High School Sports
Previous Mt. Olive wrestling invitational winners
1976
The first tournament was won by Mt. Pulaski followed by Mt. Olive, Litchfield, and Hillsboro. Mt. Olive had four champions, Chuck Harrison, Eric Miller, John Lueker, and Jim Holloway while Mt. Pulaski had only two Mike Moore and Mike Maske but Mt. Pulaski had four seconds. Other champions were Ben Bohammer and Ken Christian, Hillsboro; Craig Cassiday, Nokomis: Jim Lovelace and Bruce Wheeler, Glenwood; and Gary Pruitt, Litchfield.
1977
Mt. Pulaski won the second tourney also. Mt. Olive was second, Hillsboro third, and Glenwood fourth. Mt. Pulaski had three champions: Chic Donnelly, Bill Maske, and Mike Maske. Mt Olive had two champions: Dennis Mayer and John Lueker, with Chuck Harrison and Jim Holloway placing second. Other champions were: Tim Mulrooney and David Turner, Glenwood; Larry Rhoades, Carlinville; Chuck Schlosser, Pleasant Plains; and Ken Christian and Bob Boas, Hillsboro.
1978
Mt. Pulaski dropped out of the tournament. Carlinville won, and Mt. Olive finished second, Litchfield third, and Hillsboro fourth. Carlinville had four champions, Greg Reif, Larry Rhoads, Keith Petri, and Jim Grothaus. Chuck Harrison and Todd ONeal were champions for Mt. Olive. Hillsboro had Jim Roberts and Tom Hanners. Other champions were: Tim Kesinger and Steve Shive, North Greene; Jan Thiessen, Litchfield; and John Cunningham, Carrollton.
1979
In 1979, Hillsboro scored enough points to be named champion on tournament day but it was later determined that they used an ineligible wrestler. The wrestler’s points were disallowed by the IHSA and the team scores were readjusted accordingly. This gave Mt. Olive, who had finished second, its first championship, followed by Pleasant Plains, Litchfield, and Hillsboro. Chuck Harrison and Ken Pulliam were champions for Mt. Olive. Chuck became the first three time champion of the tourney. Carlinville champions were Greg Reif and Jim Grothaus. Hillsboro had Jim Roberts and Evan Young, Litchfield had Tim Fisher, Carrollton had Jeff Whited and John Cunningham, North Greene had Tim Kesinger, and Pleasant Plains had Dave Pearce as champions.
1980
Mt. Olive won in 1980 scoring 218 team points, a total never eclipsed in a 12 weight class tournament in Mt. Olive. The Wildcats had four champions and two seconds. Pat Rosenthal, David Compton, Ken Pulliam, and Rick Selander were champions with Jeff Kuenneth and Dan Rosenthal placing second. Other champions were: Kevin Doyle, Litchfield; Rex Rau and Bob Lewis, Hillsboro; Randy Miller, Carlinville; Dave Pearce and John Beecraft, Pleasant Plains: Rich Pfeiffer, Glenwood; and Dan Townsend, Marquette.
1981
St. Jacob Triad won in 1981, followed by Mt. Olive, Litchfield, and Hillsboro. Scott Dailey and Chris Martz won for Triad. Other champions were: Kevin Doyle and Kevin Elizondo, Litchfield; Jeff Maass and Dan Rosenthal, Mt. Olive; Randy Miller and Eugene Bellm, Carlinville; Allen Young and Chuck Allen, Hillsboro; Frank Townsend, Marquette; and Tim Schofield, Carrollton.
1982
SNOWED OUT
1983
The 1983 tourney was again won by Triad, followed by Taylorville, Mt. Olive, and Hillsboro. Triad had four champions; Tim Singler, Dave Horne, Chris Martz, and Dale Rhymer. The other champions were: B. J. Murray, Pleasant Plains; Todd DeWitt, Litchfield; Mike Rice, Carlinville; Jeff Kuenneth, Mt. Olive; Charles Hammack, ISD; Joe Sparks, Glenwood; Ron Hopwood, Hillsboro; and Tim Schofield, Carrollton.
