BLOOMINGTON — The present was tough, but the future is bright for Sara Martinez Lopera.
The Kelly junior highlighted the area’s showing at the IHSA girls wrestling state tournament on Feb. 28, finishing as runner-up at 170 pounds.
Martinez Lopera, who lost 5-4 to unbeaten Payton Temple of Clifton Central in the final, won her second state medal after finishing fourth at the same weight last season.
“I feel proud of myself,” said Martinez Lopera, who finished 34-5. “It’s hard … of course, I expect first place. But maybe God’s plans are different. …
“I feel sad, but I’m still proud of myself and my work. Amazing weekend, amazing tough matches.”
The loss will fuel her fire for next season.
“Of course, this is more motivation,” Martinez Lopera said. “I was down by one point so it means that (Temple and me) are maybe same level. But the thing is, who wanted (it) more? Maybe I have to want this title (more).”
Martinez Lopera was one of six state medalists from the area and one of two from Kelly. The Trojans finished ninth in the team standings with 35 points.
Her sophomore teammate Yazmine Garcia (31-9) finished sixth at 115. That beat her expectations.
“My goal from the beginning of the season was, no matter what, no matter how I placed at the regionals, at the sectionals, was to get here, to get to state,” Garcia said.
“It was fun coming down here (for the) team bonding … it’s something I always wanted.”
Joining Martinez Lopera as a two-time placer was District 230 co-op sophomore Jade Hardee (44-8), who was fifth at 110 a year after finishing third at 100.
It’s been a bittersweet season for Hardee, with her own success tempered by the uncertainty over the program’s future.
Starting next season, co-ops with a total enrollment of 3,500 or more won’t be eligible for IHSA postseason team awards. The move comes a year after District 230 — which draws from Andrew, Sandburg and Stagg — won the girls wrestling state title.
The options going forward would appear to be either to dissolve the co-op and start separate teams at each school or to maintain the co-op and lose the opportunity to win team trophies.
“Yeah, it’s really sad because we don’t really know what’s gonna happen with our team next year,” said Hardee, an Andrew student. “And obviously we’ve built connections with everyone on our team.”
Also winning medals were Morton junior Anali Wilson (43-4), who took third at 170; St. Laurence freshman Nina Nesci (39-3), who was fourth at 120; and Marist junior Ava Enright (40-10), who finished sixth at 120. Nesci and Enright are their programs’ first state placers.
“It feels really good,” Wilson said. “I put in a lot of effort, I worked so hard in the summer. I couldn’t have done this without my coaches, my family. …
“Next year, I’m coming for that title and hopefully getting first.”
Enright, who also runs cross country and track, is proud to make history for the RedHawks.
“It’s just amazing,” he said. “How many people can say they can do this, be the first (state) placer at their school? It’s a really great feeling.”