South Elgin's progress nothing short of amazing
Five years ago, South Elgin hosted a wrestling regional and finished tied for second-to-last place in the 9-team field.
A year earlier, the Storm was dead-last at the Elgin regional and in 2005, it was eighth in a 9-team regional field with even fewer points. The 2004-2005 season was the team's first varsity campaign.
These days, South Elgin is no longer a postseason afterthought. The Storm is fresh off winning the program's first regional championship (on its home mats, no less) and has its sights set on qualifying multiple wrestlers to next weekend's Class 3A state finals in Champaign and then setting its compass toward competing in the Class 3A West Aurora dual-team sectional.
Under the direction of coach Mark Cameron, the only varsity wrestling coach in the school's seven-year existence, South Elgin is the only U-46 school to ever win a wrestling regional title and is the first U-46 wrestling program to win any sort of postseason team hardware since Elgin won a district championship in 1961.
“My freshman year we had one guy go to the sectional,” notes South Elgin senior 138-pounder Nick Citta. “This year we have eight guys going to sectionals and we won a regional title. I think we've come a long way, especially because we don't come from a huge wrestling district that has a huge kids club. What we've done is pretty awesome.”
Citta is indeed one of eight South Elgin wrestlers who will compete in today's Class 3A Glenbard North sectional in Carol Stream for a chance to advance to the state finals as individuals. South Elgin will then compete against Glenbard North at West Aurora on Feb. 21 in one semifinal of the dual team sectional.
In addition to Citta, other Storm wrestlers competing at Glenbard North today include regional champions Cody Pych (170, Sr., 32-2), Cory Pych (113, Jr., 27-7) and Marco Aguirre (132, Sr., 20-12), along with regional runners-up Adrian Garduno (126, Sr., 15-12), Will Brock (145, Sr., 10-17) and DJ Greene (220, Sr., 19-10) and third-place regional finisher Nick Kowalski (285, Jr., 13-14). Citta also took third at the regional.
“The kids put in a lot of work in the off-season,” Cameron says. “Guys were wrestling 30, 40, 50 matches last spring to get ready. This is the hardest working team I have ever had here. Every year we've gradually worked a little harder and harder. We've been able to build on what the previous teams have done. We went from where we were five years ago to being able to take first at the regional. It's been a big turnaround.”
Cameron started the year with 90 wrestlers — a number not seen very often in U-46 wrestling circles — and finished in the 65-70 neighborhood.
“I have a pretty good relationship with our football program,” Cameron says. “The head freshman football coach is one of our wrestling coaches. I also sit at lunch with the kids and talk to them. I'm in the weight room in the fall and spring trying to get to know the kids. I'll talk about wrestling and see if they have any interest. I get to know them as kids and not just wrestlers. They see our interest in them as people and just someone coming out for a sport. I have a genuine concern for what these kids do. And the kids have seen the general success of the program and want to be part of that.”
Cody Pych says the coaching staff has played a significant role in the team's success this season.
“We get a lot of help from our coaches,” he states. “They are available year-round. They have really committed to the team. Mr. Cameron and J.D. Oliva (assistant coach who wrestled at Streamwood and Northern Illinois) are always there for us. They help get everybody involved.”
Cody Pych will be looking for his second trip in a row to the state finals. He was 38-5 last year.
“I've improved my fundamentals and have become a more solid all-around wrestler,” he notes. “I have a better base and a better basic knowledge of how to move and feel.”
When Cameron, a former Maine South wrestler and coach, speaks about the team's work ethic, Cody Pych is directly in that conversation.
“Cody is constantly working,” says Cameron, who also lauded assistant coaches Matt Oliva (Streamwood and SIU-Edwardsville), Joe Sieczkowski (head freshman football coach) and Jim Gloudaman (member of Triton College national wrestling championship team).
“I don't think he's stopped wrestling since we got our hands on him as a sophomore. He continuously works at it. Even mentally in the room … I remember his partner was not working up to speed and Cody got rid of him and got another guy. That's a nice attitude for the younger guys can see. They get to see that constant work ethic.”
Citta has been wrestling with the Pych brothers since the fifth grade and is particularly familiar with Cody Pych.
“I was his practice partner my freshman and sophomore year,” Citta says. “He really pushes the pace and works very hard.”
In addition to having a veteran standout such as Cody Pych in the lineup, Cameron also benefits from a team that can rack up the pinfall wins in a hurry.
“Last year we had to pin people in order to win matches,” Cameron says. “This year, we're good enough to pin people if we need to, but if not, we're still capable of winning.”
On an individual basis, Cameron has seen particular improvement of late from Citta, Greene and Aguirre.
“Nick doesn't have the best record because he's faced some really good kids,” he says. “But he's wrestling the best he has all year. Greene only is in his second year of wrestling. He has some incredible athletic ability. He's come a long way in a year. Marco is in a tough weight class at 132. In our conference, 132 is brutal. He's a kid that might be able to sneak out (and qualify for the state tournament) with the way he's been playing lately.”
The Storm has turned things up as a team at the opportune time. In the last three weeks, South Elgin took third at the Leyden tournament, took second at the Upstate Eight Conference, and won the regional.
“Usually we've done pretty well in dual meets and not so good in tournaments,” Cameron states. “This year we haven't done the best in duals, but have turned it on in tournaments.”
And the Storm is hopeful it can continue to turn things up for a few more weeks.
“A lot of guys have stepped up this year and made a lot of improvements,” said Cory Pych. “That's why we have a better team. This team is motivated. This team wants to win really bad.”
Cody Pych adds: “It's nice to see all of the hard work pay off. It's a nice enjoyment. But the real goal here is to get guys to the state tournament.”