By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

The popularity of the IWCOA’s Girls Championships has surged in the past few years and the 2025 competition established a new standard in impressive fashion.

A total of 452 girls took part in the two-day competition at Bank of Springfield Center, which was a 50 percent boost from last year’s field, which was 301. And this year’s tournament had a 220 percent gain from the 2023 Championships, when 141 participated.

The eight sectionals also had a 60 percent increase from a year ago with 572 on hand this year and 357 taking part in 2024. The Boys Frosh/Soph Championship also established a new record this season with 591 competitors so the combined total of 1,043 for both events.

Fourteen schools had first-place finishers in the Girls Championships with Metea Valley being the only one that had two title winners, Janiya Moore (115) and Alketa Picari (135).

The west suburbs had the most champions with Naperville Central’s Annika Hull (95), Glenbard West’s Jivona Brown (100), Lisle Senior’s Sophie Crescenzo (125), Oak Park and River Forest’s Isabella Miller (140), J. Sterling Morton’s Anali Wilson (190) and Glenbard North’s Asreilla Wallace (235) joining Moore and Picari as title winners. 

Other Chicago-area first-place finishers were Lockport Township’s Averi Colella (105), Warren Township’s Aaliyah Vazquez (110), Kankakee’s Taniyah Sherman (120) and Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Giancarla Garduno (145).

Champions from central Illinois programs were Springfield co-op’s Ariella Miloncus (130) and Richwoods’ Sydney Johnson (170) while southern Illinois also had a first-place finisher, Murphysboro’s Nahima Mateo (155).

Springfield co-op’s Ariella Miloncus won her third title at the Championships, also taking firsts in 2022 and 2023 in her other two appearances and she could not compete in the event last season since she qualified for the IHSA Individual Finals. The co-op team features athletes from Springfield High, Lanphier and Southeast.

Champions who moved up from a year ago (with finishes in 2024 listed) were Kankakee’s Taniyah Sherman (third at 115), Metea Valley’s Alketa Picari (third at 145), Naperville Central’s Annika Hull (fourth at 95), Richwoods’ Sydney Johnson (fourth at 170), Glenbard North’s Asreilla Wallace (fourth at 235), Metea Valley’s Janiya Moore (fifth at 110), Oak Park and River Forest’s Isabella Miller (sixth at 140) and Warren Township’s Aaliyah Vazquez (DNP at 125).

Glenbard North advanced three to title matches as Keagan Edwards (130) and Suzanne Stalley (140) both took second. And Springfield co-op also had a runner-up, Reaghan Madura (110).

Additional second-place finishers from Chicago-area schools were Larkin’s Ashley Hammond (105), Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Aubrianna Rapier (120), District 230 co-op involving Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Stagg’s Piper Booe (125), Conant’s Ewa Krupa (135), Plainfield North’s Viktoriia Rodnikova (145), Plainfield East’s Kaitlyn Bucholz (155), Cary-Grove’s Denver Gier (170) and Shepard’s Karrine Jenkins (235). Rodnikova also took second place last year at 140. 

Other individuals who finished in second place from downstate Illinois schools were Olympia’s Mya Downs (95), Geneseo’s Addison Hadsall (100), Pekin’s Violet Pennington (115) and Waterloo’s Izabell McBride (190).

Some of the closest championship matches included Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Giancarla Garduno getting past Plainfield North’s Viktoriia Rodnikova 6-3 by sudden victory at 145, Warren Township’s Aaliyah Vazquez edging Springfield co-op’s Reaghan Madura 5-4 at 110, J. Sterling Morton’s Anali Wilson prevailing over Waterloo’s Izabell McBride 1-0 at 190 and Oak Park and River Forest’s Isabella Miller defeating Glenbard North’s Suzanne Stalley 6-4 at 140.

There was a three-way tie for the most teams points with 34 between Glenbard West’s Jivona Brown, Kankakee’s Taniyah Sherman and Lisle Senior’s Sophie Crescenzo while Springfield co-op’s Ariella Miloncus and Murphysboro’s Nahima Mateo tied for fourth with 33 points. 

Metea Valley’s Alketa Picari scored 32.5 points while Naperville Central’s Annika Hull, Oak Park and River Forest’s Isabella Miller and Glenbard North’s Asreilla Wallace all had 32 points and Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Giancarla Garduno rounded out the top 10 with 31 team points.

Champaign Central’s London Grant had the most total match points with 86, Pekin’s Madizyn Megrant ranked second with 76 points and Lincoln-Way co-op’s Emily Peyton was third with 72 points. Megrant and Peyton also were the only two individuals in the Girls Championships who won three matches by technical fall.

There were three competitors who collected six falls during the Championships, Minooka’s Sabina Charlebois, West Aurora’s Kaylee Martinez and Oak Forest’s Brooklyn Strelow.

Here’s a look at the title winners at the IWCOA Girls Championships and other medalists at their weight classes:

95 – Annika Hull, Naperville Central

Annika Hull had a successful season by most standards after going 28-12 and she won a title at Eisenhower, took second at Ottawa Township and her own school’s invite, was third at Curie and fourth at Niles West. But the Naperville Central senior was disappointed that she fell a bit short of advancing to the Schaumburg Sectional from the Hinsdale South Regional. So she decided to compete in the IWCOA Girls Championship series again and she closed her career on a high note after winning the title at 95 with a fall in 2:15 over Olympia senior Mya Downs.

Hull, one of two medalists and the lone finalist for the Redhawks, who are coached by 2011 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Rob Porter, who is also serves as the IWCOA President, qualified for the Finals by winning the title at her own school’s sectional. She received a bye and then recorded falls in next four matches, winning in 4:21 over Mahomet-Seymour’s Sierra Tuttle in the quarterfinals and then in 2:58 over Robinson’s Serenity Canady in the semifinals. Hull also competed in the Championships last season and claimed fourth place at 95.

“Having coach (Rob) Porter as a coach, he’s always just made me focus on the next match, rather than actually winning the whole thing,” Hull said. “So it kind of made me look at it one step at a time, rather than the big picture, which really helped me a lot. So when I was out there in my last match, I was more thinking of winning the match rather than winning the actual tournament itself, which put me in a better mindset. At first, you don’t really know that you won, you’re just in shock. But then when you see your coach in the corner and he’s all happy and everything, you really feel accomplished and that you just did a good job out there. It was a really tough competition. Coach Porter was proud of how far I did come in my actual state run, but he knew I could have done better. Seeing me make it to the finals, he was like, ‘I knew you could be a finals placer.’ I was actually the first one on the team at Naperville Central. And just watching the team grow, along with coach Porter, I always liked having him in my corner and having him there to coach me. And to see our team grow, since we went from two to now 11.”

Mya Downs, who went 20-10 and took second place at the Pontiac Regional before falling a bit shy of qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals at the Highland Sectional, was a member of her school’s first qualifier for the IHSA Class 1A Dual Team Finals since 2017, where it lost 53-22 to eventual champion Coal City in the quarterfinals. The lone qualifier for coach Josh Collins’ Spartans in the Girls Championships, she also received a bye before getting a fall and then claimed a 2-0 decision over Lincoln-Way co-op’s Monica Alvarez in the quarterfinals before capturing a 9-5 decision over Joliet Central’s Kassandra Ruiz in the semifinals. 

Lincoln-Way co-op’s Monica Alvarez lost in the quarterfinals to Mya Downs and bounced back from that with four-straight victories to capture third place with a fall in 3:25 over Joliet Central’s Kassandra Ruiz. For fifth place, Mahomet-Seymour’s Sierra Tuttle claimed a 13-7 win by sudden victory over Robinson’s Serenity Canady. And for seventh place, Bloom Township’s Lillian O’Brien won by fall in 2:18 over Heyworth’s Haley Richter.

100 – Jivona Brown, Glenbard West

Jivona Brown went 19-12 this season and took third in the West Suburban Conference and fourth at Larkin but was unable to advance to the IHSA Individual Finals after falling a bit short of qualifying from the Schaumburg Sectional. So the Glenbard West senior wanted one more opportunity to compete along with her teammates and got that chance when she qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championship by taking first place at the Naperville Central Sectional.  

Brown claimed victories in all five of her matches in the Championship with pins, winning in 1:18 over West Aurora’s Melissa Melgar in the quarterfinals and in 3:38 over Mahomet-Seymour’s Madilyn Becker in the semifinals and then capturing the title at 100 in 1:29 over Geneseo freshman Addison Hadsall to become the lone finalist and one of four medal winners for coach Pat McCluskey’s Hilltoppers. Brown tied Lisle Senior’s Sophie Crescenzo, the champion at 125, and Kankakee’s Taniyah Sherman, the title winner at 120, for the most team points with 34. They were the only three champions who won all five of their matches with falls.

“Being able to go into this and to end up with a title is something that I really didn’t think was going to happen,” Brown said. “In general, me and my teammates, especially some of the older girls that were with me the entire time, we came just to have some fun. Our sectional ended up being really, really hard, and we didn’t make it all the way, so we chose the IWCOA as a last go for all of us. So being able to end up with the title was honestly mind-blowing and is something that I consider to be a very defining moment in my wrestling career. It was definitely a real special team. A lot of these girls I ended up practically growing up with, so being able to come to the IWCOA, we were like, ‘let’s just all do it together and have fun, let’s just be the team that we’ve always been.’ It was just a very special bonding moment for all of us. It was a humongous tournament, I’ve never been to anything outside of a school tournament, so walking into the IWCOA, was like, ‘whoa’. This was my first time competing in the 100 bracket ever, so I was like, ‘I have no idea what I’m expecting.’ So it was kind of weird to be a senior that’s in the know about everything you should have some background knowledge, and I didn’t. I’ve only been wrestling for two seasons, so everything is fairly new to me. For me and my girls, it was like anything could happen. Being able to go in and kind of go where the wind blows was really fun.”

Addison Hadsall, who went 33-16 and won titles at the first Princeton Invitational Tournament and the Jacksonville Regional and also placed fourth at Canton, fell a bit short of advancing from the sectional that her school hosted to miss out on a trip to the IHSA Individual Finals. So the freshman entered the IWCOA Girls Championship series and qualified for state by taking first at the Sterling Sectional. She opened with a quick pin and a major decision before winning by fall in 2:13 over Bismarck-Henning Rossville-Alvin coop’s Gracie Pattison in the quarterfinals and then advanced to the 100 title mat with a pin in 1:31 over Glenbrook North’s Leah Stringfellow to become the lone finalist and one of two medalists for coach Carley Rusk’s Maple Leafs.

Lincoln-Way’s Emily Peyton bounced back from a 13-5 loss to Glenbrook North’s Leah Stringfellow in the quarterfinals to win four in a row, capping that run with a 10-4 decision over Stringfellow to claim third place. Peyton was one of two individuals in the tournament who had three wins by technical fall and tied for third in total match points with 72. For fifth place, Wheeling’s Haydee Cruz claimed a 5-0 decision over Mahomet-Seymour’s Madilyn Becker. And for seventh place, Richwoods’ Leah White won 2-0 over Burlington Central’s Melanie Granada.  

105 – Averi Colella, Lockport Township

Averi Colella made history by becoming the first girl at Lockport Township to collect 100 wins and was 40-13 and qualified for the IHSA Individual Finals in 2024. In her senior season, she went 44-10 and won a title at Oswego East, took second at Minooka and Niles West and placed third at Hoffman Estates and the Hinsdale South Regional but fell one win shy of advancing from the Schaumburg Sectional. So Colella decided to finish her career on a better note at the IWCOA Girls Championships and that paid off for her since she claimed the title at 105 with a victory by technical fall over Larkin senior Ashley Hammond.

Colella qualified for her trip to Springfield by taking first at the Thornton Township Sectional. After collecting a fall in her opener, she got a pin in 4:53 over Schaumburg’s Justice Girod in the quarterfinals. Colella earned her spot in the 105 finals with a 7-0 decision over West Chicago’s Brissia Bucio in the semifinals to become the only medalist for coach Nathaniel Roth’s Porters.

“Our assistant coach, Sam Fuentes, organized the postseason IWCOA Tournament for us,” Colella said. “I wanted to continue and we had some girls that wanted to be in it but the school does not fund it, so we had to pay our own way. Although she couldn’t wrestle in it because she was in the IHSA tournament, Rebekah Ramirez came with us. I felt like I was supposed to go to state but didn’t get super lucky in the blood round at the (Schaumburg) Sectional. Veronica (Skibicki) was my partner in the room and went as an alternate and got to wrestle at state and made the second day. The lower weight classes were loaded. When I got to the title match, I knew I’d win. I had pinned her at the sectional and this time I had a tech fall.”

Ashley Hammond saw her 30-14 season come to an end when she lost to Colella in consolation round three at the Schaumburg Sectional. The senior also enjoyed a lot of success in tournaments, winning titles at East Aurora and Conant, taking second place at her school’s invite, Curie and the Willowbrook Regional and fourth at Minooka and Ottawa Township. She qualified for the Championships by taking first at the Naperville Central Sectional and recorded falls in her first three matches, needing 1:59 to defeat Vernon Hills’ Hanna Lee in the quarterfinals. The lone medalist for coach Patrick Hillebrand’s Royals captured a 16-5 major decision over Plainfield East’s Angelina Nettey in the semifinals. She took fifth at 105 in last year’s IWCOA competition.

Maine East’s Eliana Badeen lost her second match and then won six in a row to claim third place with a fall in 4:49 over Plainfield East’s Angelina Nettey. For fifth, West Chicago’s Brissia Bucio recorded a pin in 2:52 over Schaumburg’s Justice Girod and for seventh place, Granite City’s Briana Ramirez won an 8-0 major decision over Anna-Jonesboro’s Haydyn Williamson.

110 – Aaliyah Vazquez, Warren Township

Aaliyah Vazquez came up a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the New Trier Sectional but the Warren Township sophomore had a lot of positives in her 29-10 season. She won titles at Rockford East and Niles West, finished second at Waukegan, Westosha Central, WI, Bolingbrook, Conant and Lake County and was third at the Round Lake Regional. Vazquez decided to end things on a better note and did just that by taking first place at 110 at the IWCOA Girls Championship with a 5-4 decision over Springfield co-op senior Reaghan Madura.

Vazquez qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championship with a first-place finish at the Lake Zurich Sectional. After getting a pin and win by technical fall in her first two matches, she claimed a 15-5 major decision over Crane Medical Prep’s Hannah Chong in the quarterfinals before winning by technical fall over Streator Township’s Addison Yacko in the semifinals. She was the lone finalist and one of two medal winners for coach Nick Grujanac’s Blue Devils.

“I had some new things and I kind of wanted to put them out there and do what I do, and I love wrestling,” Vazquez said. “I’ve been wrestling since seventh grade.This sport teaches you a lot of discipline and how to work hard and be patient. It’s just really fun when you get to learn all of the basics and all of the fun moves and get fluent with it. Since the (Warren Township) boys can get titles), us girls can get them, too. This was like a redemption from sectionals and all of that.”

Reaghan Madura, who fell a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the Highland Sectional went 22-8 in her final season. She won the title at Lanphier’s Jeff Gardner Memorial, took seconds at Pontiac, Canton and the Mt. Zion Regional and was third at Granite City and Jacksonville. She qualified for the IWCOA Championships by taking first at the Granite City Sectional. After getting a win by technical fall and a major decision, Madura won a 9-3 decision over ROWVA’s Marissa Brown in the quarterfinals and a 10-6 decision over Willowbrook’s Angelina Manlapaz in the semifinals to become one of two finalists, with 130 champ Ariella Miloncus the other, for coach Sean Kenny’s co-op team, that includes athletes from Springfield High, Lanphier and Southeast.

Woodstock’s Eva Hermansson lost her second match and then won six in a row to claim third place with a 7-4 decision over Streator Township’s Addison Yacko. For fifth place, Willowbrook’s Angelina Manlapaz won by fall in 4:03 over Pekin’s Madizyn Megrant, who joined Lincoln-Way’s Emily Peyton as the only two individuals with three wins by technical fall. And for seventh place, St. Charles East’s Sydney Stieb was a winner by technical fall over Saint Viator’s Evalyn Idzik.

115 – Janiya Moore, Metea Valley

Janiya Moore closed out a successful sophomore season with a 43-6 record but fell one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Schaumburg Sectional. In addition, she won two tournaments at Oswego East and also took firsts at Waukegan, Hampshire and Oak Forest, second at East Aurora and thirds at Niles West, Conant and the Hinsdale South Regional. With all of that success, it was no surprise that she would want to compete again in the IWCOA Girls Championships and that was wise decision since she took first place at 115 after claiming an 8-3 decision over Pekin sophomore Violet Pennington in the title match, helping Metea Valley to be the only team in the event with two champions as Alketa Picari also took first place at 135.

Moore, who took fifth at 110 last season, qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships by winning the title at the Naperville Central Sectional. After opening with a win by technical fall and a pin, she claimed another win by technical fall over Westville’s Kiley Knight in the quarterfinals and then earned her spot in the 115 title match with a 5-3 decision over York’s Charlie Dolan. Title winners Moore and Picari were the lone qualifiers for coach Kevin Garbis’ Mustangs.

