Several times during the closing minute in the wrestleback semifinals at the Class 3A Glenbard North Sectional, Mario Pagonis glanced at the scoring clock.
Although he’s been taught by his coaches not to look at the time, the 220-pound Pagonis said he couldn’t help himself on Saturday. With each passing second, the Maine East senior was that much closer to qualifying for his first state tournament.
When the buzzer sounded and Pagonis had secured the 4-3 win over Niles West senior George Tripkos, Pagonis clinched both of his fists by his side and screamed so loud it could have been meant for those back in Park Ridge. The four top wrestlers in each weight class advanced to next week’s state meet at the University of Illinois in Champaign.
“This was a four-year journey for me,” Pagonis said. “Everything that had been pent up, all that hard work, the frustration, I let it all out.”
Maine East coach Emiliano Hernandez said he saw potential in Pagonis years ago.
“I knew he had the mentality and the emotion for the sport,” Hernandez said. “The biggest thing with him was technique. It’s been fun to watch.”
Hernandez even forgave Pagonis for breaking a team rule.
“It was hard for him to not look at the clock, especially in that situation,” Hernandez said. “You want them to focus only on the match, but I understood why he was doing it.”
Following his state-clinching victory, Pagonis went on to take third place at 220 pounds by beating Conant senior Michael Meier 3-1.
Pagonis (34-7) almost didn’t get a chance to compete at the state series after suffering a concussion at the Central Suburban meet in late January. But he was cleared in time for the regional tournament at Evanston, where he finished first.
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“I’m reaching my peak right now,” he said.
Twitter: @harnesspreps