1984
Triad won its third consecutive championship with four champions, John Suess, Ted Hines, Dave Horner, and Paul Hoenig. Taylorville was second with three champions, Tracy Hunt, Charles Lamken, and Andy Armstrong. ISD also had three champions, Charles Hammack, Ron Farlen, and Greg Lowery and placed third. Jay Shaw, Litchfield and Mike Rice, were the other champions, with Carlinville placing fourth.
1985
Mt. Olive again won in 1985 with Brad Stockstill, Kurt Streigel, and Pat O’Neal as champions. Triad was second with one champion, John Suess. ISD was third and Vandalia, fourth. Paul White, Charles Hammack, and Greg Lowery were champions for ISD. Hammack became the second three time champion. Other champions were: John Wynn, Carlinville; Tony Hunt, Taylorville; Marc Alewelt, Pleasant Plains; Wayne Tucker, Carrollton; and Gene Figge, Marquette.
1986
Triad won its fourth tourney, followed by Litchfield, Carlinville, and Mt. Olive. John Suess and Brian Bailey were champions for Triad. Suess became the third three time champion. Jake Davidson won for Litchfield, Doug Rosentreter won for Carlinville, Kevin Fritsche and Brad Stockstill won for Mt. Olive. Other champions were: Paul White, ISD; Kevin Bell and Wayne Tucker, Carrollton, John Atterberry and Andy Stritzel, Hillsboro; and Jeff Brown, Marquette.
1987
ICED OUT
The 1987 tourney was iced out by an ice storm that passed through central Illinois and left some schools to the south and north questioning why the tournament was called off, for they experienced no problems.
1988
The 1988 tourney was won by Litchfield with three champions, followed by Hillsboro with 4 champions, and Mt. Olive with three champions. Triad was fourth. Champions were Thad and Jake Davidson and Jon Adam of Litchfield, John and Ken Clayton, Mike Lee, and Mike Saathoff of Hillsboro, and Brad Stockstill, Don McCollum, and Pat Oneal of Mt. Olive. Stockstill became the fourth three time champion. The other two champions were Peter Vambeketes, Marquette and John Taylor, ISD.
1989
The 1989 tourney saw the advent of the 13 weight classes. The tournament was won by Hillsboro followed by Litchfield, Normal University High, and Vandalia. Litchfield had three champions, Thad Davidson, Jon Adam, and Andy Hollo. Hillsboro had two, Bob Knox and Jim White. Other champions were: Tim Wellin and Gary Graumenz, Vandalia; Brian Neuer and Scott Thompson, UHigh; Matt Hemann, Triad; John Taylor and Eric Smith, ISD; and Richard Carlile, Mt. Olive.
1990
Hillsboro scored 229 points to eclipse Mt. Olive’s 218 scored in 1980 but used one more weight class. They were followed by Benton, Litchfield, and Mt. Olive. Hillsboro had six champions: Bob Knox, John Clayton, Matt Hughes, Brian Wells, Chris Delong, and Ben Hemken. Mt. Olive had three: Richard Carlile, Travis Stockstill, and Matt Scheller. Triad had two champions: Paul Brown and James Newcombe. Thad Davidson of Litchfield became the fifth three time champion. Mike Barber, Highland was the other champion.
1991
ICED OUT
1992
The 1992 Tournament was hosted by Mt. Olive, and held in Hillsboro due to the closing of the Mt. Olive gymnasium due to mine subsidence. It was won by Highland, followed by Marquette, Hillsboro, and Triad. Highland had three champions: Greg Horstmann, Gaylen Michael, and Hank Kulages. Triad also had three champions: Marlon Lang, Norm Walker, and Joe Davis. Other champions were: Steve Dickinson and Mark Flavin, Marquette; Rich Furman and Dan White, Litchfield; Tim Deaton, Pinckneyville; and Mark and Matt Hughes, Hillsboro.
