CHAMPAIGN-URBANA – Area wrestlers performed well, with some advancing in the championship brackets on the first day of the IHSA state wrestling individual tournament on Thursday at State Farm Center on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.
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In Class 3A, Edwardsville had two of its five wrestlers advance in the opening rounds. At 106 pounds, Grant Matarelli lost his opening match 9-0 to Nick Gonzalez of Lombard Montini, while Noah Surtin won his 120 opener by a 15-0 technical fall at 4:32 over Alex Giuliano of Hoffman Estates Conant. At 138, Luke Odom lost his first match, falling to Pat Nolan of Orland Park Sandburg 5-3, and at 195, Blake Moss lost to DeKalb’s Blah Dahnweih 13-2. Lloyd Reynolds at 285 won his opener, defeating Sandburg’s Nate Goodman 3-1.
Among Class 2A wrestlers, Triad had three wrestlers spilt their matches, while two others lost their openers. At 106, Chase Hall won his opener, pinning Brandon Edelin-Hultz of Oak Forest at 3:27, but lost in the quarterfinals to Sean Conway of Chicago St. Patrick 3-0. Will Hillard, going at 138, took his opener over Anthony Greco of LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy 12-4, but was pinned in the quarterfinals by Ryan Gardner of Bloomington at 2:46.
At 145, Garrett Bakarich won by fall at 3:22 over Mike Rodriguez of Burbank St. Laurence, but lost in the quarterfinals to Nick Termini of Burlington Central 21-7. At 182, Kaleb Port lost his first match to Daniel Jezik of Coal City 14-5, and Collin North at 220 was pinned by Josue Ferro of Burlington Central at 2:48.
Civic Memorial’s Tyus twins won both of their matches to advance to the semifinals. At 120, Caleb Tyus won his opener over Jackson Fowler of Nazareth Academy, scoring a pin at 56 seconds, then won his quarterfinal bout over Grant Peterson of Peoria Notre Dame 7-5. Meanwhile at 126, Caine Tyus went to overtime to defeat Sean Crump of Niles Notre Dame 6-4, then took his quarterfinal over Michael Myers of Rock Island 6-2.
Jersey’s Zeke Waltz advanced to the semifinals at 152, winning his first bout over Lemont’s Kyle Zator 11-2, then won his quarterfinal over Caden Ernd of Crystal Lake Central 8-5. The area’s only Class 1A representative, Roxana’s Alex Maguire at 138, also advanced to the semifinals, taking his opener by fall over Ryan Graves of Heyworth at 4:20, then pinning Cade Enerson of Dwight at 2:48.
Semifinal bouts and opening round wrestleback matches will take place tomorrow at State Farm Center, with the finals set for Saturday evening.
