Boys wrestling: Marmion wins Glenbard West Regional, host Hilltoppers finish second

GLEN ELLYN – Glenbard West senior wrestler Tony Shadid made a memorable impression on the mat Feb. 3.

His title celebration also turned a few heads – and led to a few people quickly moving in a different direction as the highly charged up Shadid reveled in his finals victory.

Shadid was among the individual weight class winners at the Class 3A Glenbard West Regional in Glen Ellyn.

Marmion rolled to the team title with 212 points, beating out host Glenbard West (156) and Batavia (126). Downers Grove North placed fourth with 122 points, Glenbard East was fifth (93), Lyons claimed sixth (83), Wheaton Warrenville South took seventh (46) and Willowbrook rounded out the field with 37.5 points.

The top three placers from each weight class advanced to this weekend’s Hinsdale Central Sectional.

Shadid capped a memorable regional effort by pinning Marmion’s Christian Favia in the 157-pound title match. As soon as his match ended, Shadid darted off the mat, slapping hands with everybody in his path, and then hugged several coaches and teammates as he energetically made his way through the small, but crowded path.

“Consistency was the key for me,” Shadid said. “Throughout the year, we’ve worked with our mental health and staying strong. I stayed consistent for my match and go 100%. It’s amazing. It feels so great to drive through [my opponents]. I’ve been working all year for this, so I’m not surprised. This feels great. I’m ready and going to go downstate. This played just the way I planned it. I’ve been building my consistency and stamina. I feel I did that today. I’m looking forward to harder competition [this] weekend.”

A few minutes before Shadid’s electric performance, Glenbard West senior Elliot Torres gave his teammate some inspiration. Torres, like Shadid, is aiming to advance to the state tournament for the first time in his career. Torres (31-3) endured a tough bracket but closed out his day by pinning Batavia’s Dylan Wells for the 150-pound title.

“My [finals] match went pretty well,” said Torres, sporting some blood on his teeth. “I thought I did everything I wanted in the finals. Last year, I had COVID and had a weight cutting problem, so this feels great. I’ve kept wrestling and working in our room. I’ve wrestled better and am just looking to keep getting better. I’m very excited for next week.”

The Cadets set the tone for a big day with a strong showing in the lower weights, receiving titles from Logan Conover (106), Nicholas Garcia (113), Donny Pigoni (126), Zach Stewart (138), Joseph Favia (215) and Mateusz Nycz (285). Ashton Hobson (144), Christian Favia (157) and Vincenzo Testa (175) all claimed second-place medals for the Cadets.

“Today was great,” Marmion coach Nathan Fitzenreider said. “All of the guys wrestled really hard. We’ve been dealing with a lot of bumps and bruises and injuries, but all the guys are peaking at just the right time.”

Batavia qualified six wrestlers for the sectional, led by Imo Garcia capturing the 120-pound title with a 3-0 decision over Lyons’ Griff Powell. At 132 pounds, Batavia’s Jack Duraski claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Glenbard West’s Ulises Rosas in the final. Batavia’s Aidan Huck recorded a 6-4 win over Marmion’s Ashton Hobson for the 144-pound title. Senior Ben Brown, a linebacker on the football team, claimed Batavia’s final first-place medal, defeating Glenbard West’s Sasha Boulton in a memorable match 2-1 at 190.

Brown celebrated his grueling victory with a double-bicep pose on the mat.

“I want to keep this momentum rolling,” Brown said. “I’ve put in a lot of work. [Sasha] was a really good wrestler. He was a strong kid. It was a burner. I knew it was going to be a good match. This is a good feeling coming here and getting a win.”

Lyons senior Gunnar Garelli, who became the Lions’ first All-State wrestler last season since 2017, is on the path toward a repeat trip to Champaign. Garelli (42-1), who plans to attend Virginia Tech, recorded an impressive 4-3 win over Glenbard West’s Collin Carrigan in the 165-pound final.

“I lost to [Carrigan] two weeks ago, so I was excited to beat him,” Garelli said. “It was a close loss. I had to make a few adjustments, watching out for his lead attack and how to defend it. I was satisfied with my performance, but I have to keep improving. This is a good confidence builder for me.”

Wheaton Warrenville South’s Sedeeq Al Obaidi claimed a medical default victory in the 175-pound final for the Tigers’ lone championship. Al Obaidi (35-2) said he’s ready for another prolific effort at the sectional.

“I felt pretty good about the match, but he obviously got hurt,” he said. “This is my second time winning regionals, but this is not the main tournament. I’m trying to get ready for that state tournament. This is just one step to that.”

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