Boys wrestling: St. Charles East’s Munaretto wins 2nd state title; Montini, IC Catholic excel in 2A

CHAMPAIGN — Even from the walkouts, St. Charles East junior Dom Munaretto was in a glass half-full kind of mood.

While most of the other wrestlers came out onto the floor donning loose sweats, Munaretto came onto the mat wearing the school’s white robe, with “Saints” embroidered across the back.

And while it was a tradition that he’s followed in his first two walkouts prior to the state championship match, this time he flaunted it as a sign of confidence.

And when he came back out onto the floor for the Class 3A 120-pound championship match Saturday, he showed that he had every reason to be.

After winning each of his first three matches at the IHSA boys wrestling individual state meet via technical fall, Munaretto managed to get one final tech-fall, defeating Schaumburg’s Brady Phelps 19-3 in 4:19 to secure his second state title in three seasons.

“This wasn’t just a win physically, this was a win mentally too,” Munaretto said. “It showed myself that I can do it. I believed in myself that I could do it, and I was just happy to go out there and prove it.”

After winning the 106-pound title his freshman season, Munaretto fell short of the 113-pound crown just a season ago, losing by decision to Marmion’s Nicholas Garcia.

While the loss motivated himself physically, as he moved his record to 51-1 on the season, it also helped him change his approach to the mat mentally.

“Last year, I felt like I was a bit glass half-empty during my matches,” Munaretto said. “When things would go wrong, I would start to panic a bit. But this time I matured a bit and took a glass half-full approach to wrestling. I was just always feeling positive and just looking to score the next point. And that’s what kept me going through all these matches.”

Meanwhile, Garcia ended up winning his second-straight state championship up in the 126-pound tournament after getting a 14-1 major decision over Marist’s Michael Esteban.

Garcia’s bout with Esteban wasn’t the first time the two clashed in the postseason, as the two wrestled twice before, including in the Hinsdale Central sectional championship just a week ago, where Garcia securing a 2-1 victory in a tiebreaker.

This time around, Garcia made sure to leave no doubt about who the winner was going to be, building up an 11-0 lead by the end of the second period.

“I finally got him to open him up,” Garcia said. “I didn’t think I was going to get him down in the first period because he’s usually defensive, but I did and that’s when I knew he didn’t really have it in him. But I was able to push it in the second period and after I made that turn, I knew I had him.”

Throughout the match, Marmion’s coaches both ring side and from the stands were reminding Carrera of him being a machine, a mind set that the Cadets have maintained throughout the entire postseason.

And it’s that mind set that Carrera said has helped him reach the podium for a second straight season.

“After conferences, everyone in the room died and became machines,” Carrera said. “After that, we had a hard week of practice and got broken down and built back up. Our conditioning was at the highest level.

“Humans break, but machines don’t. And we’re done breaking. It’s just a mental edge that we have on our opponents that we can keep going and they can’t.”

Also looking to go back-to-back was junior Zach Stewart, who was hoping to defend his 144-pound crown that he won a season ago. But in the championship bout against Fremd’s Evan Gosz, the Purdue commit was put on his back midway through the second period and suffered a loss by fall in 3:11.

Stewart, who’s been practice partners with Gosz since he was in fifth grade, said that the two wrestlers know each other inside-and-out. And when he tried a new move on Gosz, he got caught, and eventually pinned.

“When it gets to a close match like that, anything can happen,” Stewart said. “It’s whatever, he got me. I’m happy he got it, but I’ve got stuff to improve on.”

While falling just short was definitely not his hope from the state trip, Stewart said that his focus is turning to helping his team win their first-ever dual team championship, with the sectional matches starting Tuesday and the state finals following next Saturday in Bloomington.

As for his hopes of winning a state title next season? He’s not too worried about how the loss affects his chances.

“It’s just one move. I’m going to go back into the practice room and keep working out,” Stewart said. “I’ll see what happened in the match and see what I can improve on. Obviously job is not done. I’m just excited to have stuff to work on.”

