Entering his senior season, St. Charles East’s Ben Davino crossed the globe to experience a new sensation. And in the long run of a long winter season, it turned out to be exactly what he needed.
Davino benefitted from his first international competition in August, even if he felt personally disappointed by the results at the U-17 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.
“I didn’t do as well as I wanted by not medaling, but I wanted to chase this upcoming season,” he said. “Knowing I had fallen short made me work that much harder and go after it.”
Davino, the 2023-24 Beacon-News/Courier-News Boys Wrestler of the Year, also won last season. He personifies success and achievement, placing him at the highest level in Illinois history.
“He’s one of the most successful wrestlers ever in the sport, if not the best ever, to compete in Illinois,” St Charles East coach Jason Potter said. “The one who put our program on the map.”
The numbers are staggering for Davino — and almost impossible to match. He ended his high school career with a 181-1 record, punctuated by a 136-match winning streak.
In February at the State Farm Center in Champaign, the Ohio State recruit captured his fourth straight Class 3A state title at 132 pounds. He also led the Saints to a third-place finish as a team.
His father, Mark, walked away impressed.
“The words I’d use to describe Ben are laser focus and very stubborn,” Mark Davino said. “One of my favorite anecdotes was his freshman year during the pandemic. Illinois was shut down, and we went out to a major tournament in Arizona.”
That tournament had a three-pound weight allowance for each classification. Mark wanted Ben to compete at 106 pounds. Ben insisted on bumping up to 113, letting him weigh as much as 116.
“I moved him up to 18U because I thought I’d teach him a lesson,” Mark said. “He made the finals against a two-time state champion from Arizona who was 103-0. Ben beat him 2-1, and to this day I’m convinced he did it just to prove me wrong.”
According to records maintained by the Illinois High School Association, Davino’s streak for consecutive wins is the second-best total in state history.
His only loss came in December 2022 as a sophomore at another national tournament.
St. Charles East’s Ben Davino, top, and Loyola’s Massey Odiotti battle in the 120-pound championship match of the Class 3A state meet at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
“I never would have won the consecutive matches I did without that loss,” said Davino, who finished 54-0 each of the last two seasons. “Because it helped me grow.”
The setbacks Davino has gone through have been rare, although exceptionally rewarding in terms of what he learned from that specific moment.
“That loss I had my sophomore year or even what I went through last summer in Turkey, those were humbling experiences,” Davino said. “Maybe I got a little bit complacent.
“Those are things, moving forward, that stamped me as far as how I practice and my work ethic.”
Davino’s most revealing experience played out in seventh grade at a youth tournament against Seth Mendoza, who’s now a three-time state champion at Mount Carmel.
“Mendoza beat me 20-5, and I was obviously a kid who didn’t lose much back then,” Davino said. “That was such an eye-opening feeling when that happens to you.
“You are there and suddenly see how far you actually are. The next summer, I started training with Seth and his father. When you get that pressure every single day, you feel it and you get better.”
Davino, who has always taken on every challenge, ended up golden four times for the Saints.
“I wouldn’t say everything has felt like a dream,” he said. “It’s more a reflection of my constant love for the sport and everything coming together through hard work and making something beautiful.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
