Naperville Central Opens 2021-2022 With Three Wins
12/27/2021
NCHS 56 – York 18
NCHS 55 – Lincoln Way West 15
NCHS 36 – Batavia 35
Seems like just a few months ago the Redhawks were competing at the IWCOA State tournament in the abbreviated 2021 wrestling season. The Hawks are back in action for a full 2021-2022 season. Naperville Central hosted York, Lincoln Way West and Batavia in a quad on a Saturday morning, and they did not disappoint, winning all three match-ups.
In the opening contest, Central defeated York by a score of 56-18. Thirteen matches were contested with Central winning nine of them and picking up another by forfeit. David Pirozhnik, Nicolas Besterio, Ethan Olson, Tommy Porter, Nick Antonietti, Gavin Bohan and Ayden Lutes all recorded falls for Central while Tristen Hall scored a 15-0 technical fall.
Round two saw the Hawks against Lincoln Way West where Central won 55-15. In that contest the Redhawks won ten of thirteen matches and another by forfeit. Antonietti, Ramirez, Bohan, Hall and Pirozhnik earned their respective second falls while Porter earned a 17-2 technical fall. Ty Martin brought the fans to their feet scoring a takedown in overtime to win at 113 pounds. Martin fought back with a couple of takedowns in regulation to send the match to overtime.
The match of the day was against rival Batavia. The dual started at 220 with Nick Antonietti moving down a weight class to earn his third pin of the day. After Niko Besteiro picked up a win by forfeit, the Redhawks held a 12-0 team score lead. But the Bulldogs of Batavia fought back with wins at 106, 113 and 120. Suddenly, the Redhawks found themselves trailing 12-15. August Kukis scored a key win by fall at 126 to give the Hawks a short-lived team score lead of 18-15. The Bulldogs hit their stride in the middle weights. Patrick Geiger was defeated by technical fall at 132, Porter give up a major decision at 138 and first time varsity wrestler Neil Rao was defeated 24-10 at 145, a major decision. Finally, Gavin Bohan battled but came up short at 152, losing 9-6. The four victories gave the Bulldogs a large 18-31 team score lead.
But back came the Redhawks led by Senior Captain Ayden Lutes. Lutes earned his second pin on the day at 160 to make the team score 24-31. Tristen Hall followed up with a fall of his own early in the third period of his match at 170 to make the score 30-31 Batavia. David Pirozhnik made it three-for-three with falls to put the Redhawks ahead 36-31 with one match remaining. Senior Haaris Khan fell short of winning his match at 182, but his 19-9 lost was by no more than a major decision, worth four team points. The Redhawks held on to win the dual by one point: 36-35.
Also wrestling at home was the NCHS JV team. They also won all three duals against the same three teams. Naperville Central fielded a freshman-sophomore team that competed at Plainfield South for a super quad. Central won all three duals in their pool to make the championship dual against Naperville North. Naperville North won that dual.
Next up Naperville Central will compete in a DVC contest at home against Waubonsie Valley on Friday, December 3. On Saturday, the Redhawks will compete in the Mega Duals at the Varsity, JV1 and JV2 levels while the freshman will wrestle at Lyons in a tournament.
Naperville Central Sweeps the MegaDuals
12/4/2021
NCHS 48 – Oswego 21
NCHS 35 – West Aurora 27
NCHS 36 – St. Charles East 30
Naperville Central (7-0, 1-0) won all three duals at the annual Mega-Duals hosted by Wheaton Warrenville South. Four wrestlers won all three of their matches: Tommy Porter (138), Ayden Lutes (160), David Pirozhnik (182) and Haaris Khan (195). Porter and Lutes lead the team with two falls each.
In the opening dual, Central defeated Oswego by a score of 48-21. The Redhawks won ten of fourteen matches with four of those wins coming by forfeit. Tommy Porter (138) scored the only fall for the Hawks while Chris Ramirez (145) won by technical fall 17-1. Ayden Lutes (160) won the most exciting match of the night with a takedown in overtime, 7-5. Mitchell Kaszuba won his first varsity match of the season with a 6-1 decision.
In dual two, the Redhawks (ranked 21 by IWCOA Class 3A rankings) defeated West Aurora (ranked 13) by a score of 35-27. Both teams won seven matches, so the result was decided by bonus points. Central scored falls in three of their wins and a technical fall in a fourth. West Aurora earned two pins. Leading the way for the Hawks were Ayden Lutes (160) and Tristen Hall (170). They scored their pins in the second and third matches of the contest. David Pirozhnik (182) and Haaris Khan (195) won by decisions to give the Redhawks a 21-3 dual team score after five matches. They never relinquished their lead. Ty Martin (113) earned a fall in the third period of his match and Ethan Olson (23-7) earned a technical fall. Tommy Porter (138) won perhaps the most exciting match of the night. Down by one in the third period, Porter scored a reversal and near-fall and rode out his opponent to win 12-9.
In the final match-up of the day, NCHS defeated St. Charles East (ranked 10) 36-30. Central won six of the first seven matches to take strong 27-4 team score lead. Senior Captain Ayden Lutes (160) won his third match of the night, this one by fall. Lutes is undefeated on the year: 7-0 with five wins by fall. Nick Antonetti (285) used a hip toss to throw his opponent to his back for a win by fall. Antonietti improves to 6-1 on the season. David Pirozhnik (182) scored a takedown in sudden victory overtime to win 8-6 and remind undefeated on the season. He is 7-0 with five wins by pin. Tristen Hall (170) suffered his first loss of the season, but the senior holds a 6-1 record on the year. The Saints of St. Charles East came storming back in the next four weight classes, winning three by fall and one by technical fall. With the team score knotted at 27, Senior Captain Tommy Porter (138) earned a fall to give the Redhawks a 33-27 team score lead with two matches remaining. Porter finished the day 3-0 and has a 6-1 record on the season. He leads the team in takedowns with 24. Senior Chris Ramirez (145) battled to a tight 5-3 decision to win his fifth match on the year. The match mathematically won the dual on the night. Ramirez has a record of 5-1 this season.
The Redhawks won all three JV duals in their Mega-dual efforts hosted by St. Charles East. They swept Rockton-Hononegah and Wheaton Warrenville South while also defeating St. Charles East. The JV2 team competed at West Aurora and won two duals. The NCHS Freshman team took second place at the eight team Lyons Tournament. Champions were Bradley Anderson, William Erbeck and Dylan Schroeder. Silver medalists were Flynn Collins, Matthias Hautzinger, Liam Morales, and Nithilan Gandhi. Taking the bronze were Gavin McDonald, CJ Bierman, Kyle VanBallen, William Kotecki, Sammy Mullin, Henry Rydwelski, and Aiden Kopsel.
Next up Central will travel to DeKalb on Thursday and will host DVC foe on Friday night. Saturday the varsity will wrestle in their first tournament of the year at Hoffman Estates.
