Schaumburg wins 2nd team regional title at Willowbrook
By Chris Walker for the IWCOA
Schaumburg’s Madyson Meyer will be playing softball in college next year but for now, she’s enjoying the ride that the Saxons’ wrestling program is giving her.
“The thing I really like about (wrestling) is how close I felt with the girls, right away,” Meyer said. “The hard part is the discipline you have to go through. You have to be very strong-minded so the sport not only helped me in other sports, but it has helped me mentally, to be confident with myself in my day-to-day life.”
Meyer and her Saxons are making the ride count. They won their second consecutive regional title, out-pointing second-place Hoffman Estates 228.5-183.5 at this year’s 27-team Willowbrook Regional.
Meyer was one of three individual champions for coach Matt Gruszka, who will accompany a bevy of his qualifying wrestlers to the individual sectional meet at Schaumburg on Feb. 14-15.
“The girls wrestled well and we put seven in the finals,” Gruszka said. “Our champs, Maddy Meyer at 115, Sharon Olorunfemi at 135 and Nadia Razzak at 190 had great tournaments. I thought overall our regionals was tough and had a lot of great wrestlers. Hoffman and Glenbard West also had a great tournament.“
Glenbard West (179.5 points) finished third, followed by West Chicago (114) in fourth. Conant and St. Charles East tied for fifth with 92.5 points.
The Saxons also placed second at this year’s IWCOA dual team state tournament and finished first in tournaments at Dundee-Crown and Normal before winning this year’s Mid Suburban League tournament title. Gruszka has one of Illinois’ premier programs on his hands, and the Saxons proved it again at Willowbrook.
“I say it all the time and I know all the other girls on the team say it, too,” Meyer said, “but we have to give all of the credit to Gruszka. When the program started we were only 13 girls and now we’re 38.”
Meyer also tipped her hat to a couple of now-graduated trailblazers at Schaumburg who came before her.
“Val Rodriguez and Bethany Regione — when I joined, those were the two I idolized,” Meyer said. “I wanted to wrestle like them, I wanted to be good like them, and the relationship they had with Gruszka is something I strive for every day in the practice room. I think the younger girls getting advice from the older girls and learning from them is really why a program is so successful, and Gruszka set that tone immediately when he became our head coach.”
Meyer (115), junior Razzak (190) and sophomore Olorunfemi (135) will be joined at the Schaumburg Sectional on Feb. 15 by a quartet of teammates that placed second in Mia Phelps (100), Isabella Rivas (125), Hope Zerafa-Lazarevic (145) and Alya Razzak (170).
The senior Meyer improved to 41-2 Saturday, with pins at 1:14, 0:41, and 0:51 to reach the title-match against South Elgin’s Azucena Rodriguez.
“I was nervous about (Rodriguez) because I didn’t really know what to expect,” Meyer said. “Gruszka wanted me to hit my sweep single and hit it clean, so that’s what I was focused on. And whenever I’m facing a girl I don’t know, I like to tie up to feel how she’s tying up – tight, on one side or the other, or if she’s more of a back-away type of wrestler. I felt her, felt like the headlock was there, and I hit it.”
Meyer’s pin at 1:08 gave here four on the day and her first individual regional title. Teammate Olorunfemi (38-8) had three pins in as many matches to win her first regional crown, taking down her three opponents in 0:13, 1:25 and 0:44. She pinned St. Charles East freshman Olivia Pearson to finish up. Razzak similarly needed three victories to take home her first regional title and she got them all via first period pins: 1:03, 1:48 and 1:51 as she improved to 41-3 after taking down Streamwood’s Jasmine Rene.
“Nadia beat Jasmine Rene in the finals and Nadia had lost to her twice last year,” Gruszka said, “so that was good for her.”
Collectively, Olurunfemi, Meyer and Razzak combined to pin 10 opponents in under 11 minutes (10:58). During last year’s Conant regional, Olurunfemi did not place while Meyer took third and Razzak was second.
In the only regional final at Willowbrook featuring two previously-unbeaten wrestlers, South Elgin freshman Allison Garbacz (27-0) won by fall at 3:48 over Zerafa-Lazarevic (41-1), who placed second in Illinois at 140 last season.
Bartlett senior Emma Engels (37-3 at 120) was the only Willowbrook Regional champion who already possesses a state title; Engels is the 2023 IHSA state champion at 100 pounds. She took sixth at 110 last year.
