Feature Stories

By Mike Garofola for the IWCOA

With a long list of top 20-ranked teams at the 2A Crystal Lake Central Sectional, the promise of thrilling, edge-of-the-seat action for two days came through with a terrific final session on Saturday afternoon.

It would be No. 3 IC Prep who left the historic Central gym with six individual championship brackets, while sending 12 downstate.

Antioch was next with six state qualifiers, followed closely by Deerfield and St. Patrick with five, while host Central and Fenwick booked four of their men to Champaign.

There were an astounding 65 state-ranked competitors here, 43 of whom were in the top 10 and four of whom were ranked No. 1 in their respective weight divisions.

Regional champions Crystal Lake Central, IC Prep, Notre Dame and Wheeling

earned 19 state qualifiers, eight of whom are sectional champions.

CRYSTAL LAKE CENTRAL SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS

106- Ray Long (Notre Dame)

Six of the 18 in this terrific weight class were state-ranked in advance of the opening whistle, including No. 1 Vince DeMarco (Grayslake Central) and No. 3 Ray Long (Notre Dame) who were on a semifinal collision course early Saturday morning in Crystal Lake.

With all eyes directed on mat No. 1, Long would give the fans a treat when he opened with the wind in his sails and built a 7-0 second-period lead. Long conceded four points to DeMarco (44-2) before extending his advantage to 11-4, before recording a pin at 5:11 to the delight of Notre Dame fans.

“I just came out aggressive, looking to use my high singles, angle shots, quickness and constant pace to keep Vince on the defensive right from the very start of the match,” said Long, now 42-4, with 23 pins, and eight tech-falls on the season.

Long completed his sectional title journey with a fall at 5:11 in the finals against IC Prep’s Dominic Pasquale.

Dons coach Anthony Genovesi sees great things ahead for his sophomore.

“Ray is extremely athletic and he’s just starting to scratch the surface of just how good he can become,” Genovesi said. “(DeMarco) is an extremely talented wrestler and they could see each other again this weekend, in what would be another very tough match.

“There are still many things Ray needs to do wrestling-wise, but he wrestles a lot throughout the year, which has helped him grow and get better.”

DeMarco, fourth a year ago at state, would go on to defeat St. Patrick sophomore Jack Koenig (42-8) for third place.

113- Sam Murante (IC Prep)

Last year at this time, IC Prep junior Sam Murante had just suffered a blood-round defeat at the Hinsdale Central sectional to end his sophomore season with a 21-5 overall record at 113 pounds.

Murante (6-0) won the first of two regional titles as a freshman at Hinsdale Central, going 17-9 at 113 pounds.

Murante, who made his season debut last weekend when he tech-falled his way to a regional title at DePaul Prep, continued his climb up the charts when he stunned No. 2 Daniel Goodwin (42-4) with a 3-1 decision.

“Danny and (Murante) were well aware of each other because they both train at Izzy (Style), so (Danny) knew what was coming,” St. Patrick coach Dominic Angelo said. “But today Danny wrestled an uncharacteristically ‘off’ match, which will happen from time-to-time to the best of them.”

No. 3 Jackson Marlett (Crystal Lake Central, 41-6) came back from his semi-final defeat to Murante to defeat CJ Brown (Fenwick) for third place.

120- Kannon Judycki (IC Prep)

No. 7 Kannon Judycki (27-17) made it two straight championship trophies for IC Catholic when the sophomore recorded a pin at 2:27 over No. 10 Jake Lowitzki (37-4) from Prairie Ridge.

Judycki, who last season was a state qualifier with a record of 25-18, booked his spot in the 120-pound final after he pinned No. 10 Hunter Lenz (Cary-Grove), who was also a 2024 state qualifier.

On the opposite end of this high-profile bracket, Lowitzki needed extra time to defeat No. 5 and two-time state runner-up Gavin Rockey (41-9) to stay alive.

“We’ve always felt that Jake was capable of getting a result like this to defeat a great wrestler like (Rockey),” Prairie Ridge coach Ross Ryan said. “When he chose top in overtime, we all knew he was quite capable of riding out Rockey for the win.”

Ryan would move over from Crystal Lake South this season after he would enjoy a memorable career at South that would include leading: Eric Barone (2015), Christian Olsen (2019) and Shane Moran (2022) to state titles, in addition to several state place winners as well.

Judycki, who was second at the CCL conference tournament recently, pinned his way to the DePaul Prep regional crown last weekend.

Calvin Stahl (St. Patrick) would grab third place honors after his victory over Rockey to earn his second straight trip downstate.

126- Max Cumbee (IC Prep)

IC Prep sophomore Max Cumbee would finish atop this star-studded field when he beat No. 9, and now four-time state qualifier, Gavin Hanrahan, 7-2 to claim his second straight major title.

The No. 5 man in the state cruised into the final after an impressive 15-7 major decision over No. 2 John Sheehy (Notre Dame, 41-7) who would go on to defeat No. 10 Adrian Cohen (Deerfield, 40-10) in the third place match.

“I am feeling really good right now, having a partner in the room like Deven Casey pushing me each and every day. That has helped me go hard for six minutes whenever I need to,” said Cumbee, who was fifth a year ago while at Joliet Catholic Academy.

“I worked harder than I ever have during the offseason. I was actually was up to close to 150 pounds but after slowly taking the weight off, I feel just great, and I’m looking forward to this weekend in Champaign.”

Sheehy is now a three-time state qualifier, and fourth place medal winner last season, with Hanrahan arriving in Champaign with a 2024 third place medal already in his possession.

132- Deven Casey (IC Prep)

It’s no coincidence the move to IC Prep by both Deven Casey and Brody Kelly has provided the two key figures in the Knights’ lineup to make them the 2A state power they have become.

Casey (43-6) brought with him a pair of third-place state medals from his stay at Aurora Christian, then became a state champion a year ago at 120 pounds. Kelly came over from 3A state power Marmion Academy to become an instant star, and leader in the Knights room along with Casey.

“Our room is second to none,” Casey said. “The coaching staff is amazing, my teammates are committed to doing all of the right things every day, which makes coming to school and practice really fantastic.

“Right now for me it’s all about fine tuning things, staying healthy, eating smart, and just getting myself ready for the state tournament this weekend.

The No. 1 man in the state would deal No. 6 Nathan Randle (Crystal Lake South, 41-1) his first loss of the season with his 19-4 tech-fall semifinal victory to advance against No. 5 Jackson Palzet (45-2) who is having a marvelous senior year at Deerfield.

Palzet, who recently earned his 100th career win, while at the same time breaking the season tech-fall program record, gave Casey a battle, before conceding a 9-6 decision.

Randle would go on to defeat Nabiel Rosario (DePaul Prep) for third place.

138-  Jordan Rasof (Deerfield)

After two previous trips to Champaign that would end with a pair of state medals, the Deerfield senior Jordan Rasof has the look of a state champion in his eyes.

“Jordan is the ultimate leader, he commands respect with the way he carries himself, in and out of the room, and right now, he is all business with his focus on winning a state title,” says Deerfield head coach Marc Pechter, who later watched his four-year veteran register a 10-2 major decision victory in the finals over Patrick Hulne (38-12), the talented sophomore from St. Patrick.

Hulne, second on the club in take-downs, is in just his second year in the sport.

“He’s a terrific young man, and we are fortunate to have him in our room,” Pechter said of Rasof.

“(Coach) Pechter has been the best thing to happen to me, he’s obviously a great head coach, but an even better person because he treats us all as young men. He’s always there for us regardless of the situation,” said Rasof.

With his sectional final victory, Rasof is now 47-2, pushing his career win total of 159 close to the program record of 164.

IC Prep freshman Jacob Alvarez (31-17) finished third ahead of Colton Huff (St. Ignatius, 15-4).

144- Aidan Arnett (IC Prep)

IC Prep has received outstanding work from a trio of freshmen this season to enrich an already terrific lineup that appears ready to challenge for a 2A dual-team state title in a couple of weeks.

There’s no doubt that Aidan Arnett is the Knights top rookie, while also one of the best men at 144 pounds.

Arnett would tech-fall his way into the finals where he would meet No. 8 Chase Nobiling (Antioch, 40-8) who came away with a well deserved 7-2 victory over senior Max Rosen (30-9) of DePaul Prep.

Arnett would defeat Nobiling for the second time this season, this time in a 7-5 decision, to earn one of the top four seeds in his first trip downstate.

“I’m a 24-7 wrestling guy, who never takes a day off,” Arnett said. “I get three to four hours of time on the mats, and I really enjoy being part of a room that is so disciplined, both with wrestling and academics.

“My day begins at 3:45 in the morning, then I am off to school to begin a long day that I’ve really enjoyed,” said Arnett, who if he stayed close to home would have attended Providence Catholic.

The aforementioned Nobiling, who is making his first trip downstate, would defeat Emmett Nelson (Richmond-Burton, 41-1) in the Glen Erb final at Glenbrook South, who at the time was No. 1 in 1A.

Rosen would come back to defeat Alexander Shvartsman (Deerfield, 37-16) for third place.

Shvartsman’s older brother (Ben) was a 2022 state champion for Deerfield, and is now wrestling at Cornell.

150- David Farjado (Carmel Catholic)

After two years away from the sport of wrestling, senior David Fajardo (20-1) had enjoyed the type of season that inspires stories that will go on forever inside the Carmel Catholic room.

The Corsairs senior continues his memorable postseason run following his terrific three-match success that led him to the 150-pound title, and his first ever spot in the 16-man state field next weekend.

Farjado won Saturday’s title by fall against Notre Dame’s Joseph McCarthy.

“It’s always been boxing for me, and after my hip injury ended my freshman season, I finally got myself healthy and went all in on boxing until I decided to give wrestling one last try, and get myself downstate,” said Fajardo after he won at the Deerfield regional a week ago.

“Boxing is what his family is all about,” begins assistant Riley Palm, who was a two-time state champion for the Corsairs.

“(Boxing) is a sport that has enhanced David’s abilities in wrestling as it combines great fitness, footwork, dedication, commitment and that tough, hard-nosed personality that it takes to succeed in this sport,” Palm said. “And nobody works as hard as him. It’s a blessing to have someone like him in our room.”

Fajardo would miss the first month of the season, but has now won three consecutive major titles, beginning with his Lake County Invite crown.

Dominic Garcia (Antioch) won by tech fall over Joey Pontarelli (IC Prep) on the third-place mat at 150.

157- Nate Sanchez (St. Ignatius)

Everything would play out according to plan at 157 pounds.

No. 7 Nate Sanchez (35-4) was on the opposite side of the bracket of No. 8 Aiden Burns (41-4) from Fenwick, with the two seniors on a collision course to meet in the final Saturday afternoon.

Sanchez, a two-time state qualifier looking to make it three straight, cruised into the final after a 14-6 major decision victory, followed by a pin at 2:31 over eventual fourth place Charlie Cross (39-11) from perennial wrestling power Deerfield.

On the opposite side was Burns, a state qualifier at 152 two seasons ago with a 20-11 overall record.

Burns, runner-up recently at the Chicago Catholic League (CCL) tournament, would tech-fall his way into his final with Sanchez, who pinned the Fenwick star earlier this season.

Once there, the two CCL rivals went to work with Sanchez claiming his first sectional title in thrilling fashion with an 8-7 decision.

Sanchez, who was a blood-round victim a year ago at the Grayslake Central sectional, is the all-time match winner in program history with 132 on January 10 of this year.

The senior will attend the University of Chicago in the fall where he will continue to wrestle, and play baseball as well.

Warren Nash (30-15) from Grayslake North came back through wrestle-backs to defeat Cross in their third place contest by major decision.

165- Van Grasser (St. Patrick)

The 165-pound bracket was perfectly set up for a potential final between No. 2 Ilia Dvoryannikov (Vernon Hills, 39-5) and No. 3 Van Grasser (St. Patrick, 33-9). Grasser lost to the Vernon Hills star by 2-1 decision in the final of the Rex Lewis Invite this year at Buffalo Grove.

Both would waste little time in reaching the final, with Dvoryannikov having a more difficult route as he faced No. 6 Noah Pechotta (Cary-Grove, 37-3) who was a 2024 state qualifier.

Dvoryannikov won 8-0 over Pechotta to reach the finals. Grasser won a 10-0 major decision victory over No. 8 Marcus Macias (Antioch), and then dashed the hopes of Nate Brown (IC Prep) with yet another major decision triumph in their semifinal match.

Grasser avenged his loss to Dvoryannikov with a hard fought 5-3 decision in an intense six-minute contest.

“Our state qualifiers are all self motivated young men, and the type of kids who have the type of work ethic and drive to succeed,” Shamrocks coach Dominic Angelo said.

“This was a great win for Van. His focus on an all-out hustle and fight has shown that good things will happen to those who work hard.”

Grasser, sixth a year ago at 157 pounds, recently won the 175-pound ESCC title, as did Dvoryannikov at the CSL tournament.

2024 state runner-up Dvoriannikov competed at 175 pounds during the regular season for head coach Jesse Wolter at Vernon Hills.

Crystal Lake Central senior Tommy Tomasello won his third place match by fall against Antioch’s Macias.

175- Brody Kelly (IC Prep)

Brody Kelly has helped take the lead in an IC Prep room that is loaded with underclassmen, making the junior one of the old men on the Knights’ roster.

“It’s just a great room to have at IC,” begins Kelly, now 42-5 after his 22-6 tech-fall at 5:20 over Dominic Esposito (38-12) from Fenwick, whom Kelly pinned in his CCL semi-final.

“I was a little too defensive last season, so a lot of my training was focused on being more aggressive, and getting to my offense more in order to dictate how the match should go,” added Kelly, who recently commited to wrestle in the fall of 2016 at North Carolina.

“After the Doc Buchanan in California, the coaching staff at North Carolina contacted me about a visit, and when I did it was clear from the start the facilities, coaching staff, team, and of course the university and its academics were the perfect fit for me.”

Once in Chapel Hill, the No. 1 man at 175 will see a few familiar faces from the area with Colin Carrigan (Marmion Academy, Glenbard West) and assistant head coach Tony Ramos, the former star at Glenbard North and later Iowa.

No. 6 Ben Vazquez (Antioch, 37-7) is on his way to his third appearance at state with a third place medal in his possession after a defeat over league rival Christian Cendajez from Wauconda.

190- Cayden Parks (Crystal Lake Central)

Host Central will send four downstate this weekend, with its top man, No. 1 Cayden Parks heading there with a near perfect 41-1 overall record after the Tigers senior beat No. 7 Mike Merevick (40-9) from Wauconda with a hard fought major decision victory.

Parks, second a year ago at state with a 41-7 record at 190, and fourth in 2023 at 170 finds himself on the top of the 16-man state bracket, opposite of No. 2 Judah Heeg (37-3), the junior from Lemont.

Parks, who two weeks ago won his fourth regional crown to help the Tigers claim a 2A dual-team sectional spot in two weeks after lifting the regional team title at Antioch.

The No. 1 man at 190, who was runner-up at the prestigious Dvorak back in late December, took a 13-3 advantage into the second period against Merevick, thanks to plenty of physical play and hand fighting en route to his 15-7 triumph, his second major over Merevick, who will be a dangerous foe for many in Champaign.

Parks would defeat No. 6 Jack Paris (Fenwick, 40-11) in a semifinal contest, with Paris later falling to No. 10 Isaac Barrientos (IC Prep, 31-15) in their third place match.

215- Owen Shea (Antioch)

Owen Shea, despite competing in a big mans’ weight class, has proven to be a giant killer of sorts this season.

After the Wauconda junior stunned-then No. 1 Ashton Sheldon of Batavia in the final of the 59th Rus Erb at Glenbrook South with a first period pin, it was another Shea stunner when he beat No. 3 Foley Calcagno (IC Prep) in the 215-pound final.

Perhaps unfairly cast as the No. 7 man in his weight class, Shea, now 40-8, pinned his way into the final against the two-time state medal winner, where he recorded a hard fought 7-5 victory.

Shea, now with 31 pins on the season, earns his second appearance downstate in as many seasons.

“Owen will continue to do what he does, and that’s beating individuals that he is not expected to beat,” says Antioch head coach Wilbur Borrero. “But in doing so, it will mean nothing to him without getting on the podium next weekend in Champaign.

“He has the drive and expectation of himself not to lose, and the experience he gained from making it to state last year will help him prepare for what is ahead.”

Calcagno (36-13) was victorious in a splendid semifinal with No. 4 Tommy McNeil (39-6) that went extra long before the IC Prep junior recorded a 3-2 ultimate tie-breaker triumph to advance.

“I beat McNeil (11-8) earlier, but today I should have opened things up a little more, because he’s a big, strong wrestler, and someone I needed to score on to keep the pressure on him,” admitted Calcagno.

McNeil would defeat Melson Nagassa from St. Ignatius, 10-3 in the third place match.

285- Lucas Burton (Cary-Grove)

Cary-Grove senior Lucas Burton was part of a 2023 football team that won the 6A state title, and last year lost in the semifinals to eventual state runner-up Geneva.

Can the Trojans star find a way into the spotlight of the 2A state championship match this weekend in State Farm Arena?

“Lucas had a late start due to football, but he came back really strong and with so much more confidence than a year ago,” Cary-Grove coach Will Peterson said. “I really believe that blood round loss at state showed he has what it takes to compete with the best in the state. Now he just has to go out and get the job done in Champaign.”

After Burton recorded his No’s. 16 and 17 pins on the season, he won the sectional title when the two-time state qualifier from Fenton, Thomas Klos (32-4) took an injury default at 1:28.

“I’m a football player first, but I realized from last year that if I wanted to have the chance to win a state wrestling title, it would be important for me to improve my fitness and conditioning, which is way different from football,” said Burton, No. 2 in the state behind Joel Del Toro (45-2) from East Peoria.

Burton, who is still sorting out his collegiate plans for next fall, plays lacrosse, and also throws shot put for the Trojans track team.

DePaul Prep sophomore Hunter Wahtola would pin Anthony Sebastian (IC Prep) for third place.

By Chris Walker for the IWCOA

3A SECTIONALS OVERVIEW

Eight state champions are back again looking to repeat in 2025, and all won sectional titles throughout the state on Saturday: Warren’s Caleb Noble (106 last year/113 this season) and Aaron Stewart (157/175), Marmion’s Nicholas Garcia (113/126) and Zach Stewart (138/144), Mt. Carmel’s Seth Mendoza (126/138), Marist’s Will Denny (150/165) and Loyola’s Kai Calcutt (215/215).

Rockton Hononegah is returning four wrestlers who placed a year ago: Rocco Cassioppi (106) and Thomas Silva ( 132) took second in the state last February. Bruno Cassioppi (113) and Brody Sendele  (157) placed third. All won sectional titles on Saturday. 

There are seven wrestlers returning to Champaign after seeing their dreams of state titles fall short during title bouts a season ago.

Marist’s Michael Esteban (126), Fremd’s Evan Gosz (144) and Marmion’s Joe Favia (215) are among them and the three who are back at the same weight class. The others include St. Charles East’s Dom Munaretto (113 last year/120 now), JCA’s Jason Hampton (120/126), Lockport’s Justin Wardlow (138/150) and Marist’s Ricky Ericksen (175/190).

Orland Park’s Rocco Hayes (113) took third place at 105 last year. Belleville East’s Jonathan Rulo (285) took third in the state at 285 last year. Both won sectional titles on Saturday.

3A CONANT SECTIONAL

St. Charles East had a productive Saturday up and down its lineup, sending eight wrestlers into the finals of the Class 3A Conant sectional.

The Saints, who won five of their eight championship matches, also had two other wrestlers qualify, giving them 10 overall.

Wrestlers from Oak-Park and River Forest won four of their five sectional title bouts during a big day for the Huskies. They qualified seven wrestlers in total.

Glenbard North joined St. Charles East and OPRF with multiple sectional champions with a pair. The Panthers saw five of their wrestlers earn the opportunity to compete later this week at state in Champaign.

Wheaton North didn’t win any titles but four of its wrestlers qualified for state, the fourth most among the teams with wrestlers in action.

Declan Sons (24-14 at 113), Dom Munaretto (47-1 at 120), Ryan McGovern (40-10 at 157), Anthony Gutierrez (42-6 at 165) and Cooper Murray (36-13 at 215) won sectional titles to lead St. Charles East. 

Rocco Lobrillo (26-17 at 190), Gavin Woodmancy (38-12 at 138) and Liam Aye (32-17 at 126) took second for the Saints and Abraham Leidig (32-16 at 175) and Kaden Potter (15-4 at 106) placed third. 

The winners from OPRF included: MJ Rundell (37-2 at 106), Zev Koransky (25-8 at 132), Joseph Knackstedt (32-3 at 138) and David Ogunsanya (25-6 at 150). Jamiel Castleberry (27-5 at 120) took second, Eric Harris (26-11 at 215) was third and AJ Noyes (11-5 at 144) placed fourth.

Glenbard North’s Kalani Khiev (42-3 at 126) and Julian Holland (36-11 at 190) won sectionals to lead the Panthers. Trey Thompson (34-14 at 132) and Joseph Fitak (25-19 at 175) took second and Vannak Khiev (39-6 at 106) was fourth.

Wheaton North’s Ryan Rosch (32-6 at 150), Julian Flores (34-10 at 165) and Carlo Saenz (31-16 at 190) took third place and Rocco Macellaio (28-16 at 120) placed fourth. 

Lake Park, South Elgin and York also had three state qualifiers, with York’s Frank Nitti (144) winning a sectional title.

Maine South’s Tyler Fortis (285) and Elgin’s Fabian Ramirez (175) won the other two weight divisions to secure sectional championships for their respective teams. 

Maine South, Schaumburg, Taft, Lane, Addison Trail and West Chicago had two individual wrestlers qualify to state while Streamwood, Hoffman Estates, Proviso West, Geneva, Evanston, Elk Grove Village, Maine West and DeKalb had one.

STATE QUALIFIERS FROM THE CONANT SECTIONAL

106
1st  – MJ Rundell of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest)
2nd – Nikolas Duarte of Addison (A. Trail)
3rd – Kaden Potter of St. Charles (East)
4th – Vannak Khiev of Carol Stream (Glenbard North)

113

1st – Declan Sons of St. Charles (East)

2nd – Nicholas Dilallo of South Elgin

3rd – Bernardo Roque of Chicago (Taft)

4th – Bryce Mensik of Roselle (Lake Park)

120

1st – Dom Munaretto of St. Charles (East)

2nd – Jamiel Castleberry of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest)

3rd – Brady Phelps of Schaumburg (H.S.)

4th – Rocco Macellaio of Wheaton (North)

126

1st – Kalani Khiev of Carol Stream (Glenbard North)

2nd – Liam Aye of St. Charles (East)

3rd – Mondo Martinelli of Elmhurst (York)

4th – Ryan Alvarado of West Chicago (H.S.)

132

1st – Zev Koransky of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest)

2nd – Trey Thompson of Carol Stream (Glenbard North)

3rd – Alex Valentin of Chicago (Lane)

4th – Sergio Hernandez of Roselle (Lake Park)

138

1st – Joseph Knackstedt of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest)

2nd – Gavin Woodmancy of St. Charles (East)

3rd – Nick Merola of Roselle (Lake Park)

4th – Aamir Nieves Allen of South Elgin

144

1st – Frank Nitti of Elmhurst (York)

2nd – Jake Colleran of Park Ridge (Maine South)

3rd – Matthias Hautzinger of Addison (A. Trail)

4th – AJ Noyes of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest)

150

1st – David Ogunsanya of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest)

2nd – Callen Kirchner of Schaumburg (H.S.)

3rd – Ryan Rosch of Wheaton (North)

4th – Leo Rosas of West Chicago (H.S.)

157

1st – Ryan McGovern of St. Charles (East)

2nd – Marquis Deloach of Hillside (Proviso West)

3rd  – Nasser Hammouche of Chicago (Lane)

4th – Dmytro Patykovskyi of Hoffman Estates (H.S.)

165

1st – Anthony Gutierrez of St. Charles (East)

2nd – Sean Kolkebeck of DeKalb

3rd – Julian Flores of Wheaton (North)

4th – Peter Greco of Des Plaines (Maine West)

175

1st Place – Fabian Ramirez of Elgin (H.S.)

2nd Place – Joseph Fitak of Carol Stream (Glenbard North)

3rd Place – Abraham Leidig of St. Charles (East)

4th Place – Gabe Inorio of Streamwood

190

1st – Julian Holland of Carol Stream (Glenbard North)

2nd – Rocco Lobrillo of St. Charles (East)

3rd – Carlo Saenz of Wheaton (North)

4th – Karl Pretzer of South Elgin

215

1st – Cooper Murray of St. Charles (East)

2nd – Evan Jocic of Chicago (Taft)

3rd – Eric Harris of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest)

4th – Mikey Grazzini of Elmhurst (York)

285

1st – Tyler Fortis of Park Ridge (Maine South)

2nd – Mikey Milovich of Elk Grove Village (E.G.)

3rd – Joseph Pettit of Geneva

4th – Jeremy Marshall of Evanston (Twp.)

3A JOLIET CENTRAL SECTIONAL

Joliet Catholic put up a nine on the competition on Saturday less than four miles from home at the Class 3A Joliet Central sectional.

Luke Hamiti (22-7 at 165) and Nico Ronchetti (35-6 at 190) won titles for the Hilltoppers. 

Elias Gonzalez (30-18 at 144) took second, Jason Hampton (37-11 at 126) and Maddux Tindal (34-9 at 120) placed third and Dawson Mack (26-17 at 138), Issac Clauson (24-19 at 175) and Vince Tindal (24-12 at 157) and Nolan Vogel (30-11 at 150) were fourth.

Lincoln-Way East and Lockport each had six wrestlers advance.

For the LW East, Kaidge Richardson (33-11 at 144) brought their lone sectional title back to Frankfort. Tyson Zvonar (39-7 at 132), Brayden Mortell (30-11 at 138) and Jackson Zaeske (40-9 at 175) placed third and Gage LaDere (21-4 at 285) and Colton Zvonar (31-8 at 190) were fourth.

Isaac Zimmerman (35-12 at 126), Liam Zimmerman (39-7 at 132) and Justin Wardlow (42-3 at 150) won titles for Lockport. 

Champions were spread amongst the competitive field with the three being the most by a single team. JCA and Homewood-Flossmoor would produce a pair with single champions from seven schools.

Also for Lockport, Anthony Sutton (35-13 at 113) took second, Jaedon Calderon (32-13 at 157) was third and Chris Miller (35-16 at 165) placed fourth.

Chazz Robinson (37-5 at 120) and RJ Robinson (37-6 at 175) won sectional titles for Homewood-Flossmoor. Jovan Vukajlovic (27-6 at 157) took second and Davion Henry (32-8 at 106) and Ethan Hamilton (27-12 at 113) were fourth.

Yorkville’s Jack Ferguson (47-2 at 157) won a title to lead the Foxes. Also qualifying for the Foxes were second-place Luke Zook (45-3 at 175) and Ryder Janeczko (34-6 at 190), third-place Van Rosauer (42-8 at 150) and fourth-place Luke Chrisse (40-10 at 215).

STATE QUALIFIERS FROM THE JOLIET CENTRAL SECTIONAL

106
1st – Maddox Garbis of Plainfield (North)
2nd – Jackson Soney of Normal (Community)
3rd – Michael McNamara of Edwardsville (H.S.)
4th – Davion Henry of Flossmoor (Homewood-F.)

113

1st – Caden Correll of Normal (Community)

2nd – Anthony Sutton of Lockport (Twp.)

3rd – Brady Glynn of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West)

4th – Ethan Hamilton of Flossmoor (Homewood-F.)

120

1st – Chazz Robinson of Flossmoor (Homewood-F.)

2nd – Nadeem Haleem of Tinley Park (Andrew)

3rd – Maddux Tindal of Joliet (Catholic Academy)

4th – Max Munn of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West)

126

1st – Isaac Zimmerman of Lockport (Twp.)