Brody Kelly was the first wrestler up.

The return to the center stage at State Farm Arena was a year in the making for the IC Catholic Prep junior.

“Last year I lost by one point, and I’ve thought about that every single day,” he said.

The blind draw meant the state championship bouts started with Kelly’s 175-pound match against Kye Weinzieri of Geneseo.

Kelly posted seven takedowns for the 21-6 technical fall in the Class 2A state championship match Saturday at the University of Illinois.

Kelly (46-5) emphatically erased the bittersweet experience of his narrow 3-2 defeat in the 150-pound championship against Montini’s David Mayora last year.

“I learned from that day about the pain and disappointment, and it made me want to go to practice more, every day, two times a day,” Kelly said.

“It pushed me to go harder in practice.”

Kelly dictated the tempo with three takedowns in each of the first two periods.

“I wasn’t as nervous because it was my second time here,” he said. “I knew I was going to go out and dominate.

“You have to go out right away. You can’t be hesitant, and wait for them to do something. You have to go out and do it yourself.”

Kelly was one of four Knights to reach the championship match.

IC Catholic finished with a staggering nine state medalists with three champions and a runner-up.

Senior Deven Casey captured his second consecutive state championship with the 10-1 major decision over Civic Memorial’s Bradley Ruckman in the 132-pound title match.

Casey (47-6) won the 120-pound state title last year.

“There’s a lot of pressure, it’s the state finals, and I really wanted to dominate the match,” Casey said.

“You feel the weight off your shoulders. This is what I worked for, and what I wanted before I got into high school.”

In the 126-pound title match, newcomer Max Cumbee, a transfer from Joliet Catholic, won the dramatic 1-0 victory over Rochelle’s Xavier Villalobos.

The Knights’ top Class 2A rival Montini finished with two state champions and seven state medalists.

At 113 pounds, sophomore Allen Woo secured his consecutive state championship with the 4-1 overtime victory over St. Patrick Daniel Goodwin.

Woo (49-5) fought off the defensive maneuvers of Goodwin with the takedown early in the overtime.

”Pressure is a privilege, and I am just grateful for all the opportunities that I get,” Woo said.

“I was a little frustrated because I felt like it shouldn’t have been that close, and I worked too hard. I knew nobody worked like I did, and I could finish the match.”

Montini junior Kam Luif cruised to the 138-pound title with a major decision over Rockford East’s Donald Cannon.

Luif (50-4) had a dominant state finals run with three victories by technical fall leading into the state championship match.

“Scoring points and having fun is the most important thing to me,” he said. “That’s how I do it.

“I knew I had trust in my training, and trust in my coaches and my teammates, and I could beat anybody out there.”

After an emotionally charged semifinal victory on Friday night sent West Aurora senior Dominic Serio into the 157-pound championship match, the Blackhawks star came close to delivering the first state title in program history.

Serio would drop a tense 4-3 decision to Liam Kelly (Mt. Carmel, 34-5) who would avenge three earlier losses to Serio to give the junior his first state title of his career.

"It was a tough match — stuff happens in these types of matches — and you just have to deal with it," said a disappointed Serio (36-5), who will wrestle in the fall at Ohio University.

"I cannot tell you how proud of the way (Dominic) competed tonight, and in the tournament. It was a great tournament performance," said Rob Serio, who himself finished third in 1994 at Glenbard North

Serio's son Dayne, a junior, lost in his 165-pound blood round match earlier in the day.

Kalani Khiev would cap a magnificent four-year career when the Glenbard North senior earned his second straight fifth-place medal.

Khiev (45-5) would bounce back in style after suffering a heartbreaking loss in his semifinal on Friday night to give the Panthers program their 102nd state medal in its storied history.

Henry Rydlewski made his first state appearance a memorable one when the Naperville Central senior claimed the Redhawks’ 20th state medal after his sixth-place finish at 175 pounds.

"This was an incredible way for my high school career to end," began Rydlewski, who finished with a sparkling 46-6 overall record.

