Girls wrestling: Glenbard East’s Shymkiv escapes with state championship

BLOOMINGTON — If Nadiia Shymkiv could escape, she’d be a state champion.

Facing St. Viator’s Charlotte Nold at 105 pounds, Shymkiv found herself locked into a 1-1 draw after all three periods during the IHSA girls wrestling finals Saturday afternoon. But Shymkiv had to wait for overtime, as a lengthy injury delay had the Glenbard East senior toeing the circle and the Bloomington crowd silent.

“My coaches were looking at me and telling me to calm down and relax,” Shymkiv said. “They told me that it was my time.”

It was the second injury timeout of the match, but Shymkiv made the most of the stoppages. Given the choice for the start of the overtime period, Shymkiv opted for the down position, meaning an escape would result in a 2-1 sudden victory and a state title.

“I was thinking that it was my last chance and it was my move,” Shymkiv said. “My coach looked at me and he just said, ‘do it.’ ”

With her palms planted on the mat, Shymkiv burst forward and up at the sound of the whistle, breaking free from Nold’s grasp and drawing a roar of applause inside Grossinger Motors Arena. The escape merited the first state title for Shymkiv, who medaled in third place two years ago and was a state runner-up last year.

“I’ve worked really hard over the last four years,” Shymkiv said.

Shymkiv, who finished with a 39-3 record, was one of several area wrestlers to bring home medals from this year’s state tournament. Hinsdale South senior Callie Carr, a defending champion from last year, had her hopes of a second straight title snapped after falling against Freeburg senior Grace Stratton in the semifinal round.

Wheaton Academy’s Catherine Diehl (130 pounds) and Morton’s Anali Wilson (170) also medaled in third at this year’s state tournament. Diehl, a freshman who finished with a 40-5 record, won four of her five tournament matches and posted a 15-3 major decision over Mt. Zion’s Sydney Cannon to secure her third-place medal.

“It means a lot,” Diehl said. “I put a lot of sacrifice and hard work into this and it feels great. I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t get first since that was my goal all year, but third sounds great. It’s my freshman year, so that’s something to be happy about.”

York’s Charlie Dolan finished fourth at 125, outlasting Danville’s Yariah Shaw by 14-7 decision in the consolation semifinals to guarantee a top-four state placement. Dolan ended her season with a 33-4 record.

Glenbard West’s Karolina Konopka pinned Marist’s Ava Enright to earn the fifth-place medal at 120. Konopka, who concludes the year with a 44-5 record, won three tournament matches including two by pin. Her pin against Enright came in the second period.

“Going into this season, I had high goals set for myself,” said Konopka, who qualified but didn’t place last season. “A medal shows everything I’ve put in and how much I’ve improved this season. My hand fighting was definitely there and that helped slow the girls down. I stayed strong and I moved my feet a lot.”

Batavia’s Lily Enos picked up her fourth medal with a fifth-place finish at 100 after nearly coming from behind against DeKalb’s Alex Gregorio-Perez in the consolation semifinals.

Enos said she was a little upset with moving down to fifth after taking third as a sophomore and fifth as a freshman, junior and now senior.

But she said was still proud to end her career and head to North Central as a four-time medalist.

“I’m pretty happy with how my high school career wrapped up,” Enos said. “I’m a little sad with how state ended but overall it was a good career and I’m excited to go on to college and wrestle even more. And I end with I think it was like 172 wins, the most in Batavia history. So I’m pretty happy about that.”

Kaneland junior Gochis claimed the crown at 120 with a 9-3 win over Amelia Nidelea-Polanin.

Gochis’ decision in the finals followed three tech falls to open the tournament as she became the fifth three-time champion in the tournament’s five-year history.

“There’s definitely some pressure on making sure I’m winning it again,” Gochis said. “But knowing I’m doing all the hard work and training I put in, I’m pretty confident in what I can do.”

Gochis said with the tournament growing every year, it’s also becoming more and more difficult.

“You just kind of have to keep working harder than all of them and make sure you’re going to stay on top,” Gochis said.