Wrestling: Carmel’s Salvi steps up, earns sectional berth

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Joe Salvi of the Corsairs (right) tries to break away from Grayslake North's AJ Dowes during Saturday's third-place match. Salvi won 5-3. | Joe Shuman~For Sun-Times Media

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Updated: March 10, 2012 8:25AM

Carmel Catholic sophomore Joe Salvi’s father, Joe Sr., wrestled for the Corsairs in the 1980s.

So it was only natural that the younger Salvi faced parental pressure to continue the family tradition.

“It was my mom who pushed me to wrestle,” Salvi said with a smile. “I didn’t really want to at first, but she knew I would like it.”

Sometimes, a mother knows best.

Salvi, with no wrestling experience prior to high school, has proven to be a quick study. He took his biggest step forward when he placed third in the 126-pound weight class at the Antioch Regional on Saturday. The top three wrestlers in each weight class advanced to sectionals and moved one step closer to making the IHSA Class 2A state tournament.

Carmel placed fifth (102.5 points) overall. Antioch (172 points) won the title, and Richmond-Burton (160.5) finished second.

Salvi, who lost his opening match to Grayslake North’s A.J. Downes, proceeded to wrestle his way through the backdraw, and faced Downes again in the consolation final. With a trip to sectionals on the line, Salvi recorded an early takedown, and that set the tone for the match. He wound up winning 5-3.

“He was more aggressive and wrestled a really smart match,” said Corsairs coach Bob Kuykendall. “He kept himself in a good, attacking position. That really turned the tide.”

Salvi entered the regional with an 11-17 record.

“He’s a very intelligent kid and he learns from his mistakes,” Kuykendall said. “He takes everything in and will work his butt off to correct what you tell him. That’s one of his real strengths.”

Nearly two full years into his wrestling career at Carmel, Salvi has grown to love the sport.

“There’s no better feeling than winning a match,” he said. “You did it and you can own it.”

In the swing: When you learn that 220-pound wrestler Steve Alvarado participated in a fall sport, football seems like the obvious guess.

But he doesn’t spend his fall under the lights on Friday nights. Instead, Alvarado is out on the fairways as a member of the Carmel golf team.

“It’s an odd combination, but he’s a very good athlete,” Kuykendall said.

Why not football?

“I grew up playing golf and I don’t like football that much,” Alvarado said. “Wrestling is a lot faster-paced, and I like the individual (aspect) of it.”

Alvarado advanced all the way to the regional finals, before losing to Grayslake Central senior Jimmy Molitor. His biggest victory came over No. 1 seed Nick Zelinsky from Richmond-Burton.

“He didn’t wrestle like a freshman,” Kuykendall said.

At the top: Junior heavyweight Jake Cochrane and sophomore Dom Panico (113) each won an individual title.

“He wrestled a really good tournament, like we expected,” Kuykendall said. “We have big plans for Jake to have a great sectional.”

Cochrane (32-5) defeated Grayslake North’s Kasen Christensen 3-1 in the final.

After Panico won his semifinal match — and an automatic trip to sectionals in the process — Kuykendall wanted him to go for broke in the finals.

“I told him to open it up and really wrestle,” Kuykendall said. “He put together some great combination of moves. It was great to see. It was the best wrestling he’s done since he’s been at Carmel.”

He improved to 21-11 overall, when he pinned Johnsburg’s Andrew Yoder (2:49) in the championship bout.

Each of Carmel’s sectional qualifiers will compete in the Grayslake North Sectional, set for Friday and Saturday.

So close: Freshman Brodie Palm (106), seniors Marty Schwartz (132) and Hayden Roos (138), junior Jimmy Dandino (152) and Matt Braun (195) all finished one victory shy of advancing.

Palm (17-16) lost his third-place match to Johnsburg freshman Brandon Pesheck 7-1.

Schwartz completed his season 23-14 after losing by fall to Richmond-Burton’s Matt Ellis.

Dandino sustained a 5-1 setback to Grayslake Central’s Chris Wollmuth. He ends up 25-14.

Braun (9-7) lost by major decision to Johnsburg’s Christian Nugent.

And Roos, who was eliminated by Antioch’s Johnny Denika 4-1, winds up 10-24.

“We keep telling our kids that it doesn’t matter what your record is in the (postseason),” Kuykendall said. “He’s a terrific kid and he showed what he is capable of.”