admin
12-22-2006, 09:30 AM
http://www.illinoismatmen.com/images/sun_times.gif
BY ANDRE' MORGAN
Chicago Sun-Times
Illinois elite wrestlers will be showcased today and Saturday in the 19th annual Al Dvorak Memorial Wrestling Invitational.
The nomadic Dvorak tournament will begin a new phase as it moves to its fourth location at Machesney Park Harlem. What will remain the same is the best high school wrestling in Illinois before the state finals.
The 30-team Dvorak will have an impact on who'll win a state title. The majority of the top wrestlers in Illinois will be at the Dvorak, and capturing a championship stamps that wrestler as a state-title contender.
This year is no different with eight returning state champs, 29 state qualifiers, nine USA Wrestling All-Americans and one national champion on display. Twelve of the 16 nationally ranked wrestlers in the state as selected by Intermat Wrestling will compete along with 12 of the state's top 20 seniors.
W.I.N. magazine's nationally ranked Illinois teams, No. 7 Montini and No. 12 St. Rita, will be vying for the team title along with last year's Dvorak and state champion, No. 20 Sandburg. Fifth-ranked national powerhouse Iowa City will join the fray for the first time.
''The Dvorak will be a great test for our team,'' Montini coach Mike Bukousky said. ''We look forward to it to see where we stand among the best in our state.''
Other state powers ranked by Illinois Best Weekly expected to deepen the field include No. 7 Providence, No. 8 Marist, No. 10 Neuqua Valley, No. 15 Mount Carmel, No. 19 Wheaton North, No. 20 Yorkville, No. 23 Plainfield Central and No. 25 Libertyville.
''The Dvorak will be a big challenge,'' Mount Carmel coach Jason Erwinski said. ''I hope the kids view this as something special.''
Several weight classes offer the best individuals in the state, with the deepest classes being 103, 125, 145, 189, 215 and 285 pounds.
There are possible finals matches between the state's top-rated wrestlers at 103, Mount Carmel's B.J. Futrell and Sandburg's Jon Morrison; at 135, St. Rita's Steve Zimmerman and Bolingbrook's Ryan Jahn; at 140, Plainfield Central's Ryan Prater and Sandburg's Conrad Polz; at 145, Sandburg's Matt Cusik and Plainfield Central's Jeremy Ellingwood; at 189, St. Patrick's Joe Fagiano and St. Rita's Jerome Ward; and heavyweights Christian Brantley of Mount Carmel and Garrett Goebel of Montini.
Other highly rated wrestlers to watch include Neuqua Valley's Chris Spangler (119), Harlem's Zack Taylor (125), Providence's John Starzyk (130), Providence's Marty Murphy (145), St. Rita's Albert White (152), Sandburg's Eric Pretto (160), Marist's John Schoen (215) and Sandburg's Eric Rettke (285).
TOP INDIVIDUALS AT DVORAK TOURNAMENT
103: B.J. Futrell, Mount Carmel; Jon Morrison, Sandburg; Damonte Riley, St. Rita; Alan Tate, De La Salle; Joey Uccardi, Providence; Nick Dardanes, Fenwick; Tom Ambrose, Providence; Andrew Spangler, Neuqua Valley.
112: Colton Rasche, Montini; Jarad Morar, Waubonsie Valley; Diontae Brown, Marist; Mike Maggi, Mount Carmel; Miguel Guerrero, Sandburg.
119: Chris Spangler, Neuqua Valley; Bill Putman, Marist; Jacob Wojic, Providence; Eric Oyster, Plainfield Central.
125: Zack Taylor, Harlem; John Majka, St. Rita; Bobby Barnheisel, Fenwick; Josh Fiorito, Barrington; Carson Beebe, Montini.
130: John Starzyk, Providence; Zeke Rowan, Mount Carmel; Ryan Blake, Marist; Andrew Saunders, Montini; Mike Migawa, St. Rita; John Schiewe, St. Patrick.
135: Steve Zimmerman, St Rita; Ryan Jahn, Bolingbrook; Jared Hensley, Montini; Kyle Price, Waubonsie Valley; Trey Ayala, Libertyville.
140: Ryan Prater, Plainfield Central; Conrad Polz, Sandburg; Bobby Munro, Wheaton North; Terrell Webster, De La Salle; Ryan Horcher, Dundee-Crown.
145: Matt Cusik, Sandburg; Marty Murphy, Providence; Jeremy Ellingwood, Plainfield Central; Jim Duffy, Neuqua Valley; Isiah Gonzalez, Montini.
152: Albert White, St Rita; Nic Sorigan, Sandburg; Dan Stelter, Montini; John Califano, Mount Carmel.
160: Eric Pretto, Sandburg; Brian Reynolds, Providence; Taylor Osborn, St. Rita; Jon Sesso, Barrington; Sterling Hecox, Harlem.
171: Mike Benefiel, Montini; Mike Nolan, St. Rita; John Doyle, Providence; Jake Ruettiger, Providence.
189: Joe Fagiano, St. Patrick; Jerome Ward, St. Rita; Dan Grimes, Montini; A.J. Smith, Marist.
215: John Schoen, Marist; Jeff Sayre, Barrington; Ethan Winel, Montini; Alex Brandt, St. Rita; Wilson Oneygbole, Bolingbrook.
285: Christian Brantley, Mount Carmel; Garrett Goebels, Montini; Eric Rettke, Sandburg; Bill Durkin, Marist.
