Wrestlers Win

IVC doubles its pleasure

Bybee repeats as Class A wrestling state champ, and teammate Ladd joins him

By JASON PEAKE — Peoria Journal Star

CHAMPAIGN - In the world of high school wrestling in this state, Illinois Valley Central is now on the map. It was a historic and record-setting Saturday night for the Chillicothe school, which for the first time had two individual Class A state champions.

Sophomore Jeff Bybee won the 119-pound state championship, and senior teammate Tim Ladd followed that with a state title at 189.

"Wow, this is great," Ladd said. "Jeff and I have been talking about doing this all week. This feels so good, but it probably won't sink in for a few weeks.''

Said IVC coach Mark Kosinski: "It's pretty sweet, actually, it's pretty remarkable. We knew they had a shot, but it was hard to imagine leaving with two. Two state champs is just unbelievable."

One year ago, after he won the 112-pound title, Bybee did a back flip after he won the state title on this same Assembly Hall floor. So this year, it was only fitting By-Assembly Hall floor. So this year, it was only fitting Bybee did two.

Bybee shocked undefeated and nationally ranked Orion junior Tyler Clark with a 3-1 overtime title-bout victory. It was Bybee's first victory over Clark in five meetings this season.

"I feel out of this world," Bybee said seconds after the match. "I'm just so excited right now. It's hard to believe. He beat me at regionals and he beat me at sectionals, so I felt like I had nothing to lose."

Clark, who won state at 103 last year, entered this match 40-0 and was ranked fourth in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News. Clark gave Bybee his first loss as a prep wrestler, earlier this season in a dual, and also beat him at the Princeton Invitational, the Taylor Ridge Regional final and the Stanford Sectional final.

Despite all that, Kosinski admitted he had faith in his two-time champ, who won at 112 last year.

"Honestly, I felt pretty confident going into the overtime," Kosinski said. "The thing with Tyler is that when you take him down, he can usually reverse you. But we knew in the overtime if Jeffery took him down, it would be over."

Bybee (39-5) tied the score at 1 with a third-period escape from the bottom. In the overtime, the two locked up on their feet, with neither gaining an advantage. With only 16 seconds left in the period, Bybee scored the match-winning takedown.

"He was going backwards and I just got one of his legs and used all the strength I could to take him down," Bybee said.

Said Kosinski: "He could not have wrestled a better match."

Ladd claimed his title almost two hours later. Unlike Bybee, Ladd (37-1) grabbed a commanding early lead in beating Harvard senior Bernard Stott 6-2.

Ladd scored a quick takedown, then whipped Stott over for a near fall.

"When we were on the edge of the mat, I grabbed him and threw him. I just felt it and went with it," Ladd said of his early move. "I just felt it. It was mat sense."

After the move, Ladd had a 5-0 lead.

IVC had two previous Class A champs: Scott Schultz at 215 in 2000 and Zach Schroeder at 275 in 2003.

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Wrestlers Win

IVC doubles its pleasure