“This gives me a boost and I feel like I’m more confident now that I can win,” Moore said. “Last year, I got fifth (at the IWCOA), so being first is really exciting and gives me a lot of confidence. I feel like winning this just proves that I 100 percent could have made it to state and I could have placed. I’m super glad that both of our boys made it (to IWCOA state) and I’m super glad that she (Alketa) made it. And even if they just competed at sectionals, I’m glad that everyone could just come together and try to learn. I’m super glad that I got to wrestle girls that were really good. This is good because we live and we learn, and this was a learning experience overall.”

Violet Pennington finished 9-5 and advanced to the Geneseo Sectional. She won a title at the Mid-Illini Conference, was second in the Metamora Township Regional and took fourth place at Normal Community. She advanced to the IWCOA Girls Championships after taking first at the Heyworth Sectional. Pennington, one of two medalists and the lone finalist for coach John Jacobs’ Lady Dragons, opened with a victory by technical fall and then got a pin. She won by fall in 3:23 over Edwardsville’s Gigi Linhorst in the quarterfinals and then advanced to the 115 title match with another pin, this one in 3:53 over Morris’ Makensi Martin in the semifinals.

Edwardsville’s Gigi Linhorst lost to Violet Pennington in the quarterfinals and then won four-straight matches to claim third place with a 12-6 decision over Morris’ Makensi Martin. For fifth place, York’s Charlie Dolan captured a 9-4 decision over Grant’s America Camacho. And for seventh place, West Aurora’s Kaylee Martinez, who tied two other individuals for the most falls with six, recorded a pin in 0:38 over Sherrard’s Sophia Bradarich. 

120 – Taniyah Sherman, Kankakee

Taniyah Sherman completed her junior season with an 18-4 record but her quest to advance to the IHSA Individual Finals came up a bit short at the Geneseo Sectional. So the Kankakee junior, who won a title at Pontiac, took second at Ottawa Township and placed third at the Metamora Township Regional, decided to see how well she could do in the IWCOA Girls Championships series after placing third at 115 in 2024. She not only got back to the state finals but she captured the title at 120 with a fall in 4:20 over Bradley-Bourbonnais sophomore Aubrianna Rapier, avenging a loss when the two met up for the title at the Thornton Township Sectional between athletes whose schools are less than five miles away from each other.

Sherman took second place in the IWCOA Thornton Township Sectional, when she lost to Rapier by fall in 2:09 in the title match. She then proceeded to win all five of her matches in Springfield with pins, becoming one of three champions who pulled off that feat, with the others being Glenbard West’s Jivona Brown, who took first place at 100, and Lisle Senior’s Sophie Crescenzio, who won a title right after her at 125. Not surprisingly, all three of those champions also tied for the most team points with 34. She got a fall in 2:32 over West Aurora’s Lailonie Molina in the quarterfinals and then earned her spot in the 120 finals with a pin in 3:44 over Schaumburg’s Isabella Rivas to become the lone medalist for coach Brad Burns’ Lady Kays.

“Yes, I’m pleased,” Sherman said. “At sectionals, I went through a really hard part of the bracket and it got into my head a little bit. But here, it was just about having fun and there was no pressure. And it’s so much fun to see all of these different people. There were so many people here and it was so fun meeting so many different people. The growth this year has been amazing with so many new girls wrestling and so many people are giving it a try. I’ve been wrestling for three years now and when I started, I was only wrestling boys but now there’s so many girls wrestling, I love how fast the sport is growing. I had an amazing time wrestling here, there’s so many girls here with so many different skill levels. I’m still learning as I go in every match, and that’s the fun part. Last year, I came in third and I knew that I could have done better, and now I did better.”

Aubrianna Rapier came up one win short of advancing to the IHSA Finals at the Geneseo Sectional and also competed in the Metamora Township Regional, but she did so at 125, so she didn’t face Sherman there. Rapier had two third-place finishes to highlight her 18-5 season, at Eisenhower in Blue Island and also at the regional. She qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships in Springfield by taking first at the Thornton Township Sectional, where she pinned Sherman in 2:09 in the 120 title match. After not placing in the event last season, she won her first four matches with pins, beating Lake Forest’s Mirabelle Duboeuf in 0:56 in the quarterfinals and Rock Falls’ Ryleigh Eriks in 3:38 in the semifinals to earn another matchup with Sherman. She was the lone medalist for coach Micky Spiwak’s Boilermakers.

In the third-place match, Schaumburg’s Isabella Rivas won by fall in 3:55 over West Aurora’s Lailonie Molina. For fifth place, Glenbard West’s Valentina Fantoni won by medical forfeit over Rock Falls’ Ryleigh Eriks. And for seventh place, Oswego East’s Mia Nevarez was a winner by fall in 2:45 over Marist’s Ava Enright.

125 – Sophie Crescenzo, Lisle Senior

Sophie Crescenzo went 18-7 this past season and fell one win short of qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals from the Schaumburg Sectional. She took second at Bolingbrook, was third at Fremd and the Hinsdale South Regional and placed fourth at Hampshire. Disappointed about not getting an opportunity to compete in Bloomington, the freshman at Lisle Senior decided to take part in the IWCOA Girls Championships and that proved to be a good decision since she captured the title at 125 with a fall in 1:39 over District 230 co-op freshman Piper Booe in the finals.

Crescenzo qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships by winning the Naperville Central Sectional title. Following two first-period falls in her opening two matches in Springfield, she recorded a pin in 4:07 over Minooka’s Sabina Charlebois in the quarterfinals and also won by fall in 4:44 over Edwardsville’s Olive Linhorst in the semifinals. The lone medal winner for coach Brandon Wolak’s Lions, she joined the two individuals who won championships before her, Glenbard West’s Jivona Brown (100) and Kankakee’s Taniya Sherman (120) as the only title winners in the finals who competed in five matches and won each by fall. She also tied Brown and Sherman as the leaders in the Championships for the most team points with 34.

“I’m so proud of myself with how far I’ve come,” Crescenzo said. “I was so close to state, I lost my match by one point in the blood round, so I was right there, but I think that this is better. (About wrestling) I can’t even explain it, it’s changed my life in so many ways. Just the atmosphere of everyone, all of the girls and the love, it’s so fun.”

Piper Booe, who went 28-16 this season, also fell one win away from qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the New Trier Sectional to cap a successful debut season where she took third at the Rich Township Regional and was fourth at Oak Forest. She was the lone qualifier for coach Liz Short’s District 230 co-op team, which featured athletes from Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Stagg, that claimed the IHSA championship at the Finals in Bloomington. Booe also won her first four matches in the Girls Championships by fall, winning in 10 seconds over Schaumburg’s Lauren Brehmer in the quarterfinals and then in 2:11 over Sherrard’s Kylie Mathis in the semifinals. 

Minooka’s Sabina Charlebois lost to Crescenzo in the quarterfinals and then won four in a row to claim third place with a victory by fall in 2:28 over Edwardsville’s Olive Linhorst. For fifth place, Oak Forest’s Brooklyn Strelow recorded a pin in 1:53 over Sherrard’s Kylie Mathis. And for seventh place, Neuqua Valley’s Zuzanna Wegiera was a winner by technical fall over Urbana’s Randi Campe. Charlebois and Strelow were two of the three individuals in the finals who recorded six falls, with West Aurora’s Kaylee Martinez, the other one.

130 – Ariella Miloncus, Springfield co-op

Ariella Miloncus, a senior for the Springfield co-op team, which includes athletes from Springfield High, Lanphier and Southeast, captured her third title at the IWCOA Girls Championship after winning by fall in 4:52 over Glenbard North junior Keagan Edwards in the 130 finals, adding to first-place finishes in 2023 and 2022 and qualifying for the IHSA Finals in 2024. She posted a 21-8 record this season but fell one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Highland Sectional. She also took first at the Mt. Zion Regional, placed second at Pontiac, Springfield’s Joe Bee and Canton and claimed a third-place finish at Jacksonville. 

Miloncus took first in the IWCOA Granite City Sectional to qualify for the event for the third time and won her initial two matches with first-period pins. In the quarterfinals, she captured a 15-3 major decision over Downers Grove North’s Natalia Cruz in the quarterfinals and then earned another trip to the title match in Springfield following a win by fall in 2:02 over Geneseo’s Bella Curcuru. Miloncus was one of two finalists for coach Sean Kenny’s Springfield co-op team.

“I’ve won this three times, also in my freshman and sophomore years,” Miloncus said. “Junior year, I couldn’t wrestle because I went to IHSA state and this year, unfortunately, lost by one match and the sectional had a difficult bracket. All three of our high schools, we all work together as one team, it’s a change, but it helps us to come together. The team this year has pushed me a lot. From my freshman year, it was just me pretty much. I’m so excited that whenever you first step on the mat, you’re scared, but you know  people are there supporting you and that you have a family behind you. If I’m going up against someone, if I win or I lose, we’re all supportive of one another, especially in girls wrestling. The boys are a lot different, it’s a lot more competitive, but us girls know that it’s a growing sport, so we have to stick together.”

Keagan Edwards went 41-8 this season and fell a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Individuals Finals at the Schaumburg Sectional. She won titles at Glenbard South, Morris, Batavia and the DuKane Conference, placed second at Niles West and finished third at Ottawa Township and the Willowbrook Regional. She qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships with a third-place finish at the Naperville Central Sectional and won her first four matches with pins, winning in 4:54 over Homewood-Flossmoor’s Amara Nwoye in the quarterfinals and earning her spot on the 130 title mat with a pin 2:06 over Galesburg’s Amyah Pruitt in the semifinals. She was one of three finalists and two second-place finishers in the event for coach Chris Edwards’ Panthers.

In the third-place match, Galesburg’s Amyah Pruitt was a winner by fall in 1:55 over Geneseo’s Bella Curcuru. For fifth place, Downers Grove North’s Natalia Cruz recorded a pin in 2:13 over Bolingbrook’s Anaya Campbell and for seventh place, Lake Zurich’s Caitlin Ruley captured a 5-0 decision over Joliet Central’s April Ortiz.

135 – Alketa Picari, Metea Valley

Alketa Picari and Janiya Moore found themselves in similar, yet very disappointing, positions on the final day at the Schaumburg Sectional when they both missed out on advancing to the IHSA Individual Finals by one victory. The Metea Valley sophomores were in the same positions on the last day of the IWCOA Girls Championships, except this time it was certainly a much more enjoyable scenario since they both captured championships in the Finals in Springfield to make the Mustangs the only team to have more than one first-place finisher. Picari won by fall in 2:19 over Conant junior Ewa Krupa in the 135 title match, shortly after Moore took first place at 115.

Picari, who went 35-11 this season, and Moore were the two IWCOA qualifiers for coach Kevin Garbis’ Mustangs. She took second place In the Hinsdale South Regional and was third at Waukegan, East Aurora, Conant and Oswego East before falling short at the Schaumburg Sectional. She advanced to the IWCOA Championships after winning a title at the Naperville Central Sectional. After opening with a quick pin and a 12-2 major decision, Picari claimed a win by technical fall over Freeburg’s Kyliee Sudja in the quarterfinals before earning her spot in the 135 title match by recording a fall in 2:55 over DeKalb’s Lana Zimmerman in the semifinals. She improved on her showing in the event last season when she finished in third place at 145.

“It feels good actually and we wanted to win together,” Picari said of winning the title along with Moore. “It’s good just having somebody by your side and we had to warm up together, even though we were at different weights. This gets it rolling for our team, because our girls team is pretty small, we don’t have that many people. All of the competition has helped our team so much. I like the community around it and feeling that you can be tough as a girl in a sport like this. Even now, guys will come up to me and they’ll be like, ‘you just mess around and pull each others’ hair, don’t you?’ It’s just such a different sport than other sports. You have so many opportunities and you’re not on the bench, and I like that.”

Ewa Krupa, who went 39-8 this season, also fell one victory short of qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals at the Schaumburg Sectional. She captured titles at Larkin and Palatine, took second place at Maine East, the Mid Suburban League and the Willowbrook Regional and was third at her own school’s invite. Krupa qualified for the IWCOA Championships by taking first place at the Lake Zurich Sectional and in Springfield, she advanced to the 135 title match with four falls, with the last two pins in less time than the first two. She won by fall in 1:52 over Morris’ Olyve Havens in the quarterfinals and then got a pin in 1:28 over Ottawa Township’s Ava Weatherford in the semifinals. She was the lone IWCOA state qualifier for coach Brad Bessemer’s Cougars.

In the third-place match, DeKalb’s Lana Zimmerman won by fall in 2:53 over Ottawa Township’s Ava Weatherford. In the fifth-place match, Morris’ Olyve Havens recorded a pin in 1:57 over Champaign Central’s London Grant, who led all competitors in the Girls Championships with 86 total match points. And for seventh place, Dundee-Crown’s Ruby Gavina captured a 13-7 decision over Maine East’s Alena Oshana.

140 – Isabella Miller, Oak Park and River Forest

Isabella Miller was like so many other title winners in the IWCOA Championships that aspired to qualify for the IHSA Individual Finals but fell a bit short doing that at the Schaumburg Sectional. So after going 20-9 this season and finishing second at Ottawa Township and Conant and taking third place at the Willowbrook Regional, the Oak Park and River Forest junior decided to try to end on a better note at the Championships in Springfield and she did just that as she won the title at 140 after claiming a 6-4 decision over Glenbard North freshman Suzanne Stalley.

Miller, who qualified for the IWCOA Championships by capturing first place in the Evanston Township Sectional, won her first four matches by fall before facing her toughest test on the 140 title mat. The first three of those pins came in the opening period, including one in 1:13 over Hinsdale Central’s Tiyanna Hart, in the quarterfinals before she earned her spot in the 140 finals with a fall in 3:00 over Freeburg’s Aubrey Raban. Miller, who placed sixth at 140 in last year’s competition, was the lone finalist and one of two medalists for coach Patrick Woulfe’s Huskies. 

“The girls are a lot better than they were last year,” Miller said. “I’m a junior, but this is only my second year. I actually was wrestling guys at a club, and these two girls were like, ‘just actually join the wrestling team, and I said, ‘okay.’ It’s awesome to compete for it (OPRF). It’s like a whole other family, besides obviously your family at home. We have a pretty decent-size team and a lot of the girls are getting better and it’s fun to watch them all grow, too. Actually the girl I wrestled, I wrestled her at regionals, so we were talking the whole time before our match and she was a really fun girl to wrestle. She’s good and she almost got me. I was really nervous.”

Suzanne Stalley competed in several tournaments in her freshman season and fell short of advancing from the Willowbrook Regional. She finished with a 32-14 record and won a title at Glenbard South, took second place in the DuKane Conference and was fourth at Batavia. Stalley advanced to the IWCOA Championships by taking first place at the Naperville Central Sectional. After opening with two falls, she won a 12-10 decision over Murphysboro’s Roxie Royster in the quarterfinals and then earned her spot in the 140 finals with a pin in 1:44 over Naperville Central’s Arianna Rico in the semifinals. She joined 235 champion Asreilla Wallace and 130 runner-up Keagan Edwards as finalists and the medalists for coach Chris Edwards’ Panthers.

Barrington’s Nicole Dziura lost in the quarterfinals but then won four matches in a row to claim third place with a fall in 4:10 over Hinsdale Central’s Tiyanna Hart, who lost to Isabella Miller in the quarterfinals before winning her next three matches. For fifth place, Freeburg’s Aubrey Raban recorded a pin in 2:22 over Naperville Central’s Arianna Rico. And for seventh place, Antioch’s Sasha Johnson was a winner by fall in 3:43 over Murphysboro’s Roxie Royster.

145 – Giancarla Garduno, Saint Ignatius College Prep

Giancarla Garduno and Viktoriia Rodnikova couldn’t decide in regulation who would claim top honors at 145 at the IWCOA Girls Championships so the outcome required more than six minutes to be resolved. With things scoreless through the first two periods, Saint Ignatius College Prep sophomore Garduno got a takedown while Plainfield North sophomore  Rodnikova used two escapes and a penalty point in the third period to force extra time. Garduno finally ended the drama when she got another takedown with 36 seconds left in overtime to capture a 6-3 win by sudden victory to prevail in the only title match in the event that required extra time.

Garduno went 19-4 and fell one win short of advancing to the IHSA Individual Finals from the New Trier Sectional. The lone qualifier for coach Ben Sanchez’s Wolfpack, she won a title at Beat the Streets and took second place at Rich Township, Garduno qualified for the IWCOA Championships by taking first place at the Shepard Sectional and she got pins in her first three matches, winning in 2:52 over Sandwich’s Jazmin Rios in the quarterfinals and then capturing a 13-4 major decision over Robinson’s Macee Hammond in the semifinals. In 2024, she made history for her program by being its first regional champion and its initial qualifier for the IHSA Finals, where she fell one win shy of getting a medal at 140 and finished with a 25-4 record.

“I went to public schools my whole life until I got a scholarship and got the chance to go to Saint Ignatius,” Garduno said. “It was a big change, it was something new and something different. I got into wrestling my eighth grade year, and I was going to Ignatius for wrestling. I became the first girls state qualifier at Saint Ignatius and the first regional champ of the girls. I feel great because  it’s something that they’ll know me for and I’m proud of myself and I just really enjoy wrestling for Saint Ignatius. I have a lot of friends from other teams and I enjoy being with them and I hang around with them at tournaments. I’m also really close with the girls on my team.”  

