After one high school season, Valparaiso’s Stefan Vitello knew something had to change.
Vitello, a junior 126-pounder for the Vikings, was a semistate qualifier as a freshman. But he noticed the difference between the wrestlers placing second, third or fourth at meets and the ones standing atop the podium: an offseason schedule that was just as busy as the in-season one.
“That’s what all of the other good kids were doing,” Vitello said. “It was the next step that was necessary.”
Vitello took another step forward last season by reaching the state meet and is looking for more this season after finishing first at 126 during the Duneland Athletic Conference Meet at Crown Point on Saturday.
He was the only Valparaiso wrestler to win a conference title as he improved his season record to 10-1. His success can be traced to that offseason shift following his first-round loss at semistate in 2019.
“It goes back to losing at semistate in his freshman year,” coach Jake Plesac said. “He lost a few matches that season he could’ve won. We were thinking out loud about what he needed to take that next step instead of just being the guy who’s third or fourth.”
Vitello wasn’t the first wrestler to have that epiphany, as year-round schedules have become the norm among the sport’s top performers. But his embrace of that 365-day commitment helped Vitello turn weaknesses into positives.
“We found some deficiencies he had and some other areas where he needed to improve,” Plesac said. “And that’s what he did all summer.”
Vitello went from a 25-15 record as a freshman to a 35-11 record as a sophomore.
The conference title on Saturday was a first for Vitello, who’s ranked No. 10 at 126 by IndianaMat. He was quick to point out that the win came with two omissions from the bracket: Crown Point sophomore Sam Goin, who is ranked fifth, and Merrillville senior Malik Hall, who is ranked sixth.
“It’s definitely a huge thing to win, and I’m happy with that,” Vitello said. “But I feel a bit off by the fact that I didn’t wrestle against them.”
Still, that championship was another step forward in Vitello’s career since the change in his offseason routine.
“That’s where he’s really taken off in the last year and a half,” Plesac said. “It’s come from the tremendous amount of work he’s put in throughout the year, not just during the season.”
Conference roundup: Crown Point won the team title at the DAC Meet, finishing with 298 points to top runner-up Merrillville, which had 213.
Chesterton did not participate due to COVID-19 protocols, but that didn’t diminish Crown Point coach Branden Lorek’s impression of his team’s performance.
“The DAC tournament is a great opportunity for the coaches and wrestlers to evaluate the team and see where we’re at,” Lorek said. “I believe the guys competed extremely well individually and as a team.”
At the Northwest Crossroads Conference Meet, Hobart won with 297.5 points, ahead of Kankakee Valley’s second-place score of 192.5.
“This year has brought so many tribulations,” Hobart coach Jason Cook said. “But our wrestlers have dealt with them and continue to improve.”
The Greater South Shore Conference title was won by River Forest, which topped Wheeler 48-30 in the championship round of the team dual format.
State champs: Crown Point senior Alexie Westfall won a state title at the Indiana High School Girls Wrestling state meet on Friday, pinning Greenfield freshman Kylie Smith-Foster just 23 seconds into the final match at 98 pounds.
In the final at 132, Lowell senior Nadine Summers capped her career with a third-period pin of Penn’s Grace Selis to secure her spot atop the podium.
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
