The Naperville North varsity boys wrestling team delivered an impressive performance at the DVC Championship on Friday, Jan. 24th, securing third place overall with a total of 247.5 points.
The meet showcased standout performances, including first place finishes from junior Adam Beedon, junior Ryan Beedon, senior Ben Messier and junior Tavkif Ibragimov. Additionally, the team earned second place finishes from seniors Conner McDonald, Tyler Sternstein and Brady Valle, contributing to their strong overall placement.
The championship matches for Naperville North began with Adam Beedon in the 113-pound weight class. Adam Beedon won by decision over Naperville Central senior Jack Schwartz, ending with a final score of 12-8 and earning 24 points for his team.
In the 120-pound weight class, junior Ryan Beedon faced off against Naperville Central junior Jake Moore in an extremely close match. With just 30 seconds remaining, Ryan Beedon secured a sudden victory, beating Moore with a final score of 12-9 and adding 23.5 points to the team’s total. Reflecting on the match, Ryan Beedon shared his mindset during the intense competition.
“It was a big match. I knew it was; I’ve wrestled him a few times. He beat me last time, so… I knew it was going to be close, but I also knew I could end up winning,” Ryan Beedon said.
In the 126-pound weight class, Naperville North’s McDonald faced off Naperville Central junior Jacob Cochran. Cochran won by major decision with a final score of 12-4 earning McDonald a second place finish and a contribution of 19.5 points to his team.
In the 152-pound weight class, Messier took on junior Stavros Gerousis of Naperville Central in another close match. Messier secured the victory by decision with a final score of 4-3, adding 24 points to the team’s total. Messier reflects on changes he would’ve made looking back.
“I would’ve been more aggressive, more offensive in the final minutes of that last match, put more points on the board but other than that I think I wrestled good,” Messier said.
In the 160-pound weight class, Sternstein faced off against DeKalb Senior Hudson Ikens in a closely contested championship match. Despite his effort, Sternstein came up just short with a final score of 7-6. His performance added 20 points to Naperville North’s total.
In the 195-pound weight class, Valle competed against Naperville Central junior Paul Peradotti in the championship match. Despite a strong effort, Valle was defeated by a technical fall with a final score of 19-3. His performance still earned Naperville North 20 points, contributing to the team’s overall success at the meet.
In the 220-pound weight class, North’s Ibragimov delivered a solid performance in the championship match against DeKalb junior Nicholas Waddle. Ibragimov secured victory by fall, earning 26 points for Naperville North and capping off an impressive showing at the meet.
Naperville North’s performance at the DVC Championship highlighted the team’s resilience and their ability to compete against several tough opponents. With multiple first-place finishes and strong showings in several weight classes, the team demonstrated its potential to excel as the season progresses. Looking ahead to the regional tournament in two weeks, Head Coach Thomas Champion reflects on the meet and the team’s continued growth.
“The one lesson that we learned as a team is that we have even more potential than we showed on Saturday. We learned that this team is getting better each week, and if we keep working and looking forward, we will achieve even greater things,” Champion said.