2nd – Aidan Durell of Plainfield (North)

3rd – Jason Hampton of Joliet (Catholic Academy)

4th – Cole Gentsch of Normal (Community)

132

1st – Liam Zimmerman of Lockport (Twp.)

2nd – Brayden Manning of Normal (Community)

3rd – Tyson Zvonar of Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

4th – Adrian Hernandez of Joliet (West)

138

1st – Ryan Richie of Edwardsville (H.S.)

2nd – Jadon Zimmer of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)

3rd – Brayden Mortell of Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

4th – Dawson Mack of Joliet (Catholic Academy)

144

1st – Kaidge Richardson of Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

2nd – Elias Gonzalez of Joliet (Catholic Academy)

3rd – Brayden Swanson of Oswego (H.S.)

4th – Jack Strezo of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West)

150

1st – Justin Wardlow of Lockport (Twp.)

2nd – Carson Weber of Joliet (West)

3rd – Van Rosauer of Yorkville (H.S.)

4th – Nolan Vogel of Joliet (Catholic Academy)

157

1st – Jack Ferguson of Yorkville (H.S.)

2nd – Jovan Vukajlovic of Flossmoor (Homewood-F.)

3rd – Jaedon Calderon of Lockport (Twp.)

4th – Vince Tindal of Joliet (Catholic Academy)

165

1st – Luke Hamiti of Joliet (Catholic Academy)

2nd – Jalen Byrd of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)

3rd – Terence Willis of Belleville (East)

4th – Chris Miller of Lockport (Twp.)

175

1st – RJ Robinson of Flossmoor (Homewood-F.)

2nd – Luke Zook of Yorkville (H.S.)

3rd – Jackson Zaeske of Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

4th – Issac Clauson of Joliet (Catholic Academy)

190

1st – Nico Ronchetti of Joliet (Catholic Academy)

2nd – Ryder Janeczko of Yorkville (H.S.)

3rd – Simon Schulte of Edwardsville (H.S.)

4th – Colton Zvonar of Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

215

1st – Charles Walker of Joliet (Central)

2nd – Roman Janek of Edwardsville (H.S.)

3rd – Nate Elstner of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West)

4th – Luke Chrisse of Yorkville (H.S.)

285

1st – Jonathan Rulo of Belleville (East)

2nd – Robbie Murphy of Minooka

3rd – Gage LaDere of Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

4th – Brandon Bavirsha of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West)

3A BARRINGTON SECTIONAL

At least one wrestler from 19 schools advanced to state on Saturday out of the Class 3A Barrington sectional, which included Buffalo Grove, Glenbrook North, Libertyville, McHenry, Niles North, Prospect, Rockford Guilford, Rolling Meadows and Round Lake.

What a cool honor for those kids and a reminder to all athletes that they are among many talented high school wrestlers there are throughout the state.

Rockton Hononegah, which won its own regional last Saturday, dominated the top of the award stand with five wrestlers earning sectional championships. Rockton Hononegah qualified four other wrestlers for nine total, tops amongst the sectional field.

Rocco Cassioppi (43-2) at 132), Thomas Silva (38-3 at 138), Bruno Cassioppi (9-0 at 150), Brody Sendele (15-1 at 165) and Kurt Smith (43-4 ay 190) won sectional titles for Hononegah.

Also qualifying for state for the Indians were second-place finishers Kristian DeClercq (35-11 at 106) and Connor Diemel (40-6 at 175), Max Haskins (43-10 at 157), who took third, and fourth-place Jackson Olson (41-9 at 120).

Hersey didn’t have a champion but the Huskies had a big day with seven kids extending their season. Anthony Orozco (22-12 at 120), Rodrigo Arceo (31-14 at 150), Frankie Tagoe (29-15 at 157) and Jonathan Slump (21-20 at 190) took second. Riddick Variano (34-15 at 126), Elijah Garza (38-9 at 132) and Maksim Mukhamedaliyev (41-7 at 144) placed third.

Warren’s Caleb Noble (40-2 at 113) and Aaron Stewart (39-2 at 175) won titles to lead the Warriors, who are sending six to state overall. Royce Lopez (28-6) and Anthony Soto (42-6 at 285) took second, Jonathon Marquez (34-10 at 120) placed third and Justice Humphreys (23-7 at 157) placed fourth.

Ryan Dorn (37-7 at 120) was Barrington’s lone champion. The Broncos’ Kaleb Pratt (21-4 at 113) and Saul Ramirez (23-19 at 126) placed second and Daniel Blanke (29-10 at 150) and Clarence Jackson (37-8 at 215) took third.

Grant’s Vince Jasinski (43-6 at 126) won his school’s only sectional title, but he’ll have good company at state. Teammates Erik Rodriguez (45-6 at 138), Christian Wittkamp (19-4 at 175) and Casey Gipson won third and Adrian Khi (25-24 at 144) took fourth.

Shawn Kogan (39-5 at 132) took second to lead Stevenson’s four state qualifiers as Daniel Berdich (35-15 at 106), Marcelo Cantu (28-12 at 126) and Mikey Polyakov (37-13 at 138) took fourth.

Evan Gosz (43-2 at 144) won a title for Fremd. Drew Fifield (33-4 at 138) took second and Lucas Nance (37-8 at 165) and Owen Jakubczak (32-7 at 285) were third.

Radic Dvorak (42-3 at 157) was a big winner for Huntley. Also qualifying for the Red Raiders were Wyatt Theobald (33-17 at 215) and Colin Abordo (38-11 at 113). Both placed fourth. 

Niko Odiotti (27-2 at 106) and Kai Calcutt (34-0 at 215) won titles for Loyola Academy, joining Warren as the only school to produce two or more champions in addition to Rockton Hononegah’s five. Calcutt is looking to defend his state title at 215 and remains unbeaten.

STATE QUALIFIERS FROM THE BARRINGTON SECTIONAL

106
1st – Niko Odiotti of Wilmette (Loyola Academy)
2nd – Kristian DeClercq of Rockton (Hononegah)
3rd – Dominic Angileri of Rockford (Guilford)
4th – Daniel Berdich of Lincolnshire (Stevenson)

113

1st – Caleb Noble of Gurnee (Warren)

2nd – Kaleb Pratt of Barrington

3rd – Oleksandr Havrylkiv of Buffalo Grove

4th – Colin Abordo of Huntley

120

1st – Ryan Dorn of Barrington

2nd – Anthony Orozco of Arlington Heights (Hersey)

3rd – Jonathon Marquez of Gurnee (Warren)

4th – Jackson Olson of Rockton (Hononegah)

126

1st – Vince Jasinski of Fox Lake (Grant)

2nd – Saul Ramirez of Barrington

3rd – Riddick Variano of Arlington Heights (Hersey)

4th – Marcelo Cantu of Lincolnshire (Stevenson)

132

1st – Rocco Cassioppi of Rockton (Hononegah)

2nd – Shawn Kogan of Lincolnshire (Stevenson)

3rd – Elijah Garza of Arlington Heights (Hersey)

4th – Ryan Hanson of McHenry

138

1st – Thomas Silva of Rockton (Hononegah)

2nd – Drew Fifield of Palatine (Fremd)

3rd – Erik Rodriguez of Fox Lake (Grant)

4th – Mikey Polyakov of Lincolnshire (Stevenson)

144

1st – Evan Gosz of Palatine (Fremd)

2nd –  Ethan Banda of Mundelein (H.S.)

3rd – Maksim Mukhamedaliyev of Arlington Heights (Hersey)

4th – Adrian Khi of Fox Lake (Grant)

150

1st – Bruno Cassioppi of Rockton (Hononegah)

2nd – Rodrigo Arceo of Arlington Heights (Hersey)

3rd – Daniel Blanke of Barrington

4th – Oliver Quiros of Skokie (Niles North)

157

1st – Radic Dvorak of Huntley

2nd – Frankie Tagoe of Arlington Heights (Hersey)

3rd – Max Haskins of Rockton (Hononegah)

4th – Justice Humphreys of Gurnee (Warren)

165

1st – Brody Sendele of Rockton (Hononegah)

2nd – Royce Lopez of Gurnee (Warren)

3rd – Lucas Nance of Palatine (Fremd)

4th – Joseph Quirk of Mt. Prospect (Prospect)

175

1st – Aaron Stewart of Gurnee (Warren)

2nd – Connor Diemel of Rockton (Hononegah)

3rd – Christian Wittkamp of Fox Lake (Grant)

4th – Shane Onixt of Northbrook (Glenbrook North)

190

1st – Kurt Smith of Rockton (Hononegah)

2nd – Jonathan Slump of Arlington Heights (Hersey)

3rd – Casey Gipson of Fox Lake (Grant)

4th – John Rappa of Rolling Meadows

215

1st – Kai Calcutt of Wilmette (Loyola Academy)

2nd – Caleb Baczek of Libertyville

3rd – Clarence Jackson of Barrington

4th – Wyatt Theobald of Huntley

285

1st – William Cole of Round Lake

2nd – Anthony Soto of Gurnee (Warren)

3rd – Owen Jakubczak of Palatine (Fremd)

4th – Abisai Hernandez of Mundelein (H.S.)

By Chris Walker – for The IWCOA

Marmion Academy’s James Morrison (106), Nicholas Garcia (126), Zach Stewart (144), Ashton Hobson (150) and Joseph Favia (215) were crowned sectional champions early Saturday evening at the IHSA Class 3A Hinsdale Central Individual Sectional.

The Cadets dominated a strong, competitive field, which included familiar foes such as Marist and Mount Carmel, as they had four second-place finishes along with a third place and a fourth-place finish and will send 11 individuals to the IHSA Individual Finals, which begins on Thursday at the State Farm Center in Champaign.

Morrison (33-11) had a win by technical fall over Glenbard East’s Lorenz Rios Loud in the quarterfinals, followed by a pin of Marist’s Elio Gil (26-13) in 5:57 in the semifinal and another win by technical fall in 5:26 in the 106 championship over Glenbard West’s Aidan Ortega (36-6).

Garcia (21-1), who won a Class 3A title at 113 pounds last year, got a quick pin in the quarterfinals against Mount Carmel’s Francis Burke and a 9-3 decision over Glenbard West’s Carson Prunty (32-7) in the semifinals before defeating Marist’s Michael Esteban (32-7) in the 126 final on a tiebreaker, 2-1.

Stewart (30-2), who won the Class 3A title at 138 in 2024, got a win by technical fall win over Downers Grove North’s Aidan Cummings in the quarterfinals before surviving Marist’s Donavon Allen (27-6) on an ultimate tie breaker, 3-2, to advance in the finals. Stewart pinned Carl Sandburg’s Ryan Hinger (40-4), who took fourth in the state at 138 last year, in 1:27.

“(On Friday) I wrestled (Aidan) Cummings, a tough kid and then I wrestled Donavon Allen and he’s a really tough kid and I’m bumping up some weight,” Stewart said. “I think he’s ranked 23rd in the country and he’s got that style where he’s going to be tough to score on, so it’s kind of like I know it’s going to be tough and you got to go out there and win so that’s what I did against Allen. I found something in me to get that win, bigger, stronger, faster. And then in the finals there, (Hinger) got me into his positions but I kind of ended it pretty quick.”

Going head-to-head against fellow studs like Allen as well as seeing other high-caliber matches continues to drive Stewart’s love of the sport.

“I love the tournaments,” he said. “Tournaments are my favorite. I love practices, but tournaments, just the feeling with everybody, and I see everybody, like (Mount Carmel’s) Seth (Mendoza). I practice with him in the offseason so I get to see what’s up with him. I just love being here. Yeah, you could be somewhere else on a Saturday night, but instead you’re here wrestling with some of your best friends.”

It certainly helps when some of those best friends are your teammates and they’re finding great success, too.

“Honestly, the work we’ve put in, especially the past few weeks leading up to this and getting healthy helped us get 11 guys in,” Stewart said. “It’s nice to finally be back to full health so it’s really fun to see what these guys can do because we haven’t seen much of it all. Nobody has been wrestling the whole year. A lot of the guys are back now. There are mental blocks, but physically we’re all kind of back into wrestling. Mentally we’re all there, but there are just a few things, you know, we need to get past to get into that groove that we have. Minor little adjustments to specific kids, but other than that, we’re wrestling really solid, but when we get to that team state like we’ll have a plan.”

Hobson (25-5), who placed sixth in the state at 144 last season, pinned Argo’s Skylar Arellano-Phipps in under a minute during the quarterfinals and earned a 6-3 decision against Naperville North’s Tyler Sternstein (34-9) in the semifinals. Mount Carmel’s Jairo Acuna (17-7) was his final roadblock in pursuit of the sectional title at 150 and Hobson controlled the match, earning a 7-0 win.

Hobson and Acuna know each other well. They met in the blood round at state last year with Hobson prevailing, 9-3, in Champaign.

“It gets hard wrestling guys two or three times a year,” Hobson said. “The guy I had in the final I had last year in the blood round so it’s a familiar foe.”

With his teammates also rolling, Hobson is thrilled to be along for the ride while doing his part to help them drive downstate.

“It’s awesome seeing your friends win and it just motivates you to work harder,” he said. “We’re right there. We’re ready to show the state what we could do.”

After taking second in the state at 215 last year to Loyola Academy’s Kai Calcutt, there’s no doubt that Favia wants a chance to compete for a state title again. 

“Our team looks really good,” he said. “We’ve been putting in all the work, you know, pushing the pace these last couple weeks when people are toning it down we’re turning into machines. We’re not men anymore, we’re machines. The team is looking good and is ready to push, even after individual state.”

Favia got another step closer to returning to the state final match after outlasting Batavia’s Asher Sheldon (30-5) with a 1-0 decision for the 215 sectional title.

“Asher is a great wrestler, good kid, I talk to him quite a bit,” Favia said. “He’s a great athlete. We wrestled two times prior. He’s a hell of an athlete. I just got to get to my offense more and the coaches are already talking to me so I know what I got to work on so we’ll be ready.”

Favia pinned Downers Grove North’s Nate Olona to get started before earning an 8-1 decision over Carl Sandburg’s Malic Breish (31-18) to get into the finals.

“All of our guys are kind of peaking at the right moment so it’s looking really good,” Favia said. “Obviously there are some things that everybody has to touch up, but I mean, we’re all on the right pace to do some big things. I’m really excited for our team. We’ve never won a team state title in Marmion history so we’re coming for that.”

Falling in their respective title matches were Aidan McClure (26-8 at 113), Demetrios Carrera (41-6 at 132), Vincenzo Testa (10-5 at 175) and Mateusz Nycz (40-5 at 285).

Also advancing for the Cadets were Colton Wyller (41-8 at 120), who earned a 10-1 major decision against Downers Grove North’s Tyler Tiancgo (40-12) to take third, and Luke Boersma (36-17 at 190), who dropped a 6-4 decision to Glenbard East’s Orlando Hoye (33-12), to place fourth.

All told, Marmion qualified 11 individuals to state. When you’re reaching double digits in a sectional, you’re doing something really special.

“I really truly believe we have the best coaching staff in the country,” Favia said. “They’re always there for us. Win or lose, those guys love us and put in so much time so that really does it for the mindset. Just knowing you have a group of teammates and coaches that win or lose you’re loved and that’s the school that we have, that’s the brotherhood that we have, and it’s something special we have, you won’t find it anywhere else.”

Mount Carmel and Marist didn’t get as many wrestlers into sectional championship matches as the Cadets, but both programs had strong performances and each qualified nine individuals for state after sending four apiece into sectional title bouts.

Marist’s George Marinopoulos (36-6) got wins by technical fall over Waubonsie Valley’s Nathan Duffield and Carl Sandburg’s Madden Parker (35-10) to set the stage for the 132 final against Marmion’s Carrera, where Marinopoulos pulled away in the final for a 13-6 decision.

“I had a good opponent (in the final) who I’ve wrestled twice earlier in the year and wanted to get that one back,” Marinopoulos said. “I was just ready. I’ve been kind of looking forward to this one for a couple weeks now. I’ve been wanting to wrestle him again so I was just ready for that one.”

Last year Marinopoulos took third place at 120 pounds at the Hinsdale Central sectional to qualify for state where he split his four matches and did not place.

“I’m super excited,” he said. “I’m feeling more confident than ever and just trying to get that championship.”

Over the summer, Marinpoulous committed himself to returning to state and also to the award stand.

“Summer wrestling and getting in the room is a key factor to how we’ll perform later on,” he said. “A big shoutout to coach Ryan Egan and teammates Will Denny, Michael Esteban and Tommy Fidler. We were in the room every day with each other having fun with it, not just wrestling. Sometimes we’d play around and do some MMA stuff. It’s just having fun in the room. We’re just a brotherhood. We all love each other and push each other every day.”

Denny (38-1) is pursuing his second-straight state title for Marist after winning at 150 pounds last season. Denny took down all three of his opponents at 165 via technical fall, earning victories over Carl Sandburg’s Wyatt Hochgraber and Mount Carmel’s Daniel Lynch (16-13) before he handed West Aurora’s Dayne Serio (45-2) just his second loss of the season with a win by technical fall in 1:24.

The RedHawks’ third sectional champion, Ricky Ericksen at 190, has been shooting for a return to state after placing second to Mount Carmel’s Colin Kelly at 175 a year ago.

“I don’t know, it’s kind of hard to explain, but the feeling I felt after the state finals match even though going into it (I knew) this kid has beaten me a couple times already, it was not the performance I wanted to have in the state finals,” Ericksen said. “So it really fueled my fire in the off-season and over the summer. I took a break from football and came back and was still dialed in like I never left.”

Ericksen pinned Carl Sandburg’s Chris Davis to begin his sectional title run. Ericksen won by technical fall over Glenbard East’s Orlando Hoye (33-12) before making quick work of Hinsdale Central’s Zachary Kruse, getting a fall in 0:56 in the 190 title bout.

“The goal next week is to dominate,” he said. “Just go out there and dominate. Not really focusing on getting that state championship because we know that will come. Just putting on a show for the fans.”

There’s no doubt Ericksen finds joy when he wrestles. For as little time a wrestler spends actually wrestling over the course of a two-day tournament, like this sectional, finding a way to stay occupied, focused and have fun isn’t necessarily easy. Ericksen is flourishing throughout. The Ohio- recruit even sent a wink in teammate Ethan Sonne’s direction after he cruised to a quick Kruse pin in the final.

“(Sonne) was looking at me and kind of laughing and we made eye contact,” Eriksen said. “I decided to throw him a wink. We share a special bond as a team. We are such a tight-knit group of kids who all love each other to death. These are special moments and being my last year I’m making memories.”

Esteban, who took second in the state at 126 last February, took second place after a tough loss to Marmion’s Nicholas Garcia. He’ll be joining his three sectional champion teammates at state along with Donavon Allen (27-6 at 144), Tommy Fidler (22-10 at 150) and Ethan Sonne (33-10 at 157), who all won third-place matches, and Elio Gil (26-13 at 106) and Joe Bronske (21-10 at 113), who took fourth.

Mount Carmel’s Seth Mendoza (32-1), who is wrestling at 138 after winning the 126-pound state title last year, pinned West Aurora’s Evan Matkovich in 1:21 to capture the sectional crown. 

Also winning for the Caravan was Kavel Moore (25-11), who pinned Glenbard East’s Ismael Chaidez (42-3)in 2:34 for the title at 120.

Moore scored a major decision over Downers Grove North’s Tyler Tiancgo and a win by technical fall over Marmion’s Wyller to earn his shot against Chaidez.

Mendoza, who will be trying to make history by becoming a four-time IHSA champion this weekend, got started with a first-period win by technical fall win over Lyons Township’s Jack Kutchek before pinning Sandburg’s Brady Ritter (35-11) in 2:18 during the semifinals.

“I didn’t change anything going into this tournament,” Mendoza said. “It’s the same as any other tournament. The same mindset, the same goal. But, I mean, I think no matter what tournament it is,  the first dual meet of the year or a big national tournament, I’m going in there with the same mindset. Just trying to dominate, win the positions I’m in and I think that just has always worked for me and will always work for me.”

Watching Moore dominate provided outstanding theater for Mendoza.

“He’s having a little more fun with it and not worrying about wins and losses, but just worrying about having fun and focusing, and that gets the job done,” Mendoza said. “That’s what I did and I think it works out pretty well.”

Having already won state titles at 106, 113 and 126, Mendoza is shooting for his fourth state title this season.

“These four years, everyone has been telling me, especially my parents, that it’s going to go quick,” he said. “I didn’t really believe them and now that it’s almost over it’s like ‘Wow, I remember being in this building three years ago and it didn’t feel like three years ago.’ I’m just trying to enjoy every moment of it, every practice. We’re close with a lot of these teams, Marist and Marmion and it’s good seeing them here. They have top-level guys just like us and are battling it out. It’s always fun to watch. It never gets old watching us compete.”

The Caravan also received second-place finishes from Jairo Acuna (17-7 at 150) and Liam Kelly (30-5 at 157) while Sebastian Gracia (25-11 at 106) and Leonard Siegal (21-14 at 215) took third place and Justin Williamson (15-7 at 132), Daniel Lynch (16-13 at 165) and Kevin Kalchbrenner (24-10 at 175) placed fourth to all advance to state.

West Aurora matched the Caravan and RedHawks with four individuals who also were in the finals. The RedHawks produced three champions while the Caravan and Blackhawks each had a pair of title winners.

Dominic Serio started out in fine fashion for West Aurora, pinning Lyons Township’s Mickey Ahrens in 1:30 in the 157 quarterfinals. Serio won by technical tech fall in his seminal match against Glenbard West’s Brandon Watson (33-15) before earning a 7-3 decision over Mount Carmel’s Kelly for the title.

Serio took fourth in the state at 150 last year.

“It feels pretty good, but I’m still not done yet, so I’m not satisfied,” Serio said. “I’ve got to win the state title at the end of the season. Honestly, I feel like all this stuff before state is just practice to help you get ready for the state tournament. And I’ll be ready.”

His teammate, Alfonso Aguilar, was certainly ready on Saturday afternoon.

Wrestling in the 285 final as the sectional was coming to an end, Aguilar (37-11) pinned Marmion’s Mateusz Nycz (40-5) in 1:52. The two just squared off in the Class 3A Marmion Regional title match a week earlier with Nycz disposing of Aguilar in the opening 30 seconds in Aurora. 

“It was on my mind,” Aguilar explained. I was nervous. He pinned me in like the first 15 seconds (officially 21 seconds). I was just nervous, scared.”

What a turnaround.

“Honestly it’s just practice and getting after it every day and coach pushing me and getting me to be my best,” Aguilar said. “That’s the mindset you have to have in order to win. There’s no backing down. Honestly, I was excited. I was confident about my wrestling and I think honestly that’s what got me the win.”

It was a solid day for the Blackhawks as Serio and Aguilar were just two of the five wrestlers to advance to state from West Aurora. Dayne Serio (45-2 at 165) and Evan Matkovich (41-6 at 138) took second and Marcus Quintana (40-8 at 144) took fourth to also qualify for state.

“It’s honestly like a family here,” Dominic Serio said. “I mean, we all work as hard as we can be and I love those guys. We all get along great and we all train hard together. It’s seeing each other work really hard that really just boosts everybody up and we all get better together.”

And they’re enjoying the journey toward this weekend’s final destination for 2025.

“I feel like better than ever this season,” Dominic Serio said. “A lot of it is mental, too. I used to be my own worst critic. Now I’m in my last year and not worried about it and having fun. Doing the work in the offseason and stuff and getting extra workouts in have really helped.”

No other programs other than Marmion, Marist, Mount Carmel and West Aurora had multiple champions. Carl Sandburg’s Rocco Hayes (113) and Naperville Central’s Henry Rydwelski (175) won sectional titles for their respective schools to account for the remaining championships.

Hayes (42-1), who took third at state at 106 in 2024, earned a 6-4 decision over Marmion’s McClure in his title match. Hayes pinned West Aurora’s Jeremiah Hayes and Batavia’s Kai Enos enroute there.

Ryan Hinger (40-4 at 144), who took fourth in the state at 138 last year, was second and Brady Ritter (35-11 at 138) and Malic Breish (31-18 at 215) were fourth to join Hayes in qualifying for state.

Henry Rydwelski (43-3) punched his ticket to state in his final attempt after beating Downers Grove South’s Noah Greene (31-8), 7-2, in his semifinals match. Rydwelski fell short of qualifying for state out of the Hinsdale Central Sectional a year ago. 

Saturday’s success undoubtedly was the direct result of the senior’s unwavering commitment to getting better in order to make the dream of getting to state a reality. Inspiring.

“Going in the mornings and after school every day in the offseason, and in the summer, and everyday in the winter and Sundays,” Rydwelski said. “Everything just seems to be paying off now and it’s just the best feeling in the world, really.”

Rydwelski defeated Marmion’s Vincenzo Testa in a down-to-the-wire championship match as the two were knotted at 1-1 late until Rydwelski pulled out the win, 4-1.

“I knew if I just pushed the pace the whole match and once he took that injury timeout I was (feeling) like he (was) getting tired,” he said. “If I just keep pushing the pace eventually something is going to open up and it did so.”

Knowing he had already earned his trip this weekend to state eased the stress of wrestling for a sectional title. What an emotional rollercoaster.

“I found it a little easier, I was worrying a lot and was nervous in my semifinal bout,” he said. “Once I made it to the finals I was like I might as well go and win the whole thing now, know what I’m saying? I already have a spot in state, so I’m just going to let it fly.”

Just a few years ago, Rydwelski was a freshman and setting goals. Getting to state was the big one. 

“Freshman year I was like, ‘This is my goal, I want to win a state medal and I’m going to do everything in my power to make that happen.’ Seeing it pay off is the best feeling in the world.”

William Erbeck (38-3 at 285) and Jacob Cochran (38-11 at 126) both took fourth place and will join Rydwelski in Champaign representing Naperville Central.

It’s a return trip for Erbeck and the first for Cochran.

“I’ve drilled with Erbeck before, but not as much lately since he’s heavyweight,” Rydwelski said. “Seeing him go to state a second year in a row is amazing. And then Jacob Cochran. He is like one of the hardest workers in the room. He consistently shows up to every event in the offseason and goes to club. He’s definitely one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen, so seeing that pay off is so nice.”

Glenbard West’s Aidan Ortega (36-6 at 106) took second, Carson Prunty (32-7 at 126) was third and Vince Tortoriello (36-11 at 150) and Brandon Watson (33-15 at 157) were fourth for the Hilltoppers and all qualified to state.

Glenbard East’s Ismael Chaidez (42-3 at 120) and Orland Hoye (33-12 at 190) took second and third, respectively, to qualify to state for the Rams.

Batavia’s Asher Sheldon (30-5 at 215) took second and Kai Enos (37-8 at 113) placed third to lead the Bulldogs and extend their seasons.

Lyons Township received third-place finishes from Griff Powell (33-4 at 132) and Jack Kutchek (27-14 at 138) to also advance to state.

Downers Grove South’s Noah Greene (31-8 at 175) and Jack=obi Spraggins (28-5 at 285) also both took third place to earn state berths.

Hinsdale Central’s Zachary Kruse (40-5 at 190) claimed second place, Bolingbrook’s Tommy McDermott (35-7 at 165) placed third and Downers Grove North’s Tyler Tinacgo (40-12 at 106) took fourth as all three earned the opportunity to represent their school at state.

