LHS Sends Six To IHSA Class 2A Wrestling Individual State Finals

LEMONT, IL — Lemont High School’s wrestling program has netted state finals berths for six wrestlers, thanks to their performances at the IHSA Class 2A De La Salle Sectional on Feb. 8-9. The school said juniors Grant LaDuke and Kyle Schickel, sophomore Apollo Gothard and freshman Evan Schiffman all won sectional titles, while juniors Drew Nash and Kyle Zator each posted third place finishes.

Lemont will now compete at the 2019 IHSA Class 2A Wrestling Individual State Finals, which will be contested from Feb. 14-16 at the State Farm Center on the campus of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

The school said LaDuke and Schickel will be making their third state finals appearances in as many years. Gothard, Nash and Zator will compete in the state finals for the second time in as many seasons, while Schiffman will make his state finals debut. Gothard, LaDuke, Nash and Schickel all have won state medals.

Schickel (40-4) is a two-time state runner-up and earned his second sectional title, winning by fall in the final to capture the 138-pound class. The school said Schickel was the state runner-up at 106 pounds in 2017 and 120 pounds in 2018. He is also the first wrestler in school history to record 40 wins in each of his first three seasons. In 2017, he became the program’s youngest state medalist.

LaDuke (24-5) posted an impressive showing in the 145-pound class, winning all three of his matches by fall. He also won IHSA Regional and SSC titles in 2019. LaDuke won his first state medal in 2018, placing sixth at 132 pounds.

Gothard (41-2) has pinned every opponent in postseason competition, including three straight in the sectional to win the 220-pound class. He also won IHSA Regional and SSC titles in 2019, the school said.

Schiffman (34-8) has enjoyed a terrific freshman campaign, winning IHSA Sectional, IHSA Regional and SSC titles. The school said he won by decision in a shutout in the sectional championship.

Nash (38-5) battled his way to a second state finals berth by winning the third place match by decision at 132 pounds. LHS said he won his third straight IHSA Regional crown in 2019, and also finished as an SSC runner-up.

Zator (30-17) won by fall in the third place match at 152 pounds to earn his second straight state finals berth. According to LHS, he previously was an IHSA Regional runner-up and placed fourth in the SSC. Zator made his state finals debut at 138 pounds in 2018.

Head coach John St. Clair’s squad will also square off against host and SSC rival Oak Forest in the dual team sectional on Feb. 19. Lemont also won the SSC Blue title in 2019.

The IHSA Class 2A Individual State Finals begin with first-round matches at 3 p.m. on Feb. 14. Preliminary round winners then advance to compete in the quarterfinal round, which begins at 11 a.m. on Feb. 15.

First-round wrestlebacks follow the quarterfinal round, and championship semifinals will take place at 7 p.m. The final day of competition on Feb. 16 will include quarterfinal and semifinal wrestlebacks beginning at 9 a.m., and third and fifth 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.