Knights return plenty of talent, including defending state-champion Bianchini.
By Mike Miazga
Correspondent
It’s been a busy offseason for the IC Catholic Prep wrestling team.
“We had a productive off-season training, competing, learning and collaborating,” said new IC Catholic Prep coach Kevin Sliva, who was an assistant coach last year. “We continue to strive for excellence to build and refine our program for the future.”
In addition to earning a fifth consecutive IHSA team academic achievement award in the spring, three IC Catholic Prep wrestlers competed in the Illinois freestyle state tournament, a qualifier for the Illinois national team. Joey Bianchini, who won a state title for the Knights last year, took second and earned his second spot on the national team after having earlier qualified in Greco-Roman. David Vargas took third and Victor Vargas also competed.
In June, Bianchini was selected to represent Team Illinois in the Greco-Roman national team duals where his team beat Minnesota for the title. Bianchini won his match in the championship contest.
In July, Bianchini made it to the round of 32 in both wrestling styles at the junior national tournament held in Fargo, N.D. In October, Victor Vargas was crowned Champion of the Conflict at Carver tournament in Iowa City.
In October, Bianchini knocked off a previously nationally ranked wrestler in the semifinals and then a current nationally ranked wrestler in the championship of the 2017 USA Wrestling preseason nationals tournament at Northern Iowa. He won seven matches in a row.
In mid-October, coaches Sliva and Corey Stanley attended the USA Wrestling Silver Coaches College at the U.S. Olympic Training Center campus in Colorado Springs, Colo. They were two of 50 coaches across the nation selected to attend and received advanced classroom and hands-on mat instruction regarding nutrition, sports psychology, peak performance principles, risk management, technique, rules and other wrestling-related curriculum from some of the top instructors in the world. The college is one criterion needed to obtain the elite USA Wrestling Silver Coaching Certificate.
The Knights are coming off a 2016-2017 season where they went 10-16 and took seventh place in the Metro Suburban Conference (highest placement in school history), while having three wrestlers earn all-MSC honors (again, a school record).
Bianchini, now a senior, will wrestle at 138 pounds. He went 38-1 last year en route to winning a Class 1A state title. He’s a two-time all-state performer and three-time state qualifier.
Victor Vargas, also a senior, will be at 195 and 220. He went 36-12 last year and took sixth in the state, earning all-state honors. Joe Scott III, a sophomore, is at 170 pounds. He had 10 wins last year and was a sectional qualifier as a freshman.
Junior Kemon Reese will wrestle at 182 and was 16-8 as a sophomore last year. Junior Michael Johnson will be at the 220- and 285-pound divisions after going 10-2 as a sophomore last year.
David Vargas, now a junior, also will go between 220 and 285. He was 24-13 last year and made the sectional and was an all-conference selection.
Freshman Kyle Franklin, who will rotate between 160 and 170 pounds, finished fourth at the IKWF state tournament last season.
Bianchini and Victor Vargas are the team captains.
In the first IWCOA.net Illinois state high-school rankings, Bianchini is ranked No. 2 at 138 pounds, while Victor Vargas is No. 6 at 220 and David Vargas is No. 10 at 285.
“We’ll be deeper than last season,” said Sliva. “We have much more experience in the lineup and more wrestlers who trained in the off-season. We continue to build one of the best coaching staffs in the area and are excited for the addition of two new seasoned and enthusiastic team managers.”
Health will be a key for the Knights this season. “On the mat, to be the most successful as a team our athletes need to stay healthy and injury-free,” said Sliva. “Off the mat, everyone needs to continue to apply the same work ethic they use in the wrestling room in the classroom. Our No. 1 goal is to win the IHSA team academic award for a sixth consecutive year with a team GPA higher than last season.”
Sliva added work ethic will take the team far this season. “I’ve never been around a group of kids that come into the wrestling room focused, respectful, ready to learn and work so hard,” he said. “The group we have in the room right now, and I’m expecting a large group of kids to join after football season is over, well, it’s going to be exciting for the coaches to watch them grow.”
Sliva said David Vargas is one wrestler to keep an eye on. “David is poised to make some noise,” he said. “He won our team’s most improved wrestler award by tremendously improving over the course of last season. He started 7-10 and finished 17-3 winning both the Metro Suburban Conference and regional tournaments. That young man has a lot of heart and you can’t teach that. In addition, he’s an outstanding student with exceptional grades.”
The coach added Reese and Johnson also will be key contributors. “Keep an eye on both Kemon and Michael,” he said. “They are two more exceptional student-athletes who excel in the classroom. The sky is the limit with both on the mat.”
Sliva noted this year’s roster will be the biggest in school history. “Overall, we’re excited and optimistic about the season,” he said. “In October, we were asked by the IHSA to host one of the four dual-team sectionals and we’re proud to announce we’ve agreed to host on Tuesday, Feb. 20.”
The Knights also will send a contingent of wrestlers to the prestigious Dvorak tournament over the holidays, an event regarded as one of the top high-school tournaments in the state.
“Our most experienced student-athletes are thrilled about competing in the Dvorak,” said Sliva. “Annually it’s one of the most challenging tournaments in the state.”
Two freshman tournaments have been added to the schedule as well. “Our new wrestlers are happy about the two freshman tournaments we’ve added to the schedule to give everyone the opportunity to compete against other athletes of similar ability,” the coach said.
Sliva said another goal of the program is to simply continue to grow the sport in the city of Elmhurst.
“We’re excited to continue to grow wrestling right here in this great city,” he said. “The community support has been incredible for a sport that has supposedly been in decline. Our coaches get asked practically every week by parents how they can get their kids involved in wrestling. There are plenty of great youth club options in the area.”
On Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 5 p.m., IC Catholic Prep will hold its senior/alumni/youth night in conjunction with the team’s final home meet of the season.
“We are attempting to break a record by packing the gym,” said Sliva.
