Waubonsie Valley’s extended football season left Max Ihry with a handful of nagging injuries. After missing nearly a month to start the wrestling season, he had some catching up to do in order to get into shape.
The senior was able to do some cardiovascular work while sitting out, but nothing but being on the mat prepares a wrestler for the grueling challenge of going live against an opponent after a long layoff.
“It’s a shock to your body as to how tired you get when you start wrestling again,” Ihry said. “I couldn’t even move my arms afterward. I was so far behind everyone else and everyone was in so much better shape than I was. But I’m back and I’m ready now.”
The Northern Illinois University wrestling recruit fought through the conditioning process, and a few weeks into it, he felt ready to return to competition.
His coach had other ideas, refusing to send Ihry into the circle until he was 100 percent healthy.
“He wasn’t real happy with me a few times when I told him he still wasn’t ready,” Waubonsie coach Brad Caldwell said. “Once we got him on the mat, he did a great job. His only loss is to (Metea Valley’s) Dylan Ervin in a match that went down to the wire.
“But (Ihry’s) had some great matches with some top-ranked kids and after the slow start he’s had, he’s starting to tune up and get his wind back.”
Ervin is ranked second in Illinois by Illinois Matmen. Ihry (13-1) is ranked fourth. On Jan. 8, he had a third-period lead on Ervin before disaster struck.
When you make a mistake against a quality wrestler, more often than not you pay the price for it.
“I was up 5-3 in the third period and I took a bad shot,” Ihry said. “He turned me right away, got five points, and won 8-5. It was a dumb mistake, but I learned from it.”
Ihry proved last season that he belongs among the state’s elite wrestlers. At the Upstate Eight Conference Tournament, he beat East Aurora’s Tim Young for the title. Young went on to become the state champion at 195 pounds, while Ihry placed fifth.
“That was a great experience,” Ihry said. “I don’t think a lot of people expected me to do well and I surprised a few people. That was so much fun.”
While rounding into form, Ihry took a 3-2 decision against seventh-ranked Andrew Leonard of Wheaton Warrenville South and a 3-1 decision over eighth-ranked Sergio Villalobos of Downers Grove South.
Ihry, Villalobos, Leonard, Ervin, and Sandburg’s Cole Bateman are all ranked in the state’s top 10. Should they advance through their respective individual regionals, all five will compete at Batavia’s Class 3A individual sectional, where only four wrestlers from each weight class advance downstate.
Ihry intends to be one of them.
“Taking fifth place was nice and all but my goal is to get to the top of that podium this year,” Ihry said. “There’s nothing like standing at the top.”
On a roll: Burlington Central sophomore Austin Macias has picked up where he left off as a freshman. After going 39-3 last year at 106 pounds, Macias improved to 23-1 in winning an individual title at 120 pounds at Saturday’s 16-team Batavia Tournament.
Macias is ranked fifth at 120 by Illinois Matmen. Rockets freshman Nick Termini (20-4) also reached the title mat in Batavia, placing second at 126. Termini is ranked 10th.
“They’re two hard-working wrestlers,” Burlington coach Vince Govea said. “Nick wrestles like an upperclassmen and it was tough for Austin last year, coming back from state empty-handed, and he’s determined to make it back and come home with hardware.”
Pin to win: After going 30-11 at 160 pounds and advancing downstate last year, Naperville North senior Steve Schmult was 25-3 at 170 through Saturday’s tournament at Kaneland.
“Last year I would beat kids but I wasn’t pinning them and this year, I feel much stronger,” Schmult said. “There’s a huge difference between wrestling to win and wrestling to dominate, and it’s mostly mental. You have to learn how to do it, and this year I’m going out there to pin instead of just going out there to win.”
Gary Larsen is a freelance writer.
