By Jeff Vorva
Correspondent
Two Mount Carmel wrestlers won Class 4A state championships, and both had to beat opponents from Marist to do it.
Junior Seth Mendoza won his third straight state championship at 126 pounds, beating Marist’s Michael Esteban 13-5 in the title match on Feb. 17 at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
Caravan grappler Colin Kelly took first place at 175 pounds for his second state title. He beat the RedHawks’ Ricky Ericksen by technical fall in the championship match.
Marist produced one state champ as junior Will Denny captured the title at 150 pounds.
Other Mount Carmel medalists were Justin Williamson (sixth at 113), Evan Stanley (fourth at 132), Damian Resendez (sixth at 138), Edmund Enright (second at 157), Rylan Breen (third at 190),
Marist’s Donavon Allen took third at 138.
For Sandburg, Rocco Hayes took third at 103 and Ryan Hinger was fourth at 138.
Lyons’ Gunnar Garelli took second at 165.
In Class 2A, St. Rita’s Sean Larkin won the state title at 144 and teammate Jack Hogan took third at 106.
Riverside-Brookfield’s Edgar Mosquera was second at 113.
Brother Rice’s Dan Costello was sixth at 175.
In Class 1A, De La Salle’s Jeremiah Lawrence was third at 106, Josue Hernandez was third at 175 and David McCarthy was fifth at 285.
Wrestling team sectionals were scheduled for Feb. 20 with the state meet scheduled for Feb. 23-24 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington. Mount Carmel qualified for sectionals in Class 3A while Riverside-Brookfield qualified in Class 2A and De La Salle qualified in 1A.
Chausse on the podium
District 230 co-op gymnast Reagann Chausse finished third in the state in the balance beam event at the IHSA girls gymnastics meet Feb. 16-17 at Palatine High School.
Chausse racked up a 9.4500 score in a tight battle. Two Downers Grove South gymnasts finished ahead of her: Genevieve Herion with a 9.5250 and Edit Condon with a 9.4750.
Chausse also finished tied for 25th in the all-around event with a 35.0500.
Splashing to state
Riverside-Brookfield won the York Sectional with 249 points, 45 points ahead of the hosts.
Drew Rosa took first in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 58.17 while Hayden Marrs won the 50 free in 21.80.
But the Bulldogs gobbled up points in the relay events, with Lucas Hedrich, Alex Jacobs, Rosa and Marrs winning the 200 medley relay in 1:36.49 and Marrs, Rosa, Aiden Pankros and Williams Kallas taking the 200 free relay in 1:27.09.
Sandburg won its own sectional with 299 points, 30 ahead of second-place Lockport.
Johnny Howaniec won the 200 individual medley (2:02.38) and the 100 butterfly (:53.94). Nathan Sfirnaciuc won the 500 free (5:04.34), Jack Urban won the 100 backstroke (57.83) and Alex Borchardt won the 100 breaststroke (1:01.69).
The Eagles won two relay events. Urban, Borchardt, Howaniec and Kacper Laskowski won the 200 medley relay (1:40.82), while Luke Hosty, Sfirnaciuc, Howaniec and Laskowski won the 400 free relay (3:20.95).
At the Lyons Sectional, Nazareth diver Cooper Kosanovich was the only area champion, finishing first with 528.55 points.