This wrestling season has been pretty different for head coach Dan Vargas.
“It has been interesting trying to find wrestlers to fill in holes in our lineup,” Vargas said. “So we’ve had to find some younger guys so that we were more competitive in conference duals but we have a lot of kids with experience so it’s nice to have them for those younger guys.”
That experience is what is working right now for Elk Grove wrestlers who make up the core of the team’s lineup. This past weekend on Feb. 3, the Grens qualified seven for sectionals at Conant High School, and many of these sectional qualifiers are experienced wrestlers who have been participating in the sport since they were young.
The Junior Grens Wrestling Club is where most of the older wrestlers started their career. For senior Benny Schlosser, wrestling has always been his passion.
“I’ve been in Elk Grove since I was 6,” Schlosser said. “I started on the Junior Grens until eighth grade, and then I joined the high school team as a freshman.”
Just because he’s one of the most experienced, doesn’t mean he isn’t faced with tough matches.
Before being a regional champ this past weekend, Schlosser secured a first place finish at the 175 weight class at the 2024 MSL Conference meet.
“It was a tough one,” he said. “The kid was really aggressive, we bumped heads and I kinda got hurt. I ended up winning in the end though.”
Elk Grove Wrestling finished with two conference champs for the first time since 1993. Junior Dylan Berkowitz (215), won the conference meet alongside Schlosser. He is only the seventh two-time MSL champ in Elk Grove Wrestling history. B
erkowitz has been wrestling for six years and characterizes being on the Elk Grove wrestling team as “amazing.”
Many of his teammates agree.
Seniors Grant Madl (2nd at MSL at 126) and Logan Tosterud (3rd at MSL at 165) have also been wrestling since their childhood,. They value their time with their teammates as their last season is dwindling down.
“Wrestling is one of the most fun things I’ve ever done in my life,” Tosterud said. “My teammates are hilarious, and they make one of the toughest sports very fun to come to every single day.”
Outside of the team goals, Madl has his own goals moving into the postseason. Madl has been just short of qualifying for state during the last two seasons after the pandemic pushed his freshman wrestling season into the summer of 2021.
“I’m going to try to win regionals and sectionals and make it to state this year,” Madl said of his goals.
Vargas is excited to see where the postseason takes Elk Grove wrestling. IHSA state wrestling finals will be held at the State Farm Center in Champaign beginning on Feb. 15.
“We have a lot of kids with a lot of potential to go far in the post season to get down to state in Champaign and even place,” Vargas said.
