Variety of paths led girls to HHS wrestling
HUNTLEY – Girls from a wide variety of sports backgrounds will be contributing to the success of Huntley’s girls wrestling team this winter.
The team ventured to Coralville, Iowa for the two-day Dan Gable on the Donnybrook Dec. 2-3. HHS totaled 255 points to nose out the eighth place team by a half-point. A look at the roster shows: Jessica Olson, at 140 pound weight class, was a veteran figure skater.
Two were returning state girls tournament qualifiers, Taylor Casey at 110 pounds and Alex Strezlecki at 155. One is a freshman, Janiah Slaughter, who led the team at Gable’s tournament and is coming off a successful frosh-sophomore football season. Also, Aubrie Rohrbacher, was fresh off an off-season lacrosse trip to Texas.
The best place winners for the Red Raiders the Gable meet were: Janiah Slaughter, 100 pounds, third. Slaughter, 5-1 record, won twice by pin fall but lost in the semifinals by a 7-2 decision before she bounced back and took third.
“Slaughter did great at Gable, which is a good measuring stick,” HHS coach BJ Bertelsman said. “She’s wrestled against boys before and I’m not afraid to put her in against them, too.”
Jessica Olson, competing at 140, took home fourth place and was 2-1 at the tournament. She won a close 4-3 decision before she lost by fall in the third place match.
“I was in figure skating for 12 years but I wanted to try something new,” Olson said. “I competed at Elite Team Figure Skating team in Northbrook. “I loved the Gable meet, it was a lot of fun and good team bonding. This was my first real big wrestling tournament. Getting the technique right is the hardest thing in wrestling.”
Bertelsman said Olson and other first-year wrestlers are picking up the sport well.
Alex Strzelcki, 155, won fourth place. She won two bouts by pin fall before a close 8-5 loss in the semifinals. She was 5-2 after the weekend.
“Strzelcki wrestled a great tournament but fell short in her semifinal 8-5 to the eventual champion and in the process ended her season with an injury,” Bertelsman said.
Casey, competing at 110, finished in the eighth spot. Casey won by fall, lost a narrow 4-3 decision; won by fall and lost by fall for a 4-3 season record.
Payton Turczyniak also placed eighth, at 190 pounds. She won by fall twice and lost in the same manner twice for a 3-3 mark.
Rohrbacher, who is a Lacrosse player as well, was 6-1 on the mat in her rookie season and finished ninth place at Gable. She won her placement match by fall and a one-point win among her four wins.
Also, Addison Drews, at 115, and Gretchen Sweeny, at 170, were both 10th place finishers.
Variety of paths led girls to HHS wrestling
Girls from a wide variety of sports backgrounds will be contributing to the success of Huntley’s girls wrestling team.
The team ventured to Coralville, Iowa for the two-day Dan Gable on the Donnybrook Dec. 2-3. HHS totaled 255 points to nose out the eighth place team by a half-point.
A look at the roster shows:
Jessica Olson, wrestling at the 140 pound weight class, was a veteran figure skater. Two returning state girls tournament qualifiers, Taylor Casey at 110 pounds and Alex Strezlecki at 155. One freshman, Janiah Slaughter, who led the team at Gable’s tournament, is coming off a successful frosh-sophomore football season.
Also, Aubrie Rohrbacher, who was fresh off an off-season lacrosse trip to Texas.
The best place winners for the Red Raiders the Gable meet were: Slaughter, 100 pounds, placed third. Slaughter, 5-1 record, won twice by pin but lost in the semifinals by a 7-2 decision before she bounced back and took third.