1993
The 1993 tournament was held in Vandalia because Mt. Olive had not yet replaced it gymnasium. It was won by Pinckneyville, with Highland second, Vandalia Third, and East Alton Wood River. Pinckneyville had four champions: Peter Smith, Tim Deaton, Mike Martin, and Johnson Bell. Wood River had four champions: Chad Crouch, Luke Rives, Henry Mendoza, and Chuck Mellor. Mt. Olive’s champions were Greg Gehner and Eric Ryan. Ryan Batty, Litchfield; Keith Ripperda, Highland, and Chad Heil, Sparta were the other champions.
1994
Highland won in 1994 with seven champions, the most ever from one team, followed by Hillsboro, Pinckneyville, and Vandalia. Champions for Highland were Chamous Duhacek, Greg Horstmann, Roger Pfister, John Livingston, Keith Ripperda, Matt Chrestmann, and Tim Wells. Pinckneyville had Jay Purcell and Mike Martin. Others were: Bryan Michlevitz, Hillsboro; Luke Rives, Wood River; Micah King, Carrollton; and Jeff Combes, Benton.
1995
In 1995 Vandalia won with 219 points followed by Hillsboro, Highland, and Triad. Champions from Vandalia were Mike Mabry, Todd Hale, Hank Stout, David Graumenz, and Shane Graumenz. Steve White, Jason Landers, Frank Kenny, and Graham Witt won from Hillsboro. Others were: Fernando Lusk, Triad; Roger Pfister, Highland; David Meyer, Marquette, and Joe Atterberry, Carrollton.
1996
Vandalia scored 273.5 points, the most ever by any team. They had nine champions and two third places. Seth Henry, Todd Hale, Mike Mabry, Nathan Graumenz, Jacob Culbertson, David Graumenz, Pat Cocagne, Shane Graumenz, and Jeremy Durbin. Matt Emerick and Ty Kidd placed third. Other champions were: Jason Landers, Hillsboro; Isaac Diesselhorst, Litchfield; Mike Levesque, Benton; and Jarod Kiger, Carrollton.
1997
Vandalia won with 266 points and nine champions again. Seth Henry, Mike Mabry, Nathan Graumenz, Matt Emerich, Nick Cocagne, Jacob Culbertson, Shane Graumenz, Jeremy Durbin, and Scott Street were champions for Vandalia. Vandalia also had two runner-ups, Chad Wilson and Ty Kidd. Chuck Arrington and Trevor Bauchens were champions for Highland. Travis Howell of Pinckneyville and Jake Collins of Hillsboro were the other tow champions.
1998
This was the first year for fourteen weight classes. Argenta Oreana won with 213 points. Brett Pagel, Orin Moore, Paul Roberts, and Nick Salmieri were champions for Argenta. Adam Wright, Shawn Hemken, and Isaac Diesselhorst won for Litchfield. Steve Brewer and Jason Hartman won for Mt. Olive. Others were: Adam Philips and Bill Owens for Wood River; Nick Scheibel, Highland; Casey McCommons, Benton; and Chris Dearinger, Carlinville.
1999
The tournament was again won by Argenta Oreana. They had four champions: Nick Cox, Orin Moore, Joe Hill, and Andy Walker. Alton had three champions: Josh Crawford, Nick Bellamy, and Matt Elliott. Highland also had three champions, Andrew Ernst, Colby Schrumpf, and Drew Rankin. Litchfield had two, Adam Wright and Shawn Hemken. Wood River had Mike Richards and Pinckneyville had Justin Kuhnert.
2000
Argenta Oreana won third championship with 255 points. They had three champions: Kyle Rogers, Andrew Cook, and Dustin Hunter. Highland had five champions: Andrew Ernst, Bret Merkle, Darrell Ferkle, Travis Navickas, and Colby Schrumpf. Litchfield champions were Adam Wright and Dan Meyer. Benton had Bill Vandom, Pinckneyville had Blayne Mathis, Whitfield had J. Schweizer, and Mt. Olive had Chris Cheney.
2001
Highland won the tournament with 225.5 points. They had two champions: Darrell Ferkle and Dusty Witt. Argenta had 3 champions: Scott Michener, Nick Cox, and Andrew Cook. Alton had 4 champions: Sean Dooley, Nick Delaney, Matt Elliott, and Brian Huber. Whitfield had Drake Hovis, Dan Tulley, and John Schweizer. Jerseyville had Jeremy Laubscher and Wood River had Shane Saylor.
