Wrestling: Lake Zurich’s Lynch ‘a fun watch’ at regional
by jon kerr Contributor February 7, 2012 10:58AM
Lake Zurich's Gresh Henderson (top) battles Deerfield's Christian Hoogheem in the 120 championship at the Stevenson Regional on Saturday. | Brian O'Mahoney~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 10, 2012 8:24AM
Sean Lynch has spent countless hours of his young life in gymnasiums.
Early on, it was as a spectator, watching his older brother, Andy, wrestle for the Lake Zurich Bears.
Now, he’s the one being watched. During Saturday’s Stevenson Regional, Lynch put on quite a show, winning the 138-pound class and gaining a first-round bye in upcoming sectional action.
“I remember watching (Andy) at regionals,” the younger Lynch said. “It’s awesome to be here now and win it.”
Just a sophomore, Lynch (20-4) was in the same position as a freshman, wrestling for a regional championship. He lost in the championship bout, and then lost his first match in sectionals.
This time around, Lynch, who also played varsity football (defensive back) this past season, is a much different wrestler: stronger, better conditioned and more experienced.
“My shots were working (Saturday),” he said. “I just wanted to go out there and dominate — get off to a quick start in every match.”
Lynch won his last two matches by technical fall on Saturday, downing Deerfield’s Brian McCann (3:37) in the semifinal and Cary-Grove’s Matt Fina (4:07) in the final. He also pinned Barrington’s Joe Thom (1:33) in his opening match.
Adding to Lynch’s wise-beyond-his-years reputation: all three of his regional victories came against older wrestlers: two seniors and a junior. It’s a trait that hasn’t escaped the eye of his coach.
“He is poised and has that feeling of somebody with much more experience,” said Lake Zurich coach Dan Strickler. “There was no question he was going to win that (finals) match. He’s so much fun to watch.”
One wonders if all those years spent watching his older brother compete served as a catalyst for what Lynch accomplished Saturday. Now a soccer player for Dominican University in Chicago, Andy was one of the first to reach out to his little brother after the latter’s trip to the podium.
“He just shot me a text and said congrats on the win,” Lynch said.
Besides Lynch, LZ’s other sectional qualifiers were Gresh Henderson (22-7) at 120, Michael Peters (18-13) at 126, Brandon Arteaga (31-12) at 132, Zeke Honegger (27-12) at 152, Scott Hoff (34-5) at 160 and Chris Lehtinen (16-13) at 195.
Henderson placed second, losing to Deerfield’s Christina Hoogheem 11-4 in the title match.
Peters fell to Highland Park’s Brandon Garcia-Galvan 3-0 in the final.
Hoff — LZ’s leader in wins — was blocked by Buffalo Grove star Matt Zabrin (35-1), losing 8-1 in the championship bout.
Lehtinen also advanced to the finals, where he was pinned by Barrington’s Ryan Wilt in 1:48.
Meanwhile, Arteaga kept his season alive by earning a third-place medal.
Honegger also won his third-place match, downing HP’s Danny Cohen 7-2.
Junior Jerry Nigro (24-14) just missed a sectional berth. He lost to Stevenson’s Mark Jolcover 4-2 in overtime in the 106 third-place match.
Recap: It’s been a record-setting season for the Bears, and it continued at the Stevenson Regional. By advancing seven wrestlers to sectionals, they surpassed the previous school record of six. Their 18 dual-meet wins this season tied a school record as well.
Lake Zurich produced a third-place finish at regionals, with 123 points.
“It’s really nice, but does it mean anything?” Strickler said. “To anybody else, not much. But to my guys, it means a ton.”
The Bears put five wrestlers in championship matches, with Lynch the lone winner. Among seven sectional qualifiers, only two are seniors, meaning Lake Zurich looks to be on strong footing for the long haul.
“Our team has gotten to the point where it’s hard to break into the varsity lineup,” Strickler said. “The greatest thing about this team is they are great people. It’s a really nice group — this year more so than any in the past. We have a group of parents sitting in the stands cheering together. That’s how the kids get it — you can see where it comes from. I hope that continues.”
Barrington won six matches and took top honors in the team standings (233 1/2 points). Deerfield was the runner-up (155 1/2), while LZ outscored Cary-Grove (101 1/2), Stevenson (78 1/2), Highland Park (66), Palatine (27) and Lake Forest (24).
On the schedule: The Barrington Sectional will be held Friday and Saturday.
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