St. Charles East senior Niko Derain has emerged as someone who will do anything to help his team succeed.
At Saturday’s Upstate Eight Conference Meet, that meant jumping up to 145 pounds to wrestle against Glenbard East’s Alex Posada.
Derain (31-3) took care of business, posting a pair of pins before hanging on for a 3-2 decision against Posada in the finals.
“I knew he was going to be really strong,” Derain said of Posada. “I had to stay away from his favorites.
“It’s starting to get to the end of the road, so I have to work harder the last three weeks. Hopefully, I get through sectionals. I’m just learning from my wins and losses.”
That Derain, who will likely wrestle the postseason at 138, would make that sacrifice to help his team win the conference team title is no surprise to Saints coach Jason Potter.
“He wrestled a stud from Glenbard East at 145,” Potter said. “We wanted him to step and get some of that action from him and get another tough match before we get into the state series.
“He’s shown a lot of character this year. I think it’s always been there, but it was time for him to shine.”
Potter said minor adjustments have allowed Derain to take the next step as a senior.
“We kind of like the fact that he flies under the radar,” Potter said. “He’s a kid that you can’t train for because he’s so abstract with the things he’s able to do. In the past, he’s had a hard time finishing and pinning.
“As a senior, he’s stepped into that role. Anytime we’ve needed a fall from him, he’s come through.”
Unsung hero: Geneva senior Michael Donatelli (37-2) has never sought out the spotlight, but it finally found him.
Donatelli beat Marian Catholic’s Luke Silva, the top-ranked wrestler at 160 in Class 2A, at the Jim Newbill Tournament. As a result, Dontalli was named wrestler of the week on Jan. 10 by the Illinois Matmen website.
“I’ve always kind of been under the radar,” Donatelli said. “No one ever heard of me. Now, I come out and beat these big kids, it’s definitely a big confidence booster, knowing that I’m doing what I need to do.
“It definitely feels kind of weird getting that kind of recognition. It’s cool, though. I don’t want it to get to my head or anything like that.”
Donatelli was dominant at the UEC Meet. He earned two pins and a major decision to win the conference title at 160.
Ready to go: Neuqua Valley junior Jacob Boumans is poised for a strong finish to his season at 170.
He picked up three wins against tough out-of-state wrestlers Jan. 5-6 as part of a fifth-place finish at the Cheesehead Invitational in Wisconsin. Neuqua coach Mike Mucha feels that bodes well for him down the stretch.
“He’s been wrestling tough of late,” Mucha said. “We’re very excited for a great state series run for Jacob. He’s good in all three positions, very athletic, and when he turns it on, I feel confident with him against anyone he sees in his way.”
The Wildcats are focused on this weekend’s DuPage Valley Meet at Metea Valley.
“We are healthy and feeling very good,” Mucha said. “One team goal this year is to win the tournament, and that’s how we’ve been approaching our training.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
