Class 3A individual state finals
By Mike Garofola for the IWCOA
CHAMPAIGN — It was a 3A state tournament with a little bit of everything for everyone who paid their way into the State Farm Center in Champaign on the campus of the University of Illinois.
Caleb Noble, Dom Munaretto, Nicholas Garcia, Will Denny and Aaron Stewart became two-time state champions, Seth Mendoza went even better by claiming his fourth in a row.
Evan Gosz and Charles Walker rocked the house with breathtaking efforts, while a half-dozen others climbed atop the podium for their first time.
Rocco Cassioppi and Ricky Ericksen erased the heartbreak of finishing second a year ago with inspiring efforts to win the big trophy this time around.
The wrestling world is a stage, and when the lights came back on following the Grand March, 28 young men treated the crowd to quite a show.
Here’s a look at the champions and medal-winners:
106- MJ Rundell (Oak Park- River Forest)
The names of those who have represented the storied Oak Park-River Forest program atop the podium in its history have been among some of the most well known in the sport – including the Rundell family.
Of the 27 state titles won by the Huskies, three have come from Rundell brothers Matt (2015), Jake (2018), and now MJ, who added the third state title to the family trophy case this year.
MJ Rundell (41-2) the No. 1 man at 106 pounds throughout the season put together a workmanlike six minute effort to defeat No. 3 Niko Odiotti (Loyola Academy) to claim the top prize.
“I knew after I went up 4-0 late in the second period that I would be able to ride him hard the rest of the way,” said Rundell, who was a state qualifier a year ago with a 32-10 record.
“I wasn’t happy with the way things went last year at state, so it was important for me to get stronger mentally and physically if I wanted to turn that around this season, so those were two areas of my game that I looked to improve on,” added Rundell.
“MJ did a fantastic job (sticking) to his style of wrestling throughout the tournament, his focus was unmatched, and he was completely locked in with his coaches during the workout and matches down here,” said Huskies head coach Paul Collins.
Rundell (23 pins, 11 tech-falls, 113 takedowns) cruised into his final, while the route for Odiotti required a little more effort.
After a 10-2 decision in his state opener, Odiotti needed extra time to defeat Sebastian Gracia (Mt. Carmel) in his quarterfinal contest, followed by a hard fought 4-3 victory over No. 2 Maddox Garbis (Plainfield North, 35-3) in the semifinals.
Garbis will wrestle in the fall at Northern Illinois University.
Rundell used a tech fall, a major, and a fall to reach the finals.
“I’d say his greatest improvement is with the confidence in his abilities, and after winning Fargo in both Freestyle and Greco, he placed himself on another level as a competitor,” Collins said. “Some may shy away from that spotlight, but with MJ he has fully stepped into it and embraced that role.”
Rundell already has a family goal set for next season.
”It’s great to win a state title, but next year I want to win another so I can have bragging rights over both of my brothers,” Rundell said.
Marmion Academy sophomore Preston Morrison (37-12) earned third place over Addison Trail freshman Nikolas Duarte (37-8) with Gracia (29-13) coming back to grab fifth place over Garbis in a medical forfeit.
113- Caleb Noble (Warren)
Just two matches after the Charles Walker-Kai Calcutt final brought the fans up and out of its seats, one of the most eagerly-anticipated rematches — between Caden Correll and Caleb Noble — brought the State Farm Center audience to attention.
Correll’s 13-8 defeat of Noble earlier in the season fueled the interest in this 113-pound final.
With a relentless all-out attack from the opening whistle, Noble enjoyed the majority of the play which led to a 5-1 advantage after the first period.
From there, the Warren sophomore continued to score until it became an insurmountable 14-5 lead before ending with a 17-5 victory and second-straight state title for Noble, whose acrobatic flip gave the big crowd reason to roar its approval.
“That loss to Caden was kind of a wake-up that I needed at the time, and it helped me get a little more grounded and focused in my training, and mental approach to help me get back on top of the podium,” opined Noble, whose season ends with a 44-2 record.
Both men earned plenty of major titles during the campaign, including Correll (48-1) winning at the Dvorak and Noble claiming the top prize at the Ironman.