Viktoriia Rodnikova, who had a 24-9 record this season a came up a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the Schaumburg Sectional, took first place at Minooka and the Southwest Prairie Conference, placed third at Oswego East and Hinsdale South Regional and finished fourth at another invite at Oswego East. She qualified for the Girls Championships by winning the title at the Thornton Township Sectional. The lone qualifier for coach Michael Parton’s Tigers won her first two matches in Springfield with pins and then captured a 4-1 decision over Warren Township’s Tyanna Jackson in the quarterfinals before getting a pin in 1:28 over Bolingbrook’s Savannnah Burns in the semifinals to earn her spot in the 145 title match. She also competed in the IWCOA Girls Championships last season and settled for a second place finish at 140.

In the third-place match, Bolingbrook’s Savannah Burns recorded a fall in 2:59 over Robinson’s Macee Hammond. For fifth place, Lincoln-Wa co-op’s Bailey Mitchell captured a 4-2 decision over Warren Township’s Tyanna Jackson. And for seventh place, Tinley Park’s Rylee Hernandez was a winner by fall in 2:57 over St. Laurence’s Hannah Marusarz.

155 – Nahima Mateo, Murphysboro

Nahima Mateo was very happy when Murphysboro was able to qualify for the IHSA Class 1A Dual Team Finals for the third time in its history and make its first trip to state since 2016. So after going 21-6 and falling one win shy of a trip to state from the Highland Sectional, the junior decided that she’d try to add to the success that coach Shea Baker’s Red Devils enjoyed this season by competing in the IWCOA Girls Championships, and she not only was able to qualify for state, she won the title at 155 with a fall in 4:22 over Plainfield East junior Kaitlyn Bucholz.

Mateo, who took second place at Cape Girardeau, Missouri’s Cape Central invite and had third-place finishes at Carbondale, Anna-Jonesboro and the Civic Memorial Regional, qualified for the Girls Championships by taking first place at the Granite City Sectional. She opened the competition with two first-period falls before capturing a 16-4 major decision over Tremont’s Paytyn Dykes in the quarterfinals and then got a pin in 1:59 over Woodstock’s Brianna Crown in the semifinals to become the lone finalist and one of two medal winners for Murphysboro.

“I really am proud of them, everybody worked hard and all of them are good people,” Mateo said of Murphysboro’s boys qualifying for Dual Team State. “Sometimes I practice with the boys and sometimes I practice with my girls and all of them help me to do better. You have to have a good mindset and enjoy the sport. Some of the people that I’ve wrestled before, we are friends. This is my first year and I’m so glad that I joined this.”

Kaitlyn Bucholz, who went 30-9 this season but was unable to advance from the Hinsdale South Regional, joined a significant number of eventual IHSA champions as a title winner at Hoffman Estates, placed second at Minooka, took third in the Southwest Prairie Conference and finished fourth at Oswego East to highlight her successful season. She qualified for the Championships by taking first place at the Thornton Township Sectional and then recorded first-period falls in her first three matches, winning in 1:38 over Roxana’s Emma Gischer in the quarterfinals and then got a pin in 2:12 over Glenbard West’s Miyalinna DeJesus to become the lone finalist and one of two medalists, who also were the two qualifiers, for coach Julian Ochoa’s Bengals.

In the third-place match, Glenbard West’s Miyalinna DeJesus won 5-2 in sudden victory over Woodstock’s Brianna Crown. For fifth place, Tremont’s Paytyn Dykes captured a 3-1 decision over Wheeling’s Madeline Chicas. And for seventh place, Sycamore’s Avelina McMurtry claimed a 12-2 major decision over Roxana’s Emma Gischer.

170 – Sydney Johnson, Richwoods

Sydney Johnson is proud to continue her family’s tradition of sisters having success in state tournaments for Richwoods, following in the footsteps of Arie and Jaida, by taking first place at 170 in the IWCOA Girls Championships after the junior won a 10-4 decision over Cary-Grove  senior Denver Gier. Arie won the 2021 IWCOA title at 152 in 2021 and was fourth at 145 in the first IHSA Individual Finals in 2022. That same year, Jaida was an IHSA runner-up at 155 and she took second at 155 in 2024 to become the first Lady Knight to be a two-time IHSA medalist. This is her second medal in the event, improving on her fourth-place finish at 170 last season.

Johnson, who went 22-7 this season and fell one win shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Geneseo Sectional, won titles at Pontiac and Metamora Township, placed second at Ottawa Township and Canton and finished fourth at the Metamora Township Sectional. She qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships by finishing in second place at the Heyworth Sectional and then she won close decisions in her first two matches in Springfield. After recording a fall in 0:50 over Yorkville’s Lauryn Trotter in the quarterfinals, she earned her spot in the 170 title match by capturing a 4-3 decision over Oak Park and River Forest’s Caliyah Campbell that resulted in her being the lone finalist and one of three medal winners for coach Rob Penney’s Lady Knights.

“It does feel good,” Johnson said. “I came here last year and I placed fourth, so my goal was to place above that and grow, and I succeeded since I took first. (Richwoods) They’ve been doing it for a long time, so we’re like a family and each year, someone excels and there’s been three of us (Johnson sisters at Richwoods). I like the friends and the company that you keep, the people that support you with your wrestling and as you’re going through your matches, and the hard times, too.”

Denver Gier, who went 15-7 this season and fell a bit shy of advancing from the Hampshire Regional, took second place at Rockford East, placed third at Oswego East and finished fourth at Westosha Central, Wisconsin. She qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships by taking first place at the Lake Zurich Sectional. The only IWCOA state qualifier for coach Amy Saldivar-Castaneda’s Trojans, she collected victories in each of her first four matches with falls, winning in 1:59 over Jacksonville’s Olivia Monroe in the quarterfinals and then in 3:00 over Champaign Central’s Iyjah Grant in the semifinals to earn her spot in the 170 finals.

In the third-place match, Oak Park and River Forest’s Caliyah Campbell claimed a 6-4 decision over Champaign Central’s Iyjah Grant. In the fifth-place match, Yorkville’s Lauryn Trotter won by fall in 1:18 over Vandalia’s Brynn Swyers. And for seventh place, Marist’s Sarah Parker recorded a pin in 0:55 over Hononegah’s Linda Villa.

190 – Anali Wilson, J. Sterling Morton

Anali Wilson had a 21-20 record and lost both of her matches in the New Trier Sectional in addition to having some tournament successes during her sophomore season at J. Sterling Morton. But while others in the IWCOA Girls Championships had better records and more top finishes to their credit, Wilson put everything together over the course of two weekends and that helped her to become a surprise title winner after she used a second-period escape to help her win a 1-0 decision over Waterloo sophomore Izabell McBride in the 190 title match to become one of the 15 champions and the lone medal winner for coach Fernando Arratia’s Mustangs.

Wilson won a title at Kelly, took second at the Rickover Naval Academy Regional, placed third at Waukegan and finished fourth at Curie Metropolitan before qualifying for the IWCOA Girls Championships by capturing first place at the Evanston Township Sectional. She received a bye in her opener and followed that with a 10-3 win before pulling out a 2-0 victory over Belleville West’s Andre’a Kirkpatrick in the quarterfinals and then claimed a 13-8 decision over Glenbard East’s Nadine Spandiary in the semifinals to earn her spot in the 190 championship match.

Izabell McBride closed out her trip to the Girls Championships by finishing with three close decisions. She prevailed 5-4 in the quarterfinals over Westville co-op’s Addison Briggs and captured a 9-7 decision over Palatine’s Irma Villa Colunga in the semifinals before dropping the one-point heartbreaker in the tilde match to Wilson. The lone IWCOA qualifier for coach Ryan Wiggers’ Bulldogs, she qualified for state by winning the Granite City Sectional and she also had a bye in the first round and won with a quick fall after that. McBride competed in last year’s IWCOA Championships but did not place. She finished this season with a 16-12 record after falling one victory shy of qualifying from the Highland Sectional and also had second-place finishes at Marion, O’Fallon and the Civic Memorial Regional and placed third at Granite City.

For third place, Glenbard East’s Nadine Spandiary recorded a fall in 0:21 over Palatine’s Irma Villa Colunga. For fifth place, Lincoln-Way co-op’s Riley DePolo was a winner by fall in 3:22 over Blue Island Eisenhower’s Phoebe Heyboer. And for seventh place, Belleville West’s Andre’a Kirkpatrick claimed an 11-5 decision over Westville/ Georgetown-Ridge Farm’s Addison Briggs.

235 – Asreilla Wallace, Glenbard North

Asreilla Wallace was the final near miss of those that just missed qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals from the Schaumburg Sectional who went on to be title winners at the IWCOA Girls Championships when the Glenbard North sophomore recorded a fall in 1:16 over Shepard sophomore Karrine Jenkins to claim top honors at 235. Wallace went 33-12 this season and fell one win shy of advancing from the Schaumburg Sectional. She won titles at Waukegan and the DuKane Conference and placed third at Niles West, Kelly and the Willowbrook Regional. 

Wallace qualified for the IWCOA Girls Championships by taking first place at the Naperville Central Sectional. She received a bye and followed that with a quick fall before recording a pin in 2:27 over East Aurora’s Lilli Ortiz in the quarterfinals and then she collected her third of four pins in 4:06 over Richwoods’ Marley Clark in the semifinals to become one of the three finalists and medal winners for Chris Edwards’ Panthers. Wallace also participated in the same competition last season and finished in fourth place at 235. 

Karrine Jenkins went 26-12 this season and fell one win shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals from the New Trier Sectional. She took second at the South Suburban Conference and the Rich Township Regional and was third at Eisenhower. Jenkins qualified for the Girls Championships by winning the sectional title at her own school. She got a bye in her first match in Springfield and then recorded a quick pin. She followed with a fall in 2:11 over Belvidere North’s Savannah Trevino in the quarterfinals and won a 9-0 major decision over West Chicago’s Ariana Bonilla in the semifinals to become a finalist and the lone medalist for coach Tyler Karas’ Astros. 

For third place, Richwoods’ Marley Clark was a winner by fall in 4:08 over West Chicago’s Ariana Bonilla. In the fifth-place match, East Aurora’s Lilli Ortiz won with a pin in 2:02 over Glenbard West’s Thanh Dinh. And for seventh place, McHenry’s Nala Hernandez claimed a 5-0 decision over Belvidere North’s Savannah Trevino.

IWCOA Girls Championships – Place matches

95

1st Place Match

Annika Hull (Naperville Central) won by fall over Mya Downs (Olympia) (Fall 2:15)

3rd Place Match

Monica Alvarez (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by fall over Kassandra Ruiz (Joliet Central) (Fall 3:25)

5th Place Match

Sierra Tuttle (Mahomet-Seymour) won in sudden victory over Serenity Canady (Robinson) (SV-1 13-7)

7th Place Match

Lillian O`Brien (Bloom Township) won by fall over Haley Richter (Heyworth) (Fall 2:18)

100

1st Place Match

Jivona Brown (Glenbard West) won by fall over Addison Hadsall (Geneseo) (Fall 1:29)

3rd Place Match

Emily Peyton (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by decision over Leah Stringfellow (Glenbrook North) (Dec 10-4)

5th Place Match

Haydee Cruz (Wheeling) won by decision over Madilyn Becker (Mahomet-Seymour) (Dec 5-0)

7th Place Match

Leah White (Richwoods) won by decision over Melanie Granada (Burlington Central) (Dec 2-0)

105

1st Place Match

Averi Colella (Lockport Township) won by tech fall over Ashley Hammond (Larkin) (TF 16-1)

3rd Place Match

Eliana Badeen (Maine East) won by fall over Angelina Nettey (Plainfield East) (Fall 4:49)

5th Place Match

Brissia Bucio (West Chicago) won by fall over Justice Girod (Schaumburg) (Fall 2:52)

7th Place Match

Briana Ramirez (Granite City) won by major decision over Haydyn Williamson (Anna-Jonesboro) (Maj 8-0)

110

1st Place Match

Aaliyah Vazquez (Warren Township) won by decision over Reaghan Madura (Springfield co-op) (Dec 5-4)

3rd Place Match

Eva Hermansson (Woodstock) won by decision over Addison Yacko (Streator Township) (Dec 7-4)

5th Place Match

Angelina Manlapaz (Willowbrook) won by fall over Madizyn Megrant (Pekin) (Fall 4:03)

7th Place Match

Sydney Stieb (St. Charles East) won by tech fall over Evalyn Idzik (Saint Viator) (TF 15-0)

115

1st Place Match

Janiya Moore (Metea Valley) won by decision over Violet Pennington (Pekin) (Dec 8-3)

3rd Place Match

Gigi Linhorst (Edwardsville) won by decision over Makensi Martin (Morris) (Dec 12-6)

5th Place Match

Charlie Dolan (York) won by decision over America Camacho (Grant) (Dec 9-4)

7th Place Match

Kaylee Martinez (West Aurora) won by fall over Sophia Bradarich (Sherrard) (Fall 0:38)

120

1st Place Match

Taniyah Sherman (Kankakee) won by fall over Aubrianna Rapier (Bradley-Bourbonnais) (Fall 4:20)

3rd Place Match

Isabella Rivas (Schaumburg) won by fall over Lailonie Molina (West Aurora) (Fall 3:55)

5th Place Match

Valentina Fantoni (Glenbard West) won by medical forfeit over Ryleigh Eriks (Rock Falls) (MFF)

7th Place Match

Mia Nevarez (Oswego East\) won by fall over Ava Enright (Marist) (Fall 2:45)

125

1st Place Match

Sophie Crescenzo (Lisle Senior) won by fall over Piper Booe (District 230 co-op) (Fall 1:39)

3rd Place Match

Sabina Charlebois (Minooka) won by fall over Olive Linhorst (Edwardsville) (Fall 2:28)

5th Place Match

Brooklyn Strelow (Oak Forest) won by fall over Kylie Mathis (Sherrard) (Fall 1:53)

7th Place Match

Zuzanna Wegiera (Neuqua Valley) won by tech fall over Randi Campe (Urbana) (TF 17-1)

130

1st Place Match

Ariella Miloncus (Springfield co-op) won by fall over Keagan Edwards (Glenbard North) (Fall 4:52)

3rd Place Match

Amyah Pruitt (Galesburg) won by fall over Bella Curcuru (Geneseo) (Fall 1:55)

5th Place Match

Natalia Cruz (Downers Grove North) won by fall over Anaya Campbell (Bolingbrook) (Fall 2:13)

7th Place Match

Caitlin Ruley (Lake Zurich) won by decision over April Ortiz (Joliet Central) (Dec 5-0)

135

1st Place Match

Alketa Picari (Metea Valley) won by fall over Ewa Krupa (Conant) (Fall 2:19)

3rd Place Match

Lana Zimmerman (DeKalb) won by fall over Ava Weatherford (Ottawa Township) (Fall 2:53)

5th Place Match

Olyve Havens (Morris) won by fall over London Grant (Champaign Central) (Fall 1:57)

7th Place Match

Ruby Gavina (Dundee-Crown) won by decision over Alena Oshana (Maine East) (Dec 13-7)

140

1st Place Match

Isabella Miller (Oak Park and River Forest) won by decision over Suzanne Stalley (Glenbard North) (Dec 6-4)

3rd Place Match

Nicole Dziura (Barrington) won by fall over Tiyanna Hart (Hinsdale Central) (Fall 4:10)

5th Place Match

Aubrey Raban (Freeburg) won by fall over Arianna Rico (Naperville Central) (Fall 2:22)

7th Place Match

Sasha Johnson (Antioch) won by fall over Roxie Royster (Murphysboro) (Fall 3:43)

145

1st Place Match

Giancarla Garduno (Saint Ignatius College Prep) won in sudden victory over Viktoriia Rodnikova (Plainfield North) (SV-1 6-3)

3rd Place Match

Savannah Burns (Bolingbrook) won by fall over Macee Hammond (Robinson) (Fall 2:59)

5th Place Match

Bailey Mitchell (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by decision over Tyanna Jackson (Warren Township) (Dec 4-2)

7th Place Match

Rylee Hernandez (Tinley Park) won by fall over Hannah Marusarz (St. Laurence) (Fall 2:57)

155

1st Place Match

Nahima Mateo (Murphysboro) won by fall over Kaitlyn Bucholz (Plainfield East) (Fall 4:22)

3rd Place Match

Miyalinna DeJesus (Glenbard West) won in sudden victory – 1 over Brianna Crown (Woodstock) (SV-1 5-2)

5th Place Match

Paytyn Dykes (Tremont) won by decision over Madeline Chicas (Wheeling) (Dec 3-1)

7th Place Match

Avelina McMurtry (Sycamore) won by major decision over Emma Gischer (Roxana) (Maj 12-2)

170

1st Place Match

Sydney Johnson (Richwoods) won by decision over Denver Gier (Cary-Grove) (Dec 10-4)

3rd Place Match

Caliyah Campbell (Oak Park and River Forest) won by decision over Iyjah Grant (Champaign Central) (Dec 6-4)

5th Place Match

Lauryn Trotter (Yorkville) won by fall over Brynn Swyers (Vandalia) (Fall 1:18)

7th Place Match

Sarah Parker (Marist) won by fall over Linda Villa (Hononegah) (Fall 0:55)

190

1st Place Match

Anali Wilson (J. Sterling Morton) won by decision over Izabell McBride (Waterloo) (Dec 1-0)

3rd Place Match

Nadine Spandiary (Glenbard East) won by fall over Irma Villa Colunga (Palatine) (Fall 0:21)

5th Place Match

Riley DePolo (Lincoln-Way co-op) won by fall over Phoebe Heyboer (Blue Island Eisenhower) (Fall 3:22)

7th Place Match

Andre`a Kirkpatrick (Belleville West) won by decision over Addison Briggs (Westville) (Dec 11-5)

235

1st Place Match

Asreilla Wallace (Glenbard North) won by fall over Karrine Jenkins (Shepard) (Fall 1:16)

3rd Place Match

Marley Clark (Richwoods) won by fall over Ariana Bonilla (West Chicago) (Fall 4:08)

5th Place Match

Lilli Ortiz (East Aurora) won by fall over Thanh Dinh (Glenbard West) (Fall 2:02)

7th Place Match

Nala Hernandez (McHenry) won by decision over Savannah Trevino (Belvidere North) (Dec 5-0)

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

With the increase to 40-man brackets, the IWCOA Freshman/Sophomore Championship was assured to be a record-breaker, and it certainly was as it had a total of 591 competitors and with 452 girls competing in the Girls Championship, 1,043 individuals were on hand for the pair of two-day tournaments which took place at Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield.

