St. Joseph-Ogden ties Monticello at conference wrestling meet, Wagner averts SJO loss

CHILLICOTHE - St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling showcased resilience and grit on January 18 during the Illini Prairie Conference at Illinois Valley Central High School, battling Monticello to a dramatic 40-40 tie.

After defeating Rantoul earlier in the tournament, the Spartans started strong against the Sages, jumping to a commanding 17-0 lead. Jackson Walsh set the tone with a dominant 17-0 tech fall over Aiden Komnick at 113 pounds, while Camden Getty followed with a lightning-fast 34-second pin against Monticello's Kellan Lamb at 120 pounds.

Monticello responded with a string of victories, including Nick Litchfield’s 18-2 tech fall at 126 pounds and a forfeit at 132 pounds. Despite SJO's Aiden Hundley and Landen Butts securing key wins at 138 and 144 pounds, Monticello mounted a comeback. Russ Brown’s 16-1 tech fall at 190 pounds tied the score at 34-all, and Hunter Romano’s second-period pin at 215 pounds gave the Sages their first lead of the match, 40-34.

The Spartans’ hopes rested on sophomore heavyweight Cam Wagner, who delivered under pressure. Wagner pinned Nate Darnell in just 55 seconds, tying the match at 40-40 and preserving SJO’s unbeaten record for the day.

With Monticello behind them, the Spartans faced two more challenges on Saturday: Unity, a 2023 IHSA Class 1A Elite 8 team, and host Illinois Valley Central.

Summary of Key Results
  • 106: Ben Wells (SJO) pinned River Young (Monticello), 1:32
  • 113: Jackson Walsh (SJO) tech fall over Aiden Komnick (Monticello), 17-0
  • 120: Camden Getty (SJO) pinned Kellan Lamb (Monticello), 0:34
  • 138: Aiden Hundley (SJO) pinned Daniel Moore (Monticello), 1:31
  • 144: Landen Butts (SJO) tech fall over Drake Weeks (Monticello), 16-0
  • 190: Russ Brown (Monticello) tech fall over Carter Liam (SJO), 16-1
  • 215: Hunter Romano (Monticello) pinned Nathan Phillips (SJO), 4:38
  • 285: Cam Wagner (SJO) pinned Nate Darnell (Monticello), 0:55

Box Score
106 - WELLS, BEN (SJO) over Young, River (Monticello), Fall 1:32; 113 - WALSH, JACKSON (SJO) over Komnick, Aiden (Monticello), Tech Fall 17-0; 120 - GETTY, CAMDEN (SJO) over Lamb, Kellan (Monticello), Fall 0:34; 126 - Litchfield, Nick (Monticello) over BIRT, ELI (SJO), Tech Fall 18-2; 132 - Osborne, Will (Monticello) over Forfeit, (SJO), FORFEIT; 138 - HUNDLEY, AIDEN (SJO) over Moore, Daniel (Monticello), Fall 1:31; 144 - BUTTS, LANDEN (SJO) over Weeks, Drake (Monticello), Tech Fall 16-0; 150 - Ducker, Isaiah (Monticello) over WARE, THOMAS (SJO), Fall 0:35; 157 - Shubert, Colton (Monticello) over DALY, NATHAN (SJO), Fall 1:08; 165 - MOORE, JONATHON (SJO) over Mikulich, Christian (Monticello), Fall 5:51; 175 - Sinkosky, Max (Monticello) over SWISHER, DEVAN (SJO), Fall 0:55; 190 - Brown, Russ (Monticello) over Carter, Liam (SJO), Tech Fall 16-1; 215 - Romano, Hunter (Monticello) over PHILLIPS, NATHAN (SJO), Fall 4:38; 285 - WAGNER, CAM (SJO) over Darnell, Nate (Monticello), Fall 0:55.



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SJO continues to dominate IPC foes at conference meet, defeats Rantoul 58-16

CHILLICOTHE - In a commanding display of prowess, the St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling program continued their winning streak at the Illini Prairie Conference wrestling meet, triumphing over the Rantoul Eagles with a resounding 58-16 victory on day 2 of competition.

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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