Scouting state wrestling / Lake County
Scouting state wrestling
Class 3A
At Assembly Hall, Champaign
When: today, 6:30 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.; finals 7 p.m.
Outlook: The Lake County area has 13 individuals competing in the powerful three-day tournament with many ranked competitors ready battle for a much-coveted medal. There were a few wrestlers who did not make the top-four cut for a return trip to state out of the rugged Barrington sectional. But many new faces did earn the trip south to compete in the historic annual tourney. Top-ranked Mundelein senior Matt Ornoff is definitely a wrestler to watch as he takes a 39-0 record into the big meet at 138 pounds. Ornoff knocked off longtime nemesis Wade Lardy of McHenry for regional and sectionals titles the past two weekends and Ornoff is on a mission to go undefeated. Warren teammates Shakheim Chapman (195) and Danny Hicks (170) also brought home sectional crowns.
Area qualifiers:
106: Stevenson senior Mark Jolcover (34-10)
113: Libertyville sophomore Steve Polakowski (31-9)
120: Libertyville senior Pat Fitzgerald (37-10, two-time qualifier)
138: Mundelein senior Matt Ornoff (39-0, three-time qualifier), Lake Zurich sophomore Sean Lynch (22-6)
152: Libertyville sophomore Kayne MacCallum (19-10), Stevenson junior Justin Weber (37-5)
160: Lake Zurich senior Scott Hoff (37-7)
170: Warren junior Danny Hicks (33-7), Grant junior Tony Cashmore (37-7)
195: Warren senior Shakheim Chapman (38-2)
220: Grant senior Quinton Quarles (36-4)
285: Grant junior Dan Haeffele (35-12)
Class 2A
Outlook: Antioch leads Lake County with six of the 19 individuals heading downstate out of the powerful Grayslake Central sectional. Vernon Hills has a serious state-title contender going for broke in top-ranked 285-pound senior Jeremy Brazil (41-1, 2011 runner-up), who is undefeated against Class 2A opponents. Grayslake Central senior Joey Valdivia placed third last year at 189. But Valdivia will face a huge task with Crystal Lake Central standout Gage Harrah in the same 195-pound weight class. Antioch senior George Gonzalez placed fourth last year at 145 and he hopes to do even better in the same division. Other sectional champs were Antioch’s Mike Gussarson (126), Antioch’s Zach Epker (170), and Grayslake Central’s Jimmy Molitor (220)
Area qualifiers:
106: Antioch sophomore Briley Schultz (31-16)
120: Wauconda junior Devin Tortorice (36-9, two-time qualifier), Lakes freshman Levi Smith (34-13)
126: Antioch junior Mike Gussarson (37-5, two-time qualifier)
132: Lakes senior Jose Collado (26-11, two-time qualifier), Antioch senior Mike Morales (30-17)
145: Antioch senior George Gonzalez (32-4, three-time qualifier), Grayslake Central senior Dylan Hay (35-8, two-time qualifier)
152: Vernon Hills senior Dan Klema (38-9, three-time qualifier)
160: Lakes junior David Gregory (32-13)
170: Antioch senior Zach Epker (12-2, three-time qualifier)
182: Antioch senior Zach Freundt (41-10, two-time qualifier), Grayslake North senior Jimmy Prince (33-5, two-time qualifier)
195: Grayslake Central senior Joey Valdivia (18-6, three-time qualifier), Wauconda sophomore Nate Magiera (39-7, two-time qualifier)
220: Grayslake Central senior Jimmy Molitor (34-5)
285: Vernon Hills senior Jeremy Brazil (41-1, two-time qualifier), Grayslake North senior Kasen Christensen (33-9), Carmel junior Jake Cochrane (34-7)