Scouting the state meet for Lake County
82nd annual IHSA individual state wrestling meet
Where: State Farm Center, Champaign
When: Feb. 14-16. Thursday - 2:15 p.m. Class 2A preliminaries, 4:30 p.m. Class 3A preliminaries, 6:45 p.m. Class 2A winner's bracket quarterfinals. Friday - 8:30 a.m. Class 3A winner's bracket quarterfinals, 7:30 p.m. Class 1A, 2A, and 3A semifinals. Saturday - 9 a.m. quarterfinal wrestlebacks, 11 a.m. semifinal wrestlebacks, 1 p.m. third- and fifth-place matches (1A/2A/3A). 5:30 p.m. Grand March, 6 p.m. championship matches (1A/2A/3A) on three mats starting at 113 pounds.
CLASS 2A
Lake County qualifiers: 106 - Wauconda sophomore Jack Sullivan (30-14); 113 - Antioch sophomore Drew Lehn (23-10); 120 - Antioch junior Alex Barbarise (35-4, three-time qualifier); 126 - Antioch junior Danny McPherson (40-6, two-time qualifier); 132 - Antioch junior Elijah Reyes (34-15), Carmel junior Christian Valadez (26-2, three-time qualifier); 138 - Carmel senior Riley Palm (28-1, first in 2018, sixth in 2017), 145 - Grayslake Central senior Joey Murphy (39-5), Antioch senior Jackie Sistrunk (43-7, two-time qualifier), Carmel junior Vince Swindell (32-10); 152 - Grayslake Central sophomore Joey Jens (32-8, fifth in 2018), Grayslake North junior Adam Blonski (36-9); 160 - Carmel senior Tommy Hoy (35-2, two-time qualifier), Antioch senior Mikey Volkmar (36-12); 170 - Grayslake Central senior Alex Cramer (43-0, first in 2018, four-time qualifier), Carmel junior Yovaniel Garcia (27-8); 182 - Grayslake Central sophomore Adrien Cramer (41-1, two-time qualifier); 195 - Vernon Hills senior Casey Wood (34-10); 220 - Crystal Lake South junior Jason Burburija (25-5), Vernon Hills senior Faheem Mannan (30-12); 285 - Lakes senior Jack Brunati (40-3), Antioch senior Xavier Sanchez (21-4, two-time qualifier)
Outlook: The Lake County area has two defending champions heading into the competition. Old Dominion-bound Alex Cramer of Grayslake Central could be on a collision course with No. 2-ranked Freeport senior Major Dedmond (31-1) when the state finals roll around on Saturday night. "(Cramer) is up to the challenge. He sets the tone in the room on a daily basis, and what a job he's done for our program," Grayslake Central coach Matt Joseph said. Rams senior Joey Murphy is a three-year starter who is making his first appearance at state. "We're really hoping we can get him a medal," Joseph said. ... Like Cramer, Carmel senior Riley Palm also brought home a state title last year as a junior, and the top-ranked 138-pounder has the potential to do it again in 2019. "He has been there three times before so he knows how it works," said Carmel Catholic coach Bob Kuykendall, whose team has five state qualifiers for the second straight season. "He has to take one match at a time. He has to just wrestle how he knows how to wrestle and stay focused." ... Grayslake Central sophomore Adrien Cramer was ranked No. 1 heading into sectionals, but a loss in the semifinals wound up giving him a third-place medal. If Cramer can bounce back this weekend, he could make a push for the finals or at least a third-place medal if all goes well downstate. ... Antioch has a school-record seven individuals competing in Champaign, and the Sequoits would have probably had eight if 2018 state qualifier Niall Schoenfelder did not suffer a knee injury at regionals.
CLASS 3A
Area qualifiers: 106 - Warren senior Sawyer Nash (39-0, two-time qualifier), Stevenson freshman Cole Rhemrev (34-11); 113 - Warren senior Austin Nash (25-1, two-time qualifier), Lake Zurich senior Ian McGee (34-3); 120 - Warren junior Cam Domke (37-3), Stevenson senior Tommy Frezza (36-4, three-time qualifier), Libertyville senior Peter Kafkis (28-12); 126 - Warren sophomore Joel Vandervere (9-0, third in 2018), Libertyville senior Brandon Murphy (39-8); 132 - Libertyville junior Danny Pucino (41-1, third in 2018, three-time qualifier); 138 - Libertyville senior Michael Gunther (39-3, two-time qualifier); 152 - Grant junior Ethan Geist (34-13), Warren sophomore Isaiah Parker (26-7); 182 - Grant junior Justin Brown (34-9, two-time qualifier); 195 - Stevenson senior Max Gomez (37-8, two-time qualifier)
Outlook: After taking third in the state as a sophomore, No. 2-ranked Libertyville junior Danny Pucino (41-1 at 132) has emerged as a state-title contender. Pucino has numerous top-ranked competitors standing in his way, but this could be the year he rises to the top of the mountain if he works his magic like he has done so many times before. ... After missing much of the 2018-19 season recovering from ACL/MCL surgery last June, Warren sophomore Joel Vandervere has been impressive in his limited time on the mat this winter with regional and sectional championships under his belt. After taking third in the state as a freshman, Vandervere has the potential to go the distance for the Blue Devils this weekend. ... Warren No. 3-ranked senior Sawyer Nash takes a 39-0 record into the meet, while twin brother Austin has a 25-1 mark. The Blue Devils also have an up-and-coming star in sophomore Cam Domke, who won regional and sectional crowns the past two weekends. No. 4-ranked Michael Gunther of Libertyville has also put together a fantastic senior season. Libertyville coach Dale Eggert knows it will be a tough road to the podium for both Pucino and Gunther, but he is confident that his top duo can do well at State Farm Center. "The keys for them to do well is to keep up with what they did in sectionals, constant attacking, willing to get out on missed shots immediately," said Eggert, whose team will face Barrington at the McHenry dual-team sectional Feb. 19. "With the pace both can put on their opponents, I believe they will do well if they can bring this pace out in their state tournament matches." ... Stevenson senior Tommy Frezza will be making his third trip to the main event, while senior teammate Max Gomez will be making his second appearance in Champaign.