The Normal Community senior had hoped to claim the first state title in program history, but will instead take home his third state medal of his career to give the Pioneers their 14th overall.
Noble, along with the state title won by teammate Aaron Stewart, increases the Blue Devils’ medal count to 20 overall, with seven of those state championship medals.
No. 3 Rocco Hayes (Carl Sandburg, 47-2) came back from a stunning quarterfinal defeat to Oleksandr (Sasha) Havrylkiv (34-4) to defeat the Buffalo Grove freshman in the third place match.
The next stop for Hayes will be to the University of Virginia where he will take with him a trio of third-place state medals, and over 170 career victories, while Havrylkiv, a three-time youth National Champion in the Ukraine, brings home the first ever state medal for the Buffalo Grove program.
Aidan McClure (Marmion Academy, 29-10) defeated Colin Abordo (41-14) of Huntley in the fifth place match.
120- Dom Munaretto (St. Charles East)
At or near the top in the national rankings in a handful of polls, Dom Munaretto is unquestionably the No. 1 man in the state at 120 pounds.
The St. Charles East junior dismantled four rivals over the three days in Champaign, en route to his second state championship in three years to add yet another big prize to an ever-growing trophy case.
The two-time freestyle world champion registered his seventh major title of the season following his 19-3 tech-fall at 4:19 over Schaumburg’s No. 2 Brady Phelps, who ended a superb career as a four-time state medal winner.
Munaretto hit the ground running on Thursday afternoon with the first of four tech-fall victories, thanks in part to his tenacity, speed, flair, and a lethal finishing quality that led to his 25 take-downs, while conceding not nary a single takedown in his four bouts here.
“I’ve matured so much from last year, both mentally and as a wrestler, and this year there’s no doubt in my mind at all,” said Munaretto, who admitted to having a slight hint of doubt before his 4-2 loss to Nicholas Garcia (Marmion Academy) in the 113-pound state final last season.
“I’m also bigger and stronger from last year, and my approach before each match is so much better as well,” Munaretto said. “It has allowed me to take control of my opponents early on, and dictate the match.”
Saints coach Jason Potter has seen Munaretto evolve since last season.
“Dom is a terrific young man, an amazing wrestler and competitor, and there is no doubt that his game has gone to another level, much of that due to how he has matured as a person and wrestler,” Potter said.
The win over Phelps (42-5) gives Munaretto 154 victories in his career.
Chazz Robinson (41-6) the sophomore from Homewood-Flossmoor made his first visit to Champaign a successful one after his 8-5 sudden victory over Jackson Olson (Hononegah, 44-11) gave him a third place medal.
Jamiel Castleberry (Oak Park-River Forest, 31-7) who placed fourth a year ago at 106 while at Proviso East, beat Andrew junior Nadeem Haleem (37-10) in the fifth place match.
126- Nicholas Garcia (Marmion Academy)
One year after stunning the wrestling world with his 4-2 decision over then-No. 1 Dom Munaretto (St. Charles East) to win his first state championship, Marmion’s Nicholas Garcia found himself as the one that all of his rivals were chasing this season.
Garcia brushed aside three of his opponents to reach the final, dashing the hopes of all who had hoped to upset the top rated junior, before recording an impressive 14-1 major decision over Michael Esteban (Marist, 35-8) to claim his second straight state crown, and 24th in the Cadets’ program history.
“I felt from the very start of the season (if) I stayed healthy, worked hard, and kept my training and fitness at a high level that I could win another state title,” said Garcia, now 25-1 after his 126-pound triumph.
“Michael and I had a real tough final at the Hinsdale Central sectional last weekend, in a match that I felt I could have wrestled a little differently,” Garcia said of his 2-1 tie-breaker victory.
“I knew I had to get to my offense much more than I did last week. That was the game plan, and I feel like I set the tone right away with my take-down in the first period,” continued Garcia, who was fourth here in 2023.
“I wasn’t going to give (Esteban) much of anything if I could help it. I got to the waist right away, and just never allowed him to find any rhythm.”
It became 7-0 midway through the second period, with Garcia nearly pinning the Marist star, who is now twice a state runner-up to go with a sixth-place finish here in 2022.
