Boys wrestling roundup: Marmion wins Glenbard West regional
Glenbard West senior wrestler Tony Shadid made a memorable impression on the mat on Saturday afternoon.
His title celebration also turned a few heads – and led to a few people quickly moving in a different direction - due to the highly charged up Shadid reveling in his finals victory.
Shadid was one of the individual weight class winners at the Class 3A Glenbard West Regional in Glen Ellyn.
Marmion rolled to the team title with 212 points, beating out host Glenbard West (156) and Batavia (126). Downers Grove North placed fourth with 122 points, Glenbard East snared fifth (93), Lyons claimed sixth (83), Wheaton Warrenville South took seventh (46) and Willowbrook rounded out the field with 37.5 points.
The top three placers from each individual class advanced to next weekend’s Hinsdale Central Sectional.
Shadid capped off a memorable regional effort by pinning Marmion’s Christian Favia in the 157-pound title match. As soon as his match ended, Shadid darted off the mat, slapping hands with everybody in his path, then hugged several coaches and teammates and energetically made his way through the small, but crowded path.
“Consistency was the key for me,” Shadid said. “Throughout the year, we’ve worked with our mental health and staying strong. I stayed consistent for my match and go 100 percent. It’s amazing. It feels so great to drive through (my opponents). I’ve been working all year for this, so I’m not surprised. This feels great. I’m ready and going to go downstate. This played just the way I planned it. I’ve been building my consistency and stamina. I feel I did that today. I’m looking forward to harder competition next weekend.”
A few minutes before Shadid’s electric performance, Glenbard West senior Elliot Torres gave his teammate some inspiration. Torres, like Shadid, is aiming to advance to the state tournament for the first time in his career. Torres (31-3) endured a tough bracket but closed out his day by pinning Batavia’s Dylan Wells for the 150 title.
“My (finals) match went pretty well,” Torres said, sporting some blood on his teeth. “I thought I did everything I wanted in the finals. Last year I had COVID and had a weight cutting problem, so this feels great. I’ve kept wrestling and working in our room. I’ve wrestled better and am just looking to keep getting better. I’m every excited for next week.”
The Cadets set the tone for a big day with a strong showing in the lower weights, picking up titles from Logan Conover (106), Nicholas Garcia (113), Donny Pigoni (126), Zach Stewart (138), Joseph Favia (215) and Mateusz Nycz (285). Ashton Hobson (144), Christian Favia (157) and Vincenzo Testa (175) all claimed second-place medals for the Cadets.
“Today was great,” Marmion coach Nathan Fitzenreider said. “All of the guys wrestled really hard. We’ve been dealing with a lot of bumps and bruises and injuries, but all the guys are peaking at just the right time. We’re looking forward to next week.”
Batavia qualified six wrestlers for sectionals, led by Imo Garcia capturing the 120 title with a 3-0 decision over Lyons’ Griff Powell. At 132 pounds, Batavia’s Jack Duraski claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Glenbard West’s Ulises Rosas in the 132 final. Batavia’s Aidan Huck recorded a 6-4 win over Marmion’s Ashton Hobson for the 144 title. Senior Ben Brown, a linebacker on the football team, claimed the final Batavia first-place medal, defeating Glenbard West’s Sasha Boulton in a memorable match 2-1 at 190.
Brown celebrated his grueling victory with a double-bicep pose on the mat.
“I want to keep this momentum rolling into next week,” Brown said. “I’ve put in a lot of work. (Sasha) was a really good wrestler. He was a strong kid. It was a burner. I knew it was going to be a good match. This is a good feeling coming here and getting a win.”
Lyons senior Gunnar Garelli, who became the Lions’ first all-state wrestler last season since 2017, is on the path toward a repeat trip to Champaign. Garelli (42-1), who plans to attend Virginia Tech, recorded an impressive 4-3 win over Glenbard West’s Collin Carrigan in the 165 final.
“I lost to (Carrigan) two weeks ago, so I was excited to beat him,” Garelli said. “It was a close loss. I had to make a few adjustments, watching out for his lead attack and how to defend it. I was satisfied with my performance, but I have to keep improving. This is a good confidence builder for me.”
Wheaton Warrenville South’s Sedeeq Al Obaidi claimed a medical default victory in the 175 final for the Tigers’ lone championship. Al Obaidi (35-2) said he’s ready for another prolific effort at sectionals.
“I felt pretty good about the match, but he obviously got hurt,” he said. “This is my second time winning regionals, but this is not the main tournament. I’m trying to get ready for that state tournament. This is just one step to that.”
At Crystal Lake Central:
Cayden Parks sat in the corner of Crystal Lake Central’s gym Saturday afternoon trying to catch his breath after what just happened.
An ice pack around his elbow served as a reminder of the battle he had just gone through in his 190-pound title match at the Class 2A Crystal Lake Central Regional. But in the end, how he got to that moment didn’t matter.
All that mattered was that he won.
Parks was one of three individual champions Saturday who helped the Tigers take second in the regional with 160 points. Yorkville Christian won with 190, Plano (110) took third, Morris finished fourth (103) and Prairie Ridge (97) placed fifth. Burlington Central (94), Crystal Lake South and Kaneland (75) rounded out the team scoring.
