Glenbard North showing well throughout lineup

Traditional wrestling power Glenbard North had a fruitful holiday season.

The Panthers improved to 16-1 in dual meets after winning the third-place match at The Clash, a nationally renowned bracketed tournament in suburban Minneapolis last weekend.

Glenbard North began its winter break with a runner-up finish to Marmion at the equally renowned Dvorak Tournament at Machesney Park Harlem to begin its winter break.

The Panthers' penchant for producing top-notch athletes at the lower weights is in evidence once again as Kirk Johansen and Austin Gomes are ranked first and second, respectively, at 106 and 113 pounds.

Glenbard North senior Patrick Augustyn is No. 6 at 120 pounds, and the Panthers' quintet of state contenders is completed with back-to-back competitors at 182 and 195 pounds in Colton Wegner and Luke Greenberg.

The Panthers' three beginning weight wrestlers all went undefeated in Minnesota during their six-match run.

National power Apple Valley defeated Glenbard North in the semifinals at Rochester.

Defending Class 3A champion Oak Park-River Forest won the tournament.

Gomez captured the Panthers' lone title at Dvorak; Johansen suffered his first defeat on the season to an out-of-state opponent in the 106-pound championship.

The Panthers, ranked No. 4 among large-school state teams, finished behind only second-rated Marmion at Dvorak.

"I thought we wrestled very well at Dvorak," Glenbard North coach Mark Hahn said. "We were neck and neck with Marmion."

Hahn is more than optimistic in evaluating the talents of Johansen and Gomez.

"They have been wrestling very well at a higher level," Hahn said. "They come through match after match. They both want to be in the state finals and win it."

Greenberg, ranked No. 4, gives Glenbard North added flexibility in the upper weights.

"He is kind of putting it together this year," Hahn said of his senior 195-pounder.

Look out for the Mustangs:

There has been a dramatic changing of the guard among the three Indian Prairie high schools.

Prior to the Upstate Eight Conference moving to two divisions, Neuqua Valley won six straight league championships.

Waubonsie Valley is the two-time defending champion in the Valley Division.

But upstart Metea Valley is in the front seat for a first conference championship behind the state-ranked triumvirate of Axl Ariza, Keenan Carter and Sam Elston at 113, 145 and 170 pounds, respectively.

The Mustangs finished fifth at the highly regarded Berman Classic in Palatine over the holidays.

"I was hoping to do a little better," Metea Valley coach Claudio Torres said of the Mustangs' finish. "The teams that finished ahead of us are all state ranked."

Elston captured the Mustangs' lone title at Palatine.

"Those three kids are doing great," Torres said of his three prized competitors. "I have a lot of kids in the program who are so close to getting over the hump. This is the first year we have a legitimate chance to have multiple state qualifiers."

Metea Valley (13-2 overall in duals) is undefeated in the Valley Division.

Wildcats rebuilding:

Neuqua Valley coach Mick Ruettiger has more than three decades of coaching experience as the only mentor in program history.

But it has been a season of adjustments as Ruettiger has but one state-ranked athlete in senior 195-pounder D.J. Warkenthien.

"We have had 53 state qualifiers and 29 medal-winners (in program history)," Ruettiger said. "But we have to stop living off that (legacy). We'll be back in about two years."

Falcons rebuilding:

Former Wheaton North standout Travis Cherry is quietly rebuilding the program at his alma mater.

The Falcons have three quality athletes in Dylan Thurston, Devin Donovan and Micah Volle at 132, 152 and 160 pounds.

Thurston, ranked No. 2 in the state, suffered his first defeat when falling to top-rated St. Rita senior Austin O'Connor in the championship at Dvorak.

The legitimacy of Dvorak was nowhere more evident than the top-10 ranked Donovan and Volle could muster only top-seven finishes.

"I think it's a mini-state tournament," Cherry said of the field. "(Thurston) learned a few things what he need to work on in the (practice) room (after the O'Connor loss). He learned a few things about the mental aspect."

Thurston is 22-1 on the season.

Mat notes:

Dan Rowland is rapidly moving up the state rankings after the Willowbrook 152-pounder captured the Dvorak to remain undefeated on the season.

Fellow West Suburban Conference competitor Juwan Edmond, a three-time all-stater from Hinsdale Central, is ranked above the Warriors' senior.

Two-hundred and 20 pounds is another loaded weight class in the area.

Hinsdale South junior Josh King is No. 2 in the class, followed by Downers South sophomore Zach Muller at No. 3; DuPage Valley Conference rivals Chris Zhang (Naperville North) and George Beck (WW South) are also in the mix.

Glenbard East returning all-stater D'Andre Jordan, the top-ranked heavyweight in the state, made his season debut over the holidays.

Hinsdale Central junior Matt Allen, whose older brothers Jack and Brian both won heavyweight state championships, is the third-ranked 285-pounder.