Feature Stories

History made at Niles West High School on December 23, 2019! 144 girls wrestled. 89 high school girls competed in the Girls Open and 55 girls competed in the IKWF Open. This is the largest in-season high school girls tournament in Illinois history! Here are some highlights from the high school open.

OPRF ON TOP AGAIN AT WHITLACH

by Mike Garofola

2019 Rex Whitlach Wrestling Tournament, Hinsdale Central High School

Perhaps the report of the disappearance of Oak Park and River Forest wrestling was just a bit premature.

True, the perennial state power was nowhere to be found among the top 10 in the recent IWCOA team poll after posting its 5-6-0 overall record in dual-meet action.

However, with its nicely balanced attack – fueled by a trio of individual titles – the Huskies broke free from the field (and) kept its lead down the stretch at the prestigious 55th Rex Whitlach Invitational to lift the championship trophy for the third straight season.

“We were never really lost – we just had not found ourselves yet,” said a proud Paul Collins, whose club will surely rise in the next IWCOA state poll after its convincing 22.5 point margin (221.5-189.0) over second place Lemont, then Minooka (179.5), Sandburg (167.5) and Barrington (166.0) who were clearly the next best three here.

“We’ve lost a lot of state champions, state medal winners, and state qualifiers during the past few seasons (including) last year with another state champ Eddie (Bolivar) – so it takes some time to sort things out in your starting lineup,” continued Collins, now in his 15th year in charge.

“But one thing that doesn’t change is the family atmosphere we foster, both in and out of the room, and how important it is to have great senior leadership, and in this group of six seniors, that’s exactly what we have.”

On of those seniors is Jake Rundell, who will be on his way to Purdue University next fall, where he will continue to compete, and study to become a civil engineer.

“This is a terrific win for our program – not only because it’s one of the best tournaments of the season, but it shows that the work we’ve been doing is beginning to pay off,” said Rundell (13-0) who was sporting a bag of ice on his shoulder after suffering a mild ‘stinger’ following his dominating performance during his 126-pound final over Neuqua Valley senior, Reece Martin.

“We have a very good room of guys who are willing to do the work – but it all starts with our coaching staff, who put in the time afterwards with plenty of extra work on an individual basis, so I know that it will pay off when it really counts down the road.”

Seniors Daemyen Middlebrooks (195, 14-0) and Danny Lingen (182, 8-0) collected championship trophies in addition to Rundell, with Middlebrooks earning the following praise from his head coach, whose growth both in the classroom and on the mats have been exemplary since entering the program.

“Daemyen had his struggles early on, but he’s worked hard to be better, and with the support of his teammates, particularly the leaders in the room during his first couple of years (he) himself has turned into a great leader, and a strong student-athlete,” said Collins.

Many might forget Lingen was a state qualifier last season, winning 20 matches at 170, but the two-year starter is fine with his ‘under-the-radar’ status as the new year approaches.

“I owe my success thus far to the hard work of our coaching staff, and being a part of the OPRF wrestling family (where) we support each other first before ourselves,” said Lingen, who was in early trouble in his final with No. 2 Justin Brown (14-3) of Grant before his stunning pin at 1:59 to wipe out a 4-1 deficit.

“I never felt like I was in trouble despite my rough start because I’m a six minute guy who likes to get after it and brawl (so) I knew I would be okay as the match went on,” admitted Lingen.

While the advancement of six Huskies into the final which led to its eventual championship celebration, there was plenty more for the big crowd inside Central’s iconic old gymnasium to watch.

Where to begin is all too difficult, however to look past the eventual O.W. would be a crime.

Junior Dean Hamiti from Joilet Catholic Academy turned in a magnificent performance during his two days of work by showing the type of attacking and defending ability that validates his place as the No. 1 man at 152 in the state, and in the nation, where he currently sits at No. 13 in the most recent InterMat poll.

The reigning two-time state champion was relentless as he pinned his way into the final where he then recorded a 13-2 major decision victory over No. 2 Josh Ogunsanya (13-1) from OPRF.

“I have never had anyone who works as hard, or has the work rate as high as Dean in my coaching career,” said head coach, Ryan Cumby, whose had plenty to compare Hamiti too after his time at Marmion Academy (2012-2015) where many elite wrestlers went through the Cadets room.

“His semifinal with (Isaiah) Parker was a wild one (big) scoring match in which he defended so brilliantly, and in doing so, turned Parker’s chances into points for himself – doing it all with so much composure, it’s a joy to watch.”

