Glenbard North wins 13th straight DVC title
Even a person who follows DuPage Valley Conference wrestling regularly and knows of Glenbard North’s dominance would find it hard not to be in awe of the numbers the Panthers have racked up in league competition over the years.
Those numbers increased Saturday at Wheaton Warrenville South in this year’s edition of the league meet.
The Panthers scored 290.50 points, a 110.50-point margin of victory over second-place Naperville North, for their 13th straight DVC title and 23rd overall. Glenbard North has won 15 of the last 16 league championships.
“Every time you win the DVC, it’s a big deal,” Glenbard North coach Mark Hahn said. “The guys came here and wrestled really well.”
Six Panthers earned conference titles and four finished second.
Senior Joey Gosinski wrapped up a glorious conference career with his fourth DVC title. He is only the fifth wrestler in conference history to win four championships.
“It’s a great honor. This is awesome,” Gosinski (35-2) said after being awarded his medal and and a poster-size copy of his weight class bracket. While the Panthers’ roster is loaded with individual talent, talk of team accomplishments and goals is never far from the surface.
“After practice, after a meet, guys will talk about wanting to win this meet or dominate that. The guys in this program have set a high standard of accomplishment and we’re doing pretty well so far,” Gosinski said.
Glenbard North’s talent is represented by a veteran like Gosinski and also by a freshman such as Joe Marmolejo, who got the finals started at 103 pounds with a 17-6 major decision over West Chicago’s Tyler Svestka. Marmolejo’s record stands now at 35-3.
“Since the Dvorak (tournament), I’ve improved a lot and picked up the pace,” Marmolejo said. “I’ve won a lot of big tournaments, but this is awesome.”
The rest of Glenbard North’s champs were Johnny Gosinski (112 pounds), Bryan Gonzalez (119), Brian Murphy (140) and Mario Rodriguez (145).
Following the Panthers and Huskies in the standings were West Aurora (176.50), Wheaton North (160), Naperville Central (159.50), Wheaton South (155), Glenbard East (85) and West Chicago (70).
WW South celebrated winning four individual titles in its own gym, starting off with senior Sparty Chino, who moved to 29-1 at 152 with a win over West Aurora’s Alex Contini by technical fall in 2:40.
Chino, who has finished fifth in state the last two seasons at 135 and 140, is striving to make the most of his final high school season.
“What do I have to hold back for? This year I’m not putting anyone above me. Before, if I knew I would be wrestling a big name, I would be a little nervous,” he said.
Chino, who won one of the two Gene Drendel Memorial meet MVP awards, said working out with 171- and 189-pound teammates at practice has been a big help.
Also winning titles for the Tigers were Steve Franke (160), Evan Welsh (171) and Joe Hall (215).
Winning the other Drendel award was West Aurora senior Nicholas Drendel, who bumped his record to 32-0 at 125 with a win by fall in 4:48 over Glenbard North’s Wade Hazard.
“I feel I’ve really started to peak on my season. I feel tough,” Drendel said.
Teammate Austin Beebe won the 285-pound championship.
Naperville Central and Wheaton North rounded out the list of champs with each earning one title.
Naperville Central senior Josh Tardy improved to 29-6 with a tough, exciting 6-5 victory over Naperville North’s Frank McKeown. Tardy said he had to respond move for move with McKeown if he wanted a chance at winning.
“If he got a takedown, I got a takedown. I needed to step into the match and that’s what I did,” Tardy said.
Wheaton North junior Mike Swider (33-2) prevailed at 189 with a 5-1 decision over Dan Eldridge of Glenbard North.
“I watched film on him. I had wrestled him before this season and won 2-1,” he said. “I knew I had to go all the way to the end with him.”
Much of the DVC gathers next weekend at the Glenbard North regional. Glenbard East, West Chicago, Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South join the host Panthers.
Naperville Central is hosting a regional with Naperville North and West Aurora among the mix.