IHSA Girls State Wrestling: Somonauk’s Shea Reisel captures state title; Ottawa’s Sara Meyer takes third

BLOOMINGTON – The biggest problem Somonauk’s Shea Reisel will have after Saturday’s final day of the IHSA Girls Wrestling State Finals is deciding how to rearrange all of her medals, plaques, trophies and bracket boards in her room to fit in her new additions.

Reisel’s new board must go front and center, because it’s certainly special.

After years of success at the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association’s local, state and national meets, Reisel now has earned the one thing she was afraid she’d never have the chance to win no matter how hard or well she wrestled: an IHSA state championship.

That came to pass Saturday at the first IHSA Girls State Meet held at the Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, when she registered a 5-0 decision over Jacksonville senior Brooklyn Murphy in the title match of the 110-pound weight class. The win gave her the first state championship in any sport for Somonauk.

“I’ll have to move some things around to make sure this is in the center, but I’m really excited to bring this home to Somonauk,” Reisel said. “I didn’t get my goal of pinning everyone on the way to the state championship, but I’ll take it.”

The inaugural girls event saw 11 state champions crowned, none more impressively than Reisel. She started the day with 4-2 decision over Lawrenceville’s Shaina Hyre in the semifinals but was unhappy with the way she competed and vowed to do better in the title match about six hours later.

Against Murphy, the Bobcats star was the picture of concentration, ditching her trademark bubbly grin for the scowling focus she knew she’d need. A takedown with 31 seconds left in the first period gave Reisel a 2-0 advantage. She then worked her way into the top position throughout the scoreless second period and into the third.

Starting in the down position, she quickly earned one point for an escape and soon added a two-point reversal to take command. Reisel finishes the season 26-4.

“Because I hadn’t wrestled as well as I’d hoped in my semifinals match, I tried to settle in and focus to the best of my ability in every period of my match, and it worked out for me. … I can’t even describe this feeling, other than to say it feels great. It means so much to be a part of this. I’m so fortunate to have been able to compete, and that the state decided to put on this event.

“I’m thrilled. This is huge for her and for everyone at the school,” Somonauk coach Mike Otto said. “Shea worked very hard, the hardest-working person on the team, and she truly deserves this.”

Saturday’s championship bouts started with the 145-pound weight class, making Batavia sophomore Sydney Perry officially the first girls state wrestling champion by virtue of her pin at 5:20 of Dyani Rivera of West Aurora.

“To be the first girls state champion in history feels good,” Perry said. “After seeing my brother last week, and doing the same things, the Grand March and everything, it’s just cool to be a part of this new sport and to compete at this level. To see so many girls are here, to see how fast this is expanding, it’s great to be a part of it all.”

Ottawa senior Sara Meyer (18-5) earned the third-place medal in the 140-pound class that same afternoon, defeating Zion Benton junior Rachael Williams-Henry by pin at the 2:37 mark of their match.

Meyer wasn’t at her best in her first match of the day, losing by pin at 1:53 to El Paso-Gridley’s Savannah Hamilton, who she described as “crazy strong.” Hamilton went on to lose the title match to Alton’s Antonia Phillips by a 6-2 decision.

But the Pirates ace was on top of her game in the third-place bout, scoring a takedown and a three-point near fall, an escape and another takedown for a 9-1 lead before finally pinning Williams-Henry with 1:23 left in the second period.

“I figured she’d do throws, because that’s how her other matches were, so I just fought those off and went in aggressively whenever I had the chance,” Meyer said. “On the near fall she rolled to he back, and I decided to keep her there.

“I knew that I could get the top six, but I didn’t know where I’d end up. I couldn’t be happier with this.”

“Sara’s been wrestling for four years, and it’s great that she could come in here and finish her career with this opportunity and do so well in it,” Ottawa coach Pete Marx said. “I can’t say enough good things about Sara. Leadership, ability, attitude, she brings everything you’d want to the program.”

In the 105 third-place match against Loyola Academy’s Harlee Hiller, Morris’ Ella McDonnell (19-23) fell behind on a first-period a takedown, and although she scored a reversal to tie it at 2-all, Hiller completed a three-point near fall to take control.

She led McDonnell 14-7 when the pin came with 30 seconds remaining.

“It was hard to get leverage against her. She’s just strong,” McDonnell said. “I wanted to stay out of her grip and away from her strength, but it didn’t work out too well. … Still, I’ve been wrestling 11 years now, and to get a medal at state feels pretty good.”