Wrestling: Ben Davino wins third state title, leads St. Charles East’s three IHSA champs

CHAMPAIGN – Ben Davino quietly sobbed for a few moments before collecting himself.

The St. Charles East junior’s tears were not the emotions of winning his second consecutive IHSA state title. Even in victory over a fellow defending state champion and maintaining an unbeaten record on Illinois soil over his high school career, Davino felt he didn’t wrestle to the standards the perfectionist holds himself to.

“I’m not the best I can be, and that’s the goal,” Davino said.

In a marquee 126-pound championship match at the Individual State Wrestling Tournament on Feb. 18 at the State Farm Center, Davino won a 6-1 sudden victory over Marmion senior Jameson Garcia, the defending Class 3A 113-pound champion.

Davino (50-0), a three-time state champion, was one of three St. Charles East state champions. The IHSA 120-pound state champion last year and an Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association state tournament champion as a freshman, Davino has a high school record of 119-1.

And he’s still not content.

“Every time I’m out there, I’m going to wrestle my best,” Davino said. “I just didn’t feel like I did that, so definitely something to improve upon and definitely something to go back in my mental game and fix.”

Davino and Garcia (40-5), wrestling for the sixth time dating to middle school, were deadlocked 1-1 in the extra period. With 48 seconds left, Garcia dove to his left, attempting a takedown. Davino evaded to his left before shuffling twice to the right and grabbing control of Garcia’s right shoulder to slam down and counter. Davino held Garcia down for five additional seconds before emerging from the mat victorious.

Garcia said he “took a bad shot. ... Props to him for standing in good position when matches get tough.”

A Harvard recruit, Garcia relished the legacy he’s going to leave on the Marmion wrestling room.

“I would just say hardworking, perseverance,” Garcia said. “When times get tough, overcoming them and sticking throughout through the lowest of lows and the highest of highs and being there for each other. I think that’s what makes me, me.”

The Saints, who qualified a team-record 11 for the state tournament, left Champaign with three champions.

Saints freshman phenom Dom Munaretto ran his record to 50-0 with a Class 3A 106-pound title, beating Belvidere North’s Brayden Teunissen in a 19-7 major decision in the final.

Munaretto was in the State Farm Center when he saw his cousin Anthony Randazzo of Marian Central lose in the Class 2A 138-pound finals in 2017.

“It felt amazing to see this atmosphere. ... I thought those are the guys I looked up to my whole life,” Munaretto said. “This feels amazing to be at this stage and be dominating so much.”

St. Charles East’s Jayden Colon, who won the Class 2A 145-pound title at Montini before transferring to East before this season, won the 3A 145-pound title match over Moline’s Noah Tapia in a 4-3 tiebreaker. Tapia, the runner-up last season, entered undefeated at 52-0.

Colon wasn’t paying attention to the undefeated opponent facing him.

“I don’t pay attention to the rankings. I don’t pay attention to who projects who,” Colon said. “I just went out there and had fun. I left everything on the mat and gave it my all.”

The Saints’ Tyler Guerra lost a 5-2 decision to Rich Township senior Nasir Bailey in the 3A 138-pound final. Bailey (43-1) entered as a two-time IHSA state champion as a freshman and junior. His sophomore season in 2020, Bailey transferred to Texas-based Arlington Martin High School and won the 132-pound title.

In 2020, Bilal, Nasir and Sincere Bailey became the first set of three siblings to win IHSA state titles in the same season.

“I believe that I’m the type of guy that can beat a guy like that,” Guerra said. “So I’m a little upset, but it is what it is. Got to just keep going and keep improving and [make] little adjustments.”

Also placing for St. Charles East was AJ Marino (120), who took third, Lane Robinson (170) and Austin Barrett (285), who placed fifth, and Anthony Gutierrez (160) and Brody Murray (182), who took sixth.

Marmion junior Jack Lesher won the 182-pound final over previously undefeated Shamon Handegan of Pekin with a convincing 6-1 victory.

Lesher, who was fourth last year, took home his first title.

Coming off the mat, Lesher gave a hearty fist pump in the direction to his team sitting feet away.

“It’s not just me. It’s all these guys,” Lesher said. “The state title isn’t just mine. It’s my whole team’s. These guys have had my back since I was a little kid. ... This is just all hard work, not just from me, but all my best friends.”

Sean Scheck (285) took third, Nick Garcia (106) took fourth and Donny Pigoni (113) and Zach Stewart (120) took eighth for the Cadets.

St. Charles North 195-pounder Drew Surges took eighth and finished his season 11-2.

Geneva’s best finish was by John Schmidt, who lasted until the second round of the consolation bracket before losing to Surges via tech fall.

Batavia’s highest finish was senior Kaden Fetterolf, who fell in the Class 3A 152-pound third-place match to Warren’s Aaron Stewart in a 4-2 decision to place fourth.

Fetterolf, who was second at state last year at 138 pounds, had an undefeated record until the semifinal round in sectionals last week. Fetterolf became the second wrestler in program history to achieve all-state status three times and finished his senior season with a 48-3 record.

“It’s just nice to be something that’s going to be there forever,” Fetterolf said. “Just [made] some history. ... I’m just proud of keeping my head good mentally throughout these years.”

Senior 145-pounder Cael Andrews (46-9) and junior 114-pounder Ino Garcia (25-9) finished sixth for Batavia. Aidan Huck (37-11) fell in the second round of the consolation bracket.