Minooka girls win Southwest Prairie Conference Tournament title
By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA
There was a little old and a little new at the Southwest Prairie Conference Girls Tournament in Yorkville with one of the original staples in the league winning its second championship in three years and six of the 2024 title winners finishing on top of the awards stand again with one of those becoming the conference’s first three-time champion.
But there were also five schools on hand with their own teams that technically were either a part of a co-op a year ago or just had individuals competing or weren’t even in the conference.
When the competition concluded, Minooka was on top with 173 points with Plainfield South getting past Joliet Central by a 131.5-126 margin to take second place. Joliet West (110), Oswego East (95.5), Oswego (86.5) and Romeoville (84.5), Plainfield East (70), Bolingbrook (67), Plainfield Central (57.5), Yorkville (54) and Plainfield North (33.5) rounded out the field.
Joliet Township’s co-op team won last year’s championship with Minooka placing second. However, Joliet Central and Joliet West are now competing as separate teams and this is also the debut season for actual teams for both Plainfield South and Oswego East.
Bolingbrook is also new to the mix since this is its initial season in the SPC after being a member of the SouthWest Suburban Conference since that began. Plainfield East made big improvements after placing last and scoring 14 points in 2024. West Aurora, who took third place last season, has moved back to the Upstate Eight Conference.
Minooka has been a leader in the sport, not only hosting a major tournament to start the season but making a big commitment early on since it hired two coaches who had assisted IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Bernie Ruettiger with many of his teams that advanced to the IHSA Dual Team Finals from 2004-2020, Paige Schoolman and Jeff Charlebois, and both were head coaches at the school and also led their teams to dual team state in 2012 and 2013.
The Indians displayed great depth to capture their second SPC championship in three years with Angela Morales (9-11 at 110) and Sabina Charlebois (23-8 at 130) winning titles while Holli Coughlen (120), Ezra Rodriguez (140), Palmer Calvey (145) and Addison Davis (190) claimed second place finishes.
Marian Nordsell (105) took third, Therese Escano (110), Izzy White (115) and Keziah Gaston (170) placed fourth, Candice Cameron (110) and Alaina Austin (125) finished fifth and Aubry Smith (125) claimed sixth place. Others on the title team were Morgan Skwarczynski (100), Anastasia Dewey (125), Ryann Spivey (135), Lexie Lakota (135) and Abigail Underhill (170).
“It was really exciting to see,” Schoolman said of the new-look SPC. “We were here two years and it was us and Joliert co-op and most of the other ones had a few girls here and there, so it’s nice to see that three-quarters of the schools have nine-plus wrestlers in the varsity tournament.
“At Minooka, we want to be ambassadors for the sport. There’s so much for the girls to learn and we keep getting new groups of girls every year and they work hard and things have been going real well. You get some good athletes from the hallways and you build a culture. And the girls have kind of built that culture at Minooka. They want to be a part of it, they work hard and listen to the coaches.
“Coach Charlebois is an amazing technician and we kind of gave him the lead of the whole thing this year and he’s been running the room this year, and it’s been great for me and it’s been great for the kids. You see some consistency with what we’re doing and all of the girls are kind of doing very similar things out there. It’s a fun sport, I’ve been saying that from the beginning.”
Six individuals repeated as SPC champions and another won her second title in three years. Plainfield Central senior Alicia Tucker, who captured the IHSA title at 155 in 2023 and took second at state at 170 last season, won at 170 to claim her third title and improve to 19-1.
Other repeat champions were Romeoville junior Daniela Santander (27-3 at 100), Plainfield Central sophomore Shania Davison (12-1 at 115), Joliet Central junior Izabel Barerra (24-1 at 135), Plainfield North sophomore Viki Rodnikova (19-6 at 145) and Plainfield South senior Teagan Aurich (21-0 at 155) while Minooka junior Sabina Charlebois (23-8 at 130) also won an SPC title in 2023.
Other first-place finishers were Oswego East freshman Mia Nevarez (35-10 at 125) and sophomore Quinn Janssens (41-3 at 140), Joliet Central junior Alisa Carter (23-5 at 105), Minooka freshman Angela Morales (9-11 at 110), Bolingbrook junior Alejandra Flores (24-3 at 120), Plainfield South senior Keira Enright (17-4 at 190) and Romeoville sophomore Henessis Villagrana (235).
Minooka junior Holli Coughlen (120) took second place for the third time while Joliet West senior Chloe Wong (105) finished second for the second time after winning a title in 2023 and Joliet Central senior April Ortiz (130) also finished second for the second time.