"Winning my state opener on Thursday helped set me up to go this far into the tournament, and it feels great to bring home a medal," added Rydlewski, who will pursue a career as a travel nurse.

Nikolas Duarte (37-8) gave Addison Trail its 20th state medal when the freshman came away with a fourth-place medal at 106 pounds.

"I've always believed in myself, so it has been all about working as hard as I can, and believing in a higher being to help me through," said Duarte.

As senior Mateusz Nycz walked off the wrestling mat after securing third place in the Class 3A 285-pound weight class, a cluster of Marmion coaches, all donning Hawaiian shirts, all started exclaiming a similar sentiment.

“12 and 2! We were 12 and 2 this morning!”

It was a fact that had the Cadets practically jumping for joy from their ringside seats. And for good reason, after having four wrestlers take third place in the medal matches along with a fifth place finisher.

“It’s just crazy having all this success here,” Nycz said. “Now we can start building off of this to get ready for dual sectionals on Tuesday.”

Nycz, who went 0-2 in his first state run last season, went 3-0 during the final day of the tournament, with a 11-3 major decision over Maine South’s Tyler Fortis the bronze medal.

“The biggest thing for me was just changing my mindset,” Nycz said. “I knew I had to get more points, and that allowed me to get much better and get third place here.”

Along with Nycz, sophomore Preston Morrison (106), junior Demetrios Carrera (132) and junior Ashton Hobson (150) also took home bronze medals.

Morrison, who was competing in his first state meet, ended up setting the tone early for the Cadets, getting a major victory in his first match before winning his third-place bout against Addison Trail’s Nikolas Duarte by fall in 3:28.

“My goal from the start was just to place, but from the first match out I knew I was going to be good,” Morrison said. “It’s amazing being out here and seeing my team wrestle. I just love it.”

Carrera also managed a bronze medal in his first appearance at the state meet. The junior ended up winning his third-place match over Hersey’s Elijah Garza in a 10-1 major decision.

“I trained really hard to try and get on top of the podium, but sometimes obstacles come in your way,” Carrera said. “I just had to come back and get the next-best thing. So instead of being negative all weekend, I stayed positive and fought back to get third.”

Hobson improved on his sixth-place finish in the 144 weight class a season ago with his third place, which he won with a 1-0 decision over Yorkville’s Van Rosauer.

“I had a goal in mind, but that wasn’t it,” Hobson said. “But I just went out there wanting to compete hard for my team, so that was a good feeling.”

The Cadets also had freshman Aidan McClure (113) come away with a fifth-place finish after defeating Huntley’s Colin Abordo with an 8-0 major decision in his final match.

Also securing a third-place finish at state was St. Francis' Jaylen Torres. After suffering a disqualification in his opening match of the Class 1A 285-pound tournament, the junior went 5-0 through the consolation bracket, with a fall victory over Seneca’s Jeremy Gagnon in the third-place match being the finishing touch.

“I just knew with all the work I put in, I could fight my way back and get third,” Torres said. “I just told myself that I couldn’t get too down about the disqualification, and I knew that if I put in the work I could make it back.”

St. Charles East’s Anthony Gutierrez (165) walked away with his second-straight fourth-place finish. The Indiana commit won his opening match with a 15-0 tech fall over Warren’s Royce Lopez, but fell short in the third-place match on a 6-5 decision.

“It’s definitely not what I wanted and not my goal,” Gutierrez said. “I’m not proud of my performance, but I’m proud to say that I’m a three-time All-Stater.”

Batavia senior Asher Sheldon earned All-State honors in the 195-pound weight class. The senior walked away with a sixth-place finish after falling in his final two matches.

“Of course the goal wasn’t sixth, but it feels good to walk away with a medal and get my name up on the board and put my name in the books,” Sheldon said.

Batavia’s Kai Enos (113), St. Charles East’s Liam Aye (126) and Marmion’s Joseph Favia (215) all fell in earlier consolation rounds on Saturday.

– Mike Garofola from the Daily Herald and Patrick McGavin of Shaw Local contributed to this story