Fourteen schools had champions and one team had two title winners, Geneseo, which got firsts at 215 from Colten Mooney and at 285 from Josh Stahl to give 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Jon Murray a nice going away present after he served as the Maple Leafs head coach for 23 years and also was an assistant at the school under 2002 IWCOA Hall of Famer Larry Kanke for eight seasons. Both champions also were members of the team’s qualifier for the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals, marking the program’s fifth state appearance since 2013.

Mount Carmel’s Jaxon Jorgensen won the title at 138 after being a part of the Caravan’s team that saw its hopes of repeating as IHSA Class 3A champions dashed by eventual runner-up Hononegah in the quarterfinals. 

The western suburbs were well-represented with five champs as Wheaton Warrenville South’s Rocco Valvano (101), West Aurora’s Gabe Richmond (106), Downers Grove South’s Jadon Dinwiddie (126), Downers Grove North’s Christian Chiarelli (144) and Glenbard West’s Tallis Taylor (150) all won titles, with the last three of those from the West Suburban Conference.

Chicago’s south side had another champion, Marist’s Roberto Rangel (113), the south suburbs also got a title winner, Homewood-Flossmoor’s Adante Washington (132) and the southwest suburbs also had a first-place finisher, Minooka’s Kaden Meyer (175).

The north suburbs had a title winner, Warren Township’s Nicholas Hermsen (157) and the northwest suburbs also had a champion, Jacobs’ Enrique Garcia (120).

Winning a title for a school from the north central part of the state was Marquette Academy’s Reily Leifheit (165), whose school is in Ottawa. And the Metro East area also had a champion, O’Fallon’s Payton Chanerl (190).

Some of the closest championship matches saw Valvano prevailing over IC Catholic Prep’s Mike Bird 4-1 in sudden victory at 101, Mooney edging Freeburg’s Dane Olmstead 1-0 at 215, Hermsen getting past Byron’s Will Julian 5-2 at 157, Richmond beating Downers Grove South’s Tanner Stone 11-7 at 106 and Garcia defeating Buffalo Grove’s Mykola Shamray 7-3 at 120.

Bradley-Bourbonnais had two second-place finishers, Zach Hoffner (113) and Kayden Roach (165) while West Aurora had another finalist who took second place, Malan Hatfield (150), and Downers Grove South also had another finalist who was a runner-up, Ryker Czubak (190). 

Others who settled for second  place were St. Charles East’s Jayden Hernandez (126), Schaumburg’s Aiden Quevedo (132), Huntley’s Gavin Nischke (138), Quincy Notre Dame’s Cale Hilbing (144), Centennial’s Sergio Baity (175) and Notre Dame College Prep’s Sean Cook (285).

Leifheit led all competitors with 32.5 team points while Washington was just behind with 32 points and Meyer was next-best with 31.5 team points. Others who were among the leaders in team points were Richmond (31), Garcia (30.5), Stahl (30), Jorgensen (29.5), Rangel (29.5), Hermsen (29), Chanerl (28.5) and Olmstead (28.5).

Libertyville’s James Scanio had the most total match points with 101 while Meyer (93) was second and Chanerl (91) ranked third. Scanio also led the way in most wins by technical fall with five and Washington’s MarQwuan Young led everyone in the field with five pins. 

Here’s a look at the champions and the medalists in their weight classes from the IWCOA Freshman/Sophomore Championship

101 – Rocco Valvano, Wheaton Warrenville South

Rocco Valvano experienced a very successful freshman season for Wheaton Warrenville South, going 30-12 while falling a bit shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional after being a runner-up in the DuKane Conference, taking third place at his school’s Ed Ewoldt invite and the Marmion Academy Regional and also finishing fourth at Geneva while competing for coach Matt Janosek’s Tigers..

Valvano decided that he still had more to accomplish so he won the IWCOA Glenbard South Regional and then earned his spot in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament by taking third place in the Naperville Central Sectional. And following the success that he had in his debut season, he saved his best for last as he capped his tournament run with a title, getting a takedown with 18 seconds left in the first overtime to claim a 4-1 win by sudden victory over IC Catholic Prep freshman Mike Bird in the 101 finals. After opening with a quick fall and an 8-2 decision, he beat Rockridge’s Nate Lower with a 13-5 major decision in the quarterfinals and earned his spot on the title mat with a 13-9 decision over Lincoln-Way East’s Nathan Powers in the semifinals.

“It was really exciting, especially because it was in overtime and I lost to him three times,” Valvano said of Bird. “I got 30 wins for varsity, giving up a lot of weight, too. We had a hard sectional and I was one match away from the blood round. Wrestling with heavier kids, kids that pushed me and they were just better than me and I’d just get beat in the wrestling room. This gives me a lot of confidence. I have to put on some weight for next year and I want to make it downstate. I’m going to Reno Worlds and I placed sixth last year and hoping to get top three.”  

Mike Bird, who went 24-18, was one of five freshmen who were members of IC Catholic Prep’s first-ever IHSA champions, which was coached by Danny Alcocer, that beat two-time defending champion Washington 46-17 in the title meet at the 2A Dual Team Finals in Bloomington. He got the opportunity to compete at state, winning by technical fall in the quarterfinals victory over Geneseo. During his debut season for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights, he placed third at Washington and Geneseo and was fourth at Antioch. Because he was at team state, he only had to compete in the Evanston Township Sectional, which he won. After opening with a win by technical fall and a major decision, he claimed a win by technical fall over Zion-Benton’s Brayden Sroka in the quarterfinals and advanced to the finals with a 3-1 decision over West Aurora’s Aiden Ambre.

Winnebago’s Cam Whitehead won six six-straight matches to take third place, capping that impressive run with a victory by technical fall over Zion-Benton’s Brayden Sroka, who pinned him in 2:52 in his second match. West Aurora’s Aidan Ambre claimed fifth place by pulling out an 8-7 decision over Lincoln-Way East’s Nathan Powers. And for seventh place, Fremd’s Lucas Crandall prevailed with a 14-11 win by sudden victory over Alton Senior’s Austin Jones.

106 – Gabe Richmond, West Aurora

Gabe Richmond was looking for a better finish for his freshman season after the West Aurora athlete finished one win shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional. Despite coming so close to a state trip. he’s understandably proud after going 25-9 and also being an Upstate Eight Conference champion while taking second place at the Marmion Academy Regional and third at Antioch to kick off his successful debut season.

Richmond was one of seven qualifiers, three medalists, two finalists and the lone champion for coach Andrew Plata’s Blackhawks. Richmond, who captured the 106 title with an 11-7 decision over Downers Grove South freshman Tanner Stone, was joined on the title mat by Malan Hatfield, who finished second at 150. He claimed first place at the IWCOA Glenbard South Regional and then captured the Naperville Central Sectional title with a 7-3 decision over Stone and then won his first three state matches by fall, with the quickest of those coming in 1:50 in the quarterfinals over Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Cullen Parks. Richmond earned his spot on the 106 title mat with an 8-0 major decision over Barrington’s Matthew Blanke in the semifinals.

“I didn’t start off on varsity, I had to work my way up,” Richmond said. “We had a pretty good season, winning conference, and a bunch of tournaments. I got to sectionals and I lost in the blood round. In Dom Serio’s freshman year, he lost in the blood round and then he won this exact tournament and he was a state finalist this year. The West Aurora program is pretty good and the coaching staff is amazing and they’re very involved in everything, so we have some pretty good practices.”

Tanner Stone is a freshman for coach Zachary Holtzman’s Mustangs, who had five qualifiers who all won medals, and two other finalists, Jadon Dinwiddie, who took first at 126, and Ryker Czubak, who placed second at 190. Stone fell a bit short of a trip to state from the 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional after going 13-4 with one of the highlights of his debut season being a runner-up at his own regional. After winning the IWCOA Regional at Oswego East, he lost to Richmond 7-3 in the Naperville Central Sectional title match. He opened at state with a fall in 1:00 and a 7-0 decision, then won a 3-1 decision over IC Catholic Prep’s Drew Murante in the quarterfinals and reached the 106 title match with a 16-2 major decision over Buffalo Grove’s Stone McKone.

IC Catholic Prep’s Drew Murante, a member of coach Danny Alcocer’s IHSA Class 2A champion Knights, bounced back from his 3-1 quarterfinal loss to Downers Grove South’s Tanner Stone to win four matches in the consolation bracket with the last of those being an 8-6 decision in the third-place match over Morris’ Parker Barry, who lost his second match to Stone before winning five in a row. Barry also tied for third in most wins by technical fall with three. In the fifth-place match, Barrington’s Matthew Blanke captured an 8-3 decision over Buffalo Grove’s Stone McKone and for seventh place, DeKalb’s Julian Hartwig was a winner by fall in 1:45 over Lawrence County’s Kyler Guercio.

113 – Roberto Rangel, Marist

Roberto Rangel was at a tough weight class for Marist but still was able to compete in The Clash Duals in Wisconsin and he also took fourth place at the Illini Classic, where his team won the 24-team competition. Although he was 19-4 after that tournament, he didn’t get the chance to participate in the IHSA state series so he decided to conclude his sophomore season on a high note and he did just that by taking first place at 113 in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament after getting a win by technical fall over Bradley-Bourbonnais sophomore Zach Hoffner in the title match.

Rangel qualified for IWCOA Frosh/Soph state after winning titles at the Richards Regional and the Shepard Sectional. He was the lone champion and finalist and one of three medalists of the 12 qualifiers for coach Brendan Heffernan’s RedHawks. After opening with a major decision and a pin, he won a 16-3 major decision over West Aurora’s Eric Castillo in the quarterfinals and then captured an 11-6 decision over Normal Community’s Mason Soney in the semifinals.

“I didn’t wrestle at varsity much, but when they needed me, I wrestled, so I got a lot of varsity experience,” Rangel said. “(Marist) We have really good coaches and they always help me in the room whenever I need it and I stay after some times to go over some moves. The coaching has really helped me out in this tournament. I’ve definitely improved and the coaching is what has gotten me here. This gives me a lot of confidence and it’s going to help, for sure.”

Zach Hoffner, who joined Kayden Roach (165) as one of two second-place finishers and three medal winners for coach Micky Spiwak’s Boilermakers, finished 34-14 this season and fell a bit short of advancing to the IHSA Individual Finals from the Class 3A Joliet Central Sectional after winning a title at Reed-Custer and taking fourth place at the SWSC Tom Lahey Tournament and the Rich Township Regional. After qualifying for the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals with title wins at the Joliet Central Regional and the Thornton Township Sectional, he opened with two major decisions and won another major decision in the quarterfinals by a 12-2 score over Grant’s Breiydyn Hoffman before claiming a 9-6 decision over Addison Trail’s Santiago Trejo-Huerigo in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, Normal Community’s Mason Soney captured a 12-4 major decision over West Chicago’s Emanuel Rangel, who lost his second match before winning the next five. In the fifth-place match, Addison Trail’s Santiago Trejo-Huerigo won a 5-4 decision over Grant’s Breiydyn Hoffman and for seventh place, Cahokia’s Nathan Fisher claimed an 11-6 decision over Yorkville’s Landon Jenkins.

120 – Enrique Garcia, Jacobs

Enrique Garcia lost in the consolation semifinals of the Class 3A Barrington Sectional to fall one win shy of a trip to the IHSA Individual Tournament after the freshman for coach Gary Conrad’s Golden Eagles had one his best finishes of his 30-10 season, a second-place finish at the Hononegah Regional. He wanted to finish off his debut season on a better note and did that by winning the 120 title at the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament with a 7-3 decision over Buffalo Grove freshman Mykola Shamray after getting an escape and takedown in the final period.

Garcia, the lone qualifier for his school, advanced to the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals with a 6-3 decision over Shamray in the Lake Zurich Sectional championship match one week after he won a regional title at Lake Zurich. He won by fall in his first match in Springfield and followed with a win by technical fall. He recorded a pin in 2:34 over Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Raziel Perez in the quarterfinals and earned a second title match in two weeks against Shamray when he claimed a 16-5 major decision over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Matthew Laird in the semifinals.

“For varsity, I went 30-9 and for the IWCOA state series, I was undefeated,” Garcia said. “I lost in the blood round at sectionals, to junior Jackson Olson, he was really tough. I feel a lot more motivated and I’m going to be training a lot more in the offseason just so I can place at state. I’m going to be pushing a lot harder because I do not want to feel that same feeling again. I’m proud of myself, but I just know that I can do better, so I’m going to keep on striving for better things.”

Mykola Shamray, who went 35-9 this season, also fell a bit shy of qualifying from the Class 3A Barrington Sectional. He won titles for coach George Beres’ Bison at Palatine, Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy and Larkin and took third at his school’s invite and at the Dundee-Crown Regional. He won the title at the IWCOA Lakes Community Regional before falling 6-3 to Garcia at the Lake Zurich Sectional to advance to the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals. After opening with a fall and a 3-2 decision, he won a 7-4 decision in the quarterfinals over Joliet West’s Joseph Pedrosa and claimed a 9-2 decision over Lincoln-Way Central’s Eric Hoselton in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, Lincoln-Way Central’s Eric Hoselton captured a 12-9 decision over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Matthew Laird, who was a member of the Hilltoppers’ third-place team in Class 3A, that was coached by 2025 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Ryan Cumbee. For fifth place, Joliet West’s Joseph Pedrosa was a winner by fall in 1:27 over Marist’s Colin Phelan and in the seventh-place match, Yorkville’s Nolan Chrisse won an 11-3 major decision over Moline’s Collin Ledbetter.

126 – Jadon Dinwiddie, Downers Grove South

Jadon Didwiddle led the way for Downers Grove South as coach Zachary Holtzman’s Mustangs placed all five of their qualifiers for the IWCOA Frosh/Sophomore Tournament in the top eight at their weights as he was one of three finalists and the lone champion for his team after the sophomore won a 12-2 major decision over St. Charles East sophomore Jayden Hernandez in the 126 title match while Tanner Stone (106) and Ryker Czubak (190) both took second place. 

Dinwiddie, who went 25-11 this season, won titles at the IWCOA Oswego East Regional and Naperville Central Sectional, where he was to meet up with Hernandez in the finals but did not due to a medical forfeit. He opened the event with a win by technical fall before claiming a 7-5 decision. His next two matches were also decisions as he won 11-5 in the quarterfinals over Marist’s Jacob Crawford and got a 10-5 win over Rock Island’s Maricio Parker in the semifinals.

“It feels really good,” Dinwiddie said. “I didn’t compete in the IHSA because I got a concussion the week before. It was a pretty good season and I went 25-11. I had a lot of good wins, but I also got beat up by a bunch of the top-ranked guys. I’ve been telling myself that I’m the best wrestler through my matches and obviously, it’s helping, and I got a major decision in the finals.”

Jayden Hernandez, who won the DuKane Conference JV title, was the lone medalist for coach Jason Potter’s Fighting Saints. He won the IWCOA Glenbard South Regional title but was not able to meet Dinwiddie in the Naperville Central Sectional finals due to a medical forfeit. Hernandez opened with a major decision and a 4-3 decision. He beat New Trier’s Zacarias Slaastad 20-11 in the quarterfinals and won a 13-7 decision over Freeburg’s Lukas Quartz in the semifinals.

Lincoln-Way East’s Joshua Theis was edged by Dinwiddie 7-5 in his second match but then won six in a row to finish in third place following a 3-2 decision over Marist’s Jacob Crawford. In the fifth-place match, Rock Island’s Maricio Parker claimed a 12-3 major decision over Freeburg’s Lukas Quartz and in the seventh-place match, Marquette Academy’s Koby Clark captured a 9-0 major decision over Glenbrook South’s Roman Ocampo.

