Mount Carmel’s Seth Mendoza made a familiar climb Saturday to the top of the podium.
But winning the 113-pound title at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional was nothing compared to the heights the sophomore planned to conquer the next day.
Mendoza, who will seek his second state championship, has taken up quite a hobby in his free time. He’s flying planes, with plans to acquire a private pilot’s license.
“I started flying when I was 12 years old at this little summer camp,” Mendoza said. “I really fell in love with it. So, I’ve been taking lessons and taking off with it.
“I’m actually flying (Sunday). I’m going a little farther than I did last week. I’m going to fly around by myself for like an hour and then come back to the airport.”
Mendoza (33-2) also continues to soar on the mat. He pinned his first two opponents Saturday and had an 8-2 lead in the championship match when Marmion’s Donny Pigoni was forced to injury default.
“I’d say the key is consistency,” Mendoza said. “No matter if it’s an easy tournament or tough tournament, you have to keep the same mindset leading up to it.”
Mendoza is able to lock into that wrestling mindset easier, he said, because he can think about other things at times.
“A lot of people say wrestling is life,” Mendoza said. “It’s a giant part of mine, but I always have to take my mind off it. No matter how good of a wrestler you are and how much experience you have, you have to find something that’s a whole different kind of passion so your mind can escape from wrestling.
“That’s what I do with flying.”
Mendoza was one of 10 wrestlers for Mount Carmel to qualify for the state meet, which begins Thursday at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center in Champaign.
Michigan recruit Sergio Lemley (132), Eddie Enright (152) and Colin Kelly (170) were also sectional champions for the Caravan.
Enright (16-3) has persevered through an elbow injury suffered over the summer and a broken thumb in December that cut his season short.
He upset top-ranked and previously unbeaten Kaden Fetterolf of Batavia 6-2 in the semifinals before topping Marmion’s Collin Carrigan 6-0 in the championship match.
“When I first got hurt, I was like, ‘Oh, it’s pretty nice. I get a week off cutting weight,'” Enright said. “But as soon as I got in the practice room and was watching my teammates, it was like a pain I’ve never really felt before.
“It shows that with this sport, sometimes when it gets tough, you don’t want to be out there too much. But watching them in that room really showed what the sport meant to me.”
Marist’s Peter Marinopoulos (17-0) has also dealt with injuries this season but feels he is ready to improve on last season’s state runner-up finish.
He beat Mount Carmel’s William Jacobson by a 15-5 major decision in the finals at 195.
“I’ve been hungry since that state championship match last year, so hopefully I can do it again this season, but finish one spot higher,” Marinopoulos said.
Marist also qualified 10 wrestlers for state. Sandburg had three advancers, led by runner-up Rocco Hayes at 106.
Marist sophomore Will Denny (24-6) pinned West Aurora’s Dom Serio in the championship match at 145, then immediately sprinted off the gym floor and headed up to the balcony.
“I went to go give my dad (Jon) a high five,” Denny said. “We put in a lot of work this summer and I wanted that match. It was really good.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