Hamiti was ahead 19-9 on Parker before recording the pin at 5:33, then really turned up the pressure on Ogunsanya, using his length, speed, quickness and innate use of angles and cat-like switches to add to his lead during an eventual 13-2 major decision.

“I’d like to think I can wrestle out of all positions equally well (always) pushing the pace, and doing it all with a lot of pace, energy and non-stop wrestling for six minutes,” opined Hamiti, whose gone from 5-4 as a freshmen to his current 6-0 frame.

While Hamiti dazzled the audience during his championship performance, it was the 160-pound final that had many anxious to see when the Nos. 2 and 3 Joe Chapman (OPRF) and Robert Major stepped onto the mat.

Chapman, as all know, is a two-time state medal winner, while Major, a junior from Downers Grove South, has come ‘this’ close to advancing downstate in his first two seasons under head coach, Sean Lovelace.

“Robert works so hard, but it’s been tough to see him fall just short in getting downstate (so) to see him go out and perform so well against a quality opponent like Chapman (13-1) made me super happy and proud,” said Lovelace.

The first period was played as if a chess match – each man sizing the other up in a 0-0 opener.

Major’s escape just after the whistle gave the Mustangs star a 1-0 advantage – which could have gone to 3-0 if he was able to finish a high single, which Chapman defended.

With the period drawing to a close, Major recorded a take-down near the edge, and that lead would hold up as he rode Chapman hard all throughout the final two minutes.

“I felt if I could take the lead into the third period (that) I was strong, and confident in my ability on top to beat an opponent as good as Joe,” said an exhausted Major (19-0) who has won (82) in his first two seasons at South, and one win away from going downstate both years.

There were three first time Whitlach champions crowned in the opening matches at the lower weights, beginning with Sandburg sophomore Sammie Hayes (17-0) who impressed from start-to-finish en route to his 12-1 major decision victory over Gylon Sims (14-2) the freshmen from Joilet Catholic Academy.

Hayes, the younger brother of former state and Whitlach champion, Louis Hayes (Virginia) used a pair of three-point near falls to make it 8-0 heading into the third period.

“It gets a little intense when Louie and I work out together, but I’ve learned so much from him whenever we have the chance to train,” said Hayes, who carries around a back-pack with his older brothers name emblazoned on the bag.

Geneseo sophomore Anthony Montez advanced into his final after edging Brian Beers (Barrington) in his semifinal (2-1) – then needed just a first period take-down against Lorenzo Frezza to win the 113-pound bout.

Montez (15-1) as he did with Beers, used his length to ride out Frezza in the second period, before using an escape and late take-down to seal his 5-0 victory.

“(Top) is my best position right now, and it really helped me in my last two matches today,” said Montez, who was fifth here a year ago.

“This is a big-time tournament, and the one that really gets things going for the second half of the year, so I am really happy to win here,” said Montez.

Belleville West junior Josh Koderhandt (15-1) who came into the weekend as the No. 3 man in the 2A class, showed why he’s been anointed his lofty spot in the IWCOA after recording four straight tech-falls at 120 pounds.

Koderhandt, the state runner-up a year ago to Colton Drousias (Mt. Carmel) at 113 pounds, left little doubt as to who the best man was in his weight class after his marvelous effort over four others.

“My approach to each match is to go out (there) and score as many points as I can, and just beat-up every opponent that I take on,” said Koderhandt.

“I feel like I’ve matured a lot since last year, and the goal is to get back in the final, and win it this time.”

There’s little doubt that’s the plan of Joel Vandervere, who through the early stages of this long season appears to be the front runner for the 138-pound 3A state title in Champaign.

Vandervere reduced to just (13) matches a year ago due to offseason ACL surgery, is now already 13-0 after a spectacular two days of play that saw the Warren senior bedazzle his division rivals, including a masterful effort in his final with No. 4 Nico Bolivar.

The No. 1 rated Vandervere used an early second period escape, followed by a nicely played take-down to build a lead Bolivar (8-2) was unable to take a bite out of when the Northwestern-bound Vandervere pushed the pace during the final period of this match.

“Being healthy is the key this season, and if I stay that way, there’s no reason why I cannot be No. 1 here in the state, and in the country as well,” says the Blue Devils star, who is No. 4 in the current InterMat national poll.

Cameron Domke at 132 gives Warren an elite one-two punch, and it was Domke who set the table for his teammate after he got off to a quick start with a big throw off the whistle in what would be a 9-4 decision over Ray Hernandez of Lemont.