Class 3A Hinsdale Sectional Place Matches

106

1st Place Match

James Morrison (Marmion Academy) 33-11, So. over Aidan Ortega (Glenbard West) 36-6, So. (TF-1.5 5:26 (16-0))

3rd Place Match

Sebastian Gracia (Mount Carmel) 25-11, Fr. over Elio Gil (Marist) 26-13, So. (Dec 4-1)

113

1st Place Match

Rocco Hayes (Carl Sandburg) 42-1, Sr. over Aidan McClure (Marmion Academy) 26-8, Fr. (Dec 6-4)

3rd Place Match

Kai Enos (Batavia) 37-8, Fr. over Joe Bronske (Marist) 21-20, Jr. (Fall 5:52)

120

1st Place Match

Kavel Moore (Mount Carmel) 25-11, Sr. over Ismael Chaidez (Glenbard East) 42-3, Jr. (Fall 2:34)

3rd Place Match

Colton Wyller (Marmion Academy) 41-8, So. over Tyler Tiancgo (Downers Grove North) 40-12, Sr. (MD 10-1)

126

1st Place Match

Nicholas Garcia (Marmion Academy) 21-1, Jr. over Michael Esteban (Marist) 32-7, Sr. (TB-1 2-1)

3rd Place Match

Carson Prunty (Glenbard West) 32-7, Sr. over Jacob Cochran (Naperville Central) 38-11, Jr. (Dec 4-3)

132

1st Place Match

George Marinopoulos (Marist) 36-6, Sr. over Demetrios Carrera (Marmion Academy) 41-6, Jr. (Dec 13-6)

3rd Place Match

Griff Powell (Lyons Township) 33-4, Jr. over Justin Williamson (Mount Carmel) 15-7, So. (Dec 3-0)

138

1st Place Match

Seth Mendoza (Mount Carmel) 32-1, Sr. over Evan Matkovich (West Aurora) 41-6, Jr. (Fall 1:21)

3rd Place Match

Jack Kutchek (Lyons Township) 27-14, Sr. over Brady Ritter (Carl Sandburg) 35-11, So. (Dec 6-2)

144

1st Place Match

Zach Stewart (Marmion Academy) 30-2, Jr. over Ryan Hinger (Carl Sandburg) 40-4, Sr. (Fall 1:27)

3rd Place Match

Donavon Allen (Marist) 27-6, Sr. over Marcus Quintana (West Aurora) 40-8, So. (TF-1.5 3:18 (20-5))

150

1st Place Match

Ashton Hobson (Marmion Academy) 25-5, Jr. over Jairo Acuna (Mount Carmel) 17-7, Sr. (Dec 7-0)

3rd Place Match

Tommy Fidler (Marist) 22-10, Jr. over Vince Tortoriello (Glenbard West) 36-11, Jr. (MD 11-2)

157

1st Place Match

Dominic Serio (West Aurora) 33-4, Sr. over Liam Kelly (Mount Carmel) 30-5, Jr. (Dec 7-3)

3rd Place Match

Ethan Sonne (Marist) 33-10, So. over Brandon Watson (Glenbard West) 33-15, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:46 (20-3))

165

1st Place Match

Will Denny (Marist) 38-1, Sr. over Dayne Serio (West Aurora) 45-2, Jr. (TF-1.5 1:24 (21-6))

3rd Place Match

Tommy McDermott (Bolingbrook) 35-7, Jr. over Daniel Lynch (Mount Carmel) 16-13, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:03 (15-0))

175

1st Place Match

Henry Rydwelski (Naperville Central) 43-3, Sr. over Vincenzo Testa (Marmion Academy) 10-5, Jr. (Dec 4-1)

3rd Place Match

Noah Greene (Downers Grove South) 31-8, So. over Kevin Kalchbrenner (Mount Carmel) 24-10, Sr. (Dec 19-18)

190

1st Place Match

Ricky Ericksen (Marist) 33-7, Sr. over Zachary Kruse (Hinsdale Central) 40-5, Sr. (Fall 0:56)

3rd Place Match

Orlando Hoye (Glenbard East) 33-12, Jr. over Luke Boersma (Marmion Academy) 36-17, So. (Dec 6-4)

215

1st Place Match

Joseph Favia (Marmion Academy) 18-6, Jr. over Asher Sheldon (Batavia) 30-5, Jr. (Dec 1-0)

3rd Place Match

Leonard Siegal (Mount Carmel) 21-14, Sr. over Malic Breish (Carl Sandburg) 31-18, Sr. (Dec 3-2)

285

1st Place Match

Alfonso Aguilar (West Aurora) 37-11, Jr. over Mateusz Nycz (Marmion Academy) 40-5, Sr. (Fall 1:52)

3rd Place Match

Jacobi Spraggins (Downers Grove South) 28-5, Sr. over William Erbeck (Naperville Central) 38-3, Sr. (Dec 9-2)

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

How brutal was the gauntlet of this year’s Schaumburg girls’ sectional? Look no further than the four wrestlers who reached the semifinals at 105 pounds.

Heading into Schaumburg, those four girls had a combined record of 126-6. The group included two unbeaten semifinalists squaring off in Glenbard East’s Nadiia Shymkiv and Leyden’s Zoey Dodgers, plus two wrestlers with identical 36-3 records in the other semifinal, in Dundee-Crown’s Diamond Rodriguez and West Aurora’s Kameyah Young.

“It’s crazy. There’s no easy way out of here. You have to go earn it,” Schaumburg coach Matt Gruszka said.“These teams are just beating up on one another.” 

At day’s end, it was Gruszka’s girls who earned a team sectional trophy in a tight race all day, 96.5-85 over second-place Lockport. Hoffman Estates (74.5), Glenbard West (72.5) and Hampshire (71.5) finished in that order in a tight battle for third.

Lockport got individual sectional titles from returning state champion Claudia Heeney (135) and Rebekah Ramirez (235), Hoffman Estates got a title from Sophia Ball (130), Glenbard West’s Khloe Perez (110) won a title, and Hampshire had two individual champs in Amelia Nidelea-Polanin (115) and Annaliese Tavira (170).

Schaumburg led all teams with four state qualifiers in sectional champion Nadia Razzak (190), runner-up Hope Zerafa-Lazarevic (145), and third-place winners Madyson Meyer (115) and Sharon Olorunfemi (135).

Razzak won a 14-7 decision over Streamwood’s Jasmine Rene on the title mat at 190, then raved about her Saxons.

“My team is amazing and I don’t know what I’d do without them. They support me so much,” Razzak said. “I don’t even get excited about winning my matches until I turn and see my team cheering for me. That just really makes it worth it for me, to be able to support my team and see that support come right back.”

“Overall, it was hard-nosed,” Gruszka said. “Nadia winning against Jasmine was great to see, and Hope wrestled a really tough kid (South Elgin’s Allison Garbacz). Maddy wrestled smart at 115 and my sophomore (Olorunfemi) didn’t even know what wrestling was last year, so she’s been fun to watch.

“Hoffman Estates, Lockport, Glenbard West — you look at the wins in these brackets and you just shake your head.”

INDIVIDUAL SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS

100 – Katelyn Bell, Montini

Seniors with a sense of urgency during the final chapter of their high school careers often also possess a perspective that only comes with maturity.

“I practice with intention, I know the things I need to work on and I have a goal in my head,” Montini senior Katelyn Bell said. “So even if I’m having a bad day, I try to leave it all on the mat. And the pressure is what makes it fun.”

Bell (36-5) met the pressure of a sectional title mat Saturday. The four-time state qualifier won by fall at 1:48 over Batavia’s Lily Enos (41-5) to win the first sectional crown of her career. And where pressure is concerned, Bell largely leaves all that to a higher power.

“My dad tells me to surrender the outcome,” Bell said. “We’re very religious, so leave the outcome to God and just leave everything you have on the mat.”

Regional champion Bell posted a pair of tech falls to reach the finals, while Enos used a fall and a major decision to get there. Bell shot a low double and scored to make it 3-0 early on, and got two more takedowns before getting the fall.

Bell placed sixth downstate last year but had to sit out the fifth-place match due to a concussion. She’s ready to make another run at the podium in her final high school season.

“Coach (Mike Bukovsky) tells me ‘you’ve done all the work all year, now this is the time to get it done’,” Bell said. “Be in a good mindset, be ready for everything, and just wrestle to the best of your ability. I know how to wrestle my match and know how to control where it goes.”

Romeoville’s Daniela Santander (34-6) won by fall over West Aurora’s Ruby Bolanos-Carbajal (26-13) on the third-place mat.

105 – West Aurora’s Kameyah Young

After placing second in state last year at 100 pounds, West Aurora’s Kameyah Young has been dominant all season, and she beat two regional champions on her way to beating a third for a sectional title.

In arguably the toughest bracket in arguably the toughest sectional in Illinois, Young (38-3) rose to the challenge. The Blackhawks’ senior won her last three matches of the day over regional champs Ashley Hammond (30-14) of Larkin, Diamond Rodriguez (37-5) of Dundee-Crown, and previously unbeaten sophomore Zoey Dodgers (23-1) of Leyden.

Young placed second to Glenbard East’s Nadiia Shymkiv (32-1) on a regional title mat a week earlier. Shymkiv placed third in Illinois at 105 last year but in a sectional semifinal battle of unbeatens, Dodgers won by major decision over Shymkiv to eliminate the chance at a Shymkiv-Young rematch.

Young’s four takedowns against Dodgers sent her along the path to a 13-1 major decision win and a sectional title. Shymkiv and Rodriguez both advanced downstate, with Shymkiv winning a 9-0 major decision over Rodriguez for third place.

110 – Khloe Perez, Glenbard West

For Glenbard West regional champion Khloe Perez (36-0), a trio of pins earned the freshman her first sectional title, capped by a pin at 1:50 on the title mat at 110 against Crystal Lake South’s Annalee Aarseth (14-2).

Aarseth also won a regional title one week prior and the sophomore used a pair of major decisions to reach the finals. Aarseth shot two first-period singles that Perez fought off before taking Aarseth down for the late first-period pin.

No one made it to the third period against Perez in Schaumburg. She opened with a quarterfinal fall at 2:39 against Harvard’s Alexa Herrera, then a fall at :29 in her semifinal against Woodstock’s Eva Hermansson, before knocking off Aarseth.

Perez’s sister Alycia went 35-0 as a state champion senior at 100 pounds last year, so she’s aiming to match her sister’s unbeaten championship season.

In the third-place match at 110, Elk Grove Village’s Valeria Pesantes (23-4) won by fall at 1:01 over Lisle’s Cadence Dubois (17-6).

115 – Amelia Nidelea-Polanin, Hampshire

Hampshire sophomore Amelia Nidelea-Polanin improved to 33-2 with here title-mat pin at 2:53 against Bolingbrook’s Alejandra Flores (30-4), winning her first sectional title one week after winning her first regional title.

Nidelea-Polanin used two tech fall wins to reach the title mat, where she led 3-1 midway through the second period when she took Flores to her back and finished the match.

A year ago, Nidelea-Polanin was sitting at home.

“I didn’t wrestle last year. I was worn out and I didn’t feel confident,” Nidelea-Polanin said. “Now, I feel good. I just pushed through it and pushed through practices because I know what I want to get, which is a state title.”

Schaumburg’s Madyson Meyer (44-3) finished third by medical forfeit against Metea Valley’s Ashley Basmajian (11-2).

120 – Emma Engels, Bartlett

A four-time state qualifier in Bartlett senior Emma Engels (40-3) followed last week’s regional title with the second sectional crown of her career. Engels won a state title at 100 pounds as a sophomore and the Oshkosh-bound wrestler is aiming to return to the highest step on the podium at this year’s state finals.

“I’m definitely more confident than I’ve ever been,” Engels said. “Training over the summer definitely helped. I’m doing anything all that differently than last year, I’m just more confident.

“I’ve wrestled most of the top girls so now it’s about making adjustments since the last time I wrestled them. I’ll keep training hard, working on what I’m doing, and making those adjustments.”

Engels led Leyden sophomore Sabrina Bono (27-5) 16-6 on the title mat Saturday, when she pinned her at the 5:24 mark.

Glenbard West senior Karolina Konopka (38-8) won by fall at 2:21 over Oswego senior Aaliyah Roldan (36-14) on the third-place mat.

125 – Elise Burkut, Wheeling

Wheeling junior Elise Burkut (35-3) trailed Bartlett junior Lilly White (38-4) 3-1 on the title mat at 125 when she made a decision.

“I guess I decided to just take a risk, since I was already down by a good few points,” Burkut said. “I don’t know how to say this without being family-friendly — but I just decided ‘F-it, we’re hip-tossing’. I knew I could lug her over because I’ve got pretty good torque. I think that was a pretty good match for me. Normally matches are a blur for me and when I tap myself on the headgear a couple times, that’s when it all clicks in.”

Burkut’s hip-toss paid off when she took White to the mat and pinned her at 3:16. 

Burkut was a state qualifier last year and hopes to make more noise in Bloomington this year after going 0-2 there as a sophomore. She entered her junior year with a one-for-all approach.

“I knew I’d be doing this for my coaches, both in and out of the school,” Burkut said. “I knew I’d be doing it for my family, for my brother, and for my friends as well. It’s my love for the sport that helped me get through it.”

Regional champion Burkut put the feather of a sectional title in her cap, using a pair of falls to reach the finals in Schaumburg. White also earned two falls to reach the title mat.

Naperville Central sophomore Dezi Azar (36-6) placed third at 125 by medical forfeit over Lemont junior Molly O’Connor (41-6).

130 – Sophia Ball, Hoffman Estates

Hoffman Estates senior Sophia Ball placed second in state at 120 last year, giving Hononegah’s three-time state champion Angelina Cassioppi all she could handle before losing a 4-3 decision in the state championship match.

Ball only began wrestling as a freshman, so the distance she has traveled over four years has been remarkable, and fueled by incrementally larger expectations.

“Honestly, I never even thought I’d get that far,” Ball said. “But over time, my goal kept getting higher and higher. My goal in getting to state every year has been to get at least one place higher, so now my only place to go is first.”

Ball (39-1) placed fifth downstate at 120 as a sophomore and was also a state qualifier as a freshman. She won the third sectional title of her career up at 130 Saturday, winning by fall at 2:28 against Huntley junior Aubrie Rohrbacher (43-8).

Ball has watched girls wrestling in Illinois evolve and grow by leaps and bounds in four seasons, and she loves what she’s seeing.

“It’s so exciting to me,” Ball said. “I love watching my teammates, I love having hard matches and I love the challenge of wrestling. Girls have been putting the work in the off-seasons and it’s all on them. It’s their internal motivation.”

Conant junior Jasmine Zavaleta (36-11) placed third via an 8-5 sudden victory win against Fenton senior Yannel Perez (28-4).

135 – Claudia Heeney, Lockport

Lockport junior Claudia Heeney was a state champion last year at 130 pounds, a reality that didn’t quite sink in right away.

“I would say last year after state, I didn’t really take it in fully,” Heeney said. “It’s insane. Obviously it’s a huge deal and I can’t even believe I did that last year. I’ve just been working on keeping it going — working on my determination and keep going no matter what.”

The returning state champ won her third sectional title Saturday, and Prospects Viola Pianetto made her work for it, as Heeney (42-2) and previously-unbeaten Pianetto (36-1) locked horns in a doozy. A scoreless first period of hand-fighting gave way to a late-second period escape by Heeney for a 1-0 lead.

Pianetto started down in the third period and Heeney was a hammer on top, eventually turning Pianetto and winning by fall at the 5:00 mark.

Heeney hasn’t battled self-doubt this season but she has focused on keeping a positive mindset. Before her finals match, she told her father she was ready to go.

“He said ‘I know’,” Heeney said, “but sometimes I think you have to speak it into existence. I knew (Pianetto) was unbeaten so I knew she must be good, and I needed to get in the right mindset for it.”

Heeney used a pair of pins to reach the finals, while Pianetto had a pin and a 7-1 semifinal decision to get to Heeney.

Schaumburg sophomore Sharon Olorunfemi (41-9) won by fall at :54 on the third-place mat against Glenbard East sophomore Maria Green (35-6).

140 – Quinn Janssens, Oswego East

Sophomore regional champion Quinn Janssens had three pins in 4:20 to win a sectional title and improve to 47-3 on the year. Janssens won by fall in the finals at 2:29 over a state medal winner in Hoffman Estates senior Abigail Ji (37-6).

“She was really good and a lot stronger than I expected her to be,” Janssens said of Ji. “And she had good defense, so I couldn’t throw her like I like to do.”

Janssens finally solved Ji to cap a three-pin sectional performance that gave the sophomore her first sectional title, one week after she won the first regional title of her young career. She has been wrestling since middle school.

And as it is for all young wrestlers, the next step for Janssens will be a big one.

“Placing somewhere (downstate) would be nice,” Janssens said. “I’ll lay low as much as I can until then and it’s important to have some rest days, but I’ll also make sure I’m training hard and staying in shape, so it’s a mix of both.”

Ji’s path to the finals was a rugged one; she opened with a 7-6 tie-break win in her quarterfinal match against Richmond-Burton’s Madelyn Peterie, then won 3-2 in a semifinal match over Fremd’s Lloyd Kowalczyk.

McHenry junior Natalie Corona (35-5) wrestled back to place third by medical forfeit over Kowalczyk (24-12).

145 – Allison Garbacz, South Elgin

A top-flight wrestler doesn’t fly under the radar for very long in Illinois, and South Elgin freshman Allison Garbacz is definitely one of those.

Garbacz stayed unbeaten at 30-0 with her 5-1 title-match decision win over a two-time state medal winner and one of the best around at 145, in Schaumburg senior Hope Zerafa-Lazarevic (44-2).

Garbacz certainly doesn’t wrestle like a green freshman. Because she’s not.

“I’ve been wrestling since I was like four,” she said. “But even though I knew I was good, I didn’t think I’d be able to do this.

“I wrestled (Zerafa-Lazarevic) in the regional finals and I pinned her, but I knew she was going to come at me harder this time. She definitely did, but I just stuck to what I knew and worked hard.”

Garbacz wrestled most of the season at 155 pounds, where she won roughly 20 of her 30 wins this season. She has battled older girls all year but hasn’t flinched.

“Throughout regionals and sectionals I’ve mostly been wrestling juniors and seniors,” Garbacz said. 

“I started the season at 155 and even though I haven’t lost yet, I wasn’t ranked for the longest time. They might have had a little strength on me at 155, but I know what I’m doing. The next goal is to place at state and I want to win it one day.”

Garbacz used two pins to get to the title rematch against Zerafa-Lazarevic, who had a tech fall win and two pins to reach the finals.

Wheeling sophomore Krystal Diaz (35-9) placed third with a 5-4 ultimate tie-break decision win over Batavia junior Anabelle Guthke (35-11).

155 – Callie Carr, Hinsdale South

Hinsdale South’s Callie Carr placed second at last year’s sectional meet, and third the year before that. But the unbeaten senior can now call herself a sectional champion.

Carr has been on an unbeaten rampage all season, improving to 35-0 via tech fall in her sectional final against Oswego senior Kiyah Chavez (38-9).

Carr hasn’t yet medaled in the top six downstate and she’s aiming to rectify that situation with the mentality that all the best wrestlers embrace.

“I can get in my head a lot but you go out there and put your foot on the line, and the other person is putting her foot on the line and she thinks she can beat me,” Carr said. “But I’m not going to let her beat me. I could have gotten in on more of my shots today but I’m happy with the outcome and it’s up from here. This is my year and I’ve worked really hard for this moment.

“Going freestyle, I really evolved on my feet. My neutral position was not good last year but now I’ve grown in the aspects I needed to grow and that has really helped me. I worked really hard and I think I’ve evolved in my neutral position.”

Regional champion Carr used two pins to reach the finals, while Chavez opened with a  fall and then won an 8-0 quarterfinal decision over Dundee-Crown’s Mackenzie Lessner. She then won by fall against Wheeling’s Nikol Orendarchuk to clinch a trip downstate.

Sophomore Orendarchuk (26-5) wrestled back to win a 6-5 decision on the third-place mat against the senior Lessner (31-9).

170 – Anneliese Tavira, Hampshire

Hampshire senior Anneliese Tavira (34-4) knocked off a pair of regional champions on her way to the title mat at 170, where a recently familiar foe was waiting for her.

One week prior, Tavira lost a 12-5 decision in a regional final at 170 to Maine West senior Lillian Garrett (30-5). After winning by fall in her quarterfinal match over Oswego East’s Jessica Stover, Tavira posted a tech fall win in her semifinal match against Hoffman Estates’ Isabella Chiovari.

Both Stover and Chiovari won regional titles a week earlier.

Garrett used two quick pins to reach a finals rematch against Tavira. After a scoreless first period, Tavira chose down to start the second and escaped for a 1-0 lead. A Tavira takedown made it 4-0 and a Garrett escape made it 4-1 heading into the third period.

Tavira earned another takedown on the way to a 7-2 decision win and the first sectional title of her career.

Hoffman Estates senior Isabella Chiovari (24-7) won a 9-1 major decision on the third-place mat against Huntley senior Natalie Aguirre (38-14).

190 – Natalie Razzak, Schaumburg

Streamwood junior Jasmine Rene is having a whale of a season, with a 21-2 record at 190 pounds. And her two losses have come on regional and sectional title mats in each of the last two weekends, to the same opponent.

Schaumburg junior Natalie Razzak.

A week after winning on a regional title mat against Rene, Razzak won Schaumburg’s lone sectional title in a 14-7 decision against her on Saturday.

When the season started, did Razzak envision a sectional title in her future?

“Actually, yeah I did,” Razzak said. “I’ve been working so hard to get here, doing freestyle in the off-season, working after practice, and I really wanted this so bad. Next, I want to take state.”

Razzak (44-3) led 6-1 after a period and 9-1 in the second when Rene took her to her back near the edge. Razzak fought off her back to avoid disaster.

“That move happened to me before against Jasmine, I think at regionals last year,” Razzak said. “I just thought ‘no, this is not going to happen again’ and I pulled my arm through. I knew I had to be in control of the match to win it.”

With a two-week wait before the state finals in Bloomington, state qualifiers across Illinois on the girls’ side will negotiate the balance between hard training and rest. 

Razzak also plans to sneak in a little free time for mental health.

“Training, eating good, and I’ll try to do something fun on the weekend to get my mind off of things,” Razzak said. “So I might go shopping.”

Razzak used a pair of falls to reach the finals, while Rene mixed things up some; she won by fall, tech fall, and major decision to get there.

Hampshire freshman Samantha Diehl (27-5) won by fall at 3:14 on the third-place mat against Lockport junior Sophie Kelner (41-12).

235 – Rebekah Ramirez, Lockport

Lockport’s Rebekah Ramirez was a freshman last year who went 36-14, placed second at the sectional meet, and was one of only two freshmen in the 16-girl state finals bracket at 235 in Bloomington.

Success might breed greater expectation, but Ramirez (42-9) was still pleasantly surprised to win Saturday’s sectional title, joining fellow sectional champ and teammate Claudia Heeney (135).

“I got second place last year so this was on the radar, but I didn’t expect to get the championship,” Ramirez said. “There were a lot of good schools and a lot of good girls here. I just felt good. I trusted my training. After getting a regional title I was hungry for this.

“I’ve gotten better as a whole. I have great coaches that teach me everything I could possibly need. Last year I was just starting out and I didn’t know many of the tips or tricks. This year I feel like I’ve got it down completely and it has changed my performance.”

Regional champ Ramirez pinned her way to the title, capped by a fall at 1:30 against Fenton sophomore Ariana Solideo (31-7) in the finals. Solideo knocked off a pair of regional champs along her path to the title match, 5-2 over Maine South’s Sophia Fortis and 7-4 over Romeoville’s Henessis Villagrana.

Fremd senior Jasmin Ocampo (26-5) won a 1-0 decision for third place against Romeoville’s Villagrana (22-8).

STATE QUALIFIERS FROM THE SCHAUMBURG SECTIONAL

100

1st – Katelyn Bell of Lombard (Montini)

2nd – Lily Enos of Batavia

3rd – Daniela Santander of Romeoville 

4th – Ruby Bolanos-Carbajal of Aurora (West Aurora)

105

1st – Kameyah Young of Aurora (West Aurora)

2nd – Zoey Dodgers of Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden)

3rd – Nadiia Shymkiv of Lombard (Glenbard East)

4th – Diamond Rodriguez of Carpentersville (Dundee-Crown)

110

1st – Khloe Perez of Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West)

2nd – Annalee Aarseth of Crystal Lake (South)

3rd – Valeria Pesantes of Elk Grove Village (E.G.)

4th – Cadence DuBois of Lisle (Sr.)

115

1st – Amelia Nidelea-Polanin of Hampshire

2nd – Alejandra Flores of Bolingbrook

3rd – Madyson Meyer of Schaumburg 

4th – Ashley Basmajian of Aurora (Metea Valley)

120

1st – Emma Engels of Bartlett

2nd – Sabrina Bono of Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden)

3rd – Karolina Konopka of Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West)

4th – Aaliyah Roldan of Oswego 

125

1st – Elise Burkut of Wheeling

2nd – Lilly White of Bartlett

3rd – Dezi Azar of Naperville (Central)

4th – Molly O`Connor of Lemont 

130

1st – Sophia Ball of Hoffman Estates 

2nd – Aubrie Rohrbacher of Huntley

3rd – Jasmine Zavaleta of Hoffman Estates (Conant)

4th – Yannel Perez of Bensenville (Fenton)

135

1st – Claudia Heeney of Lockport (Twp.)

2nd – Viola Pianetto of Mt. Prospect (Prospect)

3rd – Sharon Olorunfemi of Schaumburg 

4th – Maria Green of Lombard (Glenbard East)

140

1st – Quinn Janssens of Oswego (East)

2nd – Abigail Ji of Hoffman Estates 

3rd – Natalie Corona of McHenry

4th – Lloyd Kowalczyk of Palatine (Fremd)

145

1st – Allison Garbacz of South Elgin

2nd – Madeline Zerafa-Lazarevic of Schaumburg 

3rd – Krystal Diaz of Wheeling

4th – Anabelle Guthke of Batavia
155

1st – Callie Carr of Darien (Hinsdale South)

2nd – Kiyah Chavez of Oswego 

3rd – Nikol Orendarchuk of Wheeling

4th – Mackenzie Lessner of Carpentersville (Dundee-Crown)

170

1st – Anneliese Tavira of Hampshire

2nd – Lillian Garrett of Des Plaines (Maine West)

3rd – Isabella Chiovari of Hoffman Estates 

4th – Natalie Aguirre of Huntley

190

1st – Nadia Razzak of Schaumburg 

2nd – Jasmine Rene of Streamwood

3rd – Samantha Diehl of Hampshire

4th – Sophie Kelner of Lockport (Twp.)

235

1st – Rebekah Ramirez of Lockport (Twp.)

2nd – Ariana Solideo of Bensenville (Fenton)

3rd – Jasmin Ocampo of Palatine (Fremd)

4th – Henessis Villagrana of Romeoville 

By Mike Garofola for the IWCOA

HINSDALE SOUTH SECTIONAL

One week ago, No. 1 Montini Catholic (19-3-0) used eight individual titles to help send the Broncos past No. 5 Providence at Richards to collect the regional championship.

On Saturday in Darien at the Hinsdale South sectional, it once again was the lower weight strength and depth of the Broncos that would help Mike Bukovsky’s club claim seven individual titles and advance ten state qualifiers.

“Our seven champions wrestled very strong, defeating several highly-ranked kids along their championship paths,” Bukovsky said. “Our other three guys did a great job and won some matches that they were not favored to win.

“Our tough schedule during the season helped prepare us for the competition we see throughout the IHSA state series, and the guys know that they have worked hard, and put in the necessary time to compete for state titles and medals this weekend in Champaign.”

Erik Klichurov (106, 44-4), No. 1 Allen Woo (113, 45-5), Mikey Malizzio (120, 37-8) and Bobby Ruscitti (126, 40-3) gave the Broncos four consecutive sectional titles after earning regional success as well, as did No. 1 Kam Luif (46-4) and teammate, No. 4 Santino Tenuta (37-7) at 165.

Woo is after a second straight state championship while Luif is in pursuit of his first title after finishing third a year ago, and sixth overall in 2023.

