Many of state's best will wrestle at Batavia, Conant

The last hurdle to reach Champaign for the individual Class 3A wrestling tournament arrives at the two-day sectionals this weekend.

Then again, it is more like a moat without a drawbridge.

"I'm sick to my stomach about some of the kids who aren't going to make it state," Naperville North coach Tom Champion said. "I think about it every day when I get to school."

With the exception of Neuqua Valley, whose Lockport 113-pound champion Denis Murphy is headed to Bolingbrook, all the other local sectional entrants will be at either Batavia or Conant.

There can be little doubt there will be few, if any, aberrations emerge from the brutally competitive sectionals.

"Conant may have a little more depth between all the classes, but we could have 10 state champions come out of Batavia," Willowbrook coach Brandon Murphy said. "There is a lot of talent at the Batavia sectional."

The state rankings, according to the illinoismatmen.com, bear out how treacherous a route the two sectionals present to reach the University of Illinois the following weekend.

Of the top-five ranked wrestlers in each class, according to the comprehensive wrestling website, 26 athletes will clash at Batavia.

"I think (Batavia) is going to be a second state tournament," said Wheaton North coach Travis Cherry, who will send 11 athletes to Conant. "I might agree with (Murphy on the number of potential state champions), but you have to get through Oak Park first."

"Off the top of my head, I was glad we're not going to Batavia," said Glenbard West coach Nick Posegay, who has four state hopefuls headed to Conant. "The western suburbs - the suburbs in general - are so deep in wrestling. Batavia is arguably the toughest, but no slacking on the others."

Conant, which features two-time defending state champion Oak Park-River, and Glenbard North, winner of 16 consecutive regionals, have 18 wrestlers ranked in the top five.

The number of combined combatants ranked between Nos. 6 through 12 is far greater at Batavia and Conant.

The Batavia sectional features three of the top-four ranked teams in the state in Marmion, Sandburg and Lyons Twp.

The Batavia sectional also has such traditional powers from the south side as Brother Rice, Marist and St. Rita, which emerged from the Chicago Hubbard regional.

Montini, the all-time leader in state titles, makes its Class 3A debut at Batavia after claiming the title at Downers South last weekend.

One-hundred and thirty-two and 182 pounds are composed of the three best wrestlers in the state at Batavia.

Dylan Duncan is a two-time defending Class 2A champion for Montini, but the Illinois-bound senior has to contend with top-ranked Sandburg senior Tony Yates.

The undefeated Yates handed Duncan his only loss of the season.

"(Duncan) has to get past Yates to win a third state championship," Montini coach Israel Martinez said.

Naperville North champion Anthony Cheloni is ranked third at 132.

Montini, ranked No. 8 in the final matmen team poll, will also have Real Woods, Joey Melendez, Jimmy Pawelski and Will Lewan to seek a first Class 3A title in program history.

Woods, the consensus top-ranked 113-pounder in the state, is not only undefeated but has also captured two prestigious national tournament titles.

Lewan is the second-rated 138-pounder; Melendez checks in at No. 3 at 106.

Stanford-bound Marmion defending state champion Nathan Traxler is the one to beat at 182 pounds at Batavia.

But the weight class also features Willowbrook defending state 170-pound runner-up Jack Jessen and Sandburg star Patrick Brucki.

"(Traxler) is the one to beat," Murphy said. "We definitely want to see both (Traxler and Brucki) this week, so we know what to do with them (in Champaign). Jack has never wrestled Traxler."

Like Jessen, the Warriors' Matt Rowland is a defending state runner-up.

The North Carolina-bound Rowland has not lost to an in-state opponent this season and is ranked No. 1 at his weight class.

Rowland and Jessen enter Batavia with identical 45-1 records.

"He appreciates the little things," Murphy said of Rowland. "He looks forward to (the challenge of top competition). He is always seeking out the best. I get to enjoy (Rowland) seven more times (if he makes the state-final match)."

A different route:

Fenton, Glenbard South and St. Francis will represent the primary Class 2A area hopes at Antioch this weekend.

The Bison qualified all 14 of its athletes - including seven champions - out of its championship-winning regional last weekend.

Manny Morales, Ryan Mencini, Angel Nava, Nikko Castaneda, Dylan Butts, Victor Vargas and Isaiah Brock stood at the top of Fenton podium last Saturday for the Bison.

But the sectional is invariably a different story, where the attrition rate is significant.

"I think (Antioch) is deep, and there is some top talent," said Fenton coach Brian Hastings. "Hopefully, we can wrestle our best and get some guys downstate. We have some feisty wrestlers."

Butts is the top-rated performer for Fenton.

"Dylan has been our most consistent wrestler," Hastings said of his sophomore 170-pounder.

Glenbard South will counter with 152- and 182-pound Fenton champions Dan Zawislak and Numan Ayhan at Antioch.

Six other Raiders made the sectional cut.

"I'm happy that we got eight guys through," said Glenbard South assistant coach Rob Kichka, who was filling in for an ill Derrick Crenshaw. "I wanted to get the kids in positions where they feel comfortable."

Kichka is a former Class 3A coach who recently took a teaching position at the Glen Ellyn school.

"I told the kids on the bus ride home (from the regional) that there is no room for error (at the sectional)," Kichka said. "I think (Ayhan, 34-3) is one of the best in the state at his class."

St. Francis was given a rude awakening more than once this season as a newcomer to the Chicago Catholic League.

But Eric Kriegermeier is looking to take the nascent program to a higher level.

"This is our fourth year as a varsity program," Kriegermeier said after the Spartans advanced eight wrestlers to Antioch. "We're going in the right direction. We had never had a regional champion, and now we have two."

St. Francis freshmen Ben Burgdagis and Danny Skold won titles at Fenton at 106 and 145 pounds.

Lions coming back:

At the Class 1A Lisle regional last weekend the host Lions fell short of Chicago Hope Academy in advancing seven wrestlers to the Plano sectional.

Drew Sunnefeldt and Mark Pivek are state-ranked for the Lions as each claimed titles at 132 and 152 pounds.

Jack Pawlowicz added a third championship for Lisle at 182.

"The biggest thing is we are on our way to getting back," Lisle coach John Ruettiger said. "Lisle was considered a (Class A) state power for 20-some years."

Ruettiger, who had three state champions in 2001, returned to the helm this season after a decade-long absence.

IC Catholic Prep regional champion Joe Bianchini arrives at Plano as a legitimate state-title contender at 106 pounds after improving to 36-1 on the year.