Local Wrestlers Shine At The 31st Annual Dvorak Tournament

By Al Zipsie

The Stateline's best finishes this weekend at the 31st annual Al Dvorak wrestling Invitational came in third place finishes from Chad Richards of host Harlem at 160 and Dakota's Andrew Wenzel at 170.

The star-studded 38 team field is one of the elite tournaments in the country. Other area medalists were Isaiah Batteast of Freeport finished fourth at 285.

Giovanni Cassioppi of Hononegah was fifth at 138. Sixth was Hononegah's James Bowers at 195 and Paul Fay at 285. Seventh Aiden Nardin of Dakota at 160 and Jevin Doke of Harlem at 113 with a win over eighth place Markel Baker of Freeport.

An injury for the third straight year kept Freeport's Major Dedmond at 170 from an elusive Dvorak championship. Dedmond finished fourth last year after shoulder injuries ended both his run. This season in the quarterfinal he suffered a chest injury that he blacked out on to be pinned late in the third period. He did not wrestle again Sunday as he forfeited and did not place. His Pretzels teammate Batteast a junior in only his second year of wrestling made it to the semifinals and finished a solid fourth.

Dakota had good efforts from a pair of sophomores in Wenzel and Nardin. Wenzel clicked off six straight wins in wrestlebacks after a second-round loss to Jacob Bouman. Wenzel then avenged that loss with a 10-6 decision over Bouman in the third-place match. Wenzel had to earn it and secured the win with a key third-period reversal and takedown.

Richards, a junior for the Huskies is now 26-2, he lost in the semifinal and came back for third place.

3A power Lombard Montini took the team title with 280.5 points with five Individual champions. Lasalle of Cincinnati OH was second with 256.5 and Chicago Mt. Carmel third with 244.

Of the Stateline schools, 1A Dakota had the highest finish at 21st with 66 points. Hononegah had 58.5. Freeport with 56 and Harlem 55 and Boylan 24.5.