Illinois (IHSA) wrestling state championships notebook: Dillan Johnson, Ben Davino cap off careers as four-time champs
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS – Dillan Johnson has never been one to show much emotion on the wrestling mat.
Match after match, year after year, the Joliet Catholic senior has been piling up the wins in a businesslike manner.
But on Saturday night at State Farm Arena, Johnson had a chance to celebrate and didn't waste it.
The Wisconsin football recruit was hugging his coaches and smiling broadly after pinning Hinsdale Central's Marko Ivanesivic in 1:58 to win the IHSA Class 3A title at 285 pounds.
Johnson and St. Charles East's Ben Davino, who won the 132 title earlier in the evening, are the 15th and 16th four-time champs in the 88-year history of the state tournament.
Both Johnson and Davino won their initial titles in 2021, when the IHSA canceled its state tournament but the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association held its own state meet. On Saturday, the IHSA announced both as four-time champs, validating the IWCOA event.
"It's the last one, right?" Johnson said. "Why not celebrate the last one?
"This entire season has been about finishing off strong, making sure I stay No. 1, get the fourth title. The last thing at this point is just a team state championship."
Whether Johnson's career will go on past next week's team state playoffs remains to be seen. He's been noncommittal about the possibility of doing two sports at Wisconsin.
For now, he'll look back on an unprecedented run that started in the wake of the pandemic. He's 39-1 this season, ranked No. 2 at 285 by SBLive.com and 143-1 for his career with his only loss to West Bend West (Wis.) star Cole Mirasola – a defeat he later avenged.
"It was a grind that first year after COVID," he said. "There was what – football season, wrestling season, football season, wrestling season, offseason. ... It was back-to-back-to-back for everything. You just had to buckle down.
"But I think the non-stop wrestling and action actually made me a better athlete."
Joliet Catholic senior Dillan Johnson celebrates his fourth Illinois state championship
Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive Sports
Davino (50-0), who is ranked No. 1 nationally, won a 20-5 technical fall in 3:35 over Hononegah's Thomas Silva in the 132 final.
"It means a ton," Davino said. "I love this, I've been dreaming of this for a while."
Even as a freshman in the pandemic season, his eyes were always on the prize.
"That's the ultimate goal," Davino said. "This is what I love doing and this is just what I think of, getting as many as I can of everything."
St. Charles East senior wrestler Ben Davino
Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive Sports
NATIONALLY-RANKED MATCHUPS
Four title bouts matched a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers, including 106. That bracket, which featured three in the national rankings, was won by No. 3 Warren freshman Caleb Noble (42-3), 6-5 over No. 8 Hononegah freshman Rocco Cassioppi (43-4).
Noble punctuated the win with a back flip.
"That's my signature," he said. "Any big win, any big competition, you've got to bring out the full (effect)."
In other 3A matchups of nationally-ranked rivals:
No. 15 Nicholas Garcia (45-7) of Marmion beat No. 5 Dominic Munaretto (47-3) of St. Charles East 4-2 at 113; No. 15. Aaron Stewart (43-2) of Warren got past No. 22 Eddie Enright (39-4) of Mount Carmel 5-2 at 157, and No. 20 Collin Carrigan (46-1) from Glenbard West edged No. 21 Gunnar Garelli (47-3) of Lyons 6-5 in overtime at 165.
Other champs included a pair of Mount Carmel wrestlers – No. 4 junior 126-pounder Seth Mendoza (42-2), who won his third title, and No. 6 Colin Kelly (43-1) at 175 – along with No. 10 Will Denny (42-4) of Marist at 150.
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- Mike Clark | latsch@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveIL
