Proviso East claimed six champions at the Leyden sectional Saturday night and advanced eight wrestlers to next week`s state tournament.
Winning titles for Proviso East were Bobby Gates (102), Gayle Miles
(119), Anthony Spivey (130), Eric Robinson (145), Sidney Hooks (152) and Derrick Manard (189).
At 160 pounds, Proviso East`s Kamau Akbar dropped the title match to Lyons` Pat Ahrens 6-0.
Proviso East`s other qualifier was David Alexander, who finished third at 125. He qualified by pinning Fenton`s Bill Morris in 2:50.
In addition to Ahrens, Lyons got a championship from 135-pounder Matt Zeman, who improved his record to 40-1-1 by defeating Proviso West`s Keith Davis 10-9.
Morton`s 171-pounder, Tom Buenik, improved to 37-0 by defeating Lyons`
Jay Nichols 10-2 in the final.
”I was really pleased,” said Proviso East coach Bill Cartwright. ”This is probably as good as any qualifying we`ve done for state in my 13 years at Proviso. The kids are wrestling well at this point. We`re peaking right now. Our team might be at its best, or at least I hope so.”
Gordon Tech, coached by former Leyden coach Chuck Farina, advanced five wrestlers. ”The kids did a real nice job,” he said.
”I thought it would be a little weird (coming back), but once I got here I saw so many of my old friends that I felt right at home.
”I hope we get a couple kids placed at state. Gordon Tech needs its first state champ, and I hope one of our five kids will make it.”
Gordon`s Bill Carache advanced by finishing third at 152. He was on life support after a car accident last June 9. He spent six months in a coma.
”All I have now to show for it is the scars,” he said. ”As soon as I got out of the hospital, I started to work my way back up. I was working to get Downstate. It`s nice that I could accomplish this.”
Joliet Central sectional-Providence won five individual titles and qualified 11 wrestlers for the state meet, its most ever.
”It`s nice to send this many kids, especially the seniors,” said Providence coach Mike Polz. ”When you get to this level you know you are going to be facing some very tough competition, and I think the guys responded very well. It was important that we did well because we wanted some momentum going to state.”
Providence senior B.J. Widlowski improved to 24-3 by winning at 140 pounds. He qualified last year for state, but was eliminated in the first round. Last season, he was 40-10, but he missed 2 1/2 weeks this season because of a knee injury.
”I feel I`m a smarter wrestler this year,” he said. ”Last season I wanted to rough up my opponents, but this season I`m not taking anybody for granted, I`m keeping a very open mind.”
Providence freshman Brad Gerdes improved to 37-3 with his title at 112.
”Actually I`m not surprised I`ve done this well this year,” he said. ”I feel I`ve gained respect from my opponents even though I`m a freshman. I feel I have as good a chance as anybody to win it all at state. I can`t think that I`ve got three years remaining, I want to win it this year.”
Barrington sectional-Mike Baumann, Libertyville`s 119-pounder, and 135-pound Kurt Kyle of Woodstock improved their records to 37-0.
Other champions included Dundee-Crown`s Charlie Heric (103 pounds), Carmel`s Derrick Noble (112), Round Lake`s Mike Pratt (125), Waukegan`s Fonzell King (130), Waukegan`s James Spillman (140), Antioch`s Tim Lehn (145), Round Lake`s Aric Rodriquez (152), Lake Zurich`s Al Strobl (160), Antioch`s Tom Lehn (171), Libertyville`s Mike Lester (189) and Libertyville`s Matt Christensen (heavyweight).
Plano Class A sectional-Plano and Harvard each claimed three championships. Dan Limon (140), Bob Olsen (189) and Curt Tomac (heavyweight)
won for Plano. Lenny Popp (145), Michael Leyden (152) and Steve Word (160)
prevailed for Harvard.
SWIMMING
SICA North-Jason Rush won the 200 freestyle in 1:53.44 and the 500 freestyle in 5:17.62 and swam on the winning 400 freestyle relay team, which won in 3:26.28, pacing Stagg to 326 points and the victory.
Sandburg was second with 258 points and Lockport third with 222 at Shepard High School.
”We had some real good swims, expecially from (senior) Jasoncross country and track. ”He`s a great all-around athlete and great kid,” Ferkaluk said.
This is the fourth straight year Stagg has won the meet.
”We swam pretty well,” Ferkaluk said. ”We`re aiming for next week
(sectionals). We want to qualify as many of these sophomores as we can. We want to try and get these kids there so that that the next year they will be ready.”
Stagg`s Don Ziekanowski broke a seven-year-old conference record in the backstroke, winning in :57.21. ”He`s not really a backstroker,” Ferkaluk said. ”I did that to just move things around a bit. He has a chance (in the backstroke downstate).”
”I would say (only) 75 percent of the kids swam their best times,”
Ferkaluk said. ”I didn`t rest the kids that much this week.”
SICA East-Homewood-Flossmoor won for the second straight year, piling up 326 points to 238 for second-place Andrew.
”We had 100 percent lifetime best performances,” said Homewood-Flossmoor coach Tim Caldwell. ”We won more events (nine) then we were supposed to.”
Homewood-Flossmoor`s Ken Dawson and Brian Mulhern set the pace at Thornridge. Dawson won the 200 individual medley (2:03.38) and 500 freestyle
(4:58.73) and Mulhern won the 100 butterfly (:56.06) and 100 backstroke
(:58.95). Both also swam on the winning 200 medley relay (1:46.15) and 400 freestyle relay (3:26.89) teams.
”Ken Dawson in the IM had the most outstanding improvement,” Caldwell said.
”We`re at the time in the season that we are swimming fast,” Caldwell added. ”It`s one more step toward the state meet. We keep swimming faster each meet and hope to swim the fastest in the state meet. We don`t want to be peak, but we want to be headed that way.”
North Suburban-Lake Forest claimed the title with 286 points, edging Libertyville (281) and Stevenson (271.5).
Jim Mulligan paced `s Darren Heydanek won the 50 freestyle in :22.22 and the 100 backstroke in :54.47 and anchored the winning 400 freestyle relay team (3:21.54).
Mid-Suburban League-Although Fremd was top-seeded in only two of 12 events, Fremd won nine to claim the Mid-Suburban League swim meet at Barrington High School.
”We don`t sit around and talk about winning the conference, winning the sectional, and getting the state trophy,” Reeff said. ”You always want to win, but what makes me happy is the kids swimming well as individuals. Then the team does well.”
The Vikings finished with 306 points, well ahead of two-time defending champion Barrington (223). Palatine (160.5) was third, followed by Hoffman Estates (142.5) and Conant (121).
”This Fremd team might be the best ever in the MSL,” said veteran Barrington coach Lee McCloud.
Fremd`s Erich Herbst and Tyler Holcomb were the meet`s only double individual winners. Herbst scored upsets in the 200-individual medley
(2:00.89) and the 100-breaststroke (1:07.79), rallying from fifth place at the halfway point of the 100 breast. Holcomb recorded a pair of lifetime bests in winning the 200 (1:45.75) and 500 free (4:42.49).
