that feat by becoming the program’s first two-time state champion this season.
In a battle between top-ranked Carlile and second-ranked Connor Huston of Coal City, one takedown early in the match made all the difference on the title mat. Carlile struck early in the first period to score the only offensive points of the match.
“After you get the first takedown and you’re two points up, it helps you focus a little more,” Carlile said. “But it was a grind. Everyone knows Coal City has some beasts so I knew it was going to be tough. But I’m a beast on my feet. I knew I could take anyone down and I can’t be taken down.”

Carlile (26-1) used a decision, a pin, then a major decision to reach the finals and in a year where high school teams were not permitted to compete in weekend tournaments due to IHSA pandemic restrictions.
A lack of tournament wrestling made conditioning an interesting proposition in the post-season.
“The only thing I was fighting in this tournament was wrestling so many matches back-to-back, and getting tired,” Carlile said. “But I read the body, kept up on hyrdration, and it worked out pretty good.”
Carlile went 41-0 through last year’s state tournament in winning the title at 132 pounds, giving him a two-year record of 67-1 as a two-time champ. Carlile will attend SIEU in the fall and has not yet decided whether he’ll wrestle there or not, but he’s considering it.
His immediate considerations in Springfield after winning his state title had little to do with wrestling.

“This feels great. It feels fantastic. Now I’m going to celebrate with our fans because they always hype me up,” Carlile said. “Then we’re going to Texas Roadhouse.”
Canton’s Joseph Norton placed third at 152 with a fall over fourth-place Griffin Luke of Lena-Winslow-Stockton, and Orion’s Noah Schnerre finished fifth via 4-2 decision over sixth-place Jake Sinclair of PORTA.

160 – Joe Lashuay, Oakwood

After going 46 years between its first and second state championships, Oakwood only had to wait one year to add a third title to its collection when junior Joe Lashuay capped a 27-1 season with an 11-3 victory over Coal City’s previously-unbeaten Zachary Finch 11-3 in the IWCOA Open Class 1A finals at 160.

Lashuay followed in the footsteps of Gage Reed’s championship at 103 last season, which was the school’s second and first since Charles Lomax won at 119 in 1974 in the initial year of the IHSA’s two-class series. Last season, Lashuay made his first state appearance and had a 1-2 showing.
The Comets junior opened Thursday’s competition with a fall before winning 9-3 in the quarterfinals over Wilmington’s two-time placewinner senior Jack Narine and then won 10-7 in the semifinals over Lena-Winslow/Stockton senior Jason Hermann (31-4), who had placed fourth the past two years.

Lashuay took control in the second period of his title match to give the Comets a state champion for the second year in a row. But earlier in the finals round, the program’s hopes of having two title winners and Reed (24-1) repeating as a champ were dashed when he was edged by IC Catholic’s Saul Trejo 6-5 in the 113 title match.

“Oh, my gosh, it’s so exciting,” Lashuay said. “I was worried that we weren’t going to have it but I’m so glad that we did, because it was a big deal since the same kids were here, there’s no difference. I feel very blessed to have had this season.”

Finch (26-1), a junior, earned his spot in the finals with an 8-6 semifinal win over Tremont junior Lucas Wendling (23-6). In the third place match, Yorkville Christian sophomore Tyler Martinez (27-4) claimed a 5-1 sudden victory over Hermann while Wendling settled for fifth with an 8-6 victory over IC Catholic freshman Michael Calcango (11-6).  

170 — Jack Patting, Alleman

The senior Patting never won a regional or sectional title but he can now put ‘state champion’ on his list of high school wrestling accomplishments.

Patting won by second-period fall on the title mat at 170 over Lena-Winslow/Stockton’s Case Harmston to become Alleman’s fourth state champion in program history. And there’s nothing like a pin on a state title mat to send you off in your senior year.
“It’s not the way I imagined it happening,” said Patting, who also placed fourth and fifth downstate in his high school career. “I might have blacked out a little bit but I remember him sitting through when I had him in a front headlock, and it was just a neck wrench like we’ve practiced, and I put him on his back and then got the pin.”

Patting joined Jerome Reyes (1991), Topher Carton (2009) and Christopher Carton (2010) on Alleman’s list of state champions.
Fourth-ranked Patting beat top-ranked Harmston at the state finals less than a week after Harmston beat him 4-2 on the title mat of the Sandwich sectional.

“Getting that takedown was they key,” Patting said. “That’s what it came down to last week when we wrestled and it’s what a lot of my matches have come down to, is getting that takedown, riding out to the end of periods and getting out when you can.”
Patting rides off into the sunset from Alleman straight over to Augustana College, where he plans to be a two-sport athlete.
“Football and wrestling. I’m doing both,” Patting said. “I’m willing to try and see how it works. I’ll live at home because I’m only five minutes away from (Augustana).”
Knoxville’s Hunter Fox placed third at 170 via fall over fourth-place Mannix Faworski of Winnebago, and Stillman Valley’s Austin Abitua finished fifth with a 7-1 decision over sixth-place Petersburg’s Bryar Lane.

182 – Grant Sant Amour, LeRoy

When you become a school’s second state champ and its first since 1984, that’s a big deal and that’s what LeRoy senior Grant Sant Amour achieved on Thursday. And when you finish one place better than your brother did at state, that’s even better.

Sant Amour finished 24-2 after winning 5-3 over Lena-Winslow/Stockton senior Jaden Rice (31-1) in the IWCOA Class 1A title match at 182. He took a 5-3 lead into the final period and kept Rice under control to deny him of an unbeaten season.

He used three falls to advance to the title match, with the last of those coming in 3:16 in a semifinal victory over Sacred Heart-Griffin sophomore Cory West (30-2).

Sant Amour, who went 1-2 last season at state, becomes the program’s first champion since heavyweight Ron Oliver claimed their only previous title 37 years ago.

Unity senior Ryan Vasey (27-4) took third place after getting a fall in 1:09 over Wilmington senior Aiden Wooters (9-2) while West took fifth with a pin in 1:54 against Perspectives/Leadership senior Nicholas Wilkerson (14-5). Rice earned his trip to the finals with a 10-1 semifinals win over Vasey.

“This feels unreal,” Sant Amour said. “Back when I was little, my brother (Hunter in 2015) wrestled and I watched him wrestle in the state championship and he got second his senior year, so my goal was always to do better than him. I wanted to go out strong but I didn’t see any way for that before this (tournament) was going on.”

195 —Cooper Wendling, Tremont

The Turks’ junior went into the state finals ranked fourth in Illinois and proceeded to beat all three wrestlers ranked ahead of him in Springfield. With his 10-7 title-match win over Andrew Haas of Lena-Winslow/Stockton, Wendling became the third state champion in Tremont program history and the first in 36 years, joining Kip Crandall (1984) and Russ Witzig (1985).

Wendling also finished a perfect season at 23-0 and he did it all with a simple commitment to the Tremont brotherhood and beyond.
“Every day, putting in the work in the room with my teammates and coaches, and everyone working for what’s best for each of us as wrestlers,” Wendling said. “I want to make sure my family and friends and teammates understand that they’re the reasons I’ve had the success I’ve had.”

