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South Elgin’s Pych brothers are champs

South Elgin’s Cody and Cory Pych have a lot more in common than just brotherhood.

The Storm wrestlers both can say on the same day the Pychs won regional championships at Schaumburg’s Class 3A wrestling regional Saturday afternoon.

They advanced to the Downers Grove North sectional next week. But the outcome isn’t anything new for the Pychs.

“Well, this isn’t actually the first time we’ve ever both won titles at the same time,” said Cody, who won the 160-pound weight class in a 4-1 decision. “So it’s pretty exciting just with the brother thing.”

Cody (36-3) nearly won on a pin in the second period but eventually dragged out a victory by not allowing Lake Park’s Farai Sewera get on his game early.

“He kept trying to tie me up with that Russian Arm Tie. Kind of annoying, but I made sure I stayed calm and didn’t panic,” Pych said.

Cody’s younger brother, Cory, won his match over Elgin freshman Jeffery Morrow (21-11) in the 103 weight class with a 7-2 decision by pushing the pace. A major takedown in the third period gave him a 5-point cushion that sealed the win.

“By then I knew I had it and I wasn’t going to make a mistake from there,” said Cory Pych, now 29-5 for the season.

Nick Citta (135), Ricky Garcia (171) and D.J. Greene (215) also advanced for the Storm by placing in the top 3 of their weight classes.

Jacob Bergroschtje was the last Storm wrestler to advance via pinfall with 4:18 left in an entertaining battle with Lake Park’s Anthony Berkman for third place. Both looked like monster trucks colliding head-on and neither wanted to leave Schaumburg without a sectional opportunity.

Morrow (103) and Toby Schimel, who was champion at 285 also advanced for Elgin. Schimel used his size and speed to improve to 30-7 with a fall 55 seconds in over DeKalb’s Matt Briggs. He earned a first-round bye in sectionals as all regional champs earn that honor but was concerned about his conditioning, which lacked due to the blizzard this week.

“I was scared of not being conditioned,” Schimel said. “The last three days we couldn’t practice at our school so you really had to be self-motivated. I didn’t get to work at all; and then sitting at home eating all this junk, I felt bad today.

Schimel’s aim in sectionals is to get fourth or better to get to state, which Larkin’s Brett Barry (20-8) hopes to as well. Barry placed second after losing a 5-4 decision to Chris Kowalski from Lake Park at 152. Lake Park won the team championship and advanced 9 wrestlers to sectionals.

Bartlett’s Sal Annoreno (35-2) was upset by DeKalb’s Jake Jones in the 119 title match 8-6. The Hawks also qualified Ed Ruiz at 189 after he beat Elgin’s Jorge Zavala 6-4 in overtime for third place.

Streamwood’s Alex Curtis beat Conant’s Nico Gottardo 8-3 for third place at 119 and a spot in the sectional.

South Elgin placed fifth at 143.50 while Elgin (6th), Larkin (7th), Bartlett (9th) and Streamwood (10th) rounded out team standings.

  Sal Annoreno of Bartlett, lower, wrestles Jake Jones of DeKalb during the 119-pound final of the Schaumburg wrestling regional Saturday. JOE LEWNARD/jlewnard@dailyherald.com