DEKALB’S WRESTLING TRADITION WELCOMES A NEW GENERATION
41-team field sets the stage for the DHS Ultimate Girls Wrestling Tournament
Wrestling has been part of DeKalb’s identity for more than seven decades. Long before this November’s girls tournament appeared on the calendar, the Barbs were building a tradition that would connect generations of wrestlers, coaches and families.
Don Flavin established DeKalb’s wrestling program in 1954–55 and guided the Barbs to the 1968 IHSA state championship. His teams produced 13 consecutive winning seasons, giving the community both a championship to celebrate and a foundation to build upon.
Wayne Miller continued that work after taking over in 1968. His DeKalb teams won 15 consecutive regional titles, earned a third-place state finish in 1971 and put together 67 straight dual victories between 1973 and 1977. Those accomplishments explain why wrestling carries such meaning in DeKalb: success was sustained, taught and passed along.
The girls program has added its own story to that history. Alex Gregorio-Perez and Jade Weiss wrestled against boys before helping establish DeKalb’s girls team. Aarianna Bloyd and Frieda Hernandez joined them for the program’s first season in 2022–23. Under coach Conor Infelise, those early wrestlers helped turn a small beginning into a program with its own identity.
