New qualifiers eager for first taste of Champaign
Making history should never come easy, and Driscoll wrestler Chris Heading had to ride out Coal City's Lance Evans in a fourth overtime last Saturday to capture his bit of history.
With the win at 103 pounds, the junior became his program's first Class A sectional champion and will be joined by teammates Jake Randich (171 pounds) and Tom Randich (189) as the Highlanders' first state qualifiers competing at this weekend's individual state finals in Champaign.
"It's just awesome to see that all the hard work you put into the season finally pays off," Heading said. "And it's nice to have a few of your teammates go with you."
The Driscoll trio will join two other first-time Class A state qualifiers from DuPage County, Lisle's Jake Kretman (140) and David Pawlowicz (145), along with 22 Class AA area wrestlers making their first appearances under the bright lights of Assembly Hall today.
When they arrive at Assembly Hall -- some with butterflies the size of pterodactyls churning in their stomachs -- all 27 of the area's first-time qualifiers in both classes could do worse than take the advice of Montini's Garrett Goebel.
The four-time state qualifying senior and defending Class AA heavyweight champion remembers how intimidating the atmosphere inside Assembly Hall seemed to him as a freshman.
"I'd tell them to come out of the tunnel and walk out onto the floor a few times beforehand and get used to the crowd," Goebel said. "because there are a lot of people there."
A total of 50 local wrestlers -- 42 in Class AA and eight in Class A -- will start chasing their dreams in Champaign this morning, driven by the ultimate hope of being alive when the state title matches begin Saturday night.
Glenbard North's Vince Ramos (145) and Neuqua Valley's Jimmy Duffy (152) and Chris Spangler (171) join Goebel this year as four-time state qualifiers. Spangler won a state title two years ago, while returning state-placers Ramos and Duffy are chasing a state title for their final times.
DuPage will also send six three-time state qualifiers and assorted returning place-winners to Champaign. Returning state champion Tony Ramos (125) of Glenbard North, plus teammates Jimmy Chase (130), Geno Capezio (135), and Danny Monaco (140) will be there for a third time, along with Neuqua Valley's Matt Walters (135) and Glenbard East's Pat Walker (215).
The area will also send 14 Class AA wrestlers downstate for their second time, and three in Class A in Lisle's Brian Reese (112), Adam Gleason (125) and Josh Andrzejewski (130).
Lions coach John Davis echoed what many coaches likely preach to their second-time state qualifiers.
"I told them not to just be happy to be there this time around," Davis said. "Go out and win some matches."
"I'm definitely more ready this year than I was last year," Reese said. "You can't worry about who you have. Just go out there and wrestle."
The largest number of individual champions from DuPage in the last 10 years was posted in the 2000-01 season, when five Class AA wrestlers and five Class A wrestlers from DuPage brought home state titles.
The area produced four Class AA champions last year and sends four top-ranked wrestlers in Class AA to Assembly Hall this year in Goebel, the Ramos brothers and Downers Grove South's Ben Apland (215). The Class AA field also boasts six area wrestlers ranked second, three ranked third and 18 total wrestlers ranked in the top five of their weight classes per Illinois Matmen. Add eight Class A area wrestlers ranked in the top 10 of their divisions, and DuPage once again has the horses capable of pulling off another strong showing in Champaign.
"Kids from this area start wrestling young, they wrestle for good kids' clubs, and then when they get to high school a lot of them get quality training from some of the elite clubs in the area," said Neuqua Valley coach Mick Ruettiger.
"I think that's a big reason why you see so many of them do well downstate."