132 – Adante Washington, Homewood-Flossmoor

Adante Washington qualified for the IHSA Individual Finals last season when he went 25-13 as a freshman while competing for Joliet Catholic Academy. But he did not compete in the state series this season as a sophomore at Homewood-Flossmoor after claiming second place in the SouthWest Suburban Conference Tom Lahey Tournament and third-place finishes at Joliet Central and Hoffman Estates to finish with a 24-9 record for coach Jim Sokoloski’s Vikings.

Washington decided to end his season in a better fashion by competing in the IWCOA Frosh/ Soph Tournament and that paid off as he won the championship at 132 with a win by technical fall over Schaumburg sophomore Aiden Quevedo. He advanced to Springfield after winning titles at the Joliet Central Regional and Thornton Township Sectional and got a pin and a win by technical fall in his first two matches. He followed with two more wins by technical fall, beating Morton’s Lincoln Yerby in the quarterfinals and Marmion Academy’s Jonathan Kopcio in the semifinals. He was the only medalist among the Vikings’ four qualifiers for the competition. He finished second in most team points with 32, which was one-half point behind the leader, Marquette Academy’s Reily Leifheit, the 165 champion. He also ranked second in most victories by technical fall with four.

“It feels great,” Washington said. “I realize I made quite a few mistakes in my matches. I made it to state (IHSA) last year and I lost in the blood round. It’s good to have the feeling that you won.”

Aiden Quevedo, a sophomore who went 32-16, was able to be a member of the first Schaumburg team that qualified for the IHSA Class 3A Dual Team Finals. He competed in their first-ever match in Bloomington and lost a 3-1 decision to Marmion Academy’s Grayson Garcia and the Cadets went on to win their initial IHSA championship. Also during his successful season for coach Mike LeVanti’s Saxons, he won a title at the Lake Park Regional, took second at Buffalo Grove and at the Mid-Suburban League Championship and fell one win shy of qualifying for the IHSA Finals at the Conant Sectional. He took first at the IWCOA Lake Zurich Sectional and became the lone finalist and one of three medalists in Springfield after opening with an 8-6 decision and a pin before prevailing 1-0 over Champaign Central’s Malachi Hutchison in the quarterfinals and he won an 8-0 major decision over Auburn’s Trey Boston in the semifinals.

Lincoln-Way West’s Shane Stream lost his second match and then went on to win six in a row to claim third place with a 9-6 decision over Moline’s Housseyn Ndiaye, who also lost his second match before winning his next five prior to losing to Stream. For fifth place, Auburn/ Franklin/ New Berlin’s Trey Boston won a 6-4 decision over Marmion Academy’s Jonathan Kopcio, who was a member of the Cadets, coached by Anthony Cirrincione and Nathan Fitzenreider, who won the IHSA Class 3A Dual Team championship 42-31 over Hononegah for their first state title. For seventh, Yorkville’s Vincent Konecki claimed a 10-3 decision over Morton’s Lincoln Yerby.

138 – Jaxon Jorgensen, Mount Carmel

Jaxon Jorgensen was disappointed that he was unable to qualify for the IHSA Individual Finals after falling short at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional. But the sophomore got the next best thing by getting the opportunity to compete in the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the second year in a row when defending champion Mount Carmel edged Marist 35-34 at the Yorkville Sectional. Jorgensen, who missed much of the season due to injury, finished 8-6 after the Caravan lost 34-32 to eventual runner-up Hononegah in the quarterfinals. After that, he decided to compete in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament to conclude his shortened season and that move paid off as he won the title at 138 after capturing a win by technical fall over Huntley’s Gavin Nischke to become the lone medalist for coach Alex Tsirtsis’ Caravan. 

Jorgensen, who won a title at the J. Sterling Morton Regional and took third place in the Chicago Catholic League, qualified for the IWCOA State Finals by taking first place at the Shepard Sectional. After opening the competition with two major decisions, he recorded a fall in 1:38 over Wheaton North’s Jay Doherty in the quarterfinals and then earned his spot in the 138 title match by capturing a 5-3 decision over Granite City’s Braxton Tolley in the semifinals.

“Most of the season, I was hurt, so I didn’t get back into wrestling until conference,” Jorgensen said. “And at sectionals, I just had a bad tournament. (Being on Mount Carmel’s state team) That was a really fun experience, probably one of my favorites. Beating Marist was probably my favorite experience at Mount Carmel. We just have great coaches and it’s a really tough room where you have good partners every day.”

Gavin Nischke, a sophomore who was the lone medalist for coach B.J. Bertelsman’s Red Raiders, went 32-18 this season and fell a bit short of qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals from the Class 3A Barrington Sectional. He finished second at the Hononegah Regional and took fourth place at Geneseo. He earned his trip to the Frosh/Soph Tournament in Springfield by winning the regional and sectional titles at Lake Zurich. After opening with a victory by technical fall and a pin, he captured a 15-4 major decision over Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Jayden Cooper in the quarterfinals and then won by fall in 4:36 over Amboy co-op’s Caiden Heath in the semifinals. 

In the third-place match, Granite City’s Braxton Tolley won by fall in 1:53 over Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille/ Ohio’s Caiden Heath. For fifth place, Hersey’s Nolan Variano, who was a member of coach Joe Rupslauk’s Huskies who qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the first time since 1997, won by technical fall over Wheaton North’s Jay Doherty and in for seventh place, Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Jayden Cooper captured a 5-1 decision over Schaumburg’s Brody Hinkle, who was a member of coach Mike LeVanti’s Saxons, who qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the first time .

144 – Christian Chiarelli, Downers Grove North

Christian Chiarelli turned in a successful freshman season at Downers Grove North by going 29-14 but he was disappointed about taking fourth at the Class 3A Naperville North Regional to miss out on joining his brother Caden at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. So he decided to compete in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament and he not only qualified for state, he won the title at 144 with an 11-5 major decision over Quincy Notre Dame sophomore Cale Hilbing.

Chiarelli, who was the lone medalist for coach Chris McGrath’s Trojans, also finished fourth at Geneva this season. After taking second at the IWCOA Oswego East Regional, he won the title at the Naperville Central Sectional to earn his trip to Springfield. He opened with a victory by technical fall and followed that with a pin before edging St. Laurence’s Khalid Eid 4-3 in the quarterfinals and he won an 8-2 decision over Bolingbrook’s Elijah Flowers in the semifinals.

“I lost in the regionals in the third-place match, so I was an alternate for sectionals,” Chiarelli said. “I think this puts me in a good spot for next year. In the Downers Grove North program, we have some really good coaches. And we had a really good senior class that pushed me really well and they were really cool and you could learn from them. And my brother, Caden, is a junior and he’s my wrestling partner.”

Cale Hilbing went 35-15 this season but came up a bit shy of qualifying for the IHSA Individual Finals from the Class 1A Clinton Sectional. He won a title at Rochester, took second in his school’s invite, was third at the Canton Regional and finished fourth at Quincy Senior. He qualified for the IWCOA Frosh/Soph State Tournament after claiming titles in both the Southeast Regional and at the Granite City Sectional. After opening with a pin and a 12-3 major decision, he won 4-0 over Olympia’s Austin Kistner in the quarterfinals and claimed a 3-0 decision over Naperville North’s Timothy Garmon to become the lone medalist for coach Adam Steinkamp’s Raiders.

Olympia’s Austin Kistner, who got to compete with his team against eventual champion Coal City in their first trip to the IHSA Dual Team Finals since 2017, bounced back from his loss in the quarterfinals with four-straight wins to claim third place, capping things with a 7-4 decision over Naperville North’s Timothy Garmon. In the fifth-place match, St. Laurence’s Khalid Eid won a 9-0 major decision over Bolingbrook’s Elijah Flowers. And for seventh, Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy’s Jayden Patterson-Veal captured a 12-5 decision over Schaumburg’s John Gough, who was a member of coach Mike LeVanti’s Saxons, who earned their first-ever trip to the IHSA Dual Team Finals.

150 – Tallis Taylor, Glenbard West

Tallis Taylor and Malan Hatfield both fell one win shy of earning a trip to the IHSA Individual Finals while competing at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional. So it wasn’t that surprising that the two sophomores would meet up not once, or twice, but three times against each other in IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament title matches. And on each of those occasions, Glenbard West’s Taylor defeated West Aurora’s Hatfield with the third matchup in the 150 state title match, where Taylor claimed his biggest margin of victory over Hatfield with an 11-1 major decision.

Taylor took second place at the Naperville North Regional and Oak Park and River Forest invite and was third at his school’s Chappell invite and finished with a 24-9 record for coach Pat McCluskey’s Hilltoppers. Taylor beat Hatfield 6-1 for the IWCOA Glenbard South Regional title and edged him 11-10 for the Naperville Central Sectional championship. After opening state competition with a win by technical fall and a 4-0 decision, Taylor captured a 13-6 decision over Olympia’s Kaden Collins in the quarterfinals and earned a 7-0 decision over Hinsdale South’s Brady Miller in the semifinals to become the lone finalist and one of two medalists for his team.

“This felt a lot more competitive this year, there were a lot more kids,” Taylor said. “I lost in the blood round at Hinsdale. (Competing for Glenbard West) I think we have a really good culture and we have a lot of history. The coach is really nice, the coaches are all close to the kids and we have a really close group of people. We’re just a super-close team.”

Malan Hatfield, who finished 24-12 this season, won a title at the Upstate Eight Conference, took second at the Marmion Academy Regional, placed third at Larkin and took fourth at Geneva for coach Andrew Plata’s Blackhawks. He joined 106 champion Gabe Richmond as one of two finalists for West Aurora after getting a pin in his opener, following that with an 8-2 decision and then capturing a 14-1 major decision over Byron’s Cael O’Horo in the quarterfinals and then getting a victory by disqualification over Belleville East’s Landon Weidler in the semifinals.

Stagg’s Samer Suleiman lost his second match and then won six in a row to claim third place with a 9-1 major decision over Sparta/ Steeleville’s Gavin Watson, who won seven-straight matches after losing in his opener. For fifth place, Hinsdale South’s Brady Miller won by disqualification over Belleville East’s Landon Weidler. And in the seventh-place match, Robinson’s Ben Mullins won by fall in 2:22 over Olympia’s Kaden Collins, who also was a member of coach Josh Collins’ Spartans, who qualified for the IHSA 1A Dual Team Finals for the first time since 2017. 

157 – Nicholas Hermsen, Warren Township

Nicholas Hermsen didn’t get the opportunity to compete in the IHSA state series this season but that didn’t prevent the Warren Township athlete from completing his sophomore season on a high note and that’s just what he did by participating in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament where he claimed the 157 championship at the State Finals in Springfield with a 5-2 decision over Byron sophomore Will Julian. One of four individuals from his school that qualified for the state finals, Hermsen was the only medal winner for coach Brad Janecek’s Blue Devils.

Hermsen, who finished with a 17-9 record, opened his season with a second-place finish at Neuqua Valley and concluded it with a third-place showing at the Lake County Invite. He began the IWCOA series in a good fashion by winning a title at the Lakes Community Regional and then followed up on that by taking first place at the Lake Zurich Sectional. Hermsen got wins by technical fall in his first two matches at the state finals before capturing a 13-3 major decision over Lockport Township’s Christian Czerwinski in the quarterfinals and then he earned his spot on the 157 title mat by claiming a 10-2 major decision over Yorkville’s Maximus Delgado.

“Warren Township is a great program and I wanted to go there before high school.” Hermsen said. “We had two state champions last year and this year and multiple state qualifiers. It’s an amazing opportunity to go to a school and a program like that. They’re always pushing me to my limit, and it shows. I had some tough luck and I was not able to make the best of it, so I came here and I did it. I know that I’m capable if I keep pushing myself and keep working, I know that next year I can make a big statement and put my name out there.”

Will Julian was hoping to bounce back from one of the most frustrating tales of anyone in the IHSA state series. The Byron sophomore was one of five individuals ranked among the top six in Class 1A at 157 who were at the Oregon Sectional. And he missed advancing to the IHSA Individual Finals in Champaign by one victory while the top four finishers at Oregon, Newman Central Catholic’s Briar Ivey, Riverdale’s Blake Smith, Erie/ Prophetstown’s Wyatt Goossens and Wheaton Academy’s Chasen Kazmierczak, also took the first four spots on the awards stand at state, with Smith and Ivey trading the top two positions from sectional to state. Julian, who went 39-5, also fell one win shy of a trip to the IHSA Finals from his own sectional in 2024. He won titles at Metamora, Orion and the Byron Regional, and took third at the Lyle King Princeton Invitational Tournament for Tigers coach Mike Elsbury, who’s retiring this season. Julian kicked off his IWCOA Tournament with titles at the Huntley Regional and Sterling Sectional. He won his first two matches in Springfield with pins, then got a win by technical fall over Wauconda’s Brody McKenna in the quarterfinals and won a 9-7 decision over Glenwood’s Julian Rammelkamp in the semifinals to become the lone medalist for his school in the event. 

In the third-place match, Yorkville’s Maximus Delgado claimed a 2-0 decision over Lockport Township’s Christian Czerwinski. In the fifth-place match, Glenwood’s Julian Rammelkamp, a member of coach Jerod Bruner’s Titans, who qualified for the Class 2A Dual Team Finals for the second year in a row, got a win by technical fall over Glenbard North’s Xavier Smiley. And in the seventh-place match, Wauconda’s Brody McKenna captured a 12-8 decision over Stillman Valley’s Ethan Waugh, who tied one other individual for second place for the most falls with four.

165 – Reily Leifheit, Marquette Academy

Reily Leifheit took fourth place last season at the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament as a freshman for Marquette Academy and he hoped that his experiences in Springfield in 2024 could help him to qualify for the IHSA Individual Finals this season. But as many others who competed in the Class 1A Oregon Sectional learned the hard way, not every deserving individual would be able to advance, and Leifheit was one of those who fell one win shy of their goal. As a result, he competed in the Frosh/Soph Tournament again and this time he won the 165 title by recording a fall in 4:46 over Bradley-Bourbonnais sophomore Kayden Roach. 

Leifheit went 38-7 this season and took second at Plano, Unity, Orion and the St. Bede Academy Regional and third at Reed-Custer. He used first-place finishes at the IWCOA Normal Community Regional and Heyworth Sectional to qualify for the Finals. Leifheit got a pin in his opener and followed with a win by technical fall before getting a fall in 2:39 over Rochester’s James Escobar in the quarterfinals and then won a 14-0 major decision over Montini Catholic’s Kevin May in the semifinals to become the lone finalist for coach Trent Lyons’ Crusaders.

“We had a couple of kids that came in that are looking good and I’m just excited for next year,” Leifheit said. “I’m going to work harder than ever.”

Kayden Roach finished with a 34-15 this season but the Bradley-Bourbonnais sophomore was unable to advance to state from the Class 3A Joliet Central Sectional. He claimed second place at Reed-Custer, thirds at Chicago’s Sullivan and the Rich Township Regional and a fourth at the Tom Lahey SouthWest Suburban Conference meet and advanced in the IWCOA series with titles at the Joliet Central Regional and the Thornton Township Sectional. He was one of three medalists and joined Zach Hoffner (113) as second-place finishers for coach Micky Spiwak’s Boilermakers. He opened with a win by technical fall and followed with a 13-4 major decision before recording a pin in 4:54 over Downers Grove North’s Rex Chavez in the quarterfinals and then claiming a 7-1 decision over Metamora Township’s Mark Aeschliman in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, Metamora Township’s Mark Aeschliman won a 7-2 decision over Notre Dame College Prep’s Jeremy Hamm, who lost to Leifheit in his second match and then won five in a row. For fifth place, Rochester’s James Escobar won by medical forfeit over Montini Catholic’s Kevin May, who was a member of the Broncos’ third-place team in Class 2A that was coached by Mike Bukovsky, a 2023 recipient of the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Illinois Chapter. For seventh place, Barrington’s Samuel Cushman won by fall in 1:42 over Addison Trail’s Alen Bautista.

175 – Kaden Meyer, Minooka

Kaden Meyer suffered the same fate as many other top-notch competitors at the rugged Class 3A Joliet Central Sectional when the Minooka sophomore came up a bit short of advancing the the IHSA Individual Finals despite going 36-9 and winning a title at Joliet Central, finishing second at Hinsdale Central and in the Southwest Prairie Conference, placing third at the 3A Normal Community Regional and finishing fourth at the Illini Classic for the Indians, who are coached by Mike Kimberlin, who is one of the 15 inductees in this year’s class for the IWCOA Hall of Fame. Meyer wasn’t content with the success he had this season so he decided to compete in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament and wound up capturing first place at 175 with a victory by technical fall over Centennial sophomore Sergio Baity in the title match.

Meyer qualified for the IWCOA Finals with first-place finishes at the Joliet West Regional and the Thornton Township Sectional. He was the lone medalist for Minooka after opening with a first-period pin and following that with a victory by technical fall. He collected another win by technical fall over Naperville North’s JT Hill in the quarterfinals and earned his spot on the 175 title mat by capturing a 14-6 major decision over Libertyville’s James Scanio in the semifinals. He ranked second in total match points (93) behind Libertyville’s James Scanio (101), third in most team points (31.5), behind Marquette Academy’s Reily Leifheit (32.5) and Homewood-Flossmoor’s Adante Washington (32) and tied for third in wins by technical fall (3).