Naperville Central Improves to 4-0
NCHS 57 – Waubonsie Valley 16
December 3, 2021
Naperville Central (4-0, 1-0 in DVC) defeated DuPage Valley foe Waubonsie Valley by a score of 57-16 at home on a Friday night. The Redhawks won six of the ten contested matches and picked up another four wins by forfeit.
Leading off for the Hawks was senior captain Tommy Porter (145) who racked up eight takedowns before locking down a fall. After Chris Ramirez (152) and Ayden Lutes (160) earned their forfeits, senior Tristen Hall (170) wasted no time getting a pin in the first period of his match. David Pirozhnik score a pin at 182 pounds and remains undefeated on the year. Haaris Khan (195) just missed winning his match, falling short 2-3. Niko Besterio (220) and Nick Antonietti (285) recorded wins by forfeit.
The dual went back and forth from there. Freshman Ryan Serbinski (106) lost in his varsity debut by a score of 1-4. Ty Martin (113) avenged Serbinski’s loss with a fall in the second period of his match. Lucas Moen (120) entered the varsity line-up and fell short by a score of 1-9. Ethan Olsen scored a fall wrestling at 126 pounds. August Kukis (132) lost by pin. Junior Neil Rao earned his first varsity win with a 6-3 decision at 138 pounds.
Both the JV and freshman squads defeated Waubonsie Valley prior to the varsity dual.
Hawks fall to DeKalb
NCHS 12 - DeKalb 57
December 9, 2021
Naperville Central (7-1, 1-1 in DVC) suffered their first defeat of the season at DeKalb. Thirteen weight classes were contested and the Redhawks were able to win three of them.
Ayden Lutes (160) came away with a hard fought decision 6-3 scoring takedowns in the second and third periods. Senior Nick Antonetti (285) scored a couple of takedowns in route to a second period pin. Tyler Martin (113) was able to lock down a takedown with back points at the tail of the first period of his match. He was able to hold on to a 5-2 victory.
DeKalb won the JV1 and freshman dual defeating the Redhawks by three team points in each contest.
Redhawk Wrestlers Control Neuqua Valley
NCHS 59 – Neuqua Valley 14
December 10, 2021
Central (8-1, 2-1 in DVC) received 30 team points via five forfeits from DuPage Valley Conference foe Neuqua Valley and coasted to a 59-14 win at home. Of the nine matches competed, the Hawks won six, three of which were falls and one was a technical fall.
The matchup started at 160 pounds where Ayden Lutes scored that technical fall, winning by a score of 26-10. Lutes added 12 takedowns to his season total for the year. Tristen Hall (170) fell behind early, but came storming back reversing his opponent to his back and pinning him in the second period. Not to be outdone, Sophomore Niko Besteiro (220) also came from behind to pin his rival by lifting him from a takedown directly to his back. Freshman Ryan Serbinski (106) fell behind early and was unable to recover, losing 2-10. Sophomore Luke Moen (120) was pinned in his match.
Junior Ethan Olson (126) scored six takedowns in the first period of his match and locked down a pin in the second period. August Kukis moved up to 132 and was unable to hold off his opponent, losing 2-11. Neil Rao (138) proved he deserves to be reckoned with after scoring five takedown to win by a decision 11-5. The final match of the night proved to be the most exciting. Chris Ramirez jumped out to a big lead with three first period takedowns. Neuqua Valley wrestler Ryan Mohler fought back to tie the score 8-8 with a late near-fall in the third period. But, Ramirez quickly scored the winning takedown in the first 14 seconds of overtime to cap off the match and the dual.
NCHS defeated NV at the JV level by a score of 64-15 and the NCHS freshman team won 66-15.
Naperville Central Dominates 13 Team Mickey Marchese Memorial
1st: NCHS 283.5, 2nd: Harlem 141, 3rd: Homewood Flossmoor 115, 4th: Niles Notre Dame 114, 5th: Willowbrook 87.5, 6th: Hoffman Estates 87, 7th: Lane Tech 81.5, 8th: South Elgin, 9th: Elgin, 10th: Cary Grove, 11th: Wheeling, 12th: Streamwood, 13th: Maine West
December 11, 2021
The Redhawks travelled to Hoffman Estates to compete in the 13 team Mickey Marchese Memorial Wrestling Tournament, their first tournament of the season, and came away with a resounding championship. The Hawks sent ten individuals to the finals with five coming away with gold medals. Central entered nineteen wrestlers, five of which were non-scorers. In all, 18 of the 19 wrestlers placed in the top six and made the podium. Over the course of the tournament, NCHS won 43 matches against just 18 losses. Scoring wrestlers won 33 and lost just 11. In terms of team score, the Redhawks more than doubled the team points of the second place team and outscored the 2nd and 3rd place teams combined.
The leading scorer for the Redhawks was senior David Pirozhnik (182). Pirozhnik pinned his way through the tournament including a fall in the second period of his gold medal match. Ayden Lutes (152) remains undefeated on the season after entering the finals with two pins and winning in the finals with an overtime victory 6-4. Tommy Porter (138) finished 3-0 with a pin and a win by technical fall. Ethan Olson (120) earned two decisions to advance to the finals and then upped his game with a fall in his gold medal match. Tyler Martin (113) continues to show improvement this season. The sophomore had several come-from-behind victories, winning the third period through the tournament. Martin won his blue-ribbon match by a score of 8-2.
Five additional Hawks won their semifinal matches, advanced to the finals, and took second place. Nick Antonietti (285) added two more pins to his season total. Niko Besteiro (220) got a bye into the semifinals and won by fall there. Charlie Morgan (160) came from the pigtails to make the finals. He scored two pins in his first two matches and won in overtime in the semifinals. Morgan just missed a gold medal by seconds in his championship match. Senior Chris Ramirez (145) looked impressive in his two wins, locking down a fall and a major decision. In perhaps the most impressive performance of the night, sophomore upstart Chris Bern (138) came in unseeded but still made the finals with three thrilling decisions. Bern finished the day 3-1 with his one loss coming against his teammate in the finals.
Three Central wrestlers finished the day with a win in their third place match. Mitchell Kaszuba (132) finish 2-1 with a win by technical fall. Senior Tristen Hall (170) won both of his matches by fall. Muhammad Totten (220) won some two varsity matches, both by fall to take a bronze.
Taking fourth was Gavin McDonald (106) and Luke Moen (120). Moen won a match by fall. Taking fifth was Neil Rao (145) and Haaris Khan (195). Both Rao and Khan had great days. Rao tied for the most Redhawk pins in the tournament with three. Khan had more wins than any other Central wrestlers. He ended the day 4-1 with 2 falls. August Kukis finished in sixth place. He had a come-from-behind win by pin. The only wrestler not to place was Joe Thomas (160), but Thomas ended the day 2-2 with both wins by fall.
