Wrestling: Marmion leads area programs with 10 state qualifiers from Hinsdale Central sectional

HINSDALE – Jameson Garcia was in a customary position.

Tyler Perry and Jack Lesher want to taste the same feeling as their Marmion wrestling teammate.

The last three days of the Class 3A individual wrestling season are here after Marmion, which ended the regular season ranked fourth in the coaches’ poll, led all programs with 10 qualifiers to the state tournament next weekend at State Farm Center in Champaign.

Garcia, the Bartlett native who captured the coaches’ association (the IWCOA) state tournament last spring, had few issues in delivering a dominant technical-fall victory in the finals at 113 on Saturday at the Hinsdale Central sectional.

The Cadets, who advanced five to the championship mat, would have to wait, however, until Perry and Lesher duplicated the feat with back-to-back sectional titles at 170 and 182 pounds.

“I just know that if I can get to my attacks, no one can stop me,” said Garcia, who stopped Anthony Lopez, the lone state qualifier for Morton, with a second-period margin greater than 15 points. “Every single match I go in with that mindset. Confidence is the key.”

“Right now, we’re just focusing on rallying together as a team,” said St. Charles’ Lesher, the fourth-ranked 182-pounder who scored all the offensive points in a 9-1 victory over Mt. Carmel sophomore Rylan Breen.

The No. 3 Caravan denied Marmion in both the Catholic League regular-season duals as well as the league tournament.

The schools will meet again the Tuesday after the individual state finals at Marist for a berth in the team-state finals’ Elite Eight.

“Mt. Carmel is on our mind, but we are focused on being the best that we can be individually,” Lesher, a sophomore, said.

“I am feeling really good about my wrestling and conditioning,” said the Cadets’ third sectional champion, Perry, a Batavia resident. “The team energy has pushed me to do my best.”

Perry employed a reversal and two takedowns in his championship match against Downers Grove South senior Will Schuesler to win 7-3.

The Cadets’ Danny Pigoni and Collin Carrigan settled for runner-up finishes at 106 and 152 pounds for Marmion.

Sean Scheck pinned West Aurora senior Gio Amaya, who struggled through injuries all day, to capture the Cadets’ lone third-place major-consolation title at 220 pounds.

Santino Scolaro (138 pounds), Tegan Chumbley (145), Kenny Siwicki (160) and Teddy Perry (195) all punched the final four Marmion tickets to the state tournament by advancing to the third-place matches.

Jimmy Nugent is seemingly on a mission.

But the Downers Grove South senior is also no longer operating in the wake of city rival Harrison Konder.

The latter, who entered the postseason not only once-beaten but ranked No. 4 at 138 pounds, was once again displaced by the sixth-ranked Nugent this weekend.

One week after handing Konder a second loss in the finals of the Mustangs’ first team regional championship since 1982, Nugent once again was the star attraction in the championship match.

The Mustangs face second-ranked Marist on its home turf in Chicago for the team sectional the Tuesday after the individual state tournament.

Nugent, in a glimpse of a marquee match at the team sectional, shut out the Redhawks’ Dunlap Owen 4-0 to announce his presence at the state level in decisive fashion.

Nugent turned Owen in the opening moments of a scoreless second period to secure a three-point near-fall as the foundation of his first sectional title.

“A tough sectional,” Nugent said. “I take it match by match. Monday it’s back to work.”

Nugent improved to 35-6 on the season.

“It was just self-belief,” Nugent said of handing Owen his second loss on the year against 16 wins. “What I practice is what I score with.”

Konder, meanwhile, had to fight for his life simply to earn a trip to the three-day state finals.

The Trojans’ ballyhooed sophomore was down to his last bullets in the consolation rounds after highly-regarded West Aurora freshman Dom Serio established a double-digit cushion.

But the 13-3 Serio lead in the second period was vanquished as Konder caught the overzealous freshman in a move and pinned him.

Konder then scored the only point–a second-period escape–to dispatch Marmion junior Santino Scolaro 1-0 in the third-place match.

“I had a slight setback (Friday) night,” Konder said. “I wanted to get back at it. (Serio) made a mistake, and I took him out on it.”

Konder enters the state finals with a 39-3 mark.

Will Schuessler took his 7-3 loss in the finals at 170 in stride.

The junior is 36-8 after two escapes and a penalty deduction against Tyler Perry, one of three sectional champions for fourth-ranked Marmion.

“I am ready for Champaign,” Schuessler said.

The Mustangs’ Luke Swan earned the third of four state-qualifying bids for the program with a third-place finish at 132 pounds.

Downers South senior Noah Rapinchuk duplicated the Swan effort with a wild 8-7 third-place triumph over Marmion junior Teddy Perry at 195 pounds.

The host Red Devils have had two marquee names all season dot their lineup.

Once again, Cody Tavoso and Marko Ivanisevic lived up to the billing.

The former, a rarity in the western suburbs as an all-state athlete from the last official tournament in Champaign two years ago, and the ever-emerging sophomore at the other end of the weight spectrum, both made the finals.

Tavoso endured a tactical struggle with Mt. Carmel sophomore Eddie Enriight to win 4-2 and improve to 24-3 at 132 pounds.

But Invanisevic suffered his second loss of the season with a third-period fall at 220 pounds to Marist senior Ghee Rachal.

Ivanisevic enters the state tournament with a 34-2 record.

In addition to Konder, Downers North has two familiar names in the hat at state as Ben  Bielawski and Jordan Lewis were third and fourth, respectively, at 182 and heavyweight.

Bielawski had a first-period fall in the third-place match.

Lyons Township was also at the Downers South regional to open the postseason.

The Lions advanced two athletes to the state finals as Gunnar Garelli and Cooper Schodrof won major-consolation titles at 126 and 170 pounds.

“I had a pretty bad draw,” Schodrof said of his weekend. “I won three in a row. I knew I needed to do that (on Saturday).”

“The most pleasing (aspect) was getting that wrestleback win to make sure I got to state,” Garelli said. “What I need to work on is my attacks and my defense.”

Morton junior Anthony Lopez is 32-3 as the sole state qualifier at the school.

Lopez earned automatic exclusion to the state meet by advancing to the finals at 113 pounds.

But he had the misfortune of facing defending state-champion Jameson Gartica of Marmion in the championship.

Garcia had a second-period technical fall.

Class 2A Deerfield Sectional

Jayden Colon led the way for Montini when he won his 145 title on a 8-1 decision. The IWCOA-ranked No. 2 wrestler in his weight and class won both of his quarterfinal and semifinal matches by fall.

David Mayora followed up Colon by winning the 152 title, his by 14-6 decision. The IWCOA No. 4 ranked wrestler also won both his quarterfinal and semifinal matches by fall.

Colon was proud of his win and is excited to see what he can do in the state meet.

“It feels really good,” Colon said of his sectional win. “It makes me feel better about my state, like me being better at state. I just need to improve some things.”

Jimmy Liston finished second for Fenwick to lead the Friars on Saturday. The senior lost his title match after earning a 12-5 semifinal win and a fall in the quarterfinal.

Both Martin Paris (160) and Conor Paris (182) fell in their respective semifinals and finished fourth in their respective weights.

While Martin Paris would’ve liked to have won a sectional title, he’s excited for the chance as a state qualifier.

“It’s great,” Martin Paris. “My football team just won a state championship. My goal was to be a state placer, but state qualifier, we’ll see what I do next weekend.”

-- Michal Dwojak

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