“I was disappointed with taking sixth,” she said. “Now it’s my last one so I want to come back. I did a lot more wrestling in the off-season so I think I’m at a better place.”
While she’s got plans to wrestle at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh once her high school career is over, Engels first has her eyes set on competing for a second state title.
Engles pinned a pair of opponents and defeated another by tech fall before putting up some points in a major decision victory against Leyden’s Sabrina Bono in the finals.
“It was a good match,” Engles said. “She was definitely strong.”
Second-place Hoffman Estates has someone in Isabella “Bella” Chiovari who started playing soccer and volleyball as soon as she could walk.
It was the talk she had with Hoffman Estates classmate Abigail Ji that led her to wrestling.
“I became friends with Abi after meeting her in class,” Chiovari said while pointing in her direction. “She said ‘We’ve got a wrestling team and you play sports. You don’t have a winter sport, why don’t you join the wrestling team? I was like ‘okay.’
“It’s been history ever since and I love it.”
Chiovari (21-6 at 170), Ji (35-5 at 140) and fellow seniors Sophia Ball (36-1 at 130) and Anjali Gonzalez (19-3 at 235) won regional titles for the Hawks, who tied with team champion Schaumburg for the most champions among the teams that competed in the Willowbrook regional.
Chiovari saw a familiar foe in Schaumburg’s Alya Razzak staring back at her in the final at 170. Early in the second period, Chiovari, who returned from a concussion just last week, won by fall.
“I’ve gone back and forth with her the past four years we’ve been in high school together,” Chiovari said. “She actually won conference last week so it’s been back and forth. It was nice to be able to leave everything on that mat, and I put in a lot of work for it so I’m happy about it.”
She’s quite thrilled to be a part of this group of Hawks who had the second most team points with 183.5.
“We’re really fortunate to be having 30-something girls (on the roster) so we always have someone to fill a spot and girls are always more than willing to move up and down for the team,” she said. “We are all one unit and love each other. We’re one big family. I’m proud of every single one of them. I wouldn’t be here without all of them. I’m very grateful.”
Ji pinned Conant junior Ewa Krupa in 4:55 in her title match.
“Eva and I are friends who have always gone against each other since sophomore year,” Ji said. “I faced her last week at conference and became conference champ after beating her. It was another tough match.”
Ji’s been wrestling since the sixth grade, but has also played a variety of sports. Wrestling has become a primary focus for her today.
“I used to play a lot of different sports, tennis, badminton, and I did swimming my freshman and sophomore year,” she said. “And then I quit so I could focus on wrestling, and been wrestling since the summer of sixth grade. I got into wrestling because of my sister, who graduated two years ago.”
Ball is looking to return to the state finals where she dropped a 4-3 decision in the 120-pound title match to Rockton Hononegah’s Angelina Cassioppi a year ago.
“That’s the goal,” Ball said. “I just think I’ve been trying to stay patient and taking breaks when I need it. I feel if you just go go go and don’t give yourself enough of a break it will burn you out.”
After earning a 7-4 decision against Glenbard North’s Asreilla Wallace in her semifinal, Gonzalez pinned Wheaton North’s Iana Victory in 2:26 to gave the Hawks their fourth regional champion. Essenze Reid (190) took third and Roselyn Cornier (100) placed fourth for the Hawks.
Glenbard West was well represented late on Saturday afternoon and just as successful with its two wrestlers in the finals coming home as regionals champions while three of its four kids who wrestled in third-place matches also won.
Winning is something Hilltoppers’ unbeaten freshman Khloe Perez (110) knows a lot about. She improved to 33-0 after pinning Elk Grove Village’s Valeria Pesantes in 3:10.
“My family is all wrestlers, very athletic people,” she said. “When we do something we put our best foot forward and push ourselves. I’d definitely say my sister has helped push me. She wasn’t wrestling for very long but won state last year.”
Last year, Alycia Perez went 35-0 and won the 100-pound title in her senior season. She became the first state champion in girls wrestling in school history. Now, it’s the 14-year-old’s turn to try to get one.
“I’m very grateful because at first when I was coming into high school, well, I was like this is going to be a new challenge for me and I’m going to have to really step up,” she said. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I was kind of in an awkward place in my wrestling career and I felt I wasn’t at my best. I feel like this year I have more confidence and opportunities to be brave on the mat.”