“Coach Kimberlin is a great dude,” Meyer said. “He always coaches us real well and he’s a funny dude to be around. He’s a real nice coach who always cares about you. If you’re having a bad day, he’ll pick you up. He always loves wrestling and he loves coaching and is still a very strong guy. We’re still trying to build back our team since we lose kids to private schools. But Kimberlin does a great job going to the local clubs and always has the IKWF and IESA kids come into the room to wrestle. It’s a great tradition at Minooka. The Joliet Central Sectional was definitely the toughest of all the sectionals and our regional was the toughest, at Normal. This year my goal came up a little bit short, losing at sectionals. It’s just motivation after coming here to win and tech’ing, majoring and pinning everyone here.”

Sergio Baity went 24-10 this season and came up a bit short of advancing to the IHSA Finals in his hometown from the Class 2A Lincoln Sectional. The sophomore took second place in the Big 12 Conference and at the Mahomet-Seymour Regional. Baity qualified for the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals by winning the Clinton Regional and taking second at the Heyworth Sectional. The lone qualifier for coach Colin Rotramel’s Chargers, he recorded pins in his first two matches and then was a winner by technical fall over Stagg’s Jihad Suleiman in the quarterfinals and advanced to the 175 title match with another fall, this one in 2:37, over Prairie Ridge’s Aiden Rodriguez

In the third-place match, Libertyville’s James Scanio was a winner by technical fall over Prairie Ridge’s Aiden Rodriguez. Scanio led everyone in the competition in total match points (101) and also for the most wins by technical fall (5). For fifth place, J. Sterling Morton’s Santiago Moya claimed a 5-4 decision over Granite City’s Eli Miller. For seventh place, Lincoln-Way Central’s Justin Langford recorded a pin in 2:10 over Proviso West’s Isiah Robinson. 

190 – Payton Chanerl, O’Fallon

Payton Chanerl posted a 20-9 record during his sophomore season but was not able to qualify for the IHSA Individual Finals from the Class 3A Joliet Central Sectional after claiming thirds at Glenwood and the Edwardsville Regional for coach Chris Schlachter’s Panthers, so he decided to go after the next best thing, which was seeing how well he’s fare in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament. And that proved to be a good call on his part since O’Fallon’s lone qualifier claimed the title at 190 with an 11-5 decision over Downers Grove South freshman Ryker Czubak.

Chanerl qualified for the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals in Springfield after winning titles at both the Belleville West Regional and the Granite City Sectional. In his first match, he won a 21-7 major decision and followed that with a win by technical fall. In the quarterfinals, he captured an 18-9 major decision over Normal Community’s Daniel Bourbulas and then earned his spot in the 190 title match with an 18-6 major decision over Joliet West’s Jacob Tyderek in the semifinals. He ranked third in total match points with 91.

“I wasn’t expecting to become a state champ since I’m wrestling like 10 pounds up since I’m at 182,” Chanerl said. “I ran into a bad weight class at sectionals. I beat plenty of state qualifiers this year, but I got unlucky with the hardest sectional bracket in the state, where I had the top six in the state at Joliet. This was an amazing experience. After having the downfall at sectionals, it was just nice to come here and be able to win. I wasn’t expecting to win this since I was pretty bummed out. Next year, I’m going to be a state qualifier, that’s the goal.”

Ryker Czubak finished with a 14-11 record in his freshman season and only had one top-four finish in a varsity event prior to competing in the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional, which was a third-place showing at his school’s regional tournament, but despite that, he fell one win shy of earning a trip to the IHSA Individual Finals in Champaign in his debut season for coach Zachary Holtzman’s Mustangs. He advanced to the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Finals with titles at both the Oswego East Regional and the Naperville Central Sectional. He recorded falls in his first two matches in Springfield before recording another pin in 4:03 over Shelbyville’s Hayden Mudgette in the quarterfinals and then he captured an 8-0 major decision over Metea Valley’s Bohdan Postoroniuk in the semifinals to become one of five medal winners and joined 126 champion Jadon Dinwiddie and 106 runner-up Tanner Stone as finalists for Downers Grove South.

Rock Island’s Rowan Stockwell lost his second match and then won six-straight to claim third place, with the last of those wins being an 11-2 major decision over Morris’ Malachi Congo, who fell to Czubak in his second match and then five in a row. In the fifth-place match, Metea Valley’s Bohdan Postoroniuk won a 14-8 decision over Joliet West’s Jacob Tyderek. And in the seventh-place match, Lena-Winslow/ Stockton’s Aiden Larson was a winner by fall in 3:23 over Normal Community’s Daniel Bourboulas.

215 – Colten Mooney, Geneseo

Colten Mooney and Josh Stahl gave retiring Geneseo coach Jon Murray, a 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame Inductee, one final highlight when they closed out the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament by winning titles at 215 and 285, respectively. Mooney went 34-15 and fell one win shy of qualifying from the Class 2A Washington Sectional for the IHSA Individual Finals. The sophomore won titles at Morton and the Western Big 6 Conference and was second at the Dixon Regional as well as being a member of the Maple Leafs’ fifth team under Murray that advanced to the IHSA Dual Team Finals, where they fell in the quarterfinals to the eventual champs, IC Catholic Prep.

Mooney captured the championship at 215 in dramatic fashion when he used an escape in the second period to help him claim a 1-0 decision over Freeburg sophomore Dane Olmstead in the title match. He didn’t compete in a regional to start the IWCOA series since he was in the Dual Team Finals, so instead, he advanced with a title win at the Sterling Sectional. After getting a fall in his first match in Springfield, he won a 15-3 major decision before claiming decisions in his next three matches, which included a 7-0 win over Murphysboro’s Caybren Hubbard in the quarterfinals and also a 4-0 victory over Glenbard West’s Phin Codinha in the semifinals.

“Coach Murray has always been a prominent figure in my life and I’ve been training under him my whole life, so it was good to win a Fresh/Soph state title under him,” Mooney said. “I just like our hard work ethic in the room and I love our no-quit determination. Just never stop, all gas, no breaks. I started a little late and then I stopped for a while for COVID and things. So coming back and just working hard in the room and just believing that I could be a state champion. And just praying and working every day in the room and outside of the room in normal life, too, and just trying to be a better person, it helps.”

Dane Olmstead, who went 30-6 with a title at Carmi and a second-place finish at the 1A Roxana Regional, fell a bit shy of advancing to the IHSA Finals from the Class 1A Carterville Sectional. He was one of the three qualifiers who all won medals with Olmstead the lone finalist for the Midgets, who are coached by Dan Quartz. He advanced to the IWCOA Finals after taking second place at the Belleville West Regional and fourth place at the Granite City Sectional. Olmstead recorded pins in his first two matches and then won a 16-3 major decision over Sycamore’s Clyde Nott before collecting a victory by technical fall over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Aiden Bishop in the quarterfinals. Then he earned his spot in the 215 title match by capturing a 4-2 decision over Edwardsville’s Braylon Hill-Lomax in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, Glenbard West’s Phin Codinha was a winner by fall in 1:39 over Murphysboro’s Caybren Hubbard, who was a member of coach Shea Baker’s Red Devils, who qualified for the IHSA 1A Dual Team Finals for the first time since 2016. The fifth-place match featured two individuals whose teams were in the IHSA 3A Dual Team Finals, as Edwardsville’s Braylon Hill-Lomax, a member of coach Eric Pretto’s Tigers, who advanced to state for the first time since 2019, captured a 7-2 decision over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Aiden Bishop, who was a member of the Hilltoppers’ third-place team that captured a state trophy for the third time in four-straight years that it has qualified for coach Ryan Cumbee, who is one of the 15 inductees for this year’s class of the IWCOA Hall of Fame. And for seventh place, Richmond-Burton’s Shane Falasca was a winner by fall in 1:25 over Downers Grove South’s Chris Cali. 

285 – Josh Stahl, Geneseo

Josh Stahl only competed in five varsity matches and he won all of them and after being a member of Geneseo’s second qualifier for the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals in three seasons and the fifth to get to state in its history, he decided to see if he could conclude his sophomore season on another high note by taking part in the IWCOA Frosh/Soph Tournament. Stahl capped an exciting day for retiring coach Jon Murray, a 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee, when he won a 5-0 decision over Notre Dame College Prep sophomore Sean Cook in the 285 title match to become one on two IWCOA champions for the Maple Leafs, with sophomore Colten Mooney preceding him on top of the awards after he took first at 215. Thanks to its late success on the title mat, Geneseo was the only team with two champions in the competition.

Stahl had one other highlight at the varsity level this season and that was taking first place at Orion. Because he was on the Dual Team Final team, which lost to eventual IHSA Class 2A champion IC Catholic Prep, he only had to compete in a sectional tournament to earn a trip to Springfield, and he won the title at the Sterling Sectional. After opening with a fall and then a 4-1 decision, he recorded a pin in 4:36 over Warren Township’s Nolan Lopez in the quarterfinals and then he won by fall in 2:33 over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Daniel Dalach in the semifinals. Stahl and Mooney were the only medal winners for the Maple Leafs at the Frosh/Soph Tournament.

“It’s a lot of fun (being at Geneseo),” Stahl said. “Jon Murray is a legend and he’s been such a great coach. It sucked that I only had him for my freshman and sophomore year but I’m glad he’s going into retirement with the two state champs and I’m happy to have him as my coach. And the coaching staff that is coming up is going to be great. It’s a small town, and if you’re a football player, everybody loves you, and when it comes to wrestling, it’s our top sport and we love all the guys that do it and the team is just so great. This feels amazing. If you told me last week that I’d be a state champ, I wouldn’t have believed you. To be here now, I give all glory to God and I thank Him for putting me in this position.”

Sean Cook was one of two medalists and the lone finalist for coach Anthony Genovesi’s Dons. He was listed as having an 0-0 varsity record but he did get a pin in his team’s dual meet sectional matchup with the eventual IHSA Class 2A champions, IC Catholic Prep, at the Wheeling Sectional. Cook also didn’t appear to be a likely candidate to reach the title mat in at state after qualifying for a trip to Springfield with third-place finishes at his own school’s regional and the Evanston Township Sectional. He opened with a quick pin and then won a 4-0 decision before capturing a pair of two-point decisions, claiming a 4-2 win over Freeburg’s Jack Amann in the quarterfinals and a 7-5 victory over Downers Grove South’s Michael Danial in the semifinals to set up a matchup of two individuals with six wins between them for the 285 championship.

Washington’s MarQwuan Young bounced back from a loss in the quarterfinals with four-straight wins to claim third with a victory by technical fall over Sycamore’s Maddox McRoberts, who lost his second match before winning five in a row. Young also was a member of coach Nick Miller’s Class 2A runner-up Panthers, who lost 46-17 to IC Catholic Prep in the title meet to fall short of a three-peating as IHSA champions, however it was the program’s ninth time that it placed first or second in the past 10 seasons. The third-place match also featured two leaders in falls as Young led the way with five and McRoberts tied one other for second with four. For fifth place, Downers Grove South’s Michael Danial won a 7-0 decision over Joliet Catholic Academy’s Daniel Dalach, a member of the Hilltoppers’ third-place team in Class 3A, which is coached by 2025 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Ryan Cumbee. For seventh, Freeburg’s Jack Amann won by fall in 2:52 over Moline’s Alijah Martin.

IWCOA Frosh/Soph State Championship – Place Matches

101

1st Place Match

Rocco Valvano (Wheaton Warrenville South) won in sudden victory over Mike Bird (IC Catholic Prep) (SV-1 4-1)

3rd Place Match

Cam Whitehead (Winnebago) won by tech fall over Brayden Sroka (Zion-Benton) (TF 18-3)

5th Place Match

Aidan Ambre (West Aurora) won by decision over Nathan Powers (Lincoln-Way East) (Dec 8-7)

7th Place Match

Lucas Crandall (Fremd) won in sudden victory over Austin Jones (Alton) (SV-1 14-11)

106

1st Place Match

Gabe Richmond (West Aurora) won by decision over Tanner Stone (Downers Grove South) (Dec 11-7)

3rd Place Match

Drew Murante (IC Catholic Prep) won by decision over Parker Barry (Morris) (Dec 8-6)

5th Place Match

Matthew Blanke (Barrrington) won by decision over Stone McKone (Buffalo Grove) (Dec 8-3)

7th Place Match

Julian Hartwig (DeKalb) won by fall over Kyler Guercio (Lawerence County) (Fall 1:45)

113

1st Place Match

Roberto Rangel (Marist) won by tech fall over Zach Hoffner (Bradley-Bourbonnais) (TF 17-2)

3rd Place Match

Mason Soney (Normal Community) won by major decision over Emanuel Rangel (West Chicago) (Maj 12-4)

5th Place Match

Santiago Trejo-Huerigo (Addison Trail) won by decision over Breiydyn Hoffman (Grant) (Dec 5-4)

7th Place Match

Nathan Fisher (Cahokia) won by decision over Landon Jenkins (Yorkville) (Dec 11-6)

120

1st Place Match

Enrique Garcia (Jacobs) won by decision over Mykola Shamray (Buffalo Grove) (Dec 7-3)

3rd Place Match

Eric Hoselton (Lincoln-Way Central) won by decision over Matthew Laird (Joliet Catholic Academy) (Dec 12-9)

5th Place Match

Joseph Pedrosa (Joliet West) won by fall over Colin Phelan (Marist) (Fall 1:27)

7th Place Match

Nolan Chrisse (Yorkville) won by major decision over Collin Ledbetter (Moline) (Maj 11-3)

126

1st Place Match

Jadon Dinwiddie (Downers Grove South) won by major decision over Jayden Hernandez (St. Charles East) (Maj 12-2)

3rd Place Match

Joshua Theis (Lincoln-Way East) won by decision over Jacob Crawford (Marist) (Dec 3-2)

5th Place Match

Maricio Parker (Rock Island) won by major decision over Lukas Quartz (Freeburg) (Maj 12-3)

7th Place Match

Koby Clark (Marquette Academy) won by major decision over Roman Ocampo (Glenbrook South) (Maj 9-0)

132

1st Place Match

Adante Washington (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by tech fall over Aiden Quevedo (Schaumburg) (TF 20-4)

3rd Place Match

Shane Stream (Lincoln-Way West) won by decision over Housseyn Ndiaye (Moline) (Dec 9-6)

5th Place Match

Trey Boston (Auburn) won by decision over Jonathan Kopcio (Marmion Academy) (Dec 6-4)

7th Place Match

Vincent Konecki (Yorkville) won by decision over Lincoln Yerby (Morton) (Dec 10-3)

138

1st Place Match

Jaxon Jorgensen (Mount Carmel) won by tech fall over Gavin Nischke (Huntley) (TF 23-3)

3rd Place Match

Braxton Tolley (Granite City) won by fall over Caiden Heath (Amboy co-op) (Fall 1:53)

5th Place Match

Nolan Variano (Hersey) won by tech fall over Jay Doherty (Wheaton North) (TF 18-2)

7th Place Match

Jayden Cooper (Bradley-Bourbonnais) won by decision over Brody Hinkle (Schaumburg) (Dec 5-1)

144

1st Place Match

Christian Chiarelli (Downers Grove North) won by decision over Cale Hilbing (Quincy Notre Dame) (Dec 11-5)

3rd Place Match

Austin Kistner (Olympia) won by decision over Timothy Garmon (Naperville North) (Dec 7-4)

5th Place Match

Khalid Eid (St. Laurence) won by major decision over Elijah Flowers (Bolingbrook) (Maj 9-0)

7th Place Match

Jayden Patterson-Veal (Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy) won by decision over John Gough (Schaumburg) (Dec 12-5)

150

1st Place Match

Tallis Taylor (Glenbard West) won by major decision over Malan Hatfield (West Aurora) (Maj 11-1)

3rd Place Match

Samer Suleiman (Stagg) won by major decision over Gavin Watson (Sparta) (Maj 9-1)

5th Place Match

Brady Miller (Hinsdale South) won by disqualification over Landon Weidler (Belleville East) (DQ)

7th Place Match

Ben Mullins (Robinson) won by fall over Kaden Collins (Olympia) (Fall 2:22)

157

1st Place Match

Nicholas Hermsen (Warren) won by decision over Will Julian (Byron) (Dec 5-2)

3rd Place Match

Maximus Delgado (Yorkville) won by decision over Christian Czerwinski (Lockport Township) (Dec 2-0)

5th Place Match

Julian Rammelkamp (Glenwood) won by tech fall over Xavier Smiley (Glenbard North) (TF 17-0)

7th Place Match

Brody McKenna (Wauconda) won by decision over Ethan Waugh (Stillman Valley) (Dec 12-8)

165

1st Place Match

Reily Leifheit (Marquette Academy) won by fall over Kayden Roach (Bradley-Bourbonnais) (Fall 4:46)

3rd Place Match

Mark Aeschliman (Metamora Township) won by decision over Jeramy Hamm (Notre Dame College Prep) (Dec 7-2)

5th Place Match

James Escobar (Rochester) won by medical forfeit over Kevin May (Montini Catholic) (MFF)

7th Place Match

Samuel Cushman (Barrrington) won by fall over Alen Bautista (Addison Trail) (Fall 1:42)

175

1st Place Match

Kaden Meyer (Minooka) won by tech fall over Sergio Baity (Centennial) (TF 23-8)

3rd Place Match

James Scanio (Libertyville) won by tech fall over Aiden Rodriguez (Prairie Ridge) (TF 21-6)

5th Place Match

Santiago Moya (J. Sterling Morton) won by decision over Eli Miller (Granite City) (Dec 5-4)

7th Place Match

Justin Langford (Lincoln-Way Central) won by fall over Isiah Robinson (Proviso West) (Fall 2:10)

190

Payton Chanerl (O`Fallon) won by decision over Ryker Czubak (Downers Grove South) (Dec 11-5)

3rd Place Match

Rowan Stockwell (Rock Island) won by major decision over Malachi Congo (Morris) (Maj 11-2)

5th Place Match

Bohdan Postoroniuk (Metea Valley) won by decision over Jacob Tyderek (Joliet West) (Dec 14-8)

7th Place Match

Aiden Larson (Lena-Winslow/ Stockton) won by fall over Daniel Bourbulas (Normal Community) (Fall 3:23)

215

1st Place Match

Colten Mooney (Geneseo) won by decision over Dane Olmstead (Freeburg) (Dec 1-0)

3rd Place Match

Phin Codinha (Glenbard West) won by fall over Caybren Hubbard (Murphysboro) (Fall 1:39)

5th Place Match

Braylon Hill-Lomax (Edwardsville) won by decision over Aiden Bishop (Joliet Catholic Academy) (Dec 7-2)

7th Place Match

Shane Falasca (Richmond-Burton) won by fall over Chris Cali (Downers Grove South) (Fall 1:25)

285

1st Place Match

Josh Stahl (Geneseo) won by decision over Sean Cook (Notre Dame College Prep) (Dec 5-0)

3rd Place Match

MarQwuan Young (Washington) won by tech fall over Maddox McRoberts (Sycamore) (TF 17-1)

5th Place Match

Michael Danial (Downers Grove South) won by decision over Daniel Dalach (Joliet Catholic Academy) (Dec 7-0)

7th Place Match

Jack Amann (Freeburg) won by fall over Alijah Martin (Moline) (Fall 2:52)

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

Illinois athletes went 3-for-3 at the Illinois vs. Indiana Classic Duals, which were sponsored by the IWCOA and were held at Joliet Catholic Academy in Joliet.

