West Aurora's Venecia surprises Arlis

Posted February 12, 2010 10:00 pm

By Kevin McGavin

The Class 3A Glenbard North individual wrestling sectional has brilliance and depth throughout its 14 weight classes.

In other words, there are not guarantees regarding advancement.

West Aurora junior Miguel Venecia proved that with a monumental 8-3 upset over previously undefeated Batavia 119-pounder Logan Arlis in first-night action in Carol Stream Friday.

With three takedowns and a reversal, Venecia advanced to the semifinals with the stunning 8-3 decision.

Arlis was coming off back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons; his only other loss the last two years was to Edwin Cooper of Providence in the 112-pound state-championship match last year.

"It was just a good match," West Aurora coach Mike Dinovo said. "Miguel made a few adjustments since the last time he wrestled (Arlis at the teams' January dual meet). There were a lot of matches between state-ranked wrestlers. That's pretty tough. One of them has to lose."

In addition to Venecia, Nicholas Drendel (112 pounds), OJ Quintanilla (125) and Sam Pealstrom (135) all advanced to the semifinals for West Aurora.

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.