Next up the Redhawks will travel to Naperville North for the annual Crosstown Rivalry match against the Huskies on Friday. Saturday the varsity will compete at Oak Forest for a Mega-Dual. The junior varsity will be at home for a quad while the freshman-sophomore team will travel to Maine South for a tournament.
Central Wins Cross-Town Dual
NCHS 50 – NNHS 19
December 17, 2021
Sister schools Naperville’s Central and North faced off for their annual wrestling clash, this year hosted by Naperville North High School. The Redhawks prevailed by a score of 50-19. There were thirteen contested matches and Central won ten. NCHS won by fall in five matches and by technical fall in a sixth match. NNHS scored a fall, a major decision and an overtime win.
The dual started with a bang at 126 pounds where Hinkle (NN) jumped out to an early lead with a takedown. Losing in the second period, August Kukis (NC) scored a takedown and used the lock put Hinkle down for the fall. Grant Gentile (NN-132) avenged his team’s loss scoring a pin with a pancake against Central’s Mitchell Kaszuba. The Huskies took the team score lead after Cameron Clark (NN-138) controlled Neil Rao with a major decision 9-0.
The Redhawks then got on a roll winning the next eight matches. Central’s captain at 145, Tommy Porter, scored four takedowns followed by a fall to regain the team score lead. Chris Ramirez (NC-152) scored two takedowns in the final seconds of his match against Kai Goodrick to get the bonus team point-major decision 15-7. Ramirez serves as Central’s second captain. The third in the captain trio, Redhawk’s Ayden Lutes (160) aggressively scored an early takedown followed by a first period pin.
Tristen Hall (NC-170) was able to takedown Kyle Gatlin five times in route to a 15-3 major decision. Hall’s victory was followed by fellow senior David Pirozhnik (NC-182) who got four takedowns himself then pinned Murphy in the second period. Sophomore upstart Niko Besteiro (NC-220) used a body lock throw early in the match to pin Schmitt. Finally, in the eighth consecutive match win, Nick Antonietti (NC-285) was able to fend off an aggressive Darrick Ibrashimov with a decision 1-0.
Naperville North’s Ben Messier picked up a forfeit for the Huskies at 106 pounds. Huskie Zac Malley (113) scored the first takedown and carried the 2-0 lead late into the third period before Tyler Martin tied the score on a takedown as time expired. Malley, however, was able to get the overtime win with a takedown, winning 4-2. In the final match of the night, Central’s Ethan Olson (120) scored ten takedowns, winning by technical fall 24-7.
Naperville Central won the JV1 dual and the freshman dual. Central and North tied in the JV2 dual.
Naperville North honored their seniors prior to the start of the varsity dual. Also honored was longtime coach Doug Nutt. Coach Nutt is retiring after coaching wrestling for more than 45 years. Coach Nutt is the father of Naperville Central freshman coach Chris Nutt.
Naperville Central Sweeps Four Duals at Oak Forest
NCHS 67 – Bradley Bourbonnais 10
NCHS 39 – Prospect 26
NCHS 47 – Oak Forest 14
NCHS 59 – Joliet Central 13
December 18, 2021
Naperville Central added for more dual victories at Oak Forest Mega-Duals, Oak Forest High School. Seven Redhawks finished undefeated on the day, five of whom won all four matches: David Pirozhnik (182), Niko Epps (285), Tommy Porter (145), Niko Besteiro (220), and Neil Rao (138). Ayden Lutes won all three of his matches, Chris Ramirez won both of his matches as well.
The Hawks opened with Bradley Bourbonnais. The Redhawks won five of six matches with three falls by Chris Ramirez, Ayden Lutes, and David Pirozhnik all getting falls and Haaris Khan winning by major decision 10-0. Tommy Porter scored a takedown in the third period of his match to cap a come from behind win 10-9. The Boilermakers, struggling with team injuries and illness, forfeited seven weight classes.
In the key matchup of the day, the Redhawks took on the ranked Knights of Prospect. NCHS won eight matches, lost five and gave up a forfeit at 106 pounds. Gavin Bohan (152) came back from being down 3-6 after two periods to win 11-10. Bohan scored two takedowns and two reversals in the final third. Ayden Lutes (160) won by technical fall. After Tristen Hall (170) lost, David Pirozhnik (182) scored a first period fall. Haaris Khan (195) just missed in his effort to come from behind, losing by just one point 5-6.
The Hawks then picked up two key pins at 220 and 285 respectively. Niko Besteiro earned his in the first period and Senior Niko Epps got his in the second period. The two victories put the Redhawks 26-7 by team score. The Knights won five of the next six matches. Central forfeited 106, Ty Martin (113) lost by a score of 0-9, August Kukis (126) was defeated by a score of 5-10 and Mitchell Kaszuba (132) was pinned by the defending state champion Will Baysinger. However, Ethan Olson (120) scored a key major decision in his match with a score of 12-3. The team score showed 30-26 in favor of NCHS with two remaining matches.
Neil Rao (138) scored a couple of takedowns in the first period and was able to earn a third takedown in the final period to win 7-2. The win mathematically won the dual for the Redhawks who then led by seven: 33-26. Tommy Porter (145) fell into a deep hole, losing 0-8 after the first period of his match, but Porter came storming back with a takedown toss and nearfall in the second period and a threw his opponent to his back in the third period for the deciding fall.
Naperville Central defeated the host school 47-14. The win came by way of six match wins against four losses. Ayden Lutes (160) won by major decision, Pirozhnik (182) got his third pin of the night. Haaris Khan (195) was able to earn a major decision 9-1. Newcomer Nico Epps earned another varsity pin at 285. Neil Rao (138) wrestled very well, winning 9-3 and Tommy Porter (145) won by fall.
In the fourth and final dual, Central defeated Joliet Central 59-13. Tristen Hall (170) won by major decision to start the matchup. David Pirozhnik (182) earned yet another pin for his 13th of the season. Pirozhnik improves to a record of 16-1 and leads the team in the fall category. Pirozhnik’s only loss came to the defending state champion last week. Haaris Khan (195) continues to showcase his improved wrestling skills, scoring a pin for his 13th win on the season at varsity. Khan finished the day 3-1. Niko Besteiro (220) picked up a win by forfeit to cap a perfect 5-0 weekend and improve to 11-5 on the season. Niko Epps filled in a heavyweight and had a banner day, winning all four varsity matches, three by fall including the match against Joliet. Tyler Martin (113) lost in his final effort but sill check in with two victories on the day. Ethan Olson (120) earned his third win at Oak Forest with a 12-0 major decision. Olson is second on the team with 51 takedowns so far this season and leads the team in technical falls with three. August Kukis (126) quickly dispatched his foe with a pin in just twenty seconds. Kukis ended 2-2.
