Jason Renteria did something Saturday that no wrestler in Oak Park-River Forest history has ever done.
In winning his second consecutive Class 3A individual state title in Champaign, Renteria became the first OPRF wrestler to ever reach the state title mat four times. He placed second in state as a freshman and sophomore and won his first state title at 120 pounds last season.
He was ranked No. 1 at 132 all year by Illinois Matmen, and Renteria approached a second state title as if it were a possession he was determined to keep.
“I put in too much work, and no one was going to take it from me,” Renteria said. “I knew there was a target on my back but I knew that the harder I worked, the less likely it was that someone was going to beat me.”
The confident senior dominated his competition, staying on the attack and posting a pin and two tech fall wins before winning a 16-10 decision on the title mat at 132 pounds against Lockport’s Abdullah Assaf.
“I felt like everything was in my control through the whole tournament,” Renteria said.
OPRF wrestling coach Paul Collins saw a change in Renteria leading up to the postseason.
“There was something about the way he wrestled at regionals, sectionals, and during the state tournament. He just had a different mindset,” Collins said. “He took the initiative and really went out and showed it. He never slowed down, from the first match at regionals to the (state) finals.”
Renteria’s evolution as a state champion was forged by his two losses on the state title mat as a freshman and sophomore. The main takeaway from those defeats, he said, was to stay relentless.
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“First and foremost, I learned that I had to wrestle six minutes, hard,” Renteria said. “I learned that I can’t give (opponents) anything and I had to wrestle my match.”
On his way to the title mat, Renteria won by tech fall over Montini’s Fidel Mayora, who went on to place third, and also won by tech fall over Barrington’s Jarit Shinhoster, who placed fifth.
Even though he’s a veteran of the state-title mat, Renteria had to calm himself prior to his match against Assaf.
“Going in, I was a little bit nervous because of the crowd. The crowd there always gets to me,” Renteria said. “But I focused in and stuck to the basics, which I did for almost the whole match. I probably celebrated too soon and gave up a takedown with 30 seconds to go but overall, I stuck to my bread and butter and won the match.”
Collins said Renteria’s performance in Champaign was dominating.
“He was on a different level this weekend,” Collins said. “He came up short those first two times (downstate), but he took something from those losses. And this year, even more than last year, he was ready.”
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press