Dezi Azar Places 6th at IHSA Girls Individual State

2/28/2025

Dezi Azar represented Naperville Central as the sole state qualifier at the IHSA Girls Individual State Tournament on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 at the Grossinger Motor Arena in Bloomington Illinois.  Azar wrestled in the 125-pound weight class and entered the tournament with a record of 36-6.

The sophomore drew Alexis Seymour of Jacksonville in the round of 16 to open the tournament on Friday morning.  The first period ended scoreless.  Azar drew first blood with an escape in period 2, but Seymour answered with a fireman’s carry to take a 3-1 lead.  In period 3, Seymour choose top, but Azar scored an escape in just 8 seconds.  Seymour earned a point from a stalling penalty to make the score 4-2, but with 36 seconds remaining, Azar shot a double and scored a takedown and added near-fall points to end the match a 9-4 winner.

The win advanced Azar to the quarterfinals where she faced Gianna Arzer of Grayslake Central.  Azar scored a takedown in a tough first period battle and was able to finish the period on top.  Azar picked neutral to start the second period.  Gianna Arzer was able to score in a scramble and used the advantage to pin Azar in the second period.

Friday afternoon saw Dezi Azar in her third match of the day, this time in the consolation round 2 facing Nakya Scott of Chicago Lindblom.  After a couple of tight scramble situations, Azar got in on a single and finished taking Scott to her back for the fall.

That win advanced Azar to the consolation round 3, the blood-round, with a chance for a place on the state podium.  Wrestling took place on Saturday morning.  Her opponent was Lilly White of Bartlett.  Both wrestlers battled to a scoreless first period.  White chose bottom to start the second period and earned an escape.  With the rest of the period scoreless, Azar picked bottom to scoring an escape 24 seconds into the period.  Fifteen second later, Azar shot a double and finished near the edge of the mat for three.  White battled for an escape, but Azar was able to fend off a takedown attempt by White and lock down the victory 4-2.  The win made Dezi Azar Naperville Central’s first girl state place winner in school history, assuring her of at least sixth place.

In the consolation semifinals, Azar faced off against the number two seeded Brooklyn Sheaffer of Kaneland.  After a scoreless first period, Sheaffer scored an escape and takedown in the second to take a 4-0 lead into the third.  Sheaffer added a takedown and near-fall to defeat Azar 11-0.  Azar then moved to the 5^th place match against Alexis Seymour of Jacksonville, the wrestler whom Azar beat in round one.  This time Seymour got the open hand scoring a fall in the second period of a 0-0 match.  Azar concludes her season on the podium with a 6^th place finish in state and a final record of 39-9, the winningest wrestler in Redhawk history.