Wendling opened his tournament with a tech fall win and then ticked off three straight decisions to win his state crown. He felt out Hass as the title match unfolded and got the job done.
“He was staying low on his knees so I had to stay at his level but also not open up, because that’s what he wanted me to do in that position,” Wendling said.
Will Wendling follow the same process next year in pursuit of another state title?
“Nope, not the same thing. I want to make it better,” Wendling said. “I won that (title) match but it was close. The goal is to have a tech fall every match and I didn’t get that done. So all summer I’ll put in the right work and stay around the right people.”
Josh Fair of Orion took third at 195 with a 3-2 decision over fourth-place Noah Wenzel of Dakota, and Harvard’s Nathan Rosas placed fifth via 1-0 decision over sixth-place Keddrick Terhune of Rantoul.

220 – Brock Wood, Richmond-Burton

Richmond-Burton junior Brock Wood is quick to point out one of the biggest reasons why he believed that he was able to win the IWCOA Class 1A championship at 220.

And that was getting the opportunity to be trained by not only his school’s most famous athlete but also one of the all-time great champions in Illinois, Jordan Blanton.

Wood finished 21-1 following a 5-2 title win over Reed-Custer sophomore Kody Marschner ( 21-2). That followed a 5-1 semifinals win over IC Catholic junior Jadon Mims and two pins, including one in the quarterfinals over Tremont junior John Rathbun (23-6).

“He’s really been a huge partner with me,” said Wood of Blanton. “I don’t know what I would do without him. He opened a wrestling club in Woodstock and on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday, I’d go up there and do a workout with him and he always took so much time working with me on the little things. He’s improved my game so much. It’s crazy being able to work with a three-time state champ and three-time All-American at Illinois. I owe so much to him and my other coaches, my head coach (Tony Nelson), my dad and Ryan Prater.”

Wood, who went 1-2 last year in his only previous state appearance, is the eighth individual from his school to win a title and the first since Gavin Sutton in 2017. Blanton won three titles and only lost once, in the finals, and had a 152-1 record from 2005-08.

285 — Gabe Craig, Benton

With his 8-2 decision win on the title mat over ICC’s Isaiah Gonzalez, Craig became the second state champion in Benton program history, joining Zach Wilson, who won the title at 140 pounds in 2008.

And he quickly thanked the IWCOA for making that possible.
“I’m ecstatic. I can’t thank everybody that put this on enough,” Craig said. “For them to do this is more than great. They didn’t have to do this. Nobody had to do this. If you would have asked me a year ago if we’d have a state tournament, I’d have said no and I probably would have sat back down on the couch.”

Thankfully for Benton, Craig got off that couch to become a state champion. The Campbellsville College, Kentucky recruit went into the state finals as a two-time state qualifier, finishing one win away from the medal round as a junior last year.
He took the lessons he learned in Champaign to heart.

“I had to grow up and learn what moves not to hit and learn what situations to get in,” Craig said. “It’s different because I’m 250 and all your heavyweights are 280. My coaches taught me what I needed to do and without them I wouldn’t have been able to do it. They helped me mature and taught me how to wrestle smart.”
Craig used three first-period pins to reach the finals and finished the individual season with a perfect 30-0 record.

“It’s been four years in the making. It’s great,” Craig said. “Freshman year I never would have thought I’d be here, or that I’d be wrestling in college. I was going to go to the coal mines and be a basic guy back home. But everything works out, I guess.”
Normal’s Hunter Otto placed third at 285 with a 3-1 win over fourth-place Nathan Elliot of Seneca, and Yorkville Christian’s Michael Esquivel took fifth with a fall over sixth-place Weston Swise of Canton.

By Curt Herron

With the wrestling community missing out on hosting its IHSA tournament and the schedule of its season pushed to end in late June, there had to be plenty of skeptics who anticipated that the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association’s  signature tournament, the freshman-sophomore tournament, might be an after-though for some possible competitors.

But with a large group of competitors signing up for the event, which created 64-man brackets for all but two of the weight classes, there certainly was no shortage of talent on hand when the athletes took part in the two-day tournament that was held on Tuesday and Wednesday at Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield.

Considering the history of the freshman-sophomore tournament and the number of individuals whose careers have earned a big boost from a strong finish in the competition, it would be wise to keep an eye on some of the unheralded athletes who weren’t able to compete at state this season but may be big names in the sport next year.

Here’s a breakdown of the champions and the top-eight placewinners in the 15 weight classes that were determined at the week’s state frosh-soph tournament. 

101 – Jimmy Norris, McHenry

McHenry’s Jimmy Norris captured the 101 title by recording a fall in 0:36 over Marmion Academy’s Donny Pigoni.

The Warriors athlete won four of five matches with pins of 4:00 or less and his other victory was 10-1 in the quarterfinals.

“It was a good tournament and there were a big handful of kids that were just really good,” Norris said. “This was only like my third tournament this year and I won it and it was for state, and that was nice. I’m very happy about this and feel that I can do a lot better next year, as well.”

In the third-place match at 101, Romeoville’s Brian Farley won 5-4 over Kaneland’s Kamron Scholl on a tiebreaker . For fifth place, Yorkville Christian’s Raymond Cavey edged Evanston’s Marco Terrizzi 2-1 and in the seventh-place match, PORTA’s Zaden Cooper won a 7-5 decision over DeKalb’s Eduardo Castro.

106 – Anthony Lopez, Berwyn-Cicero Morton

Morton’s Anthony Lopez claimed a 2-0 victory over Batavia’s Inocencio Garcia in the championship match at 106.

Lopez had a fall and major decision to go with three decisions, including a 5-3 semifinal victory over Marian Central Catholic’s Kaden Harman.

“It was very exciting,” Lopez said. “Coming from sectionals, where I had a tough bracket, when I came here, I had hard matches against a bunch of good kids. It’s been very hard during summers going to different camps and keeping my conditioning up, especially in the pandemic. Everything was worth it. I worked hard and now I’m here.”

Claiming third place at that weight was Marian Central Catholic’s Kaden Harman, who won by fall in 2:57 over Elk Grove’s Grant Madl. In the fifth-place match, Deerfield’s Luke Reddy edged Barrington’s Neel Talpallikar 2-1 and for seventh, Cumberland’s Hank Warfel captured a 12-1 victory over Wheeling’s Anthony Pacheco.

113 – Solomon Gilliam, Glenbard North

Glenbard North’s Solomon Gilliam recorded a fall in 3:55 over Batavia’s Aidan Huck to claim top honors at 113.

Gilliam won all five of his matches with pins with three of them coming in the first period and the other two in the second period.

“I didn’t get a lot of good matches this year since I was on j-v,” Gilliam said. “It’s not an easy lineup to break. It was a big turnout, especially with there being no qualifier for the tournament.”

Taking third at 113 was Normal West’s Evan Willock, who won 6-0 over Lane Tech’s Robert James Zavala. In the fifth-place match, Ridgeview-Lexington’s Braydon Campbell was a 5-0 winner over Belleville East’s Nicholas Fetters and Illini Bluffs’ Avery Speck took seventh with a fall in 1:00 over St. Charles East’s Wrigley Schroeder.

120 – Jacob Crandall, Fremd

Fremd’s Jacob Crandall scored the lone point to capture a 1-0 victory over St. Charles East’s Ethan Penzato in the 120 title match.

Crandall opened with three-straight falls and added a 5-0 victory in the quarterfinals and 10-0 semifinals win to advance him to the finals. 