Others who claimed second-place finishes were Minooka junior Ezra Rodriguez (140), senior Palmer Calvey (145) and junior Addison Davis (190), Yorkville sophomore Analiese Garretson (100) and senior Brooke Coy (135), Oswego seniors Mikaela Busse (110) and Kiyah Chavez (155), Joliet West junior Briahna Klobnak (125) and senior Natalie Quiroz (235), Plainfield East sophomore Angelina Nettey (115) and Oswego East senior Jessica Stover (170).
The closest match of the finals was at 105 where Joliet Township teammates from last season met with Carter prevailing in a 1-0 decision over Wong.
There was a five-way tie for the most team points with 26 involving Barrera, Charlebois, Davison, Enright and Morales while Flores and Janssens were next with 25.5 points and Tucker scored 25 points while Rodnikova and Santander both collected 24.5 team points. Flores had the most match points with 40 while Santander ranked second with 38 match points.
Plainfield East’s Jennifer Paul was the only competitor that recorded four falls and she also tied her teammate Jen Serna and Coughlen for the biggest seed to place difference with all three finishing five spots better than they were seeded.
There were 118 entrants in the varsity tournament while 52 competed in a junior-varsity tournament that was run at the same time.
Plainfield South coach Thomas Redmon is excited about how well his first-year team has been performing and their second-place finish in the SPC Tournament is definitely one of its season highlights.
“Generally, we’ve performed well,” Redmon said. “Our ladies have really embraced the game plan we coaches envision for their matches and worked their tails off in the room. We’ve seen lots of growth and I think our results this season speak to that growth.
“The team coming together is entirely based on the culture these young ladies have built in their team. I wish I could say that I have some magic secret or trick, but I’m just lucky enough to be the guy who sits in the corner for an incredible group of young women. They push each other, hold each other accountable, and lift each other up to make sure we keep going forward toward improvement.
“We’ve had very solid seasons so far from many of our girls, but Teagan Aurich and Keira Enright have been big contributors this season and both won their brackets this past weekend. We’re also seeing huge leaps forward for many of our girls like Kayla Ochotorena, Mora Munoz, Lexi Kachiroubas, Allison Asante and Amie Fuentes who have made major contributions at many of our competitions this year.”
Here are the champions of the Southwest Prairie Conference Tournament and their weight classes:
100 – Daniela Santander, Romeoville
Daniela Santander repeated as a Southwest Prairie Conference champion and was the first of two title winners for Romeoville, with Henessis Villagrana the other at 235, after capturing a 15-1 major decision over Yorkville’s Analiese Garretson in the 100 finals
Santander (27-3), a junior who was one two finalists for coach John Arlis’ Spartans, followed a win by technical fall with a pin in 1:15 over Joliet West freshman Takyla Johnson in the semifinals. She went 28-8 last season and fell one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the rugged Schaumburg Sectional. She ranked second in total match points with 38, which was two points behind the leader in that category, Bolingbrook’s Alejandra Flores.
“It feels great, twice in a row,” Santander said. “I started practicing longer and I try to go live with someone after practice is over to get my reps in, like takedowns, and I’ve really been working on them. (Her teammates) They’re great and they’re so supportive. I think the whole team was there cheering for me. And it’s great to see how much our team grew, too.”
Garretson (22-9), a sophomore who was one of two finalists for coach Kevin Roth’s Foxes, opened with a fall and then earned her spot on the 100 title mat with a pin in 3:23 over Plainfield South junior Amie Fuentes (20-6), who went on to claim third place with a victory by technical fall in 2:58 over Johnson (7-9). For fifth place, Joliet Central senior Kassandra Ruiz (14-4) was a winner by fall in 1:48 over Joliet West senior Aysia Smith.
105 – Alisa Carter, Joliet Central
Alisa Carter and Chloe Wong faced off in a matchup of Joliet Township teammates from a year ago and when the 105 title match concluded, Joliet Central’s Carter prevailed 1-0 over Joliet West’s Wong, who competed in an SPC finals for the third time but fell short of a second title.
Carter (23-5), a junior who did not compete in the state series last season, was one of two champions and three finalists for coach Marcus McCullum’s third-place Steelwomen. She only had to compete in a semifinal match in order to reach the title mat and she captured a 13-9 decision over Minooka sophomore Marian Nordsell.
