Wrestling: Mundelein’s unbeaten Ornoff focused on deep run at State
By Jon Kerr Contributor February 12, 2012 9:12PM
Mundelein's Matt Ornoff grabs the leg of McHenry's Wade Lardy during the 138-pound final at the Barrinton Sectional. Ornoff won 1-0 to improved his overall record to 39-0. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 17, 2012 9:52AM
For an athlete, a particular season could be measured by individual achievement.
Collectively, singular milestones can add up to greatness.
Such is the case for Mundelein wrestler Matt Ornoff. During Saturday’s Barrington Sectional, the 138-pound senior added another piece of hardware to his cramped trophy case.
By defeating McHenry’s Wade Lardy with a paper-thin 1-0 margin, Ornoff guaranteed a top seed for the IHSA state tournament, which begins in Champaign today. By winning a sectional title, the already well-decorated Mustang continues his memorable, unbeaten (39-0) campaign.
“This year, I’m hungry. It’s my last year — I want to go out with a bang,” Ornoff said. “I just want to go in there and wrestle my tournament.”
There’s every reason to believe this is the year Ornoff will put it all together. As a freshman, he was a bolt of lighting, finishing with all-state credentials. After missing State as a sophomore, Ornoff made it back last year, only to get bounced in the first round. Ornoff and his coaches insist the happy-to-be-there sentiment of 2011 will not be present this time around.
Instead, it will be replaced by a win-at-all-costs mentality. Ornoff provided a preview in his sectional title bout. A second-period escape accounted for the only points in the match, as Ornoff held off a late surge by Lardy. Expect more of the same from opponents, beginning with the opening round in Champaign.
“A win is a win, whether it be 1-0 or 10-0,” said Mundelein head coach Tom Buenik. “Matt has the advantage. Guys have to come after him to beat him. (A sectional title is) a great accolade, and gives him a good draw Downstate. That’s where the prize is.”
Ready to go: Although Ornoff hasn’t won a state tournament match since his freshman year (2009), don’t question his sense of readiness. Mundelein’s all-time match winner has wrestled on big stages before, competing in national tournaments in freestyle and Greco-Roman.
“He’s got a whole arsenal of moves. He shouldn’t go down there shaking with any nerves,” Buenik said. “He’s prepared himself in those spotlights.”
Since his sectional elimination as a sophomore, Ornoff and his coaches have been preparing for a State run — not just physically but mentally, which, with so much at stake, can be a more challenging pursuit.
“It’s nerve-racking. The key is it’s just another match,” Ornoff said. “You have to tell yourself it’s one more match in a thousand I’ve wrestled in my career.”
Added Buenik: “We did a lot of self-reflection (after his sophomore season). We’ll talk all week about putting yourself into visualization, knowing how to relax. We thought he wrestled a little tight (last year). He’s got to open up.”
Support group: Ornoff will have a traveling party on hand in Champaign. His parents, Gary and Susan, plus both sets of grandparents — and other relatives — will be watching live. Expect more to join if Ornoff advances through his bracket.
“Matt has a lot of supporters, a very strong network,” said Buenik. “If we’re making progress, word will travel back and we could have a whole crew going down.”
Another valued member of the entourage will be teammate Dan Winberg, who competed in the sectional tournament.
“He’s a good practice partner for me,” Ornoff said. “He gives me good reactions when I’m drilling with him.”
On the schedule: Ornoff opens the state tournament with a first-round match against Leyden’s Jesse McCabe on Thursday.
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