Manhattan School District 114 Celebrates Historic State Placements for Wrestling, Music, and Bowling

Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education Meeting | April 8, 2026

Article Summary: The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education recognized an unprecedented series of student achievements across its athletics and fine arts programs, highlighting a record-breaking wrestling season, perfect scores in regional music contests, and a rare perfect bowling game.

Manhattan District 114 Student Achievement Key Points:

• The district’s wrestling team saw record participation with 84 students, ultimately taking first place in regionals, third at sectionals, and second overall at the state level.

• The Manhattan Junior High School band program secured 23 superior ratings at the solo and ensemble contest, with two ensembles earning perfect scores at the IGSA/IGMA band contest.

• Eighth-grade bowler Dominic Dorenzo rolled a perfect 300 game during a recent tournament, securing a first-place finish.

The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, honored a remarkable wave of student achievements, celebrating historic milestones in wrestling, music, and bowling that have brought regional and statewide recognition to the district.

The board opened the meeting by welcoming members of the Manhattan Junior High School (MJHS) band, led by director Carlene Pedzywater. Pedzywater highlighted an incredibly successful season that began with the solo and ensemble contest on February 7, where 25 events participated. The students walked away with 23 superior ratings and 22 excellent ratings.

The momentum continued at the IGSA/IGMA band contest hosted at MJHS on March 12. Both the sixth-grade group and the seventh- and eighth-grade symphonic band received straight “ones,” the highest possible rating, which included two perfect scores.

“The kids were talking about how there’s not much school left, but I totally agree with that. It’s coming in a hurry,” Pedzywater told the board, noting that the bands are now preparing for the state contest at Lockport High School on April 25 and the Music in the Parks Festival at Great America on May 2.

The board was treated to live performances by the two ensembles that achieved perfect scores. The sixth-grade trumpet trio, featuring Adam Baya, Andrew Civic, and Bryce Ward, performed “On a Carousel.” They were followed by an eighth-grade woodwind quartet—consisting of Cody Ander on clarinet, Ben Yaong on tenor saxophone, and Omar Baya and Lizzie Peters on alto saxophones—who performed “The Entertainer.”

Following the musical performances, the board recognized the Manhattan wrestling program, which coaches noted had its most successful season in the program’s seven-year history.

“We started this program about seven years ago with 32 kids. When we started this, we didn’t have mats. We got singlets that were the wrong size. We looked like the Bad News Bears,” Coach Glassie told the board. “But every year, we keep getting better and stronger.”

This season, the program expanded to a record 84 wrestlers spanning fifth through eighth grades. The team took first place at regionals, third at sectionals, and an impressive second place overall at the state tournament.

Several individual wrestlers were recognized for their standout performances, including eighth-grader Nolan Thorp, who took third place; seventh-grader Case Hack, who took second; seventh-grader Brenton Hoba, who placed fifth; and eighth-grader Ashton Mangala, who placed first at sectionals. Coaches also praised the grit of younger wrestlers like sixth-grader Rojek, fifth-grader Jackson Scott, and Jackson Love.

“I just really couldn’t be prouder for them because they’re the ones that did all the work,” Glassie added. “So, they’re the ones that should be celebrated.”

The board also celebrated a rare achievement in the district’s bowling program. During administrative reports, it was announced that Dominic Dorenzo rolled a perfect 300 game at a tournament in Troy the night prior.

“He rolled a perfect 300 game, which is a feat that not many bowlers ever accomplish,” a district official reported to the board. “The entire bowling alley was cheering him on as he achieved this memorable moment… It was dead silent and several schools were there, and they all erupted into cheers when he got that 300.”

The perfect game propelled Dorenzo to a first-place finish out of all the boys at the tournament. The district’s girls bowling team also saw success recently, finishing second at a tournament in Homer, while the boys team finished fourth at the same event. The teams are now advancing to sectionals in Channahon.