“I just used it as a good opportunity to get better and get some experience,” Crandall said. “I had a really tough bracket at sectionals and didn’t make it out. So I just used this as an opportunity to get matches and to get better.”

Third-place honors at 120 were won by Sandburg’s Zac Ritter, who claimed a 3-0 victory over Sandwich’s Miles Corder. In the fifth-place match, Bradley-Bourbbonais’ Levi Greenlee won 5-2 over McHenry’s Lucas Vandiepen and for seventh place, York’s Sean VanSleet captured a 4-3 victory over Glenbard North’s Christian Chavez.

126 – Grason Johnson, Ottawa

Ottawa’s Grason Johnson claimed championship honors at 126 with a 10-7 victory over McHenry’s Pedro Jimenez.

Johnson had two falls and a major decision before capturing a 6-4 semifinal victory over Belleville East’s Warren Zeisset.

“It was a good experience and a tough tournament with a lot of kids,” Johnson said. “I was surprised since I thought I might have a pretty small bracket but it turned out to be a 64-man bracket. I’m definitely excited about the next years.”

In the third-place match at 126, Belleville East’s Warren Zeisset defeated Beat the Street Chicago’s Sean Larkin by technical fall. Alton’s William Harris took fifth with a 7-5 victory over Downers Grove South’s Connor Kelly while Centennial’s Nicholas Pianfetti won by fall in 3:38 over St. Charles East’s Joey Berardi to place seventh.

132 – Nico Clinite, South Elgin 

South Elgin’s Nico Clinite recorded a 10-3 victory over Providence Catholic’s Geno Papes to capture the 132 championship.

Clinite won his first four matches with quick falls and he finished with a pair of decisions over Providence Catholic opponents.

“It was very nice,” said Clinite of winning the title. “We only had two of us this year but in years earlier there were a lot more, but some of us didn’t come here and I have no clue why. I liked overall how our team just got more connected and we went harder than usual because the year was bad.”

Placing third at 132 was St. Charles East’s Gavin Connolly, who won by fall in 5:00 over Bloomington’s Dylan Watts. In the fifth-place match, Providence Catholic’s Cale Stonitsch edged Oswego’s Sam Mundsinger 4-3 and Wizards’ Xander York recorded a fall in 5:00 over Lake Zurich’s Nicholas Salerno to claim seventh place

138 – Carlos Perez, Mount Carmel

Mount Carmel’s Carlos Perez prevailed 5-3 on a tiebreaker over Providence Catholic’s Kyle Lindsey to win the championship at 138.

After getting two victories by technical fall and a pin in his first three matches, Perez claimed four-straight decisions to secure the title.

In the third-place match at 138, West Aurora’s Noah Quintana claimed a 7-0 victory over Stagg’s Luke Barham. Edwardsville’s Makonnen Simmons won 7-3 over Lane Tech’s Phineas Merrill to place fifth and Highland Park’s Dmitry Derbedyenyev claimed seventh place by medical forfeit over Joliet West’s Austin Perella.

145 – Aidan Blackburn, Mattoon

Mattoon’s Aidan Blackburn claimed a 16-6 victory over Stillman Valley’s Randy Manos to capture the 145 championship.

The Green Wave athlete recorded five-straight falls to advance him to the title match, where he settled for a major decision.

“The final match was tough because he was really lanky, so I just had to work past it and score as many points as you can get,” Blackburn said. “I felt really good and pinned everybody with the cradle, which is my favorite move and they’re really strong pins. It was nice to have a big tournament where I could face different people. It puts me in a good spot for next year, but I’m going to have a lot of people wanting to beat me next year, too.”

Taking third at 145 was Prospect’s Connor Munn, who won 5-2 over Lincoln-Way Central’s Timothy Key. Joliet West’s Gavin Garcia finished fifth after claiming a 2-0 victory over Cahokia’s Nicholas Deloach and in the seventh-place match, Hoffman Estates’ Julian Bonilla won 10-3 over Libertyville’s Charles Clark.

152 – Andrew Dado, Marist

Marist’s Andrew Dado won 10-1 in the 152 finals over Centennial’s Tyler Easter to help his team become the lone school with two champions.

Dado won three of his six matches with pins and also added a major decision and a 7-0 quarterfinal triumph to go with his big win in the finals.

“A lot of kids came this year and it’s an amazing tournament to wrestle in since you get that state experience of wrestling on the big stage,” Dado said. “There’s good competition here for everybody, no matter who you are. This tournament can also be a big confidence booster going into your next season. When I found out I didn’t qualify for the bigger state, I immediately decided to come since I knew I wanted to wrestle here.”

In the third-place match at 152, Lincoln-Way East’s Domanic Abeja won 7-1 over Rock Island’s Amare Overton. Glenbard North’s Johnnie Robertson won 5-1 over Pontiac’s Hunter Travis to finish fifth and Washington’s Cael Miller recorded a fall in 2:51 over Huntley’s Alexander Limonciello to claim seventh place.  

160 – Ari Zaeske, Lincoln-Way East 

In an unusual championship matchup in the 160 finals, Lincoln-Way East’s Ari Zaeske edged teammate Zachary Lamonto 3-2 on the ultimate tiebreaker.

Zaeske used a pin, a victory by technical fall, a major decision and a 5-0 win to reach the finals while Lamonto advanced with three falls and two 8-1 decisions.

“This feels pretty good,” Zaeske said. “There was a lot of competition and a good bracket and some long matches for you. I liked coming here with my buddies on the team.”

Claiming third at 160 was Poeta’s Aaron Hernandez, who won 6-3 over Mount Carmel’s William Jacobson. For fifth place, Greg Gomez Trained Sedeeq Alobaidi won a 10-8 decision over Conant’s Armando Hernandez and in the seventh-place match, Oregon Hawks’ Gabe Eckerd was a 4-0 winner over Libertyville’s Owen McGrory.

170 – Jonathan Fulgencio, St. Rita of Cascia

St. Rita of Cascia’s Jonathan Fulgencio captured championship honors at 170 after claiming a 4-1 title match victory over Lake Zurich’s Matthew Luby.

The Mustangs champion had a pair of close matches during his run, winning in sudden victory in the third round and claiming a 14-13 win in the quarterfinals.

“I was expecting to take at least top three, but I didn’t know if I would win it, but I won it,” Fulgencio said. “I actually qualified for this last year but then it got cancelled.”

In the third place match at 170, St. Charles East’s Brandon Swartz defeated Oak Lawn’s Hani Odeh by an 8-2 score. Fulton’s Zane Pannell took fifth place after receiving a medical forfeit over Moline’s Pablo Perez and Downers Grove South’s Matthew Lapacek took seventh after winning by fall in 4:34 over Prospect’s Michael Matuszak.

182 – Jack Lesher, Marmion Academy

Marmion Academy’s Jack Lesher won top honors at 182 when he recorded a fall in 2:38 over Libertyville’s Cole Matulenko in the finals.

The Cadets athlete recorded falls in four of his five matches and his other victory was a 7-0 triumph in the quarterfinals.

“I’m just really grateful for them for putting this tournament on,” Lesher said. “I think this tournament has been run just as well and it was a really good experience. There were a lot of kids here and there was just good competition and it was cool to do the grand march. I have really high goals for wrestling and football and I’m just looking to get better in both sports and working hard.”

