After finishing as a state runner-up the last two years, Jason Renteria found even more motivation to win a wrestling state championship over the summer.
That’s when his family received the news that his 6-year-old cousin, JoJo, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. JoJo Renteria is non-verbal and not able to walk, but he made the trip from Alsip to the State Farm Center to watch his cousin compete for Oak Park-River Forest.
JoJo Renteria sat in a wheelchair in the balcony of the arena overlooking the mat where Jason Renteria, a junior, beat Plainfield East junior Michael McGee 8-3 to win the Class 3A championship at 120 pounds.
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After the win, Jason Renteria (19-0) wore an orange T-shirt his family made to honor JoJo with the inscription “One Goal for JoJo.”
JoJo Renteria wore the T-shirt, as did the rest of his family, his parents, Joseph and Valerie, 17-year-old sister, Jaclyn, and 12-year-old brother, Nick.
“We come down each year,” said Joseph Renteria, Jason’s uncle and JoJo’s father. “The weight is off Jay’s shoulders. What a relief. I couldn’t be more happier for him.”
Jason Renteria said he dedicated his quest to win a state title this season to JoJo Renteria.
“This brings [JoJo Renteria’s condition] closer to me,” Jason Renteria said. “I know what he can’t do, but there are things I can do.”
Cerebral palsy “is a disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture,” according to the Mayo Clinic website, and it “is caused by an abnormality or disruption in brain development, usually before a child is born.”
Jason Renteria, who verbally committed to Iowa as a sophomore, overcame previous state championship losses to Glenbard North’s Austin Gomez at 113 pounds in 2015 and to St. Rita’s Austin O’Connor at 106 in 2014.
“We talked about being a part of something bigger than yourself,” OPRF coach Paul Collins said of Jason Renteria’s cousin. “We talked about not being the typical selfish teenager. That seemed to make it a lot easier for him to wrestle.”
JoJo Renteria’s father, Joseph, is the brother of Jason Renteria’s father, who also is named Jason.
“This means a lot [to the family],” Joseph Renteria said. “It chokes me up a bit. This is a special season for Jason and has meant a lot to the family. With JoJo, we want to do the best for him that we can. We treat him like other kids. Obviously, he has physical limitations. He has his own personality. He’s our little jokester.”
Twitter @geomwilcox