Glenbard North's DVC streak turns 18

Austin Gomez won his third straight DuPage Valley Conference championship with nothing but falls Saturday afternoon in Carol Stream.

But the Glenbard North junior was not even born when the Panthers began their streak of 18 consecutive championships.

"The only team that is going to break the streak is Glenbard North wrestling," Gomez said after the Panthers crowned four champions in easing to yet another team victory. "A lot of people doubted us. The streak is going to go on forever."

Glenbard North scored 234 points to surpass runner-up Wheaton North.

Naperville North was third, followed by Metea Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Neuqua Valley, Naperville Central, Wheaton Warrenville South and Lake Park.

"These last four weeks (of the season) are very important," said Gomez, the Panthers' 126-pounder. "I want to defend my state championship."

Senior identical twins Joey and Tom Czernek won titles for the Panthers at 138 and 160 pounds, respectively.

"My coaches kept telling me to fake and shoot," Tom Czernek said of the lone takedown in the finals. "I knew if I did what they told me I would get (a takedown)."

Mike Milan won a league championship for the second straight year as the Glenbard North senior literally had a last-second escape to defeat Harvard-bound Naperville North senior Aaron Kruk at 132 pounds.

"This may be my favorite," Glenbard North coach Mark Hahn said of the Panthers' latest conference triumph. "We had a lot of heroes today. This group has come the farthest."

Waubonsie Valley dominated the upper weights to win three of the last four classes.

Northern Illinois University-bound 195-pounder Max Ihry added a DVC championship to the title he captured in the Upstate Eight Conference last year.

Ihry avenged his sole loss this season with a 3-1 sudden-death victory over Metea Valley senior Dylan Ervin.

"It's nice coming back to get the win," Ihry said. "I knew it was going to be a close one. (Ervin, ranked second in the state is) great at everything."

Mason Kroening, like Ihry, had a late start to his season due to football.

But the Waubonsie Valley 182-pounder was invincible in recording three pins.

"Today the game plan was just to work myself," Kroening said. "I had a bit of a rough start. I knew I had to get back in it."

Like his championship classmates, Waubonsie Valley heavyweight Tyler Caldwell has but one loss this year after defeating Glenbard North senior Jon Czernek for the Warriors' third title.

Metea Valley and Lake Park crowned two champions apiece.

Phillip Sims' second-period fall at 113 pounds earned the Metea Valley freshman the distinction of the first wrestling championship for an Indian Prairie athlete.

"I hope to have three more," Sims said.

David Rojas' late takedown was the difference in his 5-4 win at 220 pounds for the Mustangs.

Luke Badger and Jackson Schoen were the Lake Park titlists at 106 and 145 pounds.

"I was just working on things I'm good at," Schoen said. "Wrestling hard on top and not giving (my opponents) an inch."

Jake Keating dominated the 120-pound class to give Naperville Central its lone champion.

Marcello Macellaio and Stevie Schmult did likewise for WW South and Naperville North at 152 and 170 pounds, respectively.