“I’ve got the best work-out partner in the world with Joel (he) pushes me so hard each and everyday, and I’d like to think I do the same for him,” said Domke, sixth in the IWCOA, and a returning state qualifier.

“Last year the goal was to get downstate, but this year it has to be winning a state title, and I am going to work as hard as I can to meet that goal.”

Domke (16-0) who has applied for an Evans Scholarship, is set to attend Indiana University next fall.

“We were thrilled to get into the Whitlach this season (it’s) a great tournament, and a great way for us to measure ourselves against some of the top teams in and around the area,” said Warren head coach, Brad Janecek, who is taking his club to the Cheesehead in two weeks to help prepare his men for the second half of the season.

Barrington is also new to the Whitlach, after competing in the Niles West tourney last season.

The reigning MSL champions, who won the Moore-Prettyman, and last week the Downers Grove Mega-Duals, claimed fifth place (9) overall medals, and an individual title from No. 2 Luke Rasmussen (22-0) who pinned his way to the 170-pound crown.

“Luke is our thoroughbred – the top pony on our roster (and) he came here with the intent of coming away with a bracket board, and that’s just what he did,” said Barrington head coach, Dave Udchik.

“This was a terrific tournament to get into for us, we came here to see and wrestle the best, and even though we had some good results, it’s still clear we have plenty to work on in order to get ourselves ready for the last half of the year.”

The suburban Southside looks ready for the new year after the area controlled at 145, 220 and 285 at days end.

Kyle Schickel (145) and Apollo Gothard (220) key figures in a Lemont lineup that features several state ranked wrestlers – many of whom have collected their fair share of state medals already – each climbed atop the winners podium.

Schickel, No. 2 in the IWCOA polls, went easily through his division, scoring two majors in his last two bouts after a tech-fall and pin helped advance the three-time state runner-up into his final with Garrett Geigner of Lincoln-Way West.

His teammate Gothard (13-0) had his hands full in his final against Drew Gutknecht (14-2) – needing extra time to close out the Minooka big man – using a take-down to secure his 5-3 overtime victory.

Both Lemont stars chose to speak more about their club than themselves afterwards; with Schickel saying:

“This year, we’re trying to be at our best each day – pushing the young guys to do what they’re all capable of doing, and I feel like the team is finally beginning to believe in ourselves,” said Schickel, one of just (5) seniors.

Gothard, the No. 1 rated 220-pounder, adds the close bond the team shares with other is a major reason for the Indians 12-1 start, and No. 2 spot just behind top rated Marian Central Catholic.

“Most of us have know each other since we were 7-8 years old (we’ve) grown up together, wrestled with each other and hang out, and having a team that is ‘that’ close is a big deal, and it shows when we go out and wrestle quality opponents, or in tournaments like this one.”

Not to be forgotten was the accomplishments of Sandburg senior Mike Bosco (14-0) who came in as the No. 3 seed at 285, and would precede to defeat No. 2 Dustin Olmstead of Belleville West in his semifinal, before knocking off top seed Jake Shipla (11-2) from nearby Minooka, 5-2, in his final.

The top five clubs all would jockey for position from the opening whistle on the second day of play, but Minooka would relinquish its lead just after the semifinals to eventual champion Oak Park-River Forest, which built a 22-point advantage (194-172) over Lemont late in wrestle-backs and never let go.

“You learn not to put too much into early season results, especially when you have several guys new to the varsity roster, but I have to say I am very happy with this team championship today, and very proud of our group of seniors who continue to show the way, on and off the mats,” began Paul Collins.

“We’ve taken some tough losses here in the first half to: Downers Grove South, Aurora Christian, Lockport, Crown Point, Indiana, but the guys are staying with (it) and putting the work in that’s needed to survive the grind of a long season.”

“We’ll be at the Flavin next weekend, then it’s off to California for the Doc Buchanan, and that experience alone is something many have never had.”

By Gary Larsen

December 18, 2019

Existing among the ranks of the unranked can be advantageous for a wrestling team, but IC Catholic Prep coach Kevin Sliva knows his team’s days in that position might be numbered.

“I’d like us to keep flying under the radar,” Sliva said, “but I know that probably won’t continue if we’re winning tournaments.”

Sliva’s Knights had five individual champions and eight medalists at this year’s 19-team Plano Reaper Classic, winning the team title 180-163 over second-place G.C.-Melvin-Sibley.

Sandwich placed third, East Aurora was fourth, and Genoa-Kingston finished fifth at Plano.

