Wrestling

The DeKalb wrestling program has seen a surge in success over the last decade, wracking up individual honors and some team hardware. Now NIU has taken notice as well. Tommy Curran, Danny Curran and Jaocb Luce are on the NIU roster this season.

An Olympic champion, two coaches, five athletes and three state title teams were among the inaugural inductees of the Oregon School District’s athletic hall of fame.

Rock Falls Tourism’s newest event, the Taco Throwdown Festival, will be from 3-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at the RB&W District, 201 E. Second St., Rock Falls.

Marian Central state wrestling champ Jimmy Mastny and his coach Jordan Blanton have won their case against the IHSA, which claimed Jimmy had been improperly recruited. A McHenry County judge threw out their suspensions.

A McHenry County judge could rule Friday if a Marian Central Catholic High School wrestler and coach should e suspended. How did we get here?

Marian Central wrestler Jimmy Mastny won a state wrestling title earlier this year, but the IHSA argues he was improperly recruited by his coach, Jordan Blanton. A trial over the matter began Monday.

Landin Benson is fresh off a state championship in wrestling and hoping to lead Coal City's football team to similar success in his senior season.

St. Charles East wrestler Ben Davino, who finished his high school career with a perfect 50-0 record, including his fourth high school state championship to cap off his senior season, is the Kane County Chronicle 2023-24 Male Athlete of the Year.

Al Zinke was an iconic figure at Dundee-Crown, where he built a wrestling powerhouse and logged a winning percentage of .814. Zinke passed away Sunday in Florida at age 73.

A local wrestler qualified for the Pan-Am Games, plus spring sports aplenty from all around the Herald-News area in today's Area Roundup.

Trevor Jauch used to walk the halls of Crystal Lake South as a youth wrestler growing up. Now Jauch will walk those halls again, this time as the Gators' new head coach.

After many years of planning, breaking ground in March of 2023, then 13 months of construction, Seneca High School unveiled its new 28,000-square-foot gymnasium to the public at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday night.

With four state medalists, a history-maker at Genoa-Kingston and state qualifiers all around, we look at the best boys wrestling had to offer on our all-area team.

After a topsy-turvy first two years, Jacob Luce leaves DeKalb with a pair of state medals and ends his career on a win. He was named the Daily Chronicle 2024 Wrestler of the Year.

Girls wrestling expanded both statewide with the addition of a regional tournament to the state series as well as locally with all four teams that offer boys wrestling sending girls to the postseason as well. We look at the best in our all-area team.

In Kaneland’s third year competing in girls wrestling, freshman Angelina Gochis made some history. The 105-pounder won the school’s first state title and finished the year 47-5. She was named the first Daily Chronicle Girls Wrestler of the Year.

Ross Ryan has spent a majority of his life at Crystal Lake South, both as a student and a teach and wrestling coach. That's why the decision to leave the school and become the new coach at Prairie Ridge was incredibly hard.

Princeton sophomore Izzy Gibson made history this winter as the school's first state qualifier in girls wrestling. She's also the first NewsTribune Girls Wrestler of the Year.

A look at the top boys and girls wrestlers for the 2023-24 season.

Princeton junior Ace Christiansen is the NewsTribune Boys Wrestler of the Year for the second time after leading the area in wins at 39 and placing third at 138 pounds in the Class 1A state tournament.

Streator senior Nicholas Pollett is the Times 2024 Boys Wrestler of the Year after finishing sixth at state and earning the first boys wrestling medal for the Bulldogs since 1958.

Sandwich senior Ashlyn Strenz is the Times 2024 Girls Wrestler of the Year. Strenz repeats as honoree after finishing runner-up at regionals and sectionals, then fifth at the IHSA Girls Wrestling State Meet.

A first team filled with our area’s 13 state qualifiers and an honorable mention list containing an additional 26 sectional-qualifying grapplers, we’re proud to present the 2023-24 Times All-Area Wrestling Team.

Within an hour last week, the DeKalb wrestling community lost two of its founding fathers. Arch Richoz and Wayne Miller died March 7, each leaving behind a lasting legacy to wrestling both locally and statewide.