In the third-place match, Normal Community’s Cooper Caraway won by fall in 1:43 over Wheaton North’s Eli Cook. Prairie Central’s Owen Steidinger took fifth with a fall in 0:22 over Joliet West’s Javon Johnson and Barrington’s Ayden Salley took seventh following another fall, this one in 2:07, over Jacksonville’s Mason Meyer.

195 – Steven Marquez, Rock Island

Rock Island’s Steven Marquez claimed championship honors at 195 after he recorded a fall in 2:23 over Mattoon’s Leo Meyer in the title match.

The Rocks newcomer won three of five matches with falls with none of those lasting longer than 3:39. His closest match was a 6-2 win in the quarterfinals.

“It was a very good experience and it just gives you a feeling of what’s yet to come,” Marquez said. “This is my first tournament that I’ve ever been to and it’s my first year wrestling, so this was a good experience for me. I was forced into this sport by my brother (Andrew) since I didn’t want him to outdo me in something.”

Taking third place at 195 was DeKalb’s Lamar Bradley, who won by fall in 2:51 over Larkin’s Hector Flores. In the fifth-place match, Lincoln-Way East’s David Wuske claimed an 8-2 win over St. Thomas More’s Harlin Cuppernell and for seventh place, Orion Chargers’ Phillip Dochterman won by fall in 1:59 over Greg Gomez Trained Elvis Muja.

220 – Luke Liberatore, Marist

Luke Liberatore gave Marist its second title of the day when he got a fall in 2:31 over Marmion Academy’s Edward Perry in the 220 finals.

The RedHawks athlete recorded four-straight falls to reach the semifinals, where he claimed a 3-1 win over Centennial’s Jackson Barnhart.

Taking third at 220 was Centennial’s Jackson Barnhart who got a fall over Rock Island’s Andrew Marquez, the brother of the 195 champ. Finishing fifth was Mahomet-Seymour’s Camden Harris, who won by medical forfeit over Pitbull Wrestling Alliance’s Jack Smialowicz and Fremd’s Casey Bending placed seventh after claiming a 7-4 victory over St. Thomas More’s Henry Wurl.

285 – Wyatt Schmitt, Joliet West

Joliet West’s Wyatt Schmitt definitely had a wild ride before claiming the 285 championship with a 3-1 win on a tiebreaker over Edwardsville’s Dawson Rull.

The champion of the biggest class got a fall in his first match and then claimed, 4-1, 3-2 ultimate tiebreaker and 5-3 sudden victories heading into the finals.

“It feels great,” Schmitt said. “We didn’t know if we were going to have the season, so I’m grateful and humbled to have this opportunity to come out and compete and to take home first for my city. This builds a solid foundation for the next three years that I have at my school, so it will be an interesting three years.”

Taking third place at 285 was Lanphier’s Jeremy Wright, who claimed an 8-2 victory over Grant’s Ivan Hernandez. In the fifth-place match, Hampshire’s Joey Ochoa won by injury default over Centennial’s Braylen Lewis and Downers Grove South’s Semaj Croswell won by fall in 0:57 in the seventh-place match over Hubbard’s Tyler Washington.

By Curt Herron

There was no better way to kick off what figures to be a special week in Springfield as the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association not only again stages finals of the girls and frosh-soph tournaments after being unable to do so a year ago, but it caps the six-day event with its first-ever individual boys finals in each of the three state classes.

Just a week after the IHSA announced that it would hold its first-ever girls tournament in conjunction with the dual team finals in Bloomington beginning next year, there was definitely a lot of excitement for many of the competitors at Monday’s IWCOA  Open Girls Championship at Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield since not only were they once again able to compete in a state finals competition, the level of respect for their sport has certainly grown greatly in stature with the addition of the IHSA tournament.

The competition featured great stories of girls who have benefitted from their dedication by getting opportunities to continue their careers in college while others had great debuts and will likely make more history as the first competitors in a new state series, and there are some who are just happy to again be able to be able to compete in the state finals.

Fifteen champions were crowned in the tournament, which featured over 160 competitors. And in a good example of the strong interest in their sport throughout the state, each of the title winners represented a different school and athletes from all regions of Illinois were recognized for making it to the top of the awards stand.

Twelve of the weight classes featured enough individuals to have bracketed competitions while the 195, 220 and 285 titles were determined in a round-robin fashion.

What follows is a recap of the title matches with the individual champions highlighted:

285 – Jade Nappier, Marion

Marion’s Jade Nappier began the finals at 285 by defeating Taft’s Natalia Avina. Nappier just graduated and will be making the transition from a southern Illinois high school student to a college athlete at a school in New York, where she will continue her career at Elmira College, which is preparing to compete in its first season in the sport.

“This was my second time here and I placed third my sophomore year and then favored to take first,” Nappier said. “So it was a great opportunity to win this to end my senior season right before I go to college. It will be a beginner program but the coach has got a really good program set up and he’s set up with a new facility just for wrestling. It’s a big step but I’m super excited about the door that has opened for me.”

101 – Natalie Cortes, Lane Tech

Lane Tech’s Natalie Cortes claimed a 4-0 victory over Lake Forest’s Annika Cottam in the 101 finals. After barely making the tournament as a sophomore and then having no tournament to compete in a year ago, she rolled this event with three straight falls before claiming her first title in impressive fashion.

Cortes, who will continue her career at Colorado Mesa University is coached at Beat the Streets Chicago by Haley Augello, a Lockport graduate that won numerous titles in world, national, collegiate, state and high school competitions and also was a 2016 Olympian, who just happened to be in her corner during the state finals match.

“I’m really sad that I don’t get more time with Haley because I’m a senior but I’ve tried my best to take advantage of her being around,” Cortes said. “I’d been practicing with her a lot but this was my first time competing for coach Haley, and she’s probably the biggest reason why I got recruited to Colorado Mesa University. Winning this was a really good feeling and I came in really hungry and did my best.”

106 – Brooklyn Murphy, Jacksonville

Jacksonville’s Brooklyn Murphy, who will be a senior, took top honors at 106 after recording a fall in 4:35 against Huntley’s Natalie Majer. Murphy won all her matches by fall, with two of those coming in the opening period. 

She enjoyed success at the national level in her freshman season and joins her sister, Jocelyn, an IWCOA champion in 2017 and 2018, as a first-time title winner in the event.

“I pinned my way through the tournament,” Murphy said. “I just came in here not worrying about who my competitors were, I knew that whoever would be mentally stronger would win the match, so I just stayed mentally tough the whole time. My sister, Jocelyn, competed in this for two years when it first started and she was the champion both years so I wanted to win this and now I have one more year to tie her.”

113 – Cadence Diduch, Freeport

Freeport’s Cadence Diduch, who will be a sophomore, won the title at 113 when she claimed a 5-2 victory over Batavia’s Taylin Long, who was a state champion in 2019 that will be continuing her career at Campbellsville University in Kentucky, which won the NAIA title this year. Diduch used a fall, win by technical fall, a major decision and decision to reach the finals while Long, who recently went 8-0 in a national competition, followed up on a win by technical fall with two falls to set up one of the day’s top finals matches. 

After capping her debut season as an IWCOA champion, Diduch can set her sights on achieving even more success in the first few IHSA tournaments.

“This was real nice,” said Diduch, who also had a fourth-place finish at nationals this year. “I look forward to the opportunity to be one of the first girls to be able to do that (be in the IHSA tournament) and I hope to keep on winning.”

