Hampshire jumps from the kettle into the fire on Saturday at Antioch.
The Whip-Purs advanced seven wrestlers through the Class 2A Hampshire Regional, leaving Antioch’s individual sectional as the final test to get to the state finals in Champaign.
That test includes seven-time defending state champion Montini, which features seven wrestlers ranked No. 1 by IllinoisMatmen.com, two more ranked in the top 10, and the top-ranked wrestler at 195 pounds in Crystal Lake Central’s Andrew Marsden.
Hampshire regional champions Jake Szlenk (106), Kyle Szlenk (113), Anton Krocko (170) and Co. have their work cut out for them.
“It’s always good to wrestle good opponents. It’s not that fun to wrestle guys who aren’t that good,” Krocko said. “You always want a challenge and being my senior year, I’m so ready to wrestle right now.”
Also advancing for Hampshire were Carlos Puente (120), Wylie Allen (132), and Jacob Oury (152).
“I don’t think we were expecting that many guys to make it through,” Krocko said. “We had a couple guys really pull through this weekend and impress everyone.”
Burlington Central advanced three to Saturday’s 2A Sterling Sectional in regional champ Austin Macias (106), Ray Conklin (152), and Christian Quiles (160).
3A wrapup
Dundee-Crown’s Brett Peters (220) and Christian Brunner (195) advanced to Saturday’s 3A Barrington Sectional, with Brunner winning a regional title at Grant.
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Second-ranked Brunner (37-1) was a state runner-up at 182 last year. and the junior took his first step toward returning to Champaign with a 2-1 decision over Zion-Benton’s Mark Miller on the title mat at Grant.
“Not a whole lot happened on our feet. I got a reversal in the second period, he escaped, and I rode him out in the third period,” Brunner said. “I’ll take them one match at a time from here on and keep trying to wear people down.”
Jacobs won the team title at the 3A Rockford East Regional and advanced nine to Saturday’s individual sectional at Barrington, with Cody Ferencz (120) winning a regional title.
Loren Strickland (160), Jack Golnick (195), and Carson Shoemaker (220) all placed second, and the Eagles went 5-2 on the win or go home, third-place mat.
Placing third for Jacobs were Beau Harrier (113), David Dudych (126), Chris Dranka (132), Jacob Orth (152), and Michael Bujacz (182).
Huntley advanced five to Barrington, led by regional champs Zach Spencer (106), Josh Stenger (113), and Ricky Vigil (132). The Red Raiders’ Brandon Meyer (152) and Dom Swanson (285) also advanced.
Most of the Elgin-area 3A sectional qualifiers wrestle at Glenbard North on Saturday, after surviving a tough individual regional at West Chicago.
St. Charles East’s nine qualifiers from West Chicago include regional champions Anthony Rubino (126), Keone Derain (152), and Ramon Lopez (170). South Elgin advanced regional second-placers Josh Menendez (138), Zach Crosby (182), and Matt Cravens (285).
Other sectional qualifiers from West Chicago include Larkin’s Hugo Barraza (126) Aaron Marshall (285), Elgin’s Matt Gedritis (182), Bartlett’s Alex Montbriand (170), and St. Charles North’s Kolbe O’Brien (106), Steve Collins (138), and Chad Reynolds (160).
Streamwood’s Seung Kook You (126) advanced to Glenbard North through a regional at Lake Park.
1A wrapup
Genoa-Kingston’s Nick Cotham (285) won a 1A regional title at Rockford Lutheran to lead seven Cogs to Saturday’s sectional at Oregon. Christian Ordlock (132), Jason Bray (160), and Joseph Murray (170) each placed second in Rockford to advance.
Gary Larsen is a freelance writer