By Bobby Narang –
Montini Catholic High School head wrestling coach Israel Martinez was a happy man Saturday night.
One week after five wrestlers won sectional championships, the Montini wrestling team added more hardware.
The Broncos, who won the Class 3A team State championship last season, added three first-place Class 3A State medals, two second-place medals, a third-place finish, and two fourth-placers at State Farm Center in Champaign.
“We had a good day and battled back in the wrestlebacks,” Martinez said. “I”m proud of all the guys for doing well. They believe in the program and the standard.”
Jake Stiles, 152 pounds, and Peter Christensen, 195 pounds, led Montini’s medal haul by both winning State championships for the second year in a row. Dylan Ragusin notched first place at 126 pounds.
For Stiles, the victory carried special meaning because his mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Numerous teammates donned pink T-shirts and sweatshirts to support Stiles’ mother during the State meet.
In addition, Stiles, 47-0, kept his record unblemished by beating Marian Catholic’s Reece Heller, 7-3, in the 152-pound final Saturday night.
“With everything my mom is going through, I’m doing it for her right now and loved seeing a smile on her face,” Stiles said. “Obviously, it’s hard for her right now, and I’m supporting her along the way… This was all for her. She told me to get the State title.”
Christensen, a University of Wisconsin recruit, defeated DeKalb’s Blah Dahnweih, 3-1, to win his 195-pound weight class.
“It’s amazing to win (State) again,” he said.
Martinez said the Broncos showed a lot of heart at the State tournament, especially Stiles.
“There’s so many things going on, especially with Jake’s mom,” he said. “He was able to put it all together. He’s going through a lot and has a lot of things in his head. He overcame a lot of things.
• Marmion Academy notched six medals, paced by Trevor Chumbley, 145 pounds, and Diego Sotelo, 106 pounds, both winning State championships.
Marmion senior Brad Gross captured his fourth State medal in his career and claimed a fourth-place medal at 160 pounds.
• In Class 1A, Aurora Christian notched two State championships, with Noah Villarreal taking first at 132 pounds and Joel Mylin winning a State championship at 106 pounds.