Girls wrestling: Batavia falls by less than a point at home tournament despite wins by Enos, Sheldon

Friday night’s Batavia girls wrestling tournament came down to less than a single point.

While senior Lily Enos won at 100 and freshman Audrey Sheldon earned the title at 155, the Bulldogs fell just short of winning their home tournament to East Aurora, 182-181.5.

“I think it was pretty exciting, especially because we’ve kind of had such a rough season with injuries,” Enos said. “This is definitely the most injury-prone season, which is definitely new for me at least. And going into the tournament with three spots open, I believe, wasn’t really expecting anything but I’m proud of where we ended.”

Enos pinned Glenbard North’s Daisy VillaGonzalez (1:22) and West Aurora’s Melissa Melgar (0:29) to advance to the final where she did the same to DeKalb’s Jade Weiss (1:34).

“I feel pretty good about how I wrestled,” Enos said. “I think I was moving on my feet pretty well and I just think I wrestled well overall today. I’m proud of how I wrestled.”

Sheldon matched Enos with three pins, defeating Naperville Central’s Chloe Greenberg (0:53), Andrew’s Busola Dinan (2:55) and then Glenbard North’s Suzanne Stalley (5:49) in the final.

“These girls challenged me, definitely, and they made me learn a lot and learn what I need to practice on in the room,” Sheldon said. “Just like getting to open girls up a little bit more would definitely help me out, but I think overall how I wrestled was pretty good.”

Natalie Lenart (125), Norah Stoodley (140) and Caoimhe Mitchell (17) placed second for the Bulldogs and Eli Landgrebe (115) was third.

DeKalb (131) took sixth place behind a pair of championship victories from freshman Larisza Gomez Guevara (105) and senior Aarianna Bloyd (235). Gomez Guevara’s 32 team points were the most in the tournament. She was named Most Outstanding Wrestler, lower weight class.

Bloyd earned a 9-2 decision against Glenbard North’s Asreilla Wallace in her title match after recording pins against Lake Park’s Ameinah Hill (2:00) and McHenry’s Nala Hernandez (4:21).

“Just staying patient,” Bloyd said. “Me and my coach have been going over what I need to do to be best for me so it’s being patient and doing what I know.”

That includes the data from defeats.

“I took some tough losses in the Donnybrook and then we went to Missouri and had some more tough losses,” she said. “I got to lose to win.”

Gomez Guevara was especially busy, taking the mat five times and getting five pins over Oswego East’s Vivienne Mendygral (0:51), Harlem’s Daniella Bradford (1:06), Yorkville’s Analiese Garretson (3:41), Andrew’s Tatum De La Vega (1:19) and Huntley’s Janiah Slaughter (2:39).

“I was a little nervous at first, but then going through each match it made me realize that I got this, but I can’t force anything,” she said. “I just got to go out there and wrestle my match like it’s really up to me. I decide this match, not them. I think the nerves and adrenaline help me. I got to use both and keep my composure, stay calm and collected. I do this for a living. This is what I like to do, so I have to learn to keep myself calm and ready to go when I step on the mat.”

Lemont’s two-time state qualifier Molly O’Connor appears on her way to another trip as she snagged the title at 125.

O’Connor went 4-for-4 with wins by fall, pinning Andrew’s Hala Salem (3:16), Lyons’ Zoe Connelly (0:35), West Aurora’s Lailonie Molina (3:12) and Lenart (3:32).

“I’m feeling really good, everything’s coming together now and I’m just putting all the pieces together,” O’Connor said. “There’s a couple things I know I could improve on, but being able to look back, like take a step back and being able to be here with the team and having this opportunity, even if there is stuff I didn’t achieve today I’m very proud of my success, with how I competed today.”

Oswego East’s Quinn Janssens spent a little more than two minutes wrestling her three matches to win at 140.

“Wrestled people I’ve wrestled before so it was good matches,” she said. “I was just really focusing on my technique and stuff like that, and getting my shots in was enough for me anyways.”

After pinning East Aurora’s Kathrine Castaneda in 21 seconds, she pinned St. Charles East’s Olivia Pearson (0:35) and Stoodley (1:22).

“I had my team supporting me,” Janssens said. “It’s always nice to have them in my corner. They always make things pretty fun so I’m lucky to have them.”

Janssens shared her praise to the opposition as well, giving shout outs to Lake Park’s Ava Burns (135) who took second and McHenry’s Natalie Corona (145) who won.

At this tournament at 140 a year ago, Janssens pinned Burns in the semifinal and did the same to Corona in the final.

“That was pretty cool since they wrestled me last year here,” Janssens said. “So just seeing people doing well the next year is pretty cool.”

The other winners were Andrew’s Jade Hardee (110) and Piper Booe (115), West Aurora’s Aiyanah Sylvester (120), Glenbard North’s Keagan Edwards (130), Huntley’s Grecia Garcia (135), McHenry’s Corona (145) and Madalynn Sima (170) and East Aurora’s Jaylene Dealba (190).

West Aurora (151) and McHenry (151) tied for fourth place.

Other area schools included Huntley (110), Yorkville (110), Glenbard North (93), Hersey (84.5), St. Charles East (75), Lyons (71), Lake Park (59), Naperville Central (52), Lemont (39), Oswego East (33), Marquette (16.5).