“It was kind of weird seeing her on the mat but not the same singlet as I am,” Carter said “We’ve wrestled three times so far, so I’m up 2-1. I was nervous and anxious going into this match. This was a big day for me because I never wrestled at conference before and it’s my birthday, too. I’m glad that the girls that were on the team last year that didn’t get too many matches are getting more matches at West and at Central. And I’m glad both teams basically have full varsity and j-v lineups.”
Wong (4-2), a senior who placed sixth at 100 in the 2023 IHSA Finals, was one of three runners-up for coach Erik Murry’s Tigers. She also had to win one match to reach the finals, recording a fall in 2:30 over Bolingbrook freshman Mikaela Najera in the semifinals. Nordsell (24-11) claimed third with a pin in 3:34 over Najera (21-16). And for fifth place, Yorkville junior Danielle Turner won by fall in 5:37 over Plainfield East senior Mahi Kansagara (14-12).
110 – Angela Morales, Minooka
Angela Morales became the first of two title winners for champion Minooka and also was one of two freshmen who took top honors at the SPC Tournament when she won by fall in 2:43 over Oswego senior Mikaela Busse in the 110 championship match.
Morales (9-11), who joined 130-title winner Sabina Charlebois as champions for coach Paige Schoolman’s first-place Indians, also preceded Oswego East’s Mia Nevarez (125) as the only freshmen to win championships. She tied four others, including teammate Charlebois, for first place in team points with 26 and tied for second with six others for most falls with three, with her pin in 3:57 over Bolingbrook sophomore Jordan Rodriguez assured her of a trip to the title mat.
“I thought it was really cool and I appreciate my coaches pushing me to get this far,” Morales said. “I wouldn’t have gotten this far without them. And the support that I get from my teammates is amazing, I love them so much. We get the best support from your coaches and teammates, they always help you out.”
Busse, one of two finalists for coach Greg Scott’s Panthers, won 18 matches a year ago and fell a bit short of qualifying for state from the Schaumburg Sectional. After opening with a fall in 19 seconds, she earned her spot on the title mat with a pin in 1:06 over Minooka junior Therese Escano in the semifinals. For third place, Rodriguez (23-15) was a winner by fall in 4:17 over Escano (12-9). And for fifth place, Minooka junior Candice Cameron (12-11) got a pin in 3:04 over Joliet Central freshman Melanie Rodriguez.
115 – Shania Davison, Plainfield Central
Shania Davison has done something in her first two seasons at Plainfield Central that a lot of individuals may not achieve in their entire high school career, which is winning two conference titles. After taking first at 125 last year, the Wildcats sophomore captured the championship at 115 when Plainfield East sophomore Angelina Nettey had to take a medical forfeit.
Davison (12-1), who joined two-time IHSA finalist and 2023 state champion Alicia Tucker as title winners for coach Kyle Hildebrand’s Wildcats, won her first two matches with first-period pins in order to reach the 115 title match. Davison only needed 27 seconds to claim a victory in her semifinals match with a fall over Minooka freshman Izzy White. She tied for first place with four other individuals for the most team points with 26.
“Last year I wrestled at 125 and I won that at conference,” Davison said. “I was really looking forward to this conference and I got off an injury and this is my first time back. So I was a little nervous coming in here, but I knew with my skills, I know how to push forward and I’m strong, so I’m glad with what I accomplished.”
Nettey (32-6), who was the lone finalist for coach Julian Ochoa’s Bengals, has made a huge improvement from last season when she won seven matches. She opened with a quick fall before capturing a 15-9 decision in the semifinals over Plainfield South sophomore Kayla Ochotorena (14-10), who went on to win a 12-3 major decision over White (9-7) for third place. In the fifth-place match, Plainfield North junior Meryn Finnegan (11-9) recorded a fall in 3:07 over Oswego East freshman Ella Worlds.
120 – Alejandra Flores, Bolingbrook
Alejandra Flores became the first Bolingbrook wrestler to become an SPC champion when she won the 120 title after Minooka junior Holli Coughlen had to take a medical forfeit at 2:46. The following day in the boys tournament at Joliet West, Tommy McDermott became the initial Raiders boy to win an SPC championship in the sport. This season, Bolingbrook joined the other school in its district, Romeoville in the SPC, after competing in the SouthWest Suburban Conference from its formation in 2005.
Flores (24-3), a junior who was the lone champion as well as the only finalist for coach Jordan Hovel’s Raiders, followed a fall in her opener with a win by technical fall in 3:10 in the semifinals over Joliet Central junior Keily Centeno. Flores led all competitors with 40 match points and tied for sixth place for the most team points with 25.5. Last season, she went 27-7 and fell a bit shy of advancing to state from the Schaumburg Sectional.