Garcia was relentless in his quest to put more points on the scoreboard, and eventually built an 11-0 advantage in the second period.
“When I wrestle the way I did this weekend, and especially in the final, I feel like I can beat anyone,” opined Garcia. “This was a great weight class, with a bunch of state placers, and a lot of state qualifiers, so it took a real solid effort all weekend to come out with a state title.”
No. 4 Jason Hampton (Joliet Catholic Academy, 42-12) is now a three-time state medal winner after his 11-7 victory over Grant junior Vince Jasinski (Grant 46-8) in the third place bout.
Jasinski was marvelous all season long for the regional and league champion Bulldogs, breaking a program record originally set by the three-time state champion Lee Munster for number of pins on the season with 34.
And what a terrific four-year career for Kalani Khiev (Glenbard North, 45-5), fifth overall, giving him his second state medal in four appearances. Plainfield North junior Aidan Durell (36-14) placed sixth.
132- Rocco Cassioppi (Hononegah)
One year ago it was a classic No. 1 versus No. 2 in back-to-back weekends when No. 1 Caleb Noble (Warren) defeated No. 2 Rocco Cassioppi (Hononegah) 7-4 in a sectional final, followed by another tense six-minute affair that ended 6-5 in favor of Noble in the 106-pound state final seven days later.
Fast forward one year, and the move from 126 pounds by Cassioppi added some extra muscle to make an already top-heavy 132-pound bracket that much more impressive.
Demetrios Carrera (Marmion Academy, 46-7) and Illinois-bound George Marinopoulos (Marist, 39-7) had a stranglehold of the top two spots in this weight class all year long.
However, after Cassioppi dashed the hopes of Carrera in his quarterfinal match, then recorded a tech-fall victory over Griff Powell (Lyons Township, 35-7), it was then up to
Marinopoulos to get past Justin Williamson (Mt. Carmel) to set the stage in the state final.
Once there, Cassioppi carried a 5-0 advantage deep into the third period before holding off a fierce fight-back from Marinopoulos to ensure a 5-4 victory and his state title.
“We did not have too much of a game plan going into the final,” began Hononegah head coach, Tyler DeMoss, himself a two-time state runner up for his alma mater.
“Just wrestle hard and get into as many positions that (Rocco) likes to wrestle in. He does best when there’s a lot of action, and he doesn’t let his opponents slow him down.”
This state title is the 10th in program history, two of which coming from Cassioppi’s All-American brother Tony (2017, 2018) at 285 pounds.
It’s also an eighth seventh state title for the Cassioppi family; sister Rose won in 2022, and sister Angelina won her fourth state title at this year’s girls state tournament in Bloomington.
“You are wrestling for yourself, but you’re also wrestling for your wrestling family here at Hononegah. It’s a pride thing,” said Cassioppi.
The lone two losses on the season for Cassioppi (47-2) came to out-of-state opponents.
“Rocco has improved a lot this season on and off the mat,” DeMoss said. “He had a tough time at 126 at the Ironman, but has made technical adjustments, and learned how to take better care of his body after weighing in.
“Using what he learned, he’s been able to have better performances on a more consistent basis.”
Carrera finished third overall following his defeat of Elijah Garza (Hersey, 42-11) with Williamson fifth after edging Powell, 5-4.
138 – Seth Mendoza (Mt. Carmel)
If you took a blank canvas and tried to design the perfect wrestler, and then had it custom built, it might be Mount Carmel senior Seth Mendoza.
Mendoza is a high-spec wrestler who comes equipped with all the trimmings. You’d be hard-pressed to find another one like him.
With his phenomenal work rate, boundless energy, technical and tactical genius, Mendoza burst out of the blocks late Thursday afternoon and never looked back.
The Missouri-bound Mendoza received a well-deserved standing ovation following his technical fall victory over four-time state medalist Thomas Silva (Hononegah, 41-4), which gave Mendoza his fourth-consecutive state championship.
“There was always talk about me winning four state titles, but it was just talk because you have to win your first to maybe get four,” Mendoza said. “So the focus for me was always what is in front of me.”