Not to be forgotten is the seventh Broncos champion Gavin Ericson (32-18) who held off St. Rita senior Pat Conneely (17-11) in his heavyweight final with a 1-0 decision.

The superb Heeg brothers, Justus (41-3) and Judah (37-3), continue to navigate their way through their weight divisions at supersonic speed, although at different high school programs.

No. 2 Justus Heeg would squeeze a 75-second pin in between a pair of tech-falls on his way to an impressive victory at 150, and a sixth major title of the season for the Providence Catholic freshman.

His older brother Judah at Lemont was just as dominant at 190 pounds. Judah Heeg remained hot on the heels of No. 1 Cayden Parks (Crystal Lake Central) as the No. 2-ranked 190-pounder in Illinois.

The junior Heeg went easily into the final where he met No. 4 Mike Taheny (Richards, 38-2), with Heeg earning a hard fought 8-5 victory.

STATE QUALIFIERS FROM THE HINSDALE SOUTH SECTIONAL

106

1st – Erik Klichurov of Lombard (Montini)

2nd – Christian Corcoran of New Lenox (Providence Catholic)

3rd – Liam Kissane of Burbank (St. Laurence)

4th – Jason Schickel of Oak Forest

113

1st – Allen Woo of Lombard (Montini)

2nd – Jacob Sebek of Oak Forest

3rd – Elijah Sawyers of Chicago (Agricultural Science)

4th – Nathan Ortiz of New Lenox (Providence Catholic)

120

1st – Mikey Malizzio of Lombard (Montini)

2nd – Edgar Mosquera of Riverside (R.-Brookfield)

3rd – Jack Hogan of Chicago (St. Rita)

4th – Victor Alvarado of Chicago (Kennedy)

126

1st – Bob Ruscitti of Lombard (Montini)

2nd – Adrian Cervantes of Evergreen Park

3rd – Cleto Protti of Chicago (St. Rita)

4th – Lucas Forsythe of New Lenox (Providence Catholic)

132

1st – Tommy Banas of New Lenox (Providence Catholic)

2nd – Bobby Conway of Chicago (Brother Rice)

3rd – Cory Zator of Lemont 

4th – Isaac Mayora of Lombard (Montini)

138

1st – Kam Luif of Lombard (Montini)

2nd – Chance Woods of Evergreen Park

3rd – Oliver Davis of Chicago (Brother Rice)

4th – Luke Banas of New Lenox (Providence Catholic)

144

1st – Austin Perez of Oak Forest

2nd – Jonathan Harris of Chicago (Brother Rice)

3rd – Jin Tai of Glen Ellyn (Glenbard South)

4th – Enzo Canali of Chicago (St. Rita)

150

1st – Justus Heeg of New Lenox (Providence Catholic)

2nd – Jack O`Connor of Chicago (Brother Rice)

3rd – Xavier Woods of Chicago (Goode STEM Academy)

4th – David Johnson of Evergreen Park

157

1st – Frank Miceli of Chicago (Brother Rice)

2nd – Joseph Merritt of Calumet City (Thornton Fractional North)

3rd – Jasper Harper of New Lenox (Providence Catholic)

4th – Andrew Lehman of Chicago (St. Rita)

165

1st – Santino Tenuta of Lombard (Montini)

2nd – Micah Spinazzola of Chicago (St. Rita)

3rd – Joey Baranski of Chicago Heights (Marian)

4th – Jaylene Johnson of Crete (C.-Monee)

175

1st – Dan Costello of Chicago (Brother Rice)

2nd – AJ Tack of Lombard (Montini)

3rd – Declan Dircks of New Lenox (Providence Catholic)

4th – Jason Janke of Oak Forest

190

1st – Judah Heeg of Lemont 

2nd – Mike Taheny of Oak Lawn (Richards)

3rd – Jaxon Lane of Lombard (Montini)

4th – James Crane of Chicago (Brother Rice)

215

1st – Genesis Ward of Evergreen Park

2nd – Xavier Bitner of Burbank (St. Laurence)

3rd – Colin Goggin of Chicago (Brother Rice)

4th – Andrius Vasilevskas of Oak Forest

285

1st – Gavin Ericson of Lombard (Montini)

2nd – Pat Conneely of Chicago (St. Rita)

3rd – Marco Olvera of Midlothian (Bremen)

4th – Mike Sisk of New Lenox (Providence Catholic)

LINCOLN SECTIONAL

How’s this for everyone getting a piece of the State Farm Center pie?

Of the 31 teams at Lincoln in the Neil Alexander Gymnasium, 23 teams will send at least one wrestler downstate, including Mahomet-Seymour, which led the way with one half-dozen — one more than Civic Memorial, Glenwood, and Mascoutah’s five apiece.

No. 13 Glenwood takes on Marion in a dual-team sectional contest at Lincoln in two weeks, while the tourney host meets Mahomet-Seymour in the other dual-team sectional.

Last season, Glenwood went on to finish third at the 2A dual-team state tournament, with Mahomet-Seymour advancing into the final eight only to fall to eventual fourth place Brother Rice in its state quarterfinal.

Glenwood edged Civic Memorial two weeks ago during a fierce battle for top honors at the Civic Memorial regional, with heavyweight Cody Moss recording a pin in the last match of the day to give Glenwood the team title by a scant 2.5 points (199.5-197.0).

Moss (35-5) was one of three Titans to win individual sectional titles, along with Avery Jaime (126, 36-10) and teammate Tyler Clarke (120, 38-9), who is now a two-time sectional champion.

Nearly all of the state-ranked men across the weight divisions would earn sectional titles, including No. 1 Tyson Rakers (Highland, 157, 43-2) and No. 3 Bradley Ruckman (Civic Memorial, 132, 40-3) who is after his third state medal in four trips.

Marco Casillas (47-3) won at 175 to continue his marvelous rookie season, however at both 165 and 190, the final order was tossed up for grabs before all was said and done.

At 165, No. 7 James Wojcikiewicz (38-11) fought his way nicely after a second round defeat sent the Civic Memorial sophomore into wrestle-backs where he avenged a regional final loss to earn an eventual third place finish and a second straight trip downstate.

The Honorable Mention duo of Pierre Walton (East St. Louis, 38-4) and AJ Demos (Mahomet-Seymour, 37-11) would have their way at 165 to finish one-two.

Over at 190, Ashton Zobrist (Highland, 42-5) who recently stood as the No. 6 man at 215 pounds, dropped down to win easily to claim his second consecutive trip downstate where he looks to improve on his sixth place stare finish from a year ago.

STATE QUALIFIERS FROM THE LINCOLN SECTIONAL

106

1st – Pierce Bultmann of Rochester

2nd – Cooper Clarke of Chatham (Glenwood)

3rd – Xavier Sonon Hale of Mascoutah

4th – Maddox Williams of Jerseyville (Jersey)

113

1st – Dylan McGrew of Normal (Community West)

2nd – Jaxon Ferguson of Chatham (Glenwood)

3rd – Gideon Hayter of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)

4th – Conner Carroll of Rochester

120

1st – Tyler Clarke of Chatham (Glenwood)

2nd – Will Kelly of Troy (Triad)

3rd – Kayson Duffney of Decatur (Eisenhower)

4th – Trotter Titus of Charleston

126

1st – Avery Jaime of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)

2nd – Talin Baker of Champaign (Central)

3rd – Aj Williams of Chatham (Glenwood)

4th – Tristan Porter of Mattoon

132

1st – Bradley Ruckman of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)

2nd – Jordan Kholian of Jacksonville 

3rd – Konnor Stephens of Waterloo 

4th – Emiliano Bedolla of Urbana 

138

1st – Ronald Baker III of Champaign (Central)

2nd – Justus Vrona of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)

3rd – Braden Rowe of Troy (Triad)

4th – Desi Wade of Mascoutah

144

1st – Dillon White of Mt. Vernon 

2nd – Ben Capitosti of Mattoon

3rd – Brody Smith of Troy (Triad)

4th – Nathen Herrin of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)

150

1st – Knox Verbais of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)

2nd – Talon Decker of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)

3rd – Brock Ross of Mascoutah

4th – Bryce Bryant of Springfield 

157

1st – Tyson Rakers of Highland

2nd – Joe Reif of Jacksonville 

3rd – Jordan Sonon-Hale of Mascoutah

4th – Nicholas Hartley of Jerseyville (Jersey)

165

1st – Pierre Walton of East St. Louis (Sr.)

2nd – AJ Demos of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)

3rd – James Wojcikiewicz of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)

4th – Sean Murphy of Mascoutah

175

1st – Marco Casillas of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)

2nd – Dawson McConnell of Lincoln

3rd – Elijah Smith of Chatham (Glenwood)

4th – Corey Robinson of East St. Louis (Sr.)

190

1st – Ashton Zobrist of Highland

2nd – Jackson Deutch of Waterloo 

3rd – Brock VanDeveer of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)

4th – Chris Hull of Springfield (Southeast)

215

1st – Jaxson Mathenia of Waterloo 

2nd – Kenner Bye of Bloomington 

3rd – Mitchell Clapp of Mattoon

4th – Noah Daniels of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)

285

1st – Cody Moss of Chatham (Glenwood)

2nd – Drew Glowacki of Waterloo 

3rd – Aiden Surratt of Jacksonville 

4th – David Williams of Bloomington 

WASHINGTON SECTIONAL

Reigning 2A state champion Washington would celebrate another outstanding two days of play from its sensational trio of top-ranked guys.

Peyton Cox (144, 36-4), Wyatt Medlin (157, 44-3) and Josh Hoffer (215, 45-3)  would further validate their No. 1 statuses in the state, however it would be No. 4 Geneseo who would steal the show on the Panthers’ home gym.

One week after lifting the championship trophy at the Dixon regional, and sending ten into sectionals, the Maple Leafs would make history when they would equal a program-best eight state qualifiers, including sectional titles from No. 1 Zachary Montez (40-0) at 165 and teammate Kyle Weinzieri (41-2) at 175.

This high-profile sectional venue played out in 62-year old Torry Gymnasium and featured no less than seven top-20 clubs in the state and 39 top 10-ranked wrestlers, five of which are No. 1 in their weight class.

The aforementioned Cox, Medlin and Hoffer sailed past their rivals, as did Montez and No. 1 Jose Del Toro (East Peoria, 45-2) at 285.

Del Toro was fourth a year ago at state.

Cox, thrice a state runner-up, appears ready to be on course to end that streak, while Illinois-bound Wyatt Medlin is looking to repeat his state title at 138.

No. 1 Noah Woods (41-2) would edge No. 2 Aiden Larsen (Yorkville Christian, 39-4) with a thrilling 2-1 decision in the 120-pound final.

Despite the presence of Washington and Geneseo, seven others would ‘wrestle’ away sectional crowns from the field, including Xavier Villalobos (126, 39-5) from Rochelle who is now a two-time sectional champion.

Donald Cannon (138, 29-4) and teammate Dana Wickson (150, 32-5) from Rockford East, who were both third a year ago, would reach the summit on Saturday in their weight divisions.

SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS FROM THE WASHINGTON SECTIONAL

106
1st – Carson West of Sycamore 

2nd – Symon Woods of Washington

3rd – Treyden Diduch of Freeport 

4th – Ryan Festerling, jr. of Yorkville (Y. Christian)

113

1st – Paxton Valentine of Morris

2nd – Noah Harris of Morton

3rd – Jack Ragan of Dixon 

4th – Eduardo Vences of Burlington (Central)

120

1st – Noah Woods of Washington

2nd – Aiden Larsen of Yorkville (Y. Christian)

3rd – Landen Vincent of Geneseo

4th – Michael Olson of Sycamore 

126

1st – Xavier Villalobos of Rochelle

2nd – Harrison Dea of Morton

3rd – Tim Sebastian of Geneseo

132

1st – Zyan Westbrook of Sterling 

2nd – Devan Hornback of Geneseo

3rd – Austin Lee of Burlington (Central)

4th – Cooper Chester of East Peoria

138

1st – Donald Cannon of Rockford (East)

2nd – Alex Gochis of Maple Park (Kaneland)

3rd – Charlie Connors of Dixon 

4th – Jayden Dohogne of Sycamore 

144

1st – Peyton Cox of Washington

2nd – Izaac Gaines of Geneseo

3rd – Carter Skoff of Morris

4th – Landon VanAcker of Belvidere 

150

1st – Dana Wickson of Rockford (East)

2nd – Grady Neal of Metamora

3rd – Malaki Jackson of Geneseo

4th – Josiah Carter of Galesburg 

157

1st – Wyatt Medlin of Washington

2nd – Grady Hull of Geneseo

3rd – Caidan Ronning of Plano

4th – Ty Smart of Rockford (East)

165

1st – Zachary Montez of Geneseo

2nd – Grant Gensler of Rochelle

3rd – John `isaac` Gray of Yorkville (Y. Christian)

4th – Anthony Makwala of Galesburg 

175

1st – Kye Weinzierl of Geneseo

2nd – Cooper Bode of Sycamore 

3rd – Gage Tate of Sterling 

4th – Luis Ballesteros of Plano

190

1st – Prince Amakiri of Plano

2nd – Jackson Allen of Yorkville (Y. Christian)

3rd – Dalton Oakman of East Peoria

4th – Roman Villalobos of Rochelle

215

1st – Josh Hoffer of Washington

2nd – Kaiden Morris of Rochelle

3rd – Alec Del Toro of East Peoria

4th – Benjamin Chaffer of Morton

285

1st – Jose Del Toro of East Peoria

2nd – Collin Hughes of Sycamore 

3rd – Sean Thornton of Washington

4th – Larry Randolph of Galesburg 

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

GIRLS SECTIONALS OVERVIEW

Among girls’ sectional champions across Illinois on Saturday, there were five returning state champions who won sectional titles: Kaneland’s Angelina Gochis (110), Hononegah’s Angelina Cassioppi (120), Vandalia’s Sophie Bowers (125), Lockport’s Claudia Heeney (135), and Prairie Central’s Chloe Hoselton (235).

Bartlett’s Emma Engels (120) was a state champion in 2023 at 110.

Another seven girls who place second downstate last year won sectional titles Saturday, in West Aurora’s Kameyah Young (105), Loyola’s Harlee Hiller (115), Hoffman Estates’ Sophia Ball (130), Canton’s Kinnley Smith (130), Collinsville’s Taylor Dawson (140), Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker (170), and Lakes’ Josie Larson (190).

Other sectional champs from Saturday who are now aiming to repeat as state medal winners were Montini’s Katelyn Bell (100), DeKalb’s Alex Gregorio-Perez (105), Litchfield’s Rilynn Younker (110), Mt. Zion’s Sydney Cannon (115), Burlington Central’s Tori Macias (115), Glenbrook North’s Ariella Dobin (120), Edwardsville’s Holly Zugmaier (135), Glenwood’s Jenna Tuxhorn (145), Zion-Benton’s Naomi Foote (145), Clifton Central’s Payton Temple (190), Highland’s August Rottmann (170), and Ottawa’s Juliana Thrush (235).

NEW TRIER SECTIONAL

The District 230 team made up of girls from Carl Sandburg, Andrew, and Stagg led the 50-team field with seven state qualifiers at this year’s New Trier Sectional.

District 230 was led by a pair of sectional champions in Jade Hardee (33-4 at 100) and Alyssa Keane (37-3 at 135). Coach Elizabeth Short’s squad out-pointed second-place Marist 147-80, with JS Morton (76) placing third. Marist advanced three girls downstate and Morton advanced two in sectional champions Hope Donnamario (29-7 at 105) and Violet Mayo (37-9 at 155).

Also winning individual sectional titles were Agricultural Science’s Carmen Jackson (36-3 at 110), Loyola’s Harlee Hiller (23-1 at 115), Glenbrook North’s Ariella Dobin (42-1 at 120), Grayslake Central’s Gianna Arzer (42-4 at 125), Lane’s Nyah Lovis (42-5 at 130), Hillcrest’s Christiara Finley (28-0 at 140), Zion-Benton’s Naomi Foote (37-1 at 145), Kelly’s Sara Martinez Lopera (28-0 at 170), Lakes Josie Larson (25-0 at 190) and Rickover Naval Academy’s Jasmine Mejia (35-2 at 235).

Hillcrest’s Finley (28-0), Kelly’s Martinez Lopera (28-0), and Lakes’ Larson (25-0) are all undefeated heading into the state finals, while Loyola’s Hiller (23-1), Glenbrook North’s Dobin (42-1), and Zion-Benton’s Foote (37-1) only have a single loss on their season records.

Among New Trier Sectional champions, Loyola’s Hiller (115) and Lakes’ Larson (190) were both state runners-up last year, while Glenbrook North’s Dobin (4th at 120) and Zion-Benton’s Foote (6th at 145) were also state medalists.

The day’s closest sectional title match at New Trier came at 130, with Lane’s Lovis (42-5) winning a 2-1 decision over Zion-Benton’s Emily Ortiz (35-6).

The sectional also featured two girls ranked nationally by Flowrestling. Lakes’ Larson is ranked No. 2 in the country at 190, while Glenbrook North’s Dobin is ranked No. 30 in the nation at 120.

STATE QUALIFIERS FROM THE NEW TRIER SECTIONAL

100

1st – Jade Hardee (District 230)

2nd – Riley Kongkaeow (Round Lake)

3rd – Ariel Woodfin (Thornton)

4th – Sunny Aitzemkour (New Trier)

105

1st – Hope Donnamario (Morton)

2nd – Tatum De La Vega (District 230)

3rd – Sofia Guerrero (Lane)

4th – Sofia Perez (Shepard)

110
1st – Carmen Jackson (Agricultural Science)

2nd – London Gandy (Homewood-F.)

3rd – Giselle Arambula (Curie)

4th – Dakodia Kelly (Thornton Fractional South)

115

1st – Harlee Hiller (Loyola Academy)

2nd – Ireland McCain (Round Lake)

3rd – Nina Hamm (Homewood-F.)

4th – Sophia Figueroa (District 230)

120

1st – Ariella Dobin (Glenbrook North)

2nd – Mary Minogue (Libertyville)

3rd – Illiana Heredia (De La Salle)

4th – Saja Bader (District 230)

125

1st – Gianna Arzer (Grayslake C)

2nd – Karina Lojowski (Stevenson)

3rd – Nakya Scott (Lindblom)

4th – Raynisha Sims (Lake View)

130

1st – Nyah Lovis (Lane)

2nd – Emily Ortiz (Z.-Benton)

3rd – Jalah Wilson (Thornton)

4th – Mila Rocush (Shepard)

135

1st – Alyssa Keane (District 230)

2nd – Izzy Locascio (Marist)

3rd – Quincy Onyiaorah (Thornton Fractional South)

4th – Zabby Badru (Lane)

140

1st – Christiara Finley (Hillcrest)

2nd – Maggie Zuber (Mother McAuley)

3rd – Jillian Giller (New Trier)

4th – America Cabrera (Phoenix Military Academy)

145

1st – Naomi Foote (Z.-Benton)

2nd – Kennedy Murray of Evanston (Twp.)

3rd – AJ Grant (Phoenix Military Academy)

4th – Iyobosa Odiase (Oak Forest)

155

1st – Violet Mayo (Morton)

2nd – Dana Holt (Highland Park)

3rd – Nola Oben (District 230)

4th – Charvelle Mclain (Community)

170

1st – Sara Martinez Lopera (Kelly)

2nd – Adrianna Vela (District 230)

3rd – Erin Bush of Gurnee (Warren)

4th – Elena Haugh (Agricultural Science)

190
1st – Josephine Larson (Lakes)

2nd – Isabel Peralta (Oak Forest)

3rd – N`Dyia Mahon-Godfrey (Kelly)

4th – Sam Fontaine (Marist)

235

1st – Jasmine Mejia (Rickover Naval Academy)

2nd – Esmeralda Bustamante (Noble/ITW Speer)

3rd – Abby Parker (Marist)

4th – Allison Poole of Grayslake (North)

GENESEO SECTIONAL

Host Geneseo won the team sectional title in the 57-team field, 117-98 over second-place Kaneland, with Lincoln-Way’s co-op team (93.5) a close third.

Geneseo coach Carley Rusk will bring five girls to the state finals in Bloomington, led by a trio of sectional runners-up in Molly Snyder (100), Annibelle Juarez (135) and Mady Mooney (145), plus third-place sectional winners Lydia King (120) and Sophie Bellagamba (155).

Kaneland advanced four girls downstate, led by sectional champions Angelina Gochis (32-0 at 110) and Brooklyn Sheaffer (41-2 at 125). Lincoln-Way advanced four girls to this year’s state finals, led by sectional second-placers Zoe Dempsey (110) and Sadie Sparks (120).

Also winning individual sectional titles at Geneseo were Rockford East’s Saya Hongmoundkhoune (24-0 at 100), DeKalb’s Alex Gregorio-Perez (46-3 at 105), Burlington Central’s Tori Macias (31-6 at 115), Hononegah’s Angelina Cassioppi (28-0 at 120), Canton’s Kinnley Smith (40-3 at 130), Hononegah’s Bella Castelli (23-4 at 135), Morton’s Karen Conchola (26-2 at 140), Rochelle’s Dempsey Atkinson (21-0 at 145), Plainfield South’s Teagan Aurich (36-0 at 155), Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker (25-1 at 170), Morris’ Morgan Congo (31-6 at 190) and Ottawa’s Juliana Thrush (33-4 at 235).

Heading into this year’s state finals with unbeaten records are Rockford East’s Hongmoungkhoune (24-0), Kaneland’s Gochis (32-0), Hononegah’s Cassioppi (28-0), Rochelle’s Atkinson (21-0), and Plainfield South’s Aurich (36-0). Plainfield Central’s Tucker (25-1) has only lost once all season.

Among Geneseo Sectional champions, Kaneland’s Gochis and Hononegah’s Cassioppi were state champions last year, while Plainfield Central’s Tucker and Canton’s Smith placed second in Illinois. DeKalb’s Gregorio-Perez (6th at 105), Burlington Central’s Macias (5th at 115), Rochelle’s Atkinson (5th at 145), and Ottawa’s Thrush (6th at 235) were all state medalists last season.

The Geneseo Sectional featured two girls nationally-ranked by Flowrestling in Hononegah’s Cassioppi (No. 8 at 120) and Ottawa’s Thrush (No. 24 at 235). Cassioppi is striving to become the first four-time individual state champion in Illinois girls wrestling history.

The Geneseo field at 170 was stacked. Three girls who won state place-medals last year in Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker (2nd), Peoria Notre Dame’s Autumne Williams (3rd) and Burlington Central’s Ryann Miller (5th).

Tucker (25-1) won a 5-3 decision over Williams (14-3) to win Saturday’s Geneseo sectional crown at 170, while Miller (37-2) placed third.

The day’s tightest finish on the title mat came when Kaneland’s Brooklyn Sheaffer won a 1-0 decision over Jacksonville’s Alexis Seymour.

STATE QUALIFIERS FROM THE GENESEO SECTIONAL

100

1st – Saya Hongmoungkhoune of Rockford (East)

2nd – Molly Snyder of Geneseo

3rd – Jade Weiss of DeKalb

4th – Abella Brown of Canton

105

1st – Alex Gregorio-Perez of DeKalb

2nd – Blair Grennan of Sterling (Newman Central Catholic)

3rd – Alisa Carter of Joliet (Central)

4th – Chloe Wong of Joliet (West)

110

1st – Angelina Gochis of Maple Park (Kaneland)

2nd – Zoe Dempsey of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)

3rd – Lily Gwaltney of Streator (Twp.)

4th – Tessa Donaldson of Pekin

115

1st – Victoria Macias of Burlington (Central)

2nd – Chloe Hedges of Canton

3rd – Kiely Domyancich of LaSalle (L.-Peru)

4th – Eliana Juarez of Galesburg (H.S.)

120

1st – Gina Cassioppi of Rockton (Hononegah)

2nd – Sadie Sparks of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)

3rd – Lydia King of Geneseo

4th – Daisy Gil of Beardstown

125

1st – Brooklyn Sheaffer of Maple Park (Kaneland)

2nd – Alexis Seymour of Jacksonville (H.S.)

3rd – Isabella Mottler of Peoria (Richwoods)

4th – Riley Cooney of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)

130

1st – Kinnley Smith of Canton

2nd – Grace Laird of Joliet (Catholic Academy)

3rd – Catalina Pacheco of Seneca

4th – Michelle Naftzger of Erie

135

1st – Bella Castelli of Rockton (Hononegah)

2nd – Annibelle Juarez of Geneseo

3rd – Sammie Greisen of Seneca

4th – Nadia Anderson of Sherrard

140

1st – Karen Canchola of Morton

2nd – Ema Durst of Sycamore (H.S.)

3rd – Kelly Ladd of Macomb

4th – Ella Giertuga of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)

145

1st – Dempsey Atkinson of Rochelle

2nd – Mady Mooney of Geneseo

3rd – Mikaela Mwangong of Macomb

4th – Katelyn Marvel of Canton

155

1st – Teagan Aurich of Plainfield (South)

2nd – Akira Schick of Rock Falls

3rd – Sophie Bellagamba of Geneseo

4th – Caitlyn Manier of Maple Park (Kaneland)

170

1st – Alicia Tucker of Plainfield (Central)

2nd – Autumne Williams of Peoria (Notre Dame)

3rd – Ryann Miller of Burlington (Central)

4th – Layla Spann of Plainfield (South)

190

1st – Morgan Congo of Morris

2nd – Sadie Kinsella of Maple Park (Kaneland)

3rd – Anjanne Haywood of Rockford (Guilford)

4th – Kylie Eilken of Rockford (Jefferson)

235

1st – Juliana Thrush of Ottawa (Twp.)

2nd – Kirsten Kpoto of Moline (H.S.)

3rd – Aarianna Bloyd of DeKalb

4th – Jasmine Enriquez of Sycamore (H.S.)

HIGHLAND SECTIONAL

Edwardsville snared the team sectional crown, 152-105 over second-place Collinsville, with Glenwood (63) placing third. Tigers coach Jon Wagner saw six of his girls advance downstate, led by individual sectional champions Emma Rogers (38-4 at 100) and Holly Zugmaier (38-5 at 135).

Collinsville advanced four girls downstate and had a trio of sectional champions in Londyn Long (35-5 at 120), Addyson Bailey (30-10 at 130) and Taylor Dawson (32-3 at 140). Glenwood advanced two girls, led by sectional champion Jenna Tuxhorn (31-2 at 145).

Also leaving Highland as sectional champions were Roxana’s Chloe Skiles (38-5 at 105), Litchfield’s Rilynn Younker (39-10 at 110), Mt. Zion’s Sydney Cannon (10-0 at 115), Vandalia’s Sophie Bowers (38-0 at 125), Unity’s Anna Vasey (32-4 at 155), Highland’s August Rottmann (32-1 at 170), Clifton Central’s Payton Temple (24-1 at 190) and Prairie Central’s Chloe Hoselton (23-0 at 235).

Highland Sectional champs who won state place-medals last year were a pair of state champions in Vandalia’s Bowers (125) and Plainfield Centrals’ Hoselton (235), and a state runner-up in Collinsville’s Dawson (130). Other sectional champs also placing downstate last year were Litchfield’s Younker (4th at 110), Mt. Zion’s Cannon (4th at 115), Glenwood’s Tuxhorn (4th at 135), Edwardsville’s Zugmaier (6th at 125), Highland’s Rottman (6th at 170), and Clifton Central’s Temple (5th at 155).

Cannon (10-0), Bowers (38-0), and Hoselton (23-0) are all unbeaten heading into this year’s state finals. Bowers and Hoselton were state champions last year while Cannon placed fourth in Illinois at 115.

Highland’s field led all sectionals in nationally-ranked wrestlers per Flowrestling’s rankings in Skiles (10th at 105), Dawson (17th at 140), Rottmann (13th at 170), Hoselton (5th at 235) and Unity’s Phoenix Molina (25th at 235).