2002
Highland won the tournament with 227.5 points. They had 4 champions: Mark Lawson, Brett Merkle, Justin Jorgenson, and Andy Sauls. Alton had three champions: Ben Laux, Luke Warner, and Michael Minton. Whitfield had two: Drake Hovis and Jeff Knipper. Argenta Oreana had two champions: Jared Sugden and Richard Cox. Chad Skinner, Litchfield, Shane Saylor, Wood River, and David Gostowski, Benton were the other champions.
2003
The 2003 tourney was won by Alton with 255 points. Highland was second with 221 and Whitfield had 173.5 for third. Alton had champions at 152 with Matt Cauley, at 189 with Ben Laux, and at 275 with Mike Minton. Highland had Mark Lawson at 103 and Chris Seifeid at 112. Whitfield had Chris Upchurch at 125, Jeff Knipper at 140, Drake Hovis at 160, and Scott Craft at 215. Benton had Caleb Wilson at 135 and David Gostowski at 171. Shane Saylor at 130 of Wood River and Jonah Shawgo at 145 of Pinckneyville were the other champions.
2004
The 2004 tournament was won by Argenta Oreana with 180.5 points and no champions but had 13 of 14 placewinners. Highland was second scoring 171 points with 10 place winners and 2 champions: Blake Ohren at 119 and Dusty Garner at 275. Whitfield had four champions and placed third with 161.5 points: David Schultz at 103, Chris Upchurch at 130, Drake Hovis at 171, and Dan Tulley at 189. Other champions were: Keith Knoll, Catlin, 112; Chris Hanner, Wood River, 125; Paul Shepherd, Hillsboro, 135; Caleb Wilson, Benton, 140; Jonah Shawgo, Pinckneyville, 145; Keith Hauter, Litchfield, 152; Jake Petri at 160 and Ben Woods at 215 from Carlinville.
2005
The 2005 tournament was won by Litchfield with 188 points and one champion, Chris Short at 145, followed by Hillsboro with 181points and four champions: Paul Shepherd at 135, Joe Purcell at 152, Andrew Ott at 171, and Nick Lanthrip at 215. Highland was third with 134.5 points and champions at 130 with Blake Ohren and at heavyweight with Rusty Garner. Benton finished with 130 points and two champions: Zach Wilson at 112 and Zach Miksanek at 171. Wood River had champions at 140 with Kyle Hanner and at 189 with Tim Kamp. Other champions were: Keith Knoll at 125 from Catlin, Lance Jubel at 103 from Whitfield, and James Bronke at 189 from Pinckneyville.
2006
The 2006 Tournament was won by Hillsboro with 185 points and 3 champions, Randy Ritchie at 145, Garrett Young at 160, Joe Purcell at 171, followed by Whitfield with 162 points and 4 champions: Ryan Mango at 103, Andrew Scharf at 119, Justin Waldman at 135, and Jason Ott at 140. Litchfield was third with one champ, Chance Davidson at 112. Wood River finished with 150 points and Devin Terry at 130, Kyle Hanner at 152 and Tim Kamp at 189 as champion. Other champions were: Zach Wilson of Benton at 125, Ben Woods of Carlinville at 215 and John McKinstry of Pinckneyville at 275.
2007
The 2007 tournament was won by Pinckneyville with 166 points and two champions, Gabe Helvey at 119 and Jon McKinstry at 215, followed by Benton with 151 points and 4 champions: Aaron Robinson at 125, Zach Wilson at 135, Casey Campbell at 152, and Zach Keener at 285. Wood River was third with two champions: Kyle Hanner at 160 and Tim Kamp at 189. Catlin had two champions and Whitfiled had two champions respectively: Caleb Williams at 140 and Jordan Stone at 145 and Ryan Mango at 103 and Andrew Scharf at 130. The other two champions were Caleb Duckett of Shelbyville at 112 and Nate Rosenthal at 171 from Mt. Olive.