Mendoza became only the 15th wrestler in IHSA history to be a four-time champ.
One goal that Mendoza nearly reached was claiming tech-fall victories in all of his matches here in Champaign during his four-year career, which he came close to reaching. He did so in 15-of-16 state finals matches across the four weight classes (106, 113, 126, 138) he competed in.
“(Mendoza) always stayed in the moment,” Mount Carmel coach Alex Tsirtsis said. “He made sure to stay balanced and grounded, always getting better with each day. By doing so, he took all the pressure off that may come his way by being in the constant spotlight down here.”
Despite his undivided attention to the sport of wrestling, Mendoza still finds time to partake in several other hobbies and activities to keep his mind and body fresh.
Mendoza (36-1) is a licensed pilot, does wood burning, hunts, and is planning on running in the Boston Marathon this April.
Hononegah’s Silva is now a three-time state runner-up, with a 1A state title at 126 pounds on his resume while wrestling at Dakota
Erik Rodriguez (Grant, 50-7) capped a magnificent junior campaign with his 50th win to help the Bulldogs star claim a third place state trophy following his defeat of Oak Park and River Forest senior Joseph Knackstedt (35-5) who is off to Cornell University to wrestle.
Ryan Ritchie (Edwardsville, 36-10) finished fifth and Drew Fifield (Fremd, 36-7) was sixth overall in his first state appearance. It would be a thrilling come-from-behind 12-11 victory by Fifield in his wrestle-back quarterfinal that would ensure his state medal.
144- Evan Gosz (Fremd)
If Evan Gosz had wings, he would have been flying high into the rafters of the State Farm Center after his 144-pound final.
The Fremd Vikings senior created the first of two earthquake-like tremors throughout the stadium when he put his good friend, and workout partner Zach Stewart of Marmion to his back 72 seconds into the second period, winning by fall to win the title.
The roar of the crowd might have been heard back in Palatine on the campus of Fremd. Gosz (47-2) had a look of disbelief on his face when he had his hand raised as state champion.
“It felt like a fever dream. It didn’t seem real to me at that point,” said Gosz, on his way to wrestle at Michigan State University in the fall.
Gosz won his first state title and fourth state medal during a brilliant career for Fremd head coach Jeff Keske.
“We’ve all come to believe that Evan is capable of anything,” Keske said. “He is an incredible athlete with a great work ethic. And he found a way to move on through and all-star weight class this weekend.”
“Zach and I know each other so well,” said Gosz, who placed second last year and third twice. “There are no secrets with the way we wrestle. To be honest, I was really nervous before the final, and pretty much before all of my matches down here.
“I’m not sure why that was, but when the whistle went off the nerves kind of went away and didn’t affect me at all. I felt good right from the start against Zach, and when I got that escape at the start of the second period to go up 1-0, and even better when I defended that single from Zach.”
At three minutes, the stadium exploded when Gosz put Stewart to his back.
“Zach is just an incredible athlete and wrestler, so there was no way I was going to let up to give him any kind of chance. So I just tightened things up on him.”
When Stewart moved up from 138 pounds before the postseason, it meant there were no less than five state medal winners in the bracket, including No. 2 Donavon Allen (Marist, 31-8), whom Gosz beat 4-3 in his quarterfinal before defeating No. 4 Ryan Hinger (Sandburg, 44-5) in the semifinals.
Prior to heading downstate, Gosz visited Vikings athletic director Hamid Mehreioskouei and noticed framed pictures of state swimming champion Katie Kuehn, and state singles tennis champ, Andrew Spurck proudly displayed on the office walls, with an empty frame alongside.
“Evan asked what that frame was for, and I told him it was reserved for him,” laughed Mehreioskouei, who stayed Friday and Saturday to watch the newest Fremd state champion deliver the sixth state title in program history, and first since Robert Panayi did so in 2005.
Gosz continued a streak of four straight state champions from the MSL after Jaxson Penovich (Prospect) did so a year ago, after back-to-back state titles from Ethan Stiles from Conant.
