Cullen Cummings is a Zen master on the mat

Summing up Cullen Cummings' approach on the wrestling mat takes just one word.

Zen.

"Don't let any match get in my head," Cummings said. "Stay calm, don't blow the match up too big, just wrestle my match and go one match at a time. That's all you can do."

It's worked for the Downers Grove North senior this postseason, especially Saturday at the Class 3A Shepard sectional. He outscored his four opponents 45-8 to take top honors, earning his first sectional title and third trip to state.

He was in control of the sectional championship match against Sandburg's John Pellegrino and won his closest match of the day 5-0 after earning three major decisions to reach the finals.

Cummings is one of the top wrestlers in the state at 138 pounds and is certainly in the title hunt, but all he's worried about now is a solid week of preparation and his first state match against Lockport's Dominic Naso. Having been on the state's biggest stage before is an added boost of confidence.

"It kind of gives me an edge a little bit. Some of the kids I wrestle, they haven't been in the same situations I have," Cummings said. "I just tell myself, I've been in bigger matches, I've been to the state finals. I have that experience and I have to go out there and get it now. Wrestling in front of all those people doesn't faze me too much anymore. I mean, this is my third time down there so I feel pretty comfortable down there."

North head coach Chris McGrath put it even more succinctly.

"Being on the podium last year, he knows what it takes to win (at state)," McGrath said.

Familiar surroundings at state will put Cummings at ease. So will drilling against usual sparring partners Mike Gastaldello and Nick Bonomo in the week leading up to state. McGrath said Cummings is wrestling well at the right time of the season, but what's most impressive to the coach is his mindset.

"He's trusting himself. He works hard, he's a great athlete, and now he's just competing at a high level," McGrath said. "He's not wrestling for a state title, he's not wrestling to impress somebody, he's just wrestling to compete, and that's freedom to compete at a very high level."

Gastaldello (152), Bonomo (160), Pat Walker (106), Straw Sopcic (120), Jake Lommatzsch (182) and Edwin Phillips (285) also competed at the sectional for the Trojans, but did not earn state berths. They will instead cheer on Cummings, one state match at a time.

"The mindset going in, I just have to be confident," Cummings said. "I think I've established myself as one of the top guys in the state at my weight, and nobody's undefeated at 138 right now, so I just have to go out there and get it, just like last year. Even though I lost in the finals (last year), nobody expected me to make it there. I just went out there and wrestled.

"I'm not thinking so much in my matches. I'm just letting it flow. Whatever happens, happens. That's a really big confidence-builder when you keep you emotions out of it and you can just focus on the match."

State wrestling

What: Class 3A wrestling individual tournament

When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: Assembly Hall, Champaign