Sectional finishes propel DeVolder brothers to state tournament
The DeVolder brothers did well enough in sectionals to represent Orion in the IHSA?state wrestling tournament, which ran from Thursday, Feb. 16, through Saturday, Feb. 18, in Champaign.
This is the first year the state tournament will run over three days on the mats covering the Assembly Hall floor on the University of Illinois campus.
Adding Thursday to the tournament became necessary when the IHSA?decided to take 16 wrestlers from each weight in Class 1A.
In previous years, only the top three advanced from sectionals to state. This year the top four advanced.
Charger Joe DeVolder was one of the first to benefit from the change. He finished fourth at 145 lbs. at the Byron sectional on Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11.
The junior will be making the trip to Champaign with younger brother Jacob, a sophomore who placed second at 113 lbs. in Byron.
Oddly, both of the brothers’ semifinal matches ended with 10-2 major decisions.
But the outcomes sent the DeVolders in different directions.
Jacob won over Nelson Baker of Byron to move on to the championship bout. Carlos Gutierrez of Rock Falls decisioned him 6-5 in overtime.
Mark McDonnell of Morrison defeated Joe, who dropped into wrestleback semifinals and pinned Earl Towne of Princeton at 1:47 to reach the medal round.
Aaron Bonnell of Byron pinned DeVolder in 25 seconds for third place.
Senior Tanner Coe will be an alternate at 106 lbs. He lost in quarterfinals, but he battled through the consolation bracket only to drop a heartbreaking 3-2 decision in wrestlebacks.
One more takedown in his bout with Brandon McCullough of Erie would have put Coe into the third-place match with a guaranteed berth at state. Coe finished the season with a 30-10 record.
Also competing in Byron were freshman Mikey Dierikx (120 lbs.), who finished the season at 27-8; senior Dylan Musgrove (126), 33-9; and senior Chris Zelnio, 30-15.
Thursday’s schedule at state had the DeVolders wrestling in the first round.
Sporting a 32-6 record, Jacob was scheduled to wrestle Herscher sophomore Brandon Malone (31-7).
Joe carried his 35-10 record into a bout with Mt. Olive senior Eric Tiller (26-2).
Losers in the first round are in limbo pending the outcome of quarterfinal matches on Friday.
Only those who lost to quarterfinal winners will go into wrestlebacks this year.
For the first time, the IHSA?will award medals to the top six in each Class 1A bracket. In past years, only first- and third-place matches were wrestled.
RESULTS
Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11
Orion at Class 1A sectional in Byron
Placewinners and state qualifiers
113 — 2, Jacob DeVolder
145 — 4, Joe DeVolder
State alternate
106 — 5, Tanner Coe
First round
120 — Mikey Dierikx, ORI, won by technical fall over Sam Strickland, Mooseheart, 18-2.
126 — Nick Remke, Woodstock Marian, decisioned Dylan Musgrove, ORI, 5-4.
132 — Chris Zelnio, ORI, pinned Riley Waters, Woodstock Marian, 1:01.
145 — Joe DeVolder, ORI, pinned Chase Gulley, Winnebago, 5:16.
Championship quarterfinal
106 — Anthony Luis, Harvard, decisioned Tanner Coe, ORI, 4-2.
113 — Jacob DeVolder, ORI, pinned Collin Doege, Amboy, 2:55.
120 — Garrett Webb, Sterling Newman, won by major decision over Dierikx, 14-2.
132 — Maxx Hubbard, Sterling Newman, won by major decision over Zelnio, 15-5.
145 — DeVolder won by major decision over Alex Budzisz, Wheaton Academy, 15-5.
Wrestleback first round
106 — Coe pinned Josh Larson, Byron, 0:33.
120 — Tylr Dolan, Morrison, decisioned Dierikx, 9-2.
126 — Musgrove pinned Tommy Larkin, Harvard, 1:26.
132 — Zelnio pinned Bailey Hoover, Oregon, 1:29.
Wrestleback quarterfinals
106 — Coe pinned Jaron Robinson, Mendota, 1:35.
126 — Gacob Lenox, Durand, decisioned Musgrove, 4-3.
132 — Ricky Vanderham, Sherrard, won by major decision over Zelnio, 18-6.
Championship semifinals
113 — DeVolder won by major decision over Nelson Baker, Byron, 10-2.
145 — Mark McDonnell, Morrison, won by major decision over DeVolder, 10-2.
Wrestleback semifinals
106 — Brandon McCullough, Erie, decisioned Coe, 3-2.
145 — DeVolder pinned Earl Towne, Princeton, 1:47.
First-place matches
113 — Carlos Gutierrez, Rock Falls, decisioned DeVolder, 6-5, overtime.
Third-place matches
145 — Aaron Bonnell, Byron, pinned DeVolder, 0:25.