Hinger finished third, with Allen fourth, and three-time state placer Max Mukhamedaliyev (Hersey, 45-9) fifth and Brayden Swanson (Oswego 42-11) sixth.
150- Carson Weber (Joliet West)
No. 1 Justin Wardlow (Lockport, 45-4) appeared poised to erase the heart-break of finishing second here in two straight seasons as the Lockport junior rolled through the postseason, while defeating his closest rival Carson Weber in the final at the Joliet Central sectional.
Weber (44-6) who outscored his opponents during the state series 85-20 shut out his first two opponents here, before advancing into the final after a hard fought 7-3 match with Ashton Hobson (30-6) from Marmion Academy.
Wardlow, 83-20 in his first two seasons with Lockport, looked unstoppable during his two tech-falls victories, and then posted a solid effort in his 7-1 semifinal victory over Nolan Vogel of Joliet Catholic.
“There was a lot of emphasis put on Carson to just wrestle his match, forcing positions we wanted to be in,” said Joliet West head coach Awais Arain.
“We did not implement a game plan that limited him offensively, yet still allowed him to maintain good positioning, and ensure he neutralized (Wardlow) defensively. What we did want to do was force the tie-ups, win the hand fights, hang heavy on his head, push the pace with forward pressure, and crowd him for the entire six minutes.”
Mission accomplished.
“I knew it would be a tight match, but I did not expect a 1-0 match,” admitted Weber, who was third a year ago at 144 with a sparkling 44-2 record.
“I lost to Justin twice during the last two weeks, but I learned some things from both matches, and I felt like I stayed with what we wanted to do, while staying away from his ‘blast double’ which is his best move.”
“Eliminating the threat of Jordan’s ‘blast double’ by not being a sitting target like we were in the sectional final was huge for Carson,” Arain said. “So with him constantly circling, and refusing him to ‘time-up’ his shot was the difference.
Weber recorded 21 tech-falls on the season, ten pins, and a bonus percentage rate of 80% on the campaign.
The 1970’s produced eight of the nine state champions at Joliet West, with Weber delivering No. 10 for the program.
“Wrestling in Joliet is on the rise,” proclaimed Weber, after watching Joliet Central’s Charles Walker’s stunning win at 215. “The sport is growing once again, so hopefully next season there will be a few more state place winners from our area.”
Arain saw Weber take a few strides this season.
“Carson continued to grow, develop and evolve as a wrestler,” Arain said. “But the most notable improvement this season was his mental toughness and mental fortitude.”
Hobson finished third ahead of Yorkville sophomore Val Rosauer (45-10), with Vogel taking fifth place honors over Schaumburg senior Callen Kirchner.
157- Liam Kelly (Mt. Carmel)
As it happens all too often, the make-up of many sectional weight division brackets set up a handful of finals that are a rematch of a sectional final from the week before.
Such was the case on Saturday night when Liam Kelly faced West Aurora senior Dominic Serio for the 157-pound crown, allowing Kelly to avenge his 7-3 loss to Serio in the Hinsdale Central sectional final.
To get into the Grand March, Kelly, a junior from Mount Carmel needed to send off No. 1 Jack Ferguson in his semifinal, which he did in extra time with a 2-1 tie-breaker triumph.
Serio had his hands full with the sensational sophomore from Huntley, Radic Dvorak (45-5) who is sure to be a name to watch during his next two seasons.
Serio (36-5) dispatched Dvorak with a pin at 5:26. That meant the Nos. 1 and 2 men at 157, who finished that way at the Dvorak tournament in late December were forced to make their stand in wrestle-backs.
“I lost to Serio last week at Hinsdale (Central),” Kelly said. “I learned some things from that final that I looked for, and was real sure that I did not want to lose to him twice in two weeks.”
Kelly defended with all of his might in the first period with Serio going after the all-important first take-down. Kelly earned an early escape at the start of the second period before Serio grabbed a 3-1 advantage with a take-down at 2 1/2 minutes.
Stout defense was the key to Kelly staying within two points until a late escape cut Serio’s lead to 3-2 when the period came to an end.
Kelly went on to win the match 4-3.