120 – Maya Davis, Glenwood

Glenwood’s Maya Davis took top honors at 120 after capturing a 7-2 win over Boylan Catholic’s Netavia Wickson. Davis followed up on a win by technical fall with two first-period falls before getting the victory over Wickson, who had won three of her four matches with pins.

Davis, who will be a senior, is not only excited about winning her first state title but has the opportunity to make more history for a program that hadn’t had a champion before.

“This was my first season back since my freshman year,” Davis said. “I wrestled in the IKWF many times and won a couple of them but this is my first official state title and it just feels awesome. And it’s my school’s very first state champ so I’m just so happy that I could win the title. This is very special since I’ve been training with our guys since I was seven and we’ve all worked our butts off, so to be the first to do this of all of us is just amazing.”

126 – Sharon Leon, Downers Grove South

Downers Grove South’s Sharon Leon recorded a fall in 0:47 over Vandalia’s Lauren Dothager to win the 126 title. Leon recorded falls in three of her four matches, with two of those being recorded in less than one minute. She recently graduated and will continue her career in the sport at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne.

Her opponent is the third girl in her family that has competed in the IWCOA tournament and she was hoping to join her sister Morgan, who won two titles, as a champion in the competition.

“I’m really surprised by how well state went this year and I’m really grateful that we were able to have this, since for a long time I didn’t think that I would have this opportunity,” Leon said. “So I’m extremely grateful for those who put on this tournament and also my coaches, Sean Lovelace and Greg Gomez. “I am going to go to Indiana Tech and they have a big girls program so I’m excited to be a part of that.”

132 – Sydney Perry, Batavia

Batavia’s Sydney Perry won the 132 title with a fall in 3:03 against Yorkville’s Natasha Markoutsis. Both competitors not only recorded two falls to reach the finals, their sectional semifinal matches each went 2:26 before Perry, who will be a sophomore, secured a third fall to win the championship. 

“I’ve been wrestling for awhile so I’m used to being on the guys teams, so it’s kind of cool since Batavia has its own girls team,” Perry said. “It’s been cool to be around girls who are wrestling and I see tournaments are expanding. We had never done something like when all of the girls walked out (for the grand march), so it’s just really been a cool experience and I’m glad we’re getting that. It was a lot of fun

138 – Sara Sulejmani, Stevenson

Stevenson’s Sara Sulejmani captured the title at 138 when she got a pin in 0:23 against Wauconda’s Keira Dafnis. Sulejmani just completed her senior year and will be competing in the sport at North Central College in Naperville.

Sulejmani, who won the IWCOA title at 145 in 2019, won all four matches in this competition by recording falls, with three of those being resolved in 31 seconds or less.

“It was an amazing experience,” Sulejmani said. “In my sophomore year I won the tournament  but a lot of obstacles happened in my junior year. But I think that the most amazing part is that everybody who was here adapted to the competition and everything else and I think that it’s really special to see everybody have that grit and to fight really hard. And they provided this tournament, so I’m very happy.”

145 – Jasmine Hernandez, Palatine

Palatine’s Jasmine Hernandez won by technical fall over Berwyn-Cicero Morton’s Hilda Gonzalez in the 145 finals. She added another win by technical fall to go along with a pin and a semifinal win by major decision to wrap up a dominating finals appearance.

Hernandez, who was a sophomore but plans to graduate early so she will be a senior, believes that competing in wrestling has been a life-changing experience for her.

“This is very exciting and hopefully I can tell my future kids about it one day,” Hernandez said. “This is a sport that I really love and I’ve been doing it since eighth grade. It’s helped me a lot through a lot of issues that I was going through going into my teenage years. It really changed my life around when I started because I wasn’t really that great as a kid but now I’m graduating early.”

152 – Arie Johnson, Richwoods

Richwoods’ Arie Johnson captured an 8-7 victory over Patton-Trained Alexis Ritchie to claim the 152 title. Both competitors rolled through their first matches with Johnson winning by technical fall and a pin and Ritchie getting two first-period falls to set the stage for a competitive title match.

“Last year was the first time that I qualified for this, but then COVID happened, so this feels amazing,” Johnson said. “I’m super happy that this will be a state sport. It’s very important to, especially considering how this is one of the world’s oldest sports and knowing how females haven’t really participated in that much, but seeing that they are now and I personally made history and how things are growing so rapidly is just amazing.”

160 – Khaila Hughes, Alton

Alton’s Khaila Hughes got a fall in 2:50 over Oak Park and River Forest’s Trinity White in the 160 finals to capture her second title after placing first at 146 in 2018. She also has a sixth-place finish at Fargo on her resume and will continue her career and education at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri.

She’s proud that she and many of her contemporaries have helped to elevate the sport so that future athletes will now have an official state finals that they can take part in.

“This was the second time that I won,” Hughes said. “I came off of an injury last year so I didn’t even wrestle in the regular season. I feel good for these girls. When I came in as a freshman, we had a group of wrestlers. So to see this pay off and for them to get their own state and to finally be recognized is better than ever because it’s time for it.”

170 – Maria Ferrer, Larkin

Larkin’s Maria Ferrer recorded a pin in 0:24 over Oak Park and River Forest’s Tiffany White to claim top honors at 170. After qualifying but missing out last year with no tournament, Ferrer, who will be a junior, recorded a pair of pins in just 45 seconds on the mat while her opponent advanced to the finals with two falls.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Ferrer said. “For me to accomplish this, I’m really proud of it and I won’t doubt myself. I was really impressed in myself that I was able to accomplish this.”

182 – Noelia Vazquez, Fenton

Fenton’s Noelia Vazquez captured the title at 182 with a fall in 3:29 over Granite City’s Samir Elliot. While Elliot recorded falls in her first two matches, Vazquez advanced with two decisions but then recorded a fall in her biggest match of the season. She’s happy that he’ll have a chance as a senior to follow up her title by being an IHSA champion.

“It’s amazing to see how far the sport has come,” Vazquez said. “To go from just competing in it with it being an unofficial tournament and now to have it officially be recognized by the IHSA is amazing.”

195 – Kiara Ganey, Belleville East

Belleville East’s Kiara Ganey, who will be a junior next season, recorded two falls, including one over Kaneland’s Zoey Pozen, to win the 195 championship.

“This was amazing,” Ganey said. “This tournament has been awesome and has been huge for us since it’s given so many girls an opportunity that wouldn’t have had that. Growing up wrestling, I had to wrestle the boys, and in high schools, it’s boys. But this feels awesome since it gives us a shot. My goal for next year is to get back to the finals.”

220 – Lilijana Reyes, Schaumburg

Schaumburg’s Lilijana Reyes, who will also be a junior next season, had two falls and a 12-1 victory over O’Fallon’s Lailani Addison to take first place at 220.

“This feels really nice,” Reyes said. “When I was going to tournaments in the IKWF, there’d be no girls and I would be the only one in a room full of 400 kids. To see it grow as much as it has been amazing and makes me feel more a part of it. It’s really cool and I’m super excited about it.”

