Zhang's best proves pretty good
Chris Zhang was looking to salvage a DuPage Valley Conference wrestling championship for host Naperville North over the weekend.
"I just went out there and wrestled my best," the Naperville North senior said after defeating Glenbard North senior Dillon Warnecke 10-4 at 220 pounds. "It was my last DVC tournament. I had nothing to lose. I don't think I'm going to be wrestling (in college) next year."
In capturing his first league title, Zhang, ranked No. 4 in Class 3A at 220 pounds, improved to 28-5 on the season.
Two of the losses, however, came at heavyweight; another was due to an injury default.
"I don't really think about the (individual state) rankings," said Zhang, who is seeking his first appearance at the state tournament in three weekends. "I want to get to state and place."
Lucas Van Poucke, Stevie Schmult and Mitch Szymel were the Huskies' other finalists at the conference tournament at 106, 160 and 285 pounds.
The trio had to all settle for runner-up finishes.
The toughest sectionals:
The three-week individual state series begins this weekend in all three classes.
For the large schools from the western suburbs, the Glenbard North and Downers Grove North sectionals offer some of the finest athletes in the nation, let alone the state.
Defending state champion Oak Park-River Forest - the No. 1 ranked team in the nation and defending Class 3A team champion -and host Glenbard North, the consensus second-ranked team in the state, feed into the Panthers' sectional out of the Leyden and West Chicago regionals, respectively.
Metea Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Wheaton Warrenville South, Downers Grove South, Hinsdale Central, Hinsdale South and the host Trojans will meet at Downers North from Batavia and Morton.
"I'm looking at the (team) rankings right now," said Metea Valley coach Claudio Torres, whose program completed its first Upstate Eight Valley championship against Bartlett last week.
"We have 50 percent (Sandburg, St. Rita, Mt. Carmel, Marmion and Lyons Twp.) of the top-10 teams in the state. You can quote me that it's going to be the toughest sectional."
"We are seeing a compartmentalization in Illinois wrestling," said Naperville North coach Tom Champion, whose team will be at Batavia for a bid to Downers North. "A couple schools like Oak Park and Glenbard North are determining who the state champions are going to be. I think it depends a lot on the draw (to advance to state)."
"There are going to be a lot of quality kids at both sectionals who don't get to state," said Marmion coach Ryan Cumbee, whose team will head to Batavia after routing the corresponding field at Waubonsie Valley last year en route to third in the state.
"I can't answer the question which sectional is going to be the hardest," Naperville Central coach Rob Porter said. "There is a little bit of disproportion between (Downers North and Glenbard North) and the other two sectionals."
Glenbard North will face its stiffest test in its quest for a 15th consecutive regional title from St. Charles East, which won the 16-team Upstate Eight Conference tournament.
The Panthers' lower weights are terrific behind conference champions Kirk Johansen, Austin Gomez, Patrick Augustyn, Mike Milan and Phil Partipilo between 106 and 132 pounds, respectively.
Gomez has a season-long 35-match winning streak; Johansen and Augustyn have 36 wins each against three combined losses.
"Before we can think about avenging (the team sectional final to Conant last year), we have to win the (West Chicago) regional," Glenbard North coach Mark Hahn said Saturday after the Panthers clinched their 17th straight conference championship.
Lake Park is the lone local program at its regional that feeds into Glenbard North.
Addison Trail, York, Glenbard West, Glenbard East, Willowbrook, Wheaton North and West Chicago are also in the field of the Wildcats' regional.
The champion at West Chicago will advance to the Niles West team sectional.
The Batavia winner has a date with the Chicago Catholic League and fellow south-side suburban powers at Shepard for a potential berth to team state at Bloomington the weekend after the individual state tournament at the University of Illinois in Champaign.
The middle class:
The four area Class 2A schools - Montini, Wheaton Academy, St. Francis - will convene at Fenton in Bensenville for the regional on Saturday.
The top-three finishers head to Antioch the following weekend.
Lakes is the destination for the team champion as Montini seeks to extend its extraordinary run since the state expanded to three classes.
The Broncos are the only team to win a middle-tier state wrestling championship since the 2008-09 school year.
Fenton won the inaugural Metro Suburban Conference tournament behind six champions two weekends ago.
Corey Muniz and Juan Alfaro are ranked fifth and fourth, respectively, for the Bison at 106 and 170.