If Nadiia Shymkiv could escape, she’d be a state champion.

Facing St. Viator’s Charlotte Nold at 105 pounds, Shymkiv found herself locked into a 1-1 draw after all three periods during the IHSA state girls wrestling finals Saturday afternoon. But Shymkiv had to wait for overtime, as a lengthy injury delay had the Glenbard East senior toeing the circle and the Bloomington crowd silent.

“My coaches were looking at me and telling me to calm down and relax,” Shymkiv said. “They told me that it was my time.”

It was the second injury timeout of the match, but Shymkiv made the most of the stoppages. Given the choice for the start of the overtime period, Shymkiv opted for the down position, meaning an escape would result in a 2-1 sudden victory and a state title.

“I was thinking that it was my last chance and it was my move,” Shymkiv said. “My coach looked at me and he just said, ‘do it’.”

With her palms planted on the mat, Shymkiv burst forward and up at the sound of the whistle, breaking free from Nold’s grasp and drawing a roar of applause inside the Grossinger Motors Arena. The escape merited the first state title for Shymkiv, who medaled in third place two years ago and was a state runner-up last year.

“I’ve worked really hard over the last four years,” Shymkiv said.

Shymkiv, who finished with a 39-3 record, was one of several area wrestlers to bring home medals from this year’s state tournament. Hinsdale South senior Callie Carr, a defending champion from last year, had her hopes of a second straight title snapped after falling against Freeburg senior Grace Stratton in the semifinal round.

But Carr rebounded with back-to-back wins in consolation action to medal in third at 155 and finish with a 39-2 record. Carr pinned Crystal Lake Central’s Cait Jones early in the third period before scoring a 21-2 technical fall over Oakwood senior Taylor Owens.

“I was really upset with myself, but everyone kept telling me about the next best thing and that’s what I thought about,” said Carr, who will continue her wrestling career at Elmhurst University. “It’s not over for me. I’m really good on my feet, but the last two times I’ve lost, it’s because I’ve gotten thrown. So I need to stick to what I know, like my single legs, and what I can do on my feet.”

Wheaton Academy’s Catherine Diehl (130) and Morton’s Anali Wilson (170) also medaled in third at this year’s state tournament. Diehl, a freshman who finished with a 40-5 record, won four of her five tournament matches and posted a 15-3 major decision over Mt. Zion’s Sydney Cannon to secure her third-place medal.

“It means a lot,” Diehl said. “I put a lot of sacrifice and hard work into this and it feels great. I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t get first since that was my goal all year, but third sounds great. It’s my freshman year, so that’s something to be happy about.”

Wilson, who also earned four victories, finished 43-4 after pinning O’Fallon’s Kira Thompson in the third-place match. York’s Charlie Dolan finished fourth at 125, outlasting Danville’s Yariah Shaw by 14-7 decision in the consolation semifinals to guarantee a top-4 state placement. Dolan ended her season with a 33-4 record as York’s first state qualifier.

“I worked hard all summer and I finally accomplished one of my goals,” Wilson said. “It’s not what I wanted, but I’m still grateful. Doing my shots really helped me. Throws aren’t really good for me and it’s really about my shots. My approach was that whatever happens happens and I should just go out there and have fun.”

Glenbard West’s Karolina Konopka pinned Marist’s Ava Enright to earn the fifth-place medal at 120. Konopka, who concludes the year with a 44-5 record, won three tournament matches including two by pin. Her pin against Enright came in the second period.

“Going into this season, I had high goals set for myself,” said Konopka, who qualified but didn’t place last season. “A medal shows everything I’ve put in and how much I’ve improved this season. My hand fighting was definitely there and that helped slow the girls down. I stayed strong and I moved my feet a lot.”

Lemont senior Molly O’Connor, making her third straight tournament appearance, made program history by becoming its first medalist.

O’Connor placed sixth at 125 pounds.