IC’s five champions were made up of three sophomores and two freshmen, in possession of a maturity beyond their years.

“We all had the mindset that if we out-worked the other teams, we’d win the tournament,” Knights sophomore Nick Renteria said. “We’re all on the same mission, we have the same mindset, and we’re a family.”

Renteria was named the outstanding wrestler of the lower weights, after he beat three-time Class 1A state finalist and 2018 state champion Pauley Keane of Peotone, by 10-9 decision on the title mat at 126 pounds.

Renteria trailed 7-3 when he took Keane down twice to tie the score, and once more late in the third period to win the match.

Keane is ranked third in 1A at 126, and Renteria also beat sixth-ranked Cale Horsch of GCMS in their semifinal match via 10-6 decision. Renteria isn’t currently ranked, another fact that might soon be remedied.

“He defines ‘under the radar’,” Sliva said of Renteria. “I love to have kids that come in and develop the way he has. He’s a kid where the sky is the limit and he’ll only get better. I don’t think he ever had any sense of fear, not for one second, during the tournament.”

Renteria is also wrestling with a higher purpose this season. He is the cousin of former Oak Park and River Forest state champion Jason Renteria, whose father — Jason Renteria Sr. — recently lost his battle with cancer.

“He coached me since I was six years old and he’s a big inspiration to me,” Nick Renteria said. “He taught me that if you outwork other people, you can beat anyone. I’ve taken that into my mindset this year and everything I do this year is for him.”

The lone Knight ranked heading into the Plano tournament was sophomore Brandon Navarro, who won his title at 160 in four matches without giving up a single offensive point, capped by a 9-4 win over Phoenix Military Academy’s Jalyne Goree.

“I just wanted to score and keep scoring because that’s how I wrestle,” Navarro said. “(Goree) was hard to get out of position but at the end of the day, my conditioning is as good as anyone’s and I think that made the difference.”

Sliva applauded the two-day’s work Navarro put in at Plano.

“He’s super strong, incredibly skilled, and I don’t think there’s a move he doesn’t know,” Sliva said of Navarro. “And he’s never going to give up anything out there. He’s very hard to score on and has a strong mindset for someone his age.”

Also winning individual titles for IC were Saul Trejo (106), Michael DiBennedetto (113), and heavyweight Isaiah Gonzalez. Joe Scott (195) and Jadon Mims (220) each placed third, and Finn Barney (120) finished fifth for the Knights.

“I’m just really excited and happy for the whole team, and all of our champions really impressed me,” Sliva said. “I know they’re good but they just keep getting better. Each of the five of them are getting better every time they step out on the mat, and it’s amazing to me how much they’re improving, especially this early in the season.”

Second-place Gibson City had a pair of individual champions in Cole Maxey (132) and Payton Kean (195) among its eight medal-winners, with Kean winning 6-4 on the title mat against Sammy Dale of Sandwich.

Like many seniors, Kean has turned up the attacking heat in his final season as a high school wrestler, courtesy of a four-year varsity education on the mat.

“My eighth grade year I did pretty well but as a freshman, I got my butt whooped,” Kean said. “I think I saw the biggest change as a junior, when I did a ton of working out in the off-season and became more confident. I started to hit some things I wasn’t hitting before and now I’m confident now in taking just about anybody down.”

Gibson City coach Josh Carter confirmed Kean’s assessment.

“He definitely has gotten more aggressive on the mat,” Carter said. “He trusts himself and he’ll show up and give you everything he’s got.”

The senior Maxey posted a pair of tech fall wins before winning a 3-1 decision on the title mat at 132 against Braulio Flores of Sandwich.

“(Flores) was good,” Carter said. “Cole wrestled a smart match and didn’t do too much to get himself out of position. He hit an ankle pick in the second period and that was the difference in the match.

“Cole has matured a lot since his freshman year. He’s had growth on the mat as well, but it’s been his growth in terms of leadership and being a good teammate and that sort of thing that stands out.”

Carter also got a second-place finish from Andrew Ferguson (120) and thirds from Cale Horsch (126) and Kaden Gream (145) among Gibson City’s eight medalists.

“I feel like we got some good, solid kids and the goal is just to get better each time we get on the mats,” Carter said. “Cale bounced back from a tough loss and both he and Gream came back to win big matches for us.”

Like IC and Gibson City, third-place Sandwich sent eight wrestlers to the awards stand, spearheaded by the second-place finishes of Flores (132) and Dale (195). Sandwich also got thirds from Aidan Linden (138) and Jackson Murphy (170) among its core of eight medalists.

