BLOOMINGTON — Jade Hardee won a state championship in eighth grade, but high school wrestling is a different beast.
Hardee was more than a bit intimidated when she began her freshman season this winter for Andrew co-op.
“I was actually pretty scared of high school wrestling,” Hardee said. “I know college scouts are watching us and stuff like that. It was kind of frightening, and I had no idea how good I would do.
“But I’m very satisfied with my season and I want to get better.”
Hardee was certainly up for the challenge Saturday. Not only did she finish third at 100 pounds, she was also one of the major reasons Andrew co-op ran away with the team state championship at Grossinger Motors Arena.
Andrew co-op, a District 230 team which also has wrestlers who attend Sandburg and Stagg, finished with 66 team points to pull away from Hampshire (51). Lockport (40) finished fifth.
It was just the second girls wrestling team state championship awarded by the Illinois High School Association after Lakes claimed the inaugural title last season.
“It’s so amazing,” Hardee said. “I’m so happy. I don’t even have words for it. It’s so crazy to me.”
Lockport’s Claudia Heeney, meanwhile, became a two-time state champion with her victory at 135, while Mother McAuley’s Maggie Zuber (140) delivered a state runner-up finish.
Senior Alyssa Keane (135) also took third and senior Nola Oben (155) finished fourth to lead Andrew co-op. Tatum De La Vega (105), Sophia Figueroa (115), Saja Bader (120) and Adrianna Vela (170) rounded out the team’s seven state qualifiers who contributed to the team score.
Liz Short, in her first year as Andrew co-op’s coach, said she knew right away she had a roster that was determined to do big things.
“I saw just how dedicated and tough and gritty they were,” Short said. “It was just adding in the wrestling components and working on technique. They already had all the other components.
“You can’t teach grit and heart. The wrestling part is easier.”
Hardee (37-5) finished her season in exciting fashion, coming up with an overtime takedown en route to a 9-6 win over Round Lake’s Riley Kongkaeow in their third-place match.
“In overtime, my mind was just like, ‘Control your breathing and how bad do you want it?’” Hardee said. “I tried to score early. I was really happy to end it that way.”
Hardee grew up competing in jiu-jitsu before she started wrestling three years ago.
“My dad is a black belt in jiu-jitsu and he wanted me to do it,” Hardee said. “It took me about a year to like it, but then I fell in love with it. It led me to wrestling. I fell in love with that even more.”
Keane was immediately impressed by Hardee, whose skills far exceeded those of a typical freshman.
“I’ve wrestled her myself,” Keane said. “She has super technique and she’s really strong. She tries her hardest in the room. I’m really proud of her.”
Keane, a four-time state qualifier and two-time third-place finisher, has been one of the foundational pieces as Andrew co-op built itself into a powerhouse.
Now, the Thunderbolts have a state championship.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Keane said. “I’m so hyped about it. I’m extremely excited. I’m also going to cry and it’s so sad because I’m going to be leaving, but I’m so proud of everyone.”
Heeney, meanwhile, became the Southland’s second two-time girls wrestling state champion. She joins Homewood-Flossmoor’s Attalia Watson-Castro, who won titles in 2022 and 2023, the first two years of the tournament.
“It’s kind of a surreal feeling I would say,” Heeney said. “Last year, it was super cool and I wanted it to happen but I didn’t know if it was going to.
“This year was kind of the same thing but with a little more pressure maybe.”
