Three athletes qualify for state tournament in Rockford

ROCHELLE — Fourteen athletes from the Rochelle Wrestling Club battled in the IKWF Rochelle Sectional on Saturday, with three athletes qualifying for the IKWF State Championship meet in Rockford. The state meet will begin on Friday, March 10 and run through Saturday, March 11.

Teddy Millard finished first in the 64 Novice Division with a 3-0 record to clinch a berth in the state meet. Millard earned a first-round bye before notching three consecutive fall victories over ISI’s KyLynn Larkin, Marengo’s Chayson Weirich and Crystal Lake’s Marshall Rajcevich.

Benjamin Morris took second in the 134 Novice Division with a 1-1 record to clinch a berth in the state meet. Morris received first and second-round byes before outlasting Stockton’s Piper Sandell for a 7-6 decision in the semifinal round to secure a ticket to the state tournament.

Eliud Lombardia placed third in the 118 Senior Division with a 4-1 record to clinch a berth in the state meet. Despite losing in the second round, Lombardia won four consecutive wrestlebacks to secure a state berth, beginning the run with a 15-7 major decision over Marengo’s Daniel Cox and a fall over Golden Eagles wrestler Carlos Aldaco. Lombardia followed with a 13-4 major decision against Sycamore’s Aiden Gemberling and a fall over Dundee’s Luke Flaskamp.

Reed Dougherty finished fourth in the 134 Intermediate Division with an 0-2 record. Joshua Lassiter finished fourth in the 126 Senior Division with a 2-2 record, notching falls over Marengo’s Gavin Boorsma and Sycamore’s Noah Carlson. Angel Hernandez finished fourth in the 135 Senior Division with a 3-2 record, earning three straight falls over Crystal Lake’s Nathan Kozlowski, Stockton’s Sawyer McPeek and Sycamore’s Ian Ruiz in the wrestlebacks.

Dominic Escatel went 1-2 over three bouts in the 76 Intermediate Division and Quentin Ansteth went 1-2 over three bouts in the 86 Novice Division. Hadley Losoya went 2-2 over four bouts in the 126 Senior Division, defeating Kaneland’s Julian Aguilar and Marengo’s Gavin Boorsma.  Other wrestlers who represented the Rochelle Wrestling Club in the tournament included Riley Koivisto, Joshua Hernandez, Danny Garcia, Brandin Kirk and Tyler Etes.