2008
The 2008 tournament was won by Whitfield with 248 points and 6 champions. They were followed by Benton, Shelbyville, and Hillsboro. Champions for Whitfield were Ryan Mango at 119, Conor Hovis at 125, Martin Tobias at 135, Jason Ott at 145, Austin Smith at 160, and Ryan Jones at 215. Benton had two champions : Jordan Parola at 103 and Josh Wilson at 140.Hillsboro also had two champions: Alex Brohammer at 112 and Rich Knop at 285. Other champions were Nate Bly at 130 of Shelbyville, C. Williams of Catlin at 152, Kyle Hanner at 171 of Wood River, and Bryce Martin of Pinckneyville at 189.
2009
The 2009 tournament was won by Benton 245.5 with 3 champions. Second was Shelbyville with 3 champions also and 181.5 points. Hillsboro was third with two champions (146 points), and Mt. Olive was fourth with one champion (109 points). Champions for Benton were Ross Worthey at 103, Damon Wilson at 130, Hunter Rone at 189. Shelbyville had Cody Logue at 119, Alex Jones at 125 and Dalton Brown at 135. Hillsboro had Bandon Schehl at 140 and Zach Hopwood at 160. Other champions were Josh Bennett at 112 for Wood River, Josh Smith for Auburn at 145, Caleb Williams and Robbie Lane of Catlin at 152 and 285 respectively, Tyler Rice of Pinckneyville at 171, and Shawn Gasaway at 215 for Mt. Olive. This was the first season for Auburn wrestling.
2010
The 2010 Tournament was won by Benton with 235 points and two champions. Second was Mt. Olive with 2 champions also and 198 points. Pinckneyville was 3rd with 4 champions and 155 points. The champions were split relatively evenly with Benton (2), Mt. Olive (2), Pinckneyville (4), Auburn (3), and Shelbyville (3). Champions for Benton were Frank Parola at 125 and Aaron Robinson at 140. Mt. Olive had Cain Salas at 112 and Ross Cooper at 189 wrestling for Mt. Olive from Gillespie became the first wrestler from there to win the tournament. Pinckneyville had Walter Eiskant at 119, Thomas Medina at 152, Tyler Rice at 171, and Dylan Martin at 215. Auburn had Dustin Dambacher at 103, Matt Gadberry at 145, and Alec Clayton at 285. Shelbyville had Alex Jones at 130, Dalton Brown at 135, and Jeff Gill at 160.
2011
The 2011 tournament was won by Benton with 227 points and two champions. Second was Quincy Notre Dame with two champions also and 163.5 points. Rochester was third with 154 points and 3 champions. Champions for Benton were Ross Worthey at 119 and Frank Parola at 125. Quincy Notre Dame had Denton Eickleschulte at 152 and Darren Stephens at 103. Rochester had Michael Lindstrom at 140, Connor Cook at 160, Ryan Broglin at 285. Auburn lone champion was Dustin Dambacher at 112. Shelbyville had Alex Jones at 135 and Dalton Brown at 145. Tyler Gilliland, wrestling for Mt. Olive from Gillespie won at 130. Carlyle had Kevin Roper at 189 and Tim Heatherly at 215. Carlinville had Bobby Simmons at 170 as their champion.
2012
The 2012 tournament is scheduled for January 7 with wrestling scheduled to begin at 9:30.
Wikipedia: Year 1976 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. →
Comments
On December 16, Gillespie played against Southwestern and dominated on the court. They secured an impressive 41-25 win.
Gillespie’s Amari Vickery played a crucial role in their offense in the first period, contributing 5 out of their 10 points. Sloane Brawner demonstrated range from behind the three-point line, extending their lead as they moved into the second period. Southwestern was able to muster up 7 points against Gillespie.
The defense really held strong in the second period of the game. It was a low-scoring affair, with only a total of 11 points scored by both teams. Gillespie managed to score 8 points, while Southwestern scored 3. Darr from Southwestern scored their only 3 points by shooting from beyond the arc. Vickery contributed 6 points for Gillespie, while Sadie Sholtis added two more to the scoreboard. Gillespie held the lead going into halftime with a score of 18 to 10.
