Wrestling: Yorkville Christian’s Ty Edwards, after missing all of last season, on a mission to make his mark in Champaign

Ty Edwards had the unfortunate circumstance of being sidelined during Yorkville Christian’s historic wrestling season last year.

But he handled it like a champion.

Edwards, a state runner-up as a freshman at the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association state meet and a Fargo All-American in 2021, tore the meniscus in both knees in practice before last season, his sophomore year. That meant he could only watch as Yorkville Christian teammate Jackson Gillen won the program’s first individual state title, and the Mustangs won the school’s first state championship.

“At the beginning it was definitely heartbreaking,” Edwards said, “but I ended up growing to adjust to being happy for my teammates and how they are doing.”

He’s now on a mission to make his own mark in Champaign.

Edwards, ranked No. 2 at 120 pounds by Illinois Matmen and a sectional champion last weekend, is one of six Yorkville Christian wrestlers and 13 total Kendall County area competitors headed to the Individual State Tournament this weekend in Champaign.

“He came in laser focused on Monday. He was mad that he didn’t get a pin in the sectional final,” Yorkville Christian coach Mike Vester said. “He really is just trying to make a statement that he is not only back but back to capture a state title. He wants to be 100% in every way and that’s bad news for a lot of people.”

Edwards, a Plano native, had surgery on the right knee in October of 2021 and the left knee in December 2021. He got his coach’s card so he could help coach his teammates during the season, and watched from the stands at state.

“He was a consummate professional teammate,” Vester said. “He didn’t complain about the injury, he came to every dual and tournament, helped warm up guys, helped some of the younger guys, he did the stat book for me, sat next to me for most duals. He came in this year with a little more wisdom. It makes him that much more of a leader. He is deserving of whatever he gets.”

Edwards returned to the mat over the summer at Fargo, and has posted a 42-6 record against a schedule loaded with Class 2A and Class 3A opponents this season heading into Champaign. Without a season last year, Edwards has gone into most tournaments unseeded, but has shown the limitations of those numbers.

“I definitely feel like I’m proving myself,” Edwards said. “Other than that I don’t really look at the seedings and rankings.”

Vester has coached Edwards for a long time, and said his nature has always been to attack, attack, attack. Since Edwards’ time off his legs he’s got even stronger, which is saying something.

“His core strength, it’s not like a 120-pounder,” Vester said. “He was always stronger and he went up a level, his leg attacks are still there is and he is a monster on top. It’s his resolve that remains consistent. He has continued to perfect the things he’s good at. He is better at going to second and third options. His approach is still the same – to attack. He’s never going to be called for stalling.”

Edwards’ first two matches at state will likely be against wrestlers he has already beaten, with more familiar opponents awaiting in semifinals. On the opposite end of the bracket is No. 1-ranked Joey Ruzic of Auburn and IC Catholic Prep two-time state champion and third-ranked Saul Trejo, who also missed last season with an injury.

Vester, though, calls Edwards a match at a time type of guy who isn’t thinking too far ahead of himself.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Edwards said of the prospects of medaling or winning state. “It will come to me as it happens.”

At 170 pounds No. 1-ranked Gillen (39-6) will look to become a repeat state champion, Yorkville Christian’s Tyler Martinez is ranked second at 160 pounds after taking third at state last year, and Aiden Larsen, fifth at state last year, is ranked third at 106 pounds.

“I like where our draws are at,” Vester said. “At this point we just have to wrestle.”

In Class 3A, Yorkville’s Ben Alvarez (34-8) and Hunter Janeczko (18-4) are back at state for the third time and lead five Foxes in Champaign. Both Janeczko, ranked third at 195 pounds by Illinois Matmen, and Alvarez, ranked fourth at 220 pounds, took eighth at state last year.

“If Hunter wrestles like he can, he can make the semis and then probably get the kid from Marist (unbeaten No. 1-ranked Peter Marinopoulos),” Yorkville coach Jake Oster said. “Ben has a Geneva kid he’ll probably beat in the first round then either Libertyville or Marmion – the Marmion kid Ben lost to him at the end of December, but it was a silly match and Ben didn’t look great. Ben is in a good position that if he wrestles well he can be in the finals.

“Both of them, they’ve improved every time, they know what to expect. It’s not like they will be shell shocked. They know the expectations they have for themselves and they don’t cary too much weight with those expectations. It’s about performing and doing what they know how to do. If they do that I could see them wrestling back-to-back on Saturday night.”

Also at state for Yorkville is Jack Ferguson (38-9) at 132 pounds, Ryder Janeczko (37-10) at 145 and Luke Zook (40-7) at 170.

“Jack’s first match, it’s a kid he wrestled earlier at the Cheesehead, we lost to him there but we watched some video on the match – it’s a winnable match. A win there and he gets the No. 1 seed, who will be pretty tough,” Oster said. “Ryder has a kid from Lake Zurich he has not wrestled, with a win there he’d probably get [Jayden] Colon of St. Charles East. Zook’s first match is a kid from West Aurora he has beaten twice, and then in quarters York or Libertyville, who he lost a close one to at the Dvorak but Luke is looking a lot better now than then. I like his spot.”

Area state qualifiers

Class 3A

Jack Ferguson, Yorkville, 132 pounds; Ryder Janeczko, 145; Luke Zook, 170; Hunter Janeczko, Yorkville, 195; Cruz Ibarra, Oswego, 195; Ben Alvarez, Yorkville, 220

Class 1A

Aiden Larsen, Yorkville Christian, 106; Ty Edwards, Yorkville Christian, 120; Drew Torza, Yorkville Christian, 145; Tyler Martinez, Yorkville Christian, 160; Jackson Gillen, Yorkville Christian, 170; Christopher Durbin, Yorkville Christian, 182; Alex Diaz, Plano, 285.