Lemont Sends Athletes To IHSA Wrestling Individual State Finals

LEMONT, IL — Lemont High School’s wrestling program enjoyed a successful day at the IHSA Class 2A Hinsdale South Sectional on Feb. 10. The school said three wrestlers won individual sectional titles and eight wrestlers overall finished among the top three in their weight classes to earn berths to the 2018 IHSA Class 2A Wrestling Individual State Finals, which will be contested from Feb. 15-17 at the State Farm Center on the campus of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

According to the school, senior Alex Oruna and sophomores Grant LaDuke and Kyle Schickel each earned their second state finals berths in as many seasons, while senior Ryan Dickson, sophomores Paul McGrath, Drew Nash and Kyle Zator, and freshman Apollo Gothard all secured their first state finals appearances.

The school said Oruna (28-6) earned his second straight sectional title at 182 pounds by capturing a 5-0 decision in the title match. Oruna, who also earned his second straight regional title and finished as the South Suburban Conference runner-up in his weight class earlier this season, went 1-2 in his state finals debut in 2017.

Nash (39-4) captured his first sectional title, winning the 126-pound class by fall at the 5:30 mark. He won his second straight IHSA Regional crown and his first SSC title earlier this season. Gothard (34-6) took the most difficult road to a sectional title, winning four matches to capture the 195-pound weight class, including a 4-3 decision in the title match. He previously was a regional runner-up.

A state runner-up at 106 pounds as a freshman in 2017, Schickel (37-4) secured his second straight state finals berth by finishing as the sectional runner-up at 120 pounds, according to the school. He posted a third place finish in regional competition and not only won the SSC title in his weight class, but also was named the SSC’s Most Valuable Wrestler. He won SSC, IHSA Regional and IHSA Sectional titles on his way to a 41-6 record in 2017, when he became the program’s youngest state medalist.

LaDuke (27-7) was the sectional runner-up at 132 pounds, sending him back to the state finals for the second time in as many years. LaDuke, who won his second straight IHSA Regional title this season, captured SSC and IHSA Sectional titles as a freshman. He dropped two matches in his state finals debut in 2017.

Dickson (28-8) won the third-place match at 152 pounds, earning a 9-2 decision. He previously had finished third in IHSA Regional competition and won his weight class at the SSC Meet. The school said McGrath (20-5) was awarded third place at 113 pounds by virtue of his opponent having already wrestled the maximum number of matches allowed in one day. McGrath won his first regional title earlier this season.

Zator (37-12) won by injury default in the third place match in sectional competition. He also finished third in his weight class at the SSC Meet and the IHSA Regional. Head coach John St. Clair’s team finished as the runner-up both in the SSC Blue and at its own IHSA Regional this season.

The IHSA Class 2A Individual State Finals begin with first-round matches at 3 p.m. on Feb. 15. Preliminary round winners advance to compete in the quarterfinal round, which begins at 11 a.m. on Feb. 16. The final day of competition on Feb. 17 will include quarterfinal and semifinal wrestlebacks beginning at 9 a.m., and 3rd and 5th place matches at 1 p.m. The final session commences with the Grand March at 5:30 p.m., which will be followed by championship matches.

Tickets for the IHSA Class 2A State Finals are $8 or $10 per session; all-session passes are available for $40 or $50. Tickets may be purchased at the State Farm Center.

Photos provided by Lemont High School.