Glenbard North's Gomez wins third state title

Gabby Gomez celebrates here title victory in the 115-pound class at the IHSA Girls' Individual Wrestling State Finals on Saturday. The state champion grappler from Glenbard North finished the season with a perfect 42-0 record after defeating Loyola Academy's Harlee Hiller in the championship match, 4-3.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

---

BLOOMINGTON - Glenbard North wrestler Gabby Gomez is a beast. Nationally ranked, she rolled through the girls' 115-pound state bracket unscathed to win her third-consecutive state wrestling title after besting Loyola Academy's Harlee Hiller in the weight class finale.

Gomez opened her third visit to the IHSA tournament with a pinning Normal University's Allison Kroesch (21-13). Already up 9-2 in the second period, the Panther pinned the Pioneer at 2:45 to advance to the quarterfinal round.

In her next match, Gomez put on a mini-clinic. She scored four takedowns and collected points on two near falls in the first period on Springfield's Ella Miloncus. Up 12-3 in the second period, she casually pinned Miloncus at 2:16 after adding two points for a reversal to her match score (14-3).

Squaring off against Lincoln-Way Central's Gracie Guarino (29-1) in the quarterfinals, Gomez tallied a takedown in each of the first two periods and scored on a reversal to win her bout, 6-1.

The anticipated title match between Gomez and Harlee Hiller went the distance, but not without controversy. Hiller, a junior who won last year's 105 title and made school history as the first female wrestling state champion at Loyola Academy, was driven off the mat by Gomez into the penalty box wall six feet away. Despite a protest by the Loyola coach and after a brief recovery period, the match continued.

Hiller tied the match up at 2-all in the third period on an escape from a restart. The knot lasted a little more a minute when Gomez scored the match-winning takedown to go up 4-2. Hiller collected another escape point before the match ended at 4-3.

Gomez, a junior at North, has not lost a prep wrestling match during her career. Now 83-0, this time next year, if all goes according to plan, she could be the first Illinois high school girl to wrestle all four years without a loss.

---

State Championship
Match Gallery

Gabby Gomez vs Harlie Hiller
115 Division

---

---

State Wrestling: Rocky's Marquez wins state title

CHAMPAIGN - Rock Island's Andrew Marquez celebrates his victory over Crystal Lake Central's Cayden Parks after their Class 2A 190-pound title match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals. Marquez dominated Parks on his way to a 9-2 decision on his way to the top of the podium Saturday evening. To make it to the title bout, the senior defeated Mt. Vernon's Mason Randall (34-12), Jack Paris (9-5) from Fenwick, and Niles Notre Dame senior Jim Amatore (36-10).

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

---

2A Championship
Match Gallery

Andrew Marquez vs Cayden Parks

---

---

Unity's Nosler wins IHSA state wrestling title

Unity's Nick Nosler is declared winner after his 195-pound title match with St. Thomas More's Brody Cuppernell at the 2023 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals on Saturday. Nosler, who finished as the Sentinel area's top finisher, won the bout by major decision, 11-3. The senior improved to 55-2 on the season after going 4-0 at the State Farm Center. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

---

TOP LEFT: Nosler scores a takedown on Cuppernell. TOP RIGHT: Smiling for his official IHSA photo, Nick Nosler stands tall at the top of the 195-pound podium on Saturday. BOTTOM: Cuppernell tries to avoid being rolled to his back by Nosler during their title bout. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

---

Brody Cuppernell is rolled to his back by Unity's Nosler. Cuppernell, a junior at St. Thomas More, finished his season with 45 wins and against 6 losses. See more photos of area wrestlers at the state tournament here. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

STATE CHAMPION!

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Unity's Lexi Ritchie stands at the top of the podium after defeating Richwood's Jaida Johnson (on her right) for the 155-pound title at the inaugural IHSA Girls' Wrestling State Finals on Saturday. Ritchie carved out a 10-8 decision over Johnson to not only become the first female wrestler in the state to earn the title at that weight class but also Champaign County's first female high school state wrestling champion. She finished her sophomore season with a 23-9 record on Saturday. On her left on the podium is bronze medal winner Valeria Rodriguez from Schaumburg.

Photo of the Day - December 7, 2020

Growing into greatness

Champaign Dream's Kohlten Johnson, of St. Joseph, winds up for a pitch at the First Pitch Father's Day Hardball Tournament Saturday on June 14 in 2008. He and the 9-and-Under traveling baseball team went down swinging losing to Steffen Heating and Air Conditioning, 19-2. Eight years later, Johnson grew into a 6-foot-1, 170-pound, right-handed Spartan hitter that help the program to its first IHSA Baseball State Finals in 2016. He was also a member the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team that brought home a Class 2A state title months earlier in March.

[Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks]

Spartan Spotlight with senior Danie Kelso

Danie Kelso

Clubs & Activities

Track and Field (4 years)
Cross Country (1 year)
Bible Club

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
One older and one younger sister

Hobbies:
Reading and running

Favorite SJO memories:
She said her greatest memories at SJO centers around track and field. During her freshman year, her 4 X 400 M relay advanced to State, which was an unbelievable moment for her. During her junior year, her 4 X 200 M relay placed first at IHSA State Track & Field Finals, which was incredible, she added.

Favorite classes:
U.S. History and Anatomy and Physiology

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Stierwalt at St. Joseph Grade School, Mr. Risley at St. Joseph Middle School, and Mrs. Stacey Kietzman and Mr. Marshall Schacht at SJO.

College:
Millikin University majoring in nursing

Collegiate Sport:
She will join the Big Blue NCAA Div. III track & field program this fall

Advice to future SJO students:
Do not take anything for granted.

---

Track & Field Career Bests

60 Meter Dash	8.71
100 Meter Dash	13.82
200 Meter Dash	29.45
400 Meter Dash	1:04.9
800 Meter Run	2:41.45
2 Mile	18:17.0
3 Mile	23:44.0
5k	27:00.0
4X200 Relay	1:47.35
4X400 Relay	4:32.12

---

Above: Kelso, with Spartan teammates Atleigh Hamilton, Hailey Birt and Maclayne Taylor pose for photos at the top of the Class 1A podium after winning the title race at the 2019 Illinois High School Association Track & Field State Finals on Saturday, May 18, in Charleston. The program finish the state meet in a two-way tie for third with St. Teresa.

Below: Kelso fires out of the blocks in her relay squad's 4x200 prelim at the 2019 state track meet. Along with fellow junior Hailey Birt, sophomore Atleigh Hamilton and senior Maclayne Taylor the Spartans dominated their heat with 1:45.07 finish to qualify for Saturday's finals. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

---

---

---

Text provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.