Grant makes good first impression in Buffalo Grove invite

With a slim lead over Lake Zurich, Palatine and Schaumburg entering the semifinals, the Grant wrestling team was looking for answers Saturday in its first appearance in the Rex Lewis Invitational at Buffalo Grove.

But with a fantastic round of wrestlebacks and semifinal matches, Grant built a 44.5 lead over Lake Zurich entering the final round and rolled to the championship of the 15-team tournament, totaling 205.5 points to runner-up Lake Zurich's 162.

Palatine took third place with 152.5 points followed by Schaumburg (142) in fourth and the host Bison (113) in seventh.

Getting the job done for Grant were champions Ethan Geist (170) and Eddy Tregenza (160) and runner-up Justin Brown, who dropped a 6-4 decision to Lake Zurich's Joey Mrazek in the 182-pound final.

"We pinned a lot in the wrestlebacks, we had four guys in the finals, and the pins by Brown and Geist in the semifinals were huge," said Grant coach Lenny Grodoski, whose team should move back up in the state rankings. "We don't see any of these teams here typically so that helps the young guys get good experience in a tournament like this."

Besides the state-ranked Mrazek, Lake Zurich got a strong performance from senior Logan Neurauter (11-1), who rolled to the 120-pound championship with a pin in 3:46. Bears junior Ronit Kapoor won the third-place medal at 106.

"We were still forfeiting three weight classes today so it was good that we were able to finish in the top three in this tournament," said Lake Zurich coach Jake Jobst, whose team also got a second from George Gonzalez at 138. "I think that 182 was one of the hardest weight classes here."

Schaumburg got a boost at the start of the finals, when freshman Caden Kirchner (13-1) posted a 12-3 major decision over Palatine's Enrique Vital for the 106-pound crown.

"I feel like I've improved a lot, and I've been doing a lot better in wrestling," Kirchner said. "My main goal is to make state, and once I'm there my goal will be to place."

Schaumburg had a productive tourney with four wrestlers reaching the finals. The Saxons got seconds from Nate Aranda at 126, Hiroshi Avila at 120 and Grant Hansen at 152.

"I'm really pleased with my freshman wrestling well at 106," Schaumburg coach Mike LeVanti said. "Grant (Hansen) beat a really tough kid from Zion-Benton in the semifinals so that was a big win for him."

Palatine's troops were led by Vital and junior Eddie Portilla (113), who also placed second.

"Everybody pitches in, and this is one of the best teams we've had in awhile," Palatine coach Chris Winter said. " 'Every point counts' is our motto, and the guys have really bought into it."

No. 2-ranked Gio Jackson of Buffalo Grove improved to 15-0 by recording a pin in 1:54 for the 220-pound title. Jackson is a transfer from St. Viator.

"He is doing great," Buffalo Grove coach Kurt Kutska said. "The kids really enjoy him, and he works really hard,"

The Bison also got a title from Alejandro Mejia (152) and a second from Brandon Flores (285). Mejia is a transfer from Palatine.

"He's doing what he needs to be successful," Kutska said.

Elk Grove's Tuvshin Zuunbayan also remained undefeated, improving to 12-0 by winning the 126-pound title. He was a fresh/soph champ last season.

"We have high hopes for him this year," Elk Grove coach Dan Vargas said. "We brought seven and we had five in the semifinals, so I'll take that."

Larkin junior Alex Young took an 11-0 record into the 145-pound final but settled for second place, losing to Zion-Benton senior standout Jaylen Beals. Young wrestled on varsity as a sophomore last winter and is a captain this season.

"He's really just matured, and he's patient," said Larkin coach Earl Danan, whose team also got a second from D.J. Akins at 182. "It's definitely big a big transition for him to get to the next level on varsity this season."

Carmel Catholic got a second from Aushwin Lee at 160 and a fourth from Vince Swindell at 152. Schaumburg's Tyler Bobnick placed third at 170. Grant also got a second from Justin Warmowski at 132, and Lake Zurich's Ethan Medina placed fourth at 195.

Carmel brought six wrestlers to the tournament, and five were still alive going into the semifinals. Runner-up Lee is a former soccer player.

"He's come a long way in a short time," Carmel coach Bob Kuykendall said.