“I was hoping for a rematch because that loss stayed with me all week leading up to our trip downstate,” admitted Kelly. “During the week, we worked on staying in good position, being composed, and not coming out of my stance.”
The Kelly (34-5) title, along with Mendoza’s crown, gives the Caravan its 45th state title in program history. Add two other state medals earned from teammates Sebastian Gracia (106) and Justin Williamson at 132, and the program’s medal count is now a robust 140.
“(Liam) has come a long way in 365 days, so to see him make adjustments, and get himself so much better after a terrible time here a year ago, is something we are all proud of,” Caravan coach Alex Tsirtsis said.
“I always felt like I was the best in the state at my weight, but having the support of my coaches, teammates, coaching staff, parents and my brother Colin (two-time state champion) proved to be a big difference for me,” said Kelly.
Serio, along with his junior brother Dayne, who earned a sixth place state medal at 165, brought the state medal count to eight for West Aurora.
Jack Ferguson (Yorkville, 51-3) finished third, Dvorak was fourth, with Jaedon Calderon (Lockport, 36-15) fifth after his 7-1 decision over Jovan Vukajlovic (30-9) from Homewood-Flossmoor, who was fifth a year ago in Florida at their state tournament.
165- Will Denny (Marist)
Nationally-ranked and the No. 1 man here in Illinois, Will Denny, did it again.
The sensational senior from Marist captured his second consecutive state title, this one to go along with his 150-pound title from a year ago. That gave the North Carolina State-bound Denny three top-four state medals during a superb four-year run for the RedHawks.
“It’s a real blessing to win another title,” Denny said. “This one is ten times better than last year, so I am going to take plenty of time to enjoy it.”
Denny improved to 42-1 on the season with the win.
“I am very fortunate to be in a great room every day, and to have great partners like (Tommy) Fidler, (Ethan) Sonne, and Ricky Ericksen, who got himself a well-deserved state championship this weekend,” Denny said. “(And) to have a coaching staff at Marist that is second to none is a big reason for my success, and the success of the rest of my teammates.”
Denny finished fourth as a sophomore, one year after advancing downstate for the first time in his rookie season. His lone defeat this year came in the Ironman finals to Kody Routledge (Oklahoma), who is also nationally-ranked.
Denny would tech-fall his way into his final against Hononegah sophomore Brody Sendele (18-2) who missed over a month with a knee injury.
“Brody is an amazing wrestler, but unfortunately that knee injury of his is going to require ACL surgery, which made him less than 100% for our final, but still very competitive despite it all,” said Denny, who recorded his fourth tech-fall of the weekend at 3:24 with a lead of 20-5.
Marist coach Brendan Heffernan wasn’t surprised by Denny’s performance.
“There’s a reason that Will won here for the second time,” Heffernan said. “It’s all incredible hard work, in and out of the room, and during the offseason. His dedication to excellence, and work ethic are just as important. He’s just a terrific young man.”
Joliet Catholic junior Luke Hamiti (26-8) was third after his win over Indiana University-bound Anthony Gutierrez (St. Charles East, 45-8) with Warren junior Royce Lopez (32-8) fifth over Dayne Serio (West Aurora, 48-5)
175- Aaron Stewart (Warren)
What a memorable first two months of the 2024-2025 season it has been for Aaron Stewart.
The Warren junior claimed his second-consecutive state title in Champaign at 175 pounds, giving the No. 1 rated Steward three medals in as many years.
In addition, Stewart (43-2), after taking home his third straight league, regional and sectional titles, formally announced he will attend the University of Illinois in the fall of 2026 where he will play football and wrestle under head coach Mike Poeta.
“Being a two-sport person in college is something that I’ve been thinking about doing for quite some time,” said Stewart following his hard-fought 5-2 decision over Homewood-Flossmoor senior RJ Robinson (40-7). Robinson was a state champion and a three-time state medal winner in Arizona before making his move to the Midwest.
Stewart struck early on in the finals with a take-down, building a 5-1 advantage after four minutes, and then kept Robinson under wraps until the whistle ended this six-minute contest.
Stewart, who rises early to begin a rigorous training schedule, says the biggest difference for him since a year ago is his confidence, something that made him believe he would conquer the field in Champaign on his way to the top of the podium.
