Fenwick High School senior Valerie Franco accomplished a remarkable feat at the IHSA girls wrestling sectional at Phillips in Chicago, Feb. 13-14. She won the 190 lb title and became the first in the girls’ two-year history to qualify for the state finals.
“It still feels unreal, and even now I still can’t believe it,” Franco said. “Since this is my senior year, I wanted to make history, not just to prove that I can make it to state, but to be a role model for any girl who thinks she can’t make it to state in wrestling.”
“It’s extremely exciting for the future of Fenwick girls wrestling,” said coach Seth Gamino. “Val just wrestled an amazing tournament. It’s an accomplishment.”
Franco (20-4), who came into the sectional unseeded, pinned Ezra Velez of Reavis at 4:38 in the first round. She then defeated Julissa Az of Mather 4-2 in the quarterfinals, then Kendra Hayden of Homewood-Flossmoor 7-4 in the semifinals.
In the title match, Franco faced Lucia Terrazas of Thornton Fractional South. In the third and final period, she took down Terrazas and pinned her with :31 left for the victory.
“My mindset entering sectionals was to stay focused and wrestle every match to the best of my ability,” Franco said. “I had my coaches in my corner and I had my teammates, as well as my family’s support, to keep me going through all my matches.”
Franco added that she’ll adopt a similar mindset for the state finals, which take place Feb. 27-28 in Bloomington.
“I’m very grateful and proud of myself for this opportunity. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead of me,” she said.
Fenwick Boys
At the Class 2A Antioch Sectional, Feb. 13-14, the Friars qualified two juniors for state. Harrison Brown (30-16) finished fourth at 120, and Burke Burns (27-8) placed fourth at 157. The top four sectional placers in each weight class advance to the state finals at the State Farm Center on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, Feb. 19-21.
“They both wrestled exceptional,” Gamino said. “The Antioch sectional is a tough one with a lot of good schools. They had some real gritty matches, especially in the blood round. It’s very exciting for them to go to state.”
Gamino said both Brown and Burns will gain valuable experience this week regardless of the outcome.
“They get to see the lights, get to see what it’s like, then work hard for their senior year with a little more experience when they get back down there. It’s a huge plus,” he said. “We’re extremely young and it’s great for them to get some experience and see what they can do.”
Gamino added that solid showings this week by Brown and Burns could serve as a catalyst for next year’s squad, which will have more experience.
“They’re two scrappy kids, never count them out. Anything can happen,” he said. “There are a lot of bright things for Fenwick’s future. It’s a very exciting time.
