Notice: Trying to get property 'post_title' of non-object in /home/ofzfvenynm4q/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-rss-feed-to-post/includes/wprss-ftp-display.php on line 109
A three-time state champion, St. Charles East junior Ben Davino doesn’t lack confidence.
Davino is like a booster rocket, with a propulsive, fast-motion style that has transformed each stage of his glittering wrestling career. And he’s not worried about the next step.
“I think I am going to pick it up pretty quickly,” he said.
Davino had the pick of the litter among Big Ten schools, announcing his commitment to Ohio State. His final five teams included Illinois, Iowa State, Missouri and Wisconsin.
Like his frenetic, technical and overwhelming approach, Davino continues to skyrocket. The 2022-23 Beacon-News/Courier-News Boys Wrestler of the Year had a stellar junior season.
Davino (54-0) delivered a thrilling 6-1 overtime victory over Marmion’s Jameson Garcia, a two-time defending state champion, for the Class 3A state title at 126 pounds.
And that’s not all. Davino’s pin proved to be decisive for the Saints in a narrow victory over the Cadets for the dual team state championship.
“Ben opened up a lot of doors because of what he’s accomplished,” St. Charles East coach Jason Potter said. “He pretty much had carte blanche deciding where he wanted to go.
“The only question was finding the right fit and where he was going to be the most successful.”
That ended up being Ohio State.
“I just felt a really good connection with the coaches and the rest of the team,” he said. “I felt it was a great fit. Location didn’t really matter or the conference.
“Wrestling is wrestling, whether it’s Big Ten or Big 12.”
College wrestling, however, is a wholly different beast.
“The difference between high school and college wrestling is night and day,” said Potter, who wrestled at Illinois. “The level of talent is very condensed.
“You have guys who won multiple state championships in high school who are backups in college.”
Davino understands the heightened stakes and what his future holds.
“The big difference going up against college wrestlers is countering their chain actions,” he said. “All the different positions they are able to work out of.”
From the start, Davino has had to put in the work. His Big Ten potential showed last summer when he captured the 16-U national freestyle championship in Fargo, North Dakota.
It wasn’t always this way, according to his father, Mark.
“Ben had to learn how to embrace failure and deal with defeat at some of the early national tournaments,” Mark said. “I remember being in the car with him and saying he either had to make changes and learn or go into theater because this was not sustainable.”
Mark said the emotional turning point was the summer before Ben entered St. Charles East. He won an elite national tournament in OT against an older, higher-ranked wrestler.
“He learned how to grow from failure,” Mark said.
At the end of April in Las Vegas, Davino has a chance to avenge a rare defeat in the tryouts to qualify for the U.S. national team for the World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Beacon News
Twice-weekly
News updates from the Aurora area delivered every Monday and Wednesday
Davino finished third at last year’s tryouts.
“This is a chance to get my revenge,” Ben said. “I learned a lot last year. I didn’t cut the weight correctly. It was a good learning experience.”
Moving from state to national competition has been part of the process for Davino.
College just becomes the next crucible.
“You have your superstars who do it year round with the lifestyle and commitment,” Potter said. “In college, you have to be the best kid on your team.
“Ben is going to put himself in contention to do that. He feels he is going to be very successful at Ohio State. His intention is to win national, world and Olympic medals.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
