East Aurora senior Tim Young won a FILA Cadet National Tournament title in Greco-Roman wrestling last year in Akron, Ohio. He was named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler and qualified to wrestle in Slovakia over the summer.
From Akron to Slovakia, he traveled well during the offseason, leaving one destination remaining on his high school wrestling bucket list.
“I want to go downstate and place,” Young said.
Young is hungry to wrestle inside the State Farm Center in the Class 3A individual finals in Champaign. The first step toward that goal will take place in an individual regional at Batavia on Saturday.
Young has been ranked in the state’s top 10 at 195 pounds by Illinois Matmen all season. He wrestled at 170 and 182 as a junior, but is a different specimen this season.
“He’s overall a better wrestler, more sure of himself but not overconfident,” East Aurora coach Frank Davison said. “He has sharpened up his technique, he’s having more fun this year, and it shows.”
Young went 23-5 last year but placed fourth at 170 at the 3A Waubonsie Valley Regional. After wrestling at 182 for much of the year, Young opted to drop down to 170 for the postseason.
He’d like to have that decision back.
“I was cutting a lot of weight to go 170 and I felt drained on the mat before my matches,” Young said. “If I could do it over, I would have stayed at 182.”
Young went into this year’s Upstate Eight Conference tournament unbeaten with a 24-0 record, and suffered his first loss on the title mat by 7-5 decision to Waubonsie Valley’s Max Ihry.
Ihry was the first wrestler this season able to hold off Young’s offense.
“Usually people aren’t able to stop my shots so I have to adjust to that,” Young said. “I should have done more head-banging instead of just trying to fake him.”
Young may get a chance at revenge in Batavia, where Ihry will also be fighting for sectional qualification. He’s ready for the rematch, and ready for his final shot at downstate glory.
“I want to give it all I have until state,” Young said. “I feel pretty confident. I need to tweak some things but I feel very confident.”
Around the area
Saturday’s 3A Batavia Regional will include East and West Aurora, Waubonsie Valley, and Marmion. Oswego and Oswego East will compete in 3A at Bolingbrook while Geneva will compete at West Chicago. Yorkville will compete in 3A at Rock Island.
In 2A, Kaneland and Sandwich will compete at Belvidere. In 1A, Aurora Central Catholic and Mooseheart will compete at Rockford Lutheran, and Plano will compete at Chicago Agricultural Science.