The top-three placers from each weight class advanced to the Class 2A Sycamore Sectional on Saturday, Feb. 10.
Parks picked up the win at 190 against Plano’s Prince Amakiri after falling behind 4-1. He took a 7-4 lead in the second period on a turnaround and controlled the match until he suffered an injury around the elbow.
PR’s Mikey Meade started the postseason with a chip on his shoulder. After making the state tournament as a freshman, he just missed out on the chance last season.
He worked hard all off-season to make sure he’d get back to state and won the 126-pound bracket to start off on the right foot. The Wolves had four more sectional qualifiers who took second: Jake Lowitzki (113), Xander York (157), John Fallaw (215) and Walter Pollack (285).
Lowitzki fell to Yorkville Christian’s Aiden Larsen in a matchup of top-five wrestlers, according to Illinois Matmen rankings.
Burlington Central’s Austin Lee wanted to make up for lost time after missing a couple months of the season because of mono. He worked hard once he got back with the mindset of making it to the state meet.
Lee led a pair of Rockets’ regional wins when he captured the 138-pound title while John Chavez joined him, taking 165. Jackson Merlett (106) and Doug Phillips (132) each took second.
Lee pushed the pace in his title match to make sure he’d win the regional crown. He credited that aggressive approach to what’s helped him thus far and what will work on his journey to state.
“It just shows and pays off right here,” Lee said. “Getting that win.”
South’s Caden Casimino comeback to the sport he competed in his entire life felt complete Saturday. Casimino took a break from wrestling after his freshman season to focus on football but returned to wrestling for one last ride before playing collegiate football.
Casimino ran out to a quick 2-0 lead at 175 before he won the title by fall, his second of the tournament. He joined Andy Burburija, who took 285 by medical forfeit and stayed undefeated with a 29-0 record, in winning titles for South. Dominic Ariola finished third and advanced at 215.
Although it took some time to get back in the swing of things early in the year, Casimino showed just how much wrestling can be like riding a bike.
“It’s going well,” he joked. “I’m glad I did it.”
Kaneland’s Kamron Scholl didn’t have to work too hard to advance and keep his undefeated record at 120 intact. He won both of his first two matches by fall and then won the regional title by medical forfeit to improve to 43-0.
Alex Gochis also advanced for Kaneland after taking second at 126.
Despite the relatively easy road, Scholl remained focused on what he needed to do to improve.
“I definitely need to put the work in this week and get the flaws away,” Scholl said. “Just try to perfect everything, do well so I make it to state.”
– Michal Dwojak, Shaw Local
At Johnsburg
Wheaton Academy wrestling coach Steve Aiello felt like a few of his Warriors saw the best the state has to offer in their title matches at Saturday’s Class 1A Johnsburg Regional.
At least Wheaton Academy sophomore Lincoln Hoger’s opponent in the 126-pound match could say the same thing.
Hoger (35-5) earned a 14-3 major decision to beat Richmond-Burton’s Kyan Gunderson for the championship. Hoger and four teammates advanced from the regional to the Byron Sectional next Friday and Saturday.
Will Hupke (132), Tyler Jones (144), Chasen Kazmierczak (150) and Deonta Giles (157) also qualified.
St. Francis’ 285-pounder Jaylen Torres (13-1) won his championship bout 11-4 over R-B’s Colin Kraus and is the Spartans’ lone qualifier.
St. Edward’s Dominic Savini (19-2) defeated Johnsburg’s CJ Ameachi 9-3 for the 215 title.
The top three wrestlers advance from regionals; the top four will advance from sectionals to the state tournament.
“I wrestled really well. Over the season I’ve been getting better every day,” Hoger said. “I just kept on the offense and kept scoring. I’m in a good spot, I’ll have a good seed for sectional and I’m going to wrestle my best there.”
Hoger won with two pins before the major decision in the title match.
“Lincoln dominated his weight class,” Aiello said.
Hupke was pinned by Marian Central’s Vance Williams, a state runner-up last season. Jones lost to R-B’s Emmett Nelson, another state runner-up and Kazmierczak lost to R-B’s Brody Rudnik 3-0.
“Will ran into a buzzsaw (in Williams),” Aiello said. “Tyler Jones wrestled the only undefeated kid in the tournament. Emmett’s just a beast and Tyler didn’t stop attacking him. Tyler was pressuring at the end, even his him with a lateral drop in the third period. I said, ‘Tyler, you’re losing, just go for it.’ And he went for it. I love that.
“Our best guys were in the toughest weight classes here. I’m hopeful we can get all of those guys through to state.”
Torres has fewer matches than most wrestlers because he has battled a shoulder labrum injury since the football season.
“It feels good now,” Torres said. “I’ve been off for a month-and-a-half. It feels good to get back to wrestling. I like my chances. I feel like I can get a high place on the podium (at state).”
Kraus is 27-10 and was the top seed at 285.
“(Torres) has had a good year. Right now the focus is to stay sharp and stay healthy for the sectional,” St. Francis coach Eric Kirkman said. “He’s strong, he’s quick on his feet, he has a really strong offense. He looked pretty good today.”
– Joe Stevenson, Shaw Local