She’s got the bravery, and placing at state is within range.
“I think coming into a new year my goal was to be brave because last year fear really held me back and put me in places I didn’t want to be in,” she said. “Why am I losing? Why am I stuck? I’ve been so brave this year, using my technique and I’ve been being strong. Even when I’m in a dark place I think one day I’ll practice good, or maybe not be feeling well, but I always push through it, that’s what my goal is. And I love my team. I feel we all are pushing each other. I like how we’re all at different levels and helping each other out.”
Glenbard West senior Miyalinna DeJesus (27-3 at 155) hasn’t forgotten about the time about a year ago when she got pinned in the final seconds of her match against Hinsdale Central’s Sofia Arain, which ended her season.
While a medical forfeit win in the quarterfinals lessened her workload this year, she still needed to defeat Lake Park’s Giovanna Sampognaro in the semifinals to get to West Chicago’s Annette Huesca in the finals.
DeJesus pinned Sampognaro in 2:49 and did the same against Huesca in 3:47. The Hilltoppers are without a doubt feeding off of each other and reaping the rewards of being a part of something greater than themselves – a team.
“I see so much of myself and a bunch of our captains in everybody else,” DeJesus said. “Not only in the way they wrestle, but the way they talk and their habits. We pick up off of each other and I love to see just their drive, and knowing the program is going to go in a great direction when they are older.”
Bartlett junior Lilly White (36-3 at 125) may not have been in a celebratory mood for her 17th birthday on Sunday if she hadn’t had such a wonderful Saturday.
White pinned all four of her opponents to take home the 125-pound title. She finished off Schaumburg junior Isabella Rivas in 2:47.
“I went down and was working on the bottom for a little bit and then I did like a roll I learned from jiu-jitsu,” she said “I was right on the edge of the circle with one toe holding on and I got the pin.”
Many years in the martial arts have certainly made a huge impact as White only began wrestling a year ago.
“I didn’t wrestle freshman year,” she said. “I didn’t find out there was wrestling until sophomore year and I fell in love with it. My first year I took fifth at state (at 120) and I would say jiu-jitsu gave me that extra advantage as most girls are not used to random jiu-jitsu.”
Prior to jiu-jitsu White was a cheerleader.
“I was cheerleading when I was six and seven years old and it was not for me,” she said. “My brother wasn’t doing anything so my dad had him try jiu-jitsu, so I started doing it and fell in love with it. My parents are really supportive and awesome and have just encouraged me the whole time to keep going with it.”
Wheaton North senior Izzy Paz (15-6 at 100) never would’ve guessed that as a senior in high school one of her biggest passions would be wrestling.
Now she can hardly imagine life without it.
“I never would’ve imagined I would’ve chosen this sport,” she said. “Now that I have this it’s definitely something that gives me motivation to work hard every day. I’m looking to wrestle in college and am in the recruiting process. I have another visit to go and hope to make a decision soon. I mean, I just started wrestling last season but then I went to Fargo and after that I knew I needed to keep with it. I’m not ready to be done yet.”
During her debut season a year ago, Paz was humbled in regionals, getting pinned twice.
After a 12-1 major decision to defeat Schaumburg’s Mia Phelps in the final at 100 pounds, she became a regional champion this year.
“I wrestled her a couple weeks ago so I was just trying to stay smart and stick to what I knew what going to work,” she said. “I kept in a good position because I knew what she was going to go for.”
Sometimes kids improve in leaps and bounds in a short period of time. In a growing sport, that is attractive. It’s one of the many reasons why kids are coming into the rooms.
“I definitely had a big leap in the off-season,” Paz said. “My connections with my club coaches and what not and just trying to get in extra work whenever I could.”
Unbeaten Leyden sophomore Zoey Dodgers (21-0) pinned her three opponents at 105 to also take home a regional title. Dodgers pinned Larkin’s Ashley Hammond in 2:40 after a couple of first round pins in her quarterfinal and semifinal matches.
Among the 27 teams that competed, 21 had at least one girl wrestling in the finals or a third-place match.
