Soon after the start of the 160-pound match on Saturday, Jan. 16, Glenbrook South senior wrestler Diego Montesinos was in control.
He quickly took down Waukegan’s Kayle Wynn and pinned his right arm to his back. Montesinos then flipped Wynn onto his back, and with 22.7 seconds left in the first period, Montesinos earned the win by fall in the Central Suburban South dual meet in Glenview.
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“I didn’t expect it to be that fast, but I like to set the pace early, if I can,” Montesinos said. “I like to get into the mind of my opponent.”
Montesinos (13-7) is big on the mental side of his sport. He called his mind-set his strongest attribute.
“Some people say it’s their size or their speed,” said Montesinos, who stands 5-foot-2. “For me, it’s my mentality. I don’t like to give up. There have been times when I didn’t think I could finish a match, but I’ve told myself to push through it. You just go inch by inch.”
Seeking an edge over his opponents, Montesinos asked Glenbrook South coach Tom Mietus before the season if he had any reading material that could be helpful. Mietus, who said he owns a library full of sports books, loaned Montesinos the book “WinningSTATE Wrestling” by Steve Knight.
“It’s been good for me,” Montesinos said. “It’s about not feeling fear, how to turn your nervousness into something good. It’s all about making you stronger mentally.”
Mietus said Montesinos, a three-year varsity wrestler, is full of self-confidence and possesses a willingness to work through any adversity he faces on the mat.
“Diego is someone who goes hard all the time,” Mietus said. “He has a big gas tank. I would agree that his biggest strength is his mentality.”
Montesinos and the rest of the Titans were tested mentally when they couldn’t compete in matches for more than one month because of a skin condition that permeated the team. The match against Waukegan was Glenbrook South’s second since Buffalo Grove’s invitational on Saturday, Dec. 12. The Titans wrestled New Trier on Friday, Jan. 15.
“That was tough on us,” said Montesinos, who won his match against the Trevians. “But we did what we could. We ran, we lifted. We didn’t want to lose what we had. It was a big blow to our team, but we made it through.”
Montesinos’ next challenge will be shedding a few pounds so he can wrestle at 152. He started the season as a 182-pounder. Mietus said he sees Montesinos as a potential state-qualifier. The Titans wrestle at the Class 3A Glenbrook South Individual Regional, which is part of the Barrington Sectional, on Saturday, Feb. 6.
“There are always guys at regionals and sectionals that look better on paper,” Mietus said. “But you also have to have the belief in yourself that you can do it, which isn’t always easy. Diego has that belief.”
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