Saints win at Glenbard W. for 3rd straight year
St. Charles East's wrestling team completed a three-peat on Saturday, winning Glenbard West's eight-team Chris Chappell Wrestling Invitational for the third year running.
"It's after the (holiday) break, and it seems like now they're focused," said Saints coach Steve Smerz. "They're wrestling well and being aggressive."
St. Charles East posted 226.5 team points to second-place Reavis's 196, with Glenbard South finishing third by a mere half-point.
Six Saints reached the title mat in Glen Ellyn, with individual titles coming from Alex Maynard (119 pounds), Cody Crawford (130), Daniel Mercadante (152) and Nick Simeca (160).
Maynard and Mercadante won their second titles at Glenbard West, and Crawford pinned his way through three matches in winning his title. The four-year varsity starter is now three pins away from the Saints' all-time career mark in pins.
"Take them down, try to turn them right away, and get the match over with," Crawford said of his approach. "Focus on a few moves that you're good at, and use them all the time."
The Saints also got second-place medals from Brandon Rubino (112) and Blake Griffiths (285) on the day.
Glenbard South got a pair of titles from Mike Peters (135) and Austin Teitsma (285), and seconds from Andrew Hillner (130) and Channing Seager (140).
Peters posted two pins and a major decision in winning his title.
"This is the first weekend we had a weight allowance, so it was easier to make (135)," Peters said. "I feel a lot stronger and quicker at 135 than at 140."
Fourth-place Addison Trail got a pair of dominant title-match performances from Kerin Ramirez (140) and Arber Bebo (189). Ramirez used two pins to set up a technical fall for the title, and Bebo posted a tech fall, a pin and then a major decision in his title match.
"I was good on my feet today, and I worked hard in every match," Ramirez said. "And I'm getting much better on bottom."
The Blazers got seconds from Luis DelaCruz (103) and James Sokolnik (125). The host Hilltoppers also had two champions on the day in Mike Letmanski (125) and Sam Littlehale (112).
D.J. Terdy (145) and Dave Weaver (171) also earned second-place medals for the Hilltoppers.
Littlehale used a third-period reversal and three back points to beat a state-ranked wrestler in the Saints' Brandon Rubino for the title.
Littlehale trailed 6-4 in the third when he reversed Rubino.
"I didn't try as hard to get out as I tried to get those points for the reversal," said Littlehale, who was voted the tournament's outstanding wrestler.
"I think I've only won one tournament in my three years on varsity," Littlehale said. "So to win one and get the outstanding wrestler award feels great."