St. Charles East crowns five champions, runs away with regional title

ST. CHARLES – St. Charles East sent a dozen wrestlers into the finals of Saturday’s Class 3A St. Charles East regional.

The Saints finished with five champions and won the team title with 247 points. Glenbard North was second with 171.5 and DeKalb placed third among the eight-team field with 132.5.

“(Twelve) might be a record, to be honest, I’m not sure, so it’s pretty good,” Saints coach Jason Potter said. “We’re pretty excited. And we felt we had one of the tougher regionals inside our sectional so for us to put 12 in the finals shows how good of a morning we had rolling into that.”

Saints winners were Dom Munaretto (120), Gavin Woodmancy (138), Anthony Gutierrez (165), Abe Leidig (175) and Cooper Murray (215).

“We challenged the guys today to wrestle better than they did at the conference tournament last week,” Potter said. “Some of this competition was the same but we also drew some really tough kids from Bartlett and West Chicago.”

Besides Munaretto, none of St. Charles East’s latest champs had won a regional previously. Woodmancy, Gutierrez and Murray lost title bouts at the regional at DeKalb a year ago while Leidig didn’t make the trip.

“I’ve been on JV the last three years so for me it’s just been next match, next match and it doesn’t matter what seed I get or who I wrestle,”’ Leidig said. “It’s just been the next match and if you think too far ahead you get in your head.”

For the moment, Leidig can celebrate the result of his latest battle, a 14-4 major decision over Glenbard North’s Joseph Fitak, for a regional crown.

“To finally win something feels cool,” he said. “I took eighth at Cheesehead, took third at conference, but this, to finally win something like this, this is a cool moment.”

Kaden Potter (106), Declan Sons (113), Liam Aye (126), Logan Tatar (144), Rocco Lobrillo (190) and Matt Medina (285) each took second and advanced for the Saints.

Potter hadn’t wrestled in weeks, winning his first match since last December, but took a medical forfeit in the 106 title match to Glenbard North’s Vannak Khiev as he eases his way back into action. His return alone was another win for the Saints.

“Since he got into the finals it was one of the weird father/son moments of hey buddy you’re not wrestling this,” Potter said. “So he’s smart enough to understand it. We look forward to another week of practice. I think he can get his timing back, really get his conditioning back and more importantly his confidence back after taking eight weeks off the mat.”

Geneva’s Sam Sikorsky (113) and Joseph Pettit (285) won regional titles for the Vikings.

“I kind of came back this year and wrestled my heart out,” Sikorsky said. “That was the goal. Being regional champion will help me out going into sectionals for sure.”

Pettit met up with St. Charles East’s Matt Medina in his final, their third match in as many weeks. Pettit prevailed after an escape and a takedown, 4-0.

“He is a tough opponent, but I knew he was going to come after me after the last two times we wrestled,” Pettit said “He made me work, but I’m just excited for what’s to come with sectionals because it’ll be more big matches.”

DeKalb’s Mike Hodge dodged another pesty nosebleed to win at 144, earning a 5-3 decision over St. Charles East’s Logan Tatar.

“I’m a bloody guy,” he said. “Going into practice everyday I get bloody noses. I think this one started in the second period and the loose plugs kept falling out and it kept getting worse.”

Jaden Bradley (106) and Hudson Ikens (157) took second and Jeremiah Piniera (285) placed third to also advance for the Barbs.

Wheaton North’s Thomas Fulton doubled up St. Charles East’s Ryan McGovern, 4-2, in the 157 title match to lead the Falcons. A handful of clutch wins during third-place matches will give Fulton and runner-up Rocco Macellaio (120) company during sectionals. Ryan Rosch (150), Julian Flores (165), Nikolas Schaafsma (175) and Carlo Saenz (190) prevailed with their seasons on the line.

West Chicago’s Leo Rosas won at 150. Sophomore Emanuel Rangel and seniors Santino Milazzo and Ryan Alvarado won third-place matches to also advance for the Wildcats.

Glenbard North captured four regional titles. Vannak Khiev (106), Kalani Khiev (126), Trey Thompson (132) and Julian Holland (190 won for the Panthers, Fitak took second and Isaac Velasco (120), Ricardo Morales (138), Xavier Smiley (157) and Tyler Hvorick (215) were third.first-place

“I haven’t won a tournament since freshman year,” Thompson said. “I started wrestling in the eighth grade so I’m pretty new to it so I’m just getting that first place feeling. It’s hard falling short often so just getting that victory, getting a bracket, getting a first-place medal. It feels real nice.”