Hoselton and Molina were at it again on a Highland Sectional title mat this year, one year after squaring off in last year’s state title match at 235, when Hoselton won a 4-3 ultimate tie-break decision for the title. The two nationally-ranked wrestlers gave the crowd their money’s worth at Highland, as Hoselton (23-0) won another ultimate tie-break against Molina (28-5), this time in a 3-2 decision.

Highland’s other nail-biter on the sectional title mat came when Glenwood’s Tuxhorn (31-2) won a 2-1 ultimate tie-break decision at 145 against Cumberland’s Natalie Beaumont (26-3).

STATE QUALIFIERS FROM THE HIGHLAND SECTIONAL

100

1st – Emma Rogers of Edwardsville (H.S.)

2nd – Madelyn Murphy of Roxana

3rd – Claire Crouch of Troy (Triad)

4th – Nikolette Ronketto of West Frankfort (Frankfort)

105

1st – Chloe Skiles of Roxana

2nd – Zoee Sadler of Anna (A.-Jonesboro)

3rd – Kadi Wilbern of Chatham (Glenwood)

4th – Phoenix Criss of Springfield [Coop]

110

1st – Rilynn Younker of Litchfield

2nd – Jala Singleton of Belleville (West)

3rd – Genevieve Dykstra of Edwardsville (H.S.)

4th – Carlly Ho of Rochester

115

1st – Sydney Cannon of Mt. Zion

2nd – Delaney Measimer of Carbondale (H.S.)

3rd – Delaney Ledbetter of Lawrenceville

4th – Kendall Moss-Smith of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)

120

1st – Londyn Long of Collinsville

2nd – Allie Chong of Edwardsville (H.S.)

3rd – Sophia Bechelli of West Frankfort (Frankfort)

4th – Yurithdzy Vilchis of Fairbury (Prairie Central)

125

1st – Sophie Bowers of Vandalia

2nd – Jocelyn Cobix of Pontiac

3rd – Leonie Dubson of Mattoon

4th – Brooklyn Alldredge of Edwardsville (H.S.)

130

1st – Addyson Bailey of Collinsville

2nd – Ava Beldo of Champaign (Centennial)

3rd – Te`Aja Young of Cahokia (H.S.)

4th – Alicia Dominguez of Bethalto (Civic Memorial)

135

1st – Holly Zugmaier of Edwardsville (H.S.)

2nd – Audrey Barnes of Granite City

3rd – Avery Crouch of Dwight

4th – Scarlett Gentille of O`Fallon (H.S.)

140

1st – Taylor Dawson of Collinsville

2nd – Rickasia Ivy of Urbana (H.S.)

3rd – Maddie Wells of St. Joseph (S.J.-Ogden)

4th – Lillien Roughton of Decatur (Unity Christian)

145

1st – Jenna Tuxhorn of Chatham (Glenwood)

2nd – Natalie Beaumont of Toledo (Cumberland)

3rd – Tashieya Taylor of Collinsville

4th – Avery Schlickman of Gibson City (G.C.-Melvin-Sibley)

155

1st – Anna Vasey of Tolono (Unity)

2nd – Kira Thompson of O`Fallon (H.S.)

3rd – Grace Stratton of Freeburg

4th – Alix Robinson of Pontiac

170

1st – August Rottmann of Highland

2nd – Demi Barnes of Granite City

3rd – Janylah Holman of Cahokia (H.S.)

4th – Summer Nichols of Toledo (Cumberland)

190

1st – Payton Temple of Clifton (Central)

2nd – Vickie White of Edwardsville (H.S.)

3rd – Krista McBride of Goreville

4th – Jaycee Weitekamp of Mahomet (M.-Seymour)

235

1st – Chloe Hoselton of Fairbury (Prairie Central)

2nd – Phoenix Molina of Tolono (Unity)

3rd – Cadence Duvall of Normal (Community West)

4th – Lillian Disanto of Urbana (H.S.)

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

When your program was a state champion two years ago and just missed winning another title last season, you usually don’t require any boosts right as the postseason starts to let everyone know that you are well-positioned to be back in the mix for top honors on the final day of competition.

Still, Coal City entered the IHSA Class 1A Herscher Regional ready to show what it’s made of as it kicked off a postseason run that it hopes results in the program’s eighth state trophy since 2015 and its second state championship for 2022 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee coach Mark Masters, who recently joined an exclusive club of coaches who’ve won 500 dual meets.. 

And the Coalers’ first result of the IHSA state series was a complete and dominating success as it finished with 10 champions, 12 finalists and qualified all 14 who took part for the individual sectional that they are hosting this weekend. Only one other team in Class 1A qualified all 14 of its individuals for a sectional, Chicago Hope Academy, which is also at the Coal City Sectional.

Coal City finished with 313.5 points, which was 164 ahead of runner-up Reed-Custer, who scored 149.5 points. Seneca (137) took third and Clifton Central/ Iroquois West co-op (130.5) was fourth while Bishop McNamara (92.5), Wilmington (74.5), Herscher (59), Peotone (45), Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op (34) and Manteno (30) were next in line.

While the Coalers enter the postseason ranked third behind top-ranked Vandalia, who took fourth place last year, and defending Class 1A champion Marian Central Catholic, they’ve right there on two occasions with the Vandals, falling in the final match in the semifinals at ABE’s Rumble and were not far behind them while claiming second place at the Lyle King Princeton Invitational Tournament. 

Beside the fact that all but two of their 11 state qualifiers from a year ago are back, and four of those won medals in Champaign including a champion and runner-up, the team’s bond is very strong since most have been together since starting their careers in the Lil’ Coalers Wrestling Club. 

And the team is proud that its lineup is one of the strongest in Class 1A with a 414-92 (.818 percent) overall record for its regional entrants while facing one of the toughest schedules of any small school in the state. And the team likes the fact that everyone not only has good practice partners, but others also get into the mix, which gives each individual a variety of styles that they can see on a consistent basis.

Add to that a large and veteran coaching staff that most Class 3A and 2A programs would be proud of, and you’ve got a real formidable opponent that is very motivated to capture its second IHSA Class 1A Dual Team title in three years.

Champions for the Coalers were Owen Petersen (37-2 at 113), Culan Lindemuth (31-10 at 120), Cooper Morris (34-5 at 126), Luke Munsterman (34-11 at 132), Brody Widlowski (21-0 at 138), Aidan Kenney (33-10 at 144), Mason Garner (29-6 at 157), Brock Finch (27-7 at 165), Landin Benson (35-2 at 175) and John Keigher (29-1 at 215). Taking second were Cade Poyner (29-6 at 190) and Alec Waliczek (20-5 at 285) while Jason Piatak (30-15 at 106) and Noah Houston (25-12 at 150) were third. 

After taking third place in their first match of the finals, the Coalers won the next six titles before claiming their other third-place finish. Then it was three consecutive championships before going 1-2 in the final three matches on the title mat.

Beside hosting the individual sectional this weekend, Coal City is also the host for the Class 1A Dual Team Sectional on February 25, with the other three teams on hand being Chicago Hope Academy, King College Prep and Northridge Prep.

“They’re having a lot of fun in the practice room,” Masters said. “I know that sounds really cliched, but after practice is over, you can hear the guys chirping at one another about, ‘Hey, I gave you the beating today’, so it’s very competitive. These guys have been together for quite some time and our J-V team is really solid, and  I bet we had seven or eight kids that could have qualified today. Everybody is fighting to get into that lineup, but some guys are sophomores or juniors and they just have to wait their turn. So it’s highly-competitive in the practice room.

“If things go according to plans, we get a chance to wrestle Marian in the semis if we’re able to continue to win, and you get a chance to win that one back, and if we get past those guys, then you get a chance at Vandalia. But you’ve got to stay healthy and you’ve got to be lucky. There’s so many things that have to go your way. We have a handful of guys that can get on the awards stand and everybody wants to be on the top of it. 

“We won my 500th dual, and I’ve been blessed. I’ve had talent, I’ve had great parents, great families and great support at the administration level. The program is only as good as the kids that are in it. You just have to be able to guide the ship and hopefully the kids follow in that direction.”

Seneca coach Todd Yegge recently recorded his 400th dual meet victory and he had two title winners, Raiden Terry (44-1 at 106) and Jeremy Gagnon (44-1 at 285), who both have only lost one match this season. The other regional champion was Wilmington’s Logan Van Duyne (36-4 at 190).

Runner-up Reed-Custer settled for six second-place finishes and had eight sectional qualifiers while Seneca qualified six, Clifton Central co-op advanced five and Bishop McNamara had four sectional qualifiers. Herscher and Wilmington each had two advance and Dwight co-op is sending one individual to Coal City. 

Herscher coach Austin Headrick was a two-time IHSA medalist at Wilmington for IWCOA Hall of Fame coach Rob Murphy. He and his staff along with Tigers athletic director Joel Huizenga and the administration at the school deserve recognition for doing a fine job in hosting the regional.

Here are the champions of the IHSA Class 1A Herscher Regional and their weight classes:

106 – Raiden Terry, Seneca

Raiden Terry heads into the IHSA Class 1A Coal City Sectional feeling very good about his prospects of making a return trip to state and getting his first medal in Champaign after the Seneca sophomore captured the 106 title at the Herscher Regional with a victory by technical fall in 5:43 over Reed-Custer freshman Colton Drinkwine to improve to 44-1. Top-ranked at 106, he hasn’t lost in 2025 and his lone defeat came to Benton’s Cohen Sweely at ABE’s Rumble.

Terry was one of two champions and three finalists for the Fighting Irish, whose coach Todd Yegge recently got his 400th dual meet victory at Seneca. In his only other match, he also won by technical fall, prevailing in 2:34 over Manteno freshman Carter Webber in the semifinals.He was one of two individuals who claimed two wins by technical fall and did so the quickest.

“I’ve just been getting my weight down and keeping that under control,” Terry said. “Really my mindset is I don’t know how I’m going to lose when I go out there. It’s really fun being out there and I’d like to give all the glory to God. I pray before all of my matches. I always have a ton of confidence in myself when I go out there. Last year I went 1-2 (at state), but I was a freshman and a little under-sized last year. But I’m a lot bigger and I’m coming for gold.”

Drinkwine (40-5), who’s fifth-ranked and was one of six finalists who all took second place for coach Yale Davis’ Comets, won an 8-2 decision over Coal City freshman Jason Piatak in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Piatak became one of the 14 sectional qualifiers for coach Mark Masters’ Coalers when he recorded a fall in 3:45 over Webber (19-17).

113 – Owen Petersen, Coal City

Owen Petersen became the first of Coal City’s 10 champions when the sophomore claimed the title at 113 by recording a fall in 1:12 over Reed-Custer freshman Cole Harris. Petersen (37-2), who took sixth place at 106 in the IHSA 1A Finals in 2024, is ranked fifth and has only lost to two of the top three at his weight class, Vandalia’s Max Philpot and Olympia’s Dylan Eimer. 

Petersen was one of 12 finalists for the Coalers, who won the team championship with 313.5 points, which was 164 points ahead of runner-up Reed-Custer. His only other match was in the semifinals, where he got a fall in 22 seconds over Bishop McNamara freshman Landon Benoit. He was one of four Coalers who tied with two others for fourth place for the most team points with 24.

“We’ve had a couple of injuries, so I’m happy to see them back and giving their all,” Petersen said. “Practices are tough and we work on everything the coaches see and what we need to improve on. And good practice partners are definitely the first step, you have to have someone to push you. I’ve been with them my whole life, so I know a lot about everybody and I know what they like and what they don’t like.”

Harris (31-12), one of the six-second-place finishers for the runner-up Comets, also only had to compete in the semifinals prior to the title match and he won that with a pin in 1:39 over Seneca freshman Chris Thompson (33-12), who advanced with a fall in 2:33 over Benoit for third place.

120 – Culan Lindemuth, Coal City

Culan Lindemuth was the second of six-straight Coalers who won titles at the 1A Herscher Regional when the senior collected a win by technical fall in 4:11 over Reed-Custer sophomore Kaaden Wood in the 120 championship match. Coal City ended up with 10 title winners, 12 finalists and 14 qualifiers for the sectional that it will be hosting this weekend.

Lindemuth (31-10), a three-time state qualifier who hopes to make a fourth trip to Champaign and claim his initial medal at the IHSA Finals, only had to wrestle in the semifinals to reach the title mat and won there when he got a pin in 2:36 over Peotone sophomore Blake Anderson.

“We’re all friends, we bond together, we’re good together and we have good practice partners,” Lindemuth said. “This year, we’ll make another run at it. We still have Marian to handle and still have Vandalia, and they’re two tough teams but I think we can get it done. These past two years I’ve been practice partners with Cooper Morris, he placed last year and I unfortunately, didn’t. But we make each other better and we find ways to win. He’s a great practice partner and he has a great attitude and he’s very aggressive.”

Wood (32-10), one of six second-placed finishers as well as eight qualifiers for the Coal City Sectional for the runner-up Comets, won his only other match when he captured an 11-3 major decision in the semifinals over Herscher sophomore Owen Bollino (30-9), who went on to claim third place with a fall in 3:34 over Anderson (28-17). Bollino and Seneca’s Raiden Terry were the only individuals to get two wins by technical fall and he ranked second in match points with 45.

126 – Cooper Morris, Coal City 

Cooper Morris joined Owen Petersen with quality freshmen seasons at Coal City as the both placed at state with Morris finishing fifth at 113 in the IHSA Finals in 2024. He was one of its 14 sectional qualifiers and became the third of 10 champions at the Class 1A Herscher Regional when he won by fall in 1:47 in the 126 title match over Reed-Custer junior Jayden Sanchez.

Morris (34-5), who’s ranked third at 126 behind Vandalia’s Tyson Waughtel and Althoff Catholic’s Dawson Hawthorne, became one of the 12 Coalers to reach the title mat when he got a pin in 1:05 over Clifton Central/ Iroquois West freshman Owen Robinson in the semifinals. He tied for fourth place with 24 team points, making him one of eight Coalers who ranked in the top 10 in that category. 

“We’re just as good as last year,” Morris said. “And I think even better than last year since we only had one senior in the lineup and we filled that spot. We’re solid 106 to heavyweight so I think this is our year. We have great practice partners and we’re always pushing each other, it’s just a great room. And we have a lot of great coaches. We’re family and we’ve been wrestling together since we were four and five. We started in Lil’ Coalers and have just been a team ever since. There’s great team bonding and we play other sports together.”

Sanchez (35-10), the fourth of six Comets who claimed second-place finishes and one of their eight qualifier for the Coal City Sectional, opened with a first-minute pin before claiming a victory by technical fall in 4:46 in the semifinals over Herscher sophomore Everett Osenga (19-7), who bounced back from that defeat to finish third after getting a pin in 3:04 over Robinson (23-23).

132 – Luke Munsterman, Coal City

Luke Munsterman was the only one of Coal City’s 10 champions at the Class 1A Herscher Regional who had the go the whole six minutes in his title match and he did that after needing less than a minute in each of his first two matches. The Coalers junior captured a 6-5 decision over Bishop McNamara junior Blake Arseneau in the 132 title match to be part of a run of six-straight championship wins from 113 to 144.

Munsterman (34-11), who’s ranked tenth and hopes to qualify for the IHSA Finals for the first time this year, got a pin in 0:48 in his opener and needed 0:43 to win by fall in the semifinals over Clifton Central co-op sophomore Everett Bailey to become one of the Coalers’ 12 finalists.

“Two years ago, we won state and the team performed really well,” Munsterman said. “And last year, we lost by one match, so this year, we’re hoping to get another one. We only lost two seniors from last year. We all love the sport, and if you love the sport, then you’ll succeed.”

Arseneau (22-12), the lone finalist and one of four qualifiers for coach Jacob Kimberlin’s Fightin’ Irish, won his opener by technical fall and then recorded a pin in 3:29 over Seneca’s Ryker Terry in the semifinals. For third place, Bailey (7-2) won by fall in 5:51 over Wilmington sophomore Oakley Rivera (22-13) to become one of the five sectional qualifiers for Clifton Central co-op.

138 – Brody Widlowski, Coal City

Brody Widlowski found himself in a unique spot at the end of the IHSA Class 1A Herscher Regional as he was the lone unbeaten champion when the Coal City junior improved to 21-0 after handing Reed-Custer senior Jeremy Eggleston just his second loss in 43 matches with a win by technical fall in 5:58 in the 138 finals to become one of his team’s 10 title winners.

Widlowski is ranked second to Rockridge’s Jude Finch, who is 35-0 and won the IHSA 1A title at 132 last season and is a two-time state medalist. The Coaler junior took second place at 126 last season after placing fourth at 113 in 2023.  After opening with a pin in 55 seconds, he got another fall in 1:36 in the semifinals over Bishop McNamara junior Alex Kostecka. He ranked third in team points with 27.5, 0.5 points behind teammates Landin Benson and John Keigher.

“We’re trying to get better and get that title this year,” Widlowski said. “We all try to put work in to make everyone better every day, and we have a good, solid lineup. We have like seven coaches and a lot of them focus on J-V, too, so if there’s a gap in there, someone steps right up and is ready to go. We’re all a family, we’ve all been in the same program from Lil’ Coalers to high school, so we’ve all been buddies and we all hang out, outside of wrestling, too, so we do it for each other more than anything.”

Eggleston (41-2), a senior who is ranked fifth and was one of six second-place finishers and eight sectional qualifiers for coach Yale Davis’ runner-up Comets, hopes to get back to state, which he qualified for in 2023, and also win his first medal in Champaign. He followed a pin in the first minute with a fall in 1:54 in the semifinals over Seneca junior Avery Phillips. In the third-place match, Kostecka (28-17) captured a 12-4 major decision over Phillips (37-11).

144 – Aidan Kenney, Coal City

Aidan Kenney capped a run of six-straight championships for Coal City from 113 to 144 at the Class 1A Herscher Regional and eventually he was one of 10 title winners, 12 finalists and 14 qualifiers for coach Mark Masters’ Coalers for the sectional that they will host this weekend. He claimed top honors at 144 when he recorded a fall in 3:08 over Clifton Central/ Iroquois West junior Evan Cox.

Kenney, a 2023 state qualifier who is ranked eighth, hopes to get back to Champaign this year and also to win a medal for the first time. He recorded a first-minute pin in his opener and followed that up with a 12-0 major decision over Herscher’s Alex Mendez in the semifinals.

“It starts in the wrestling room with our coaches,” Kenney said. “They really push us and all of our practice partners are also great, so we can switch around and get different styles of wrestling. We have a bunch of coaches and they’re really good at multiple things so we get a mix of knowledge. We’re all friends so we can push each other in the wrestling room and that really helps us.”

Cox (39-9) one of three finalists and five sectional qualifiers for Clifton Central co-op, got a pin in 56 seconds in his first match and then earned his spot in the 144 finals with another fall, this one in 4:44 over Peotone senior Dalton Sala in the semifinals. Bishop McNamara junior Cole Kimberlin (18-11) got pinned by Sala in the quarterfinals but then won three-straight matches to claim third place, avenging his defeat earlier in the day by capturing a 17-7 major decision over Sala.

150 – Dylan Crouch, Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington

Dylan Crouch claimed fifth at 138 in the IHSA Class 1A Finals last season to give him his first medal in three state appearances. Now the senior for the Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington co-op team hopes to finish higher on the awards stand in Champaign and join Anthony Bauer, who won medals in 2013 and 2014, as the only two-time all-staters in the Trojans’ history. He made some history on Saturday by winning his fourth-straight regional championship when he claimed a 7-2 decision over Clifton Central/ Iroquois West senior Gianni Panozzo in the 150 title match.

Crouch (42-3), who’s ranked fourth, hopes to become his program’s all-time leader in victories this weekend at the Coal City Sectional. He was the lone finalist and sectional qualifier for coach Jim Gussman’s Trojans. He opened with a first-period fall before winning another close match in the semifinals, rallying from an early deficit to capture a 9-7 decision over Peotone senior Connor Pasch.

“In my semifinal match I was down 6-2 and that hasn’t happened much to me this year,” Crouch said. “I wanted it more than that kid, that’s all that it comes down to. There have been quite a few records I’ve broken this year and I’m still chasing one. I think I’m three wins away from the all-time school win record. I grind it out in the practice room every single day. I go in there with the mindset that I want to get better and I just work on stuff that I need to work on. Coming from Dwight, we don’t have a very big room now so you’ve got to make do with what you’ve got.”

Panozzo (41-5), who is ranked sixth and is a two-time state qualifier, hopes to get his first state medal this year. Only nine Comets have ever reached the awards stand in Champaign and the last one to do that was Thomas Konetski in 2019. He claimed a victory by technical fall in his first match and then won a 13-5 decision in the semifinals over Coal City junior Noah Houston (25-12), who won by fall in 5:28 over Pasch (29-11) to become one of the Coalers’ two third-place finishers.

157 – Mason Garner, Coal City

Mason Garner started a run of three-straight titles for Coal City at the Herscher Regional after his teammates had earlier won six championships in a row when he captured top honors at 157 with a fall in 1:29 over Clifton Central/ Iroquois West junior Giona Panozzo. The Coalers junior qualified for the IHSA Finals last season and hopes to make a return trip to Champaign and pick up his first medal there.

Garner (29-6), who’s ranked fifth, was one of 10 champions, 12 finalists and 14 qualifiers for the sectional that coach Mark Masters’ Coalers are hosting this weekend. He only had to compete in the semifinals and he wasn’t on the mat for long since he needed 24 seconds to record a fall over Manteno freshman Lucas Hetman.

“We’ve been putting  in a lot of work in the wrestling room,” Garner said. “We’ve got depth at every weight, including our J-V guys. (The coaches) They’re really good in the practice room for us. We’ve been together since Lil’ Coalers wrestling, we’ve been all together the whole time. It’s definitely the goal to get back in the team state finals and individual state finals, too. I like the hard work and dedication in our practice room.”

Panozzo (33-12), who also qualified for state last season, opened with a first-minute fall and he assured that Clifton Central co-op would have three-straight matches on the title mat when he won by fall in 2:57 over Seneca’s Ryan Flynn in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Reed-Custer freshman Reed Newbrough (26-16) claimed a 6-3 decision over Hetman (14-14), avenging a 9-5 quarterfinal loss, in what proved to be Manteno’s best hope to get a sectional qualifier. 

165 – Brock Finch, Coal City

Brock Finch hopes that the third time’s the charm this season as the Coal City junior seeks a third state trip but also an initial medal there. He became the Coalers’ eighth champion at the Herscher Regional when he won the 165 title with a fall in 2:57 over Seneca senior Nick Grant.

Finch (27-7), who’s ranked fifth, got his first match in the semifinals and only needed 0:51 to pin Herscher sophomore Brayden Crews. He was one of the 10 champions and 14 Coalers who advanced to their own sectional, which includes individuals from the Chicago Hope Academy, Chicago Military Academy at Bronzeville and the Walther Christian Academy regionals.

“It really helps with the momentum coming from everyone winning,” Finch said. “We’ve been going through a lot of hard work at practice to prepare us for team state and normal state. We definitely are a lot better because we’ve been working way harder lately and just been putting in the work. Our team, we really don’t have any holes at all, so we come in prepared and think that we’re going to win at every single weight and every dual. Our whole group has been together since Lil’ Coalers, the wrestling club we have, and we’ve been good ever since then.”

Grant (34-13), one of three finalists and six sectional qualifiers for coach Todd Yegge’s Fighting Irish, was a winner by technical fall in his opening match and then he earned his spot on the 165 title mat by claiming a 5-1 decision over Reed-Custer junior Aiden Schultz, who bounced back from that setback to claim third place and qualify by recording a fall in 5:23 over Crews (20-14).

175 – Landin Benson, Coal City

Landin Benson is a man on a mission and he needs to be considering that he was the IHSA champion at 165 in 2024 and is top-ranked at 175 in a bracket that features two 2024 state finalists, Lena-Winslow/ Stockton’s Eli Larson and Tremont’s Bowden Delaney, as well as a fourth-place medalist from a year ago, Hoopeston Area/ Milford’s Angel Zamora. The Coalers senior became his team’s ninth champion at the Herscher Regional when he won the title at 175 with a fall in 1:22 over Wilmington sophomore Will Wilson.

Benson (35-2), who hopes that a third state appearance is as productive as his second one was, needed 44 seconds to get a pin in the quarterfinals and then only required 28 seconds to wrap up his semifinal victory over Dwight/ Gardner-South Wilmington junior Gavin Bafia. Nine individuals recorded three falls and he only used 2:34, which was about half of the time that it took the next-best in the most pins in the least time category. He also tied teammate John Keigher, who took first at 215 to become the Coalers’ tenth champ, for the most team points with 28.

“We have a great team and we’ve been working hard all year, and we have the coaches in the room and we have the talent,” Benson said. “So we just needed some hard work and it’s paying off right now and we’re just hoping that we will carry that on to team sectionals and team state. It’s all coming together right now so we’ll see how it turns out. We’ve got Joey Breneman in the room and he was on the state championship team, so he’s coaching now and he’s been working us. You want to win both team state and individual and when you win both, it’s kind of motivational to keep going and want more.”

Wilson (24-9), who was the first of two finalists and also one of two sectional qualifiers for coach Nick Dziuban’s Wildcats, won his opener with a first-minute fall and then earned his spot on the 175 title mat against Benson with a pin in 5:24 over Reed-Custer’s Nathan Vogler in the semifinals. Seneca sophomore Alex Gagnon (26-11) dropped a 12-10 decision in the quarterfinals to Bafia (24-20), but he responded with two falls and then won 15-6 over Bafia to claim third place.

190 – Logan Van Duyne, Wilmington

Logan Van Duyne already has experienced one of the joys of high school sports, and that’s being a member of a state championship team and that’s what the Wilmington junior was able to be a part of in 2023 when the Wildcats lost to Seneca in their first game and then won 13 in a row, capped by a 28-3 victory over Athens in the IHSA Class 2A championship game. Now the defensive lineman this past fall on another successful team for longtime coach Jeff Reents hopes to experience a higher level of individual success as he not only looks to get back to the state finals but he’d like to make it to the awards stand in a second trip to Champaign.

Van Duyne (36-4), who’s ranked seventh, won the 190 championship at the Herscher Regional with a fall in 5:43 over Coal City junior Cade Poyner, who had beaten Van Duyne twice this season. One of two finalists and sectional qualifiers for coach Nick Dziuban’s Wildcats. He also won his other two matches with pins, needing 1:06 in his opener before he got a victory in the semifinals by recording a fall in 4:47 over Bishop McNamara senior Ethan Pfeiffer. He finished in a six-way tie for fourth place in most team points with 24.

“Some of our coaches are from that group, the golden era of Wilmington, and I’m just grateful to have them in there,” Van Duyne said. “It was definitely something special there with them. I love wearing Wilmington on my chest, it’s something to try to live up to that legacy that they set. People definitely think of Wilmington as a football town but wrestling is not too far from it. There’s definitely a strong sense of community and we have some of our club here watching us wrestle and it’s fun to put on a show for them. I definitely hit the offseason hard, going to Joliet and wrestling there and in club. Doing Freestyle has definitely been pretty cool and I qualified for Fargo. There was a lot of social networking and I met a lot of good people.”

Poyner (29-6), a first-time state qualifier in 2024 who was ranked fifth, was one of 12 finalists and 14 sectional qualifiers for the champion Coalers. He followed a first-minute pin with a win by technical fall in 2:42 in the semifinals over Seneca junior Landen Venecia (32-9), who bounced back from that loss to claim third place after winning a 13-4 major decision over Pfeiffer (23-13).

 215 – John Keigher, Coal City

John Keigher is ranked ninth at 215 but one reason for that may be that everyone above him has competed in the IHSA Finals while he has not. The Coal City senior hopes to cap a great final season by joining several of his teammates with an initial state trip and maybe even claim a medal in Champaign. He improved to 29-1 and became the Coalers’ tenth champion at the Herscher Regional when he won by fall in 5:50 over Reed-Custer junior Dominic Alaimo in the 215 finals.