“It’s really fun going against as many girls as possible,” Flores said. “I don’t just put in the work in practice, I always do extra work, whether it’s getting extra practice on my own or drilling with a partner. I always just try to stay active and always trying to get better. Our program has been growing so it’s really exciting getting more girls in. I like just how tough it is, you need to have a really strong mentality for this sport.”
Coughlen (16-9) settled for a second-place SPC finish for the third year in a row. Last season, she won 17 matches and fell a bit short of qualifying for state from the Geneseo Sectional. One of six finalists for coach Paige Schoolman’s champion Indians, Coughlen won a major decision in her first match and then won by fall in 1:59 in the semifinals over Romeoville senior Jesslynne Ochoa (18-8), who went on claim third place with a pin in 1:14 over Centeno (10-6). For fifth place, Oswego senior Aaliyah Roldan (32-13) recorded a fall in 0:50 over Plainfield South sophomore Allison Asante (17-9).
125 – Mia Nevarez, Oswego East
Mia Nevarez helped cap a successful fifth-place SPC finish for Oswego East, which is in its first full season as a team, when she claimed top honors at 125 to also become one of two freshmen who won titles in the tournament and was one of two members of coach Bryan DeBenedetti’s Wolves to claim first-place finishes, with Quinn Janssens being the other at 140.
Nevarez (35-10) won the title at 135 with a 12-5 decision over Joliet West junior Briahna Klobnak. She earned her spot in the finals thanks to two falls, with the second of those coming in 1:49 in the semifinals over Joliet Central senior Melissa Aguirre.
“It’s super exciting,” Nevarez said. “This is our first year for our program, our girls team at OEHS. Quinn Janssens did great today and Jessica Stover is up there, too, today. It’s my freshman year so I’m the first freshman girl to go all-conference. I’m super excited to be here.”
Klobnak (26-6), one of three finalists for coach Erik Murry’s fourth-place Tigers, opened with two pins, including one in the semifinals in 1:17 over Joliet Central’s Paiton Pilgrim. Aguirre (19-13) claimed third place by way of a medical forfeit over Pilgrim (7-8). In the fifth-place match, Minooka sophomore Alaina Austin (15-10) claimed a 2-0 decision over her teammate, junior Aubry Smith, who was one of three on her team who had three falls.
130 – Sabina Charlebois, Minooka
Sabina Charlebois won her second SPC championship in three years and was one of six finalists and two title winners for coach Paige Schoolman’s Indians, who became champions in the conference for the second time with the other title won in 2023 at the inaugural SPC tournament. The junior capped a three-fall performance by recording a fall in 3:47 over Joliet Central senior April Ortiz in the 130 finals.
Charlebois (23-8) earned her spot on the title mat with a fall in 3:08 over Oswego senior Harmony Evans in the semifinals. She tied four others, including teammate and 110 champion Angela Morales, for the most team points with 26. Charlebois was also one of the three Indians who finished with three falls, which tied four others for the second-best total at the tournament and she also tied for third place in most match points with 35.
“I feel like our biggest thing from the last few years is trying to create more discipline on the team,” Charlebois said. “And making sure that girls aren’t just coming and going. If you want to be a part of the sport then you’re staying at every practice. I think that our program is good at finding what’s good for girls and being able to develop them so quickly. It’s insane to see how much everyone on our team has grown since our first tournament..”
Ortiz (26-8), who also placed second in the SPC a year ago, was one of three finalists for coach Marcus McCullum’s third-place Steelwomen. She also won her first two matches by fall, winning in 2:51 over Plainfield South sophomore Alexia Kachiroubas in the semifinals. In the third-place match, Evans (32-11) won by fall in 0:44 over Kachiroubas (17-10). And for fifth, Bolingbrook senior Nyima Outlaw recorded a pin in 5:22 over Yorkville freshman Rylee Coy.
135 – Izabel Barrera, Joliet Central
Izabel Barrera was one of six repeat SPC champions and also one of three finalists and two champions for coach Marcus McCullum’s third-place Steelwomen after she captured top honors at 135 with a fall in 3:01 over Yorkville senior Brooke Coy to improve her record to 24-1.
Barrera, who went 24-9 last season and qualified for the IHSA Finals representing Joliet Township co-op, recorded three falls during the competition, with the quickest pin coming in the semifinals when she needed just 36 seconds to defeat Romeoville senior Brianna Garcia. The junior tied four other champions for the most team points with 26 and her three pins tied her with six others for second place for most falls.