On the football side of things, Stewart ran for nearly 1650 yards as a sophomore, with 20 touchdowns, before earning IHSA All-State honors this fall after an astounding 2465 yards on the ground, and 34 touchdowns.
“It will be a challenge to be both a football player and wrestler when I get to Illinois, but I’ve developed good habits with my academics and with my training, so I feel I’ll be ready for anything that comes my way.
A quartet of terrific seniors dominated the proceedings in this very talented weight class, beginning with Connor Diemel (Hononegah, 44-7). Diemel won his first state medal with a third place finish, followed by three-time state medalist Luke Zook (Yorkville, 48-5) who will play football in the fall at Lindenwood University (Missouri) as a defensive back.
Fabian Ramirez (Elgin, 29-4) gave the Maroons their 19th state medal in program history with a fifth-place finish over Henry Rydwelski (46-6) from Naperville Central.
190- Ricky Ericksen (Marist)
Ricky Ericksen gave Marist its second state title of the night when he defeated Nico Ronchetti of Joliet Catholic Academy in a hard-fought contest between the top two guys in the state at this weight class
These two stayed exclusively at the edge in a chess-like first period of play, with Ericksen (37-7) being hit with a warning for stalling with 25 seconds remaining.
Ericksen and Ronchetti (38-7) traded escapes as each started down in the second and third periods. Ericksen got hold of a leg and then finished his late shot to register a 4-1 victory.
“It was kind of the way I figured this would go with Ronchetti,” Ericksen said. “It was a real intense, physical, and defensive match. I knew it would likely come down to one shot being the difference, and finishing that shot made me a state champion.”
Ericksen will wrestle in the fall at Ohio University.
“I was able to beat Nico earlier (7-3) in the season, but here with a lot more on the line, I knew I had to be ready to go hard for six minutes, wrestle smart, and make sure I would be a hundred perfect with my shot.”
Ericksen was runner-up to Colin Kelly (Mt. Carmel, University of Illinois) a year ago at 175 pounds. He opened this year’s tournament with a tech-fall at 1:40, before pinning his way into the Grand March. Ronchetti is now a three-time state medal winner.
“It was a terrible feeling to finish second last year,” Ericksen said. “I never wanted to feel like that again. Winning this state championship is the best.”
Marist coach Brendan Heffernan applauded his senior.
“Ricky is a true team leader, someone you can rely on every day,” Heffernan said. “This year, he is so much more comfortable out there. It showed with the terrific performance he turned in to win a state championship.”
Another impressive group of seniors took home the next four state medals, beginning with Ryder Janeczko (Yorkville, 38-7) now a two-time state medalist after his win over Kurt Smith (46-6), one of just a few seniors on the starting lineup at state power Hononegah.
Zach Kruse (Hinsdale Central, 44-7) who will play football in the fall at UW-Platteville was fifth overall, just ahead of junior Simon Schulte (34-14) from Edwardsville.
215- Charles Walker (Joliet Central)
Charles Walker caused a lot of problems for a lot of his opponents this season, and to the structural balance of the State Farm Center when he caused a seismic shift twice within a matter of seconds after his stunning state final victory.
Walker sent the big crowd into orbit when he roared back from a 4-0 third period deficit to bag a pair of late take-downs en route to a thrilling 7-5 triumph over No. 1 defending state champion Kai Calcutt (Loyola Academy).
The Joliet Central star shook the building one more time when he raced to his corner after the final whistle to an awaiting coach Patrick McGovern and proceeded to body slam his head coach, much to the delight of the big crowd which roared its approval in favor of the newest 215-pound state champ.
“In the third period, (Walker) has just been an absolute machine,” McGovern said. “Charles was down in the West Allis (Wisconsin) final before getting a take-down and a fall in third to beat a top ranked guy from Wisconsin in his semifinal before going on to win the tournament.
“(Same) thing in the final at Granite City, taking down 2A state runner-up Jaxson Mathenia twice within one minute to win 7-6.”
