Hampshire had four girls wrestlers in Schaumburg on Saturday hoping to qualify for the upcoming IHSA State Finals.

The Whip-Purs went 4 for 4.

Hampshire crowned two champions and will have an area-best four individuals advancing to state after a strong showing in Saturday’s Schaumburg Sectional. Samantha Diehl (190) and Amelia Nidelea-Polanin (120) won sectional titles for the Whip-Purs, who finished in second place out of 68 schools with 95.5 points. It’s the girls wrestling team’s highest sectional finish in program history.

“Our team is growing so fast, and we’re so strong,” Diehl said. “I can’t wait to see what we can do and how far we can keep going.”

Diehl (36-3), a sophomore who took third at state last season, overcame a three-point deficit in her sectional title match with Schaumburg’s Nadia Razzak. Taking top position to start the third period, Diehl worked her way to a pin to clinch her sectional win. It’s the first sectional title for Diehl, who placed third last year.

“I’ve been working with our guys a lot on keeping the pressure on,” Diehl said. “Arm bars hurt, but they’re effective, and working those have really helped me succeed. This is awe-inspiring. I worked a lot, and it’s a really good achievement to be able to get up here.”

Nidelea-Polanin (22-0), one of only two McHenry County girls still unbeaten, went to her ankle picks during her sectional title match against Glenbard West’s Karolina Konopka. A new opponent to her, Nidelea-Polanin had three takedowns and scored a 9-1 major decision to win the second sectional title of her career.

“I’ve never wrestled her, and she’s a really tough opponent,” said Nidelea-Polanin, a junior who took third at state last year. “I tried to do what I’ve been practicing and not get in my head. ... Being confident and putting whatever work we’ve done on the mat.”

Freshmen Annabelle Mueller (37-5) and Stella Piazza (25-1) will represent Hampshire at state for the first time. Mueller finished second at 105, and Piazza overcame her first defeat of the season to take third at 115. In total, 11 girls from six area teams qualified for the state meet, which is set for Feb. 27 and 28 in Bloomington.

Huntley, which placed fifth with 54 points, will have two wrestlers competing at state. Janiah Slaughter (33-2) showed dominance in her title match against Batavia’s Lily Enos, turning a second-period takedown into a pin to claim the 100-pound title. Slaughter, a senior who didn’t wrestle last season, is seeking her third state medal and the first state championship of her career.

“It means so much more,” Slaughter said. “I’ve always lost in the finals, but I knew this had to be my year. I have to go out there and prove it. Lily and I have been going back and forth since my freshman year. I just had to make sure I attacked first.”

Huntley’s Grecia Garcia (36-12) placed fourth at 135, earning a hard-fought 8-5 decision over Grant’s Abby Quirk to make state.

At 145, McHenry’s Natalie Corona continued her perfect season with her first sectional win. Corona (35-0) secured a pair of takedowns and defended throughout the third period to earn an 11-1 major decision over Oswego East’s Ella Cooper in the final.

“That was my first time being in the finals,” said Corona, who took fifth at state as a sophomore. “I had nothing to lose, and I really wanted to win. That was a first-time opponent, and I watched her wrestle a little bit throughout the tournament. I needed to be good on my feet, and I feel pretty strong in neutral, so I was just trying to take my shots all day and get to my turns as soon as I could.”

McHenry, which had five wrestlers in Schaumburg, tied for 10th place with 40 points. Woodstock co-op made history Saturday, qualifying its first two girls wrestlers ever for state. With her season on the line, senior 100-pounder Eva Hermansson (39-7) had a third-period takedown and three back points to beat Glenbard East’s Karla Sarabia by a 7-6 decision and earn a state bid.

“This is everything I’ve worked for over the last three years,” Hermansson said. “I’ve always done a good job of understanding that there are six minutes in a match and no matter what happens, you wrestle the whole six minutes. Even with 20 seconds left, nobody has won yet. Anything’s possible, and you just have to have faith.”

Hermansson outlasted Lincoln-Way Central’s McKenzie Steinke with a 3-0 decision to take third at 100. Brianna Crown, another senior, capitalized on four back points to secure a 6-2 decision against Hoffman Estates’ Dayanara Elias-Mena and qualify for state. Crown (40-10) pinned Schaumburg’s Maja Brzosko in the first period to record her 40th win this year and finish in third place at 170.

“I give all glory to God,” Crown said. “He gave me this opportunity, and I took it. It feels so amazing because it’s just so much hard work, and I’m so proud of myself. I’m proud of everybody. Girls wrestling is kind of a new sport, and it’s important that we pave the way for the younger generation to see that this is a good sport.”

More history came at 155, where Crystal Lake Central’s Cait Jones pinned Hoffman Estates’ Sydnee Allen to become only the second girls wrestler from Central to qualify for state. Jones (20-4), who finished second at the regional meet in Hampshire last weekend, pinned Glenbard North’s Suzanne Stalley in the third-place bout.

“I wrestle against guys every day, so I have something these other girls don’t have,” said Jones, who overcame recent illnesses to get to the state tournament. “I had the upper hand, and I knew I could win that match. I was hoping I’d be a state qualifier. My coaches started crying, everyone looked at me, and I just burst into tears.”

Crystal Lake South’s Annalee Aarseth (115) rounded out the area’s state-qualifying wrestlers. Aarseth (26-3), a junior who medaled in second at state last season, placed second in the sectional meet. A total of 28 girls from 12 area schools wrestled at the tournament.