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The 2024-25 season marks a historic milestone for St. Patrick High School wrestling, celebrating 60 years since its founding in 1964-65. The season also commemorates the 40th anniversary of the school’s first state championship, when Mike Mroczek captured the 1984-85 IHSA Heavyweight title.
The Shamrock wrestling program has reached new heights over the past decade. Through the dedication of both coaches and athletes, the team has shattered nearly every program record. This year’s achievements continue this impressive trajectory.
Most recently, St. Patrick matched its school record by sending five Shamrocks to the IHSA State Tournament in Champaign. This accomplishment marks the fourth time reaching this milestone and the second time in five years. The program has now qualified wrestlers for state in 11 consecutive seasons—the longest streak in school history. During this remarkable run, 35 Shamrocks have competed at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center, with 15 earning All-State honors.
This year’s state qualifiers include first-time sophomores Jack Koenig (106 lbs) and Patrick Hulne (138 lbs), along with returning juniors Danny Goodwin (113 lbs), Calvin Stahl (120 lbs), and Van Grasser (165 lbs). Each wrestler’s exceptional season merits recognition.
JACK KOENIG ’27 (106 lbs)
Koenig dominated his first IHSA State Tournament appearance, finishing with a stellar 44-10 record—setting a new program record for most wins by a sophomore. After placing fourth at sectionals, he controlled his state opener with a 15-7 major decision. Though he fell in the quarterfinals, Koenig showcased his resilience with a commanding 15-0 tech fall victory before narrowly missing advancement in an intense blood round match. His season highlights include championships at the Rockford East “Giardini” Invitational and Buffalo Grove’s Rex Lewis Tournament, plus runner-up finishes at the Marmion Classic, Ted DeRousse Invitational, and ESCC Conference tournament, where he earned his first All-Conference honors.
PAT HULNE ’27 (138 lbs)
In just his first year of high school wrestling, Hulne’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable. Starting in November, he bulldozed his way to a 40-14 record and an IHSA State Tournament qualification. His 135 takedowns rank 10th in program history for a single season. At sectionals, Hulne shocked the wrestling community by defeating the #4 ranked wrestler. He continued his impressive run at state, winning his opening match 8-4 with clutch last-second moves before falling 16-13 in a hard-fought quarterfinal against a dominant 39-1 opponent. Though he didn’t medal, his 40-win season and state qualification as a freshman signal extraordinary potential. Head coach Dominic Angelo remarked, “I’ve never seen potential like Hulne’s. He’s a threat for a state title without an offseason of training. The entire state is on watch with Hulne.” Hulne’s season achievements include championships at the Marmion Cadet Classic and Buffalo Grove’s Rex Lewis Tournament, a 3rd place finish at the ESCC Conference Tournament (earning All-Conference honors), and an IHSA Regional title.
CALVIN STAHL ’26 (120 lbs)
Stahl cemented his legacy this season, qualifying for state for the second time and becoming just the fifth Shamrock to reach 100 wins as a junior. His sectional tournament showcased his grit—after dropping a 4-0 opener to the #7 ranked wrestler, he rallied with three straight wins, including victories over two state place winners. He secured his state berth with a dramatic last-second takedown and claimed third place by defeating a two-time state finalist 6-3.
At the state tournament, Stahl battled last year’s runner-up in a razor-thin 1-0 loss before rebounding with a 3-1 victory over a two-time qualifier. His tournament concluded with a 4-0 loss to a returning state place winner.
Season Highlights: Medaled in every tournament—2nd at the Marmion Cadet Classic, 4th at the Ted DeRousse Invitational, 4th at Rockford East, 3rd at Buffalo Grove, and 1st at Regionals
VAN GRASSER ’26 (165 lbs)
Van dominated at sectionals en route to qualifying for his second consecutive IHSA State Tournament. He secured major decisions over both the #8 and #7 ranked wrestlers before facing the #2 ranked wrestler – last year’s state runner-up at 165 lbs – in the finals. Though Van, ranked #3 all season, had dropped a tight 2-1 match to him in December, this time he prevailed to claim his first sectional title.
At the state tournament, Van entered as the #2 seed and showcased his strength immediately, pinning his first-round opponent and securing a major decision in the quarterfinals. These wins guaranteed him an all-state medal for the second straight season. While he lost his final three bouts to finish 6th in state (matching last year’s placement), Van secured his legacy by becoming one of only five 2X IHSA state place winners in school history.
His impressive junior season included a 2nd place at the Marmion Cadet Classic, 4th at the Ted DeRousse Tournament, 2nd at Rockford East, 2nd at Rex Lewis, ESCC Conference Championship (first), IHSA Regional Championship (second straight), Sectional Championship (first), 100th career win (alongside teammates Calvin and Danny)
DANNY GOODWIN ’26 (113 lbs)
Building on his previous year’s 5th place state finish at 106 lbs, Danny qualified for his second straight state tournament. He dominated throughout the season, compiling a stellar 45-5 record and winning 5 of 6 tournaments he entered. After securing second place at sectionals, he drew the #2 seed in the state bracket – an opponent he had previously defeated 5-3 in the Ted DeRousse Tournament finals.
Danny’s state tournament performance proved remarkable. He opened with a commanding 17-1 technical fall in the first round. In the quarterfinals, he faced the #2 seed again, this time securing a decisive 7-0 decision. Like Van, Danny reached the state semi-finals and earned All-State honors for the second consecutive season. In the semi-finals, he continued his impressive run by posting a 4-0 victory against the same wrestler he had beaten in the previous year’s quarterfinals.
Danny made history as the fifth St. Patrick wrestler to reach the IHSA State Finals and participate in the Grand March. In the championship match, he faced a familiar opponent—the top-ranked wrestler in the state who had previously defeated him 5-1 in last year’s semifinals. Wrestling brilliantly, Danny forced a 1-1 tie and pushed the match into overtime. Though a controversial takedown led to a 4-1 loss, his remarkable performance and stellar season filled the St. Patrick community with pride.
During the 2024-25 season, Danny Goodwin dominated the record books. He set a new single-season mark with 18 technical falls and claimed third place all-time in career takedowns with 401. His 191 takedowns this season stand as the second-highest in school history.
The program’s future looks even brighter, as all five state qualifiers will return next season—an unprecedented opportunity for continued excellence.
Head Coach Dominic Angelo ’03, himself one of St. Patrick’s original five state qualifiers, reflected on the team’s performance. “The guys wrestled hard; it was an emotional roller coaster,” said Angelo. “Seeing Danny reach the finals was the highlight of my coaching career at St. Patrick. Yet, we’re not satisfied with the results.”
“When we got our first state placer in 2017, we were thrilled. Now we’re disappointed about not having five state place winners—that shows how much the standard at St. Patrick wrestling has risen. We’ll take that.”
