Wrestler of the Year: ‘It is just awesome’ Mikey Caliendo realized dream to become Batavia’s first state champ

Mikey Caliendo’s wrestling goal from the beginning couldn’t have been more clear.

“My dream was always to become the first Batavia state champion,” he said.

Caliendo wrestled in the Batavia feeder program when he was 7 years old. He wrestled in the same room he would later grow into the competitor he is today. Part of his motivation came from the names on the walls – the wrestlers who were there before him.

“I’d always look up on the walls and I’d see all these guys,” he said. “That was just always the goal [to be the school’s first state champion]. So to wrestle for Batavia and be the first guy to do it is just awesome.”

Caliendo won the 160-pound state championship at the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association state tournament in June.

He finished with a perfect 36-0 record for the first undefeated season in Batavia program history.

He allowed no offensive match points the entire season.

For those accomplishments, Caliendo is the 2021 Kane County Chronicle Wrestler of the Year.

Caliendo, a North Dakota State University commit, is the only three-time all-state wrestler in Batavia program history. He won the IWCOA state title as a freshman at 126 pounds and then had consecutive fourth-place finishes at the IHSA state tournament his sophomore and junior years.

For his career, Caliendo had a 148-19 record with 74 pins, 23 technical falls and 309 near-falls – all program firsts – and 14 major decisions.

“Mikey had the chance to compete at the Junior National Duals in Tulsa and automatically be entered into the state tournament,” Batavia coach Scott Bayer said. “These matches would have been more competitive for him, would have given him more national exposure and also allowed him to compete in the state tournament. He decided not to go and instead decided to wrestle through the [IWCOA] regional and sectional tournament series.

“His reasoning impressed me,” Bayer continued. “He told us that he didn’t want to go because his teammates were counting on him to be there with them. He wanted to personally see them through the state series. His decision took a degree of maturity, selflessness, and demonstrated a sense of dedication to our program and to his teammates.”

Caliendo has “always been very focused on his own training,” but adopted a leadership role in a big way for the Bulldogs.

“Him getting better is everything,” Bayer said. “That’s a quality you love as a coach, especially a wrestling coach.

“Every time a kid came off the mat – and it could’ve been a kid on JV, one of our girls, varsity teammates – he’d put his arm around [them] and talk them through technical positions, match approach, psychology, whatever. He was kind of like a junior assistant coach,” Bayer said.

“That was really memorable for him to step up that way,” Bayer continued. “For a kid that has been as self-driven as he has been, to take on that role has been phenomenal for us.”

Caliendo is now focused on the 2021 Fargo Nationals, which start July 17. He aspires to be the tournament’s 160-pound champion.

“I’m ready. I’m super excited,” he said. “The confidence is always super high for me. I never walk into a tournament expecting to lose. Every time I step foot on the mat, I’m going out there to win. Losing is the last thing on my mind, so confidence is always 100%.

“I didn’t get to wrestle there the last two years,” Caliendo continued. “My sophomore year, I got a concussion, and then my junior year, COVID happened, so I’m excited to get back there.”

Kane County Chronicle All-Area wrestling team

Cael Andrews (Batavia), Tyler Aters (Marmion), Grant Baldridge (Kaneland), Elijah Chiaro (St. Charles East), Ben Davino (St. Charles East), Kaden Fetterolf (Batavia), Jameson Garcia (Marmion), Walter Green (Marmion), Nathan Kim (Burlington Central), Jake Penzato (St. Charles East), Cameron Phillips (Kaneland), Miles Ripper (Kaneland), Noah Ross (Burlington Central), John Schmidt (Geneva), Colin Sons (St. Charles North), Max Sztuk (St. Charles East), Jackson Tonkovich (Batavia), Riley Woods (Batavia), Colin Wrobel (Burlington Central).