“The two teams competing here is a big deal,” Barrera said. “This year has been really exciting. I feel like I was able to come out of my shell a lot this year, especially compared to last year. I was able to be more myself in matches and be less nervous and more confident. I’m super happy to have our coaches, they put in a lot of time and effort into us.”
Coy (11-4), one of two finalists for coach Kevin Roth’s Foxes, got a victory by technical fall in her opener and then earned her spot on the 135 title mat with a pin in 3:57 in the semifinals over Plainfield South sophomore Mora Munoz (16-7), who went on to claim third place with a fall in 1:09 over Garcia (18-13). In the fifth-place match, Joliet West freshman Delilah Izaguirre was a winner by fall in 0:51 over Oswego senior Tennille Johnson (24-16).
140 – Quinn Janssens, Oswego East
Quinn Janssens joined teammate Mia Nevarez as a champion for coach Bryan DeBenedetti’s Wolves, who turned in an impressive fifth-place finish in their first SPC tournament as a team. The sophomore improved to 41-3 on the season after getting a fall in 2:11 over Minooka junior Ezra Rodriguez in the 140 championship match.
Janssens followed a first-minute pin in her opener to capture a win by technical fall in the semifinals over Oswego’s Joslynn Sheets. She tied Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker for fifth place for the most match points with 34 and also tied Bolingbrook’s Alejandra Flores for sixth place for the most team points with 25.5.
“It’s our first team and we’re doing pretty good and we’re getting a good reputation,” Janssens said. “All of the girls are really passionate about it and I think we all bond over that. I’m really happy that we have this opportunity to wrestle as an official team.”
Rodriguez (27-8), one of six finalists for coach Paige Schoolman’s champion Indians, followed a first-period fall in her opener with a 14-7 decision over
Joliet West junior Veronica Klobnak in the semifinals. Klobnak (30-6), who won 20 matches last season and fell one win shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the Geneseo Sectional, claimed third place with a fall in 0:33 over Oswego junior Joslynn Sheets (20-18). For fifth place, Romeoville junior Ariana Vergara captured a high-scoring 19-15 decision over Joliet Central senior Nadya McCottrel.
145 – Viki Rodnikova, Plainfield North
Viki Rodnikova not only won an SPC title last season as a freshman at Plainfield North but she also posted a 21-4 record and came up a bit shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the rugged Schaumburg Sectional. She’s hoping that she can take the next step as a sophomore and she improved to 19-6 after winning her second-straight SPC title when she claimed a victory by technical fall in 3:59 over Minooka senior Palmer Calvey in the 145 finals.
Rodnikova, the lone finalist and one of two entrants in the competition for coach Michael Parton’s Tigers, followed a first-period pin in her opener with an 11-2 major decision over Oswego East sophomore Ella Cooper in the semifinals to earn her spot on the 145 title mat. She tied for ninth place in most team points with 24.5.
Calvey (26-9), one of six finalists for coach Paige Schoolman’s Indians, who won their second SPC title in three years, recorded a fall in her first match and then won an 11-1 major decision over Joliet West junior Vanessa O’Connor in the semifinals to advance to the 145 title mat. In the third-place match, Cooper (25-13) was a winner by fall in 2:25 over O’Connor (19-12). And for fifth, Plainfield East sophomore Julia Romero (14-10) got a pin in 3:38 over Bolingbrook sophomore Savannah Burns (21-17).
155 – Teagan Aurich, Plainfield South
Teagan Aurich was fortunate that she got to compete with Alexis Janiak, who was the first IHSA champion at 130 in 2022 as a senior for Plainfield South. The USMC U20 Women’s national champion at 59 kg in 2024 and 2023 who’s also won titles at the Midlands and the CCIW for Aurora University this season would no doubt be very proud to see the Cougars finish second in the SPC as a first-year team and two former teammates, Keira Enright and Aurich, win titles. Now Aurich hopes that she can do what Enright and Janiak did in 2022, place at state, which she fell a bit short of doing in 2024 when she went 2-2 at state and 26-7 for the season.
Aurich and Enright, who are seniors, posted first-place finishes to help coach Thomas Redmon’s Cougars to a memorable day where they finished second behind Minooka and they claimed Joliet bragging rights over Joliet Central and Joliet West, who finished third and fourth. Aurich repeated as an SPC champion and improved to 21-0 on the season after capturing a 9-3 decision over Oswego senior Kiyah Chavez in the 155 finals. She received a bye into the semifinals and won that match with a pin in 1:45 over Joliet Central sophomore Emma Guethle.
