QND Invitational: Steinkamp says goodbye to home crowd with 126-pound championship

QUINCY — In a way, Curtis Steinkamp said goodbye with a kiss.

He made his opponents kiss the mat. Then he put their backs to it.

The Quincy Notre Dame senior wrestled in front of a home crowd for the final time in his career Saturday, winning the 126-pound championship of the QND Invitational at the Pit by recording back-to-back pins in the semifinal and title matches.

“It was a nice little goodbye,” Steinkamp said after pinning Chatham Glenwood’s Braxton Warren in 55 seconds in the championship match. “These are my last matches of the regular season. It felt good and I knew I wanted it.”

Yet, as he walked off the mat, the reality his final regular season is complete hadn’t registered.

QND will compete in the Class 1A Tremont Regional next Saturday.

“I don’t know if it’s kicked in yet,” Steinkamp said. “I think it will in a couple days that it’s all coming to an end right now.”

That was the case for his opponents Saturday.

In the quarterfinals, Steinkamp beat Edwardsville’s Blake Freitag 12-5. He followed it with a pin of Kirkwood’s Trevor Haistings in 5:21. Then came the first-period stick of Warren as Steinkamp improved to 35-3 overall.

“I was not going to play around,” a smiling Steinkamp said of pinning Warren shortly after getting him on his back.

There was a lesson to be learned from the quick pin, too.

“There were some significant factors,” Steinkamp said. “Definitely coming out ready was important. In that match, I really wanted to stay focused and keep clean. No dirty shots, no mistakes. He made the mistake and I capitalized on it. That’s something I have to remember. The mistakes are bigger than the things you do well. The fewer mistakes you make, the better.”

It’s how he will approach the postseason, where expectations will be high. Steinkamp is one of four wrestlers in the regional who are currently in the top 10 or receiving honorable mention in the Illinois Wrestling Officials and Coaches Association state poll.

Canton’s Trevor Hedges is No. 6, while Steinkamp, Illini Bluffs’ Jackson Carroll and Tremont’s Josiah Grant are all receiving honorable mention.

“I’m not satisfied with what I’ve done,” Steinkamp said. “I’m happy, but I do want to keep on winning and see myself on the state floor. I know each match at regionals is a dogfight. With this regional, I’m not sure who is going to be getting out.

“Whoever plays the best game and comes prepared is who will succeed. That’s what I’m really looking forward to, being able to come out and be my best.”

Still, it will be hard to compare to wrestling in front of the home crowd.

“It was a lot of fun, but it was hard,” Steinkamp said. “Doing it in front of all my friends who don’t normally get to see what I can do or even the sport wrestling was really fun. This was a great day.”