St. Charles East senior Ben Davino, who capped off his career and a 50-0 season with his fourth state championship, is the Kane County Chronicle Boys Wrestler of the Year.

Huntley Middle and Sycamore Middle both capped historic at separate state tournaments on Saturday, with the J-Barbs winning a title and SMS taking home a trophy for a seventh-place finish.

Batavia senior Sydney Perry, who who won four state titles, three IHSA individual state wrestling championships and finished her career with a perfect 96-0 IHSA record, is the Kane County Chronicle Girls Wrestler of the Year.

A roll call of BCR Wrestlers of the Year dating back to 1997

The Princeton junior 138-pounder won the most matches (39), had the most takedowns (93) and placed the highest (third) of any other area wrestler.

Marian Central freshman Jimmy Mastny put together one of the most dominant postseasons in McHenry County history, winning each match by either fall or forfeit. After winning an individual and dual team state title, Mastny is the 2024 Northwest Herald Boys Wrestler of the Year.

Marian Central co-coaches Jordan Blanton and Ryan Prater had a goal of bringing the Hurricanes to new heights when they took over a couple years ago. They accomplished that this season, earning them the Northwest Herald's Wrestling Coaches of the Year honor.

Here is the Northwest Herald's 2024 all-area boys wrestling team.

Marian Central celebrates its IHSA Class 1A Dual Team Sate Championship wrestling team on Friday, March 8, 2024, at the high school in Woodstock.

Huntley sophomore Janiah Slaughter accomplished her goal of improving upon her freshman season by finishing runner-up at 105 pounds at the IHSA individual state tournament. Slaughter was named the Northwest Herald's Inaugural Girls Wrestler of the Year.

Here is the Northwest Herald's 2024 all-area girls wrestling team.

Glenbard West senior Alycia Perez, who won the 100-pound state championship, is the Suburban Life Girls Wrestler of the Year.

Already in the midst of a historic season on multiple fronts, the Huntley Middle School wrestling team will look to add an exclamation point to the season Friday and Saturday at the IESA State Championships at the NIU Convocation Center.

Yorkville senior Yamilet Aguirre, who took fourth place in the 125-pound division for her third state tournament medal, is the Record Newspapers Girls Wrestler of the Year.

Glenbard West senior Collin Carrigan, who won the Class 3A 165-pound state championship, is the Suburban Life Boys Wrestler of the Year.

Yorkville Christian senior Ty Edwards, who won the Class 2A 132-pound state championship, is the Record Newspapers boys Wrestler of the Year.

Morrison junior Camryn Veltrop became the first girls basketball player in school history to be named first-team all-state by the Associated Press and IBCA, and former E-P football standout Jase Grunder received his first varsity letter at Central College. Plus more local sports.

A number of the extended area’s junior high wrestlers advanced out of sectionals to the IESA State Meet scheduled to be held this coming weekend.

Claudia Heeney overcame a broken thumb to win the 130-pound state championship

Here are the best girls wrestlers in the Herald-News coverage area

Here is the Southwest Prairie Conference all-conference teams for boys and girls wrestling.

Here is the All-Kishwaukee River Conference girls wrestling team for the 2023-24 season, as selected by coaches. Richmond-Burton's Jasmine McCaskel was named the conference's Wrestler of the Year.

Here is the All-Kishwaukee River Conference boys wrestling team for the 2023-24 season, as selected by coaches. Johnsburg's Eric Bush was named the conference's wrestler of the year.

After another winter where our area was well-represented at the IHSA State Finals, here is the 2023-24 Herald-News All-Area Boys Wrestling Team.

Newman senior Brady Grennan ended his high school wrestling career with a third-place finish in the Class 1A 132-pound field at the IHSA Individual Boys State Wrestling Tournament on Feb. 17. He has been voted the Sauk Valley Media Athlete of the Week by readers for Feb. 12-18.

At the Class 1A Byron Sectional on Feb. 10, Oregon senior wrestler Quentin Berry qualified for the IHSA Boys Individual State Finals for the first time with a second-place finish at 190. Berry has been voted the Sauk Valley Media Athlete of the Week by readers for Feb. 5-11.