Wrestling notes: Area boasts dozen boys ranked No. 1 in Illinois; Popularity, numbers continue to soar for girls

Each and every week of the wrestling season, there are a handful of reputable sites that feature weight class rankings all throughout the three classes.

Naturally, fans cannot wait to absorb all of the numbers placed before them. They are a great source of discussion in advance of competition all throughout the coming week

The athletes themselves think little of them, most responding with the usual comment of “none of it matters” until the final weekend of the season at state.

But for the fans, the area has 12 No. 1 rated (2A/3A) guys combined, four of which are 2024 state champions and together have claimed (8 state medals thus far in their careers.

Here's the list of the No. 1s: Vince DeMarco (Grayslake Central), Allen Woo (Montini Catholic), Dom Munaretto (St. Charles East), Josh Vasquez (Montini Catholic), Nicholas Garcia (Marmion Academy), Deven Casey (IC Catholic Prep), Demetrios Carrera (Montini Catholic), Kameron Luif (Montini Catholic), Evan Gosz (Fremd), Anthony Gutierrez (St. Charles East), Brody Kelly (IC-Prep) and Aaron Stewart (Warren).

Casey and Gutierrez have been magnificent this season. Casey (132) recently won at the prestigious Dvorak, while serving as the engine in the room that inspires an IC Catholic Prep team that is ranked No. 3 in the state behind Montini Catholic and Washington.

Washington defeated Montini Catholic 30-28 last year to win the 2A dual-team title.

"We have faced a lot of great 2A and 3A teams this year. Our schedule will help prepare all of us for what lies ahead," said Casey, who was a state champ a year ago, and a two-time third-place state medalist.

"If we continue to work hard, take advantage of matchups with our opponents, and stay healthy, we'll be able to put ourselves in a position to challenge for a dual-team state title, as well as win a lot of individual state medals," said Casey.

The Knights star, who recently committed to wrestle at the University of Pennsylvania, said his attention to being better prepared by paying attention to even the slightest of details is helping this season.

Gutierrez (29-5), always an important figure in the middle of the St. Charles East lineup, is now a full-fledged star after rising up from the shadows of the brilliance of former teammates Ben Davino, Jayden Colon, Tyler Guerra and others who helped lead the Saints to their first 3A team title in 2023, followed up by a third-place finish a year ago.

"We have a great room, and coaching staff, and for myself, coach (Jason) Potter has been amazing, helping me so much better in every facet of my game, including the mental part, recovery, preparation, and even more importantly (just) as someone who cares about me as a person away from our sport," said Gutierrez.

The two-time state medal winner and two-time Dvorak champion will join his best friend Tyler Guerra next fall at Indiana University.

"(It) just felt like home on my two visits, the atmosphere, team, coaching staff, and having my best friend there made it an easy choice," Gutierrez said

Gutierrez has a dazzling 44-2 overall record the past two seasons, and this year, sans the aforementioned graduates, the Saints are still a top 10 team in the state.

"The credit goes to our coaching staff, who get everything out of us each time we go out,“ Gutierrez said. ”We fight as a team, always looking for bonus point wins to help the cause, whether in a dual, or weekend tournaments."

Potter will be a 2025 inductee into the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association hall of fame this April.

In addition to the dozen No. 1 rated wrestlers from the area, there are several who sit in the No. 2 spot.

One such name is Hersey senior Max Mukhamedaliyev who has been chasing No. 1 Evan Gosz (Fremd) all season long.

Gosz is 2-0 over his closest rival, and the dynamic duo will likely meet at the MSL Conference tournament, later the Barrington sectional, and perhaps downstate if all plays out.

Gosz, who will wrestle next year at Michigan State, was second a year ago, and is twice a third-place state medal winner.

Cary-Grove coach Will Peterson has a terrific triple threat in Hunter Lenz, Noah Pechotta and heavyweight Lucas Burton, who are laser focused on booking their place in the 16-man field in Champaign in late February.

"The goal of all three is to place at state. I know they have what it takes to get it done, and each guy just needs to get the job done," said Peterson.

All three qualified downstate last season, with No. 9 Lenz (6-1) recently off the injured list, fifth overall at 113 pounds.

No. 6 Pechotta (24-1, 12 pins) has made a quick rise towards the top since his start in the sport as a freshman.

"Noah knows he can compete with the best guys, and this year he wants to prove it," said Peterson.

Big man Burton (14-2) got a late start to his season after playing on both sides of the line for the Trojans football team that lost in its 6A semifinal to Geneva.

Burton, who is currently No. 2 (2A) in the state, lost the blood round at state last season.

The growth in girls wrestling since it became a full fledged sanctioned sport has been stealth-like.

To further illustrate this state, one has to only point to the hugely successful dual-team state tournament held just before the new year — that a raucous crowd cheered on at host Hoffman Estates High School.

It was on this one-day extravaganza that 16 of the best teams in the state would vie for the first state title which ended in thrilling fashion when Lincoln-Way beat Schaumburg 40-38 on a last match pin.

"I am so grateful to the IWCOA for hosting this event, and giving girls wrestling this platform after the IHSA said there wasn't a date in the schedule, and that we couldn't have a dual-team tournament like boys wrestling has," said Schaumburg star Hope Zerafa-Lazarevic, who was state runner-up a year ago at 140 pounds, and currently No. 1 in the state.

"The atmosphere was great, there were some great duals and matches all throughout the day, and this was just another fantastic day for girls wrestling," said Schaumburg coach Matt Gruszka.

Just two weeks after this event, Conant High School hosted 40 schools and over 365 wrestlers as tournament officials constructed eight-person brackets across the 14 weight divisions — dividing the level of talent evenly.

This weekend, it's back at Hoffman Estates for its third annual, two-day Girls Hawk Invite which will attract some of the biggest names and teams in the state, and exceed the overall numbers of their league rival Conant.

"(There) were more wrestlers here at Conant today than we had all across the state when the sport just started four years ago — that's progress," said an assistant coach from one of the teams present.

Regionals are slowly expanding to meet the surge in numbers, with 12 sites across the state now in place compared to the eight from a year ago.

Area lower weight stars are all over the state polls, beginning with 2024 state champion Angelina Gochis (Kaneland) the No. 1 at 110 pounds, followed by No. 4 Khloe Perez from Glenbard West.

At 100 pounds, it's No. 2 Lily Enos (Batavia), No. 3 Kat Bell (Montini Catholic), and No. 5 Riley Kongkaeow from Round Lake.

Nos. 2-5 at 115 are Amelia Nidelea-Polanin (Hampshire), No. 3 Victoria Macias (Burlington Central), No.4 Madyson Meyer (Schaumburg) and No. 5 Ireland McCain (Round Lake). They are all chasing No.1 Harlee Hiller (Loyola Academy) who is No. 7 in the country.

Skipping ahead to the 190-pound division is Lakes senior and No. 1 Josie Larson, who also happens to be No. 2 in the most recent national polls.