After a stellar performance on the opening day against Prairie Central, Pontiac, and St. Thomas More, SJO entered the match against Rantoul with justifiable confidence. The Spartans wasted no time asserting their dominance, securing wins in nine of the 14 weight classes. Almost every contested match ended in a pin, serving notice of SJO's rise back to its former reputation as a formidable small school wrestling program with the return of the Gallo family as coaches.
Leading the charge for SJO were standout wrestlers who delivered exceptional performances throughout the tournament. Landen Butts maintained his undefeated streak, going 3-0 over the weekend with impressive victories including a decisive pin against Daemian Spisak of Prairie Central and a quick takedown of Cale Christenson from Pontiac. Eli Birt also showcased his prowess with a solid decision victory over Drake Clemons from Prairie Central.
Aiden Hundley added to SJO's tally with a commanding fall over Kooper Wiles from Pontiac, while Jackson Walsh displayed his dominance with a pin over Sophia Mussari from Pontiac, solidifying his 2-0 record for the weekend.
Taking a look at their overall performance, SJO has outscored their opponents by a notable margin, tallying an impressive 226-75 since the start of the conference tournament. With three matches to go, the Spartans positioned the team for a top-three finish at this year's tourney.
Looking ahead, the Spartans are gearing up for their upcoming matches. Tomorrow, SJO will host a Multi-Quad event featuring Decatur Unity Christian, Decatur MacArthur, Hoopeston, Cumberland, and St. Thomas More, starting at 8:30 AM. Next week, they will face off against Champaign Central High School in a dual meet on Wednesday at 6 PM, followed by a visit to GCMS on Thursday at 5:30 PM.
Box Score
106 - WELLS, BEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (Rantoul), FORFEIT;
113 - WALSH, JACKSON (SJO) over Hench, Emmett (Rantoul), Fall 1:20;
120 - GETTY, CAMDEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (Rantoul), FORFEIT;
126 - BIRT, ELI (SJO) over Taylor, Ryker (Rantoul), Tech Fall 22-6;
132 - Forfeit, (Rantoul) over Forfeit, (SJO), Double Forfeit;
138 - HUNDLEY, AIDEN (SJO) over Beach, Bryson (Rantoul), Fall 1:29;
144 - BUTTS, LANDEN (SJO) over Dunner, Nicholas (Rantoul), Fall 4:35;
150 - WARE, THOMAS (SJO) over Buck, Wyatt (Rantoul), Tech Fall 21-3;
157 - Almanza, Brandon (Rantoul) over MOORE, JONATHON (SJO), Fall 4:03;
165 - Williams, Darius (Rantoul) over VAUGHN, ALEX (SJO), Fall 7:14;
175 - SWISHER, DEVAN (SJO) over Mager, Alex (Rantoul), Fall 1:52;
190 - Schultz, Harley (Rantoul) over Carter, Liam (SJO), Maj Dec 14-6;
215 - PHILLIPS, NATHAN (SJO) over Nutter, Alexander (Rantoul), Fall 0:41;
285 - WAGNER, CAM (SJO) over Forfeit, (Rantoul), FORFEIT.
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- SJO rolls past Prairie Central at IPC Meet, Walsh notches first period-pin in rout
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