Northern Illinois tournament roundup for Jan. 14

By Gary Larsen

2023 Sullivan Slam championship match results:

Rickover Naval Academy of Chicago enjoyed a watershed moment at the 2023 Sullivan Slam on Saturday.
“It’s the first tournament championship in program history,” Sea Dragons coach Andrew Holden said. “I’m very proud of the whole team and how hard they’re wrestling this year and I’m excited to watch them compete in the end of the year tournaments. It will be exciting.”

Rickover won the 16-team Slam title, outscoring second-place Evanston 153-143, sending four wrestlers to the championship mat and winning three individual titles.

Northridge Prep (139), Taft (127), and Niles North (117) rounded out the top five team finishers, followed by Mather (114), Amundsen (91), host Sullivan (77.5), Lane (73), and Ridgewood (53).
Winning titles for Rickover were Jacob Pizarro (126), Justin Hernandez (132), and Alejandro Olivera (145), while Brandon Valbuena (138) placed second. Rickover also got thirds from Nathaniel Sales (120) and Adonai Zora (152), and a fourth from Breyon Wallace (113).

Second-place Evanston were led by second-place finishers Grant Aaron (120), Gael Santigiullo (126), Sean Pena Kerr (160), and Chris Fargo (220). Evanston edged Northridge Prep for its second-place team finish thanks to a third from Angel Mondragon (145) and fourths from Henry White (132), Esmat Abdalla (170), and Jaden Paques (285).

Third-place Northridge Prep reeled off four consecutive title-mat wins thanks to individual champions Adam Haddad (152), Jon Suter (160), Michael Kopecky (170), and Steven Kopecky (182).
Sullivan’s Keshawn Walker (195) recorded the most pins in the least time of any wrestler, posting four falls in 2:53, and Taft’s Michael Barretto (285) scored the most team points in the tournament with 28.

2023 Sullivan Slam championship match results:

106: David Ruiz (Taft) F 0:40 Mohamad Khater (Ridgewood)

113: Islam Khater (Ridgewood) D 5-1 Mathew Nguyen (Amundsen)

120: Trent Tono (Niles North) F 2:17 Grant Aaron (Evanston)

126: Jacob Pizarro (Rickover) F 1:19 Gael Santigiullo (Evanston)

132: Justin Hernandez (Rickover) F 0:17 Malik Peterson ( Lane)

138:  Maxwell Nevinger (Senn) F 1:07 Brandon Valbuena (Rickover)

145: Alejandro Olivera (Rickover) F 3:31 Matthew Trimberger (Niles North)

152: Adam Haddad (Northridge Prep) MD 13-4 Julio Rodriguez (Taft)

160: Jon Suter (Northridge Prep) F 0:18 Sean Pena Kerr (Evanston)

170: Michael Kopecky (Northridge Prep) F 3:33 Arlo Johnston (Mather):
182: Steven Kopecky (Northridge Prep) F 1:06 Jacob Scott (Mather)

195: Michael Wojatch (Amundsen ) F 1:05 Jens Marino (Mather)

220: Ahmed Musa (Niles North) D 8-2 Chris Fargo (Evanston)

285: Michael Barretto (Taft) F 0:39 Nick Armour (Leo)

Hoffman Estates Hawk Girls Wrestling Invite championship match results:

Of the top five team finishers at Saturday’s Hawk Girls Wrestling Invite,  Homewood-Flossmoor’s 10 wrestlers entered was the fewest of any team.

The Vikings still managed to post a 172-147 edge over second-place Schaumburg, followed by Oak Forest (139), host Hoffman Estates (135), and Lockport (106) to round out the top five team finishes of the 27-team tournament.

Oak Forest entered 16 wrestlers in the tournament, Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates entered 13, and Lockport entered 12 participants.

The Hawks got individual titles from Attalia Watson-Castro (135), Alima Toheeb-Lawai (145), and Kristen Roberts (170).

As it is for nearly every team that wins a tournament title, Homewood-Flossmoor’s hard work came before the final round even took place.

“Every one of our point-scorers made it to the semis and I think that gave us the lead we needed even though we were missing 5 weights,” Vikings coach Scott Aronson said. “Only one girl did not win their place match and that was due to an injury. It was a great day.

“Our girls have been doing great this season even with concussions and sickness and the normal challenges all teams are facing, but Saturday really demonstrated what our girls are actually able to accomplish when they take it one match at a time.”

Aronson got thirds from Ava Anderson (120), Jzyia Akins (155), Idi Onumosu (190), and Jocelyn Williams (235), and a fourth from Nina Hamm (115).

“We ended up taking home a first-place plaque even though we lost to Hoffman Estates in a head-to-head dual earlier in the season, and that felt really good,” Aronson said. “We’re looking forward to making a mark at the OPRF invitational in two weeks.”

Second-place Schaumburg got an individual title from Valeria Rodriguez (140) and a second from Madyson Meyer (115). Third-place Oak Forest got an individual title from Alex Sebek (105), Hoffman Estates titles came from Sophia Ball (120), and Abby Ji (130), and Lockport had an individual champion in Claudia Heeney (125) and got a second from Monica Skibicki (100).

Other top-ten team finishes came from Glenbard West (101.5), Conant (99), Ronald Reagan of Wisconsin (75), and West Chicago (72).

