Naperville Central IHSA Regional Wrestling Champions

• 1^st: Naperville Central 213.5
• 2^nd: Naperville North 144
• 3^rd: Wheaton Warrenville South 125
• 4^th : Bolingbrook 115
• 5^th: Glenbard West 97
• 6^th: Glenbard East 86
• 7^th: Willowbrook 52.5
• 8^th: Neuqua Valley 37

February 4, 2023

The Naperville Central Redhawk wrestling team won the IHSA Regional Wrestling Tournament hosted by Glenbard East High School.  Central outscored their next opponent by over 69 team points.  NCHS advanced ten wrestlers to the Individual Sectional Wrestling Tournament which will be competed at Hinsdale Central High School next week.  Seven Redhawks made the finals and five came home with gold.  Three more Hawks took third place and qualified.  Three Central wrestlers finished in fourth place.  All fourteen Central wrestlers won at least one match. The team finished by winning 32 matches to just 13 losses.

By virtue of winning the Regional title, the Redhawks will face Chicago Mt. Carmel High School in the Dual Sectionals to be held at Marmion High School on February 21.  But, there will be plenty of individual wrestling ahead of that as sectional qualifiers will battle for a trip to Champaign for the State Wrestling Tournament.

Leading the way for the Hawks was junior standout Tyler Martin (113).  Martin, the number one seed, advanced to the finals with a 9-3 decision over Harris of Bolingbrook.  Martin faced a familiar foe in the finals in Messier of Naperville North.  Martin prevailed by a score of 11-2 to take gold.

Central won three championship matches in a row at 145, 152, and 160 pounds.  First up was Hagan Taylor (145) who won in the quarterfinals and semifinals by fall to advance.  In the gold medal match, Taylor won 10-3 over Gross of Wheaton Warrenville South.  Chris Bern (152) capped off an impressive tournament by winning in the finals over Francisco (WWS) by fall.  Bern earned decisions in the preliminary matches by scores of 7-1 and 10-0.  Senior Gavin Bohan (160) continues to thrill spectators.  Bohan, seeded two, won 9-0 and 10-3 in the quarter’s and semi’s.  The team caption defeated Goodrick of Naperville North to stand atop the podium.  Junior Niko Besteiro (220) added Central’s fifth title with pins in the semifinals and finals.  Besteiro won by fall over Clayton of Glenbard East in the title match.

Senior Chase Enfield (285) earned two falls in both the quarterfinals and semifinals to earn a shot at the title.  Enfield and Amoh of Bolingbook had three lead changes in their battle.  Amoh had only a 10-8 lead when he won by fall in the final second of the last match.  Enfield advances to sectionals along with Ethan Olson (126).  Olson defeated Moore of Glenbard East 9-2 and Rosas of Glenbard West 3-1 before falling to Camacho of Bolingbrook.

Three Naperville Central wrestlers won the all-important bronze medal, sectional qualifying match.  Freshman Vince Bern (120) punched his ticket to sectionals by winning by fall over Hinkle of Naperville North.  Bern was losing at the time of the fall.  The two wrestlers had seen each other several times this year.  Bern finished 3-1 on the day, defeating Tabaku of WWS and Giroux of Willowbrook earlier.  Nyree Dabney (182) also needed a fall to get his sectional invitation.  Down by five, Dabney threw Odiet of Glenbard West for the win.  Dabney finished the day with a record of 3-1 with all three wins coming by fall.  Dabney beat Shanahan (Bolingbrook) and Gul (WWS).  Jake Smetters (195) followed Dabney’s lead exactly with three pins in the tournament, the last good enough bronze verses Monce (WWS).  Smetters stuck Hackett of Willowbrook in the quarterfinals and Winkler of Glenbard East in the consolation semifinals.

Three Redhawks just missed qualifying.  All three become alternates for the sectional tournament.  Freshman Jake Cochran (106) finish 2-2 in his first varsity experience with both of his wins by fall.  Senior Larry Stubitsch (138) battled gallantly to make the third place match, defeating Smith in a hard fought 4-3 match.  Sophomore Henry Rydwelski (170) opened the tournament with a fall and finished 1-2.  Mitchell Kaszuba (132) finished 1-2 with his win coming fall.