On the boys side, Team Lincoln defeated Indiana Gold 41-26 and Team Reagan beat Indiana Blue by a 60-11 margin. In the girls competition, Team Illinois won 51-27 over Team Indiana.

Beside coaching the practice, JCA coach Ryan Cumbee was in the corner for boys who didn’t have coaches in attendance and also assisted when they had coaches there. Coaches for the girls were Hoffman Estates’ Leo Clark, Canton’s Zach Crawford and Prospect’s John Bassler.

“Representing Team Illinois is a privilege and an honor, one taken very seriously by our coaches and competitors this year,” said Cumbee, who is one of the 15 inductees for this year’s class for the IWCOA Hall of Fame. “Described as an exhibition match between the states’ best, it is anything but that for us. We treat this event with focus and pride as we look to remind Indiana where they stand. This year we were highly successful in that goal as we swept their three teams, two boys and a girls team, in dominant fashion.”

In Team Lincoln’s victory, Illinois won the first four matches to grab a 16-0 advantage but Indiana responded with three falls to grab an 18-16 lead through the initial seven matches.

After the sides split decisions to keep Indiana up 21-19 with six matches remaining,  Illinois won the next two to go up 28-21 and after Indiana closed to within 28-26, Team Lincoln wrapped things up by sweeping the final three matches.

Maddox Garbis (Plainfield North, 6th at 106 in 3A) got things started with a win by technical fall over Julianna Ocampo at 106 and Dylan Eimer (Olympia, 3rd at 113 in 1A) pulled out an 11-10 decision over Keegan Dresslar. Noah Woods (Washington, 1st at 120 in 2A) edged Levi Jonns 4-2 and Michael Esteban (Marist, 2nd at 126 in 3A) followed with a win by technical fall over Isaac Ash to give Team Lincoln an early 16-0 advantage.

Indiana responded with a fall in 2:18 from Jake Hockaday over George Marinopoulos (Marist, 2nd at 132 in 3A), a pin in 3:37 from Nathan Bryan over Jeremy Eggleston (Reed-Custer, SQ at 138 in 1A), and win by fall in 3:37 from Bryce Doss over Peyton Cox (Washington, 1st at 144 in 2A) to put Indiana up 18-16.

Carson Weber (Joliet West, 1st at 150 in 3A) captured a 9-3 decision over Seth Syra at 150 to give Lincoln a 19-18 lead but Gold moved back in front at 21-19 when Silas Stits edged Jack Ferguson (Yorkville, 3rd at 157 in 3A) by a 10-8 score. 

Team Lincoln moved back in front for good when Will Denny (Marist, 1st at 165 in 3A) claimed a 10-2 major decision over Michael Major at 165 and R.J. Robinson (Homewood-Flossmoor, 2nd at 175 in 3A) followed with a win by technical fall over Brennon Whickcar to make it 28-21 with four matches remaining.

Gunner Henry closed the gap to two when he got a win by technical fall over Cayden Parks (Crystal Lake Central, 2nd at 190 in 2A) at 190 but Nate Elstner (Lincoln-Way West, 3rd at 215 in 3A) followed with a 13-3 major decision over Jayden Bartoszek and William Cole (Round Lake, 2nd at 285 in 3A) sealed the deal with a fall in 3:27 over Max Forrester and Charles Walker (Joliet Central, 1st at 215 in 3A) capped things with a 7-1 decision over Bartoszek.

There was much less doubt about the outcome when Team Reagan faced Indiana Blue after the Illinoisans won eight in a row to build a 42-0 lead and the teams then split the final six matches.

Davion Henry (Homewood-Flossmoor, SQ at 106 in 3A) got things started with a victory by technical fall over Davin Ash at 106 and Bryce Mensik (Lake Park, SQ at 113 in 3A) followed with a fall in 4:00 over Sam Blanco Colmenares. 

Gavin Rockey (Wauconda, 3rd at 120 in 2A) recorded a pin in 4:00 over Timoteo Rocha and Xavier Villalobos (Rochelle, 2nd at 126 in 2A) won by fall in 4:00 over Cameron Woods to put Team Reagan up 23-0.

Deven Casey (IC Catholic Prep, 1st at 132 in 2A) also added a fall in 4:00 over Eddie Goss at 132 and Jordan Rasof (Deerfield, 3rd at 138 in 2A) followed with a 7-1 decision over Lucas Cadwell. Emmett Nelson (Richmond-Burton, 1st at 144 in 1A) won by fall in 1:57 over Sam Bustamante and Jackson Carroll (Illini Bluffs, 1st at 150 in 1A) completed the 42-point run with a 10-2 major decision over Jayden Lewis. 

Indiana Blue got its first win at 157 when Mason Day won an 11-4 decision over Tyson Rakers (Highland, 2nd at 157 in 2A) but Bowden Delaney (Tremont, 1st at 165 in 1A) answered with a fall in 2:46 over Gavin Davis and Fabian Ramirez (Elgin, 5th at 175 in 3A) won by fall in 3:56 to give Team Reagan a 54-3 advantage.

Ethan Farnell captured a 16-5 major decision over Nico Ronchetti (Joliet Catholic Academy, 2nd at 190 in 3A) before Drake Champlin (East Alton-Wood River, 1st at 215 in 1A) got a pin in 5:48 over Caden Brewer for the Illinois’ teams final win and Caleb Evans claimed a 20-12 major decision over David McCarthy (De La Salle Institute, 1st at 285 in 1A) in the final match.

The girls dual meet was close for a while as Team Illinois led 17-12 through five matches and the Illinoisans still owned a 27-15 advantage with six matches remaining before ending the suspense by recording three-straight falls.

Katelyn Bell (Montini Catholic, 2nd at 100) started things with a win by technical fall over Sydney Stoller at 100 and Kameyah Young (West Aurora, 3rd at 105) followed with a win by fall in 0:53 over Sanniah Hernandez. 

The teams traded pins in the next two matches as Team Indiana’s Julianna Ocampo won by fall in 1:28 over Jala Singleton (Belleville West, SQ at 110) and Victoria Macias (Burlington Central, 6th at 115) answered with a pin in 4:48 over Delaney Koebcke to make it 17-6 four matches in.

After Zoe Pugh recorded a pin in 0:23 over Aaliyah Roldan (Oswego, SQ at 120), Team Illinois got wins by technical fall from Sophie Bowers (Vandalia, 1st at 125) over Faith Hand and from Sophia Ball (Hoffman Estates, 1st at 130) over Jaydyn Mandry to boost its lead to 27-12 before Kaylea Beauchamp got the second win for Team Indiana when she claimed a 4-1 decision over Viola Pianetto (Prospect, 2nd at 135).

But that’s when Team Illinois finally ended the drama as Jillian Giller (New Trier, 5th at 140) won by fall in 5:05 over Leighna Prater at 140, Madeline Zerafa-Lazarevic (Schaumburg, 2nd at 145) followed with a pin in 1:35 over Prater and Teagan Aurich (Plainfield South, 3rd at 155) won by fall in 2:57 over Ella Harpold to increase the lead to 45-15 with three matches left.

Mallory Winner got a pin in 3:31 over Alicia Tucker (Plainfield Central, 1st at 170) and Ja’Niya Howard won by fall in 4:30 over Isabel Peralta (Oak Forest, 6th at 190) before Chloe Hoselton (Prairie Central, 1st at 235) closed out the dual meet with a fall in 2:16 over Bresa Coan.

There were three four-time IHSA medalists in the boys duals, IC Catholic Prep’s Casey (1st in 2025 and 2024, 3rd in 2023 and 2022), Washington’s Cox (1st in 2025, 2nd in 2024, 2023 and 2022) and Richmond-Burton’s Nelson (1st in 2025, 2nd in 2023 and 2022, 6th in 2024). Other two-time IHSA champions in the boys competition were Illini Bluffs’ Carroll (1st in 2025 and 2024) and Marist’s Denny (1st in 2025 and 2024, 4th in 2023).

Additional 2025 IHSA champions who took part in the event were East Alton-Wood River’s Champlin (1st in 2025, 2nd in 2024), Tremont’s Delaney (1st in 2025, 2nd in 2024), De La Salle Institute’s McCarthy (1st in 2025, 5th in 2024), Washington Woods (1st in 2025, 6th in 2024), Joliet West’s Weber (1st in 2025, 3rd in 2024) and Joliet Central’s Walker (1st in 2025).

Other three-time state medalists who competed in the duals were Rochelle’s Villalobos (2nd in 2025 and 2022, 5th in 2024), Joliet Catholic Academy’s Ronchetti (2nd in 2025 and 2023, 6th in 2024), Wauconda’s Rockey (2nd in 2024 and 2023, 3rd in 2025), Crystal Lake Central’s Parks (2nd in 2025 and 2024, 4th in 2023), Marist’s Esteban (2nd in 2025 and 2024, 6th in 2022), Olympia’s Eimer (3rd in 2025, 4th in 2024 and 2022), Deerfield’s Rasof (3rd in 2025, 5th in 2024, 6th in 2023) and Plainfield North’s Garbis (4th in 2024, 6th in 2025 and 2023).

And additional two-time state medalists who took part in the competition were Round Lake’s Cole (2nd in 2025, 4th in 2024), Highland’s Rakers (2nd in 2025, 4th in 2024) and Yorkville’s Ferguson (3rd in 2025, 5th in 2024). And all-staters for the first time who participated were Marist’s Marinopoulos (2nd in 2025), Homewood-Flossmoor’s Robinson (2nd in 2025), Lincoln-Way West’s Elstner (3rd in 2025) and Elgin’s Ramirez (5th in 2025).

Three two-time IHSA champions participated in the girls dual meet, Plainfield Central’s Tucker (1st in 2025 and 2023, 2nd in 2024), Vandalia’s Bowers (1st in 2025 and 2024)  and Prairie Central’s Hoselton (1st in 2025 and 2024). 

There was also one four-time state medalist in the event, Burlington Central’s Macias (4th in 2022, 5th in 2024 and 2023 and 6th in 2025). And Hoffman Estates’ Ball (1st in 2025, 2nd in 2024, 5th in 2023) was the other IHSA champion in the competition.

Two other individuals who were also three-time all-staters that participated in the dual meet were Schaumburg’s Zerafa-Lazarevic (2nd in 2025 and 2024, 5th in 2023) and West Aurora’s Young (2nd in 2024, 3rd in 2025, 4th in 2023). 

Another two-time medalist who competed was Montini Catholic’s Bell (2nd in 2025, 6th in 2024). And three first-time medal winners who also took part in the event were Prospect’s Pianetto (2nd in 2025), Plainfield South’s Aurich (3rd in 2025) and New Trier’s Giller (5th in 2025). 

Girls meet result – Team Illinois 51, Team Indiana 27 

100 Kat Bell (Team Illinois) over Sydney Stoller (Team Indiana) TF 21-4

105 Kameyah Young (Team Illinois) over Sanniah Hernandez (Team Indiana) F 0:53

110 Julianna Ocampo (Team Indiana) over Jala Singleton (Team Illinois) F 1:28

115 Victoria Macias (Team Illinois) over Delaney Koebcke (Team Indiana) F 4:48

120 Zoe Pugh (Team Indiana) over Aaliyah Roldan (Team Illinois) F 0:23

125 Sophie Bowers (Team Illinois) over Faith Hand (Team Indiana) TF 17-1

130 Sophia Ball (Team Illinois) over Jaydyn Mandry (Team Indiana) TF 15-0

135 Kaylea Beauchamp (Team Indiana) over Viola Pianetto (Team Illinois) D 4-1

140 Jillian Giller (Team Illinois) over Leighna Prater (Team Indiana) F 5:05

145 Madeline Zerafa-Lazarevic (Team Illinois) over Leighna Prater (Team Indiana) F 1:35

155 Teagan Aurich (Team Illinois) over Ella Harpold (Team Indiana) F 2:57

170 Mallory Winner (Team Indiana) over Alicia Tucker (Team Illinois) F 3:31

190 Ja`Niya Howard (Team Indiana) over Isabel Peralta (Team Illinois) F 4:30

235 Chloe Hoselton (Team Illinois) over Bresa Coan (Team Indiana) F 2:16

Boys meet result – Team Lincoln 41, Indiana Gold 26

106 Maddox Garbis (Team Lincoln) over Julianna Ocampo (Indiana Gold) TF 22-6

113 Dylan Eimer (Team Lincoln) over Keegan Dresslar (Indiana Gold) D 11-10

120 Noah Woods (Team Lincoln) over Levi Johns (Indiana Gold) D 4-2

126 Michael Esteban (Team Lincoln) over Isaac Ash (Indiana Gold) TF 17-2

132 Jake Hockaday (Indiana Gold) over George Marinopoulos (Team Lincoln) F 2:18

138 Nathan Bryan (Indiana Gold) over Jeremy Eggelston (Team Lincoln) F 0:23

144 Bryce Doss (Indiana Gold) over Peyton Cox (Team Lincoln) F 3:37

150 Carson Weber (Team Lincoln) over Seth Syra (Indiana Gold) D 9-3

157 Silas Stits (Indiana Gold) over Jack Ferguson (Team Lincoln) D 10-8

165 Will Denny (Team Lincoln) over Michael Major (Indiana Gold) MD 10-2

175 R.J. Robinson (Team Lincoln) over Brennon Whitktar (Indiana Gold) TF 19-4

190 Gunner Henry (Indiana Gold) over Caden Parks (Team Lincoln) TF 19-4

215 Nate Elster (Team Lincoln) over Gayden Bartoszek (Indiana Gold) MD 13-3

285 William Cole (Team Lincoln) over Max Forrester (Indiana Gold) F 3:27

215A Charles Walker (Team Lincoln) over Gayden Bartoszek (Indiana Gold) D 7-1

Boys meet result – Team Reagan 60, Indiana Blue 11

106 Davion Henry (Team Reagan) over Davin Ash (Indiana Blue) TF 21-5

113 Bryce Mensik (Team Reagan) over Sam Blanco Clomenares (Indiana Blue) F 4:00

120 Gavin Rockey (Team Reagan) over Timoteo Rocha (Indiana Blue) F 4:00

126 Xavier Villalobos (Team Reagan) over Cameron Woods (Indiana Blue) F 4:00

132 Deven Casey (Team Reagan) over Eddie Goss (Indiana Blue) F 4:00

138 Jordan Rasof (Team Reagan) over Lucas Cadwell (Indiana Blue) D 7-1

144 Emmett Nelson (Team Reagan) over Sam Bustamante (Indiana Blue) F 1:57

150 Jackson Carroll (Team Reagan) over Jayden Lewis (Indiana Blue) MD 10-2

157 Mason Day (Indiana Blue) over Tyson Rakers (Team Reagan) D 11-4

165 Bowden Delaney (Team Reagan) over Gavin Davis (Indiana Blue) F 2:46

175 Fabian Ramirez (Team Reagan) over Jake Thrash (Indiana Blue) F 3:56

190 Ethan Farnell (Indiana Blue) over Nico Ronchetti (Team Reagan) MD 16-5

215 Drake Champlin (Team Reagan) over Caden Brewer (Indiana Blue) F 5:48

285 Caleb Evans (Indiana Blue) over David McCarthy (Team Reagan) MD 20-12

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

At the conclusion of the 2024 IHSA Class 1A Dual Team State Tournament, the consensus seemed to be that three of the the teams that claimed the top-four finishes would again be the teams to beat in the 2025 state dual team finals, and that proved to be the case.