Keigher, unbeaten since falling in the semifinals at Princeton’s Lyle King PIT to Mt. Zion’s Keller Stocks, who’s ranked third, the senior made quick work of his first two opponents, getting a pin in 0:38 in his opener and then needing just 0:42 to wrap up his semifinal match against Seneca’s Colton Angeloff and make him one of 12 finalists for the champion Coalers. He and teammate Landin Benson led everyone in the regional with the most team points with 28.

“We definitely expected this,” Keigher said. “I’d say It’s because of the partners that we have in the room. Everyone is just super hard-working. We lost a few people from last year, including our two seniors who qualified for state. But everyone just works so hard, so it’s easier to replace some guys. When you have good kids on the team, it just makes higher expectations for kids that might not be in the same spot as them, forcing them to work harder to build for these tournaments.”

Alaimo (39-5), who’s ranked fourth and made his first trip downstate last season, was one of six Comets who reached the title mat and took second place. He followed a quick fall in his opener with a pin in 5:24 in the semifinals over Clifton Central/ Iroquois West junior Brody O’Connor (29-13), who took third place after getting a pin in 5:33 over Wilmington junior Memphis Iwen (11-11).  

285 – Jeremy Gagnon, Seneca

Jeremy Gagnon is quick to point out that even though he’s won every match this season but one, part of his success is due to him competing in an unlikely sport for a heavyweight where he regularly was near the back of the pack. The Seneca senior improved to 44-1 after getting a fall in 3:35 over Coal City senior Alec Waliczek in the 285 finals. He ran cross country in the fall so that he could help with his endurance, and based on how he’s been doing, that seems to have been a good game plan.

Gagnon, who’s unranked and whose lone defeat came against Chicago Hope Academy’s Roy Phelps in the semifinals of Reed-Custer’s Comet Classic, joined 106-pounder Raiden Terry as a regional champion for Seneca, whose coach, Todd Yegge, recently collected his 400th career victory. Gagnon needed 0:21 to get a pin in his opener and won by fall in 1:10 in the semifinals over Clifton Central/ Iroquois West sophomore Josh McCurry to become one of three finalists for the Fighting Irish.

“On senior night, our coach got his 400th win, we have a great coaching staff,” Gagnon said. “There’s a great culture there, everyone’s like ‘go sports, go sports, go sports’. I did cross country this year and I finished last every time but it definitely helped. I’ve always said, they remember the first and the last place, and I was the last place. I remember running along the I & M Canal with my team and they always were a mile ahead of me. I look forward to the sectional in Coal City.”

Waliczek (20-5) was one of 12 finalists and 14 qualifiers for the Coalers, who hope that being at their school pays off with numerous individuals earning trips to the IHSA 1A Finals. The Coal City senior opened with a fall and won a 9-1 major decision in the semifinals over Bishop McNamara junior Kian Bramer (25-14), who became one of four qualifiers for his school after he won by fall in 2:32 over McCurry (23-23). 

Coal City Sectional qualifiers from the Herscher Regional

106

1st Place – Raiden Terry of Seneca

2nd Place – Colton Drinkwine of Reed-Custer

3rd Place – Jason Piatak of Coal City

113

1st Place – Owen Petersen of Coal City

2nd Place – Cole Harris of Reed-Custer

3rd Place – Chris Thompson of Seneca

120

1st Place – Culan Lindemuth of Coal City

2nd Place – Kaaden Wood of Reed-Custer

3rd Place – Owen Bollino of Herscher

126

1st Place – Cooper Morris of Coal City

2nd Place – Jayden Sanchez of Reed-Custer

3rd Place – Everett Osenga of Herscher

132

1st Place – Luke Munsterman of Coal City

2nd Place – Blake Arseneau of Bishop McNamara

3rd Place – Everett Bailey of Clifton Central/ Iroquois West

138

1st Place – Brody Widlowski of Coal City

2nd Place – Jeremy Eggleston of Reed-Custer

3rd Place – Alex Kostecka of Bishop McNamara

144

1st Place – Aidan Kenney of Coal City

2nd Place – Evan Cox of Clifton Central

3rd Place – Cole Kimberlin of Bishop McNamara

4th Place – Dalton Sala of Peotone

150

1st Place – Dylan Crouch of Dwight/ Gsardner-South Wilmington

2nd Place – Gianni Panozzo of Clifton Central

3rd Place – Noah Houston of Coal City

157

1st Place – Mason Garner of Coal City

2nd Place – Giona Panozzo of Clifton Central

3rd Place – Reed Newbrough of Reed-Custer

165

1st Place – Brock Finch of Coal City

2nd Place – Nick Grant of Seneca

3rd Place – Aiden Shultz of Reed-Custer

175

1st Place – Landin Benson of Coal City

2nd Place – Will Wilson of Wilmington

3rd Place – Alex Gagnon of Seneca

190

1st Place – Logan Van Duyne of Wilmington

2nd Place – Cade Poyner of Coal City

3rd Place – Landen Venecia of Seneca

215

1st Place – John Keigher of Coal City

2nd Place – Dominic Alaimo of Reed-Custer

3rd Place – Brody O`Connor of Clifton Central

285

1st Place – Jeremy Gagnon of Seneca

2nd Place – Alec Waliczek of Coal City

3rd Place – Kian Bramer of Bishop McNamara

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

Roundups of the regionals that feed into the Oregon Individual Sectional

Oregon qualifies 12 in regional title triumph at Byron

Oregon heads into this weekend’s sectional tournament that it hosts featuring 11 of the state’s top 25 teams in Class 1A on a huge high as it qualified a sectional-best 12 individuals after scoring 251 points, placing it well ahead of runner-up Lena-Winslow/ Stockton (210.5) while host Byron (179) claimed third place, with both of those teams sending eight to the sectional.

Top performers for coach Justin Lahman’s first-place Hawks were champions Isaiah Perez (35-7 at 120), Preston LaBay (27-5 at 126), Nelson Benesh (38-6 at 132) and Levi Benton (19-4 at 138) while Josiah Perez (113), Andrew Young (175) and Seth Rote (190) claimed second place. Turning in third-place finishes were Jordan Lowe (106), Jackson Messenger (144), Jayden Berry (150), Ethan Mowry (157) and Briggs Sellers (285) while Landen Elder (215) was fourth. According to IHSA records, Oregon hasn’t won a regional title since 2008, which was the same year that it also made its last appearance in the IHSA Dual Team Finals, when it placed third in Class A.

“We had a great day of wrestling.” Lahman said. “The focus was on getting the bonus points and for every wrestler to just go out and do their job. We knew it was going to be a battle and it was fun to watch the team rise to the occasion. This is a great first step but we have more goals to accomplish in the coming weeks.”

Runner-up Lena-Winslow/ Stockton joined Oregon with four title winners. The PantherHawks’ champions were Arrison Bauer (40-5 at 144), Eli Larson (42-2 at 175), Oliver McPeek (40-4 at 190) and Jeremiah Luke (39-5 at 215).

The other champions came from three schools, Byron, Dakota/ Orangeville and Stillman Valley. Stillman Valley’s champions were Michael Pannarale (34-6 at 106) and Henry Hildreth (36-4 at at 150), Dakota co-op’s title winners were Brandon White (30-9 at 113) and Randy McPeek (34-6 at 285) and Byron got firsts from Will Julian (38-3 at 157) and Brody Stien (39-5 at 165).

Oregon Sectional qualifiers from the Byron Regional

106

1st Place – Michael Pannarale of Stillman Valley

2nd Place – Cam Whitehead of Winnebago

3rd Place – Jordan Lowe of Oregon

113

1st Place – Brandon White of Dakota/ Orangeville

2nd Place – Josiah Perez of Oregon

3rd Place – Noah Rannow of West Carroll

120

1st Place – Isaiah Perez of Oregon

2nd Place – Jackson Norris of Byron

3rd Place – Jack McIntyre of West Carroll

126

1st Place – Preston LaBay of Oregon

2nd Place – Chase Whitehead of Winnebago

3rd Place – Damien Palacios of Byron

132

1st Place – Nelson Benesh of Oregon

2nd Place – Sam Sikora of Lena-Winslow/ Stockton

3rd Place – Hunter King of Byron

138

1st Place – Levi Benton of Oregon

2nd Place – Mauricio Glass of Lena-Winslow/ Stockton

3rd Place – Dylan Dach of Byron

144

1st Place – Arrison Bauer of Lena-Winslow/ Stockton

2nd Place – Connor Knop of West Carroll

3rd Place – Jackson Messenger of Oregon

150

1st Place – Henry Hildreth of Stillman Valley

2nd Place – Jonner Smith of West Carroll

3rd Place – Jayden Berry of Oregon

157

1st Place – Will Julian of Byron

2nd Place – Mark Detwiler of Lena-Winslow/ Stockton

3rd Place – Ethan Mowry of Oregon

165

1st Place – Brody Stien of Byron

2nd Place – John Mensendike of Lena-Winslow/ Stockton

3rd Place – Ethan Waugh of Stillman Valley

175

1st Place – Eli Larson of Lena-Winslow/ Stockton

2nd Place – Andrew Young of Oregon

3rd Place – Dameon Polton of Galena

190

1st Place – Oliver McPeek of Lena-Winslow/ Stockton

2nd Place – Seth Rote of Oregon

3rd Place – Ryon Bland of Dakota

215

1st Place – Jeremiah Luke of Lena-Winslow/ Stockton

2nd Place – Jarett Ross of Byron

3rd Place – Avery Bowers of Dakota

285 

1st Place – Randy McPeek of Dakota

2nd Place – Jared Claunch of Byron

3rd Place – Briggs Sellers of Oregon

Sandwich takes top honors at St. Bede Academy Regional

Sandwich had four champions, nine finalists and 11 sectional qualifiers at the Class 1A St. Bede Academy Regional in Peru and that helped it to claim top honors by a 209.5-176.5 margin over Princeton while Marquette Academy claimed third place with 134.5 points. The 11 qualifiers tied Marian Central Catholic for second-most in the sectional with the host school leading with 12.

Top performers for coach Derek Jones’ first-place Indians were title winners Jaxson Blanchard (27-13 at 138), Cooper Corder (32-4 at 144), Josh Lehman (29-11 at 157) and Kai Kern (18-8 at 175). Finishing in second place were Dom Urbanski (113), Colten Stone (132), Joshua Kotalik (150), Kaden Clevenger (190) and Devon Blanchard (215) and capturing third place were Hunter Whitecotton (106) and Jakob Gruca (126). Sandwich repeated as a regional champion.

“Sandwich won the St. Bede 1A Regional with a strong showing,” Jones said. “We have 13 wrestlers and 11 qualifiers. We had two kids take third and the other nine were in the Regional Finals. I thought we wrestled at or above expectation at all of our weights. We barely wrestled as a full varsity team throughout the season due to illness, injury, or other reasons. However, today they were able to pull together and wrestle as a team all day and get the job done.” 

Runner-up Princeton also had four champions and six sectional qualifiers. Winning titles for the Tigers were Augustus Swanson (25-7 at 120), Kane Dauber (43-2 at 132), Casey Etheridge (42-2 at 165) and Cade Odell (29-1 at 285). 

Other St. Bede Academy Regional champions were Marquette Academy’s Brysen Manly (31-14 at 150) and Alex Schaefer (32-8 at 215), St. Bede Academy’s Michael Benge (28-15 at 113) and Garrett Connelly (22-16 at 190), Lisle’s Alexander Ferari (32-5 at 126) and Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille/ Ohio’s Aden Spinelli (30-7 at 106). Beside its two title winners, Marquette Academy qualified five other individuals to the Oregon Sectional.

Oregon Sectional qualifiers from the St. Bede Academy Regional

106

1st Place – Aden Spinelli of Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille/ Ohio

2nd Place – Sebastian Lara of Lisle

3rd Place – Hunter Whitecotton of Sandwich

113

1st Place – Michael Benge of St. Bede Academy

2nd Place – Dom Urbanski of Sandwich

3rd Place – Jacob Paull of Princeton

120

1st Place – Augustus Swanson of Princeton

2nd Place – Koby Clark of Marquette Academy

3rd Place – Vince Hefke of Aurora Central Catholic

126

1st Place – Alexander Ferari of Lisle

2nd Place – Max Moreno of St. Bede Academy

3rd Place – Jakob Gruca of Sandwich

132

1st Place – Kane Dauber of Princeton

2nd Place – Colten Stone of Sandwich

3rd Place – Komen Denault of Mendota

138

1st Place – Jaxson Blanchard of Sandwich

2nd Place – Beau Thompson of Marquette Academy

3rd Place – Joshua McKendry of Amboy co-op

144

1st Place – Cooper Corder of Sandwich

2nd Place – Ace Christiansen of Princeton

3rd Place – Caiden Heath of Amboy co-op

150

1st Place – Brysen Manly of Marquette Academy

2nd Place – Joshua Kotalik of Sandwich

3rd Place – Jose Lopez of Amboy co-op

157

1st Place – Josh Lehman of Sandwich

2nd Place – Andre Pineda of St. Bede Academy

3rd Place – Gavin Evans of Mendota

165

1st Place – Casey Etheridge of Princeton

2nd Place – Reily Leifheit of Marquette Academy

3rd Place – Jordan Coventry of St. Bede Academy

175

1st Place – Kai Kern of Sandwich

2nd Place – Landyn Mcemery of Marquette Academy

3rd Place – Corbin Furar of Mendota

190

1st Place – Garrett Connelly of St. Bede Academy

2nd Place – Kaden Clevenger of Sandwich

3rd Place – Alex Tucker of Putnam County/ Hall

215

1st Place – Alex Schaefer of Marquette Academy

2nd Place – Devon Blanchard of Sandwich

3rd Place – Evan Flanagan of Amboy co-op

285

1st Place – Cade Odell of Princeton

2nd Place – Angil Serrano of Mendota

3rd Place – Adrian Schaefer of Marquette Academy

Marian Central Catholic qualifies 11, wins Marengo Regional

Defending IHSA Class 1A champion Marian Central Catholic claimed top honors at the Marengo Regional with 239.5 points while Richmond-Burton took second with 186.5 points, Wheaton Academy was third with 135.5 points and Johnsburg finished fourth with 126 points. The second-ranked Hurricanes had 11 qualifiers for the Oregon Sectional, which ties it with Sandwich for second in the sectional, with only the hosts having more qualifiers with 12.

The champion Hurricanes, who are coached by Ryan Prater and Jordan Blanton, were led by first-place finishers Austin Hagevold (36-7 at 113), Brayden Teunissen (28-5 at 120), Andrew Alvarado (19-9 at 138), Vance Williams (34-5 at 150), Jimmy Mastny (46-1 at 190) and Dan French (30-13 at 215). Taking second place were Camden Spiniolas (106), Nick Marchese (126) and Nic Astacio (165) and finishing third were Connor Cassels (157) and Josh Gawronski (175). It was the Marian Central Catholic’s third-straight regional championship.

Runner-up Richmond-Burton had 10 sectional qualifiers, which is the fourth-best total in the Oregon Sectional. Champions for the Rockets were Lelan Nelson (38-3 at 106), Emmett Nelson (38-1 at 144) and Blake Livdahl (38-4 at 175).

Wheaton Academy also had three regional champions, Lincoln Hoger (41-6 at 132), Chasen Kazmierczak (40-5 at 157) and Tyler Jones (35-4 at 165) in addition to three other qualifiers. 

The other two Marengo Regional title winners were North Boone’s Gavin Ekberg (35-5 at 126) and St. Francis’ Jaylen Torres (25-2 at 285). Johnsburg had six qualifiers but no champions.

Oregon Sectional qualifiers from the Marengo Regional

106

1st Place – Lelan Nelson of Richmond-Burton

2nd Place – Camden Spiniolas of Marian Central Catholic

3rd Place – Kai Surdick of Johnsburg

113

1st Place – Austin Hagevold of Marian Central Catholic

2nd Place – Chase Vogel of Johnsburg

3rd Place – Drew Patel of North Boone

120

1st Place – Brayden Teunissen of Marian Central Catholic

2nd Place – Adam Glauser of Richmond-Burton

3rd Place – Gabe Marella of North Boone

126

1st Place – Gavin Ekberg of North Boone

2nd Place – Nick Marchese of Marian Central Catholic

3rd Place – Clayton Madula of Richmond-Burton

132

1st Place – Lincoln Hoger of Wheaton Academy

2nd Place – Hayden Beebe of Marengo

3rd Place – Micah Klos of Johnsburg

138

1st Place – Andrew Alvarado of Marian Central Catholic

2nd Place – Landon Johnson of Johnsburg

3rd Place – Joey Guidi of Wheaton Academy

144

1st Place – Emmett Nelson of Richmond-Burton

2nd Place – Max Mulhearn of Harvest Christian Academy

3rd Place – Paul Coco of St. Francis

150

1st Place – Vance Williams of Marian Central Catholic

2nd Place – Chase Siguenza of St. Francis

3rd Place – Dalton Youngs of Richmond-Burton

157

1st Place – Chasen Kazmierczak of Wheaton Academy

2nd Place – Maxwell Martin of Richmond-Burton

3rd Place – Connor Cassels of Marian Central Catholic

165

1st Place – Tyler Jones of Wheaton Academy

2nd Place – Nic Astacio of Marian Central Catholic

3rd Place – Jackson Hjorth of Johnsburg

175

1st Place – Blake Livdahl of Richmond-Burton

2nd Place – Duke Mays of Johnsburg

3rd Place – Josh Gawronski of Marian Central Catholic

190

1st Place – Jimmy Mastny of Marian Central Catholic

2nd Place – Breckin Campbell of Richmond-Burton

3rd Place – Logan Crowell of Alden-Hebron

215

1st Place – Dan French of Marian Central Catholic

2nd Place – Shane Falasca of Richmond-Burton

3rd Place – Jeremy Johanik of Wheaton Academy

285

1st Place – Jaylen Torres of St. Francis

2nd Place – Hezekiah Garcia of Wheaton Academy

3rd Place – Colin Kraus of Richmond-Burton

Newman Central Catholic captures title at Riverdale Regional

Newman Central Catholic turned in a strong performance to claim the title at the Class 1A Riverdale Regional in Port Byron when it finished with 197 points, which was 27.5 points better than runner-up Kewanee (169.5) while host Riverdale (146) took third. The champion Comets qualified seven individuals while the runner-up Boilermakers will have six in the sectional.

Coach Brian Bahrs’ first-place Comets had seven finalists with four of them capturing titles. Taking first place for Newman Central Catholic were Landon Near (37-3 at 106), Javen Reyes (27-13 at 113), Zhyler Hansen (39-7 at 126) and Daniel Kelly (34-2 at 165) while Landon Blanton (132), Briar Ivey (157) and Jacob Newberry (190) all finished in second place. It was the program’s first regional title since 2022.

Regional host and third-place finisher Riverdale had three champions, Dean Wainwright (40-2 at 132), Kolton Kruse (42-4 at 150) and Blake Smith (30-0 at 157) and runner-up Kewanee had two title winners, Kingston Peterson (20-7 at 120) and Alejandro Duarte (34-3 at 215).

Other first-place finishers in the Riverdale Regional were Fulton’s Skylier Crooks (37-10 at 175) and Daniel Holman (35-12 at 285), Rockridge’s Jude Finch (35-0 at 138), Morrison’s Caleb Modglin (40-7 at 144) and Orion’s Maddux Anderson (45-2 at 190).

Oregon Sectional qualifiers from the Riverdale Regional

106

1st Place – Landon Near of Newman Central Catholic

2nd Place – Cael Wright of Morrison

3rd Place – Nate Lower of Rockridge

113

1st Place – Javen Reyes of Newman Central Catholic

2nd Place – Tyson Currie of Kewanee

3rd Place – Tennyson Hampton of Alleman

120

1st Place – Kingston Peterson of Kewanee

2nd Place – Tyler Olson of Orion

3rd Place – Triton Pulfrey of Riverdale

126

1st Place – Zhyler Hansen of Newman Central Catholic

2nd Place – Adan Oquendo of Rock Falls

3rd Place – Clayton Blumenstein of Rockridge

132

1st Place – Dean Wainwright of Riverdale

2nd Place – Landon Blanton of Newman Central Catholic

3rd Place – Logan Thome of Rock Falls

138

1st Place – Jude Finch of Rockridge

2nd Place – Logan Williamson of Rock Falls

3rd Place – Lain Taylor of Kewanee

144

1st Place – Caleb Modglin of Morrison

2nd Place – Aidan Jepson of Erie/ Prophetstown

3rd Place – Thomas Sowards of Rockridge

150

1st Place – Kolton Kruse of Riverdale

2nd Place – Ben Taylor of Kewanee

3rd Place – Tristan Hovey of Erie/ Prophetstown

157

1st Place – Blake Smith of Riverdale

2nd Place – Briar Ivey of Newman Central Catholic

3rd Place – Wyatt Goossens of Erie/ Prophetstown

165

1st Place – Daniel Kelly of Newman Central Catholic

2nd Place – Brady Anderson of Morrison

3rd Place – Joey McGuire of Kewanee

175

1st Place – Skylier Crooks of Fulton

2nd Place – Noah Stout of Morrison

3rd Place – Jordae Crow of Erie/ Prophetstown

190

1st Place – Maddux Anderson of Orion

2nd Place – Jacob Newberry of Newman Central Catholic

3rd Place – Mason Kuebel of Fulton

215

1st Place – Alejandro Duarte of Kewanee

2nd Place – Aiden Fisher of Orion

3rd Place – Tanner McKeag of Rockridge

285

1st Place – Daniel Holman of Fulton

2nd Place – Caleb Reymer of Erie/ Prophetstown

3rd Place – Jake Baustian of Riverdale

Regionals that feed into the Coal City Individual Sectional

Northridge Prep wins first regional title at Walther Christian Academy

The 2024-2025 sports season will certainly go down as an historic one for Northridge Prep, which is in Niles. Beginning with the all-boys school’s first-ever IHSA championship in the Class 1A Cross Country Finals in Peoria and then later in November it advanced to the final eight in soccer to capture its first sectional title in that sport. And this past Saturday, the Knights made more history as their six-year old wrestling program won its first regional title when it scored 200.5 points to easily claim top honors at the Class 1A Walther Christian Academy Regional in Melrose Park. Westmont (142) took second and Rickover Naval Academy (105.5) was third.

Coach Joseph Rhee’s champion Knights qualified all 11 individuals they brought to the regional for this weekend’s Coal City Sectional. Winning championships were Joe Kopecky (26-5 at 126), George McShane (22-6 at 150), Adam Haddad (33-2 at 165) and Mason Wagner (21-12 at 175) while Javi Rodriguez (144) and Thomas Suter (285) finished second. Taking third place were  Patrick Manio (113), Noah Echavez (138), Mikey Carney (157), Nick Belcore (190) and Lev Reszczynski (215). The 11 sectional qualifiers ranks Northridge Prep third behind Coal City and Chicago Hope Academy, who both advanced 14 individuals to the sectional.

“The Knights, in just their sixth season of wrestling as an IHSA team, took home the regional title, the first in program history,” Rhee said. “The Knights filled 11 of the 14 weight classes, with all 11 wrestlers finishing in the top three of their brackets and moving on to sectionals.”

Westmont had eight sectional qualifiers, which was second-highest in the regional and tied King College Prep and Reed-Custer for the fourth-best total in the entire sectional and it also had four champions. Claiming first-place finishes for the runner-up Sentinels were Ardan Baglaev (31-9 at 120), Sean Patterson (26-18 at 157), Vincent Willkommen (11-7 at 190) and Rafael Castrejon-Tello of (29-9 at 285).

Other Walther Christian Regional champions were Nazareth Academy’s Emilio Fortiz (8-4 at 113), James Furlong (6-4 at 138) and Sam Swais (20-5 at 215), Rickover Naval Academy’s Justin Chogllo (13-5 at 106) and Justin Hernandez (29-4 at 132) and Walther Christian Academy’s Caleb Peterson (30-10 at 144).

Coal City Sectional qualifiers from the Walther Christian Academy Regional

106

1st Place – Justin Chogllo of Rickover Naval Academy

2nd Place – Mason Ponce of Westmont

3rd Place – Izat Yousef of Universal

113

1st Place – Emilio Fortiz of Nazareth Academy

2nd Place – Luke Jimenea of Westmont

3rd Place – Patrick Manio of Northridge Prep

120

1st Place – Ardan Baglaev of Westmont

2nd Place – Aiden Butler of Rickover Naval Academy

3rd Place – Rich Gulli of Nazareth Academy

126

1st Place – Joe Kopecky of Northridge Prep

2nd Place – Alek Ramos of Nazareth Academy

3rd Place – Christian Rosa of Westmont

132

1st Place – Justin Hernandez of Rickover Naval Academy

2nd Place – Ismail Ayash of Universal

3rd Place – Lawrence Walker of Westmont

138

1st Place – James Furlong of Nazareth Academy

2nd Place – Avi Chen of Ida Crown Jewish Academy

3rd Place – Noah Echavez of Northridge Prep

144

1st Place – Caleb Peterson of Walther Christian Academy

2nd Place – Javi Rodriguez of Northridge Prep

3rd Place – Aidan Zukerman of Ida Crown Jewish Academy

150

1st Place – George McShane of Northridge Prep

2nd Place – Adam Farsi of Universal

3rd Place – Antonio Gonzalez of Walther Christian Academy

157

1st Place – Sean Patterson of Westmont

2nd Place – Kevin Gomez of Walther Christian Academy

3rd Place – Mikey Carney of Northridge Prep

165

1st Place – Adam Haddad of Northridge Prep

2nd Place – Moshe Tarshish of Ida Crown Jewish Academy

3rd Place – Steven Rodriguez of Walther Christian Academy

175

1st Place – Mason Wagner of Northridge Prep

2nd Place – Terrel Washington of Foreman

3rd Place – Tyler Schoessow of Walther Christian Academy

190

1st Place – Vincent Willkommen of Westmont

2nd Place – Mustafa Hanash of Chicago Academy

3rd Place – Nick Belcore of Northridge Prep

215

1st Place – Sam Swais of Nazareth Academy

2nd Place – Ayden Starck of Ida Crown Jewish Academy

3rd Place – Lev Reszczynski of Northridge Prep

285

1st Place – Rafael Castrejon-Tello of Westmont

2nd Place – Thomas Suter of Northridge Prep

3rd Place – Waleed Fuqaha of Universal

Chicago Hope Academy wins own regional tournament

Only two teams in Class 1A were able to advance 14 individuals to a sectional and both of them will be at this weekend’s Coal City Sectional with one of those teams being the host Coalers and the other one being Chicago Hope Academy, which won its seventh regional title in the last 10 seasons and this championship was not only won at their school but it was also achieved in impressive fashion as the Eagles scored 272 points while De La Salle Institute claimed second place with 167.5 points and Noble Golder College Prep took third place with 115.5 points. 

Seven Eagles won championships for coach Dan Willis’ team title winners. Claiming first-place finishes were Indigo Berg (35-11 at 106), Nolan Callahan (37-8 at 113), Josiah Willis (37-9 at 132), Dylan Galvez (31-13 at 144), Santori Knight (32-15 at 150), Tony Jones-Blakely (25-14 at 157) and Arkail Griffin (43-3 at 165). Taking second place for Chicago Hope Academy were Jonny Amador (126), Ismael Martinez (175), Mastewal Evely (215) and Roy Phelps (285) while Josef Rios (120), Anthony Oyola (138) and Ismael Montero (190) finished third.

“Seven champs, 14 sectional qualifiers, over 100 points more than second place,” Willis said. “It was a complete unit effort. Even our tough losses left us inspiration to chase those guys down next week and the next week.”

