Girls wrestling: Batavia senior Sydney Perry is the Kane County Chronicle Wrestler of the Year

Four state titles.

Three IHSA individual state wrestling championships at 145 pounds.

A perfect IHSA record in her three years, finishing with a stunning 96-0 mark.

The first girls state title winner in Batavia history.

That’s just a smidgen of Batavia senior Sydney Perry’s vast and impressive wrestling resume.

Perry, the 2023-24 Kane County Chronicle Girls Wrestler of the Year, has been a pioneer for girls wrestling, even competing in international events in Rome, Rio and Sweden.

But Perry’s road to the top of the podium at the state tournament has been a difficult journey, mainly because of the loss of her father.

Tim Perry passed away on Feb. 19, 2023 – two days before Sydney, one of his five children, won her second IHSA state title. Unbeknownst to many competitors, Perry was wrestling with a heavy heart in Bloomington last season. Her father was a standout wrestler in high school and college who helped Sydney’s rapid rise in the sport.

“No one would be able to understand the relationship my father and I had,” Perry said. “He was my biggest supporter. He critiqued me like no other and was always out for my best interest. He was a big part in making me who I am today. It makes me happy that I can do and carry on with something that he was so passionate about.”

Also in the days leading up to the 2023 IHSA individual tournament, Perry was dealing with the possibility of not competing because of eligibility concerns. The IHSA suspended Perry after Batavia coach Scott Bayer self-admitted failure to submit a proper competition request form with the IHSA after Perry competed in the U17 division for Team USA in Sweden. Perry eventually won her appeal, which allowed her to wrestle at state last season.

So it’s no wonder Perry had a big smile on her face after cruising to the 145-pound state title last month by winning all of her matches by tech falls to complete a 41-0 season.

“This year was very different compared to last year,” Perry said. “Last year, I was traveling a lot before competing, which caused some complications. I also was competing against athletes with higher credentials. This year was more laid back.”

Still, Perry, who plans to compete at the world team trials, said she’s got mixed feelings about her illustrious high school career coming to an end.

“It’s bittersweet now that my high school career is over,” Perry said. “It’s bitter because I have made a lot of relationships and memories during high school. But it’s sweet because I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life with wrestling and school. Hopefully, I’ll be onto bigger and better things.”

Bayer said Perez is the ultimate wrestler who will be forever remembered in the state.

“She’s been flawless,” Bayer said. “She’s a once-in-a-career kid to have in your room. The great thing is she grew up in our Batavia wrestling club, a home-grown talent and trained Izzy style and dedicated to her own training all year round but also dedicated to our program, too. She’s basically one of my assistant coaches and a team leader and an absolute gift.”

Perry said she grappled with not competing for the Bulldogs this season, but ultimately was drawn to helping out the program. Even so, Perry said she endured some challenges this season despite being an overwhelming favorite in every match.

“Despite what most people assume as a good athlete, you never want to come in underestimating any opponent or situation,” Perry said. “It’s important to me to stay level-headed and focus on my mentality in a big tournament. It was physically harder for me this year. Soreness and injury are always something an athlete has to push through. The mental part of it was living up to the high expectations of coaches, parents and peers.”