April 25, 2024
Boys Wrestling

Nine individuals advance to 2A, 1A semifinals

By SUBMITTED REPORTS

Plainfield South's Andrew Bejarano was one of several Class 3A individuals who advanced to the the quarterfinals at Thursday's IHSA state finals in Champaign. In addition, nine wrestlers in Class 2A and Class 1A moved to the semifinals. (Larry W)

CHAMPAIGN – Nine Class 2A and 1A wrestlers won quarterfinal matches Thursday in the IHSA State Finals at The University of Illinois’s State Farm Center to earn spots in Friday’s semifinals.

In Class 2A, Coal City’s Alex Friddle improved to 47-0 after capturing a 5-1 quarterfinal victory at 132 pounds over Lemont’s Drew Nash, who fell to 39-6. Coalers teammate Daniel Jezik moved to 22-0 after winning, 5-3, at 182 over Grayslake Central’s Adrian Cramer.

Joliet Catholic Academy’s defending state champion Dean Hamiti moved to 40-4 after getting a pin in 2:39 over Antioch’s Danny McPherson in the 126 quarterfinals.

For Lemont, Evan Schiffman (36-8) edged Niles Notre Dame’s Alex Randell, 3-2, in the 106 quarterfinals, Kyle Schickel (42-4) won, 11-9, over Prairie Ridge’s Trey Piotrowski at 138, Grant LaDuke (26-5) edged Dixon’s Bryce Christiansen, 9-8, at 145, and Apollo Gothard (43-2) won by fall over Westville’s Dawson Pruitt at 220.

Other first-round winners who fell in the 2A quarterfinals were Joliet Catholic’s Jack Finnegan (120), Coal City’s Ryan Wasielewski (152) and Morris’ Robby Bates (195).

In Class 1A, Peotone’s Paul Keane (32-1), a defending state champion, won in the 120 quarterfinals with an 11-5 victory over Ridgeview’s Coby Windle. And Seneca’s Jackson Beene (42-2) got a fall in 3:38 over St. Thomas More’s J.D. Sexton in the 152 quarterfinals.

Wilmington advanced three to the quarterfinals, but Jack Narine (126), Landon Flynn (132) and Jacob Rodawold (170) all lost during that round. Dwight’s Dillon Sarff (113), Cade Enerson (152) and Cameron Klingler (170) also fell in the quarterfinals.

Lockport had four individuals win their opening-round matches. They were Kaleb Thompson (106), Matt Ramos (120), Anthony Molton (126) and Baylor Fernandes (160).

Providence Catholic and Plainfield South both had three first-round winners. Jake Lindsey (113), Josh Ramos (138) and Kevin Countryman (145) advanced for the Celtics, while Jimmy Pierandozzi (145), Jake Kendall (160) and Andrew Bejarano (285) all won in the first round for the Cougars.

Plainfield East’s Alex Villar (120), Plainfield Central’s Jamel Sheppard (145), Lincoln-Way West’s Jacob Cronk (182) and Lincoln-Way East’s Nick Mihajlovich (182) also captured victories in their opening 3A matches. And at 220, Providence’s third-ranked Ryan Boersma dropped a 5-2 decision to Maine West’s fifth-ranked Jacob Bellizzi.

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