Aaron Kruk was Naperville North’s lone champion Saturday at the eight-team Margaret Flott Memorial, while three other teams had four or more individual winners.
The Huskies also were wrestling without three of their best starters in the lineup.
So how did they manage to take the team title?
“This year’s team is less talented than last year’s team,” Naperville North coach Tom Champion said. “But this team is tougher.”
North sent five wrestlers to the title mat and another six to the third-place mat, giving the Huskies what they needed to earn a 182.5-172.5 edge over runner-up host Kaneland.
“We’re really happy with what’s happening because with three (starters) out, everyone pulled together strong,” Kruk said.
Quinn McKenna (145), Phil Cameli (152), Steve Schmult (170) and Jack DiRenzio (195) all reached the title mat before losing, while Lucas Van Poucke (113), Frankie Fisher (120), Dylan DiMatteo (138) and Tom Rizzi (220) all won their third-place matches.
North went 21-16 across all weight classes, but earned bonus points in 18 of its wins by amassing 13 pins, four technical falls and one major decision.
“Kids this year just aren’t giving up in matches, no matter what situation they’re in,” Schmult said. “And me and the other captains are doing whatever we can to get bonus points.”
Kruk improved to 27-5 at 132 pounds with a 5-2 decision in the championship match against Harlem’s Alex Zacharuk. With two weeks remaining before regional action begins, Kruk is in the fine-tuning process.
“It’s knowing what positions I’m strongest in and in some cases what positions I need to work on, if I can work on those during a match,” Kruk said. “I’m really comfortable on top, better on my feet, and getting out on bottom is still something I have to work on.”
Kaneland got individual titles from George Strang (152), Hayden Patterson (160), Riley Vanik (170) and Colin Gussman (182), and seconds from Austin Kedzie (113) and Nathan Orosco (106).
Strang improved to 23-8 with his 9-1 major decision win in the final against North’s Cameli.
“I feel good,” Strang said. “Early in the year I was wrestling to win and not wrestling to dominate, so as the year went on I tried to focus on dominating the other kid throughout the match. It’s a mental switch, and you’re wrestling more freely, the pace is higher and you get in a flow. I’m getting there.”
Vanik (26-4) and North’s Schmult (25-3) faced each other on last year’s title mat, with Vanik winning by fall. He repeated that feat with a first-period pin.
“(Schmult) went for a double (leg takedown) and I took him to his back. I worked my underhook and I was ready for his double,” Vanik said. “Lately I haven’t felt like I’ve been doing as well as I should be so for the last week I’ve been going as hard as I can, every single day.”
The Knights also got a third-place win from Zac Parker (195).
“Our hard-hitters wrestled tough,” Kaneland coach Joe Orosco said. “(Patterson) is always in matches and he’s been working on starting faster. Put the pedal to the metal and keep pushing.
“And (Gussman) is probably the most solid wrestler on the team. As far as the mental aspect of it, he’s probably the most mature kid we’ve got.”
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
