NAPERVILLE, IL - The Force Wrestlers began the 2023 season with a strong showing at the annual Mick Ruettiger Invitational hosted by the Fox Valley wrestling club at Nequa Valley high school. Fifty six Force wrestlers took to mats in the event which featured over 1100 wrestlers from more than 40 teams throughout the state. 

Force topped all teams in several statistical areas including most wins and pins. Force wrestlers tallied a tournament high 58 pins, which was 14 better than the next highest team. Anastasia Rodnikova pinned all three of her opponents in a total time of 51 seconds which earned her the tournament’s top spot in that category. Force wrestlers also came away with the most individual wins, leading all clubs with 105. Cooper Whiting and Michael Tasnic led the Force in team points with 26 each, while winning championships in their own brackets in the Intermediate Division. 

Overall Force wrestlers came away with 49 medals including 25 champions. Another nine wrestlers placed 2nd and ten more finished third. Our tots were led by Champions Cooper Callender and Noah Bieber. At the Bantam level, six Force wrestlers earned titles including Oliver Tasnic, Nolan Krnac, Connor Malloy, Abel Muniz, Briggs Whiting, and Ivan Duran.

The intermediate division wrestlers came home with the most championships for the club and were led by Jake Mirocha, Logan Miano, Jayse Amico, Joseph Major, Nora Rauen, Oz Bellamy, Cooper Whiting, and Michael Tasnic. Four novice division wrestlers captured titles of their own including Noah Flores, Finn McDermott, Jake Rangel, and Lorenzo Gonzalez. The lady Force wrestlers competed well with 5 wrestlers bringing home titles in the girls division. Champs include Londyn Bellamy, Evelynn Franzen, Leila Linton, Brooklyn Rauen, and Anastasia Rodnikova.

Next Sunday Force will host the annual Force Challenge at Plainfield Central High School. The tournament is known to be one of the toughest early season tournaments around and will feature nearly 50 different clubs from around the state.