Others in the top six

Third-place finishers were Elgin’s Natalie Gonzalez (101), Lincoln-Way’s Gracie Guarino (106), Beat the Street’s Kaila Del Toro (113), Kylie Schuldt (120), Grant’s Crystal Villegas (126), Coal City’s Carly Ford (132), Peotone’s Kiernan Farmer (138), Pekin’s Audrey Driskell (145), Buffalo Grove’s Julianna Conroy (152), Huntley’s Teni Ajayi (160), Richwoods’ Jaida Johnson (170), Downers Grove South’s Gracie Swierczynski (182), Argenta-Oreana’s Delanee Miller (195) and Kennedy’s Aaliyah Begay (220).

Finishing in fourth place were Edwardsville’s Olivia Coll (101), Joliet Central’s Dioselina Tenorio (106), Lakes’ Olivia Heft (113), Bowen’s Monica Griffin (120), Joliet Central’s Nicole Aguirre (126), Schaumburg’s Bethany Regione (132), Niles West’s Al Ghala Mariam Al Radi (138), Beat the Streets’ Charish Carter (145), Larkin’s Giselle Ayala (152), Crystal Lake Central’s Mailei Hudec (160), Belleville East’s Kami Ratcliff (170) and Tinley Park’s Maren Anderson (182).

Claiming fifth place were OPRF’s Camila Neuman (101), Conant’s Gianna Gagliani (106), Quincy Notre Dame’s Catherine Steinkamp (113), Burlington Central’s Michaela Kruse (120), York’s Emily Ebsen (126), Unity’s Ava Vasey (132), Batavia’s Erna Haskovic (138), Stevenson’s Sajra Sulejmani (145), Schaumburg’s Audrey Lapp (152), Downers Grove North’s Kayleigh Loo (160) and Sullivan’s Cheyene Patterson (182).

By Curt Herron

Here’s a summary of Saturday’s three of the four Class 3A open sectionals in the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association’s State Tournament:

Included from the Elmhurst College, Joliet Junior College and Millikin University sectionals are all of the championship matches as well as third- and fourth-place finishers. A story on the St. Charles SportsPlex Sectional is already posted on the IWCOA website.

All of the individuals listed qualified for Saturday’s Class 3A finals at the IWCOA State Championships, which takes place at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield.

The schedule for Saturday’s competition is as follows: weigh-ins from 8:00-8:30 a.m.; round of 16 at 9:30 a.m.; quarterfinals and consolation round one at 11 a.m.; consolation round two at 12:30 p.m.; semifinals and quarterfinal consolation round at 1:15 p.m.; semifinal consolation round at 2 p.m.; break at 3 p.m.; third- and fifth-place matches at 4 p.m.; and march of the finalists and finals matches at 5 p.m

Class 3A Millikin University Open Sectional

Lockport claimed top honors at Saturday’s IWCOA Class 3A Millikin University Open Sectional with 163 points while Edwardsville beat out Yorkville 99-92 for second place.

Lincoln-Way Central (76) and Belleville West (75.5) rounded out the top five. Thirteen teams had champions with the first-place Porters the lone one to have two title winners.

In title matches, Andrew’s Max Siegel won 7-5 over Plainfield South’s Rudy Silva at 106, Lincoln-Way Central’s Joey Malito was a 7-1 winner over Joliet West’s Matteo Russi at 113, Providence Catholic’s Billy Meiszner won by fall in 5:28 over Yorkville’s Dominick Coronado at 120, Plainfield North’s Jacob Macatangay got a fall in 0:23 over Granite City’s Dylan Boyd at 126 and Edwardsville’s Dylan Gvillo won 10-0 over Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Anthony Mancilla at 132.

Moline’s Noah Tapia won 10-6 over Minooka’s Nathan Berta at 138, Neuqua Valley’s Bryce Boumans was a 12-7 winner over Oswego’s Zach Sato at 145, Lockport’s Nate Ramsey won 8-5 over Plainfield North’s Jared Gumila at 152, Minooka’s Jack McClimon was an 11-6 victor over Lockport’s Paul Kadlec at 160 and Edwardsville’s Drew Gvillo won 5-3 over Alton’s Lawson Bruce at 170.

Alton’s Damien Jones won 11-4 over Lockport’s Aidan Nolting at 182, Lockport’s Jon Kratz was a 3-2 winner over Lincoln-Way Central’s Andrew Hesse at 195, Yorkville’s Will Schumacher won 4-1 over Joliet West’s Bryan McCoy at 220 and Belleville West’s Dustin Olmstead claimed a 1-0 victory over Providence’s RJ Schneider at 285.

Placing third were Lockport’s Ben Markham (106), Bradley’s Anthony Lawryn (113), Neuqua’s Jack Reina (120), Moline’s Alec Schmacht (126), Minooka’s Elijah Munoz (132), Lockport’s Keegan Roberson (138), Edwardsville’s Drew Landau (145), Plainfield South’s Matthew Janiak (152), Bradley’s AJ Mancilla (160), Collinsville’s Austin Stewart (170), Plainfield Central’s Matt Arsenault (182), Yorkville’s Ben Alvarez (195), Pekin’s Karson Lamb (220) and Plainfield North’s Kaden McCombs (285).

Taking fourth were Joliet Central’s Tony Toledo (106), Granite City’s Caleb Scott (113), Belleville West’s Tyson Seibel (120), Edwardsville’s Connor Surtin (126), Lockport’s Jad Alwawi (132), Belleville West’s Will Dahm (138), Lincoln-Way Central’s Michael Olson (145), Plainfield East’s Thomas Manetti (152), Belleville West’s Zach Lusk (160) Joliet Central’s Neriah Ayivor (170), Yorkville’s Hunter Janeczko (182), Edwardsville’s Evan Holderer (195), Lincoln-Way Central’s Braeden Barrett (220) and Yorkville’s Jarek Slavin (285).

“I’m proud of how our team has been competing,” Porters coach Josh Oster said. “We battled in every match and through adversity throughout this postseason. Having everyone make the blood round shows that we were competing at a high level.”

Class 3A Elmhurst College Open Sectional

Sandburg edged Marist 166-163.5 to claim the title at Saturday’s IWCOA Class 3A Elmhurst College Open Sectional. Mt. Carmel (100.5), Marmion Academy (100) and Naperville Central (98) were next in line.

The runner-up RedHawks had five sectional champions compared to the champion Eagles’ two title winners but the latter’s depth prevailed in the tight battle for first. Downers Grove North also had two champions while five other teams had one first-place finisher.

In championship matches, Marmion’s Jameson Garcia won by fall in 2:36 over Mt. Carmel’s Damian Resendez at 106, Marist’s Jesse Herrera got a fall in 1:21 over Downers Grove South’s Donnie Fields at 113, Sandburg’s Sammie Hayes captured a 4-3 win over Mt. Carmel’s Eddie Enright at 120, Hinsdale Central’s Cody Tavaso won 5-2 over Sandburg’s Matthew Parker at 126 and Marist’s Owen Dunlap claimed a 4-3 victory over Sandburg’s Tyler Milani at 132.

Wheaton Warrenville South’s Aidan Waszak won 5-3 over Downers Grove North’s Harrison Konder at 138, Sandburg’s Elliot Cook was a 5-2 winner over West Aurora’s Moses Quintana at 145, Mt. Carmel’s Zack Rotkvich won 5-3 over Naperville Central’s Ayden Lutes at 152, Marist’s Tommy Boland was a 5-3 winner over Mt. Carmel’s Colin Kelly at 160 and Marist’s Jacob Liberatore won 5-4 over Naperville Central’s Antonio Torres at 170.