Other Chicago Hope Academy Regional champions were De La Salle Institute’s Jeremiah Lawrence (12-1 at 120), Vincent Arvetis (22-9 at 126), Marquis Mays (20-5 at 175) and David McCarthy (25-2 at 285), Noble Golder College Prep’s Liam Drysch (20-3 at 138), Horizon Science Academy Southwest Chicago’s Sami Marrero (29-0 at 190) and Phoenix Military Academy’s Kaleb Abney (23-3 at 215).

Coal City Sectional qualifiers from the Chicago Hope Academy Regional

106

1st Place – Indigo Berg of Chicago Hope Academy

2nd Place – Mohammed Zia Nadre of Sullivan

3rd Place – Cristian Tirado of Phoenix Military Academy

113

1st Place – Nolan Callahan of Chicago Hope Academy

2nd Place – justin forbes of De La Salle Institute

3rd Place – Samuel Cruz of Clemente

120

1st Place – Jeremiah Lawrence of De La Salle Institute

2nd Place – Moneeb Alsakka of Sullivan

3rd Place – Josef Rios of Chicago Hope Academy

126

1st Place – Vincent Arvetis of De La Salle Institute

2nd Place – Jonny Amador of Chicago Hope Academy

3rd Place – Elijah Torres of Phoenix Military Academy

132

1st Place – Josiah Willis of Chicago Hope Academy

2nd Place – Damian Gomez of De La Salle Institute

3rd Place – Alejandro Salas of Noble Golder College Prep

138

1st Place – Liam Drysch of Noble Golder College Prep

2nd Place – Mohsen Maliky of Sullivan

3rd Place – Anthony Oyola of Chicago Hope Academy

144

1st Place – Dylan Galvez of Chicago Hope Academy

2nd Place – Lorenzo Harris of Marshall

3rd Place – Alexander Vazquez of Phoenix Military Academy

150

1st Place – Santori Knight of Chicago Hope Academy

2nd Place – Jose Cristian Lagunas of Phoenix Military Academy

3rd Place – Noah Fields of Intrinsic Charter-Downtown Campus

157

1st Place – Tony Jones-Blakely of Chicago Hope Academy

2nd Place – Abobaker Stanikzai of Sullivan

3rd Place – Amir Carruthers of Horizon Science Academy Southwest Chicago

165

1st Place – Arkail Griffin of Chicago Hope Academy

2nd Place – Jose Puga of Noble Golder College Prep

3rd Place – Noah Sherrod of Intrinsic Charter-Downtown Campus

175

1st Place – Marquis Mays of De La Salle Institute

2nd Place – Ismael Martinez of Chicago Hope Academy

3rd Place – Aldo De Paz of Noble Golder College Prep

190

1st Place – Sami Marrero of Horizon Science Academy Southwest Chicago

2nd Place – Terrelle Jackson of De La Salle Institute

3rd Place – Ismael Montero of Chicago Hope Academy

215

1st Place – Kaleb Abney of Phoenix Military Academy

2nd Place – Mastewal Evely of Chicago Hope Academy

3rd Place – Marcell Trice of Bogan

285

1st Place – David McCarthy of De La Salle Institute

2nd Place – Roy Phelps of Chicago Hope Academy

3rd Place – Anthony Spivey of Michele Clark Academic Prep

King College Prep edges Corliss to win CMA-Bronzeville Regional

King College Prep captured its first regional title since 2012 when it edged Corliss Early College STEM 114-111 for top honors while Perspectives Charter Schools took third place with 102.5 points at the IHSA Class 1A Chicago Military Academy at Bronzeville Regional in Chicago. The first-place Jaguars only had one title winner but five individuals claimed second and two others finished in third place to give them eight qualifiers for this weekend’s Coal City Sectional.

Leading the way for coach Anthony Burton’s first-place Jaguars was champion Alexander Robinson (20-3 at 215) while Alpha Kamate (106), Damarcus Washington (113), Mohammed Mohammed-Gazal (120), Moses Pittman (132) and Jacob Jackson (150) all finished second and 

Brandon Chamas (165) and Devin Fields (285) claimed third-place finishes.

“The KCP Jaguars team victory at regionals was a true testament to our collective effort, with every wrestler giving their best both on and off the mat,” Burton said. “From training sessions to unwavering support for one another, it was the unity and determination of the entire team that led us to this championship win. We’re looking forward to continued success from this young group and excited to bring that same energy and teamwork to our upcoming competition.” 

Top performers for coach Stacy Douglas’ runner-up Trojans were title winners Deangelo Willis (7-4 at 144), Laquaris Moore (15-6 at 157) and Grant Smith (20-3 at 165) and second-place finishers Lorenzo Flower (126), Nakia Smith (138) and Christopher Russel (175). Six of the team’s seven individuals who competed in the regional got to the title mat and advanced to the Coal City Sectional. Champions for Perspectives Charter Schools were Kenye Flanagan (25-7 at 106), Donald Bunton, Jr (27-5 at 120) and Nicario Bella (28-6 at 138).

Other Chicago Military Academy at Bronzeville Regional champions were Wendell Phillips’ Andrew Price (22-7 at 126) and James Hill (27-4 at 132), Chicago Military Academy at Bronzeville’s Ryan Singleton (26-2 at 150) and Caleb Gordon (23-2 at 175), Hyde Park Academy’s Amari Frankiln (13-3 at 113), South Shore International College Prep’s Christopher Simmons (25-4 at 190) and Leo’s Nicholas Armour (28-5 at 285).

Coal City Sectional qualifiers from the CMA-Bronzeville Regional

106

1st Place – Kenye Flanagan of Perspectives Charter Schools

2nd Place – Alpha Kamate of King College Prep

3rd Place – Demond Smith of Fenger

113

1st Place – Amari Frankiln of Hyde Park Academy

2nd Place – Damarcus Washington of King College Prep

3rd Place – Daveon Farmer of Perspectives

120

1st Place – Donald Bunton, Jr of Perspectives

2nd Place – Mohammed Mohammed-Gazal of King College Prep

3rd Place – Christopher Smith of Fenger

126

1st Place – Andrew Price of Wendell Phillips

2nd Place – Lorenzo Flower of Corliss Early College STEM

3rd Place – Elijah Bell of DuSable

132

1st Place – James Hill of Wendell Phillips

2nd Place – Moses Pittman of King College Prep

3rd Place – Vandell Dudley of Leo

138

1st Place – Nicario Bella of Perspectives

2nd Place – Nakia Smith of Corliss

3rd Place – Dakhari Esters of South Shore International College Prep

144

1st Place – Deangelo Willis of Corliss

2nd Place – Jaymar Beard of DuSable

3rd Place – Ayden Bright of Leo

150

1st Place – Ryan Singleton of Chicago Military Academy at Bronzeville

2nd Place – Jacob Jackson of King College Prep

3rd Place – Cory Underwood of DuSable

157

1st Place – Laquaris Moore of Corliss

2nd Place – Roderick Johnson of Wendell Phillips

3rd Place – Oscar De La Cruz of CMA at Bronzeville

165

1st Place – Grant Smith of Corliss

2nd Place – Jamion Simmons of Bowen

3rd Place – Brandon Chamas of King College Prep

175

1st Place – Caleb Gordon of CMA at Bronzeville

2nd Place – Christopher Russel of Corliss

3rd Place – Jayden Scott of Perspectives

190

1st Place – Christopher Simmons of South Shore

2nd Place – Mivontae Russell of Perspectives

3rd Place – Jubril Kannike of Leo

215

1st Place – Alexander Robinson of King College Prep

2nd Place – Charleston Rice of Wendell Phillips

3rd Place – Steven Prince of Bowen

285

1st Place – Nicholas Armour of Leo

2nd Place – Justin Powell of Hyde Park Academy

3rd Place – Devin Fields of King College Prep

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

Class 1A regionals that feed into the Carterville Individual Sectional 

Althoff Catholic gets past hosts at Roxana Regional

Three champions, three runners-up and five third-place finishers led Althoff Catholic as it claimed top honors in the IHSA Class 1A Roxana Regional by a 185.5-175 margin over host Roxana to give the Crusaders their first regional title since 2018 when they took fourth in Class 1A and they denied the Shells of competing in the Vandalia Dual Team Sectional after they finished in third place in Class 1A last season. Salem scored 161.5 points to claim third place.

Leading the way for coach Emanuel Brooks’ champion Crusaders were title winners Jason Dowell (27-0 at 285), Dawson Hawthorne (26-0 at 126) and Jacobi Cobbs (28-5 at 106) and  runners-up were Brenden Rayl (132), Liam Bundt (120) and Karson Fowler (113). Finishing in third place were Enrique Morales (215), Matthew Marshall (175), Jakobi Tow (165),Ryan Hogue (150) and Robbie Schallert (138).

“The harder we work, the luckier we get,” Brooks said. “We got very lucky this weekend to bring home the regional championship. But we were only able to capitalize on the fortunate opportunity that presented itself because of the hard work we put in to be ready. The boys earned it the hard way and I’m super proud of them. Now it’s time to get ready for next week!”

Winning titles for the Roxana were Brandon Green Jr. (34-0 at 132), Kaden Carilsle (26-14 at 138), Logan Riggs (33-11 at 144) and Lyndon Thies (39-2 at 165) and coach Rob Milazzo’s Shells advanced five others to the sectional. 

Capturing championships for Salem were Kris Schicker (17-19 at 113), Rylan Moore (36-8 at 120), Keyton King (41-2 at 150) and Killian Merrill (29-13 at 175). The Wildcats, who are led by co-coaches Brian Camp and Rob Ring, had four other sectional qualifiers. The other regional champions were East Alton-Wood River’s Drake Champlin (36-1 at 215), Red Bud’s Danny Jackson (38-5 at 190) and Breese Central’s Matthew Walsh (33-9 at 157).

Carterville Sectional qualifiers from the Roxana Regional

106

1st – Jacobi Cobbs of Althoff Catholic

2nd – Aden Doolen of Salem

113

1st – Kris Schicker of Salem

2nd – Karson Fowler of Althoff Catholic

120

1st – Rylan Moore of Salem

2nd – Liam Bundt of Althoff Catholic

3rd – Savion Hall of Roxana

126

1st – Dawson Hawthorne of Althoff Catholic

2nd – Lleyton Cobine of Roxana

3rd – Miles Dennis of Metro-East Lutheran

132

1st – Brandon Green, Jr. of Roxana

2nd – Brenden Rayl of Althoff Catholic

3rd – Lukas Quartz of Freeburg

138

1st – Kaden Carilsle of Roxana

2nd – Zach Manning of Red Bud

3rd – Robbie Schallert of Althoff Catholic

144

1st – Logan Riggs of Roxana

2nd – Kade Orrell of Salem

3rd – Tyler Adams of East Alton-Wood River

150

1st – Keyton King of Salem

2nd – Gavin Watson of Sparta

3rd – Ryan Hogue of Althoff Catholic

157

1st – Matthew Walsh of Breese Central

2nd – Alex Wolter of Red Bud

3rd – Trevor Gihring of Roxana

165

1st – Lyndon Thies of Roxana

2nd – Granger Motch of Salem

3rd – Jakobi Tow of Althoff Catholic

175

1st – Killian Merrill of Salem

2nd – Rylee McClellan of Roxana

3rd – Matthew Marshall of Althoff Catholic

190

1st – Danny Jackson of Red Bud

2nd – Robert Watt of Roxana

3rd – Carson Osborne of Salem

215

1st – Drake Champlin of East Alton-Wood River

2nd – Dane Olmstead of Freeburg

3rd – Enrique Morales of Althoff Catholic

285

1st – Jason Dowell of Althoff Catholic

2nd – Jack Amann of Freeburg

3rd – Michael Soto of East Alton-Wood River

Murphysboro wins Carmi White County Regional title

Murphysboro had five champions and 11 qualifiers for the IHSA Class 1A Carterville Sectional after winning the title of the Carmi White County Regional with 250 points while Benton/ Sesser-Valier co-op took second with 183 points and Frankfort was third with 136.5 points. This was Murphysboro’s first regional championship since 2018 and the team hopes to get back to IHSA Dual Team State for the first time since 2016, when it finished third in Class 1A.

Leading the way for coach Shea Baker’s first place Red Devils were champions Kaiden Richards (33-9 at 120), Aiston Holt (25-16 at 132), Bryce Edwards (36-4 at 144), Maxon Stearns (35-10 at 165) and Julien Tanner (27-3 at 285) while Paxton Pyatt (113), Sergio Garcia (126),

Lemar Treshansky (138) and Caybren Hubbard (215) claimed second place and Sayvair Williams (150) finished third. Patrick Dover (157) also advanced as an alternate.

“The Murphysboro wrestling team has put in a lot of work this past offseason and throughout the season,” Baker said. “It’s great to see that dedication pay off. We’ve made significant improvements from last year and look forward to competing as a team in the postseason.”

Winning titles for coach Aaron Robinson’s runner-up Rangers were Cohen Sweely (40-3 at 113), Kaden Blades (19-5 at 138), Tiffin Kouzoukas (38-6 at 150) and Kobe Cali (20-3 at 157) while three others also advanced to the sectional.

Frankfort also had three title winners, Hudson Anderton (37-6 at 106), Conner Henson (43-0 at 190) and Brandon Turner (35-3 at 215) while the other two champions were Anna-Jonesboro’s Drew Sadler (41-7 at 126) and Trico/ Elverado’s Colin Hughey (34-4 at 175). Carterville had no champions but qualified seven individuals for the sectional tournament it hosts this weekend.

Carterville Sectional qualifiers from the Carmi White County Regional

106

1st – Hudson Anderton of Frankfort

2nd – Braxton Tittle of Benton

3rd – Isaac Wood of Carterville

113

1st – Cohen Sweely of Benton

2nd – Paxton Pyatt of Murphysboro

3rd – Ramiro Sebastian of Carterville

120

1st – Kaiden Richards of Murphysboro

2nd – Zane Stanley of Benton

3rd – Brawnsen Bloodworth of Carterville

126

1st – Drew Sadler of Anna-Jonesboro

2nd – Sergio Garcia of Murphysboro

3rd – Matt Crim of Goreville

132

1st – Aiston Holt of Murphysboro

2nd – Landyn Flood of Carterville

3rd – Jase Holshouser of Anna-Jonesboro

138

1st – Kaden Blades of Benton

2nd – Lemar Treshansky of Murphysboro

3rd – Gavin Slack of Carterville

144

1st – Bryce Edwards of Murphysboro

2nd – Derek Wilkey of Benton

3rd – Benjamin Harris of Johnston City

150

1st – Tiffin Kouzoukas of Benton

2nd – Jerry Tate of Johnston City

3rd – Sayvair Williams of Murphysboro

157

1st – Kobe Cali of Benton

2nd – Garrett Ray of Herrin

3rd – Michael Minor of Frankfort

Alt – Patrick Dover of Murphysboro

165

1st – Maxon Stearns of Murphysboro

2nd – Kolby Coffey of Herrin

3rd – Trevor Fath of Pinckneyville

175

1st – Colin Hughey of Trico

2nd – Clayton Dent of Frankfort

3rd – Carter Jones of Carterville

190

1st – Conner Henson of Frankfort

2nd – Brendan Hicks of Harrisburg

3rd – Johnny Ramaker of Trico

215

1st – Brandon Turner of Frankfort

2nd – Caybren Hubbard of Murphysboro

3rd – Braxton Welge of Harrisburg

285

1st- Julien Tanner of Murphysboro

2nd – Matt Brown of Harrisburg

3rd – Jeremiah Bouchard of Carterville

Vandalia easily claims title at Litchfield Regional

Vandalia, top-ranked in Class 1A, kicked off its postseason in impressive fashion at the IHSA Class 1A Litchfield Regional where it scored 295.5 points, which was 141.5 points ahead of runner-up Mt. Zion, who had 154 points and Shelbyville claimed third place with 127.5 points. 

Coach Jason Clay’s Vandals, who took fourth place in Class 1A last season, had 10 regional champions and three second-place finishers, giving them 13 qualifiers for this weekend’s Carterville Sectional. Vandalia has won regional titles each season since 1995, except for 2023, when it lost a tournament in Auburn to the hosts by 1.5 points. Clay, who is being inducted into the IWCOA Hall of Fame on April 27, has taken 13 teams to the IHSA Dual Team Finals and has had five teams win trophies, including four of the last five teams that have competed there.

“I’m proud of our team’s dominating performance at Litchfield,” Clay said. “This was our 30th regional title in the last 31 years. Thirteen wrestlers in the regional finals is the second-most we have ever had and 10 champions ties our previous record for individual champs in one regional. We are excited for the team series ahead but for the next couple of weeks we will focus on our individuals and the high goals they have for themselves. We had a couple of guys beat opponents they had lost to multiple times earlier in the season. That growth is awesome to see and helps our guys realize what they can do this next couple of weeks.” 

Regional champions for the Vandals were Aiden Evans (36-9 at 106), Max Philpot (40-0 at 113), Preston Waughtel (45-1 at 120), Tyson Waughtel (47-0 at 126), Cole Yarbrough (34-9 at 138), Keagan Turner (34-8 at 144), Dillon Hinton (45-2 at 150), Ross Miller (37-10 at 175), Kaden Tidwell (43-2 at 215) and Dominic Swyers (32-15 at 285) while Brody Matthews (132), Parker Ray (157) and Artan Mustafa (165) claimed second place finishes.

Other Litchfield Regional title winners were Shelbyville’s Bodee Fathauer (28-7 at 132) and Ryne Peavler (33-6 at 165), Litchfield/ Mt. Olive co-op’s Braxton Kieffer (32-10 at 157) and Sacred Heart-Griffin’s Casen Lyons (36-10 at 190). Mt. Zion had seven sectional qualifiers but no champions.

Carterville Sectional qualifiers from the Litchfield Regional

106

1st Place – Aiden Evans of Vandalia

2nd Place – Eli Hill of Auburn

3rd Place – Kohl Fuller of Hillsboro

113

1st Place – Max Philpot of Vandalia

2nd Place – Vincent Baker of Mt. Zion

120

1st Place – Preston Waughtel of Vandalia

2nd Place – Vincent Moore of Litchfield

3rd Place – Colin Wells of Shelbyville

126

1st Place – Tyson Waughtel of Vandalia

2nd Place – Sammy Toth of Mt. Zion

3rd Place – Johnathan Kirkbride of Shelbyville

132

1st Place – Bodee Fathauer of Shelbyville

2nd Place – Brody Matthews of Vandalia

3rd Place – Drayven Hamm of Auburn

138

1st Place – Cole Yarbrough of Vandalia

2nd Place – Trey Boston of Auburn

3rd Place – Travon Street of Mt. Zion

144

1st Place – Keagan Turner of Vandalia

2nd Place – Gaven Vollintine of Hillsboro

3rd Place – Ronald Laplante of Carlinville

150

1st Place – Dillon Hinton of Vandalia

2nd Place – Jayden Brown of Auburn

3rd Place – Ryan Crowley of Mt. Zion

157

1st Place – Braxton Kieffer of Litchfield

2nd Place – Parker Ray of Vandalia

3rd Place – Jovonis Lunford of Sacred Heart-Griffin

165

1st Place – Ryne Peavler of Shelbyville

2nd Place – Artan Mustafa of Vandalia

3rd Place – Waylon White of Pittsfield

175

1st Place – Ross Miller of Vandalia

2nd Place – Carson Thornton of Mt. Zion

3rd Place – Jayden Ellinger of Litchfield

190

1st Place – Casen Lyons of Sacred Heart-Griffin

2nd Place – Tucker Cook of Pittsfield

3rd Place – Kaden Becker of Mt. Zion

215

1st Place – Kaden Tidwell of Vandalia

2nd Place – Tristan Staggs of Litchfield

3rd Place – Keller Stocks of Mt. Zion

285

1st Place – Dominic Swyers of Vandalia

2nd Place – Andre Townsend of Shelbyville

3rd Place – Devin Hansel of Litchfield

Oakwood/ Salt Fork takes first at Lawrenceville Regional

Oakwood/ Salt Fork co-op finished well ahead of the field at the IHSA Class 1A Lawrenceville Regional when it scored 238 points while Lawrence County co-op, consisting of Lawrenceville and Red Hill, took second place with 163.5 points and Cumberland finished third with 140 points. The champion Comets claimed titles at the first six weight classes and also had two other qualifiers for this weekend’s  Carterville Sectional.

Top performers for Mike Glosser’s first-place Comets were champions Steven Uden (37-4 at 106), Weston Frazier (17-2 at 113), Mason Swartz (39-4 at 120), Devin Ehler (6-0 at 126), Tyler Huchel (37-7 at 132)  and Pedro Rangel (38-7 at 138) while Carter Chambliss (144) took second place and Kade Fleming (285) finished third. Oakwood/ Salt Fork won its third-straight regional title but fell just short of a state trip last year after finishing fourth in Class 1A in 2023.

Winning titles for Westville/ Georgetown-Ridge Farm co-op were Gabriel Kiddoo (36-7 at 150) and Ethan Miller (39-6 at 190), capturing championships for Richland County were Carson Bissey (14-1 at 157) and Zander Schrader (37-7 at 215) and finishing in first place for Fairfield were Talan Keoughan (32-6 at 175) and Bentley Rogers (34-6 at 285)

Other Lawrenceville Regional champions were Lawrence County co-op’s Hudson Meek (33-9 at 144) and Paris’ Joshua Lamore (32-5 at 165). Lawrence County had seven sectional qualifiers while Cumberland, who had no regional champions, qualified six for the Carterville Sectional..

Carterville Sectional qualifiers from the Lawrenceville Regional

106

1st Place – Steven Uden of Oakwood/ Salt Fork

2nd Place – Kyler Guercio of Lawrence County

3rd Place – Hayden Hazel of Richland County

113

1st Place – Weston Frazier of Oakwood/ Salt Fork

2nd Place – Peyton Groves of Cumberland

3rd Place – Cole Dulumback of Effingham

120

1st Place – Mason Swartz of Oakwood/ Salt Fork

2nd Place – Kaiden Stewart of Effingham

3rd Place – Drew Seitzinger of Lawrence County

126

1st Place – Devin Ehler of Oakwood/ Salt Fork

2nd Place – Sawyer Welbaum of Cumberland

3rd Place – Jedd Wellen of Fairfield

132

1st Place – Tyler Huchel of Oakwood/ Salt Fork

2nd Place – Dylan Aten of Lawrence County

3rd Place – Logan Aaron of Cumberland

138

1st Place – Pedro Rangel of Oakwood/ Salt Fork

2nd Place – Broady Kelly of Robinson

3rd Place – Cale Seitzinger of Lawrence County

144

1st Place – Hudson Meek of Lawrence County

2nd Place – Carter Chambliss of Oakwood/ Salt Fork

3rd Place – Jaxson Dukeman of Cumberland

150

1st Place – Gabriel Kiddoo of Westville

2nd Place – Daniel Kiser of Lawrenceville

3rd Place – Garret Rigdon of Paris

157

1st Place – Carson Bissey of Richland County

2nd Place – Owen McGinnis of Cumberland

3rd Place – Ben Mullins of Robinson

165

1st Place – Joshua Lamore of Paris

2nd Place – Kahne Hyre of Robinson

3rd Place – Gage Emmerich of Effingham

175

1st Place – Talan Keoughan of Fairfield

2nd Place – Lenox Parker of Robinson

3rd Place – Max Strader of Cumberland

190

1st Place – Ethan Miller of Westville

2nd Place – Malikye Williams of Lawrence County

3rd Place – Logan McDonald of Richland County

215

1st Place – Zander Schrader of Richland County

2nd Place – Keegan Bare of Fairfield

3rd Place – Bleighten Irelan of Westville

285

1st Place – Bentley Rogers of Fairfield

2nd Place – Carter Pyatt of Mt. Carmel

3rd Place – Kade Fleming of Oakwood/ Salt Fork

Class 1A regionals that feed into the Clinton Individual Sectional

PORTA edges host Peoria Notre Dame for regional title

After getting edged by Canton at the end of the regional tournament that it hosted last season, PORTA was determined not to fall short again when it competed in the IHSA Class 1A Peoria Notre Dame Regional. The Bluejays won three head-to-head title matches over the host Irish and got several decisive victories on both the first- and third-place mats to eke out a 211-210 advantage for top honors as they won their first regional since the 2021 IWCOA Open and their first IHSA regional title since 2015, when a 15-year run of titles ended. They also denied Notre Dame of repeating as regional champions, a feat that it accomplished for the first time in 2024.

The winning formula for PORTA in securing a Clinton Sectional-best 12 qualifiers came in fours as it had four champions, four second-place finishers and four who took third place for a team that’s coached by 2011 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Hill, the IHSA’s all-time leader in dual meet wins. Champions for the Bluejays were Coyt Rademaker (33-14 at 106), Kainin Fillbright (36-10 at 113), Zach Bryant (38-10 at 132) and Justin Zimmerman (38-8 at 157). 

PORTA, a co-op that includes A-C Central, Greenview and Havana, got second place finishes from Ryan McCoy (120), Mike Minor (144), Logan Baker (150) and Dane Jiannoni (190) while Max King (126), Hunter King (138), Jamarion Thomas (165), and Drayden Mayfield (175) took third place. Rademaker, Fillbright and Zimmerman all beat Notre Dame competitors on the title mat and of the Bluejays’ eight victories in first- and third-place matches, there were five pins, two victories by technical fall and a close decision.

“The key was winning the three finals matchups we had with Peoria Notre Dame at 106 with Coyt Rademaker, at 113 with Kainin Fillbright and at 157 with Justin Zimmerman,” Hill said. “Additionally, we had a big win in the semifinals with Ryan McCoy defeating his Peoria Notre Dame wrestler. Last year the regional came down to the last match and if Canton won they would win the title and they did.”

Leading coach Danny Burk’s runner-up Irish were champions Ian Akers (42-3 at 126), Sie Couri (29-18 at 165), Joe Culp (37-9 at 215) and Brady Mullens (30-14 at 285) while Tomie Couri (106), Josh Stedwill (113), John Couri (157) and Tyler Miller (175) claimed second place and Freddie Couri (120), Remi Joesting (132) and Bobby Stickelmaier (190) finished in third place.Notre Dame’s 11 qualifiers was the second-highest total for the Clinton Sectional.

Other Peoria Notre Dame Regional champions were Illini Bluffs’ Jackson Carroll (46-0 at 150) and Barret Speck (40-5 at 120), Farmington/ Cuba’s Bradlee Ellis (39-3 at 144) and Chase Frye (37-11 at 138), Illinois Valley Central’s Owen Moser (36-8 at 175) and Knoxville’s Brydon Walters (27-6 at 190).

