Boys wrestling: Marian Central wins first IHSA dual team state tournament

BLOOMINGTON – Max Astacio never doubted Saturday night would happen.

The Marian Central senior saw the highs and lows of wrestling in four years. He won the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association state championship as a freshman with Marian Central and then watched the Hurricanes struggle the next two seasons.

But throughout that time and three different coaching regimes, Astacio remained confident that the Hurricanes could compete for an IHSA dual team state championship. While coaches changed, Marian’s style of hard-nose, mean and tough wrestling remained the same.

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Marian Central’s Austin Hagevold tries to control Coal City’s Owen Petersen during the 106-pound match in the IHSA Class 1or2A Dual Team Sate Championship match Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )

Astacio’s faith was rewarded Saturday night at Bloomington’s Grossinger Motors Arena. The Hurricanes put together a tough 34-27 win over defending champion Coal City to take the Class 1A title, the Marian program’s first IHSA dual team state title.

“We showed we could do it again,” Astacio said. “The real deal.”

Marian sophomore Danny French has had a knack for coming through when the Hurricanes (26-11) have needed him throughout the postseason and Saturday night proved no different. Marian led 30-21 with two matches to go and French knew what he had to do at 215 pounds.

French took a 2-0 lead after the first period against Coal City’s Alec Waliczek before adding four points in the second. He scored five more in the third to secure the state title.

Marian forfeited at 285 after the title was won.

“I felt more confident than I ever could’ve,” French said. “I knew I had to do this for my team. When I got it down, it was amazing. It felt like something I’ve never felt before. It’s just amazing.”

French’s impressive performance was just one of many Saturday night. Sophomore Austin Hagevold (106) came back to win 7-6 while senior Anthony Alanis (113) took his match 10-3 to give Marian a 6-0 lead.

Junior Brayden Teunissen (126) won by technical fall, junior Andrew Alvarado (132) came back down 8-3 and won by fall while Vance Williams (138) won 14-6 to build a 21-3 lead.

Freshman Jimmy Mastny (157) won his match by forfeit and Astacio (175) held on to 4-0 before Marian forfeited at 190 to set the stage for French.

“We showed we could do it again. The real deal.”

—  Max Astacio, Marian Central senior

Marian co-coaches Jordan Blanton and Ryan Prater were both proud of not only the wrestlers who won, but also those who kept matches close in losses. Without strong performances like those by sophomore Josiah Perez (120) and freshman Nicolas Astacio, Saturday night wasn’t possible.

“It was a state championship or bust this year,” Prater said. “We have a good team and when we get on a roll, we can wrestle.”

Both Blanton and Prater said bringing McHenry County a dual team state championship was always the goal when they took over the program two years ago. Blanton, a state champion at Richmond-Burton, always knew the area could have elite wrestling and wanted to help usher in a new era.

While neither planned on it happening in the second season, they knew the Hurricanes could put it all together with the battle-tested lineup they put together.

“We felt like we were the most-prepared team in the state based on a few different reasons,” Blanton said. “At the end of the day, from top to bottom, this is a really special group. The goal is to go out there, compete and wrestle how we were capable of wrestling. I think we did that.”

Blanton and Prater know this year is only the beginning. The Hurricanes will lose some key seniors like Alanis and Max Astacio, but a majority of the lineup will return both state champions like Mastny and Teunissen, and other individual state tournament placers as well.

The coaching duo not only wants the Hurricanes program to be the best team in the state, but in the country.

Astacio’s excited to follow the highs of the Marian program.

“It’s in good hands.”