BY ANDRE' MORGAN
Chicago Sun-Times
Illinois elite wrestlers will be showcased today and Saturday in the 19th annual Al Dvorak Memorial Wrestling Invitational.
The nomadic Dvorak tournament will begin a new phase as it moves to its fourth location at Machesney Park Harlem. What will remain the same is the best high school wrestling in Illinois before the state finals.
The 30-team Dvorak will have an impact on who'll win a state title. The majority of the top wrestlers in Illinois will be at the Dvorak, and capturing a championship stamps that wrestler as a state-title contender.
This year is no different with eight returning state champs, 29 state qualifiers, nine USA Wrestling All-Americans and one national champion on display. Twelve of the 16 nationally ranked wrestlers in the state as selected by Intermat Wrestling will compete along with 12 of the state's top 20 seniors.
W.I.N. magazine's nationally ranked Illinois teams, No. 7 Montini and No. 12 St. Rita, will be vying for the team title along with last year's Dvorak and state champion, No. 20 Sandburg. Fifth-ranked national powerhouse Iowa City will join the fray for the first time.
''The Dvorak will be a great test for our team,'' Montini coach Mike Bukousky said. ''We look forward to it to see where we stand among the best in our state.''
Other state powers ranked by Illinois Best Weekly expected to deepen the field include No. 7 Providence, No. 8 Marist, No. 10 Neuqua Valley, No. 15 Mount Carmel, No. 19 Wheaton North, No. 20 Yorkville, No. 23 Plainfield Central and No. 25 Libertyville.
''The Dvorak will be a big challenge,'' Mount Carmel coach Jason Erwinski said. ''I hope the kids view this as something special.''
Several weight classes offer the best individuals in the state, with the deepest classes being 103, 125, 145, 189, 215 and 285 pounds.
There are possible finals matches between the state's top-rated wrestlers at 103, Mount Carmel's B.J. Futrell and Sandburg's Jon Morrison; at 135, St. Rita's Steve Zimmerman and Bolingbrook's Ryan Jahn; at 140, Plainfield Central's Ryan Prater and Sandburg's Conrad Polz; at 145, Sandburg's Matt Cusik and Plainfield Central's Jeremy Ellingwood; at 189, St. Patrick's Joe Fagiano and St. Rita's Jerome Ward; and heavyweights Christian Brantley of Mount Carmel and Garrett Goebel of Montini.
Other highly rated wrestlers to watch include Neuqua Valley's Chris Spangler (119), Harlem's Zack Taylor (125), Providence's John Starzyk (130), Providence's Marty Murphy (145), St. Rita's Albert White (152), Sandburg's Eric Pretto (160), Marist's John Schoen (215) and Sandburg's Eric Rettke (285).
TOP INDIVIDUALS AT DVORAK TOURNAMENT
103: B.J. Futrell, Mount Carmel; Jon Morrison, Sandburg; Damonte Riley, St. Rita; Alan Tate, De La Salle; Joey Uccardi, Providence; Nick Dardanes, Fenwick; Tom Ambrose, Providence; Andrew Spangler, Neuqua Valley.
112: Colton Rasche, Montini; Jarad Morar, Waubonsie Valley; Diontae Brown, Marist; Mike Maggi, Mount Carmel; Miguel Guerrero, Sandburg.
119: Chris Spangler, Neuqua Valley; Bill Putman, Marist; Jacob Wojic, Providence; Eric Oyster, Plainfield Central.
125: Zack Taylor, Harlem; John Majka, St. Rita; Bobby Barnheisel, Fenwick; Josh Fiorito, Barrington; Carson Beebe, Montini.
130: John Starzyk, Providence; Zeke Rowan, Mount Carmel; Ryan Blake, Marist; Andrew Saunders, Montini; Mike Migawa, St. Rita; John Schiewe, St. Patrick.
135: Steve Zimmerman, St Rita; Ryan Jahn, Bolingbrook; Jared Hensley, Montini; Kyle Price, Waubonsie Valley; Trey Ayala, Libertyville.
140: Ryan Prater, Plainfield Central; Conrad Polz, Sandburg; Bobby Munro, Wheaton North; Terrell Webster, De La Salle; Ryan Horcher, Dundee-Crown.
145: Matt Cusik, Sandburg; Marty Murphy, Providence; Jeremy Ellingwood, Plainfield Central; Jim Duffy, Neuqua Valley; Isiah Gonzalez, Montini.
152: Albert White, St Rita; Nic Sorigan, Sandburg; Dan Stelter, Montini; John Califano, Mount Carmel.
160: Eric Pretto, Sandburg; Brian Reynolds, Providence; Taylor Osborn, St. Rita; Jon Sesso, Barrington; Sterling Hecox, Harlem.
171: Mike Benefiel, Montini; Mike Nolan, St. Rita; John Doyle, Providence; Jake Ruettiger, Providence.
189: Joe Fagiano, St. Patrick; Jerome Ward, St. Rita; Dan Grimes, Montini; A.J. Smith, Marist.
215: John Schoen, Marist; Jeff Sayre, Barrington; Ethan Winel, Montini; Alex Brandt, St. Rita; Wilson Oneygbole, Bolingbrook.
285: Christian Brantley, Mount Carmel; Garrett Goebels, Montini; Eric Rettke, Sandburg; Bill Durkin, Marist.