Clinton Sectional qualifiers from the Peoria Notre Dame Regional

106

1st Place – Coyt Rademaker of PORTA

2nd Place – Tomie Couri of Peoria Notre Dame

3rd Place – Jayden Schmider of Farmington/ Cuba

113

1st Place – Kainin Fillbright of PORTA

2nd Place – Josh Stedwill of Peoria Notre Dame

3rd Place – Parker Zerfass of Farmington/ Cuba

120

1st Place – Barret Speck of Illini Bluffs

2nd Place – Ryan McCoy of PORTA

3rd Place – Freddie Couri of Peoria Notre Dame

126

1st Place – Ian Akers of Peoria Notre Dame

2nd Place – Nathan Owens of Illini Bluffs

3rd Place – Max King of PORTA

132

1st Place – Zach Bryant of PORTA

2nd Place – Gavyn Stevens of Knoxville

3rd Place – Remi Joesting of Peoria Notre Dame

138

1st Place – Chase Frye of Farmington/ Cuba

2nd Place – Gage Fox of Knoxville

3rd Place – Hunter King of PORTA

144

1st Place – Bradlee Ellis of Farmington/ Cuba

2nd Place – Mike Minor of PORTA

3rd Place – Devon Stone of Illinois Valley Central

150

1st Place – Jackson Carroll of Illini Bluffs

2nd Place – Logan Baker of PORTA

3rd Place – Matthew Miller of Williamsville

157

1st Place – Justin Zimmerman of PORTA

2nd Place – John Couri of Peoria Notre Dame

3rd Place – Evan Cannon of Illinois Valley Central

165

1st Place – Sie Couri of Peoria Notre Dame

2nd Place – Preston Schroeder of ROWVA/ Williamsfield

3rd Place – Jamarion Thomas of PORTA

175

1st Place – Owen Moser of Illinois Valley Central

2nd Place – Tyler Miller of Peoria Notre Dame

3rd Place – Drayden Mayfield of PORTA

190

1st Place – Brydon Walters of Knoxville

2nd Place – Dane Jiannoni of PORTA

3rd Place – Bobby Stickelmaier of Peoria Notre Dame

215

1st Place – Joe Culp of Peoria Notre Dame

2nd Place – Jayden Cantu of Knoxville

3rd Place – Anthony Beckman of Williamsville

285

1st Place – Brady Mullens of Peoria Notre Dame

2nd Place – Curnell Williams of Manual

3rd Place – Liam Dodsworth of Williamsville

Unity prevail over LeRoy/ Tri-Valley at Monticello Regional

In the unusual situation where two teams that qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals one year are in the same regional in the following year, Unity had six champions and nine sectional qualifiers to help it claim first place at the Class 1A Monticello Regional with 221 points while LeRoy/ Tri-Valley co-op took second place with 197.5 points and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher co-op finished third with 184.5 points. The runner-up Panthers, who also qualified nine individuals for this weekend’s Clinton Sectional, advanced to the IHSA Dual Team Finals in 2023, as well. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher had the most sectional qualifiers with 10.

Leading the way for coach Logan Patton’s first-place Rockets were champions Hunter Shike (28-9 at 132), Taylor Finley (44-4 at 138), Kaden Inman (42-5 at 144), Holden Brazelton (42-6 at 150), Abram Davidson (42-5 at 165) and Hunter Eastin (45-2 at 190). Ryan Rink (175) placed second while Keegan Germano (157) and Chason Daly (215) finished in third place. 

“I thought the guys wrestled real well and for each other.” Patton said. “We have a great family bond and are excited to host team sectionals.” 

Winning titles for coach Brady Sant Amour’s second place Panthers were Brady Mouser (36-3 at 120), Brock Owens (40-8 at 157) and Tate Sigler (41-5 at 285). Hoopeston Area/ Milford had two first-place finishers, Charlie Flores (44-3 at 106) and Angel Zamora (45-1 at 175). 

The other three Monticello Regional champions were St. Joseph-Ogden’s Jackson Walsh (39-8 at 113), Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher’s Landen Lage (36-3 at 126) and The High School of Saint Thomas More’s James Schmidt (28-6 at 215).

Clinton Sectional qualifiers from the Monticello Regional

106

1st Place – Charlie Flores of Hoopeston Area/ Milford

2nd Place – Ben Wells of St. Joseph-Ogden

3rd Place – Austin Pacha of LeRoy/ Tri-Valley

113

1st Place – Jackson Walsh of St. Joseph-Ogden

2nd Place – Jake Baughman of LeRoy/ Tri-Valley

3rd Place – Aiden Komnick of Monticello

120

1st Place – Brady Mouser of LeRoy/ Tri-Valley

2nd Place – Aiden Bell of Hoopeston Area/ Milford

3rd Place – Gage Martin of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher

126

1st Place – Landen Lage of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher

2nd Place – Noah Davis of Pontiac

3rd Place – Nick Litchfield of Monticello

132

1st Place – Hunter Shike of Unity

2nd Place – Nolan Lowe of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher

3rd Place – Will Osborne of Monticello

138

1st Place – Taylor Finley of Unity

2nd Place – Hunter Brandon of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher

3rd Place – Jimmy Chaon of LeRoy/ Tri-Valley

144

1st Place – Kaden Inman of Unity

2nd Place – Ethan Lowe of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher

3rd Place – Landen Butts of St. Joseph-Ogden

150

1st Place – Holden Brazelton of Unity

2nd Place – Kobe Brent of LeRoy/ Tri-Valley

3rd Place – Hudson Babb of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher

157

1st Place – Brock Owens of LeRoy/ Tri-Valley

2nd Place – Lucas Maier of Pontiac

3rd Place – Keegan Germano of Unity

165

1st Place – Abram Davidson of Unity

2nd Place – Ayden Larkin of Hoopeston Area/ Milford

3rd Place – Cooper Miller of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher

175

1st Place – Angel Zamora of Hoopeston Area/ Milford

2nd Place – Ryan Rink of Unity

3rd Place – Bo Zeleznik of LeRoy/ Tri-Valley

190

1st Place – Hunter Eastin of Unity

2nd Place – Jaxon Wright of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher

3rd Place – Gannon Pinkerton of LeRoy/ Tri-Valley

215

1st Place – James Schmidt of High School of Saint Thomas More

2nd Place – Cohen Kean of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher

3rd Place – Chason Daly of Tolono Unity

285

1st Place – Tate Sigler of LeRoy

2nd Place – Cam Wagner of St. Joseph-Ogden

3rd Place – Carson Sexton of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/ Fisher

Canton claims championship at own regional

After securing a regional title in its final match a year ago over the hosts at PORTA, Canton was understandably pleased that there was no late drama necessary as it won its own regional tournament to give it three-consecutive regional championships. It finished with 214 points while Beardstown finished second with 146 points and Macomb took third place with 125 points.

Coach Zach Crawford’s first-place Little Giants had seven title winners and qualified 10 individuals for this weekend’s Clinton Sectional. Leading the way for Canton were champions Jaxsun Owens (26-9 at 106), Jacob Hardesty (31-6 at 120), Dyllan Steele (29-2 at 126), Jack Jochums (30-7 at 138), Alex Carrier (27-11 at 144), Grady Smith (21-19 at 150) and Connor Williams (32-0 at 285) while Daniel Kees (157) and Garrett Sego (190) took second place and Gus Lidwell (175) finished third.

“Seven champs, two runners-up and a third,” Crawford said. “It was a great day for Canton. They all wrestled really well and competed as a team, cheering each other on throughout the whole tournament matside.” 

Quincy Notre Dame had three champions while Mercer County had two first-place winners. Claiming top honors for Quincy Notre Dame were Oliver Moore (27-6 at 132), Bradi Lahr (40-5 at 157) and Ryan Darnell (41-6 at 215) and Mercer County got title wins from Eli Burns (17-3 at 165) and Bodie Salmon (24-6 at 190).

Also winning Canton Regional championships were Beardstown’s Bryan Islas (27-12 at 113) and Illini West’s Shawn Watkins (33-4 at 175). Macomb had no title winners but did qualify seven individuals for this weekend’s Clinton Sectional.

Clinton Sectional qualifiers from the Canton Regional

106

1st Place – Jaxsun Owens of Canton

2nd Place – Paxton Buehler of Camp Point Central

3rd Place – Elliot Adamson of Mercer County

113

1st Place – Bryan Islas of Beardstown

2nd Place – Jackson Buehler of Camp Point Central

3rd Place – Jairon Royer of Macomb

120

1st Place – Jacob Hardesty of Canton

2nd Place – Ethan Hoyt of Macomb

3rd Place – Landon Peterson of Monmouth-Roseville

126

1st Place – Dyllan Steele of Canton

2nd Place – Case Hughes of Camp Point Central

3rd Place – Kellen Brown of Beardstown

132

1st Place – Oliver Moore of Quincy Notre Dame

2nd Place – Nic Parkins of Macomb

3rd Place – Josh Collins of Camp Point Central

138

1st Place – Jack Jochums of Canton

2nd Place – Kai Humphry of Warsaw

3rd Place – Austin Shull of Quincy Notre Dame

144

1st Place – Alex Carrier of Canton

2nd Place – Luis De La Cruz of Beardstown

3rd Place – Cale Hilbing of Quincy Notre Dame

150

1st Place – Grady Smith of Canton

2nd Place – Paul Schenk of Camp Point Central

3rd Place – Excequiel Ocampo of Mercer County

157

1st Place – Bradi Lahr of Quincy Notre Dame

2nd Place – Daniel Kees of Canton

3rd Place – Cohen Green of Macomb

165

1st Place – Eli Burns of Mercer County

2nd Place – Gunner Looker of Beardstown

3rd Place – Atsard Aplogan of Macomb

175

1st Place – Shawn Watkins of Illini West

2nd Place – Keegan Smith of Monmouth-Roseville

3rd Place – Gus Lidwell of Canton

190

1st Place – Bodie Salmon of Mercer County

2nd Place – Garrett Sego of Canton

3rd Place – Kyler Cheatham of Macomb

215

1st Place – Ryan Darnell of Quincy Notre Dame

2nd Place – Alex Gandarilla of Monmouth-Roseville

3rd Place – Malachi McKune of Warsaw

285

1st Place – Connor Williams of Canton

2nd Place – Chunk Dailey of Beardstown

3rd Place – Alex Brown of Macomb

Olympia captures title at its own regional

Olympia looks to be putting things together at the right time as it easily grabbed top honors in the IHSA Class 1A Olympia Regional in Stanford when it scored 208 points, placing it well ahead of runner-up Clinton (117.5) as well as El Paso-Gridley (109) and Heyworth (106.5).

Coach Josh Collins’ champion Spartans had five title winners, seven finalists and eight qualifiers for the Clinton Sectional. Winning regional championships for the hosts were Brandon Gaither (37-8 at 106), Dylan Eimer (37-4 at 113), Austin Kisner (36-12 at 144), Kelton Graden (19-5 at 157) and Darian Holloway (39-7 at 285). Claiming second-place finishes were Kinzer Burrell (132) and Cooper Phillips (138) while Isaac Warnock (175) placed third. Olympia won its first regional title since 2017, when it last made a trip to the Dual Team Finals and took third in 1A.

Unity Christian/ Argenta-Oreana co-op received title wins from brothers Garrett VerHeecke (38-1 at 132) and Clinton VerHeecke (37-0 at 138) and Heyworth got first-place finishes from Logan Stout (27-21 at 150) and Brody Simons (32-13 at 175).

The other Olympia Regional champions were Warrensburg-Latham/ Maroa-Forsyth’s Logan Roberts (37-2 at 120), University High’s Ruben Rivera (35-8 at 126), Tremont’s Bowden Delaney (45-2 at 165), Clinton’s Kristan Hibbard (32-8 at 190) and El Paso-Gridley’s Ryden Barker (41-3 at 215). Clinton qualified six individuals for the sectional it hosts this weekend.

Clinton Sectional qualifiers from the Olympia Regional

106

1st Place – Brandon Gaither of Olympia

2nd Place – Kole Petta of El Paso-Gridley

3rd Place – Cayden Bostic of Clinton

113

1st Place – Dylan Eimer of Olympia

2nd Place – Briley Carter of Clinton

3rd Place – Tom Erwin of El Paso-Gridley

120

1st Place – Logan Roberts of Warrensburg-Latham

2nd Place – Josh Butler of University High

3rd Place – Henry Watson of Eureka

126

1st Place – Ruben Rivera of University High

2nd Place – Kaden Roberts of Warrensburg-Latham

3rd Place – Harrison Lott of Riverton

132

1st Place – Garrett VerHeecke of Unity Christian

2nd Place – Kinzer Burrell of Olympia

3rd Place – Josiah Rokey of Eureka

138

1st Place – Clinton VerHeecke of Unity Christian

2nd Place – Cooper Phillips of Olympia

3rd Place – Finn Hoffman of Eureka

144

1st Place – Austin Kisner of Olympia

2nd Place – Hayden Washum of University High

3rd Place – Charlie Wittmer of Warrensburg-Latham

150

1st Place – Logan Stout of Heyworth

2nd Place – Caleb Berg of Unity Christian

3rd Place – Josh Caraballo of University High

157

1st Place – Kelton Graden of Olympia

2nd Place – Sam Hoffman of Eureka

3rd Place – hunter Bockelman of Heyworth

165

1st Place – Bowden Delaney of Tremont

2nd Place – Braden Gibson of El Paso-Gridley

3rd Place – Logan Thoms of Clinton

175

1st Place – Brody Simons of Heyworth

2nd Place – Aaron Eastman of Eureka

3rd Place – Isaac Warnock of Olympia

190

1st Place – Kristan Hibbard of Clinton

2nd Place – Dominic Ricconi of El Paso-Gridley

3rd Place – Jarrod Fulcher of Heyworth

215

1st Place – Ryden Barker of El Paso-Gridley

2nd Place – Bryan Alejandro of Clinton

3rd Place – Ethan Kinsey of Tremont

285

1st Place – Darian Holloway of Olympia

2nd Place – Joey Humphries of Deer Creek-Mackinaw

3rd Place – Dawson Thayer of Clinton

By Chris Walker – for The IWCOA

The names Lobrillo and Leidig may not be the first two that come to mind when you think about St. Charles East wrestling, but without wrestlers like Rocco Lobrillo and Abe Leidig, the Saints would have a much harder time remaining as one of the premier teams in the state each winter.

Those two along with 10 other Saints advanced to championship matches during Saturday’s IHSA Class 3A St. Charles East Regional.

They all advanced to next weekend’s Conant Sectional along with a third-place finisher as the Saints qualified 13 individuals while also winning the regional title as a team with 247 points. Glenbard North took second with 171.5 points and was followed by DeKalb (132.5), Wheaton North (128.5), West Chicago (83), Bartlett (65), Geneva (56) and St. Charles North (18.5).

“Lobrillo and Leidig don’t have a lot of experience wrestling,” Saints coach Jason Potter said. “Most of the guys on the team have been wrestling since they were five, six and seven years old. So to see them buy in and get themselves in the mix and not only be very high contributors but to come out here in the postseason and do damage and advance themselves and put themselves in position to get down to the individual state tournament. Once you’re down there your credentials don’t mean anything. Anything can happen.”

Potter, who will be inducted into the IWCOA Hall of Fame on April 27, said advancing 12 to the regional title match may be a school record.

“Might be a record, to be honest, I’m not sure, so it’s pretty good,” he said. “We’re pretty excited. And we felt we had one of the tougher regionals inside our sectional so for us to put 12 in the finals shows how good of a morning we had rolling into that.”

Dom Munaretto (120), Gavin Woodmancy (138), Anthony Gutierrez (165), Leidig (175) and Cooper Murray (215) won regional titles for the Saints. It was the first for all of them, except for Munaretto, who won this title with a pin while Gutierrez and Murray got victories by technical fall, Leidig captured a major decision and Woodmancy claimed a decision.

“We challenged the guys today to wrestle better than they did at the conference tournament last week,” Potter said. “Some of this competition was the same but we also drew some really tough kids from Bartlett and West Chicago.”

At last year’s regional at DeKalb, Woodmancy, Gutierrez and Murray lost title bouts while Leidig was competing at the JV level.

“I’ve been JV the last three years so for me it’s just been next match, next match and it doesn’t matter what seed I get or who I wrestle,”’ Leidig said. “It’s just been the next match and if you think too far ahead you get in your head.”

Leidig earned a 14-4 major decision against Glenbard North’s Joseph Fitak in the 175 final. Most recently, Fitak defeated Leidig in the DuKane Conference.

“I beat him early in the season but it was nothing that I wanted it to be and then lost to him two weeks ago at conference,” Leidig said. “Today I had to clear my mind. Some people feed off the emotion and I just need to calm down and focus. Normally I’m a little more passive and just sit upper body and really had to get that moving and get that moving. 

“Before the match the goal was just a takedown a period, one takedown a period, and I just kind of stuck to that mentality. When you really lock in you kind of just forget if you’re tired or not. I was just going and moving and moving. I wanted it so bad. I could’ve just gone on top and rode him out that last period but wanted to go up again. I wanted that last takedown. I wanted to win that not just to win it, but because last time never should’ve happened in the first place.”

Wrestling for a program that took third in the state last year and sharing the same gym as state champions like Ben Davino, Jayden Colon and Munaretto has certainly inspired Leidig this year as he transitioned in the fall from playing soccer to wrestling in the winter.

“After Ben (Davino), Jayden (Colon) and Tyler (Guerra), the standard is just set through the roof,” Leidig said. “And you can take it as if it’s pressure, but it’s encouraging. It really pushes us, especially in the room everyday. It’s like this is what you want to be, you see these kids at the next level on TV. That’s really what’s motivating and with coach Potter there’s no going wrong there.”

Fitak had beaten Leidig, 3-2, in the DuKane Conference semifinal at St. Charles North on January 25.

“To finally win something feels cool,” Leidig said. “I took eighth at Cheesehead, took third at conference, but this, to finally win something like this, this is a cool moment.”

Kaden Potter (106), Declan Sons (113), Liam Aye (126), Logan Tatar (144), Ryan McGovern (157), Lobrillo (190) and Matt Medina (285) each took second and advanced for the Saints, as did Payton Lee (132), who finished third. 

Potter’s return was a big one as the sophomore had been sidelined for the past two months.

Thanks to an opening bye, Potter’s first and only match came in the 106 semifinals as he pinned DeKalb’s Jaden Bradley in 3:37. To be cautious going forward, knowing that Potter had already advanced, the Saints kept him sidelined for the finals match against Glenbard North freshman Vannak Khiev.

“Since he got into the finals it was one of the weird father/son moments of hey buddy you’re not wrestling this,” Jason Potter said. “So he’s smart enough to understand it. We look forward to another week of practice. I think he can get his timing back, really get his conditioning back and more importantly his confidence back after taking eight weeks off the mat.”

Jason Potter thought that his son’s season may have been over so the fact that he’s back in action is big news for the Saints.

“He’s been out eight weeks so we thought his season was over or that we could get him back for postseason,” Jason Potter said. “He’s healed up a little bit faster than we thought. We just got him cleared two days ago so he had two days of practice, and out of respect for (Vannak) Khiev and the situation of not being 100 percent yet and a couple more days in practice would put him in a better position, so we tried to weigh the risk/rewards.”

After getting a pin in his return, there was no doubt that Kaden Potter wanted to wrestle for the title, but more importantly, the Saints need Potter at his best next week.

“He’s not excited about forfeiting and not going out, but as a coach I thought that was the right decision,” Potter said. “The goal was winning as a team and advancing. After taking eight weeks off the mat, stepping out and going against high-level competition and your confidence isn’t quite there yet. That was the main concern. I need him confident so he doesn’t get himself hurt.”

Junior Trey Thompson was one of Glenbard North’s four regional champions, earning a 6-4 decision against Bartlett’s Nick Barton in the 132 final.

“I haven’t won a tournament since freshman year,” Thompson said. “I started wrestling in the eighth grade so I’m pretty new to it so I’m just getting that first place feeling. It’s hard falling short often so just getting that victory, getting a bracket, getting a first place medal. It feels real nice.”

While Thompson had an older sibling who wrestled years ago, it didn’t inspire him to give the sport a shot until recently.

“It was always football, baseball and basketball and doing those sports,” he explained. “Wrestling seemed too weird and gritty for me. After falling short because of not being fast or big enough, I tried wrestling to get better at football and just fell in love with it right away. I started doing good and just wanted to be the best that I could.”

And he wanted to be on the wall.

“My coaches and our team, we have a wall in our school and if I won this match my coach was going to put me on it so it meant a lot to me to go out there,” he said. “It’s exciting. I love wrestling and I was happy to be out there. The guys, we all work hard. Every morning, every day, it’s a grind. I’m just excited. Our goal coming out here was to win the regional and obviously with a team like St. Charles East it’s hard to get a victory as a whole team, but we work hard every day to just be the best us and it showed out pretty well.”

Thompson’s growth between seasons has been phenomenal. 

“Last year I went 1-2 in this tournament,” he said. “I didn’t qualify and was unseeded with six wins on the year. This was my 32nd win this year. I’ve closed a very big gap working with programs like Team EL1TE Wrestling. It just inspires me to work harder and do better everyday.”

As Thompson walked past the bleachers shortly after his victory a huge smile formed as he lifted his left arm and gave a fist bump to some of his biggest supporters in the stands. He was in love with the moment.

“I love to come out here,” he said. “A lot of wrestlers don’t love it, but I love to come out here. I love wrestling. I take inspiration from Iowa. I like how they work, that mindset of keeping that pressure, keeping it going.”

His teammate, Julian Holland, joined him as a regional champion for the Panthers. Holland earned an 11-6 decision over St. Charles East’s Lobrillo in the 190 final.

‘Third match we’ve wrestled all year so I knew he was really amped up about the match thinking about it a lot,” Holland said. “I was trying to stick, to stay sticking to my set of moves, stay in my box, keep working my things I knew I was good at. And coaches were telling me to stay in good position and you got it.”

“This is pretty big to me. This means I get my photo up in the wrestling room, which was a big goal of mine, so it’s nice to make my next week easier and get me closer to state. I’m just happy.”

Holland’s come a long way.

“Last year I got last at conference but qualified for sectional, but I’ve gotten so much better,” he said. “I just keep on working. In the summer I kept getting better. I’ve noticed so many improvements since I started wrestling freshman year.”

Vannak Khiev (106) and Kalani Khiev (126) also won titles for Glenbard North, with Kalani winning by fall. Isaac Velasco (120), Richard Morales (138), Xavier Smiley (157) and Tyler Hvorick (215) took third to give coach Travis Cherry’s Panthers nine sectional qualifiers.

Geneva senior Joe Pettit is well aware that the end of his wrestling career could be nearing.

“Hard to imagine only two weeks left of this, and we’ll see if I wrestle in college or not,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to the next two weeks, being in the moment, going as hard as I can at practice. These big matches are the best part of wrestling because they’re pressure-free really going into better opponents and whatever happens, happens, wrestle hard and let the cards fall.” 

The two-time state qualifier defeated St. Charles East junior Matt Medina, 4-0, for the 285 regional title .

“He is a tough opponent, but I knew he was going to come after me after the last two times we wrestled,” Pettit said “He made me work, but I’m just excited for what’s to come with sectionals because it’ll be more big matches.”

It was the third time in as many weeks that the two DuKane Conference big men met.

“He came out strong,” Pettit said. “I got a takedown and just rode him out from there.”

Geneva’s Sam Sikorsky (113) also won a regional title, earning an 11-3 major decision over St. Charles East’s Declan Sons.

“I kind of came back this year and wrestled my heart out,” Sikorsky said. “That was the goal. Being regional champion will help me out going into sectionals for sure.”

Sikorsky said he’s feeling pretty good these days, not battling any injuries but continuing to battle the scales.

“The hardest part about wrestling for me is just about making weight,” he said. “I’m injury free right now. I don’t have knee pain or anything, basically just making weight every day is a little bit of a struggle, but I do it.”

Last year Sikorsky lost a 7-4 decision to Sons in the 106 semifinals of the Class 3A DeKalb Regional. Not this time.

“I wrestled him three times last year and I beat him at conference and then lost to him at regionals and a dual,” he said. “So I’m just coming back and getting my get-back. I like when it’s competition like that. Like when I wrestle (Batavia’s Kai) Enos. I beat him and then lost to him and wished the best for him. I like the competition, knowing I have something to go for when I lose someone is catching up to me so I got to train my heart out.”

Wheaton North’s Thomas Fulton captured the 157 title after a 4-2 victory over St. Charles East’s Ryan McGovern. Fulton has now won back-to-back regional titles.

Rocco Macellaio (120) took second for Wheaton North while Falcons teammates Ryan Rosch (150), Julian Flores (165) and Nikolas Schaafsma (175) fought back to win their respective third place matches to also move on to sectional competition. 

DeKalb’s Mike Hodge isn’t afraid of blood. In fact, the senior is used to it as bloody noses are not uncommon when he’s battling on the mat.

“I’m a bloody guy,” he said. “Going into practice every day, I get bloody noses. I think this one started in the second period and the loose plugs kept falling out and it kept getting worse.”

Hodge beat St. Charles East’s Logan Tatar, 5-3, to win the title at 144.

“This is really big, especially since last year I got fourth and it didn’t live up to what I wanted to do,” he said. “So this year I just came back improved, so this was huge for me.”

Also for the Barbs, Hudson Ikens (150) and Sean Kolkebeck (165) finished second while Jaden Bradley (106) and Jeremiah Piniera (285) each took third.

“I thought they all wrestled really hard,” Hodge said. “They wrestled a lot to the best of their ability and sometimes you just don’t come out on top, but coaches teach win, lose as long as you give the best effort you have, they’re happy.”

Knowing the stakes of a regional and the talent of such a competition, wrestlers will look to gain even the slightest edge over their opponents.

Sometimes that advantage somehow lands right at their feet, such as when it was time for West Chicago’s Leo Rosas to battle DeKalb’s Hudson Ikens for the 150 title.

Prior to it, Rosas watched as teammates Emanuel Rangel (113), Ryan Alvarado (126) and Santino Milazzo (144) won crucial third-place matches to qualify for next weekend’s Class 3A Conant Sectional. Rosas defeated Ikens, 5-2, to give West Chicago its lone regional champion.

“I had the comfort of knowing I had made it next week so in the finals I just had to go out there and give it my all and if I lose, I lose, I’m still going to wrestle next week,” Rosas said. “So it’s nervous watching your teammates wrestle for third place and everything and it’s nervous competing for that regional title, but at the end of the day I still made it to next week.”

“I went in knowing it was going to be a tough match. Whenever I know I’m wrestling someone tough I never let it get to my head, I take the nerves as like energy. So when I got in there, you know, he was pretty heavy on the clubs but I knew what I’ve been working on all week in practice and I used that and that’s how I was able to get the win. Everything I’ve been working on paid off.”

Bartlett had no regional champions but received second-place finishes from Nick Barton (132), Cameron Engels (138) and James Smrha (215).

Conant Sectional qualifiers from the St. Charles East Regional

106

1st Place – Vannak Khiev of Glenbard North

2nd Place – Kaden Potter of St. Charles East

3rd Place – Jaden Bradley of DeKalb

113

1st Place – Sam Sikorsky of Geneva

2nd Place – Declan Sons of St. Charles East

3rd Place – Emanuel Rangel of West Chicago

120

1st Place – Dom Munaretto of St. Charles East

2nd Place – Rocco Macellaio of Wheaton North

3rd Place – Isaac Velasco of Glenbard North

126

1st Place – Kalani Khiev of Glenbard North

2nd Place – Liam Aye of St. Charles East

3rd Place – Ryan Alvarado of West Chicago

132

1st Place – Trey Thompson of Glenbard North

2nd Place – Nick Barton of Bartlett

3rd Place – Payton Lee of St. Charles East

138

1st Place – Gavin Woodmancy of St. Charles East

2nd Place – Cameron Engels of Bartlett

3rd Place – Richard Morales of Glenbard North

144

1st Place – Mike Hodge of DeKalb

2nd Place – Logan Tatar of St. Charles East

3rd Place – Santino Milazzo of West Chicago

150

1st Place – Leo Rosas of West Chicago

2nd Place – Hudson Ikens of DeKalb

3rd Place – Ryan Rosch of Wheaton North

157

1st Place – Thomas Fulton of Wheaton North

2nd Place – Ryan McGovern of St. Charles East

3rd Place – Xavier Smiley of Glenbard North

165

1st Place – Anthony Gutierrez of St. Charles East

2nd Place – Sean Kolkebeck of DeKalb

3rd Place – Julian Flores of Wheaton North

175

1st Place – Abraham Leidig of St. Charles East

2nd Place – Joseph Fitak of Glenbard North

3rd Place – Nikolas Schaafsma of Wheaton North

190

1st Place – Julian Holland of Glenbard North

2nd Place – Rocco Lobrillo of St. Charles East

3rd Place – Carlo Saenz of Wheaton North

215

1st Place – Cooper Murray of St. Charles East

2nd Place – James Smrha of Bartlett

3rd Place – Tyler Hvorick of Glenbard North

285

1st Place – Joseph Pettit of Geneva

2nd Place – Matt Medina of St. Charles East

3rd Place – Jeremiah Piniera of DeKalb