BLOOMINGTON — When Nico Ronchetti arrived at Joliet Catholic as a freshman in 2021, the school had never won a state trophy in wrestling.
Now, Ronchetti is leaving after having been a part of three trophy-winning teams, including a Class 2A state championship his freshman year. He also has three individual state medals.
What a ride. And Ronchetti and his teammates made sure things ended on another high note Saturday night.
“It feels really good,” Ronchetti said. “During the season, we had lots of ups and downs. A lot of injuries and things like that. Coming here and ending it with a bang, it feels really good.”
Ronchetti, a senior 190-pounder, came through with a technical fall in his last match for the Hilltoppers, who beat Hersey 46-22 in the Class 3A third-place dual at Grossinger Motors Arena.
Joliet Catholic (11-11), which beat Oak Park-River Forest 38-29 in Friday night’s quarterfinals, bounced back from a 36-29 semifinal loss to Rockton Hononegah on Saturday morning.
Ronchetti, Nolan Vogel, Luke Hamiti and Luke Foster all went 3-0 on the weekend to lead the Hilltoppers to the program’s first trophy in 3A.
Ronchetti, who was the 3A runner-up at 190, has been a key veteran leader all season for a young Joliet Catholic. He also gave credit to junior Jason Hampton, who took third at 126.
“It’s me and Jason Hampton leading this pack,” Ronchetti said. “We got all the guys in shape this year. It’s constant work, constant movement, pushing the pace.”
Ronchetti saw it all come together for the Hilltoppers late in the season.
“Our bond has gotten really tight,” he said. “The ups and downs, I think they just brought us closer together as a team. Coming into this last stretch, all that just pushed us.”
Ronchetti departs the program as a two-time state runner-up and three-time medalist individually, but it’s the team success that he said he will remember most.
“That freshman year team state championship, that’s the biggest thing and my favorite thing, obviously,” Ronchetti said. “The individual medals are nice to have, but having that bond from freshman year, this year, all the years, I’m never going to lose it.”
Joliet Catholic coach Ryan Cumbee struggled to fight back tears when discussing Ronchetti.
“I’m going to miss Nico Ronchetti so much,” Cumbee said. “Nico Ronchetti’s a great kid above all things. The wrestler he is — the last thing I think about. It’s the young man he is today and who he’s going to become.
“I can’t wait to see his future, wherever it is.”
Ronchetti said he plans to wrestle in college but does not know where yet.
The Hilltoppers, meanwhile, rallied together after their title dreams ended against Hononegah.
“It was hard,” Vogel said. “I wish we could have scored more bonus points. However, I feel like we’re going to go against them next year and we’re going to go harder.
“I think that’s what held us together and why I think we won (the third-place dual). We knew as a team that we would finish out on top.”
Cumbee was thrilled with his team’s resilience.
“A lot of people in this sport think that’s it’s championship or bust,” he said. “That you have to win it all or it doesn’t mean anything. I teach the opposite. I think about perspective and understanding that it’s one match at a time, one dual at a time, and you have to put your best foot forward.
“For me to be disappointed with anything but first would make me a hypocrite. These boys showed they wanted to finish on a high note.”
Ronchetti, for one, sure did that.
“Coming in as a freshman, I didn’t even really know how good the program would be,” Ronchetti said. “I’m really happy with Jesus and all our coaches. Without them, we’re nothing.”
