One-Two Punch: Odiotti, Calcutt bring home state titles for Loyola

Wearing a shoulder brace and a knee brace, Kai Calcutt was not 100% for the end of his preps wrestling career.

But that did not stop the Loyola Academy senior wrestler from the finish he wanted.

Calcutt won his second state championship, and sophomore teammate Niko Odiotti earned his first, on Saturday night, Feb. 21, at State Farm Center in Champaign.

It is the first time Loyola wrestling has had two boys wrestling champs in the same season. In 2023, boys wrestler Massey Odiotti and girls wrestler Harlee Hiller each won a state title.

Calcutt (38-2) beat St. Charles East’s Cooper Murray by technical fall six minutes into the IHSA Class 3A 215-pound final, while Odiotti (35-2) won 10-3 against Marmion’s Colton Wyller in the 3A 106 title bout.

The wins came a year after Calcutt and Odiotti both lost in the finals.

Calcutt leaves Loyola as its most accomplished wrestler after making four appearances in a state-championship match. He finishes with two state crowns and two runner-up finishes.

“Being a four-time finalist … is a blessing,” said Calcutt, who will continue his career at North Carolina State. “All the hard work, all the late nights, all the early mornings, all the blood, sweat and tears have really paid off.

“And it’s something I’m happy to get off my chest coming off a loss (in the 2025 finals).”

Calcutt has been dealing with a shoulder injury since the football season, when he was an All-Conference defensive lineman.

Then he popped a bursa sac in his knee on Thursday, Feb. 19, the first day of the state tournament.

“I just had to fight through all that,” Calcutt said. “(The coaches) just told me to suck it up; it’s your senior season.”

This title felt better than the one he won two years ago.

“I ended it how I wanted to, with a tech fall, and in my sophomore year I went to overtime,” Calcutt said. “It’s still a win, but (this year) I really got to show my true potential.”

The senior was a dominant force all weekend, despite the injury. He won via tech fall (24-4) in 2 minutes 19 seconds of his opening match. Then he pinned his quarterfinal opponent in the first period and bested Naperville North’s Tavfik Ibragimov (40-4) via major decision (16-5) to advance to the championship.

Ramblers coach Matt Collum appreciated Calcutt not letting the injuries derail him.

“He’s tough, man,” Collum said. “He’s banged up. He’s been banged up for four years. He just kept coming. Between football and wrestling, he’s in the gym, he’s on the field, he’s in the wrestling room — he just works. He’s an awesome kid and he deserves to win that match.”

Odiotti, like Calcutt, was fueled by last year’s near-miss.

As a freshman, Odiotti advanced to the 106 title match but fell 4-1.

“It was a disappointing emotion, and I just kind of felt that every time at practice,” Odiotti said. “I really worked harder and made sure that wouldn’t happen again.”

He and Calcutt made a vow after the 2025 state tournament that this season would have a different ending.

“We took a picture with both our medals and our coaches and ourselves both said next year we’ll both have bracket boards (after winning titles),” Odiotti said.

Odiotti joins his older brother Massey — now a junior at Northwestern — as a two-time finalist and one-time state champ.

“He’s helped me a lot,” Niko Odiotti said. “He keeps helping me become a better wrestler. … He tells me certain stuff (like), ‘You can’t really worry too much about the outcome. You’ve just got to wrestle hard and the result will follow.'”

Collum said Niko Odiotti has always had the right stuff. He just needed a bit of a jolt.

“Niko was motivated by that loss from last year,” Collum said. “… He needed a kick in the butt and that was the kick in the butt.

“He started off slow in this tournament — it’s IHSA state, the lights do something to you. But he poured it on (Friday) night, he poured it on (Saturday night) and he got what he deserved.”

Odiotti, his brother Massey and Calcutt are the only boys wrestling state champs in Loyola history. Harlee Hiller also has two titles on the girls side.

The Ramblers sent four other wrestlers to the IHSA championships: sophomore Daniel Myint (12) and seniors Gavin Pardilla (126), James Hemmila (150) and Danny Malan (157). The latter three all won their opening matches plus one consolation match, each finishing 2-2 on the weekend.

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