After halftime, Gillespie’s Mia Brawner came out refreshed and had a strong offensive performance, scoring 9 out of Gillespie’s 11 points in the third period, while Maggie Heyen contributed the other two points. Southwestern managed to put up 8 points in an attempt to set the stage for a comeback against Gillespie. After three periods of play, Southwestern trailed behind with a score of 29 to 18.
Gillespie secured their victory during the fourth period by outscoring Southwestern 12 to 7. Vickery continued to impress with her offensive performance, contributing 6 points to extend their lead. Brawner also added 4 more points to her total for the game, while S. Brawner contributed an additional 2 points. Despite Stormer from Southwestern successfully scoring from behind the three-point line, it wasn’t enough to give them the lead.
Vickery and Brawner were the key players for Gillespie’s offense. Vickery scored a total of 17 points, while Brawner contributed 15 points to the team’s total.
Gillespie took home another win with a final score of 41 to 25.
Comments
Gillespie stepped onto the court against Auburn on December 9th and came out on top, clinching a hard-fought 71-65 win.
Gillespie started off hot, racing to an early lead in the first period. By the end of the period, the scoreboard read 17-15 in their favor. Auburn’s relentless defense sent Gillespie to the free throw line a total of five times in the opening period. Gillespie capitalized on those opportunities, converting 5-of-10 attempts as a team.
The star of the show, however, was Amari Vickery, who shone brightly from the charity stripe, sinking an impressive 4-of-6 free throws. Vickery’s impact didn’t stop there – managing to find the net for an additional goal during the period, further cementing her status as a dominant force in Gillespie’s offense. Mia Brawner and Sadie Sholtis proved to be a dynamic duo, combining for 8 points to bolster Gillespie’s scoring efforts in the first period.
Auburn attempted to make a comeback during the second period, besting Gillespie 16 to 15. Addison Whatley was the driving force behind Auburn’s offense, pouring in 8 of their 16 points. Maggie Heyen, Delaney Taylor, and Sloane Brawner were the forces behind Gillespie’s offensive surge in the second period. Heyen poured in 7 points, while Taylor and S. Brawner demonstrated their shooting range from beyond the arc.
Gillespie clung to their narrow one-point lead as the teams headed into the second half of the nail-biter.
Gillespie’s M. Brawner took over the second half, pouring in 15 points to overwhelm Auburn. Vickery’s offensive onslaught kept on rolling, as she added 9 more points to Gillespie’s tally. Heyen, Sholtis, Taylor, and S. Brawner all contributed to their winning effort.
When the final buzzer sounded, Gillespie emerged victorious, 71-65.
Comments
Gillespie overpowered Pawnee in their December 7th showdown, emerging with a 48-37 win.
To start off the game, offense on both sides was lacking, with both teams struggling to score. Pawnee held a narrow 7-6 lead. Despite the low-scoring affair, Gillespie’s Delaney Taylor and Maggie Heyen each earned a trip to the free throw line, converting 2-of-4 attempts collectively. Amari Vickery also managed to get a shot to fall for Gillespie. Taylor added another basket outside of her free throw makes to help Gillespie’s efforts.
Gillespie’s defense shone brightly in the second period, as they outscored Pawnee, 10-4. The scoring was spread across multiple players, with Amari Vickery, Lainey Edwards, Mia Brawner, and Heyen each finding the net during the stretch. To cap off the impressive team effort, Gillespie’s Sadie Sholtis stepped up and sank both of her free throw attempts.
Pawnee’s Manshelt and Brunner held their only points during the second period.
In the second half of the game, Gillespie’s offense really took off, racking up an impressive 32 points. Vickery and M. Brawner showcased their shooting skills, each sinking shots from long range. Vickery contributed 9 points during this period, while M. Brawner added 6. Kaia Vickery, along with Taylor, Sholtis, and Heyen, also made significant contributions to the scoring in the latter half. Meanwhile, Pawnee managed to put up 26 points during the same stretch.
Pawnee battled fiercely against Gillespie but ultimately fell behind, ending the game with a score of 48 to 37.
