State tournament scouting, Lake County

Wrestling

What: 79th annual IHSA individual state meet

Where: State Farm Center, Champaign

When: Thursday-Saturday; Class 2A preliminaries 5 p.m. Thursday; Class 3A preliminaries 11 a.m. Friday; Class 2A quarterfinals, 1:30 p.m. Friday; Class 3A quarterfinals, 7 p.m. Class 1A, 2A, and 3A semifinals; Saturday 9 a.m. quarterfinal wrestlebacks, 11 a.m. semifinal wrestlebacks, 1 p.m. third and fifth-place matches (1A/2A/3A) 5:30 p.m. Grand March followed by championship matches in all three weight classes starting at 285 pounds.

CLASS 2A

Area qualifiers:

106 — Carmel freshman Riley Palm (30-3)

113 — Antioch senior Jake Gross (39-10, two-time qualifier)

120 — Carmel senior Mike Tortorice (35-3, third in 2015, two-time qualifier), Grayslake Central sophomore Austin Connelly (34-16)

126 — Antioch senior Nathan Dlugopolski (28-10, sixth in 2015, two-time qualifier), Wauconda junior Jose Munoz (32-9, two-time qualifier), Lakes junior Ishmael Velasquez (29-13)

132 — Camel senior Kenny Barber (9-3, three-time qualifier)

138 — Grayslake Central freshman Alex Cramer (33-9), Carmel junior Bobby Pryhocki (23-8)

145 — Vernon Hills senior Jeff Echeverria (35-13), Grayslake Central senior Larry Augustine (36-8)

152 — Antioch junior Patrick Schoenfelder (44-2, fourth in 2015, three-time qualifier)

160 — Carmel senior Nathaniel Morris (37-1, two-time qualifier)

170 — Lakes senior Jared Smith (24-9, fifth in 2015, two-time qualifier)

182 — Wauconda junior Tyler Stankiewicz (29-11)

195 — Antioch junior George Bessette (30-5, fourth in 2014, three-time qualifier)

285 — St. Viator senior James Valentino (19-4, two-time qualifier)

Outlook: With a school-record five individuals qualifying for the state meet this year, Carmel Catholic leads the Lake County area contingent into the grueling three-day tournament. The Corsairs had two of their five wrestlers crowned champions at the rugged Antioch sectional in Tortorice and Palm. No. 1-ranked Tortorice has a golden opportunity to become the first state champion ever for Carmel, while Morris was undefeated before dropping a heartbreaking 3-2 decision in his title match at sectionals. ... Antioch is another area group to keep a close eye on, as the Sequoits have No. 2-ranked Schoenfelder ready to make a push for first place. No. 4-ranked Bessette, Dlugopolski and Schoenfelder all brought home medals from the state meet in the past two years. Antioch's team still has a lot to look forward to potentially as the regional champion Sequoits will battle host Fenton in the team sectional on Feb. 23 with a berth to the Elite Eight meet in Bloomington (Feb. 27th) on the line. “We're just going to get ready to go (to state),” said Antioch coach Wilbur Borrero, whose team has won five regionals in seven years. “When you've been down there before it's always good because it's not going to be a shocker to you, but you just have to take one match at a time.” ... This will be the final state meet for veteran Wauconda coach Tom Nance, who will retire following his 32nd season at the Bulldogs' helm.

CLASS 3A

Area qualifiers:

106 — Libertyville junior Alex Mitchell (34-3), Round Lake senior Juan Arteaga (37-10)

113 — Grayslake North junior Joe Arroyo (30-7, two-time qualifier)

120 — Mundelein senior Alec Riportella (30-7)

126 — Grant senior Christian Kanzler (36-2, three-time qualifier)

138 — Warren junior Grant Zamin (36-10)

145 — Grayslake North senior Jake Wright (37-7, two-time qualifier), Grant senior Cole Berg (36-5)

152 — Stevenson junior Dylan Geick (39-4);

160 — Grant senior Justin Gilich (31-8), Stevenson junior Robert Pavlovics (33-13)

170 — Stevenson junior Nikita Nepomnyashchiy (36-6), Grant junior Jacob Melton (18-10)

182 — Stevenson senior Michael Kordek (38-4)

195 — Dundee-Crown senior Christian Brunner (44-0)

220 — Lake Zurich junior Josh Dyer (28-7)

285 — Warren senior Sergio Sosa (30-9)

Outlook: Stevenson and Grant lead the Lake County crew into the legendary meet with four individuals apiece competing at the arena formerly know as the Assembly Hall. Making his third appearance at the state meet, Kanzler is an individual to watch as he hopes to take his place among some of the best wrestlers in the history of Grant's historic program. Kanzler was a champion at the powerful Barrington sectional last weekend as were Kordek, Mitchell and Wright. Wright and teammate Arroyo have made a successful jump from Class 2A last season to Class 3A this season, as last season both wrestlers qualified for state as well. As fate would have it, Arroyo and the Knights will be moving back to Class 2A for the 2016-17 campaign based on school enrollment rules. ... Besides the sectional champs, Geick could also be a dangerous wrestler downstate despite dropping some tough matches in the North Suburban Conference meet and sectional. ... Gilich was a runner-up after a tough 4-2 overtime loss in the sectional finals.