“We’ve been putting a lot of time and effort into our program,” Aurich said. “We were officially announced as our own program, separate from the boys, which was really exciting. So we have our own head coach and coaching staff. I started when we had to practice with the boys and there were like two or three girls, so it’s nice to see. Alexis Janiak started it. She trained me and Keira how to wrestle and was really the reason why we started in the first place. She’s amazing.”
Chavez (34-8), one of two finalists for coach Greg Scott’s Panthers, also received a bye into the semifinals where she won by fall in 3:15 over Plainfield East junior Kaitlyn Bucholz. Chavez hopes to qualify for state after going 20-6 last season and falling one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Schaumburg Sectional. In the third-place match, Bucholz (28-7) won by fall in 1:56 over Guethle (10-6). And for fifth place, Joliet West junior Majh Starks (17-11) recorded a pin in 0:55 over Oswego East senior Mila Allen.
170 – Alicia Tucker, Plainfield Central
Alicia Tucker suffered a loss on the opening day of the season to Clifton Central’s Payton Temple in the 190 finals at Minooka’s Girls Thanksgiving Throwdown and the Wildcat senior has done nothing but win since then and now owns a 19-1 record after becoming the first individual to win three-straight SPC titles after she recorded a fall in 3:26 over Oswego East senior Jessica Stover in the 170 title match. The IHSA champion at 155 in 2023 and a runner-up to Peotone’s Kiernan Farmer at 170 in 2024, has posted an 89-5 record in the last three seasons.
Tucker was one of two champions for coach Kyle Hildebrand’s Wildcats, with sophomore Shania Davison being the other after she took first place at 115 for her second-straight SPC title, The two-time IHSA finalist recorded a fall in her opening match and then claimed a 15-2 major decision over Minooka junior Keziah Gaston in the semifinals. Tucker tied for fifth place for the most total match points with 34 and also ranked eighth in team points with 25.
“There’s definitely a few things that I still need to work on but I’m very happy with my performance today and throughout the rest of the season, as well,” Tucker said. “I’ve done a lot of conditioning and heavy, hard drilling.” I feel pretty unstoppable.”
Stover (39-5), one of three finalists for coach Bryan DeBenedetti’s Wolves, who turned in a fifth-place finish in their first SPC tournament as a team. After opening with a fall, Stover earned her spot in the 170 title match with a 12-8 decision in the semifinals over Plainfield South freshman Layla Spann (21-4), who went on to claim third place by capturing a 14-4 major decision over Gaston (21-10). In the fifth-place match, Plainfield East senior Jennifer Paul (21-9) won by fall in 1:15 over Yorkville junior Janaiah Murray (15-6). Paul was the lone individual to record four pins and she pulled that feat off in 4:08.
190 – Keira Enright, Plainfield South
Keira Enright had every reason to be excited about things following the SPC Tournament. After all, she and teammate Teagan Aurich both claimed SPC titles and Plainfield South had just finished second to Minooka in their first appearance in the competition as an official team. But more importantly, it shows that the Cougars senior has what it takes to get back to the IHSA Finals for the third time, something she couldn’t achieve last season due to injuries. She hopes to win another state medal, like she did in the inaugural IHSA Finals in 2022, where she took third place at 235 and joined 130 champion Alexis Janiak as the school’s only medalists.
Enright (17-4), who was one of eight individuals from her team who finished fourth or better and one of two champions for coach Thomas Redmon’s runner-up Cougars, captured her title at 190 by recording a fall in 0:35 over Minooka junior Addison Davis. Her first two matches also ended with pins in the opening minute, which included a fall in 41 seconds over Joliet West junior Trista Pisano in the semifinals. She tied four others for first place in most team points with 26 and her three falls in 1:54 was easily the least time for any of the other six who had three pins.
“This is the first year that we’re separated from the boys,” Enright said. “We have our own practices, our own meets. The girls as a whole are very unified and they’re for each other. This is the first year that we’ve placed as a team at tournaments and we’ve placed at almost every single one of them. It just shows how we’re committed together and we’re all working really hard to do what we do. The thing I like the most is how we’re there to support each other and being able to communicate with each other.”
