Cary-Grove's Cullen a sectional champ again

You would be hard pressed to find a better two-day performance at the Barrington wrestling sectional than the one Michael Cullen turned in.

With a characteristic flourish, Cullen did it again.

The Cary-Grove senior left the competition in his wake on the way to a third sectional title in four years to send the three-time state medalist into next weekend's Class 3A state tournament as one of the favorites at 120 pounds when things begin in Champaign on Thursday.

Cullen's (36-1) superb six-minute bout in the final against Prospect junior Alex Preissing ended in a 15-6 major decision to start a wonderful evening session for head coach Ryan Ludwig's club, which would celebrate another individual title from heavyweight Michael Gomez, as well as John Cullen's third place finish to send the junior downstate for the second consecutive season.

"It was a very good day for us," admitted a proud Ludwig just minutes after handing Gomez his championship trophy.

"The focus, and overall effort over the last two days from Michael shows he's ready to go next week in Champaign, and for both John and our big man (Gomez) I couldn't be more proud of those two guys."

"Winning a third sectional title here at Barrington is very important to me, but it's the first step to what I look to be an even better finish to my career next weekend at the state tournament," offered Cullen, who was one of 5 from the Fox Valley Conference who would lift championship trophies in their respective weight classes.

Cullen would pin his way into the final and once there would take apart the Knights' rising star, who on this day would have no answer to the experience and excellence the now four-time state qualifier enjoys.

Gomez held off Barrington's Alex Zentner (32-8) to claim his top prize sending the affable senior to his first visit downstate.

"Zentner is one big dude. It felt at times like I was trying to move a house around during my match," said Gomez (31-3), who with his 5-2 victory ensures a top four seed in what looks like a highly competitive heavyweight division.

Dundee-Crown junior Christian Brunner (40-1) earlier in the week proclaimed both Alex Jacobs (Fremd, 33-4) and Mark Miller (40-6) of Zion-Benton to be the strongest two opponents he's faced all season, and following this tournament, Brunner can now place a victory next to each in the Chargers' scorebook.

For the second time this season, Brunner would defeat Jacobs by the same score as he did in the final of the Harvard Tournament (8-7) to advance into the 195-pound final and once there, would outlast an impressive six-minutes from Miller to win the sectional crown to secure a top four seed next week in Champaign.

"I said those two were the toughest and strongest I've wrestled this season, and both of them showed it today but those two matches will really help me prepare for what's ahead in Champaign, " admitted Brunner, who was runner-up here last season to eventual state champ Colten Emmerich.

Brunner would fall behind in to Jacobs in his semifinal (2-0) early on then 6-4 before slowly cutting into the slim margin the Vikings' junior had built until a sharply played angled takedown put the Chargers' star up 8-7 with 30 seconds left in regulation.

"I knew his tank was getting low towards the end, and when I saw my chance, I took it," said Brunner, who drew even with Miller in the final (1-1) with an escape at 4½ minutes before ending things in OT with just one second to go with a takedown.

"Christian needed a match like that before state. It will help his focus for this coming week," suggested D-C head coach Matt Wahl.

Huntley, which opened the first day of the tournament brightly finished with even better news by sending a record four to Champaign, headlined by Josh Stenger's championship at 113 pounds.

The sophomore avenged his loss in the FVC final to Britches Sikula (33-2) of McHenry with a superb all-around effort in a 5-2 triumph to send him downstate for the first time after losing here last February in his state qualifying match to two-time state qualifier Christian Kantzler of Grant.

"It feels great to get downstate, and especially after getting so close last year," said Stenger, now 38-7.

After firing the first salvo with a takedown in the opening moments, Stenger build a 3-0 advantage and after conceding a two-pointer at 5 minutes, responded with a well orchestrated reversal to end the hopes of Sikula, and book his place in the 12-man bracket in Champaign.

Just before the Red Raiders' sectional title performance teammate and freshman, Zach Spencer (36-9) fell in his final (20-9) to McHenry senior Ian Mullen (37-3), who currently is on competing on a whole different level than the rest of his counterparts in the area.

Senior Ricky Vigil, down but obviously not out, fired back from a disappointing 1-0 loss in the semis to Garrett Dziedzic (Crystal Lake South) to win his state qualifying match in sensational style to earn his second trip downstate.

"You're at a point where you could be in your last match ever, and suddenly things happen, and your going downstate," said a thrilled Vigil (31-4), who was trailing 2014 state qualifier Noah Drabek (Grant, 43-6) early in the third period (2-0) before stepping over Drabek, unleashing a double grapevine and stunning the Bulldogs' senior with a pin at 4:22.

Teammate Brandon Meyer (152) is making his first trip to the big tournament after a well-deserved 8-5 win over Sal Potts (Libertyville) to move his record to 40-7, one year after losing in this same match to Brad Green of DeKalb in OT to dash his state tournament hopes.

"You can bet I was thinking about last year, especially after giving up a five-point move in my semifinal (to DJ Penick of Highland Park) and getting sent into wrestlebacks," said the Red Raiders' senior.

The aforementioned Dziedzic was unable to solve No. 2 Alec McKenna (40-3) in his final, in which the Gators' senior lost 5-2, the second time this season he's lost to the New Trier senior.

The much anticipated final between No. 3 Eric Barone (Crystal Lake South, 39-1) and No. 2 Fernie Silva (Hononegah, 18-2) never got off the ground when Barone won his second straight sectional by a forfeit, when his rival failed to answer the bell.

"I don't know for sure why Fernie didn't wrestle. I was disappointed, because I was looking forward to competing in the final against him but with him likely now on the opposite side of my bracket at state next week, maybe I'll see him there but only if he beats (No. 1) Larry Early III (Oak Park-River Forest) earlier in the tournament," said Barone, who lost to Early 3-2 in the finals of the OPRF Invite.

FVC and regional champion Jacobs failed to advance anyone to the state tournament, including four-year star Cory Ferencz (35-8) who lost in his state qualifying match 3-1 in OT to Hersey's Mitch MacTavish.

Cary-Grove junior John Cullen (29-10) was involved in yet another dramatic ending to secure his safe passage to Champaign by staying alive in his wrestleback semifinal with a 4-2 OT victory before outlasting Wheeling captain Ricky Muro (37-9) 3-2 to advance. Cullen would later fall to Luke Iida (New Trier, 30-11) for third place.