Neuqua Valley Edges Host Bolingbrook for Fifth Regional Wrestling Title

The Neuqua Valley High School wrestling team set a dubious school record this sesaon after losing 11 dual matches. That’s the most in program history.

And, it was by design—not the losses, but facing possibly the toughest schedule in the state.

What it did was bring the Wildcats together and paved the way for individual and team success during the state series.

So far, so good.

Neuqua Valley won the school’s sixth regional championship by outdueling Bolingbrook 192.5-177.5 at the Raiders’ regional Saturday.

“Ever since the beginning of this year, we’ve been looking to win the regional championship,” Neuqua 152-pound senior Luke Pigott said. “This is a big goal of ours. As a team, I think we’re doing pretty well and we can do pretty well at the sectional.”

“We thought we could win this thing. We weren’t seeded as the top team coming in, but I think our schedule during the year toughened us up,” Neuqua Valley coach Mick Ruettiger said. “We didn’t have the best record as a team or as individuals, but we did a great job staying within ourselves and believing in the schedule we had. It’s coming together and the kids are wrestling well.”

“All the tournaments, like the (Minnesota) Clash and Dvorak, were predecessors to get ready for the regional, sectional and state meets,” sophomore heavyweight Andrew Geers said. “Records don’t matter right now. We’ve played a tough schedule, gotten better, and that’s what counts. We’ve had a lot of injuries and illnesses, but everybody has pushed through and we won the regional. That’s huge for this team.”

Geers and Pigott joined Matt Slavik at 145 and Casey Greenberg at 189 as regional champions.

“It’s been fun,” Pigott said. “This is the closest team I’ve ever been on. We really came together toward the end of the season and showed everyone, although we’ve lost some good people, we have a solid lineup all the way through.”

Bolingbrook tied a record by featuring eight individual qualifiers.

Just three Raiders advanced a year ago. Bolingbrook was shut out in 2009.

“It’s going to be busy in the room this week from the lightweights all the way up to the heavyweights,” Bolingbrook coach Bob Kichka said. “We wrestled well and I’m proud to have eight qualifiers. It would have been sad to lose and qualify only six. To have eight qualify, that’s a good day.”

Leading the charge for the Raiders as regional champions were sophomore Jordan Laster (35-4) at 103, senior Frankie Campos (33-3) at 119 and senior Malik Snapp (19-6) at 171.

“These next two weeks are going to be long for the guys who have qualified for the state meet,” Kichka said. “Frankie’s been there last, Jordan and Malik are trying to get there along with a few other guys. We’ll see how things stack up next week.”

Campos took sixth at 112 last year and is ranked No. 6 in the state.

Plainfield North featured four competitors in championship matches.

Junior Nick DiNardo and senior Jack Maton each won regional championships.

DiNardo is 24-6 at 140 and Maton enters his first sectional meet 23-12 at 125.

Juniors Stephen Myers (26-9) at 135 and Clay Shelton (27-9) at 130 lost championship matches to finish second.

Other regional champions include Oswego’s Frank Yattoni (112) and Richards’ Andy Crivellone at 215.