Downers Grove North’s Ben Bielawski won over Marist’s Peter Marinopoulos by injury default at 182, Marist’s Ghee Rachal beat Waubonsie Valley’s Jacob Housour by technical fall in 5:26 at 195, Downers Grove North’s Drew Bielawski captured a 3-2 victory over West Aurora’s Dzhabrail Khurshidov at 220 and West Aurora’s Jordan Lishman was a 5-2 winner over Sandburg’s Yazen Arafeh at 285.

Taking third place were Downers Grove North’s Kai Tacadena (106), Mt. Carmel’s Caleb Drousias (112), Marmion’s Tyler Aters (120) and Santino Scolaro (126), Downers Grove South’s Luke Swan (132) and Jimmy Nugent (138), Lyons’ Paul Cozzi (145), Shepard’s Damari Reed (152), Sandburg’s Zach Bateman (160), Lyons’ Griffin Pohl (170) and Austin Biocic (182), Naperville North’s Gavin McCormick (195) and Dane Tsao (220) and Naperville Central’s Nick Antonietti (285).

Finishing fourth were Naperville Central’s Ty Martin (106), Oak Park and River Forest’s Cooper Lacey (113), Naperville Central’s Ethan Olson (120), Marist’s Brandon Weber (126), Lyons’ Jack Villarreal (132), Metea Valley’s Kenny Siwicki (138), Marmion’s Walter Green (145) and Jaden Morga (152), Naperville North’s Nico Takano (160), Sandburg’s Moe Alamawi (170), Naperville North’s Caleb Yu (182), Sandburg’s Hamza Hasan (195) and Mike Rydell (220) and Morton’s Edwin Herrera (285).

Class 3A Joliet Junior College Open Sectional

Stevenson claimed top honors with 161.5 points in Saturday’s IWCOA Class 3A Joliet Junior College Open Sectional while Libertyville took second with 143.5 points. Jacobs edged Barrington 115.5-114 to claim third place.

Eleven teams had sectional champions with Grant, Libertyville and Stevenson leading the way with two title winners each.

In the championship matches, Jacobs’ Dominic Ducato won 6-4 over Fremd’s Wiley Jessup at 106, Grant’s Ethan Tarvin claimed a 4-2 win over Libertyville’s Luke Berktold at 113, Stevenson’s Lorenzo Frezza won 7-1 over Libertyville’s Caelan Riley at 120, Fremd’s Maddox Khalimsky was an 11-4 winner over Stevenson’s Kei Yamato (126) and Stevenson’s Cole Rhemrev beat Barrington’s Phillip Chapa by technical fall in 4:25 at 132.

Huntley’s Jeremy Jakowitsch won 9-2 over Stevenson’s Arad Peregoudov at 138, Grant’s Justin Warmowski got a fall in 1:11 over Glenbrook North’s Eddie Klein at 145, McHenry’s Brody Hallin was a 9-1 winner over Glenbrook South’s Will Collins at 152, Libertyville’s Austin Gomez won 10-0 over Jacobs’ Joey Scrivani at 160 and Loyola Academy’s Cooper Wettig claimed a 4-2 victory over Libertyville’s Josh Knudten at 170.

Libertyville’s Chase Baczek won 12-1 over Glenbrook South’s Devonjae Hudson at 182, New Trier’s Jack Cummings was a 6-2 winner over Huntley’s Ryder Hunkins at 195, Barrington’s Evan Roper won 9-4 over Jacobs’ Ryan Golnick at 220 and Lake Zurich’s Alan Pantoja claimed an 8-2 victory over Fremd’s Brian Clay at 285.

Placing third were New Trier’s Wilson Wright (106), Buffalo Grove’s Esteban Delgado (113), Jacob’s James Wright (120), Barrington’s Charlie Jones (126), Lake Zurich’s Scott Busse (132), Jacobs’ Tanner Ward (138) and Joel Ridle (145), Libertyville’s Matt Kubas (152), Hersey’s Billy Spassov (160), Barrington’s Marko Hennin (170), Loyola’s Quinn Herbert (182), Stevenson’s Jacob Whiting (195), New Trier’s Ty Stringer (220) and Stevenson’s Keegan Houlihan (285).

Taking fourth place were Prospect’s Joel Muehlenbeck (106), Glenbrook North’s Jady Mehta (112), Loyola’s Massey Odiotti (120), Huntley’s Jake Jensen (126), Prospect’s Lennon Steinkuehler (132) and Damien Puma.

By Curt Herron

Here’s a summary of three of Saturday’s Class 2A open sectionals in the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association’s State Tournament:

Included from the Geneseo, Naperville Athletic Center and Colosseum RTC sectionals are all of the championship matches as well as third- and fourth-place finishers. A story on the other 2A sectional, which was at Mahomet-Seymour, is already posted on the IWCOA website.

All of the individuals listed qualified for Friday’s Class 2A finals at the IWCOA State Championships, which takes place at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield.

The schedule for Friday’s competition is as follows: weigh-ins from 8:00-8:30 a.m.; round of 16 at 9:30 a.m.; quarterfinals and consolation round one at 11 a.m.; consolation round two at 12:30 p.m.; semifinals and quarterfinal consolation round at 1:15 p.m.; semifinal consolation round at 2 p.m.; break at 3 p.m.; third- and fifth-place matches at 4 p.m.; and march of the finalists and finals matches at 5 p.m

Class 2A Geneseo Open Sectional

The host Maple Leafs won the title with 161.5 points while Joliet Catholic Academy placed second with 152.5 and Rock Island took third with 141 points.

The runner-up Hilltoppers had four champions while Geneseo and Burlington Central both had two. Nine different schools had sectional champions.

In the title matches, JCA’s Gylon Sims won by fall in 4:19 over Rock Island’s Daniel McGhee at 106, JCA’s Shay Korhorn won 9-5 over Galesburg’s Gauge Shipp at 113, Freeport’s Markel Baker won by fall in 0:24 over Rock Island’s Tyler Barbee at 120, JCA’s Logan Kuhel-Trim won 9-4 over Rock Island’s Manny Limon at 126 and Geneseo’s Logan Tuggle was a 3-1 winner in sudden victory over JCA’s Owen O’Connor at 132.

Rock Island’s Aoci Bernard won 6-4 in sudden victory over Rochelle’s Caleb Nadig at 138, Sycamore’s Brayden Peet was a 3-1 winner over Geneseo’s Anthony Montez at 145, Geneseo’s Bruce Moore won 2-1 over Sterling’s Andrew Kested at 152, Boylan Catholic’s Dathan Wickson was a 5-2 winner over Sycamore’s Zack Crawford at 160 and Burlington Central’s Nathan King won 4-3 over Geneseo’s Clay DeBaillie at 170.

Burlington Central’s Colin Wrobel won 5-1 over Geneseo’s Harrison Neumann at 182, Washington’s Donnie Hidden was a winner by fall in 3:15 over LaSalle-Peru’s Connor Lorden at 195, Galesburg’s Jeremiah Morris recorded a fall in 5:32 over Limestone’s Aydan Trueblood at 220 and JCA’s Dillon Johnson won by fall in 4:42 over Aurora Christian’s Braden Hunter at 285.

