Girls wrestling: Wheaton North’s Paz completes whirlwind senior year with regional title
Izzy Paz got pinned twice a year ago during regionals in her first season wrestling at Wheaton North.
On Saturday, she became a regional champion, pinning her first two challengers before earning a 12-1 major decision against Schaumburg’s Mia Phelps.
Within the year she’ll be competing at college. What a whirlwind it’s been for the 100-pound senior.
“I never would’ve imagined I would’ve chosen this sport,” Paz said. “Now that I have this it’s definitely something that gives me motivation to work hard every day. I’m looking to wrestle in college and am in the recruiting process. I have another visit to go and hope to make a decision soon. I mean, I just started wrestling last season but then I went to Fargo and after that I knew I needed to keep with it. I’m not ready to be done yet.”
Paz said she felt some pressure when she began on Friday night, but it didn’t show in the results as she pinned Proviso East’s Paola Lopez in 1:07.
“I had a little pressure yesterday, but then I thought about it and it’s not going to make me wrestle any better if I put that pressure on me,” Paz said. “I just had to trust that the work had been done and to go out and perform, focus on my performance and not anybody’s else’s.”
Paz’s teammate, Iana Victory, took second place at 235 for the Falcons to also qualify onto the sectional at Schaumburg in a couple weeks.
Glenbard West freshman Khloe Perez (110) and senior Miyalinna DeJesus (155) both won championship matches by pins to lead the Hilltoppers.
Perez is the younger sister of Alycia Perez, who went 35-0 last year to win the 100-pound state title, the first in school history.
“My family is all wrestlers, very athletic people,” Perez said. “When we do something we put our best foot forward and push ourselves. I’d definitely say my sister has helped push me. She wasn’t wrestling for very long but won state last year.”
DeJesus was motivated by past shortcomings, taking down West Chicago sophomore Annette Huesca in 3:47.
“Last year I lost in the blood round so it ended my season then,” DeJesus said. “As I wrestle now, I keep on reflecting on it. So it’s a happy feeling. It just motivates me, one more match, focus on my next step, not 10 steps ahead and to do better than I did the last time. My end goal is making it farther than previous years and to keep building it up by steps.”
Sophomore Karolina Konopoka (120) and seniors Valentina Fantoni (125) and Nydia Jotzat (135) rebounded from losses to fight back and finish with wins in their respective third-place matches for the Hilltoppers. Senior Jivona Brown (105) took fourth. All of them are advancing to the sectional. The top sixth placers in each weight category earned a sectional berth.
St. Charles East freshman Olivia Pearson got pinned early in the 135-pound final against Schaumburg sophomore Sharon Olorunfemi in a clash of underclassmen.
Senior Madyson Meyer (115) and junior Nadia Razzak (190) had pins to join Olorunfemi as a trio of Saxons’ standouts.
Sydney Stieb (110) placed third and senior Olivia Bordenave (170) took fourth for the Saints.
For the hosts from Willowbrook, junior Jazilah Gatlin (170) was third and senior Daisy Trujillo (115) took fourth.
Bartlett junior Lilly White celebrated her 17th birthday a day early, pinning Schaumburg junior Isabella Rivas in 2:47 to win the 120-pound title. White took fifth in the state at 125 last February.
“I went down and was working on the bottom for a little bit and then I did like a roll I learned from jiu-jitsu,’ she said “I was right on the edge of the circle with one toe holding on and I got the pin.”
Joining White at the top of the award stand was senior teammate Emma Engels who earned a 10-0 major over Leyden’s Sabrina Bono.
“It was a good match,” Engels said. “She was definitely strong.”
Engels, a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh commit, has the ultimate IHSA girls wrestling prize of a state championship, having won the 100-pound title in 2023 as a sophomore. Last year she took sixth at 110.
“I was disappointed with taking sixth,” she said. “Now it’s my last one so I want to come back. I did a lot more wrestling in the off-season so I think I’m at a better place.”
Hoffman Estates produced the most regional champions with four among the 27-team field.
Victorious Hawks included senior Sophia Ball (130) who took second in the state at 120 last year.
Ball pinned Fenton senior Yanne Perez at 3:21.
“I think you just got to dominate the mat, honestly,” she said. “Got to go out there and score points.”
Seniors Abigail Ji (140), Isabella Chiovari (170) and Anjali Gonzalez (235) all pinned their opponents to join Ball as champions.
South Elgin freshman Allison Garbacz improved to 27-0 after pinning Schaumburg’s Madeline Zerafa-Lazarevic in 3:48 to win at 145. Azucena Rodriguez (115) took second for the Storm.
Brissia Bucio (105) and Sophia Newell (115) took third for West Chicago, joining Huesca who was second.
Lake Park’s Joscelin Ritthamel (145) took third and Ava Burns (140) and Giovanna Sampognaro (155) took fourth.
Glenbard North’s Keagan Edwards (130) and Asreilla Wallace (235) placed third for the Panthers.
Addison Trail’s Brithany Mondragon (120) and Madeline Beltran (145) took fourth.
Conant’s Ewa Krupa (140) took second, Analiese Aberman (155) was third and Jasmine Zavaleta (130) was fourth.