Remaining champions:

For a team that wasn’t close to fielding a full lineup, sixth-place Genoa-Kingston had a nice success ratio at Plano. The Cogs had three individual champions in Luke Bennett (138), Jesse Torres (145), and Erik Garcia (220), and Tristan Mangum reached the title mat at 182 for coach Chad Wilmarth.

“I thought it was great,” Wilmarth said. “We only brought eight kids and we’re young, with a lot of sophomores. So to take sixth and place right behind East Aurora, I was very happy with that and with how we wrestled from top to bottom.”

Bennett won an 8-3 decision on the title mat at 138 against Winnebago’s Hayden Faworski, while both Torres and Garcia won by fall in their title matches.

“Luke is one of the most talented kids on his feet but he’s a well-rounded wrestler,” Wilmarth said. “With guys like him it’s those little changes that make the difference in those big matches, and he made them.

“That’s the best I’ve seen (Garcia) wrestle. He wrestled smart, under control and he stayed focused. And Jesse is on a mission this year. He was second at Richmond-Burton wrestling up a weight and it was nice to see his mental approach at Plano, in terms of walking himself through his match and knowing what to do and when to do it.”

At 120 pounds, Yorkville Christian freshman Jackson Gillen seemed to pick up steam as Plano’s two-day tournament unfolded.

Gillen opened with a 4-3 decision win, then a 6-2 decision win before winning by fall in the semifinal round. Gillen capped his tournament with a fall on the title mat against Gibson City’s Andrew Ferguson.

The freshman Gillen has plenty of funk in his style and he’s working to become a complete wrestler.

“I’ve been funky the whole time I’ve wrestled so it’s always been there,” Gillen said. “This year I’ve been trying to shoot more and not be so defensive, but I know if I ever get into bad positions that I’ll be okay.”

Gillen had another chief quality that helped carry him to a Plano title.

“He’s got a huge gas tank,” Yorkville Christian coach Mike Vester said. “He can go three periods and look like he’s ready to go another match. He pushes the pace, keeps good positioning, and he’s able to weather the storm early.”

Peotone’s Sam Bierdon won a Plano title at 182 with a pin over Genoa-Kingston’s Mangum, and Jason Ramos of Kelly won the title at 152 with a pin over Somonauk’s Joey Rowan.

The outstanding wrestler of the upper weights at Plano was East Aurora’s Jaycee Gonzalez. Gonzalez posted two pins and a major decision at 170 before winning in sudden victory on the title mat against Winnebago’s Bryce Faworski.

Coach Frank Davidson has a top-flight chain wrestler on his hands in Gonzalez, a senior in his first season wrestling at East Aurora.

“We’re just excited to have hm,” Davidson said. “He’s a very confident kid and a good kid to be around.”

Faworski was awarded a late escape to send the title match into overtime. Gonzalez earned a takedown in the first overtime to win a 9-7 decision.

“He’s pretty well-rounded and he’s good on his feet,” Davidson said of Gonzalez.“I haven’t seen anyone hold him down yet, and he can pin people. He doesn’t lose composure and he’s just a very good chain wrestler.”

Rob Sherrill’s Blog – December 18, 2019

We’re now approaching the holiday tournament season. This weekend beings the two biggest individual tournaments of the season, the Rex Whitlatch Invitational Friday and Saturday at Hinsdale Central and the Al Dvorak Memorial Invitational Saturday and Sunday at Machesney Park Harlem.

Both tournaments have beefed up their fields significantly. At Hinsdale Central, the field is the biggest ever, with 25 teams competing. Eighteen of the 25 are in the IWCOA state team rankings, and 11 are in the top 25. Barrington, Lincoln-Way West and Joliet Catholic Academy are the biggest names, bringing the number of top 25 teams in 3A to eight. Three of the top 10 teams in 2A are also in the field.

The team field is as follows:

3A – Sandburg (No. 5), Barrington (No. 7), Minooka (No. 9), Oak Park-River Forest (No. 11), Lincoln-Way West (No. 12), Stevenson (No. 15), Lyons Township (No. 17), West Aurora (No. 19), Downers Grove North (HM), Downers Grove South (HM), Glenbard West (HM), Grant (HM), Neuqua Valley (HM), Warren (HM), Belleville West, Hinsdale Central, Homewood-Flossmoor, New Trier, Rockford East, Willowbrook

2A – Lemont (No. 2), Joliet Catholic Academy (No. 6), Geneseo (No. 7), Brother Rice (HM), Hinsdale South

Individually, the tournament includes three wrestlers ranked No. 1 at their respective weight classes: Joel Vandervere (138) of Warren in 3A, two-time state champion D.J. Hamiti (152) of Joliet Catholic Academy and Apollo Gothard (220) of Lemont in 2A.

