Heading into his first season as Leyden’s head wrestling coach, John Kading knew he needed to find a leader and captain for a young Eagles team. One of the wrestlers during the preseason stood out to him.
“I watched his interactions with other kids, and I knew right away that he was the guy,” Kading said.
That guy has been Shane Dziadosz, Leyden’s 138-pound senior, who was one of five Eagles to place third in their weight classes to advance through the Class 3A Leyden Regional on Saturday.
As one of only two seniors on the team and its only returning sectional qualifier, Dziadosz didn’t shy away from a captain’s role this year.
“I felt like I’d be a leader on this team, for sure,” Dziadosz said. “I knew I’d have to play a big role. I like it. I try to teach the young guys how to work and what wrestling is all about.”
Freshman Daniel Uribe (126), sophomores Anthony Aguilar (182) and Ryan Jaffray (220) and junior Shouwayne Johnson (152) also qualified for Saturday’s sectional meet at Conant.
Only the top three wrestlers in each division at the regional meet advance to the sectional. Uribe (25-13) trailed 4-1 in the first period of his third-place match at 126 when he threw York’s Antonio Gutierrez to the mat and pinned him. Johnson (15-15), Aguilar (15-14) and Jaffray (20-11) all won by straight decision in becoming sectional qualifiers.
“From where we started in November to where we’ve ended up, I couldn’t be happier,” Kading said.
Dziadosz was a sectional qualifier at 113 last year and just missed qualifying as a sophomore when he placed fourth at 106 at Leyden’s 2015 regional tournament.
Nine Eagles reached this year’s third-place mat. Having survived a regional third-place mat twice in three years, Dziadosz understands the pressure of winning or going home.
His advice to his eight teammates also facing elimination was simple.
“I told them to relax and just wrestle like it’s any other match,” he said. “I’ve tried to take the pressure off of them because for most of them, it’s their first year on varsity.”
Dziadosz (26-10) opened the regional with a major decision win before losing his semifinal match by 5-2 decision to eventual regional runner-up Riley Lomenick of Wheaton North.
After a decision win in the consolation round, Dziadosz won a 12-2 major decision on the third-place mat over Glenbard West’s Will Vesevick.
Dziadosz enters this year’s sectional ready to go one step further than he did last year, when he went 33-10 and finished one win away from advancing downstate at 113. The 5-3 loss he suffered in overtime at last year’s sectional meet, in a consolation semifinal match, kept him from reaching the state finals.
“It was probably the worst feeling ever,” Dziadosz said. “I was up the whole match, and I blew it in the last two minutes. That feeling has stayed with me and carried over. I remember what it feels like and that has motivated me coming into this season.”
Kading likes the way his captain is wrestling heading into this year’s sectional, and he’s grateful for the leadership Dziadosz has provided.
More Top Picks Best Thigh High Compression Stockings For Varicose Veins
“Shane has been a natural-born leader this year, a guy that other guys on the team look up to,” Kading said. “He sets the example and everyone respects him.
“On the mat, he’s really starting to chain wrestle, going from one move to the next, and he has bought into what the coaching staff has said. I don’t think anyone has really rode him this year, he has improved his movement with his attacks on his feet and he has always been good on top.”
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press