Chargers' Lukowski returning to State

NAPERVILLE -- Dundee-Crown wrestler Mike Lukowski didn't have St. Charles East's Adam Schaefer in his head, but he definitely had him in his ears.

Schaefer outdid Lukowski to earn a regional title match a week ago and afterwards said he thought the Chargers senior "ran out of gas."

But Lukowski had the last laugh Saturday with a 3-1 decision against Schaefer in the 189-pound third-place match at the Naperville North Class 2A Sectional.

The win earned Lukowski a second straight berth in the State Finals.

"All I heard all week in school was, 'Oh, I hear you don't have a gas tank,' " Lukowski said. "I saw the big article in the paper. I don't think I should have lost that match. Today I proved I was the better wrestler.

"Now he knows I have gas in the tank."

But it wasn't just the bulletin-board material that drove Lukowski. After taking fifth at state last year, he's still looking to better that finish.

"If I lose that match I'm not going to state," Lukowski said. "What's that going to look like? Placing fifth a year ago and then getting beat by someone I don't even know if he made it out of the sectional a year ago? I just kept wrestling."

Last year Lukowski also won a Fox Valley Conference title, a regional and a sectional. This year he has only the FVC crown on his resume. But that speaks more to the level of competition he's faced.

In what might be the sectional that features the most depth in the 189-pound bracket, Lukowski lost earlier in the quarterfinals to Lemont's Gordon Kickels by a 5-3 decision. Kickels went on to win the sectional title.

"That was the best match I ever wrestled," Lukowski said. "I just kept pushing and pushing and pushing. I want to see him again Downstate."

In addition to knocking off Schaefer, who finished the year at 39-3, Lukowski beat Rolling Meadows' Tom Davidson by a 3-1 decision to get to the third-place match. Davidson was the only wrestler to beat Schaefer coming into the sectional.

"Every match he's had is a State-caliber match," D-C coach Al Zinke said. "It was a real tough weekend and he had to get through a lot physically and mentally.

"But there's no better way to prepare yourself for state than to have to beat the best in the state. That's what's at this sectional."

Lukowski knows he still has plenty to work on before going to Champaign.