Wrestling: Gensler, Morris win titles at XLIX Sycamore Invitational

Rochelle lands nine medalists, finishes third out of 25 schools

By Russ Hodges, Sports Editor
Posted 1/12/25

A technique that once frustrated Grant Gensler as a freshman has now become one of his best weapons from the top position.

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Wrestling: Gensler, Morris win titles at XLIX Sycamore Invitational

Rochelle lands nine medalists, finishes third out of 25 schools

Posted

SYCAMORE — A technique that once frustrated Grant Gensler as a freshman has now become one of his best weapons from the top position. The Rochelle Township High School senior used this technique to control his opponent during the final round of the XLIX Sycamore Invitational on Saturday, when he won five consecutive matches to earn his first tournament title this year.

Facing Tolono Unity’s Abram Davidson in the championship bout at 165 pounds, Gensler took a 4-0 lead after a quick escape and a takedown during the second period. Gensler then deployed his go-to technique from the top position, using the hurt box to interlock legs with Davidson and finish the period on top. It’s a technique Gensler has used throughout his stellar senior season, one that has allowed him to score bonus points and maintain top control during his matches.

“We practice it in the room and we have great coaches who’re teaching the moves, especially that one to me individually,” Gensler said. “We drill it hard in the room and I’m able to show it on the mat. It’s useful for me because I’ve had a lot of practice with it and I’ve been doing it for four years now. When I was a freshman, everybody did that to me and I knew I had to pick that up.”

Gensler’s strong second period enabled him to clinch the championship match, holding on for a 6-2 decision over Davidson to become Rochelle’s first title winner of the tournament. Gensler (30-3) recorded three straight wins via decision in the championship bracket after a dominant showing in the pool round, where he notched back-to-back falls over Rock Island’s Cameron Foley and Sycamore’s Doug Gemberling to enter the championship bracket as the top seed.

“This is a pretty tough tournament so it’s a pretty big confidence booster to win,” Gensler said. “There’s always tough competition here and I knew I had to wrestle hard. I rested up between matches and I stayed focused. I had a good mixture of moves today and that helped me win.”

Gensler secured six takedowns over his first two bouts in the championship bracket, finding three during his 10-4 decision over Oak Forest’s Blake Bussie before grabbing three more during his 13-6 decision over Glenbrook South’s Henry Downing in the semifinal round. A stalling point and an escape in the third period helped Gensler seal his win over Davidson. A two-time IHSA state qualifier, Gensler is seeking to make his third trip down to Champaign.

“My senior season is going well so far and we’re approaching the postseason now,” Gensler said. “I just need to continue building on it until then and it should turn out to be a good year. My goals for this year are to try and place at state and to wrestle to the best of my abilities.”

Gensler was one of two champions Rochelle (18-6, 3-0 Interstate 8) crowned on Saturday. Senior Kaiden Morris won all five of his matches at 215 pounds, cruising into the championship bracket after a fall over Belvidere North’s Sam Reed and a 19-4 technical fall over Portage’s Kane Chappell. The top seed in his weight class, Morris (31-1) made quick work of York’s Mikey Grazzini in the quarterfinals, turning a first-period takedown into his second pin of the day.

“I’ve seen a lot of the guys who were in my bracket elsewhere, so there weren’t many new faces,” Morris said. “I was dialed in and I knew that it would only take one moment to lose a match. Staying focused and wrestling hard through every position were keys to my success.”

Morris couldn’t be cracked on defense, as he didn’t give up a single takedown in the entire tournament. The senior stonewalled Oak Forest’s Andrius Vasilevskas in the semifinals, using a first-period takedown and a second-period escape to take an early lead and emerge with a 4-2 decision. Morris wore down Bloomington’s Kenner Bye in the finals, snatching a trio of takedowns in the third period to earn an 8-4 decision and clinch the tournament title.

“A big emphasis recently has been my offense,” said Morris, who’s a two-time IHSA state qualifier and last year’s IHSA state runner-up in Class 2A at 215 pounds. “Scoring more points in my matches today helped build my confidence up. It feels great to be 31-1 right now, but the job is nowhere near finished and I’m not stopping until I’m on top of the podium at the end of the year. I was in the finals last year and I lost. I had nightmares about that loss and it hurt so bad to lose. It was the worst pain of my life and I don’t want to feel that pain ever again.”

Rochelle finished third out of 25 schools with 452 points. The Hubs landed nine medalists including senior Xavier Villalobos (27-4), who took second at 126 pounds with four victories over five matches. Villalobos opened the tournament with three straight pins, defeating Oak Forest’s Hunter Kroll, McHenry’s Nate Hunt and Lyons Township’s Roger Martinez. A pair of takedowns enabled Villalobos to score a 6-0 decision against Sycamore’s Tyler Lockhart in the semifinals.

Junior Roman Villalobos (24-6) medaled in third at 190 pounds, notching falls over Oak Forest’s Christian Becerra and Normal Community’s Cole Kretsinger before a loss in the semifinals moved him into the consolation side of the bracket. Villalobos battled Mahomet-Seymour’s Brock VanDeveer for third place, erasing a 1-0 deficit and scoring an 11-2 major decision behind a dominant third period that included an escape, two takedowns, one four-point near fall.

Junior Deegan Schabacker (17-14) and freshman Aidan Lopez (21-9) each medaled in sixth, with Schabacker wrestling at 138 pounds and Lopez competing at 120 pounds. Juniors Brenden Voight (21-6) and Freddie Hernandez (23-8) each medaled in seventh, with Voight battling at 157 pounds and Hernandez grappling at 113 pounds. Junior Keagan Albers (14-14) medaled in eighth place at 132 pounds to round out the award winners for Rochelle on Saturday.

Freshman AJ Milan (8-5) and sophomore Josh Lassiter (19-12) each landed in ninth place, with Milan wrestling at 106 pounds and Lassiter competing at 144 pounds. Junior Frank Nasca (13-13) took 15th at 150 pounds and senior Matthew Lynn (11-19) finished 15th at 175 pounds. Sophomore Adam Cobos (4-19) placed 21st at 285 pounds to round out the Rochelle lineup.