Mihalopoulos, Dvorak qualify for state wrestling
HUNTLEY — A Huntley boys wrestling senior team leader as well as a freshman will have a chance to compete against the best as IHSA State Meet qualifiers.
Senior Markos Mihalopoulos, the 285 pounder, and freshman Radic Dvorak, at 157 pounds, advanced to the IHSA Class 3A Individual State Tournament as they finished second and fourth, respectively, at the Barrington Class 3A Sectional Feb. 10. The IHSA State Individual Tournament is Feb. 16-17 at State Farm Center in Champaign.
Huntley head coach BJ Bertelsman described the qualities which led Mihalopoulos and Dvorak to qualify for the state tournament.
On Mihalopoulos: “He is determined, especially after not qualifying last year. He is determined to place this year and after this weekend, if he wrestles up to his ability he will be on the podium,” Bertelsman said.
About Dvorak: “He is young, hungry, crafty and peaking. I think he is very good and versed in technique, just had some troubles adapting those techniques to high school wrestling earlier in the season, but he figured it out and will be a dangerous match for many in his bracket this weekend,” Bertelsman said.
Both Red Raiders won in the semifinals to secure a top four finish and a state meet opportunity. Mihalopoulos, 39-9, beat Abisai Hernandez of Mundelein, by pin in 5:11. He lost in the title match to Bill Cole of Round Lake, by a 6-1 decision.
“To win after what happened last year feels great,” Mihalopoulos said. “To win it with my family here is great. I was a little worried when I saw others in our Fox Valley Conference lose to him.”
Mihalopoulos, who has 104 career wins, secured the pin in a third period move. “I had not used that in competition but I have been practicing it,” he said.
“That was the best I’ve seen Mihalopoulos wrestle,” Bertelsman said.
Meanwhile, Dvorak had a marathon six matches to reach the state tournament, as he was 4-2, now 36-14 overall. The key win came in the consolation semifinals, aka the blood round, as a third place spot is on the line. Dvorak won by major decision over Ethan Thomas of Mundelein, 8-0. Dvorak lost to Ryan Muslimovic, of Fremd, by a 9-5 decision.
“It was my goal,” Dvorak said of state.
He has been thinking of state since he started on the mat.
“I was four-years-old when I started,” Dvorak said. “I wrestled for a good club, the Crystal Lake Wizards, then ISI.”
He competed at the Illinois Kids Wrestling state tournament before reporting to Huntley’s wrestling room this fall.
“It’s the intensity of matches. In high school, the guys are a lot stronger, so you have to use a lot more technique. Mihalopoulos and Alex Napientak (165) made we feel welcome,” Dvorak said.
The Red Raiders brought 10 wrestlers to Barrington, but the meet was challenging.
Shane McGuine came close to qualifying at 150 pounds, as he won two matches Saturday to reach the blood round, but fell to Tagg Miller of New Trier, by pin in 0:24. A senior, McGuine ended his final HHS season with a 36-13 record.
Wyatt Theobald was 1-2 at 190 pounds, ending with a 26-13 record.
Sophomore Colin Abordo won a first round match at 106 pounds, and had a 29-15 season record.
Final records for the Red Raiders’ other sectional qualifiers: Cameron Abordo, 25-16 at 113; Alex Gutierrez, 18-16, 126; Gavin Nischke, 26-15, 132; Vlad Maluhin, 13-14, 144 and Napientak, 26-11, 165.
