Mount Carmel’s Liam Kelly never imagined he would be sitting in a downtown courtroom two days before the sectional with the fate of his high school career in the hands of a judge.
That was the situation after Kelly, a reigning state champion and Illinois recruit, wasn’t allowed to compete on Jan. 31 in the Class 3A Morton Regional due to a skin condition.
Kelly’s father, Michael, filed suit against the Illinois High School Association in an attempt to get his son reinstated for the sectional. It all put Liam in a spotlight he never sought.
“We went downtown to the Daley Center, all the way up to the top,” Kelly said. “It was a big deal. I come out of the courtroom and cameras are in my face. It felt like I was OJ Simpson or something.
“I was like, ‘It’s just a mark on my skin.’”
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Alison Conlon ruled in favor of the Kelly family, granting a temporary restraining order that allowed Liam to compete in the Hinsdale Central Sectional.
Kelly took full advantage, rolling to the sectional title at 165 pounds on Saturday in Hinsdale.
“This whole tournament felt extra special,” Kelly said. “The last couple weeks, it’s been a lot, for sure. I’ve just been taking it day by day and talking with my coaches and my parents and brothers just about how to get through this.
“I’ve definitely grown a lot in the last few weeks, and it just feels great to be back out here.”
Kelly was one of five Mount Carmel wrestlers — including runner-up Justin Williamson (144) — who advanced to the state meet, which begins Thursday at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
Marist produced six state qualifiers, including a champion in Ethan Sonne (157) and runners-up Elio Gil (106), Axel Rodriguez (138) and Tommy Fidler (150). Sandburg’s Brady Ritter (157) and Brother Rice’s Dan Costello (215) also finished second.
Kelly, meanwhile, said he’s had a condition called granuloma annulare since freshman year. He has a doctor’s note saying it isn’t contagious and previously has always been allowed to wrestle.
“It just kind of pops up, on and off, and then goes away for a bit,” Kelly said. “Doctors don’t know how to get rid of it, but it’s completely harmless.”
After the ruling at Morton, Kelly’s season was out of his hands. But he never stopped working.
“There was just an anxiety of wondering, ‘Am I going to wrestle or not?’” Kelly said. “But coach Alex (Tsirtsis) is great. He got me in the right mindset of going to practice every day and getting better. I didn’t take any time off because I was thinking I was done or anything.
“I just kept getting better. That’s my mindset through anything. I just want to get better.”
Kelly (30-2) won all five of his sectional matches either by technical fall or major decision, including a 16-5 major decision over Montini’s Santino Tenuta in the finals.
Tsirtsis was impressed with how Kelly was able to keep himself in the right mindset throughout the whole ordeal.
“We even talked about it the day of regionals,” Tsirtsis said. “We told him, ‘We feel like we have a good case to get you back in the tournament, so you have to approach every day like you’re going to wrestle in the sectional.’
“He did exactly that, not only getting himself ready but helping his teammates get ready, too.”
Williamson provided confirmation of that aspect.
“He was upset at first, but he stayed with a positive mindset,” Williamson said of Kelly. “He’s my practice partner and he helped me train. We were hoping to get to state together, which we are now, and hopefully win it together.”
Regardless of what happens in Champaign, Kelly is making the trip with a deep appreciation for being there.
“I have a gratefulness just to be out here,” Kelly said. “I feel literally blessed. I have such a great support system. They did everything they possibly could for me and it just means the world.”
