When the Oak Park and River Forest High School wrestling team won three state championships last decade, it enjoyed a stellar reputation nationally as several of its wrestlers garnered All-American status.
If this year’s results at the U.S. Marine Corps National Championships, held in Fargo, North Dakota, July 10-18, are any indication, the Huskies are well on their way to re-establishing both state and national prominence. Three current and former OPRF wrestlers gained All-American honors.
Rising senior Jamiel Castleberry, who won the IHSA Class 3A 126-pound individual title at February’s state tournament, won the 132-pound title in the Greco-Roman division. His classmate, MJ Rundell, who himself won the 106-pound state title as a sophomore, was the Greco-Roman champion at 120.
In freestyle, Castleberry finished seventh at 132, and 2026 graduate David Ogunsanya was eighth at 165. OPRF coach Jay Renteria, who is about to enter his second season leading the Huskies, was pleased with how his wrestlers performed on the national stage.
“I’m extremely proud of the boys and the way they wrestled this summer,” he told Wednesday Journal. “Fargo is one of the biggest tournaments in the business. It allows everyone in the country to compete against each other. It’s more than being good at wrestling, you have to be tough. It’s really cool to see MJ, Jamiel, and David kick it up another level and show everybody how good they are and to see how good OPRF is.”
Renteria understands that his program is not quite up to the level it was in the previous decade. But he feels OPRF is on its way back to meeting the lofty standards that they once maintained.
“I tell the guys it’s all about the progress we’re making,” Renteria said. “We’re steadily seeing solidified progress.”
Renteria was especially thrilled to see Castleberry and Rundell win national championships, calling it a feather in the program’s cap.
“This is MJ’s third national title, which I know he’s extremely proud of. This is Jamiel’s first time going to Fargo and to see the results he’s had is truly incredible. I’m so proud of them. Really cool part is that MJ and Jamiel are students of the game; this is not the end-all, be-all for them. They’ll be back to work soon after taking a break to refocus.”
Renteria was also happy that Ogunsanya ended his prep career on a high note. He’s eager to see how Ogunsanya, who will wrestle at Cornell University this coming season, fares at the next level. Moreover, the presence of 2025 OPRF graduate Joe Knackstedt, currently wrestling at Cornell, should be of great benefit for Ogunsanya.
“It’ll be cool to see them reunite and to be able to lean on each other a little bit,” Renteria said. “It makes things a lot easier for David to have someone from back home.”
Huskie Wrestling Club
After having Beat the Streets Chicago as its feeder program for the past few years, OPRF now has a new one, the Huskie Wrestling Club. It’s actually a merger between the Little Huskie Wrestling Club, founded in 2012, and the Southside Outlaws Wrestling Club, created by Renteria’s late father, Jason.
“When I started college at Nebraska, my father wanted to give back. That was one of the reasons I came home to the Southside Outlaws,” Renteria said. “We’re trying to do something really special with OPRF and make it for the community. I’m excited, and the cool part of the merger is that we’re bringing in a lot of (OPRF) alumni; a lot of them want to give back because of what wrestling means to them.”
Renteria has long believed that wrestling should be fun, not life or death, and he wants to instill this characteristic into the OPRF program.
“Kids wrestle better when they’re relaxed. They know you’re looking out for them and want them to be better than you,” he said.
Registration for the Little Huskie Wrestling Club is currently open, with the first practice scheduled for Sept. 1. Programs are available in the following categories: Tots (ages 5-6), Little Huskies (8-12), Huskies Elite (10-14), Huskie High School (14-18), and girls. For more information, visit huskiewrestling.com.