Girls wrestling: Sabina Charlebois leads Minooka to wins over Plainfield Central, Lockport

LOCKPORT – Minooka’s Sabina Charlebois came painfully close to making the girls wrestling state meet as a freshman last season, falling one win short at sectionals.

Charlebois is fueled by the near miss every day and pushing to do big things as a sophomore.

“It’s very motivating, especially since I know I could have been on that podium at state,” Charlebois said. “I trained all summer, and I’m coming back this year knowing what I want to do. My goal is to be that state placer, state champ.”

Charlebois pinned both of her opponents at 125 pounds Wednesday night, leading a dominant performance for Minooka, which beat Plainfield Central 60-12 and the host Porters 66-15 in a triangular meet at Lockport.

Lockport beat Plainfield Central 36-12 in the other dual of the night.

Brooklyn Doti (110), Alaina Austin (120), Addie Cailteux (135), Abbey Boersma (155) and Peyton Kueltzo (235) all went 2-0 with a pin for Minooka.

Minooka has one of the largest girls wrestling rosters in the state, with 40 girls. Charlebois said they all feed off each other’s success.

“I feel like our room is always positive,” Charlebois said. “Even in hard practices, it’s constantly girls telling each other they’re doing good, pushing them harder even when they don’t think they can do it. Pushing each other just gets us closer, and it proves that we have more in our tanks and we can do more.”

Charlebois, who won 24 matches last season, feels like she can outlast her opponents and finish off matches with pins the way she did Wednesday.

“I feel like my key thing is always to hand fight right at the beginning and wear them out,” she said. “Once I get them tired, I shoot right away then grind on top and pin them.”

Kueltzo and Bella Cyrkiel, who received two forfeit wins Wednesday, were state qualifiers last season for Minooka, and Kueltzo has now been to state twice.

Kueltzo, a senior, wants to earn a medal in her final high school season.

“I’m excited to go back and hopefully get on the podium this year,” Kueltzo said. “I feel like my strength and speed have both improved and my stamina in matches.”

Kueltzo started wrestling her sophomore year and found a sport that was the perfect fit for her.

“I didn’t have anything to do in the winter sports season, and I always felt like that as a bigger-bodied person I didn’t have a spot in a team sport because everybody didn’t look like me,” she said. “In wrestling, there was that weight class for me, and the only girls that would be competing against me also looked like me.”

Kueltzo loves the energy around the Minooka program.

“The first year we only had 11 girls, and I thought that was fun,” she said. “Now with 40, it’s really great. I can have different practice partners and meet new people. It’s really fun.”

Liz Ramirez led Lockport with two pins at 115. Averi Colella (105) also went 2-0 for the Porters with a pin.

“I feel like I did well being able to set up my shot and with having control and putting pressure on top,” Ramirez said.

Like Kueltzo, Ramirez is a returning state qualifier who is aiming for larger success this season.

“I’m just trying to practice harder, pushing myself,” she said. “I’m taking power lifting right now to get stronger. I want to get back to state and win at least two matches there this time.”

Lockport’s Claudia Heeney, a state-runner up last season, and defending state champion Alicia Tucker of Plainfield Central were both out for the event.

Zyon Jordan (190) had two pins for the Wildcats, who also got a pin from Courtni Chuway (115).

“I started wrestling last year, and this year I feel much more confident,” Jordan said. “I like wrestling much more now, and I feel like my endurance and everything is better this year.”