LHS Wrestling 2022 SeasonLibertyville Wrestling 2023 Season News
The Libertyville wrestlers defeated Zion-Benton (66-4) and Stevenson (37-28) in the final two meets of the conference race to finish atop the conference standings with a 7-0 record, 17-4 overall. Winners against Stevenson were Hunter Hill (pin at 132), Anthony Kelly (pin at 145), Will Carney (7-3 at 152), Matt Kubas (15-7 major at 170), Cole Matulenko (pin at 195), Owen McGrory (pin at 220), and Luke Berktold (pin at 120). This Saturday is the Regionals at Grant, the opening of the State Tournament Series. The meet begins at 9:00, the finals tentatively scheduled for 2:30. The top 3 at each weight qualify for the Sectionals at Barrington, Fri/Sat: February 10/11. The top 4 at each weight at the Sectionals qualify for State the tollowing week. Here are the conference champions . . .
In last weekend's Lake County Invitational, Libertyville finished in second behind Warren (212-204). Stevenson was in third with 175. We were led by two individual champions, Matt Kubas (170) and Owen McGrory (220). 2nd place finishers were Luke Berktold (120), Caleb Baczek (182), and Cole Matulenko (195). Caleb Christensen (285) finished 3rd. Orion Moran (126) and Hunter Hill (132) took 4ths. Will Carney (152) finished 5th, Charlie Clark (160) finished 6th. Our two Lake County champions (Owen on left, Matt on right) . . .
Libertyville Wrestling hosts the Lake County Invitational this Friday and Saturday. Friday's competition begins at 5:30. Saturday's competition begins at 10:00 with the finals tentatively scheduled for 2:15. The following weekend, on Friday: January 27, the Libertyville wrestlers will compete in the North Suburban Conference duals against Zion-Benton and Stevenson to wrap up the conference race.
The Libertyville wrestlers moved their conference record to 5-0 with a 55-24 win over Mundelein on January 13. Competing in the Lyons Quad on Saturday, the Libertyville wrestlers went 2-1 with wins over Conant (46-23) and Lyons (53-21), losing to DeKalb (43-35).
The Libertyville wrestlers moved their conference record to 4-0 on January 6 with a 61-12 win over Lake Zurich. On Saturday, the wrestlers won the team title in the Glenbard West 12 team invite, 227 to 174 for second place Fremd. 6 Libertyville wrestlers won individual championships: Hunter Hill (132), Matt Kubas (170), Austin Gomez (182), Cole Matulenko (195), Owen McGrory (220), and Caleb Christensen (285). Orion Moran (126) finished 2nd. Luke Berktold (120), Antonio Kelly (138), and Anthony Kelly (145) finished 3rd. Charlie Clark (160) finished 5th. Below are the Glenbard West Invitational team champions . . .
The Libertyville wrestlers competed in the DeKalb 32 Dual Team Invitational on December 29/30. We finished the competition with a 4-2 record and in 21st place. We lost to West Aurora in the first round 43-36 which put us in the consolation bracket. We beat Hillgrove (GA) 57-15 in the second round. We lost to Hinsdale Central 37-35 in the final meet of the first day to finish 6th in our pool. That put in a 4 team round robin the second day with the other 6th place pool finishers where we would finish 21st through 24th. We won all three meets the next day, Oswego (48-31), Pewaukee (WI, 54-28), and Belvidere (48-31). Austin Gomez won his 6 matches, all by first period pin. Matt Kubas won 6 with four pins. Cole Matulenko went 6-0 with 5 pins. Luke Berktold and Caleb Christensen had 5-1 records with 5 pins. Owen McGrory went 4-2, both of his losses coming to returning All-Staters. Others winning matches were Brian Furlong, Orion Moran, Hunter Hill, and Antonio Kelly.
The Libertyville wrestlers moved to 3-0 in the conference with a 72-3 win over Waukegan on December 15. Vernon Hills was also competing with us that day and we won 54-15. Over the weekend we competed in the Harlem (Dvorak) 39 team invitational. We had three placewinners, Cole Matulenko (3rd at 195), Matt Kubas (5th at 170), and Owen McGrory (5th at 220). Luke Berktold (120), Charlie Clark (160), Austin Gomez (182), and Caleb Christensen (285) also had wins. We finished 19th as a team. Placewinners below are Matt Kubas, Cole Matulenko, and Owen McGrory.
