METAMORA – Just 30 seconds into the championship match at 110 pounds at Saturday’s Metamora Regional, Lincoln-Way Central junior wrestler Zoe Dempsey picked up Pekin’s Tessa Donaldson and slammed her to the mat.

The echoing thud was followed by “oohs and ahhs” from nearly everyone in attendance.

“Technique-wise, that move isn’t really wrestling,” Dempsey said. “I’ve done judo all my life, long before I started wrestling, and those techniques are something I try and use as much as I can.”

Seconds later Dempsey secured a pinfall to improve to 41-2 on the season.

“I tend to really look for throws in my higher stakes matches,” Dempsey said. “I can hang with most of my opponents just wrestling, but I know I’m not going to outwrestle a lot of these girls that have been wrestling their whole life or grew up wrestling boys. I have to use what I know, and partnering judo in my wrestling is what I need to do to be successful.”

Dempsey’s victory was one of many on the day for the Knights, who scored 248 points to take the team title well ahead of runner-up Minooka (134), third-place Joliet Central (103) and fourth-place Morris (101).

Emily Peyton (100), Sadie Sparks (120), Riley Cooney (125) and Bailey Mitchell (145) captured titles for LWC too, while Aubrey Barnes (115, 3rd), Liv Clumpner (135, 3rd), Claire Bray (130, 4th), Ella Giertuga (140, 4th) and Avery Holeman (155, 4th) will also move on to next weekend’s sectional at Geneseo.

Seneca junior Catalina Pacheco recorded her third pinfall of the day in the title match at 130 against Minooka’s Sabina Charlebois in thrilling fashion.

Down 3-1 midway through the second period, Pacheco emerged in control after the two rolled three times, clutching each other, and recorded the pinfall at the 48-second mark.

“At that point of the match, it was just scrambling, and in those situations you either come out with the advantage or you don’t,” Pacheco said. “But to get the advantage you have to feel the way you’re rolling and try and stop the momentum with you on top. It’s a split-second decision. That’s what I was able to do, and it worked out.

“I was very nervous going into the final, but I’m always nervous, I guess. I was very passive, and she was strong, crowding me with her hands and being the aggressor. I was on the defensive way too much.”

Fighting Irish junior Sammie Greisen finished runner-up at 135, falling 6-2 to Joliet Central’s Izabel Barrera.

Morris senior Morgan Congo posted a trio of pinfalls on the day, including one against Plainfield Central’s Zyon Jordan in the title bout at 190 in 1:31.

“It was a great way to finish the day,” Congo said. “I made it to state last year, and my goal is to make it again and to place.

“I watched (Jordan’s) first match today and had an idea of how I wanted to wrestle her. Most of the time I feel I’m better off not knowing too much about my opponent, but in a tournament like this I like to know a little. I feel like sometimes if I know too much, I start getting into my own head, but that didn’t happen today. I wrestled with a clean mind and things worked out.”

Joliet Central’s Alisa Carter (105), Plainfield South’s Teagan Aurich (155) and Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker (170) all claimed championships.

Runner-up marks went to Joliet Central’s Kassandra Ruiz (100), Joliet West’s Chloe Wong (105), Reed-Custer’s Madysen Meyer (115), Minooka’s Mia Lemberg (155) and Plainfield South’s Layla Spann (170).

Also advancing to sectionals will be Morris’ Ellie Evans (100, third) and Maggie Gordon (110, fourth), Joliet Catholic’s Grace Laird (130, third), Plainfield Central’s Shania Davison (115, fourth), Joliet West’s Briahna Klobnak (125, fourth) and Natalie Quiroz (235, fourth), and Minooka’s Ezra Rodriquez (140, third), Palmer Calvey (145, third) and Marian Nordsell (105, fourth).