Oswego East’s Quinn Janssens, after spectacular sophomore season, set for state debut

Quinn Janssens wrestled for Oswego East last year, but on the boys side. She competed within the boys division, and traveled with the boys team.

Her sophomore year?

It’s been nothing short of spectacular.

Janssens, who wrestles in the 140-pound girls division, carried a 48-3 record into her IHSA girls state tournament debut this weekend.

The Oswego East sophomore did so after winning both regional and sectional championships.

On Friday, she won her first match at the state event held at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, pinning Lincoln-Way Central’s Ella Giertuga in 1 minute, 48 seconds.

“Excited for her,” Oswego East coach Bryan DeBenedetti said. “We have been working all year long just to get here. The fact that she has made it, and not only made it but as regional and sectional champion shows how impressive she has been. Excited to see her perform this weekend.”

Janssens is one of three wrestlers from the Oswego community at state.

Oswego High School senior Aaliyah Roldan (36-14) qualified at 120 pounds, Oswego senior Kiyah Chavez (38-9) at 155. Roldan dropped her first match at state Friday, while Chavez pinned Freeburg’s Grace Stratton in 1:11.

DeBenedetti said that last summer is when Janssens first popped on his radar as a young lady with tremendous potential. She qualified for Fargo Nationals and finished top 10 in the nation, her first time doing freestyle.

She did club for the first time this past year, with the Oswego Wrestling Club, and Janssens' success has carried right on into high school season.

“It was a lot of hard work. I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the season,” Janssens said. “It’s nice to have a team that supports me and had my back.”

Janssens started wrestling in the seventh grade, following a friend of hers who had siblings that wrestled and a background in the sport.

It stuck.

Three years later, Janssens seems a natural to the sport.

“Her level of grit and aggression stands out,” DeBenedetti said. “I’ve never seen a single match from Quinn where she has given up a position. If she lost a point or scrambled, if it does happen she makes every girl fight every second for it. That is what sets her apart, is the level of fight she brings to every single match.”

Janssens' second match at state will come against New Trier’s Jillian Giller, who handed Janssens' one of her three losses this season.

“Going against New Trier, it definitely shaped how I looked at things,” Janssens said. “It was a big one, realizing that there is still room for improvement.”

“We’re not worried about it,” DeBenedetti said. “We’re treating every single match like it’s 0-0.”

Indeed, Janssens' championships at regionals and sectionals gives her confidence. But she also notes that those are in the past. New tournament, new bracket.

“I’m pretty excited,” she said. “Getting a little nervous thinking about state but it’s nothing I can’t overcome.”