Unity's Phoenix Molina finishes second at state wrestling meet

BLOOMINGTON - Unity's Phoenix Molina wrestles Prairie Central's Chloe Hoselton in their 235-pound match at the IHSA Girls' Individual Wrestling State Finals. Molina lost the bout in an ultimate tie-break, 2-1. See how she progressed through this year's bracket in the recap below. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Photo: PhotoNews Media

First Round:
Molina won in sudden victory 2-1 over Homewood-Flossmoor senior Jocelyn Williams. After a scoreless first period, Williams grabbed the lead in the second period after an escape. Molina reciprocated in the next period, tying the score at one each. Williams lost the match thanks to a penalty point to Molina in the first overtime.

Quarterfinal:
Molina won by a 4-2 decision over Ottawa's Juliana Thrush. With four seconds left in the match and the score tied at 2-all, Molina scores on a takedown to secure the victory.

Semifinal:
Molina wins by decision against Oak Park-River Forest's Sarah Epshtein by a 3-2 decision thanks to a second-period escape and a third-period takedown.

Championship Match:
Molina, placing second, is defeated by Prairie Central's Chloe Hoselton in the ultimate tie-breaker, 2-1.

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

Unity's Eastin wins state wrestling title

Unity's Hunter Eastin is declared winner after his 5-2 win over St. Thomas More's Brody Cuppernell. See more championship match photos below.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

CHAMPAIGN - Unity's 190-pounder Hunter Eastin finished the season with 47-6 record and the Class 1A state title last Saturday. He was one of three medalists from Unity's six state finalists.

The junior went 4-0 at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals, beating Frankfort's Conner Henson (39-12) in the first round with first period pin and pinned Lena-Winslow-Stockton's Jeremiah Luke in third period. Down 1-2 at the end of the first period in his next match against Kaden Tidwell, Eastin rallied back to secured a spot in the Saturday finals with his win over the Vandalian with a 37-11 record via an 8-3 decision.

In championship match against St. Thomas More's Brody Cuppernell (35-4), Eastin trailed in the third period 1-0. On the command to start the final period, Eastin tied up the score with an escape. A minute later, he scored on a takedown and a near-fall three second later, going up 5-1. With two seconds left on the clock, Cuppernell was awarded one point for another escape, ending the match at 5-2.

Championship Match Gallery

State Wrestling: Ridgeview's Tay posts a win at state

Champaign - Ridgeview's Danny Tay tosses Wilmington's Oakley Rivera to the mat during their Class 1A 126-pound first-round wrestleback match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals. Tay won the bout advancing to the next round with 6-1 decision. Tay, who finished the tournament 1-2 on Friday, lost his second-round wrestleback after he was pinned by Althoff's Brendan Rayl. See more photos from this match below.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks