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Lake Park Wrestling NewsWaubonsie Valley is fifth January 24, 2010
By SAM STORY For Sun-Times Media
When they day began, Lake Park wrestling coach Todd Raymond had a good feeling heading into the Upstate Eight Conference wrestling championships.
His feelings turned in to utter happiness as his Lancers came out victorious for the first time in 25 years of the competition.
STANDINGS
"It's pretty neat. We knew coming in we had a shot. We had an opportunity and the kids stepped up and took advantage of it," said Raymond moments after his team's 222 points bettered Neuqua Valley's 211.50 over the course of eight hours on the Waubonsie Valley campus.
South Elgin was third with 183.50 followed by St. Charles East 169, Waubonsie Valley 120, Bartlett 89, Larkin 80.50, East Aurora 80, St. Charles North 65.50, Elgin 64 and Streamwood 28.
The event, which rotates annually amongst all the UEC teams, was filled with tireless coaching, endless crowd support and a slew of moments that made for a great day of wrestling.
The first two finals, in the 103- and 112-pound weight classes, saw Lake Park's Jonny Verlotta (103) and Austin Schoen (112) easily dispatch of their South Elgin opponents, Cory Pych and Kevin Gianaris.
Then a slugfest resumed at 119 where Matthew Cavallaris of Neuqua Valley beat Brandon Rubino of St. Charles East. These are familiar foes in the words of Cavallaris.
"I wrestled him (Rubino) earlier in the season and won in double overtime. We wrestled last year twice at 112 and he beat me both times," the champ said. "It's another checkmark on my list and I have bigger plans and want to be in the state finals!"
Moments after Cavallaris' 33rd victory of the season, the highlight of the day came in the 125 championship between South Elgin's Nick Citta and Max Garbis of the host Warriors.
Garbis, unseeded, was going up against the No. 1-ranked (in the conference) Citta, who had 26 wins to his name on the year. Garbis was aggressive and outmaneuvered Citta on a counter-move before he picked him up, put him down and pinned him. It brought a roar from the Waubonsie faithful and Garbis' teammates, but one of the most excited persons in the building was coach Brad Caldwell.
"It was exciting! He was wrestling a real good kid and he'd have to do some of the stuff he likes to do to come out on top. He gets frustrated, but he stays solid and that is what we kept talking about was not making a mistake to lose the match. He had a great tournament with pins in the semis and finals and wrestled really well today."
In the 130 and 135 rounds, it was easy work for St. Charles East teammates Nick Ruffino and Alex Maynard.
The Storm's Tyler Toczek won the 140 title and Neuqua's Alex Cizek of Neuqua Valley bested Lake Park's Chris Kowalski 6-4 at 145.
The 152 duel provided another moment of brilliance: this time in the form of Joe Kubica who needed a physical and demanding match (and an overtime) to get past top-ranked Nick Scimeca of St. Charles East.
"It's intense, man! Your teammates are looking up to you and your team is in the running for the conference championship and you don't want to let them down," Kimeca said. "Overtime is a bit of an adrenaline rush. For me, I kind of get that extra burst of energy and that's where I got that takedown (the decisive move). "
Nick Proctor of Neuqua outlasted Eric Moreno of Bartlett for the 160 crown.
The 171 championship featured one of the state's top wrestlers in Andy Spangler.
How good is he? He's 35-2 with his losses coming from a "Colorado kid and a Mount Carmel kid in double overtime."
He toyed with his opponent, Tom Randich of South Elgin.
Daniel Kelly of Waubonsie won a low-scoring affair, 1-0, at 189 over Eduardo Ruiz of Bartlett.
The 215 match saw Jake Randich of South Elgin, who is 35-1, shut out Osbaldo Moreno of East Aurora for an easy victory for the young man who was named the Jeff Mirabella Outstanding Wrestler award winner for his efforts.
Lake Park put an exclamation point on their championship when Devon Smith, in the final match of the night (285), pinned Rafael Flores of St. Charles East.
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