Kielbasa captures third state crown

Updated: March 23, 2011 1:20PM

A pair of returning two-time state champions squared off on Saturday night in Champaign, and when it was over Crystal Lake Central's Joey Kielbasa was a three-time champion.

Kielbasa's overtime takedown and near-fall points gave him an 8-3 win over Montini's Stephen Robertson, in their Class 2A title match at 152 pounds. Robertson won a 3-2 decision over Kielbasa on the title mat at this year's Dvorak tournament in December.

"I wrestled my butt off," Kielbasa. "He's a tank and my whole approach was just to wear him down. I had to get a takedown to get it to overtime and then from there it's all heart, and I got lucky enough to catch him on his back."

"Me and (teammate) Trevor (Jauch) wanted to win three state titles together. We've been training together and we just wanted this so bad. It's an unbelievable feeling and it ends in tears, because you train so hard for something like this."

Kielbasa joined Jauch (140) as a three-time state champion, and the Tigers also got titles from Gage Harrah (189) and Austin Marsden (215).

Marmion led the 2A field with five state champions, in Johnny Jimenez (103), Jered Cortez (112), George Fisher (119), Bryce Brill (135) and Ben Whitford (130), a sophomore who won his second state title.

Montini seniors Frank Baer (145) and Dimitri Willis (160) won the first state titles of their careers, with Baer winning a 6-0 decision over Crystal Lake Central's Jason Fugiel on the title mat.

"I can't even describe the way it feels to win this," Baer said. "It's what you dream about and to have it happen to you is unreal."

The day's unbeaten state champions in 2A were Harrah (189), Marsden (215), and Carbondale's Zane Richards (125). Yorkville's AJ Messenger (171) also won a 2A state crown.

In Class 1A, Uplift senior Jamal Carter (36-5) became his school's first state place-winner when he took fourth at 152 pounds, and in 2A Bowen's Dequence Goodman (37-7) became his school's first place-winner since 1942 when he placed fourth at 215.

"Hard work and a coach (Rick Alboyd) that's dedicated," Carter said, when asked what it took to place in Champaign. "He pushes us to the limit every day. We came up a little short today but I hope the younger guys learn from this."

Reed-Custer's Billy Chancey (145) also won a Class 1A state title, with a 5-0 decision over Aledo's Zach Nelson.

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