IHSA State Wrestling: Bielawski, Gonzalez win titles at IHSA state finals

CHAMPAIGN – Ben Bielawski tossed his anklets into the air before miming a smoking gun celebration.

Bielawski, a Downers Grove North senior, entered the Class 3A 285-pound state finals with a 44-1 record. He left it with one more win, an ultimate 5-3 decision over Belleville East’s Jonathan Rulo on Feb. 18.

“The awards and the medals are nice, but it’s more important to me that I represented my family, my community and a higher matter,” Bielawski said. “That’s what it means to put my head down on the pillow at night.”

“And something I can hang my hat on. I just represented Downers Grove as a whole.”

Bielawski highlighted the evening for the Trojans. Harrison Konder (152) took fifth by defeating DeKalb’s Jacob Luce in a 3-2 decision.

In Class 1A, IC Catholic senior heavyweight Isaiah Gonzalez prevailed for the title by pinning Auburn’s Cole Edie.

“This year, my main driving factor was losing twice in the finals,” said Gonzalez, who fell short in 2021 and at the 2020 IWCOA unofficial state tournament. “I got a lot of motivation from my teammates and my coaches saying, ‘You have to get over that hump. You cannot make it to the finals three years in a row and lose.’”

Saul Trejo (120) took third, Joseph Gliatta (152) took eighth and Foley Calcagno (182) took sixth for the Knights.

Nazareth sophomore Gabe Kaminski, who entered the Class 1A 220-pound finals with a 30-0 record, fell to Dakota’s Noah Wenzel. Wenzel, the defending 195-pound champion, earned a 2-1 decision.

Kaminski was runner-up at 220 last year.

“I’m not going to make any excuses. He was just stronger than me. He got most of me,” Kaminski said. “I had a plan going in and I just didn’t execute the plan.

“Seeing I get second again, it [stinks], but hopefully, he’ll be back next year. I get to see him again and finish.”

Montini 152-pounder David Mayora fell in the finals to Aurora Christian’s Taythan Silva in a 1-0 decision. Ben Dunne (113), Kameron Luif (120) and Will Prater (160) took sixth and Santino Tenuta (145) was eighth for the Broncos.

Downers Grove South senior Luke Swan finished his senior season with a fifth-place finish after his opponent, St. Charles East’s Anthony Gutierrez, injury defaulted. Matty Lapacek (182) took eighth for Downers Grove South.

York’s Sean Berger placed fourth and Evan Grazzini (182) placed eighth.

Lyons’ Gunnar Garelli (160) took fourth.