By Bobby Narang
As the calendar turned into the second month of 2025, it often indicates the time when high school wrestling starts to heat up.
On Saturday, one of the fastest growing sports, girls wrestling, took centerstage with the regional championships taking over at several spots throughout Chicagoland.
At Wheaton North, several area girls wrestlers were vying to advance to the next round of the sectionals later this month.
Glenbard West had a couple of special moments, with senior Miyalinna DeJesus winning a regional championship at 155 pounds and teammate Khloe Perez, a freshman, capturing the 110-pound championship.
DeJesus won her weight class by defeating West Chicago sophomore Annette Huesca in 3:47.
“Last year I lost in the blood round so it ended my season then,” DeJesus said. “As I wrestle now, I keep on reflecting on it. So it’s a happy feeling. It just motivates me, one more match, focus on my next step, not 10 steps ahead and to do better than I did the last time. My end goal is making it farther than previous years and to keep building it up by steps.”
Perez is a name well known in local wrestling circles. As the younger sister of Alycia Perez, who claimed the 100-pound state title last season.
“My family is all wrestlers, very athletic people,” Perez said. “When we do something we put our best foot forward and push ourselves. I’d definitely say my sister has helped push me. She wasn’t wrestling for very long but won state last year.”
Wheaton North’s Izzy Paz, in her second season wrestling, had a day to remember by winning a regional title with a 12-1 major decision over Schaumburg’s Mia Phelps.
“I never would’ve imagined I would’ve chosen this sport,” Paz said. “Now that I have this it’s definitely something that gives me motivation to work hard every day. I’m looking to wrestle in college and am in the recruiting process. I have another visit to go and hope to make a decision soon. I mean, I just started wrestling last season but then I went to Fargo and after that I knew I needed to keep with it. I’m not ready to be done yet.”