Kris Williams isn't worried about making history as much as he is making it back to the state tournament.
The Thornton sophomore won the Class 3A 106-pound title as a freshman and wants to become the program's first four-time state champion, but he said he is just focusing on the Class 3A Shepard Sectional.
It begins at 5:30 p.m. today with the first session and concludes with two Saturday sessions. The top four in each weight class advance to next weekend's state meet at the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall.
"I know sectionals will be tough and I just have to come out ready to wrestle," Williams said. "I haven't had a lot of matches, but am ready and feel I am in good form."
Last year, he became the first Thornton wrestler since 1995 to win a state title. Shaun Carter won the Class AA 171-pound title that year.
Williams (13-1) missed the first part of the season with a left ankle injury suffered during an AAU summer match. He is ranked No. 2 in his weight class according to Illinois Matmen and lost his first match in the Marist Regional championship to Marist's Mark Duda, 5-3, who is No. 1.
"We'll see each other again," Duda said. "Probably (this weekend) at Shepard and probably at state."
Williams also expects a rematch.
"I just have to be ready for a tough match," Williams said. "He got the best of me today (Saturday). I expected a close match."
Williams wrestles for the famous Harvey Twisters program and has been involved in the sport since he was 3 years old. He is not related to the Williams brothers — Joe, T.J. and Steve — who wrestled for the Twisters, Mount Carmel and Iowa.
Thornton is not a wrestling power and Williams said he has had people tell him he should go to a school better known for wrestling, but he wanted to go to Thornton.
"Maybe we can get something going here," Williams said. "I am proud to wrestle for Thornton High School. We have some good wrestlers and I would like to be a four-time champ, but I also know that will not be easy."
It has never been accomplished at Thornton, though in the single-class system Ben Crisler won state titles in 1953, 1954 and 1955 at 133, 145 and 154 respectively.
Ken Moore and Chris Truby won two state titles each. Moore won in 1958 and 1959 at heavyweight, and Truby won in 1955 and 1956 at 175.
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