Rob Ziminski would have appreciated the gesture for its down-home approach.
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Argo honored one of the program’s greatest wrestlers the best way it knew how. Coach Darren Linton and Co. rolled out a new mat Thursday in tribute of Ziminski, a 2002 graduate who passed away in 2010.
“He was totally Argo, just a blue-collar guy,” said Linton, a 1998 graduate of the school. “He took second in state at heavyweight and he weighed only 210 pounds. If you had 20 of him on your team, you’d be a state champion every year.”
Ziminski was a multiple state-placer at Argo before playing football at Boston College. He died in a one-vehicle crash on his way home from work.
The Boston Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department attended the ceremony in Summit. Ziminski was a deputy sheriff and correctional officer for the county.
Ziminski’s older brother, Peter, also placed at state for Argo and went on to wrestle at Eastern Illinois. Linton credited the brothers for outworking their opponents as neither wrestled before entering high school.
Argo has a foundation in Rob Ziminski’s name.
Beginning of the end: With the exception of Friday’s East Suburban Catholic Tournament, the Southland’s wrestling scene sits in the calm before the storm.
After this weekend, though, it’s time to buckle up. Regionals, sectionals, individual state and team state follow in consecutive weeks, creating a battle of attrition for state-podium hopefuls.
So with the regular season all but wrapped up, let’s hand out some awards.
Biggest breakout: It doesn’t sound right to call Sandburg’s Kevin Stearns, a three-year varsity regular, a sleeper.
But when you’re wrestling for the powerhouse Eagles alongside blue-chip recruits like Louie Hayes (Virginia), Rudy Yates (Northern Iowa) and Brian Krasowski (Pennsylvania), it’s easy to take a backseat.
“It’s been cool to look up to those guys,” Stearns said. “Getting to train with them everyday makes it easier. I’m not afraid to go out and show my abilities.”
Stearns is keeping up with the pack in pursuit of his first trip to state. The 120-pound senior is 40-3 with titles at the Whitlatch, Berman and SouthWest Suburban Tournament.
“I feel so much more confident in my wrestling and myself and my ability to win,” Stearns said. “My drive for state, wanting to get down and get into the dome (at the University of Illinois) has pushed me. I’ve gotten knocked out twice in sectionals, so it means a lot.”
Most Outstanding: It’s hard to choose this one without the state finals in play, so we’ll call it a tie between three undefeated juggernauts — St. Rita’s Austin O’Connor, Sandburg’s Yates and Tinley Park’s Eric Schultz.
Yates (132) and O’Connor, a 145-pound junior, are seeking their third state titles, while Schultz, a 195-pound Nebraska recruit, goes for his first after falling in the title match the previous two seasons.
Schultz recently propelled Tinley Park to its first South Suburban Tournament title since 1991. The Titans topped three-time defending champion Oak Forest.
Best freshman: Marian Catholic’s Travis Ford-Melton and Stagg’s Domenic Zaccone are the real deal — and legitimate contenders in Class 2A and 3A’s 106-pound division — but has any Southland freshman been more impressive than Lockport’s Ronald Tucker?
It’s hard enough to compete on the varsity, let alone wrestle in the heavyweight division where freshman are typically looked at as fresh meat. Tucker (37-3) is defying the odds.
Meanwhile, Zaccone is 34-2, with both losses coming via Ford-Melton (33-0).
Tough man: So you want to crack the starting lineup for a nationally ranked wrestling program?
Mount Carmel’s Leo Ortiz has done so, even if he had to jump a few weight classes to do it. That’s right, Ortiz (21-9) has performed well despite giving up 35 pounds in the 220-pound division.
“On paper, (Ortiz) shouldn’t be beating all these guys,” said heavyweight teammate Matthew Reyes. “If I had to give someone an MVP award for our team, I’d give it to him.”
Logan Malloy is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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Last week’s ranking in parentheses
1. Mount Carmel (1)
2. Sandburg (2)
3. Lockport (3)
4. Lincoln-Way West (4)
5. Marian Catholic (5)
6. Providence (6)
7. Lincoln-Way East (7)
8. St. Rita (8)
9. Marist (9)
10. Lincoln-Way Central (10)
Wrestler of the Week: Sandburg’s Rudy Yates (34-0) set the state record for technical falls (61) when he won the SouthWest Suburban’s 132-pound conference title. The Northern Iowa recruit is considered one of the top wrestlers in the country.