By Dan McGrath
Rigorous Catholic League competition proved to be good preparation for the IHSA state series for Leo wrestlers Nick Armour, Chris Mathis and Fred Chandler.
Armour, a sophomore heavyweight, pinned all three opponents and took first place at the IHSA Class 1-A Regional at St. Laurence High School on Saturday, Feb. 4.
Mathis, a senior, placed second at 120 pounds, and Chandler, a freshman, finished fourth at 138 pounds. Sophomore Trevor Turpin also competed, but lost both his matches and didn’t place.
The top three finishers in each weight class advance to sectional competition, so it’s off to Coal City and the 1-A Sectional for Armour and Mathis on Feb. 10-11. Chandler also will advance if any of the three wrestlers who finished above him are unable to compete for any reason. The top three sectional finishers advance to the state meet Feb. 16-18 at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus.
As a team, Leo placed seventh among 10 teams with 47 points. Host St. Laurence won the regional with 150.5 points and Nazareth was runner-up with 133.5 points.
Armour was an All-Catholic League Red Division defensive lineman as a sophomore for the Lions, while Mathis is an honor student and a member of the National Honor Society. We wish them well at the sectional.