Ottawa’s Juliana Thrush, Seneca’s Sammie Greisen ready for third state tournament

Ottawa junior Juliana Thrush is no stranger to the IHSA state wrestling tournament.

Thrush won the 235-pound bracket at the Geneseo Sectional on Saturday to make her a three-time sectional champion and three-time state qualifier.

She expects her previous experience to help her at this weekend’s state meet at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

The first round of wrestling is at 9 a.m. Friday. Championship semifinals and third round wrestlebacks are at 9 a.m. Saturday with the grand march at 1:45 p.m. and championship matches at 2 p.m.

“I feel like I have more experience,” Thrush said. “I know certain moves and how to defend them. I know what I’m doing.”

Thrush finished sixth at 235 last season, but said she didn’t want to say any goals.

“I just hope it goes good,” Thrush said. “I hope I have good matches.”

Thrush, who enters state with a 33-4 record, will face Grayslake North sophomore Allison Poole (24-9) in the first round. She would face Fenton sophomore Ariana Solideo (31-7) or Normal West senior Cadence Duvall (26-6) in the second round if she wins her opener.

Thrush wouldn’t see defending champion Chloe Hoselton (23-0), a Prairie Central senior, until the title match and wouldn’t face 2024 runner-up Phoenix Molina (28-5), a Unity junior who beat Thrush in last year’s quarterfinals, until the semifinal round.

Along with Thrush, La Salle-Peru junior Kiely Domyancich (115), Streator sophomore Lily Gwaltney (110) and Seneca juniors Catalina Pacheco (130) and Sammie Greisen (135) also will compete at state after all four placed third at the Geneseo Sectional.

Domyancich (29-2) is making her second state appearance. She went 0-2 at state as a freshman and did not qualify for state last season.

“(I just hope) that I win a match,” Domyancich said about her state goals.

Domyancich will wrestle Lawrenceville sophomore Delaney Ledbetter (25-9) in the first round. Ledbetter placed third at the Highland Sectional.

If she wins her first match, she’d likely face 2024 runner-up Harlee Hiller (23-1), a Loyola senior, in the second round.

Gwaltney (24-6) is returning to state after going 1-2 at 105 last season. She’ll open against Crystal Lake South sophomore Annalee Aarseth (14-2), who placed second at the Schaumburg Sectional.

Gwaltney said she hopes for “maybe a couple wins.”

“I have more skill now and more practices put in,” she said.

The Seneca duo is on opposite ends of the experience spectrum.

Pacheco started wrestling just over a year ago while living in Chicago, but said her “real training” started in the offseason after moving to Seneca.

Pacheco (40-5) will wrestle Zion Benton junior Emily Ortiz (35-6) in the first round. Ortiz, who went 0-2 at state last year, placed second at the New Trier Sectional.

“I’m just really excited to go to state,” Pacheco said.

Greisen (39-8) is heading to state for the third time. She placed sixth at 130 last season.

She’ll open against Prospect senior Viola Pianetto (36-1), who went 2-3 at state at 130 last year. She finished second at the Schaumburg Sectional.

If Greisen wins her first-round match, she’d face Andrew senior Alyssa Keane (37-3) or O’Fallon sophomore Scarlett Gentille (23-5).

“I definitely expect better competition, because the people I’ve wrestled this year, it’s been a little tougher than it was last year,” Greisen said. “But having another one of my teammates there in Cat and having my coach there, I think I’ll be able to stay in a better headspace than last year and hopefully do a lot better.”