That’s pretty impressive, but wait until you see the Dvorak field. Now at 36 teams, it contains ranked teams from all three classifications, plus five out-of-state teams, including newcomers from opposite ends of the country, Phillipsburg (N.J.) and Orting (Wash.). The Stateliners won five consecutive
New Jersey state team titles from 2014-18, and Orting returns seven placewinners from a team that finished third in state last year. Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle, a former Dvorak champion, also returns to the field, led by nationally-ranked Dustin Norris at 120.

Individually, 11 of the 14 wrestlers ranked No. 1 in 3A are in the field, making it the toughest ever by the numbers. We could see a battle between defending state champions at 170, with 3A champion David Ferrante of Huntley and 1A champion Andrew Wenzel of Dakota in the field.

The 11 are: Colton Drousias (120) of Mount Carmel, Dylan Ragusin (126) of Montini, Noah Mis (132) of Mount Carmel, Fidel Mayora (145) of Montini, Joe Roberts (152) of Montini, Luke Odom (160) of Edwardsville, Ferrante (170), Trevor Swier (182) of Montini, Nick Stemmet (195) of Yorkville, Ben
Stemmet (220) of Yorkville and Lloyd Reynolds (285) of Edwardsville. Drousias, Ragusin and Ferrante are all defending state champions. So are Christian Olsen (113) of Crystal Lake South in 2A and Wenzel, making five state champions in all. Matthew Minick (106) of Althoff is the 14th No. 1 in the field.

Want more? The top four teams in 3A – defending champion Montini, Chicago Mount Carmel, DeKalb and Lockport – are all in the field. Add in Glenbard North, Huntley and Edwardsville, and seven of the top 10 teams in 3A are in the field. Of the 31 Illinois teams in the field, 24 are state-ranked. How’s that for a Murderer’s Row?

The team field is as follows:

3A – Montini (No. 1), Mount Carmel (No. 2), DeKalb (No. 3), Lockport (No. 4), Glenbard North (No. 6), Huntley (No. 8), Edwardsville (No. 10), Libertyville (No. 13), Yorkville (No. 22), Bolingbrook (No. 23), Addison Trail (HM), Machesney Park Harlem (HM), Jacobs (HM), Marist (HM), Moline (HM), Plainfield South (HM), Providence (HM), St. Rita (HM), Bradley-Bourbonnais, Hononegah, Metea Valley, Wheaton North

2A – Crystal Lake South (No. 16), Crystal Lake Central (No. 25), Freeport (HM), Fenwick, Rockford Boylan

1A – Dakota (No. 6), Belleville Althoff (No. 11), IC Catholic (HM), Bowen
Out of state – Wentzville (Mo.) Timberland, Phillipsburg (N.J.), Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle, Orting (Wash.), Milton (Wis.)

Rankings for the fourth week of the IHSA wrestling season have been posted. State rankings are presented by Rob Sherrill and sponsored by the Midwest Nationals Wrestling Tournament & the IWCOA.

View the rankings HERE!

Countryside, IL – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Illinois Chapter held its annual Honors Banquet on Sunday, October 20, 2019 at the Holiday Inn – in Countryside, Illinois.  With over 200 guests and family supporters in attendance, the NWHOF-IL Chapter inducted eight (8) new honorees.

Click on Honoree’s name for a complete bio:

Colonel D.K. Carpenter (Outstanding American)
Gary Cook (Lifetime Service to Wrestling)
Trevor Elliott (Medal of Courage)
Bob Nesbit (Lifetime Service to Wrestling)
Haig Nighohosian (Lifetime Service to Wrestling)
Dennis Ragan (Lifetime Service to Wrestling)
Ron Ryan (Lifetime Service to Wrestling)
Jim Turner (Lifetime Service to Wrestling)

Photo

Back Row: Colonel D.K. Carpenter (Outstanding American), Gary Cook, Bob Nesbit, Trevor Elliott (Medal of Courage)

Front Row: Jim Turner, Dennis Ragan, Haig Nighohosian, Ron Ryan

IWCOA Feature Story

By Gary Larsen

December 4, 2019

In explaining how Barrington edged Lockport to win its first Moore-Prettyman team title since 2011, Broncos senior Luke Rasmussen pointed to one of wrestling’s most valuable commodities.

