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.