Neil Rao (138) wrestled excellently with four decisions. Rao, now 9-4 on the season, defeated Joliet 7-1. Tommy Porter (145) scored another pin capping an undefeated weekend and improving to 15-2. Porter is second on the team in pins with nine. Chris Ramirez (152) finished 2-0, adding another pin to his record of 11-3. Gavin Bohan (160) filled in at 160 but lost in a close 3-5 decision. Bohan spit a pair of matches on the day. Senior Captain Ayden Lutes (160) did not compete against Joliet Central but won all three of his matches. Lutes remains undefeated on the year 16-0 and leads the team in takedowns with 57.
Naperville Central won all three of their junior varsity duals at home against Oak Forest, Bolingbrook and Joliet Central.
The Redhawk Freshman-Sophomore team won the Maine South F/S Invitational with a team score of 197. Libertyville (130) and Maine South (102) were second and third respectively. Taking first place was Luke Moen (120), Chris Bern (138), Hagan Taylor (152), Patrick Bohan (170), John Carens (182), and Jacob Smetters (195)
Naperville Central Resumes Season With Three Dual Wins
1/8/2022
NCHS 38 – Barrington 30
NCHS 84 – South Elgin 0
NCHS – Downers Grove North 15
After a ten day Corvid hiatus, Naperville Central (16-1, 3-1 in DVC) resumed its wrestling season with three dual victories competed at Downers Grove High School. Central opened with a come-from-behind dual victory against Barrington and, after sweeping South Elgin, defeated host Downers Grove North. Triple winners were David Pirozhnik (182), Tristen Hall (170), Chris Ramirez (145), Tommy Porter (138), Gavin Bohan (152), and Ethan Olson (120). Also undefeated were Muhammad Totten (195-220) and Nico Besteiro (220) who both finished 2-0. Both Pirozhnik and Hall finished with two falls on the day while Ramirez led the team in takedowns with nine.
The dual of the day was the opening contest with Barrington. With the dual starting at 106 pounds the Broncos opened with four falls in the first five matches to take a 4-24 team score lead. Ethan Olson won by major decision in his match. Tommy Porter started a three match winning streak for the Redhawks with a hard-fought major decision at 138 pounds. His effort was followed by Chris Ramirez who won by fall and Junior Gavin Bohan who won by decision 7-3. After a Broncos’ won by decisoin at 160 the team score showed 17-27.
Senior Tristen Hall and David Pirozhnik got Central into the team-score lead with a couple of falls. Hall’s pin came in the second period while Pirozhnik earned his in the first period. Team score: 29-27. Barrington responded with a win by decision at 195 pounds to regain the lead 29-30 with two matches left. Sophomore Niko Besterio won a key match at 220 pounds with a 3-2 decision to put NCHS back on top by two team points. Nick Antonietti (285) was able to secure the dual victory with a pin in the second period. Final team score: 38-30.
In the second contest, Naperville Central swept South Elgin with a perfect 84-0 team score. South Elgin sent only four wrestlers to compete against the Redhawks and all four were defeated by pins. August Kukis (126), Tristen Hall, David Pirozhnik, and Muhammad Totten (195) were the winners.
In the final event, Central defeated host Downers Grove North 48-15. In thirteen matches, the Redhawks won 10 of them. Scoring pins were Olson, Porter, and Bohan. Sophomore Ty Martin (113) won by technical fall.
The Naperville Central junior varsity team travelled to Bolingbrook to compete in the challenging Bolingbrook Invitational and took second place out of 15 teams. Lockport won the tournament scoring 264.5 points while the Redhawks finished with 248.5 points. Downers Grove South was a distant third with 140 points. Charles Kuang, Michael Salvo and Niko Epps all took home gold while Luke Moen, Larry Stubitsch and Patrick Bohan made the finals and finished with silvers. Flynn Collins, Hagen Taylor and Pace Goldenman all earned bronze.
NCHS fielded two teams (team “Red” and team “White”) at the NCHS JV2 tournament, with the Red team edged Naperville North for second place. Oswego won with 165 points, Central Red 157 and Naperville North 155.5. The Central White team took sixth out of eight teams. Champions were Javier Sevilla (145), Joe Thomas (160), and Jacob Smetters (195). Finalists were Ryan Serbinski (106), Zaide Azar (145), and John Carens (170). Third place finishers were Sammy Mullen (138), Bradley Anderson (145), and Dylan Schroeder (195).
Next up the Redhawks will travel to Metea Valley for the last conference dual of the season on Thursday and then travel to Mahomet-Seymour High School for the Bulldog Invitational on Saturday. The freshman-sophomore team will compete at Oswego.
Central Completes DVC Dual Season with a Win
NCHS 59 – MV 9
1/13/2022
Naperville Central (17-1, 4-1) completed the DuPage Valley Conference dual season with a win at Metea Valley. Central won ten of the twelve contested matches and picked up another two wins by forfeit. Of the ten wins, three came by fall and three came by technical fall. Naperville Central gave up only three takedowns in the entire event.
Pins were recorded by Nick Antonietti (285), Ty Martin (113) and Tristen Hall (170). August Kukis (126) did not give up a point with a win by technical fall and Tommy Porter registered six takedowns toward a 21-5 technical fall. Gavin Bohan (160) scored eight match points by way of nearfall toward a 20-4 technical fall.
In perhaps the most exciting match of the night, Niko Besteiro (220) was able to score two takedowns in the final period to come from behind and win 6-5. Chris Ramirez (152) and Haaris Khan (195) both came away with major decisions, winning 16-7 and 15-5 respectively. Mitchell Kaszuba (132) scored five points in the first period and held that score for a 5-0 decision. Lucas Moen (120) and David Pirozhnik (182) both picked up forfeits.
Central won all three JV matches and won five of six freshman matches.
Naperville Central Squeaks to Tournament Championship
1st NCHS 451.5
2nd Mahomet-Seymour 450.5
3rd Yorkville Christian 407.5
4th Normal Community West 318.5
5th Rock Island 317.5
1/15/2022
Naperville Central held on to win the 24-team Marty Williams Invitational by a single team point over host Mahomet-Seymour High School. The Redhawks sent 24 wrestlers to the tournament, 14 point scorers and 10 additional wrestlers. In 104 total matches, the Hawks won 66 with 47 of those wins coming by fall. Two NCHS wrestlers made the finals and seven additional wrestles finished in the top four.
The tournament places each wrestler in one of eight three-man round robin brackets. Wrestlers who finish 2-0 in the round robin bracket complete in the Gold 8-man bracket and place first through eighth. Those who finish 1-1 in the round robin bracket complete in the Silver 8-man bracket for ninth through 16th place. The rest complete in the Bronze bracket for a chance to earn 17th place.
