It seems the only way to beat St. Charles East’s Dom Munaretto is on a technicality.
Go back to May in Las Vegas, and New Jersey wrestler Paul Kenny was awarded a spot over Munaretto in the U-17 freestyle world team trials, winning on criteria at 105.6 pounds.
“We tied 3-3, but he scored last, so he won,” Munaretto said, sounding unfazed by the razor-thin result. “And he ended up winning the world championship in Turkey.
“I’m not going to hold my head in the sand. It was a great learning experience. I’ll work on it in practice, get better and make sure it never happens again.”
Munaretto captured the world championship in Rome the summer before his freshman year at St. Charles East. It proved to be an ideal prelude for the havoc he wreaked in Illinois.
He finished 54-0 and captured the Class 3A state championship at 106.
Then, his dramatic pin in the final bout of the Saints’ state quarterfinal showdown against Mount Carmel in the team dual state meet paved the way to taking the title over Marmion.
It was the first team dual state championship in program history for St. Charles East, and it also gives Munaretto momentum heading into his sophomore season.
“That was one of my greatest memories ever because I got to share it with the whole team,” he said.
Munaretto finished with 33 falls and posted more than 150 takedowns. The natural question is what can he possibly do for an encore?
“My goal is simple,” he said. “Surpass what I did last season, which was undefeated. It’s pretty hard to do even better, but I can still work on my craft.
“If I am winning tournaments, I want to watch my matches and feel that I’m even better. I want to always keep growing as a wrestler.”
He also has the ideal training partner in senior Ben Davino, a three-time defending state champion for the Saints. Davino (54-0) dominated at 126 last season.
“The size and weight difference is such that we don’t train every day,” said Munaretto, who is wrestling at 113, with Davino at 132. “We train a lot and we hang out a lot.
“I feel like we’re really good for each other. He always keeps me in line and helps me out. It’s really good to have somebody on the team that good.”
Munaretto, who grew up in Crystal Lake, spent a couple of years in Barrington before moving to St. Charles. Davino said his reputation preceded him.
“I saw him dominating all of these tournaments, so I knew he was a great wrestler,” Davino said. “He’s tough as nails, super intelligent, always wants to find out about the sport.
“In that way, he has been very helpful to me in my understanding.”
Munaretto developed his intensity and competitive nature through his father, Bob, who was a high-scoring forward on the men’s soccer team at Northern Illinois.
His approach, purpose and drive sets him apart.
“He is one of the most competitive kids I’ve ever coached,” St. Charles East coach Jason Potter said of Munaretto. “What makes him really special is most kids who wrestle at his weight are either really strong for their size or have great flexibility.
“He has a combination of the two, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
Munaretto never alters his frame of perspective, whether he’s in Rome, Italy or Champaign.
“My mindset is always the same,” he said. “I never want to let the guy I’m up against have a chance to breathe. I’ve had the chance to see where I stand against other great wrestlers around the world.
“My focus never changes. I always want to get the next point.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.