Schaumburg’s Nina Akimoto had the most pins in the least time with four falls in 2:31, and Lockport’s Claudia Heeney (125) posted the most tech falls in the least time with three techs in 14:01. Nine wrestlers tied for the tournament lead in team points with 30: Glenbard West’s Alycia Perez, Homewood-Flossmoor’s Alima Toheeb-Lawal, Maine South’s Angela Lee, Mount Zion’s Sydney Cannon, Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker, Schaumburg’s Valeria Rodriguez, West Chicago’s Jayden Huesca-Rodriguez, and Hoffman Estates’ Sophia Ball and Abby Ji.

Hoffman Estates’ Hawk Girls Wrestling Invite championship match results:

100: Alycia Perez (Glenbard West) F 3:49 Monica Skibicki (Lockport)

105: Alexandra Sebek (Oak Forest) MD 13-5 Annika Cottam (Lake Forest)

110: Sydney Cannon (Mount Zion) F 1:11 Aliana Rauter (Ronald Regan)

115: Angela Lee (Maine South) F 1:52 Madyson Meyer (Schaumburg)

120: Sophia Ball (Hoffman Estates) F 2:50 Nyah Lovis (Lane Tech)

125: Claudia Heeney (Lockport) TF 5:40 Khatija Ahmed (Glenbard West)

130: Abby Ji (Hoffman Estates) F 1:48 Ewa Krupa (Conant)

135: Attalia Watson-Castro (H-Flossmoor) TF 5:01 Tahonesty Donnell (Ronald Regan)

140: Valeria Rodriguez (Schaumburg) F 0:58 Quinna Sheets (Grayslake North)

145: Alima Toheeb-Lawal (H-Flossmoor) F 1:02 Joselyn Vega (Ronald Regan)

155: Alicia Tucker (Plainfield Central) F 1:13 Jada Hall (Burlington Central)

170: Kristen Roberts (H-Flossmoor) F 2:49 Gracie Swierczynski (DG South)

190: Jayden Huesca Rodriguez (West Chicago) F 2:15 Trinity White (OPRF)

235: Aaliyah Grandberry (Curie) D 7-3 Sarah Ephstein (OPRF)

Lisle’s 2023 Melichar Wrestling Tournament championship match results:

Hinsdale South won Lisle’s 2023 Melichar Wrestling Tournament, sending eight wrestlers to the championship finals and getting team points from nine wrestlers on the day.

“We had an excellent tournament,” Hinsdale South assistant coach Andy Mangiaguerra said. “We are really excited for the next couple of weeks preparing for regionals with a couple dual meets left along with a tough quad.”

Winning individual titles for the Hornets were Andrew Musil (145) and Andrew Miller (160), and Mangiaguerra and head coach Steve Matozzi got second-place finishes from Toqir Mir (113), Apollo Cobb (126), John Strahanoski (132), Alec Miller (170), Jovani Piazza (182), and Griffin Carr (220). Quinn Yurkovich (152) also placed third and Gavin Slaughter (285) took fourth for the Hornets.

Hinsdale South finished with a 188-143 edge over second-place Evergreen Park, which had a champion in Aseal Rubalcava (170) and got second-place finishes from Chance Woods (120), Ryan Serna (145), and David Johnson (152).

Hinsdale South’s Andrew Musil (145) had the most pins in the least time with three falls in 5:04, teammate Andrew Miller (160) posted the fastest fall in 0:21, and Phoenix Military Academy’s Jose Lua (120) posted the fastest tech fall in 3:58.

Lua, Evergreen Park’s Eduardo Antunez (220), and Hinsdale South Apollo Cobb (126) tied for the tournament lead in most points scored in a single match with 16, and Antunez scored the most total match points in the tournament with 30. 

Lisle’s 2023 Melichar Wrestling Tournament championship match results:

106: Ryan Hsu (Lisle) F 1:28 Vince Hefke (Aurora Central Catholic)

113: Juan Villa (Argo) F 5:51 Toqir Mir (Hinsdale South)

120: Jose Lua (Phoenix Military Academy) TF 3:58 Chance Woods (Evergreen Park)

126: Mauricio Cisneros (Phoenix Military Academy) D 7-3 Apollo Cobb (Hinsdale South)

132: Nolan Kelly (Lisle) F 1:25 John Strahanoski (Hinsdale South)

138: Vin Moreno (Phoenix Military Academy) D 4-3 Norbert Guzik (Lisle)

145: Andrew Musil (Hinsdale South) F 1:45 Ryan Serna (Evergreen Park)

152: Jimmy Lua (Phoenix Military Academy) F 2:56 David Johnson (Evergreen Park)

160: Andrew Miller (Hinsdale South) F 0:21 Cornelius Vigovsky (Argo)

170: Aseal Rubalcava (Evergreen Park) D 8-7 Alec Miller (Hinsdale South)

182: Max Dominguez (Streamwood) INJ Jovani Piazza (Hinsdale South)

195: Joe Raineri (Lisle) F 3:22 Jace Wolf (Streamwood)

220: Gabriel Kaminski (Nazareth) F 2:47 Griffin Carr (Hinsdale South)

285: Sam Stec (Nazareth) F 1:22 Angel Perez (Argo)