Three IC Catholic Prep wrestlers bring home state titles

CHAMPAIGN - Elements of the Montini wrestling mystique were alive and well Saturday night at the Class 2A individual state wrestling finals at State Farm Center at the University of Illinois.

Jayden Colon opened the blind draw with a 5-4 razor-thin victory over Mason Alessio of top-ranked Joliet Catholic.

"I had to keep moving on my feet," the Broncos' sophomore champion said.

Aspects of the last three wrestling seasons have been indescribably peculiar at the Lombard high school.

From the top of wrestling elitism with multiple Class 3A state champions to underscore a dominant team win over Mt. Carmel to add to is unprecedented number of team titles the following week, the program was soon embroiled in a highly visible changing of the guard as three different head coaches held the title in as many seasons.

Furthermore, top-level athletes soon transferred else where.

Three of them, including Villa Park resident Nate Wemstrom, ended up at Aurora Christian.

Wemstrom stunned Washington superstar Donnie Hidden to claim the 195-pound title in overtime. A two-time state champion, Hidden was denied by the former for a second straight week.

"He is one of the best in the country but so am I," the Indiana-bound Wemstrom said.

IC Catholic Prep continued its tremendous state run.

Nick Renteria, Michael Calcagno and Jaydin Mims captured Class 1A titles at 120, 182 and 220 pounds.

"This is unbelievable; I'm only a sophomore," Calcagno said.

"My coaches kept telling me that this was the place for me to be," Renteria said.

Paulie Robertson, a Glenbard North heavyweight, and Downers South 126-pounder Jimmy Nugent were the Class 3A highlights with third-place efforts.

"There was no way I was losing my last match with the Gold and Black," Robertson said.