New Trier captures Glenbrook South Regional title

BY Mike Wojtychiw                                                                                      February 6, 2012

Contributor

After ending the dual season last year at the Notre Dame Regional, New Trier knew that some things would have to change if the Trevians were going to resume winning regional crowns, as they had the previous three years.

This season, New Trier competed in the IHSA Class 3A Glenbrook South Regional, and won the championship with 207.5 points. Prospect (154.5) finished second, and Wheeling (125) placed third.

“Winning the regional was pretty important, because it sets up the seeding for sectionals,” said New Trier junior MJ Pritchard, who won a title at 113 pounds. “Facing wrestlers I’ve seen this year before can be more of a disadvantage, because if I know he has the upper hand, I have to switch up the game plan, but if I haven’t beaten him before, I think it’s an advantage.”

After last year’s third-place finish at regionals, coach Marc Tadelman’s Trevians took to the weight room, and worked on becoming stronger and better as they looked forward to the 2011-12 season.

And the current campaign has been one of the best in New Trier history, as the team finished 18-3 in dual meets, including a perfect 5-0 mark in conference. The Trevians also won a conference title.

The run to regional glory featured 11 Trevians finishing among the top three in their respective weight classes.

“It’s really nice because you feel like a team going through it with all these guys,” Pritchard said. “Being part of one of those teams is great because it shows what we’ve gone through and accomplished. We’ve done a ton of offseason workouts and a lot of matches, and what Tadelman has done has just made us stronger.”

What also has helped New Trier find success is having a strong base of upperclassmen. Ten of the 11 regional place-winners were either juniors or seniors, while 103-pound winner Colin Kenyon is a sophomore. Each member of the current roster has been a part of Tadelman’s four-year tenure as New Trier head coach.

“What Coach has done with working us in the weight room and all that has been great,” said Jack Connor (152), the third of New Trier’s regional champions, who defeated Leo Giordano of Wheeling 15-10 for title. “We work together and that brings us closer as a team because we motivate each other to become stronger and better.”

Chris Alcock (120), Andrew Steen (145), Paul Papoutsis (160) and John Benson (220) finished second at Glenbrook South, while Arash Ghafouri (126), Luke Iida (138), Luke Hidder (170) and Scott Schwartz (182) each placed third.

“I really think if we can continue to work on everything all year around, we can just get better and better,” Pritchard said. “We can be good for a long time.”