Leading the way for the Redhawks was David Pirozhnik (182) who won all five matches toward a first place finish. Pirozhnik pinned both opponents in his RR bracket and rolled to the finals with a pin in the quarterfinals and a 14-7 victory in the semifinals. Pirozhnik faced off with Brock Leenerman of Normal Community West for the championship. The NCHS star scored offensive points in all three periods including three takedowns to win by decision 12-6 and gold. Pirozhnik improves to 25-1 on the year with a team leading 18 falls.
Taking second place for Central was senior captain Tommy Porter (138). Porter scored a pair of falls in the RR bracket and added another fall in the quarterfinals before facing Spinazzola of Peotone in the semifinals. With the match tied, Porter scored a reversal in the final seconds to win 5-3. Porter is now 23-3 on the season, and second on the team in three categories, wins, falls, and takedowns.
Naperville Central scored a couple of key wins in the bronze medal matches to help carry them to the team championship. Senior Chris Ramirez (145) finished with four wins including a 10-5 decision against Decker from Lincoln for Bronze. In five matches Ramirez earned 18 takedowns and leads the team with 71 takedowns on the season. Sophomore Tyler Martin (113) scored a very important bonus point, winning his third place match 15-6 over McGrew of Normal West. Martin added three total wins on the day.
Five NCHS wrestlers battled to fourth place: Mitchell Kaszuba (132), Larry Stubitsch (126), Gavin Bohan (152), Haaris Khan (195) and Nick Antonietti (285). Kaszuba won his first two matches by scores of 15-0 and 11-3. Stubitsch entered the tournament as a non-scorer and earned his first varsity win. Bohan battled on a score knee all day, but was able to finish 3-2 with three falls. Antonietti lost in the bronze medal match, but kept the match close enough to secure a team title.
Two NCHS wrestlers won key final matches to place fifth place. Senior Tristen Hall (170) came from behind and locked down a fall against Navarro of Champaign Centennial and Niko Besterio (220) added a fall in the second-to-last match that was huge for the Redhawks. Both wrestlers finished 3-1 on the day. Placing sixth was Ethan Olson (120) and Sophomore Joe Thomas (160). Olson had three pins and now has a record of 19-6 on the year. Thomas, a non-scoring wrestler impressed his coaches by advancing to the Gold bracket and scoring a fall in his second match. Muhammad Totten took 7th place and Hagan Taylor placed eighth. Taylor earned his first two varsity wins.
Four Hawks placed ninth. Wrestlers who placed ninth went 1-1 in the round robin bracket, but then won all three matches in the Silver Bracket. August Kukis (126) finished with a record of 4-1 and improved to 13-13 on the season. Charlie Morgan (160) lost to the eventual silver medalist in the RR bracket but then pinned his way through the Silver Bracket. Patrick Bohan (170) and Ethan Pytlak (195) both non-scorers, finished 4-1 and 3-1 on the day. Bohan earned his first varsity matches of his career.
Other places include Chase Enfield (10th at 285), Charles Kuang (11th at 126), Neil Rao (13th at 138), Gavin McDonald (17th at 106) and Chris Bern (17th at 138). Enfield, Kuang, and McDonald all earned their first varsity wins. McDonald and Bern both won the Bronze Bracket.
Naperville Central fielded a freshman-sophomore team that traveled to Oswego High School and won all four duals there to take first place. They defeated Joliet West, Oswego East and both Oswego teams.
Next week the Redhawks will honor their seniors on Senior Night against Wheaton North at home on Thursday, then complete in the DuPage Valley Tournament on Saturday.
Naperville Central Add Dual Win
NCHS 63 – Wheaton North 7
1/20/2022
Naperville Central improved to 18-1 (4-1 in DVC) on the season after defeating Wheaton North at home. The Redhawks won eight out of ten matches contended, four by fall. Of the ten matches, Central started eight seniors. The varsity dual was preceded by a recognition of twenty of its seniors.
The dual started with Wheaton North forfeiting the first four weight classes, 106, 113, 120, and 126. Mitchell Kaszuba started the dual competition with a first period pin at 132. Senior Tommy Porter won by major decision 14-4. His senior co-captain Chris Ramirez also earned a win by technical fall. Senior Charlie Morgan battled by lost at 152 by a score of 1-8. Junior upstart Joe Thomas looked impressive in a 6-0 decision wrestling at 160 pounds. Senior Tristen Hall gave up a major decision at 170, losing 2-12.
NCHS the final four matches in the dual. Senior David Pirozhnik, 182, won by fall in the first period. Haaris Khan (195), also a senior, won by major decision 16-6. Muhammad Totten took advantage of being under the spotlight by locking down a fall in the first period at 220. Nick Antonietti completed the dual with a fall in just 42 seconds at 285.
Seniors that were recognized were: Nick Antonietti, Andrew Baker, Nick Ball, Will Damge, Niko Epps, Pace Goldenman, Tristen Hall, Haaris Khan, August Kukis, Darrion Lee, Ayden Lutes, Charlie Morgan, David Pirozhnik, Tommy Porter, Ethan Pytlak, Christopher Ramirez, Neil Rao, Michael Salvo, Ethan Sentman, and Muhammad Totten
Naperville Central won duals at the JV1, JV2 and Freshman Levels.
Naperville Central Finishes Second at DuPage Valley Conference Tournament, Crowns Four Champs
1st: DeKalb 339
2nd: Naperville Central 280
3rd: Naperville North 190
4th: Waubonsie Valley 159
5th: Neuqua Valley 111
6th: Metea Valley 89
Naperville Central finished in second place behind DeKalb High School in the annual DuPage Valley Conference Tournament, held this year at Waubonsie Valley High School. Central crowned four DVC champions including Ethan Olson (126), Tommy Porter (138), Chris Ramirez (145), and Nick Antonietti. Tommy Porter won the Al Collins Most Valuable Wrestler Award (light weight class: 106 - 145). He shares the OW with Danny Currin of DeKalb (132).
Both Olson and Porter became two-time DVC champions. Olson Defeated Hinkle of Naperville North by fall in the finals. Olson advanced to the finals after defeating Bharwadaj of Neuqua Valley by technical fall in the semifinals. Olson racked up an amazing 15 takedowns combined in his two matches. Porter becomes a three-time finalist in as many tries (note, the 2022 DVC tournament was not held). He defeated Martin of DeKalb by a score of 17-6 in the finals. Porter scored six takedowns in the bout. Porter advanced to the finals by pinning Shaw of Metea Valley. Chris Ramirez ripped his way through the bracket defeating Cave of DeKalb by fall in the semifinals and Oblazney of Naperville North in the finals. In that match, Ramirez scored nine takedowns toward a 21-6 win by technical fall.
The most exciting match of the day turned out to be the very last match where Nick Antonietti faced off against Burtin of Waubonsie Valley in the finals at heavyweight. The two warriors traded escapes in regulation to send it to overtime 1-1. That’s how the score remained after the first overtime. Burtin won the toss and elected to go in the down position for the first 30-second tie-breaker period. He scored an escape and takedown to take a commanding 4-1 lead. But, Burtin was called for stalling while trying to prevent Antonietti from escaping in bounds, costing Burtin a point. That was followed by an escape by Antonietti to make the score 4-3. The Redhawk choose bottom to start the second 30-second tie-breaker and earned an escape to tie the score 4-4. The period ended forcing the ultimate tie breaker 30-second period. Burtin, by virtue of scoring first in the match, got his choice and choose bottom. Antonietti was able to hold him down for the entire 30 seconds to win the DVC championship 5-4.
Tyler Martin (113) made the finals by defeating Malley of Naperville North in a come-from-behind 6-5 decision to avenge an earlier loss to his foe. Martin was defeated in the finals by Burright of DeKalb to take the silver. Senior Charlie Morgan (152) lost to Lopez of DeKalb in the finals. Morgan came out on fire against Shewman of Neuqua Valley in the semifinals, winning by technical fall. Both Tristen Hall (170) and David Pirozhnik (182) made the finals as well. Hall won his semifinal match against verses Spatafora (NV) 11-3 while Pirozhnik won by fall over Murphy of Naperville North.
Junior Joe Thomas (160) won by decision in his third place match against Parker of NV by decision. Thomas opened the day by defeating Budreikas of Naperville North 11-2 and defeated Norton of Metea Valley 7-1. Senior Haaris Khan (195) also finished third after defeating Harvey of Naperville North by major decision. Finally, Niko Besteiro (220) was able to win by fall for the Bronze medal over Arteaga of Metea Valley. Besteiro previously won by fall to advance to the third place match over Nurundinov of NV and Kushenbach of Naperville North. All three wins came by pins. Thomas and Besteiro won three matches each in the event.
Finishing in fourth place was Mitchell Kaszuba (132) and Gavin McDonald (106). Kaszuba finished the day 2-2, defeating Hogsted of MV by fall in the quarterfinals and Nelson of NV by technical fall in the wrestle-backs. Lucas Moen (120) placed fifth.
Next up the Redhawks varsity team will wrestle Yorkville Christian at home on Thursday, January 27 to conclude the regular season. That is followed by the IHSA Regionals February 5 held at Naperville Central High School. The top three in each weight class will advance to the IHSA Sectionals held February 11-12 at Hinsdale Central High School and the top four individuals there will advance to IHSA State held on the campus of the University of Illinois.
The NCHS JV teams will compete in their DVC Championships next Saturday, January 29 at Neuqua Valley High School.
NCHS DVC JV1 Champions and DVC JV2 Champions
JV1 Tournament
1st Naperville Central 264
2nd DeKalb 211
3rd Naperville North 200
4th Waubonsie Valley 120
5th Neuqua Valley 75
6th Metea Valley 35
JV2 Tournament
1st Naperville Central 275
2nd Naperville North 231
3rd Neuqua Valley 164
4th Waubonsie Valley 96
5th DeKalb 71
6th Metea Valley 46
1/29/2022
Naperville Central won both the Junior Varsity 1 and Junior Varsity 2 DuPage Valley Conference Tournaments held at Neuqua Valley High School. In the JV1 tournament, Central crowned seven DVC champions out of 14 weight classes. In the JV2 tournament, Central added eight more champions. Overall, the Redhawks one 92 matches while losing 57. Of those losses, eight were to other Hawks. Central capped the day with 55 falls and 4 technical falls. Nine senior polished off their junior varsity seasons. In all, 49 Naperville Central wrestlers competed in the event.
In the JV1 tournament the seven champions were Chris Bern (138), Neil Rao (145), Hagan Taylor (152), Patrick Bohan (160), Michael Salvo (182), Muhammad Totten (220), and Niko Epps (285). Naperville Central won 38 matches against only 18 losses on the JV1 side. Bern won perhaps the most exciting match of the night, defeating Cave of DeKalb in the ultimate tie breaker 4-3. Taylor and Bohan both ran through the tournament 3-0 with all three wins by fall. Senior Totten also finished 2-0 with all fall, topping off his season in style. Rao, Salvo and Epps, also seniors, showed their leadership by proving they are gold medalists as well. Rao won his final match 4-2 over Izaguirre of DeKalb. Salvo defeated McBride by major decision 13-2 and star heavyweight Epps defeated Rojas of Metea 11-4.
Making the finals and taking second place for the Redhawks were Luke Moen (120), Larry Stubitsch (126), Charles Kuang (132), senior Darrion Lee (160), and senior Pace Goldenman (170). Lee lost to fellow Hawk Bohan in the finals. Goldenman just missed winning his finals match, losing 4-3.
Bringing home a bronze medal was Gavin McDonald (106), senior Will Damge (170), and senior Ethan Pytlak (195). Damge finished the day 3-1 in matches. Pytlak won his third place match by fall.
CJ Bierman (113), senior Ethan Sentman (145), and Luci Antonietti (152) all took fourth place. Sentman finished 2-2. Nick Ball wrestled up a weight class and finished 3-2 taking fifth place.
Naperville Central had success on the JV2 side as well, crowning eight champions including Kyle VanBaalen (113), Matthias Hautzinger (126), Dominic Hautzinger (138), Alex Monchik (152), Alexander Kelsey (160), John Carens (170), Jake Smetters (195), and Chase Enfield (285). Both Montchik and Kelsey pinned their way through the tournament 3-0. Enfield won both of his matches by fall while picking up a third win by medical forfeit. In all Central won 54 matches against 39 losses. Seven of the losses were against fellow Redhawks.
Making the finals were Javier Sevilla (145), Henry Rydwelski (160), William Erbeck (170) and Dylan Schroeder (182). Erbeck lost to teammate Carens in the finals.
Finishing in third place was Ryan Serbinski (106) and Liam Baker (132). Fourth place finishers were Jack Schwartz (106), Mark Klavohn (120), and Bradley Anderson (145). Anderson finished the day 3-2 with one of his losses to fellow Hawk Sevilla. Flynn Collins (106), Carter Bergholtz (120), Quinn O’Donnell (126), Zaide Azar (145), Ethan Christiansen (152), and Nithilan Gandhi (220) all made the podium at fifth place. Sammy Mullin (138), Liam Morales (152), Nick Haddad (152) and Yousuf Peshawarwala (160) all won matches in the tournament. Thomas Wick (126), Vaughn Yu (145) and Keso Sahadewan (160) also competed in the tournament.
Next up the Redhawks will host the IHSA Regional next Saturday. The top three at each weight class will advance to the IHSA Sectional tournament held at Hinsdale Central High School. The top four at that event will become state qualifiers.
Naperville Central Advances Eight to Sectionals
Ethan Olson Regional Champion
1st Marmion Academy 293.5
2nd West Aurora 179.5
3rd Naperville Central 153
4th (Tie). Waubonsie Valley 97
4th (Tie). Naperville North 97
6th Wheaton Warrenville South 70
7th East Aurora 10
8th Metea Valley 3
2/5/2022
Ethan Olson led Naperville Central’s eight sectional qualifiers in the IHSA Regional Tournament held and NCHS. Olson won three matches including a 9-3 decision against Favia of Marmion in the finals at 126 pounds. Olson was joined by four other Redhawk finalists: Tommy Porter, Ayden Lutes, Tristen Hall and David Pirozhnik. Three additional Central wrestlers took third place: Tyler Martin, Haaris Khan and Niko Epps. The team finished in third place. Marmion won the tournament and will wrestle in the IHSA Dual Team series. Naperville Central won 26 matches against 19 losses with 11 of the wins by fall.
Olson, 25-6, open with a fall and won 5-0 in the semifinals against Hinkle of Naperville North. In the finals, Olson scored a takedown and nearfall with a hip toss to take a strong lead in his gold medal match. A takedown near the end of the match locked down the win.
Tommy Porter (Sr. 138 lbs, 28-4) won by fall in this first match and then battled Serio of West Aurora in the semifinals, coming out with a 8-6 decision after scoring the deciding takedown late in the third period. Porter lost in the finals to finish in second place. Ayden Lutes (Sr. 152 lbs, 18-1) returned to the lineup with solid victories of 20-5 and 7-2 in the tournament. Lutes controlled AiObaidi of WWS in the semifinals to qualify for sectionals. Lutes lost 3-0 in the finals to Carrigan of Marmion. Tristen Hall (Sr. 170 lbs, 21-10) pinned his way to the finals. He locked down Gutierrez of East Aurora in the semifinals. David Pirozhnik (Sr. 182 lbs, 29-3) scored a fall and a 22-6 decision over Meister of Waubonsie Valley to make the championship match.
Three wrestlers won their qualifying match and punched their tickets to sectionals for the Redhawks. Tyler Martin (So. 113 lbs, 21-11) faced his foe Zack Mally of Naperville North, a wrestler with whom he split wins with earlier in the season. Martin scored a takedown and nearfall in the finals period to win 9-4. Martin finished the day 3-1 with two falls and nine takedowns. Haaris Khan (Sr. 195 lbs, 23-11) controlled Scott of West Aurora by a score of 9-6 to become a sectional qualifier. Khan won three matches with two pins as well. Niko Epps, unseeded at heavyweight, defeated Buntin of Waubonsie Valley by scoring an escape in the ultimate tie breaker to win 3-2. Epps avenged a loss to Buntin in the quarterfinals by a score of 2-5 and battled back in the wrestle-backs with wins of 3-2 and 5-4. Epps now has a varsity record of 7-1.
Three Redhawks finished in fourth place and just missed qualifying for sectionals. Seniors Chris Ramirez and Nick Antonetti ended the day 2-2. Ramirez’s (145 lbs, 24-6) two wins were against Resendiz of East Aurora (by fall) and Moore of WWS (decision 13-1). Ramirez lost to the number one seed in the bronze medal match. Antonetti (Sr. 220 lbs, 21-7) won 5-4 against Ramero of East Aurora and defeated Green of WWS by fall in the wrestle-backs. Mitchell Kazuba (So. 132 lbs, 15-12) also finished in fourth place. He outscored Wojtowich of Waubonsie Valley 12-3 in the wrestle-backs.
Gavin Bohan (Jr. 160 lbs, 11-9) beat Castaneda of EA 12-2 and finish the day 1-2. Freshman Gavin McDonald (106) and Matthias Hautzinger competed and both finished 0-2.
The IHSA Sectional Tournament will be held at Hinsdale Central High School on Friday and Saturday, February 11 and 12. First and second round matches will begin at 4:30pm on Friday. Wrestling begins on Saturday at 9:00am with wrestle-backs and semifinals at 10:30pm. Finals are scheduled for 3:00pl. The top four finishers at Sectionals in each weight class qualify for the IHSA State Tournament.
Naperville Central Competes at IHSA Sectional
Ethan Olson and Ayden Lutes Qualify for State
2/12/2022
NCHS advanced eight wrestlers to the IHSA Individual Sectional Tournament held at Hinsdale South High School. Senior Ayden Lutes finished in third place at 152 pounds and Junior Ethan Olson finished in second place at 126 pounds. Both wrestlers will compete at the IHSA State tournament held on the campus of the University of Illinois next weekend. All eight wrestlers came away with at least one victory. Central wrestlers finished the tournament with a record of 19-14.
Ethan Olson earned a bye in the first round due to being a regional champion. He advanced to the semifinals after defeating Suleiman of Reavis by fall in the first period. In the semifinals, Olson wrestled Garelli of Lyons Township. The match went into overtime after each wrestler traded escapes in regulation. No takedowns were scored in the first overtime. Garelli earned a penalty point (stalling) in the second overtime to take a 2-1 lead. Olson scored an escape to tie the score 2-2 and send the match into the ultimate tie-breaker. There, Olson rode out his opponent for the full 30 seconds to win 3-2. Olson was pinned in the finals by Lemley of Mt. Carmel to finish with the silver. Olson holds a record of 27-7 on the season.
Ayden Lutes opened with two victories on day one, defeating McCormick of Downers Grove North by fall then Samuels of Downers Grove South by major decision 12-3. On day two, Lutes was defeated by the defending state champion, Reed of Shepard, score 6-13. In the blood round, Lutes took care of Dado of Marist 7-2 to punch his ticket to state. In the third place match, Lutes defeated Quintana of West Aurora for the bronze by a score of 5-2. Lutes improves to 22-2.
Four Redhawk wrestlers made it to the blood round before losing out of the tournament. The blood round is the match that qualifies a wrestler to state. Tommy Porter (Sr. 138) finished the tournament 3-2. He won by technical fall 15-0 over Edelsen of Sandburg, but then was pinned by Nugent of DGS in the quarterfinals. On day two, Porter won two matches to make the consolation semifinals: a 16-1 victory over Gross of Wheaton Warrenville South and a pin over Doan of Mt. Carmel. Porter’s day was finished after losing to Scolaro of Marmion 5-1. Porter finishes the season with a record of 31-6. Tristen Hall (Sr. 170) wrestled outstandingly in the sectional tournament, also finishing with a record of 3-2. Hall pinned Spatafora of Neuqua Valley but then lost to Schuessler of DGS in his quarterfinal match. Saturday, Hall defeated Everette of Reavis by fall and Domenz of Oak Park River Forest by decision 12-6. Hall’s efforts were ended with a loss to Liberatore of Marist. Hall’s season record is 24-12. Redhawk 182 senior David Pirozhnik put on a show at the sectional tournament. Pirozhnik defeated Jones of Stagg before losing a tough match against Breen of Mt. Carmel 10-16. Day two saw Pirozhnik pin Leja of Reavis prior to winning a thriller 8-6 overtime victory against Pitura of Sandburg. Pirozhnik scored the winning takedown 30 seconds into the overtime period. Pirozhnik was defeated by Phelan of Marist in the blood round to finish with a record of 32-5. Sophomore Tyler Martin had a successful day wrestling at 113 pounds. After losing his opening match against Hinger of Sandburg, Martin came back on day two with two victories to make the blood round. The first was a pin over Vasquez of Reavis. That pin was a come-from-behind victory. The second was a nail bitter 9-8 win over Wyland of West Aurora. That win avenged a loss to the same opponent from the regional tournament. Martin was defeated by Resendez of Mt. Carmel in the state qualifying match to finish 2-2 on the day and 23-13 for the season.