“We have a lot of kids that just kind of grit their teeth and go,” Barrington senior Luke Rasmussen said. “They might not be as good as some of the guys on other teams but they’ll fight through everything.”

‘Grit your teeth and go’ could be Barrington’s team motto this season. The host Broncos showed plenty of guts during this year’s 29-team, two-day tournament, particularly during the blood round.

Rasmussen won the title at 170 but the Broncos won the team title by advancing six wrestlers to the third-place mat for coach Dave Udchik. Barrington’s seven wrestlers finishing in the top four in each weight was the most by any team.

“We told them it wouldn’t be won in the championship (round), it would be won in the backside,” Udchik said.“The heart and the fire is there and I’m really proud of the boys. A lot of guys contributed.”

Brian Beers (113), Trey Cysewski (145), Marko Hennin (152), Kai Conway (160), Jack Hartman (182), and heavyweight Farouk Shaaban all reached the third-place mat, with Beers and Conway placing third.

Barrington finished atop the team standings in a field that included seven 3A and two 2A teams ranked in Rob Sherrill’s IWCOA top 25. Barrington edged second-place Lockport by a mere half-point, 181-180.5. Joliet Catholic finished third, followed by Libertyville and Marmion.

Lockport’s second-place finish was spearheaded by an individual title from Mike Kaminski at 126 and a second-place finish from Keegan Roberson at 132. Andrew Blackburn-Forst placed third at 195 and the Porters’ nine finishers in the top eight were the most by any team.

Lockport graduated a trio of state champions from last year’s team in Matt Ramos, Baylor Fernandes, and Anthony Molton, plus four other multiple-year starters in coach Josh Oster’s lineup from last season.

“I was happy for the most part,” Oster said. “I knew what we have in the room so I knew we would be okay theoretically. But it still has to happen.

“This was a test for a lot of kids and we had 16 kids in 13 weight classes get to the blood round or the semi’s, and more than twenty kids win matches. We might not have the (returning state champions) but I knew we’d be pretty good everywhere. It’s a very deep team.”

The bracket at 106 was all about Prospect freshman Will Baysinger, who used two pins and two major decisions to win the title. Second-seeded Baysinger won 9-1 over top-seeded Libertyville sophomore Caelan Riley on the title mat.

At 113, seventh-seeded freshman Lorenzo Frezza won a 1-0 semifinal decision over Barrington’s second-seeded Beers, before taking a 3-1 win on the title mat against fourth-seeded Joey Chirillo of Andrew.

Chirillo beat top-seeded senior Miguel Garcia of Glenbard East 4-0 in his semifinal match.

In posting four pins over two days to win the title at 120, Marmion’s top-ranked Diego Sotelo showed that one year after he won a state title at 106, he’s hungry for more. Sotelo also knows that the plight of a returning state champion entails no shortage of opponents who want to come after him and make a name for themselves.

“There’s a bigger target on my back this year, coming back as a state champ, compared to being a runner-up the year before,” Sotelo said. “I know there are still people who will have to look out for me, and they’ll have to wrestle me, and I have to be ready for it.”

Sotelo pinned third-seeded Andres Russi of Joliet West in his semifinal before pinning fourth-seeded Cole Rhemrev of Stevenson for the title.

Fifth-place Marmion also got a third-place finish from Jacob Tinajero at 138 pounds.

Top-seeded Kaminski had a dominant day at 126, with two pins and two major decision wins. Kaminski topped second-seeded Charlie Fifield of Fremd by major decision on the title mat.

“I came in here to win and I wanted to wrestle every kid like he was a state champ, and that’s the way I wrestled,” Kaminski said.

As one of Lockport’s senior leaders, Kaminski plans on showing a young team the exact lessons he learned as an underclassmen.

“Last year’s seniors who are in college now — when they were in the room, everyone looked up to them,” Kaminski said. “Everyone tried to beat them, work as hard as them, and do as good as they did. Now I’m one of those seniors and I’m working as hard as I can. I’m beating up on the younger guys to make sure they’re trying to work as hard as they need to be working.”

Top-seeded Jack Milos of Prospect won the next individual title, via 10-3 decision over Lockport’s third-seeded Roberson at 132 pounds. Milos posted two pins and a tech fall before winning a 7-2 semifinal decision over Plainfield Central’s Nick Minnito.

