Boys wrestling: Yorkville’s Ben Alvarez wins IHSA state title

CHAMPAIGN — Ben Alvarez knows about losing in overtime in the state tournament. On Saturday, he made sure it didn’t happen on the biggest stage.

The Yorkville junior knocked off Loyola’s Kai Calcutt to claim the Class 3A 220-pound title, winning 3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker at the IHSA Boys Individual State Tournament in Champaign.

“I’ve never felt this feeling before,” Alvarez said. “It’s crazy.”

Alvarez was also one of three Foxes to reach the medal stand along with Luke Zook and Hunter Janeczko.

In Class 1A, Yorkville Christian’s Ty Edwards and Jackson Gillen each took second, while Aiden Larsen, Drew Torza and Tyler Martinez also earned medals for the Mustangs.

Alvarez was about to get the escape in overtime to clinch the win, but Calcutt was called for a stall. Alvarez was also close to a takedown earlier in the overtime period.

It was the third meeting this year between Calcutt and Alvarez. Alvarez won all three en route to a 38-8 record and the state title.

“Every time it’s been a little close, a little closer,” Yorkville coach Jake Oster said. “You can’t get much closer than final, overtime, rideouts. I’m proud of the kid. He’s awesome.”

Oster said overtime matches aren’t new to Alvarez. He lost a blood-round match in OT last year, keeping him off the medal stand.

“Having that feeling last year having lost in overtime, I never wanted to feel that again,” Alvarez said. “I’ve used that as fuel to get here and get the state title.”

Gillen, a defending state champion who finished 42-7, dropped his championship match to Joseph Norton of Canton, 10-6.

Norton started the second period off with a three-point nearfall, but Gillen responded with a reversal and two back points to take the lead.

Going into the third tied at 4-4, Norton got an escape, takedown and three back points in the first 45 seconds of the third period to secure the win.

“I felt like once he took the lead, we’d be in good shape,” Yorkville Christian coach Mike Vester said. “He’s usually in pretty good control. ... He’s had a great career. State runner-up. State champion. Jack Gillen has been really tough.”

Edwards lost 4-3 in a first-round tiebreaker to Auburn’s Anthony Ruzic at 120 pounds to finish the season 45-7 and in second place in the state. Edwards, an Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association state runner-up as a freshman, missed all of last season with a torn meniscus in both knees.

“I could feel that I was gassing and I knew I was getting a little tired,” Edwards said. “I knew if I wanted to win it I had to keep pushing but he ended up getting the better of me in the end.”

Edwards said he was pleased with the weekend overall, which started with an 8-1 win over Gibson City-Melvin-Shibley’s Shawn Schlickman. He followed it up with back-to-back pins in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

“It started off a little shaky, I’d say first-time nerves,” Edwards said. “But after that I would say it was smooth sailing until the finals. I didn’t wrestle the best but it is what it is.”

Martinez (45-6) was third for Yorkville Christian at 160, winning five straight matches after losing his opener to claim third. He took a 3-1 sudden victory over Vandalia’s Eric McKinney to cap his run after McKinney topped Martinez in the opener on Thursday.

“That’s a tribute to his ability to stay focused,” Vester said. “It’s so hard because he’s a senior and he wanted to get to that march. It just didn’t happen. He was a little late that first match because he didn’t pull the trigger cause he probably didn’t want to make any mistakes. But he really came back and fought like a warrior.”

Larsen ended up sixth at 106 and finished up the year 18-11. He suffered an injury in the consolation semifinal, then lost by injury forfeit in the fifth-place match.

Torza (38-18) also took sixth, losing a 5-3 match to Herrin’s Blue Bishop in the consolation semifinal before losing to Stillman Valley’s Aiden Livingston by a third-period pin in the 145-pound fifth-place match.

The Mustangs will compete Tuesday in the Class 1A Oregon Dual Team Sectional, facing Riverdale with a trip to the dual state tournament Saturday in Bloomington on the line.

Zook (44-8) was third at 170 for the Foxes, rolling to a 14-2 win in the third-place match against Libertyville’s Matt Kubas. His first three wins in the consolation bracket were all by two points or less.

Janeczko (21-6) took fourth at 195, losing to Belleville East’s Dominic Thebeau 6-4 in the third-place match.

The Foxes will compete Tuesday at the Class 3A Lincoln-Way West Dual Team Sectional, facing Edwardsville with a trip to the team state tournament on the line.

“It was a great weekend for us,” Oster said. “We took five down, got one in the finals, a third, a fourth. ... Good tournament, gets us ready. Get these guys their individual accolades, now get ready for Tuesday.”