Neuqua dominant in winning 6th straight UEC title
The iron grip that Neuqua Valley's wrestling team has on the Upstate Eight Conference tournament title reached its sixth consecutive year Saturday.
The Wildcats had seven champions and three runners-up after marching 10 wrestlers to the title mat at South Elgin and outpointing second-place St. Charles East 293-177.5.
All 14 of coach Mick Ruettiger's wrestlers placed in the top six.
"We had a very solid day," Ruettiger said. "We want to dominate the conference, and we had a great tournament today."
Winning titles for Neuqua were: Adam Stine (135 pounds), Andy Spangler (140), Alex Cizek (145), Nick Proctor (160), Dan Burk (171), Alex Zozulia (189) and Mike Zozulia (215). Jackson Robinson (103) and Matt Cavallaris (112) each placed second.
Mike Zozulia used a takedown with three seconds left in his title match against St. Charles North's Kasey Ro to win a 3-2 decision for the title.
"We did what we were expected to do. Coach told us not to take anyone lightly, and we wanted to come in here and dominate," Zozulia said. "We accomplished what we set out to do."
The battle for second place was a humdinger. Waubonsie Valley finished a mere half-point behind the Saints, and fourth-place Lake Park finished 2 points behind Waubonsie.
The Saints' Brandon Rubino (112), Nick Ruffino (125), and Daniel Mercadante (152) won titles, with seconds coming from Alex Maynard (119), Cody Crawford (130) and Mike Caddy (171), a sophomore who filled in for Smerz's usual starter and made it count.
The freshman Ruffino won a 4-3 decision for his title over a tough wrestler in Lake Park's Robert Babej, and Rubino topped Neuqua's Matt Cavallaris by 4-1 decision on the title mat.
"I knew (Babej) was strong, and I was a little nervous going in," Ruffino said. "After I got a takedown, I was pretty confident."
"Ruffino was a third seed coming in, but I knew he had a chance to get there," said Saints coach Steve Smerz. "All our guys are starting to wrestle better now."
Jason Lockowitz (152) and Mike Lyons (160) placed second for Waubonsie, which also got thirds from David Scarano (125), Preston Larouch (152), and Preston Lachowicz (189).
"It's been a little bit of everything - all in one day, and all in one season," said Waubonsie coach Brad Caldwell. "But we're better now than we were in the beginning of the season."
Lyons also won the Upstate Eight's annual Ed Washington award for sportsmanship.
"He's just an all-around great kid," Caldwell said. "He's involved in activities to better things for people less fortunate, and he cares a lot about other people."
Mike DeSario (119) was one of two champions for Lake Park, and the senior capped his third consecutive UEC title by also winning the Jeff Mirabella Award, given annually to the tournament's outstanding wrestler.
"It's my first (outstanding wrestler award)," DeSario said. "I'm just trying to stay sharp and keep improving in every area."
DeSario improved to 25-0 on the year with his title decision win over Maynard.
"I'm thrilled for Mikey," said Lancers coach Todd Raymond. "He just goes about his business and he wins."
Lake Park's Joe Rovituso (103) was dominant in winning his title, and the Lancers also got a pair of seconds from Robert Babej (125) and Chris Kowalski (135).
Larkin got a title win from Tony Feliciano at 130 pounds in finishing in a tie for fifth with South Elgin. Top-seeded Feliciano improved to 34-3 with a major decision on the title mat over a rock-solid wrestler in St. Charles East's Cody Crawford.
The senior placed fifth at last year's UEC tournament, but he has put in his time doing off-season wrestling, and Feliciano pointed at Larkin coach Mike Mulhearn when asked where his improvement has come.
"(Mulhearn) has pushed me a lot," Feliciano said. "And I don't want to lose."
"He's a year older and a little bit better at everything," Mulhearn said of Feliciano. "He has worked harder and gotten stronger."
Larkin also got thirds from Tim Einhorn (135) and Cameron Tanner (140), and Cam Martin (215).
St. Charles North had two wrestlers reach the title mat and place second in C.J. Miller (145) and Kasey Ro (215), with teammate Tim Noverini (125) placing fourth.
Miller pinned Waubonsie Valley's Andy Greer in a semifinal before losing by 4-0 decision to Neuqua Valley's Alex Cizek for the title. Ro started his day with a major decision and then won a 3-1 semifinal decision in overtime to reach the title mat.
South Elgin's Mike Schoening (189) won a second-place medal, while teammates Nick Potts (140), Tyler Toczeck (145) and Dan Hoelting (152) all placed fourth.
Streamwood's Chad McMahon was fourth at 189, while Elgin got a third from Erik McGinn (171) and a fourth from Nathan Andresen (103). Bartlett had a pair of wrestlers place third in Camilo Garzon (145) and Eric Moreno (160).