Warrior Wrestlers Win Medals at State Championships

Oak Forest Warriors wrestlers Lake Vitkauskas and Nick Graziano finished third and seventh, respectively, in the Novice Division at the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation (IKWF) State Championships.

Both wrestlers won their sectional tournaments to advance to the tournament, held March 11-12 at the Metro Centre in Rockford. Devin O'Rourke also advanced to the state championships, but he fell short of placing.

Warriors head coach Dan Walters was happy with the performance of his boys. 

"We had a good season," he said. "Our numbers were down a little, but we had a really good room. A lot of kids made big strides, and I'm really proud of our qualifiers."

Walters considers Vitkauskas, a seventh grader who competed at 138 pounds, a real gift to the practice room. 

"Lake is a bull," Walters said. "He really works hard, and that rubs off on the other kids. He also absorbs everything we're teaching, and he just never backs down.

"He's basically a first-year kid this year. Last year he wrestled for only a month, and then he got hurt. This season he just kept getting better and better, and he made it all the way to the semifinals. With a little more experience, he wins that match."

Graziano, also a seventh grader, competed at 130 pounds. He is a second-generation Warrior. His father, Bill, also a coach, competed for the team in the 1970s. 

"Nick had a really good year," Bill Graziano said. "He won about 30 matches, went 9-2 in the State Series, and we were thrilled when he placed."

Graziano provided the team with its most exciting win at the tournament.  Trailing 4-0 in the third period, he hit a big move to send the match into overtime, where he eventually won to guarantee himself a medal.

O'Rourke also is a second-generation Warrior. His mother's five brothers all competed for the team in the 1980s and 1990s. Two of his uncles—Gregg and James—are coaches on the Warriors Junior Team.

"Devin is a tough kid," Walters said.  "He's only in fifth grade, and he qualified for the State Championships. What's even more impressive is he missed half the season with a broken thumb. He was at 122 pounds this year. He's going to be a really big kid, and he's going to be really good."

The Warriors are hosting an open room two nights per week at their wrestling room, located in the basement of city hall. For more information, contact Steve Stump at 708-250-4510.