Joliet Central Chess Team Invited to National Tournament

From Joliet Central High School:

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Central High School’s chess team competed in the IHSA State Chess Tournament in Peoria on Saturday and have been invited to attend the National Chess Tournament.

The Joliet Central team finished 61st out of 150 teams and made a record of 4-3, which ties with their best record at State set last year. The JCHS chess coaches are Luis Medina and Rodney Coatney Sr., and the senior captains are Cesar Escutia and Gavin Bennett.

A highlight of the team’s success at the State Finals includes chess team member Mozzel Rodriguez winning an astonishing six of her seven games, finishing in the top ten on her respective board and ranking in 8th place. She is the first player in Joliet Central High School history to win a medal at State for chess.

“This was a historic event as she won her final game with less than a minute on the clock. She continued to make breathtaking moves,” Coatney said. “As she contemplated her final three moves, she ended the game with the most popular word spoken by a champion: ‘Checkmate’.”

Other notable accomplishments included captain Cesar Escutia finishing 71st overall out of more than 1800 high school students, and Tyson Guseman earning four out of a potential seven points for his respective board. Two freshman also contributed to the team's success, as Hunter and John entered the game for one round and both won.

Joliet Central High School also had two other players finish a half point away from a medal, which were Jaime Huichapa and Daniel Singh, both finishing with 5.5 points. Because of the team’s overall success, they have been invited to attend the National Chess Tournament in Tennessee.

“It was a great weekend and the kids did great. We had a rough start, but finished strong,” Coatney said.

image via Joliet Central High School