Villaneuva shines for D-C at Dvorak

MACHESNEY PARK -Dundee-Crown's Miko Villanueva is undeniably a wrestler.

The Chargers junior had this to say after placing fifth at 103 pounds at the toughest regular-season tournament in Illinois, the 21st annual Dvorak:

"I learned that I have to stay later in the practice room," Villanueva said. "I've got to work before practice, after practice, and just keep working hard."

Villanueva dominated Jake Goodwin of Bishop Lynch (Texas) on the fifth-place mat, winning by technical fall at the 4:52 mark.

"He works really, really hard, and that was a tough weight class," Chargers coach Al Zinke said of Villanueva. "His only losses here were to the youngster that took third, and the youngster that's going to win the tournament."

Villanueva (21-3) lost his semifinal match to the tournament's eventual champion, Ed Klimara of Providence Catholic, who is currently the top-ranked 103-pounder in Illinois.

Jermaine Lee (18-6) also placed eighth for D-C at 125 pounds at Machesney Park Harlem High School.

Libertyville placed 13th in the formidable tournament, finishing in a tie with Mahomet-Seymour. Montini won this year's Dvorak, with Lockport placing second.

The Wildcats' Matt Bystol (14-3) went 3-1 and reached the title mat at 112 pounds, where he lost a 6-2 decision to Providence Catholic's Ed Cooper, Illinois' top-ranked wrestler at 112.

Bystol is currently ranked sixth, and the two squared off for the third time since last year. They faced each other in last year's Dvorak tournament, and then again downstate in Champaign.

"This is a great tournament, and I'm happy with second place here," Bystol said. "(Cooper) has a real height advantage, so when he shoots it's just really hard to keep him from getting in."

"Throw in some quickness and some strength on top of it, and Cooper is a complete wrestler," said Libertyville coach Dale Eggert. "But Matt's a good, solid wrestler, too."

Bystol posted a technical fall in his first match of the tournament, knocked off eventual seventh-place finisher Adrian Laskero of Wheaton North, and gutted out an 8-7 decision in his semifinal match against Hononegah's Austin Waliullah.

Pat Callen (17-7) also placed eighth at 140 pounds for Libertyville, in his first appearance at the Dvorak.

"Pat did a great job. He had three pins the first day, and he knocked of the Hoffman Estates guy (Rocco Silvestri)," Eggert said. "You can't ask for anything more from that guy. He's a first-year varsity wrestler."