Girls wrestling: Yorkville’s Yamilet Aguirre aiming to raise bar with IHSA state championship

Yamilet Aguirre has set the standard for Yorkville girls wrestling.

A two-time state qualifier for the two seasons the IHSA has held the event, the Yorkville senior is the model for a growing Foxes’ program.

Now, she hopes to raise the bar one notch higher.

Aguirre, fourth place at state as a sophomore in the inaugural IHSA tournament and state runner-up as a junior, has her sights set on winning a state championship this weekend at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington. She is joined at the two-day event Friday and Saturday by teammate Danielle Turner and Sandwich senior Ashlyn Strenz, another returning state qualifier.

“We’re just picking up where we left off last year,” Yorkville coach Kevin Roth said. “She knows what she’s up against. Looking to get back to the finals and hopefully pull it off.”

Aguirre (24-1) won a regional championship at Minooka with three pins, and reached the sectional final at Geneseo before suffering her first loss of the season by pin to Canton’s Kinnley Smith. Aguirre opens at state in the 125-pound bracket against Schaumburg’s Madyson Meyer (36-6), with the potential of facing unbeaten Ava Babbs of Lakes in the semifinals and Smith in the championship match.

Hononegah’s Angelina Cassioppi, who beat Aguirre in the 120-pound final last year, is still at 120 pounds while Aguirre has wrestled primarily at 125 this year.

“I’ve just been wrestling with my heart every single match, making sure my work reflects on what I’m doing record-wise,” Aguirre said. “I’ve been doing pretty good. I just hope to get that one last win.”

If she does, Aguirre would join former teammate Natasha Markoutsis as Yorkville’s second state champion in the burgeoning sport. Two years ago, Aguirre and Markoutsis were the only two girls wrestler at Yorkville. That number is up to 20 this year.

“It’s been great to set that standard,” Aguirre said.

Roth noted that Aguirre’s match with Smith at sectionals was 0-0 going into the third period.

“I love our chances of getting a different outcome if we see the Canton girl again,” Roth said. “Hopefully being at the different end of the bracket we can take care of business and get back there.”

Turner (30-11), a sophomore, is a first-time state qualifier who took second place at 100 pounds in regionals and third at sectionals. She is slated to open at state against Rickover’s Mia Vazquez (31-4).

“She was one of our three Day 2 sectional qualifiers that was close to state qualifying last year,” Roth said. “She wrestled the majority of the season at 105, made the decision for state series to wrestle at 100 and it’s paid off so far. First time qualifier trying to make some noise this weekend.”

Sandwich senior Strenz is no stranger to state-level competition.

She qualified for an IHSA boys sectional as a sophomore, and helped Sandwich to team dual state in 2022.

Last year, Strenz opted to participate in the girls postseason series, and took fourth place at 115 pounds. Strenz (15-4) comes into this state tournament at 110 pounds coming off second-place finishes at regionals and sectionals.

“I’m just really excited for it,” Strenz said. “I’m just going to wrestle how I always wrestle and go out there and do my best.”

Sandwich coach Derek Jones noted that Strenz (15-4) wrestled for the first three years of her high school career as a varsity starter for the boys teams, and is pushing 100 varsity wins. One of four girls out for wrestling at Sandwich, Strenz has just three losses to girls this season and one of them she subsequently beat in a regional semifinal rematch.

Strenz’s other two losses came to Joliet’s Eliana Paramo, by pin in the regional final and by 2-0 decision in the sectional final. Strenz opens state competition against East Peoria’s Kennedy McMenimen with Paramo at the opposite end of the bracket.

“She’s been a huge part of our program. She has to be pushing 100 varsity wins and most of her matches came versus boys,” Jones said. “She is tough, gritty, couldn’t ask for anything better. She works hard and does a good job at everything she does. She’s a great student, always at practice, works hard.”