One of the day’s marquee matches came at 138, when top-seeded and top-ranked Danny Pucino of Libertyville met second-seeded and sixth-ranked Jake Harrier of Jacobs on the title mat.

Pucino was a state runner-up last year and Harrier placed fifth downstate in 2018, and the two have a history together.

“Danny’s a great wrestler, an amazing wrestler,” Harrier said. “We wrestled twice last year and he beat me both times, so I was looking forward to this. I was very excited to wrestle him.”

Harrier made it count. He tied the match at 6-6 on a takedown with only four seconds remaining in the third period, then won it 8-6 with a takedown in overtime.

“It was awesome to cap off the tournament with that match but it’s not the end of the season, it’s just the beginning,” Harrier said. “I know I’ll have many more battles with Pucino this year and I’m looking forward to all of them.”

Likewise for Pucino.

“Harrier’s a great wrestler,” Pucino said. “I got him the last three times, and he got me this time. I’ll see him a few more times and I’m excited. I wish I could wrestle him again right now.”

Harrieri’s teammate, fourth-seeded Alex Epstein, gave Jacobs a second title with a 7-4 decision on the title mat at 145 over second-seeded Lucas Regnier of Bradley-Bourbonnais.

The tournament’s outstanding wrestler award was largely won in the title match at 152 pounds. Two-time Class 2A state champion and top-ranked Dean Hamiti of Joliet Catholic squared off with Libertyville’s E’lan Heard, ranked second in 3A at 152.

Hamiti won a state title at 106 as a freshman and at 126 last season; Heard is a senior transfer student who placed fourth at 145 in Ohio last year.

After a scoreless first period, Heard escaped to start the second and led 3-0 on a takedown at the end of the period.

Hamiti escaped to start the third and cut Heard’s lead to 3-1, and then gained the advantage on Heard in a scramble, ultimately pinning him with 30 seconds left in the match.

And with two pins and two tech falls on the day, Hamiti was voted outstanding wrestler by the coaches.

“He’s a big guy and he’s tough,” Hamiti said of Heard. “I knew he was going to come in strong in the first period and that I’d have to weather the storm and try to get him tired. That’s what happened and I was able to pin him.”

As a two-time returning state champion, Hamiti’s mindset is locked in for his junior year.

“I like the challenge. I know everyone’s going to come at me so I’ll wrestle every match like it’s a state final, like they’re number one in the country,” Hamiti said. “I like being the number one dog and having everyone coming to try and get me. I want everyone chasing me.”

Second-seeded Caden Ernd of Crystal Lake Central won the title at 160 with a major decision win over fourth-seeded Terrance Snapp of Joliet Catholic, setting up top-seeded Rasmussen’s major decision win at 170 over Waubonsie Valley’s Antonio Torres.

“He’s one of our ponies,” Udchik said of Rasmussen. “He’s a year-round wrestler, he wants to wrestle Division One, and he’s a little salty that he didn’t walk away with a (state finals) medal last year. He’s got his sights set this year. He’s been the leader of the team.”

After posting two major decisions and a pin during the tournament, Rasmussen was asked to assess his performance.

“So-so,” he said. “I have to work on pushing for six minutes and I need to work on my setups.”

Hononegah’s Tony Figueroa won by fall on the title mat at 182 against Cary-Grove’s Isaac Rands, after entering the tournament seeded sixth. Figueroa beat the second and third seeds to reach the title mat; fifth-seeded Rands beat top-seeded Hartman by decision in their semifinal match.

If their tournament performances at 195 and 220 are any indication, Yorkville brothers Nick and Ben Stemmet may be poised to go on a rampage through their respective weight classes.

Nick Stemmet posted three tech falls and a pin at 195, while Ben Stemmet pinned all four of his opponents at 220. Both are ranked No. 1 in Illinois.

Nick Stemmet placed second downstate at 182 two years ago and fourth at 182 last season, although making weight last season was a hard road to travel.

“Last year I went 195 at this tournament but I went 182 the rest of the year,” Stemmet said. “I was cutting a lot of weight and that was tough. So I think this tournament set a precedent for the rest of my season, because I’ll be staying at 195. I’m hoping the dominance I felt at this tournament carries over through the rest of the year.”

None of Ben Stemmet’s opponents at 220 survived to the third period against him, and Bradley-Bourbonnais heavyweight Brady Schumer also completed a four-pin tournament effort in which he stuck three of his four opponents in the first minute of the match.