Walker (50-2, 23 pins) showed his mettle during the postseason to help state his intent, with four straight come-from-behind victories, including an incredible quarterfinal fight-back when he was forced to chase Caleb Baczek’s (Libertyville) 10-1 advantage.
“He got six quick points, and a fall before the start of the third period (vs. Baczek) to stay alive before more heroics against Calcutt (37-1) later on in the final,” said McGovern.
“We saw some things in my first match with Kai that I had a couple of chances to score, but didn’t go for them,” admitted Walker, who lost in the blood round a year ago to 2023 state champion Ben Alvarez from Yorkville.
“I didn’t give up in my final with Calcutt, but my focus was to stay far away from him, because his great footwork allows him to score like crazy.
“I felt great heading into the third period, and after I got the first take-down, I knew another one was coming if I kept my pace up and continued to attack.”
Walker’s state title is the first for the Steelmen since 1998 (Joe Herron) and 30th in program history.
“Charles’ state title is a triumph for anyone who has ever worn the Steelmen uniform,” McGovern said. “It’s huge for our community, and it has brought the community together for a celebration, and we owe it all to Charles Walker.”
Walker, who will major in either Engineering or Physics, has his eye on Michigan and Missouri, among others.
Lincoln-Way West senior Nate Elstner (45-6) finished third ahead of Roman Janek (37-6) from Edwardsville, while Evan Jocic (Taft, 37-5) was fifth after his 11-6 win over Asher Sheldon (32-8) of Batavia, who will wrestle in the fall at UW-LaCrosse.
Jocic’s was the second state medal earned for Taft.
285- Jonathan Rulo (Belleville East)
In the always unpredictable world of the heavyweight division, Jonathan Rulo was anything but.
The Belleville East junior was the No. 1 man from the very beginning of the season, and he took care of four rivals who were looking to unseat the top man in the state over three days in Champaign.
Rulo’s final test came against No. 2 William Cole (50-4) from Round Lake, who beat his league rival Abisai Hernandez (Mundelein) for the second consecutive week to advance to the final against Rulo.
Once there, Rulo was off to a flying start. He recorded a takedown and then near fall in the first 23 seconds en route to a 7-2 victory, giving the Lancers their first state title in program history.
“I just love to compete, and both football and wrestling offer the challenges that come with both sports,” said Rulo following his 35th win on the season.
Rulo, who was runner-up in his rookie season with a 36-1 record, followed that with a third place finish a year ago at 34-2.
“The thing that sets Jonathan apart is his mental approach,” Belleville East coach Rashad Riley said. “He’s worked very hard to prepare himself for this season. Finding guys to test him this season has been difficult, even with our trips north to the Chicago area.”
The Belleville coach was a three-time state qualifier (2002-2004) for Conant High School, capping a marvelous career with a third place finish at state at 125 pounds with a 43-5 record.
“(Jonathan) was sitting close to 350 pounds when COVID hit us all,” Riley said. “His fitness was terrible, but it’s amazing how far he has come since then, and how much work he has put in to get where he is right now.”
Rulo appreciates the journey.
“There’s always more work to do, and this sport has helped me grow as a person, and helped make me an even better football player also,” he said. Rulo has his eyes on playing on either side of the line at a D-1 college.
Perhaps a sign of things to come, Rulo won a Folkstyle, Freestyle and Greco national title during the offseason.
“Jonathan is an outstanding wrestler, but he has become an even better person,” Riley said.
William Cole enjoyed an extraordinary career at Round Lake, especially during these last two seasons, in which he went 95-7, grabbed a fourth place finish a year ago, and won just the 10th state medal in program history.
“I had a great run at Round Lake, I came up a little short against Jonathan, but he’s a great wrestler, and a really good guy,” Cole said. “I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.”
Marmion Academy senior Mateusz Nycz (45-6) claimed third-place honors following his 11-3 victory over two-time state medalist Tyler Fortis (39-4) of Maine South.
Nycz will play football in the fall at Dartmouth, while Fortis is headed to Eastern Illinois to play football.
Senior Owen Jakubczak (Fremd, 36-9) was fifth overall, with Abisai Hernandez (41-9) taking home his second straight sixth-place medal and 23rd medal in Mundelein program history.