Central’s Louderback finishes state wrestling tourney with victory, takes fifth place

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Amber Louderback ended the season with her arm raised.

The Camp Point Central sophomore pinned Seneca’s Sammie Griesen in the third period of their fifth-place match at 130 pounds Saturday, earning her second state medal in as many years in the Illinois girls wrestling state tournament at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus.

Louderback took fourth place as a freshman at 125 pounds, but she didn’t walk off the mat having had her arm raised following one final victory.

This time she did.

“Well, at first I was kind of downfallen because we were really hoping I would get third or above,” Louderback said. “That’s just what we expected. … So I was a little down, but at the same time, God dealt me a hand of cards and I just had to play them. That’s what I was dealt and I felt I played it right and got the best place I could have this go-round.”

She enjoyed the state tournament experience more, too.

“I feel it was more fun,” Louderback said. “It wasn’t necessarily the wrestling part, but I would say it was seeing friends I’ve made through wrestling again and making a bunch of new friends and cheering each other on. It’s a very awesome atmosphere.”

Saturday started with Louderback facing TF South junior Quincy Onyiaorah in the blood round. She led 2-0 going to the third period with Onyiaorah choosing to start on the bottom. An escape by Onyiaorah made it a one-point match, but Louderback scored a takedown with 28 seconds remaining to go up 4-2. Onyiaorah escaped with 12 seconds to go, but Louderback held her off to win 4-3 and guarantee herself a medal.

In the wrestlebacks semifinals, Louderback and Minooka sophomore Addison Cailteux went to the third period tied at 2. Cailteux escaped from the bottom position and took Louderback down with 54 seconds to go. Louderback escaped with 28 seconds remaining, but couldn’t get a takedown and lost 5-3.

In the fifth-place match, Louderback used a first-period takedown, a second-period reversal and a penalty point to go up 5-0. Her reversal 20 seconds into the third period gave her a 7-0 advantage, and she put Griesen on her back and recorded the pin in 5:40.

Louderback finished the season with a 23-11 record.