The Libertyville wrestlers moved to 2-0 in the conference with a 57-9 win over Lake Forest on December 9. The next day they competed in the Prospect 16 team invite and finished 3rd behind champion Prospect and runner up Joliet Catholic. Austin Gomez (182) and Owen McGrory (220) won championships. Matt Kubas (170) finished 2nd. Cole Matulenko (195) and Caleb Christensen (285) finished 3rd. Antonio Kelly (138) and Caleb Baczek (182) finished 4th. Luke Berktold (120) finished 5th. Others winning matches were Orion Moran (126), Hunter Hill (132), and Max Butler (160).
The Libertyville wrestlers won a hard fought 41-30 win over conference title contender Warren on December 2. Warren jumped out to a 12-0 lead before Libertyville won the 6 matches including an upset 15-12 win by Charlie Clark at 160. Cole Matulenko and Owen McGrory knocked off returning sectional qualifiers. A Warren pin at 106 made the score 27-18 lead. We got another upset win at 113 with freshman Jack Gershtenson winning his first high school match, 11-7 with a great comeback effort. Luke Berktold (120) and Hunter Hill (132) had pins to wrap up the win.
On Saturday, December 3 the Libertyville wrestlers competed in a mega dual at West Aurora. We went 2-1 with wins over Wheaton Warrenville South (45-30) and Oswego (55-24), losing to St. Charles East (54-21).
The Libertyville wrestlers began the season with a triangular with McHenry and Antioch on Wednesday, November 23. Libertyville won both meets, 52-24 over Antioch, 45-27 over McHenry. On Friday and Saturday the Libertyville wrestlers competed in the Barrington 31 team Invitational and placed 2nd behind champion Hersey. Our place winners were Matt Kubas (1st at 170), Hunter Hill (2nd at 132), Austin Gomez (2nd at 182), Cole Matulenko (2nd at 195), Owen McGrory (3rd at 220), Luke Berktold (4th at 120), Caleb Christensen (4th at 285), Charlie Clark (9th at 160), and Caleb Baczek (10th at 182).
Coach Seeger is named to the IWCOA Hall of Fame
On Sunday, November 27, the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association selected Coach Roy Seeger to their 2023 Hall of Fame class. Coach Seeger is in his 37th year in coaching. He began at Lake Forest High School as an assistant for 6 years. He came to Libertyville for his first of three stints as an assistant in 1992 and 1993. Lake Forest asked him back as their head coach for the 1994 season. He spent 5 years as Lake Forest's head coach. Lake Forest hadn't been a top division for nearly two decades when Roy took over. He got them to second in the conference within two years. Same with the Regionals, 2nd in two years. Before Roy got there, Lake Forest had never had an All-State wrestler. During his five years Lake Forest had 4 All-State wrestlers.
Due to his job responsibilities at a family business in Arlington Heights, and the addition of two children to his family, Roy had to give up his Lake Forest head coaching position. He came back to Libertyville as an assistant coach the next three years, 1999-2001. After three successful season at Libertyville, Mundelein asked Roy to be their new head coach. Very similar to his time at Lake Forest, Roy took Mundelein to the upper division of the conference and regionals. Before the 2005 season, the new Mundelein superintendent said any head coach had to be a teacher at the school. So Roy was out. He came back to Libertyville as an assistant coach. He spent 8 years here (2005-2012), some of our best years.
Roy went back to Mundelein for the 2013 season as his former Lake Forest assistant coach, current LHS assistant coach, Vinny Jiuditta, took over the Mundelein head coach and asked Roy to be his technique coordinator. He stayed at Mundelein for several years but came back to Libertyville's coaching staff in 2021 after a Mundelein head coaching change, his fourth stint on our staff, his 16th overall.
Coach Seeger will be inducted at the IWCOA Banquet on Sunday, April 16, 2:30. More details for registering for the banquet will be announced later.