Riverside Brookfield High School senior Estefany Bejarano was concerned when the start of her girls wrestling season began with a patella injury to her right knee.
“That injury made me lose a little bit of time so I was like, ‘This isn’t going to be my season,’” Bejarano said. When she had to confront a slightly sprained right ankle after a match during the East Aurora Regional Saturday, nothing was going to stop her best season. She achieved two more victories to finish third at 170 pounds and advance to the Schaumburg Individual Sectional Friday and Saturday with a top-four finish.
“I was scared [about the ankle]. I tried my best,” said Bejarano (28-4). “I’ve never made it past regionals so it’s amazing. I cried when I realized I was getting there and now I’m third and it’s awesome. [The ankle is] a little swollen but I got it taped up and I got an ankle brace.”
Lyons Township sophomore Jhania Wickert-Harris (21-5) also earned her first sectional berth with third at 105 after beating the No. 1 seed in her previous match to secure her spot.
“It’s my second year of wrestling and I put a lot of effort into it. [Teammates and I] really tried our hardest and put in the work so I think I deserve it,” Wickert-Harris said. “I don’t think I could have done this freshman year. It’s definitely a reflection (of my improvement).”
Both became the third sectional qualifiers in their team’s respective histories at the largest wrestling regional in IHSA history (30 teams) and a talented field including seven state champions. Top-four sectional finishers advance to the state meet.
The Bulldogs’ first two sectional qualifiers were senior and fellow four-year wrestler Danely Villagomez and 2024 graduate Eleanor Aphay, also the two state qualifiers in program history.
Wickert-Harris joins current junior Zoe Connelly and 2025 graduate Avi Gonzalez. The Lions have never had a state qualifier.
“It’s a tough, tough [regional] tournament. There’s people who might not make it out of here that deserve to at least be at sectionals,” LTHS coach Darwin DePina said.
Bejarano, Villagomez and junior Emily Anaya are the Bulldogs’ captains. Villagomez (22-6 at 155) and Anaya (22-11 at 145) each came one backdraw victory from qualifying for sectionals, Saturday, as well as LTHS senior Ashley Uhler (11-8 at 115). Senior Sofia Turek (22-8 at 135), the first four-year wrestler in LTHS girls wrestling history, came two backdraw victories from advancing.
“Pound for pound, Estefany’s the strongest wrestler on our team,” RBHS coach Dan Verr said. “It just hurts to see two girls (Villagomez and Anaya), who had the capability to do that and more, fall just short. But this is a record-breaking regional.”
Bejarano was 4-1 at sectionals and captured third with a pin in 1:55.
As the No. 6 seed, Wickert-Harris was 5-1 and gained third with a pin in 1:27 after her 9-5 victory over top-seeded senior Alisa Carter of Joliet Central (24-4). Wickert-Harris used a first-period takedown to lead 3-2 entering the third period.
“I felt like I was going to lose right away but (teammate Mariah Zalapa) told me don’t get discouraged. You can do anything you put your mind to,” Wickert-Harris said.
“I didn’t talk to her (before) because she was focused,” DePina said. “She’s always been athletic but her abilities have grown more as a wrestler this year.”
In their matches to reach the final four, Villagomez lost 4-2 and Anaya and Uhler were pinned in 3:30 and 5:26, respectively, after Uhler led 9-7.
Depending on her college wrestling choice, Villagomez may help coach the Bulldogs next season.
“I’m most proud of always trying my best during my matches and giving it my all every time,” Villagomez said. “Toward the end of my freshman year, I knew I wanted to keep wrestling after high school.”
Turek laughed when she recalled as a freshman that the LTHS girls team only had boys’ singlets.
“There wasn’t even a [girls] regional,” Turek said. “It’s cool to look back and see how much [girls wrestling] has grown. We ended with five girls and now we have such a good team.”
RBHS boys wrestling
The Bulldogs lost to Oak Forest 57-11 Thursday at the Class 2A Evergreen Park Dual Wrestling Sectional with a state quarterfinal berth on the line.
RBHS victories were a technical fall by Izaiah Gonzalez (15-0 at 132) and decisions for Tony Lombardo (5-2 at 138) and Nick O’Connor (5-4 at 175). The Bulldogs qualified by winning the Glenbard South Regional.