Claiming third place finishes were Kaneland’s Cameron Phillips (106), Geneseo’s Jack Snyder (113), Galesburg’s Rocky Almendarez (120), Freeport’s Jacob Redington (126), Rock Island’s Kyle Gant (132), Hampshire’s Niki Skoulikaris (138), Sterling’s Maricio Garcia (145), Kaneland’s Lane Robinson (152), Hampshire’s Nathan Larson (160), Kaneland’s Jack Yore (170), Ottawa’s Charles Medrow (182), Burlington Central’s Noah Ross (195), Kaneland’s Miles Ripper (220) and Washington’s Tyler Casey (285).

Finishing in fourth place were Hampshire’s Matt Muller (106), Rock Island’s Sammy Niyonkuru (113), Geneseo’s Carson Raya (120), Washington’s Josh Biagini (126) and Timothy Smith (132), Dunlap’s Nick Mueller (138), JCA’s Connor Cumbee (145), Morris’ Bryce Claypool (152), Kaneland’s Grant Baldridge (160), Galesburg’s Damian Thomas (170), Hampshire’s Dylan Mejdrich (182), East Peoria’s Zach Eaton (195), Geneseo’s Tim Stohl (220) and Levi Neumann (285).

Class 2A Naperville Athletic Center Open Sectional

Marian Central Catholic easily won Saturday’s Class 2A Naperville Athletic Center Sectional title after scoring 209.5 points, which was 49.5 points better than runner-up Deerfield (160). Notre Dame (108) took third and Crystal Lake Central (102) placed fourth.

The champion Hurricanes had three sectional title winners while Deerfield and Crystal Lake Central had two apiece. A total of 10 schools had individual champions.

In the title marches, Antioch’s Edgar Albino won 7-1 over Grayslake Central’s Anthony Alanis at 106, Prairie Ridge’s Tyler Evans was a 6-4 winner over Marian’s Charlie Fitzgerald 6-4 at 113, Crystal Lake South’s Amador Castro won 3-1 over Marian’s Nick Davidson at 120, Marian’s Elon Rodriguez was a 5-2 winner over St. Patrick’s Sean Conway at 126 and Marian’s Nik Jimenez won by fall in 1:17 over Deerfield’s Rory Perlow at 132.

Deerfield’s Lucio Morgan won by fall in 1:38 over Notre Dame’s Bret Okrasinski at 138, Crystal Lake Central’s Dillon Carlson got a fall in 3:15 over Deerfield’s Stamos Tsakiris at 145, Deerfield’s Benjamin Shvartsman was a 15-3 winner over Marian’s Scott Burke at 152, Lake Forest’s Bennett Duggan won 7-3 over Saint Viator’s Gaetano Console at 160 and Crystal Lake Central’s Caden Ernd won by fall in 3:30 over Deerfield’s Braeden Wittkamp at 170.

Marian’s Dylan Connell won by technical fall in 2:51 over Lake Forest’s Truman Thuente at 182, St. Patrick’s Alex Goworowski won 11-6 over Notre Dame’s Sean Swinkle at 195, Grayslake Central’s Jake Lester was a 3-1 winner over Cary-Grove’s Joe Swanson at 220 and Notre Dame’s Karl Schmalz won by fall in 1:29 over Lake’s John Sullivan at 285.

Third place finishers were Marian’s Josh Glover (106), Grayslake Central’s Tyler Weidman (113), Deerfield’s Lucas Wittkamp (120) and Renzo Morgan (126), Antioch’s Anthony Streib (132), Prairie Ridge’s Jack Stone (138), Marian’s Max Astacio (145), Vernon Hills’ Sean Finerty (152), Deerfield’s Aiden Cohen (160), Crystal Lake South’s Shane Moran (170) and KT Sivertsen (182), Crystal Lake Central’s Julian Ryerson (195), Marian’s Joe Miller (220) and Antioch’s Max Ness (285).

Taking fourth place were St. Patrick’s Olin Walker (106), Cary-Grove’s Rannin Gruen (113), Vernon Hills’ Jack McGowen (120), Antioch’s Calab Nobiling (126), Grayslake North’s Armen Jerikian (132), Carmel’s Christian Holmes (138), Notre Dame’s Nick Valenzona (145) and Mike O’Farrell (152), Crystal Lake Central’s Ben Butler (160), Grayslake Central’s Matthew Jens (170), Lakes’ Kaleb Lind (182), Lake Forest’s Sebastian Starks (195), St. Patrick’s Jimmy Clancy (220) and Crystal Lake Central’s Leo Diaz (285).

Class 2A Colosseum RTC Open Sectional

Lemont scored 228.5 points to easily win the title of Saturday’s IWCOA Class 2A Colosseum RTC Open Sectional In Orland Park while Oak Forest (126), Brother Rice (111) and Riverside-Brookfield (104.5) rounded out the top four teams in the field.

The top two scoring teams both had four champions while R-B had two title winners and four other programs also had sectional champs.

In the title matches, Oak Forest’s Tyler Evitts won 7-0 over Lemont’s Noah O’Connor at 120, Oak Forest’s Caden Muselman got a fall in 2:40 over Lemont’s Sam Schuit at 126, Oak Forest’s Ivan Corral was a 3-2 winner over Lemont’s Johnny O’Connor at 132 and St. Laurence’s Mike Rodriguez won 3-2 over Lemont’s Evan Schiffman at 138.

Oak Forest’s Hunter Daniel got a fall in 3:36 over Noble/Comer’s Donovan Hall at 145, Lemont’s Jake Zator won by fall in 4:30 over St. Laurence’s Johnathan Olivo at 152, Hillcrest’s Dorian Vaughns won 9-7 over Brother Rice’s Emmett Connelly at 160 and Brother Rice’s Tom Bennett got a fall in 2:19 over Lemont’s Connor Stomp at 170.

Lemont’s Mo Khalil won by fall in 2:32 over Brother Rice’s Colin Ashley at 182, R-B’s Jordan Medrano was a 7-2 winner over Kenwood’s Jordan Allen at 195, Lemont’s Devin Gonzalez got a fall in 5:14 over Glenbard South’s Connor DelAlcazar at 220 and Kennedy’s Raymond Begay won by fall in 1:24 over Lemont’s Alex Pasquale at 285. Also winning titles were Lemont’s Carter Mikolajcak at 106 and R-B’s Quintavius Murrell at 113.

Claiming third place finishes were Brother Rice’s James Bennett (120), R-B’s Mateo Costello (126), Hillcrest’s Latrelle Hall (132), Brother Rice’s Jack Botta (138), St. Laurence’s Henry Coughlin (145), Oak Forest’s Joe Castaneda (152), St. Ignatius’ George Akkawi at 160, Kennedy’s Gabriel Ruiz (170), R-B’s Liam Cote (182), Hillcrest’s Rodney Sims (195), Kenwood’s Adam Achebe (220) and St. Laurence’s Alex Ochoa (285).

Finishing in fourth place were R-B’s Quintin Godlewski (120), St. Laurence’s Damen Michicich (126), St. Ignatius’ Dylan Kabance (132), Oak Forest’s Max Corral (138), R-B’s Nikola Malovic (145), Kenwood’s Joshua Butler (152), R-B’s Bill Martin (160), Bremen’s Nick Campos (170), Glenbard South’s Steve Orsolini (182), Lemont’s Stas Antalak (195) and St. Laurence’s Matt Bielski (220).