Rochelle senior Gavin Ansteth took some time to soak in his surroundings before entering the wrestling ring for his opening bout during the IHSA State Championships at the State Farm Center this past weekend.
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CHAMPAIGN — Rochelle senior Gavin Ansteth took some time to soak in his surroundings before entering the wrestling ring for his opening bout during the IHSA State Championships at the State Farm Center this past weekend.
A first-time individual state qualifier, Ansteth faced Waterloo sectional champion Jordan Sommers in the first round of the 195-pound bracket on Thursday. Ansteth looked primed for the upset, taking a 6-4 lead into the third period before Sommers rallied with two consecutive takedowns to win the match 8-6 in overtime.
“I was really excited to go down there and it was an experience I’ll never forget,” Ansteth said. “It was really nerve-racking at first, but as soon as I started wrestling, everything came naturally to me and I was excited to be on the mat. Coach [Alphonso] Vruno told me to take some time, look around and get used to the atmosphere. I thought that helped me when I was wrestling.”
Ansteth (28-14) moved into the wrestlebacks Friday afternoon, where he met with Tinley Park’s Ezekiel Childs and battled for all six minutes before dropping a close 4-0 decision. While he was unable to walk away with a victory, Ansteth said the experience of enjoying the state meet with his family and friends will remain long after his final season.
“I was really happy with my first match,” Ansteth said. “It would’ve been better to come away with a win, but I was just happy to be down there. I’m going to miss being with my teammates and traveling with the team over long weekends. I’m going to miss the practices and the laughs we all shared… I enjoyed spending time with everybody over the weekend, and I enjoyed laughing and making jokes with everybody.”
Ansteth was one of two Rochelle wrestlers representing the Hubs in the state meet. Junior Ben Harvey (40-6) started strong in the 182-pound bracket, winning by fall over Triad’s Kaden Marmon before getting an unfortunate quarterfinal draw against Grayslake Central’s Adrien Cramer, the eventual state champion and No. 1 ranked Class 2A wrestler by the IWCOA. Cramer won the bout 7-0, but Harvey was the only wrestler Cramer didn’t pin before winning the title.
“It was a fun weekend,” Harvey said. “I thought my first two matches were up to my abilities. I thought I should have scored at least one point in my second match, but Cramer was really quick and he pinned everybody else he faced… I think I could have performed better, and I thought I should have been on the podium, but I’m moving on to next season.”
Harvey’s tough luck continued in the wrestlebacks, where the bracket paired him with Cahokia’s Arnold Edwards, the No. 2 ranked wrestler in Class 2A. Although Harvey struck first with the opening takedown, Edwards scored a second-period near-fall and totaled the final five points of his 6-2 victory.
While Harvey fell short of his quest to medal for the second straight year, his first-round win over Marmon made him the first RTHS wrestler in the last 50 years to score at least 40 victories in two consecutive seasons. As he prepares for his senior season, he’ll be looking to not only get back on the podium, but walk away with Rochelle’s first state championship since 2003.
“I learned not to look over anything and to always be ready for what’s in front of you,” Harvey said. “I learned to be prepared for the worst situation and hopefully that will help me next year… I’m hoping to really turn it up a notch next year, and hopefully I’ll be able to win a state title. It’s going to take a lot, and I need to put in the extra hours and dedicate myself.”