BLOOMINGTON — Claudia Heeney finished her last high school match for Lockport in typical fashion, pinning her opponent.
The reaction that followed, though, was far from normal for Heeney. She leaped into the stands to hug all of her teammates, with plenty of tears rolling down her face.
This was different. This was the end.
“It’s definitely sentimental,” Heeney said. “I’m moving to California in a couple months for school and it’s such a great opportunity. I’m super excited, but I’m also leaving a ton of people behind.
“It’s just really sentimental to think about it, and seeing them in our last time at a tournament together, it was just a lot. Lockport, we’ve got a special thing going over here.”
Indeed, the Porters do. Behind Heeney’s third straight state championship, Lockport finished as the runner-up for the second time in three years, lifting another state trophy Saturday at Grossinger Motors Arena.
Lockport brought just three wrestlers to state, but they all placed. Junior Rebekah Ramirez finished third at 235 and senior Sophie Kelner was fourth at 190.
“We were all prepared and we all wanted it, no matter if we had three girls here or if we had all 14,” Ramirez said. “We sent three down, and all three of us made the semifinals and placed.
“It feels great.”
Oak Forest, led by runners-up Alex Sebek (100) and Rain Scott (125), took third for the first state trophy in program history.
Lincoln-Way co-op’s Zoe Dempsey (115) came in third, while St. Laurence’s Nina Nesci (120) finished fourth and Andrew co-op’s Jade Hardee (110) and Lincoln-Way co-op’s Ella Giertuga (145) ended up fifth. Marist’s Ava Enright (120), Lemont’s Molly O’Connor (125), Hillcrest’s Melissa Nance (155) and Homewood-Flossmoor’s Kendra Hayden (190) all placed sixth.
Heeney (42-3), who will continue her wrestling career at Menlo College in California, won one match by technical fall and had three pins. That included the final one over Schaumburg’s Sharon Olorunfemi in the 135-pound championship match.
She became the sixth three-time state champion in the five-year history of the tournament. Kaneland’s Angelina Gochis won her third title moments earlier.
“It feels pretty great,” Heeney said. “I’m friends with pretty much all those girls. Growing up together, we all went through the same experiences, being the only girls at tournaments and whatnot. Some of us even practice together. Angelina is my practice partner all offseason.”
Ramirez (43-6), meanwhile, bounced back from a 2-0 semifinal loss to Ottawa’s Juliana Thrush to win her final two matches and take third.
“The semifinal was a tough loss, but I took it with grace,” Ramirez said. “I was upset, but I knew I had matches ahead of me and I had to bounce back.
“Getting on the podium was my main goal. I fell short the last two years, so this feels great.”
Kelner also became a first-time medalist. It all added up to big things for the Porters, despite taking a hit when junior Veronica Skibicki, who was expected to contend for a medal, suffered a broken hand that kept her out of the postseason.
Lockport coach Amier Khamis praised his team’s resilience.
“When Veronica broke her hand, it was such a setback and we thought, ‘Maybe we won’t even get a team trophy,’” Khamis said. “But the most important part of the sport is that it teaches you to overcome adversity and challenges and make the most of opportunities and these girls did it.”
Of course, Heeney led the way. The championship match marked her 151st career win. And she’s set a standard for young wrestlers in Lockport and beyond to try to live up to.
How does she feel about being a role model?
“I think it’s super cool,” Heeney said. “I never envisioned myself to be somebody that people look up to when I was a kid. I still don’t even think of myself as that person. In my head, I’m just a normal person and I just work really hard.
“If I have anything to say to those girls who look up to me, it’s that this is all hard work in the making. It’s taken me a long time to get here. Just keep pushing through.”
