BYRON — The Rochelle Wrestling Club sent 21 athletes to the 2024 Byron Xtreme Challenge on Sunday afternoon. Four athletes brought home first-place finishes at the local tournament.

Elias Andronic finished first in the Bantam 1001 Division with a 3-0 record. Andronic recorded falls over Alber Athletics’ Nicholas Jones and Hawk Wrestling Club’s Jace Hillers before scoring an 18-2 technical fall against Stillman Valley Wrestling Club’s Braunson Cuchiara-Bunk.

Nehemiah Andronic finished first in the Intermediate 702 Division with a 3-0 record. Andronic opened the tournament with a 15-0 technical fall over Dixon’s John Siebert before securing a second-round fall against The LAW’s Caladin Drake. Andronic sealed his championship with an 8-3 decision against Alber Athletics wrestler Lane Graybill in the third and final round.

Grant Cole finished first in the Intermediate 703 Division with a 3-0 record. Cole notched back-to-back falls over Belvidere Bandits wrestler Conrad Barber and Red Raiders Wrestling Team’s Gavin Garcia De Alba before scoring a 7-3 decision against Dixon’s Briggs VanOosten.

Benjamin Morris finished first in the Senior 108 Division with a 2-0 record. Morris compiled two technical falls in the tournament, defeating Riot Room Wrestling’s Kellen Tiffany 15-0 before dominating Dundee Highlanders wrestler Nicholas Lentz for a 17-2 win in the third round.

Ten RWC athletes took home second-place finishes at the tournament. Amos Andronic placed second in the Tots 1304 Division with a 2-1 record, scoring a 20-2 technical fall over Red Raiders Wrestling’s Gianluca Barbanente and a fall over Clipper Wrestling’s Lincoln Riley. 

Ty Johnson placed second in the Tots 1305 Division with a 2-1 record, earning falls over Sandwich Wrestling’s Conrad Forsyth and Stockton Renegades wrestler Cohen McGivney. Jaxyn Manna placed second in the Tots 1308 Division with a 2-1 record, scoring a 16-1 technical fall over Sycamore’s Price Palmiter and a fall over Stillman Valley’s Dean Bunk.

Oliver Stolte placed second in the Tots 1312 Division with a 2-1 record, compiling a 20-4 technical fall against Stillman Valley’s Adler Eads and a 14-2 major decision against Alber Athletics wrestler Luca Zapf. Cooper Harris placed second in the Bantam 1103 Division with a 2-1 record, collecting two major decisions including a 13-2 victory against Dundee Highlanders wrestler Jaxson Ecker and a 10-1 victory against Red Raiders Wrestlings’ Ronny Mastandrea.

Wells Millard placed second in the Intermediate 908 Division with a 2-1 record, stringing together back-to-back falls over Riot Room Wrestling’s Nolan Rodriguez and Sauk Valley’s Camdyn Stage. Xander Gonzales placed second in the Intermediate 604 Division with a 2-1 record, securing falls over Harvard’s Faelynn McDevitt and Sandwich’s Ethan Anderson.

Teddy Millard placed second in the Novice 503 Division with a 2-1 record, earning a fall over DuPec Wrestling’s Andrew Schwab and a 13-1 major decision over Alber Athletics wrestler Gionni Zapf. Dominic Escatel placed second in the Novice 510 Division with a 2-1 record, securing a fall over Riot Room Wrestling’s Ayden Barker in the first round and earning a 15-2 major decision against Harlem Huskies Wrestling Club’s Jacob Cory in the second round. 

Jacksyn Windham placed second in the Senior 109 Division with a 2-1 record. Windham notched two technical falls in the tournament, defeating Dundee Highlanders wrestler Tyler Covarrubius 21-4 before beating Dixon Wrestling Club’s Sean Seibel 18-2 in the third round.

Three RWC athletes brought home third-place finishes at the tournament. Easton Huff took third in the Bantam 1012 Division with a 1-2 record, winning by fall over Xtreme Wrestling’s Giovanni Lemus. Raya Windham took third in the Intermediate 713 Division with a 1-2 record, earning a first-round fall over Dixon Wrestling’s Grant Nicholson. Gavin Smith took third in the Novice 402 Division with a 1-2 record, notching a third-round fall over Tony Capriola Sr. WC’s Erik North.

Joshua Hernandez (Senior 207), Landon Leigh (Senior 210) and Montana Contreras (Senior 103) each finished fourth in their respective divisions, while Dustin Hutcherson Jr. (Novice 505) took fifth in his division to round out the RWC athletes competing in Sunday’s tournament.