Davis (26-9), one of six finalists for coach Paige Schoolman’s Indians, who won the SPC title for the second time in three years, also won her first two matches by fall, getting a pin in 2:38 in the semifinals over Plainfield East junior Jen Serna (20-12), who went on to place third with a pin in 1:29 over Pisano (15-10). That tied Serna, her teammate Jennifer Paul and Minooka’s Holli Coughlen as the leaders in seed to place difference with five. The Cougars also took fifth at 190 when junior Sammi Ntone won with a pin in 0:34 over Oswego East freshman Kailee O’Connor.
235 – Henessis Villagrana, Romeoville
Henessis Villagrana ended the SPC Tournament for Romeoville just as it began the competition, with a championship, as she claimed top honors at 235 by recording a fall in 1:42 over Joliet West senior Natalie Quiroz in the title match. The sophomore joined junior Daniela Santander, who captured first place at 100, as SPC champions for coach John Arlis’ Spartans.
Villagrana (17-5) only had to wrestle one match to advance to the finals and she won in the semifinals, recording a fall in 5:09 over Joliet Central senior Valeria Hernandez. Last season as a freshman, Villagrana qualified for the IHSA Finals and finished with an 18-13 record. The Spartans’ two champions hope to not only get to state but become the school’s first medalists.
Quiroz (27-3), one of three finalists for coach Erik Murry’s Tigers, also only had to win one match to reach the 235 finals and in the semifinals she got a pin in 3:26 over Plainfield South junior Timi Mudasiru. In the third-place match, Hernandez (11-8) was a winner by fall in 5:25 over Mudasiru (13-11). Bolingbrook sophomore Cynthia Rios claimed fifth place.
Southwest Prairie Conference Tournament
Team scores
1. Minooka 173, 2. Plainfield South 131.5, 3. Joliet Central 126, 4. Joliet West 111, 5. Oswego East 95.5, 6. Oswego 86.5, 7. Romeoville 84.5, 8. Plainfield East 70, 9. Bolingbrook 67, 10. Plainfield Centra 57.5, 11. Plainfield North 33.5
Place matches
100
1st Place Match
Daniela Santander (Romeoville) 27-3, Jr. over Analiese Garretson (Yorkville) 22-9, So. (MD 15-1)
3rd Place Match
Amie Fuentes (Plainfield South) 20-6, Jr. over Takyla Johnson (Joliet West) 7-9, Fr. (TF-1.5 2:58 (22-6))
5th Place Match
Kassandra Ruiz (Joliet Central) 14-4, Sr. over Aysia Smith (Joliet West) 11-15, Sr. (Fall 1:48)
105
1st Place Match
Alisa Carter (Joliet Central) 23-5, Jr. over Chloe Wong (Joliet West) 4-2, Sr. (Dec 1-0)
3rd Place Match
Marian Nordsell (Minooka) 24-11, So. over Mikaela Najera (Bolingbrook) 21-16, Fr. (Fall 3:34)
5th Place Match
Danielle Turner (Yorkville) 1-1, Jr. over Mahi Kansagara (Plainfield East) 14-12, Sr. (Fall 5:37)
110
1st Place Match
Angela Morales (Minooka) 9-11, Fr. over Mikaela Busse (Oswego) 17-21, Sr. (Fall 2:43)
3rd Place Match
Jordan Rodriguez (Bolingbrook) 23-15, So. over Therese Escano (Minooka) 12-9, Jr. (Fall 4:17)
5th Place Match
Candice Cameron (Minooka) 12-11, Jr. over Melanie Rodriguez (Joliet Central) 5-8, Fr. (Fall 3:04)
115
1st Place Match
Shania Davison (Plainfield Central) 12-1, So. over Angelina Nettey (Plainfield East) 32-6, So. (M. For.)
3rd Place Match
Kayla Ochotorena (Plainfield South) 14-10, So. over Izzy White (Minooka) 9-7, Fr. (MD 12-3)
5th Place Match
Meryn Finnegan (Plainfield North) 11-9, Jr. over Ella Worlds (Oswego East) 15-27, Fr. (Fall 3:07)
120
1st Place Match
Alejandra Flores (Bolingbrook) 24-3, Jr. over Holli Coughlen (Minooka) 16-9, Jr. (Inj. 2:46)
3rd Place Match
Jesslynne Ochoa (Romeoville) 18-8, Sr. over Keily Centeno (Joliet Central) 10-6, Jr. (Fall 1:14)
5th Place Match
Aaliyah Roldan (Oswego) 32-13, Sr. over Allison Asante (Plainfield South) 17-9, So. (Fall 0:50)
125
1st Place Match
Mia Nevarez (Oswego East) 35-10, Fr. over Briahna Klobnak (Joliet West) 26-6, Jr. (Dec 12-5)
3rd Place Match
Melissa Aguirre (Joliet Central) 19-13, Sr. over Paiton Pilgrim (Joliet Central) 7-8, Sr. (M. For.)