Team scores:
Schaumburg 228.5, Hoffman Estates 183.5, Glenbard West 179.5, West Chicago 114, Conant 92.5, St. Charles East 92.5, Bartlett 82.5, South Elgin 80, Lake Park 78.5, Leyden 64, Glenbard North 63, Fenton 59, Wheaton North 59, Willowbrook 58, Larkin 54, Oak Park and River Forest 50, Addison Trail 47.5, Ridgewood 38, Streamwood 31, Proviso East 29.5, Elk Grove 22, York 18.5, Elmwood Park 16, Elgin 13, Fenwick 13, St. Charles North 7
PLACE MATCHES FOR SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS (top four all advanced)
100 – 1st: Isabelle Paz (Wheaton N) 15-6, d. Mia Phelps (Schaumburg) 28-12, (MD 12-1); 3rd:
Susan Cruz (Larkin) 25-11, d. Roselyn Cornier (Hoffman Estates) 22-16, (F 2:24)
105 – 1st: Zoey Dodgers (Leyden) 21-0, d. Ashley Hammond (Larkin) 29-12, (F 2:40); 3rd:
Brissia Bucio (WEGO) 30-6, d. Jivona Brown (Glenbard W) 17-10, (F 4:18)
110 – 1st: Khloe Perez (Glenbard W) 33-0, d. Valeria Pesantes (Elk Grove) 19-3, (F 3:10); 3rd:
Sydney Stieb (SC East) 29-9, d. Regina Jones (Proviso East) 4-2, (F 0:35)
115 – 1st: Madyson Meyer (Schaumburg) 41-2, d. Azucena Rodriguez (S Elgin) 28-6, (F 1:08); 3rd: Sophia Newell (WEGO) 22-10, d. Daisy Trujillo (Willowbrook) 22-7, (F 3:40)
120 – 1st: Emma Engels (Bartlett) 37-3, d. Sabrina Bono (Leyden) 24-4, (MD 10-0); 3rd:
Karolina Konopka (Glenbard W) 34-7, d. Brithany Mondragon (A. Trail) 23-5, (F 1:39)
125 – 1st: Lilly White (Bartlett) 36-3, d. Isabella Rivas (Schaumburg) 37-7, (F 2:47); 3rd:
Valentina Fantoni (Glenbard W) 32-8, d. Gianna Mezzano (Ridgewood) 32-8, (F 2:48)
130 – 1st: Sophia Ball (Hoffman Estates) 36-1, d. Yannel Perez (Fenton) 25-2, (F 3:21); 3rd:
Keagan Edwards (Glenbard N) 39-6, d. Jasmine Zavaleta (Conant) 32-10, (D 8-3)
135 – 1st: Sharon Olorunfemi (Schaumburg) 38-8, d. Olivia Pearson (SC East) 18-12, (F 0:44): 3rd: Nydia Jotzat (Glenbard W) 27-8, d. Lucy Rodriguez (Fenton) 26-9, (F 1:02)
140 – 1st: Abigail Ji (Hoffman Estates) 35-5, d. Ewa Krupa (Conant) 36-6, (F 4:55); 3rd:
Isabella Miller (OPRF) 18-7, d. Ava Burns (Roselle (Lake Park) 30-8, (F 1:13)
145 – 1st: Allison Garbacz (S Elgin) 27-0, d. Madeline Zerafa-Lazarevic (Schaumburg) 41-1, (F 3:48); 3rd: Joscelin Ritthamel (Lake Park) 36-7, d. Madeline Beltran (A. Trail) 23-8, (D 8-2)
155 – 1st: Miyalinna DeJesus (Glenbard W) 27-3, d. Annette Huesca (WEGO) 17-6, (F 3:47); 3rd: Analiese Aberman (Conant) 30-15, d. Giovanna Sampognaro (Lake Park) 3-2, . (F 5:21)
170 – 1st: Isabella Chiovari (Hoffman Estates) 21-6, d. Alya Razzak (Schaumburg) 36-7, (F 3:10); 3rd: Jazilah Gatlin (Willowbrook) 29-10, d. Olivia Bordenave (SC East) 14-11, (F 2:26)
190 – 1st: Nadia Razzak (Schaumburg) 41-3, d. Jasmine Rene (Streamwood) 18-1, (F 1:51); 3rd: Essenze Reid (Hoffman Estates) 19-6, d. Jadelin Caballero (Larkin) 33-8, (D 8-2)
235 – 1st: Anjali Gonzalez (Hoffman Estates) 19-3, d. Iana Victory (Wheaton N) 14-5, (F 2:26); 3rd: Asreilla Wallace (Glenbard N) 31-10, d. Ariana Solideo (Fenton) 28-6, (F 2:31)