Also competing and winning matches for the Redhawks were seniors Haaris Khan (195) and Niko Epps (285). Both wrestlers won their first matches. Khan scored a 10-2 major against Smith from Shepard before losing his final two matches by scores of 2-8 and 1-2. Khan concludes the year with a record of 24-13. Epps pinned Ali from Reavis in the third period of his first match. Epps was pinned in the quarterfinals and just missed winning his wrestle-back match, falling 5-6 to Johnson from OPRF. Epps varsity record finishes at 8-3.
Naperville Central’s two state qualifiers, Olson and Lutes will compete starting on Thursday, February 17 at the State Farm Center.
Naperville Central Competes at IHSA State
Ethan Olson (Jr. 126 27=9, 0-2)
Ayden Lutes (Sr. 152 24-4, 2-2)
2/18-20/2022
Naperville Central qualified Ethan Olson and Ayden Lutes for the IHSA Individual State Wrestling Tournament had at the State Farm Center on the campus of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Ayden Lutes finished with a record of 2-2 at 152 pounds and Ethan Olson lost both of his matches.
Ayden Lutes opened with a decisive 7-3 decision over Connor Munn of Mt. Prospect. Lutes scored the first takedown in the first period and earned an escape in the second period to take a 3-1 lead going into the third frame. There, Lutes added two more takedowns to secure the 7-3 victory. In the quarterfinals, Lutes was nearly defeated by Logan Swaw of Lockport. Lutes again earned the first takedown, but gave up an escape to lead 2-1 after the first. But Swaw answered in the second period with an escape and takedown to go up 4-2. Lutes started in the down position in the third period, but was unable to score. In the second round wrestle-back match, Ayden Lutes rebounded with a 6-4 decision over Luke Zook of Yorkville. For the third match in a row, Lutes scored the first takedown. In period two, Zook added his second escape to tie the score at 2-2, but Lutes was able to earn a second takedown. After a Zook escape, Lutes led 4-3 going into the third period. A Lutes reversal was enough to lock down the win, finishing at 6-4. That win advanced Lutes to the “blood round,” the win-or-go-home match for a place on the podium. For the second time in the postseason, Lutes faced off with Collin Carrigan of Marmion. This time it was Carrigan gaining the first takedown late in the first period. A two point near-fall after a roll through attempt put Carrigan ahead 4-2. Carrigan added an escape and takedown in the second period for a commanding 7-0 lead going into the third. Lutes was able to earn his seventh takedown of the tournament there, but it wasn’t enough, Carrigan advanced with an 8-2 win. The loss put Lutes unofficially in the top 8 of state and he completes his season with a record of 24-4.
Ethan Olson competed in two matches at state.
Both wrestlers will be recognized for qualifying for state by having their names added to the Wall of Fame, and both for the second time.
Naperville Central will recognize all of wrestlers at the annual awards banquet coming up on Tuesday, February 22 at 6:30 at NCHS. This publication will outline winners of Most Valuable, Most Improved, Most Inspirational, Hardest Worker, Iron Man, JV and Freshmen Wrestlers of the Year and Red-White Award.
Memories of the 2021-2022 Redhawk Wrestling Season
2/22/2022
The Naperville Central Wrestling Team held their annual Awards Recognitions Banquet on Tuesday, February 22 at NCHS. All wrestlers were recognized for their effort, dedication and commitment. Several wrestlers received special awards.
Varsity Highlights
18-1, (4-1 in DVC): 2nd in duals DVC, 2nd in DVC tournament
1st at Hoffman Estates, 1st at the M-S Invitational, 3rd at Regionals
Had 4 conference champs (a record)
qualified 8 wrestlers for the sectional tournament
Ranked 6th in state by IWCOA for the better part of the year.
had 2 state qualifiers
JV1 finished 1st place in DVC, JV2 finished 1st place in DVC
JV1: 2nd at Bolingbrook
F/S and JV2: 1st at Plainfield South F/S, 1st at Maine South F/S, 2nd at NCHS JV2, 1st at Oswego F/S
Freshman (only): 2nd at Lyons Township, 1st at Hinsdale South
Awards
Iron Man Award: Tristen Hall, Mitchell Kaszuba, August Kukis, Ayden Lutes, Tyler Martin, Ethan Olson, David Pirozhnik, Tommy Porter, Neil Rao, CJ Bierman, Henry Rydwelski, Dylan Schroeder, Luci Antonietti, Luke Moen, Alex Montchik
Manager Recognition: Statistics, table help: Rhea Thankachen
Academic All-Conference: Nick Ball, Will Damge, Haaris Khan, Ayden Lutes, Tommy Porter, Neil Rao, Gavin Bohan, Nick Besteiro, Mitchell Kaszuba
Captains: Ayden Lutes, Chris Ramirez and Tommy Porter
Sectional Qualifiers: Tyler Martin, Ethan Olson, Tommy Porter, Ayden Lutes, Tristen Hall, David Pirozhnik, Haaris Khan, Niko Epps
State Qualifiers: Ethan Olson, Ayden Lutes
All Conference: Nick Antonietti, Ethan Olson, Tommy Porter, Chris Ramirez
Most Valuable: Ayden Lutes
Hardest Worker: Ayden Lutes
Most Inspirational: Niko Epps
Most Improved Award: Haaris Khan
Freshman Wrestler of the year: CJ Bierman
JV wrestler of the year: Patrick Bohan
Red and White winner: Tommy Porter
Special Thanks
To the moms for parent representative, social organizer, hospitality room: Dena Porter, Mrs. Moen, Stacia Simon, Mrs Besterio, Mrs. Schwartz, Mrs. Antonietti, Mrs. Kukis.
General support from all parents (training tables, help with breakfast, and help with running clocks), Troy Lutes, Scott Damge, Mr. McDonald and Mr. Martin
Administration, Roger Strausberger, Naperville Kids Wrestling Club, Mike DiNovo, Erwin, Rob Kitchka
Assistant Coaches. Rob Porter, Chris Nutt, Luke Roth, Miguel Luis, Jim Graeber, Pat Murphy