Bartlett wrestling strong heading into UEC meet
Even though the official Upstate Eight Conference divisional wrestling champions have already been decided, there will still be bragging rights on the line this weekend at Bartlett.
That’s when all UEC schools will converge for an unofficial conference tournament. The top three teams will earn trophies. Neuqua Valley already won the UEC Valley Division crown (based on dual meets) and Batavia is the 2011-2012 UEC River champ.
Action at Bartlett starts Friday at 5 p.m. The championship quarterfinals are slated for 6:30 p.m. The championship semifinals kick off Saturday at 10 a.m. and the medal round is slated for 3:45 p.m.
Host Bartlett is 16-4 overall and went 8-1 against UEC foes (5-1 in Valley action). The Hawks also have three Top 6 tournament finishes (including a win at Buffalo Grove).
Bartlett’s roster features 4 wrestlers with 20 or more wins. Junior 132-pounder Sal Annoreno is 26-3, while sophomore Anthony Ziparro (113) is 24-6, and senior Jake Joiner (152) is 24-7. Senior Anthony Radun (106) is 21-8. Other top wrestlers include senior Tom Gbean (18-7 at 182), sophomore Ryan Hennessey (17-7 at 120), senior Lee Flores (16-10 at 138) and senior Nick Mokodanski (15-7 at 160). Junior Andrew Guerrero has 12 wins at 220.
“Right now my team is showing a lot of fight in every match,” said Bartlett coach Karl Bratland earlier this week. “We wrestle hard whistle to whistle for as long as it takes, regardless of the score. We need to correct some minor things, work on strategy and wrestling smart, and then just fine-tune our skills. We’ll be ready for the weekend.”
Elgin has 9 dual wins and went 2-5 in division action this season.
Sophomore Jeffrey Morrow has a 23-2 mark at 106 pounds, while senior Wardell Rosemon is 22-3 at 170 pounds. Senior Jorge Zavalla is 20-5 at 195 pounds. Other key contributors for the Maroons include junior Richie Santana (14-5 at 182), freshman Daniel Easter (14-8 at 113) and junior Charlie Wiltgen (10-2 at 126).
Morrow has won tournament titles at Hoffman Estates and Kaneland. Rosemon won a title at Kaneland and took third at Hoffman Estates. Zavalla and Isaac Narayan both have a Top 5 tournament finish to their credit.
“The team continues to work hard and keeps fighting all the way through a match,” said Elgin coach Terry Stroh. “Being a rather young team, they are quickly learning what it takes to be a varsity wrestler.”
South Elgin has 7 dual wins this season (3-4 in UEC division action) and a pair of Top 5 finishes in tournaments (fourth at Independence, Iowa and third at Leyden).
Senior Cody Pych (170) is 24-3 at 170 and is unbeaten in UEC action. Junior Cory Pych is 20-6 at 113 and also is unbeaten in the conference. Senior DJ Greene is 15-8 at 220. Seniors Marco Aguirre (132) and Nick Citta (138) both have 13 wins.
Storm coach Mark Cameron lauded Cory Pych for his balanced offense and Aguirre for his athleticism. The coach calls the injury-free Citta “a very dangerous wrestler,” and feels Greene will give foes a run for their money this weekend Cameron feels Adrian Garduno (126) could also be a threat due to his ability to pin his opponents.
“My guys are very focused and have been able to concentrate on their weaknesses the past few weeks and get extra work in those areas in order to become better all-around wrestlers,” said Cameron.
Larkin continues to show improvement as the season wears on. Two-time sectional qualifier Brett Barry (152) is 25-5 this year (tournament titles at Kaneland and Wheaton-Warrenville South). David Perez (170) is 24-6 (second at Kaneland and third at Wheaton-Warrenville South), while Deontae Joshua (285) is 17-4 (third at Kaneland and fifth at Wheaton-Warrenville South). Captain Josh Brooks is 12-7 and Juan Davis (220) is 9-7.
“One of the things I am excited about our team is our continued improvement,” said Larkin coach Andre Allen. “We continue to improve as a team indicative by our performance at the Kaneland tournament (fourth place).”
Streamwood went 2-6 against conference foes this season. The Sabres are led by the likes of Alex Curtis, Mike Alvarado, John Brewer and Kevin Moncada.
“They have been wrestling well all year and are just getting into peak shape,” said Streamwood coach Bill Peach. “My guys are turning the corner and wrestling tough.”
A highlight of the tournament will be the announcement of the Ed Washington sportsmanship award winner.