5th Place Match
Alaina Austin (Minooka) 15-10, So. over Aubry Smith (Minooka) 11-14, Jr. (Dec 2-0)
130
1st Place Match
Sabina Charlebois (Minooka) 23-8, Jr. over April Ortiz (Joliet Central) 26-8, Sr. (Fall 3:47)
3rd Place Match
Harmony Evans (Oswego) 32-11, Sr. over Alexia Kachiroubas (Plainfield South) 17-10, So. (Fall 0:44)
5th Place Match
Nyima Outlaw (Bolingbrook) 18-20, Sr. over Rylee Coy (Yorkville) 2-4, Fr. (Fall 5:22)
135
1st Place Match
Izabel Barrera (Joliet Central) 24-1, Jr. over Brooke Coy (Yorkville) 11-4, Sr. (Fall 3:01)
3rd Place Match
Mora Munoz (Plainfield South) 16-7, So. over Brianna Garcia (Romeoville) 18-13, Sr. (Fall 1:09)
5th Place Match
Delilah Izaguirre (Joliet West) 7-9, Fr. over Tennille Johnson (Oswego) 24-16, Sr. (Fall 0:51)
140
1st Place Match
Quinn Janssens (Oswego East) 41-3, So. over Ezra Rodriguez (Minooka) 27-8, Jr. (Fall 2:11)
3rd Place Match
Veronica Klobnak (Joliet West) 30-6, Jr. over Joslynn Sheets (Oswego) 20-18, Jr. (Fall 0:33)
5th Place Match
Ariana Vergara (Romeoville) 12-19, Jr. over Nadya McCottrel (Joliet Central) 10-12, Sr. (Dec 19-15)
145
1st Place Match
Viki Rodnikova (Plainfield North) 19-6, So. over Palmer Calvey (Minooka) 26-9, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:59 (17-1))
3rd Place Match
Ella Cooper (Oswego East) 25-13, So. over Vanessa O`Connor (Joliet West) 19-12, Jr. (Fall 2:25)
5th Place Match
Julia Romero (Plainfield East) 14-10, So. over Savannah Burns (Bolingbrook) 21-17, So. (Fall 3:38)
155
1st Place Match
Teagan Aurich (Plainfield South) 21-0, Sr. over Kiyah Chavez (Oswego) 34-8, Sr. (Dec 9-3)
3rd Place Match
Kaitlyn Bucholz (Plainfield East) 28-7, Jr. over Emma Guethle (Joliet Central) 10-6, So. (Fall 1:56)
5th Place Match
Majh Starks (Joliet West) 17-11, Jr. over Mila Allen (Oswego East) 4-21, Sr. (Fall 0:55)
170
1st Place Match
Alicia Tucker (Plainfield Central) 19-1, Sr. over Jessica Stover (Oswego East) 39-5, Sr. (Fall 3:26)
3rd Place Match
Layla Spann (Plainfield South) 21-4, Fr. over Keziah Gaston (Minooka) 21-10, Jr. (MD 14-4)
5th Place Match
Jennifer Paul (Plainfield East) 21-9, Sr. over Janiah Murray (Yorkville) 15-6, Jr. (Fall 1:15)
190
1st Place Match
Keira Enright (Plainfield South) 17-4, Sr. over Addison Davis (Minooka) 26-9, Jr. (Fall 0:35)
3rd Place Match
Jen Serna (Plainfield East) 20-12, Jr. over Trista Pisano (Joliet West) 15-10, Jr. (Fall 1:29)
5th Place Match
Sammie Ntone (Plainfield South) 2-1, Jr. over Kailee O`Connor (Oswego East) 5-26, Fr. (Fall 0:34)
235
1st Place Match
Henessis Villagrana (Romeoville) 17-5, So. over Natalie Quiroz (Joliet West) 27-3, Sr. (Fall 1:42)
3rd Place Match
Valeria Hernandez (Joliet Central) 11-8, Sr. over Timi Mudasiru (Plainfield South) 13-11, Jr. (Fall 5:25)
5th Place Match
Cynthia Rios (Bolingbrook) 6-27, So. (Bye)