With each of them having many top performers back for 2024-2025, defending champion Marian Central Catholic, last year’s runner-up and 2023 title winner Coal City and fourth-place finisher Vandalia all believed they could be state champions this season. And Unity, which fell in the quarterfinals to last year’s third-place finisher, Roxana, also felt it could be in the trophy mix.

One week after Vandalia won 50-25 over Unity, the four teams competed ar ABE’s Rumble where coach Jason Clay’s Vandals claimed big early leads over both coach Mark Masters’ Coalers in the semifinals and against the Jordan Blanton and Ryan Prater-led Hurricanes in the title meet before getting wins in the final matches of both duals to beat Coal City 30-28 and Marian Central Catholic 35-27 to capture the title while Coal City beat coach Logan Patton’s Unity Rockets 41-28 for third place after Unity lost 48-27 to the Hurricanes in the semifinals.

One week later, the Vandals and Coalers were back at in the Lyle King Princeton Invitational Tournament with Vandalia getting the upper hand by a 279.5-272 margin in a tight struggle for the championship to win its first PIT title and cement itself as the top-ranked team heading into the postseason with Marian Central Catholic, Coal City and Unity rounding out the top four.

There were plenty of great storylines heading into the 2A Dual Team Finals at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington. 

Vandalia hoped to cap a memorable season in which it was unbeaten in dual meets against Illinois teams, won all of its tournaments and also had two individual champions for the first time and a two-time girls title winner who became the first to try to win two titles on the same day, 11 state qualifiers and six state medals while the program sought its first IHSA dual team championship since 1996 and its first title for Clay, who was honored one week earlier as a 2025 inductee into the IWCOA Hall of Fame and announced that he was stepping down as Vandalia’s head coach after going 504-110 in 19 seasons.

Marian Central Catholic looked to follow up on the school’s first championship to become the first team to repeat in Class 1A since Dakota won four-straight titles from 2013-2016 and came in with plenty of momentum after having two IHSA champions and eight state qualifiers.

Coal City intended to bounce back from last year’s 34-27 setback to the Hurricanes in the IHSA title dual to capture not only its second title in three seasons but also its second championship in its history as well as seeking an eighth trophy in the last 10 seasons for 2022 IWCOA Hall of Famer Masters, who also surpassed the 500-win mark and now has a 504-161 record in 22 seasons and it arrived in Bloomington with confidence after having a record seven all-staters.

And Unity eyed the possibility of advancing to the dual team title meet for the first time since 1989 and for the second time by capturing its first-ever championship in school history.

Following two dramatic semifinals meets and an equally-suspenseful title dual meet, it was the Coalers who got the job done, dashing the Hurricanes’ hopes for a repeat with a 35-27 win in the semifinals before easing the disappointment of last year’s second-place finish by denying the Vandals of their first title in 29 years when they claimed a 32-25 victory in the championship.

Marian Central Catholic defeated Unity 44-24 to claim third place for the second time, with the other occasion being in 2019 when it claimed its first IHSA trophy under coach David Silva. The Rockets won their fourth trophy and their third in the last five seasons after also placing fourth in 2022 and claiming third place in 2020.

Vandalia had its hands full in the semifinals against Unity, who won the first five matches to go up 20-0 and the Rockets still led 24-3 midway through the meet before the Vandals won the next six matches to wrap things up, allowing them to forfeit in the finale to prevail by a 33-30 score.

And in their first meeting of the season in the other semifinal, the Coalers avenged last year’s title dual meet loss to the Hurricanes by taking a 20-14 lead with six matches to go before Marian Central Catholic won three in a row to go up 27-20 and Coal City responded with victories in the final three matches to capture a 35-27 triumph.

In addition, the remainder of the eight-team field certainly had much to be proud of. Oregon, coached by Justin Lahman, won a thriller over Newman Central Catholic in the sectional that it hosted to earn its first trip to the dual team state finals since 2008.

Olympia, coached by Josh Collins, qualified for its first appearance in the dual team finals since 2017. Coach Shea Baker led Murphysboro to state for the second time and its third trip in its history with its last visit in 2016. And coach Dan Willis guided Chicago Hope Academy back to the IHSA finals for the third time as it made its first trip since advancing in both 2017 and 2018.

Unity defeated Oregon 40-35 in the quarterfinals but that score is a bit misleading since the Rockets won the first eight matches to build up a 40-0 advantage. Also in the quarterfinals, Coal City captured a 53-22 win over Olympia, Vandalia claimed a 52-18 victory over Chicago Hope Academy and Marian Central Catholic was a 51-18 victor over Murphysboro.

State Championship Meet – Coal City 32, Vandalia 25

In the championship dual meet, the Coalers (33-7) won eight matches while the Vandals (40-2) won six and they got four of their wins with decisions, compared to two for Vandalia. And two of Coal City’s decisions were by two points or less, including one determined by a tiebreaker. 

After dropping decisions in the first two matches to trail 6-0, Coal City took control by winning the next five to build up a 22-6 advantage midway through the meet. While Vandalia responded with four-straight victories to move back in front at 25-22 with three to go, the Coalers swept all of those matches to assure that they would not finish in second place for a ninth time in its history while the Vandals became the runner-up in the tournament for the third time.

It appears that this is may be the first time in state history that teams led by coaches with 500 or more dual meet victories met in the IHSA Dual Team State Tournament Finals and the fact that it happened in a championship meet would make this matchup that much more significant.

In the opener in the championship meet at 150, three-time medalist Dillon Hinton won a 9-2 decision over Noah Houston and Parker Ray rallied for a 12-8 decision over Mason Garner after trailing 8-5 going into the final period to give the Vandals the early 6-0 advantage. 

“At the start of the year, we got out really strong and we just kept working and working and working and we kept winning those tournaments,” Ray said. “ABE’s Rumble was a big point where we could really see that we could do it, that we had the potential to win state, by defeating the now state champion Coal City and Marian Central. I feel like we were a lot closer than most dual teams. We got to go to Union County wrestling camp this summer and I feel like that just grew us really close and we all had just like a brotherhood and everybody had everybodys’ back. And everybody grew up with everybody, so outside of wrestling, we’re all best friends and we all hang out as much as we can to get that bond even tighter.”

Coal City responded in a big way with five-straight victories as Brock Finch captured a 10-1 major decision over Artan Mustafa and 2024 1A IHSA champion and two-time medalist Landin Benson added a fall in 2:25 over Noah Langston in his final match to put the Coalers up 10-6 and they remained in front through the 10th match.

“I think we had the connection,” Benson said. “We’ve been wrestling with each other since we were five, six years old, so we have that connection and the community behind you cheering you on. It was amazing, the town is amazing and always supportive and they get loud. All around, we’re really good in every position, so we knew we had it. It’s been amazing. The coaches are great, the teammates are great and the community is great. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, Coal City is probably the best program around.”

In a matchup of first-time all-staters, Cade Poyner trailed Ross Miller 5-1 in the third period but rallied to record a pin in 4:36, state medalist John Keigher followed with a 10-6 decision over two-time medal winner Kaden Tidwell and Alec Waliczek got an escape to claim a 2-1 win on a tiebreaker over Dominic Swyers at 285 to put the Coalers up 22-6 midway through the meet.

“It feels awesome,” Waliczek said. “I lost to that kid at ABE’s and we ended up losing at ABE’s. I want to thank all of my coaches, they push us very hard in practice and I knew that wasn’t going to happen again, thanks to them. We knew what was at task this weekend and we knew what we had to get done. After we beat Marian, I had a lot of high hopes. All of the guys, we’ve worked hard for this moment and we’re all just very blessed to be here. It’s amazing, just wrestling with your brothers. It’s just a brotherhood and we’re all so close and I love all of them.”

Vandalia started its rally when Aiden Evans won a 14-1 major decision over Jason Piatak and state champion and two-time finalist Max Philpot followed with a fall in 1:34 over two-time medalist Owen Petersen to narrow the gap to 22-16. 

After 2024 state champion and 2025 runner-up Preston Waughtel got a win by technical fall at 4:35 over Culan Lindemuth at 120, his brother Tyson Waughtel, a three-time IHSA champion and four-time finalist, put his team back in front at 25-22 with an 8-0 major decision over two-time medalist and 2025 finalist Cooper Morris in a rematch of the 1A 126 title match to cap his historic career with a 210-2 record, which is the new IHSA standard for career victories.

“Definitely everyone was trying to battle,” Tidwell said. “The second day was just tough matches after tough matches because every team had a chance to do it. It’s definitely not a year that you’ll look back in shame on and regret anything because we did have probably one of the best years that Vandalia’s ever had. But whenever you come so close and you don’t get it, it just gives you a little bit more motivation to keep working harder to get it.”

It was all Coalers after that as Luke Munsterman responded to a third-period reversal by Elijah Mabry with a reversal of his own with 0:42 left to capture a 4-2 win at 132 to tie things at 25-25. Two-time runner-up and three-time medalist Brody Widlowski won a 10-2 major decision over Brody Matthews to put Coal City ahead for good at 29-25 and all-stater Aidan Kenney clinched the program’s second IHSA championship with a 9-4 decision over Cole Yarbrough at 144. 

“Today, all of our fans showed up and all of our teammates we’ve practiced with our whole lives really pushed us to reach our goals,” Kenney said. “Our kids program, Lil’ Coalers, was made when we were real young, so we all grew up together. All of our kids are quality, even our JV, our extra seven we brought to fill in or to move around, just in case.”

Coal City only graduates four individuals from the state roster, 2024 champion and two-time medal winner Landin Benson, medalist John Keigher, qualifier Culan Lindemuth and alternate Alec Waliczek. Returnees include three-time medalist and two-time finalist Brody Widlowski, two-time medalist and 2025 finalist Cooper Morris, two-time all-stater Owen Petersen, 2025 medalists Aidan Kenney and Cade Poyner and five others who qualified this season, Brock Finch, Mason Garner, Noah Houston, Luke Musterman and Jason Piatak, which will no doubt motivate the Coalers to join Montini Catholic, Wilmington and Dakota as the only other schools in Class A or Class 1A to compete in four championship dual meets during a four-year span.

Benson, Finch, Garner, Houston, Kenney, Lindemuth, Munsterman, Poyner and Widlowski were all on the 2023 IHSA championship team while Keigher, Morris, Petersen and Waliczek joined the other nine as members of the 2024 runner-up team. Four individuals competed in matches in Coal City’s 32-31 victory over Yorkville Christian in the 2023 1A championship dual meet, Benson, Finch, Lindemuth and Widlowski.

It marked the eighth time in the past 10 seasons that the Coalers have finished third or better at the IHSA Dual Team Finals (two firsts, four seconds, two thirds) under 2022 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Mark Masters, who recently joined an elite list of coaches who’ve won 500 or more dual meets during their careers and his record in 22 seasons at Coal City is 504-161.

“We had 13 state qualifiers, so it’s not like we’re unknown, but when you have seven all-staters, it’s the non all-staters that really stepped up and got it accomplished,” Masters said. “We had Alec Waliczek in that championship dual, he got beat by that kids earlier in the year in the dual and Luke Munsterman got beat by that kid earlier, so those are huge swings, big time. And our studs do what they do. Cade Poyner got headlocked and rolled through it for a pin, and we were losing 3-2 at the time, so that was a huge one.That was a matchup that we thought we could win, but he waited until the third period to get it done.

“We are a great dual meet team, just based on all of the guys that we have. We had 13 state qualifiers and the other kid was an alternate, so we’re deep. And we didn’t really have to tap into the bench at all. In one match against Olympia, we threw a young freshman out there to get the matchup that we wanted, but other than that, the guys were selfless. How would I describe this group? I would say opportunistic and resilient. These guys, when there’s an opportunity, we jumped on it. We pinned a lot of people tonight and yesterday.

“Years ago when it was a two-class system and I was trying to wrestle a few of the bigger schools, but they always told me that they had nothing to gain by wrestling us. I told them, ‘I’ve got tough kids’. When Mark Ruettiger was at Lincoln-Way, and he had been a Class A guy, I talked to him and he goes, ‘you can come up here, Coal City has tough kids’. So he opened the door for us then we got Plainfield Central and then it just started growing. And all of a sudden, we got invited to see more larger class teams.”

Jason Clay concluded a memorable 19 seasons as head coach for Vandalia, where he competed for and later assisted 2014 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Glenn Exton. He took 15 teams to the IHSA Dual Team Finals and also had second-place finishes in 2018 and 2007 in addition to a third place in 2019 and fourth place last season. He also recently went over the 500 victory mark in dual meets and finished with a 504-110 record. At the IHSA Individual State Tournament in Champaign, where the Vandals had two individual champions for the first time, he was one of 15 individuals that was inducted into this year’s class of the IWCOA Hall of Fame.

Another highlight for the Vandals also happened that same day when Sophie Bowers won the IHSA girls title at 125 for the second year in a row. As a member of the state finals team roster, she became the first individual in the current IHSA tournament format to win an individual title and have the opportunity to be on a team that was vying for a championship on the same day.

While the loss of seven seniors, two-time girls champion Bowers, 2025 champion Tyson Waughtel, two-time medalist Kaden Tidwell, state qualifiers Artan Mustafa and Parker Ray as well as Deon Moore and Gabe Torres, is significant, the good news for Vandalia is that 14 others from the state roster will be back, including 2025 champion and two-time finalist Max Philpot, three-time medalist and one-time finalist Dillon Hinton, 2025 runner-up Preston Waughtel and medalist Ross Miller as well as qualifiers Aiden Evans, Dominic Swyers and Cole Yarbrough.

“It’s been a special season,” Clay said. “We’ve won every tournament that we’ve been to, but this one. We won the CM (Civic Memorial) Tournament, we won ABE’s Rumble and we won Princeton for the first time. We won 40 dual meets, we had six state placers, we had two state champions, and three counting Sophie, this weekend, and she’s a double champ. It’s been an incredible season and as fun as it was in my last year of doing this in 19 years, it’s tough, but I’m proud of our kids and I’m proud of our community the way that they showed up tonight. 

“They battled and some things went our way early, Parker had a nice win pulling that out and we were about to take a match at 190, and give their kid credit, he battled through. That’s a position we’re pretty good at but he rolled us through and not only got the takedown but got the pin, and that was huge and then we lost a tough match at 15 and at heavyweight that we won in the first dual. There’s some things that went against us, wrestling things, but the kids wrestled hard. They’re a great program and they have been for a long time.

“(ABE’s Rumble) It was a two-point match, and if one thing goes different, who knows. They kind of had a target on our backs, they’re coming after us and thinking about us each day. We were trying to stay hungry and healthy, and that’s another thing that kind of bit us at the end. We had some guys injured, a few different things. It’s super hard, we went 19 years and never won a state title, we got three runner-up trophies and we’ve been up here 15 times and still never won one. So give them credit for pulling it all together and getting it done and we finished just a little short.

“I’m going to miss the kids and the time that we had together. Each team changes and things are going to be different next year and we’re going to be good again. There will be a change in leadership and we’re going to graduate some good kids. So they just have to keep coming back at it and Coal City is going to be here again next year and we’re going to have to take them down to be the best.”

Third Place Meet – Marian Central Catholic 44, Unity 24

In the third-place meet, Unity (29-8) took a 16-13 lead after six matches before Marian Central Catholic (18-6) won six in a row to end the drama and captured a 44-24 victory as it bounced back from a tough semifinal loss to eventual champion Coal City to claim its second third-place trophy with the other coming in 2019 in its initial appearance in the IHSA Dual Team Finals..

The Hurricanes won two of the first three matches as four-time medalist and three-time finalist Vance Williams concluded his career with a 9-8 decision over three-time medalist Holden Brazelton at 150 before Unity’s Keegan Germano won by technical fall over Connor Cassels and Nick Astacio put his team back in front with a 14-5 major decision over Abram Davidson.

“It’s super fun,” Williams said. “Everyone’s having a great time and it’s awesome to see everyone happy. I was kind of thrown into a leadership role pretty early on, so I’ve been making it my job and having fun with that. I hope that others see that winners win and they want that same feeling, so I hope that people can look up to me, even when I’m not there. It’s been super awesome to work with them (Jordan Blanton and Ryan Prater), especially year around.”

Then it was the Rockets’ turn to win two of the next three as two-time medalist Ryan Rink won by fall in 1:22 over Sam Sarfo at 175 before two-time IHSA champion Jimmy Mastny got a pin in 1:26 over Bradley Smith and 2024 state champion and two-time medalist Hunter Eastin put Unity in front at 16-13 with eight matches left when he won by technical fall over Dan French.

“I just think it was our dedication to win and I think we wanted it a lot,” Rink said. “We just couldn’t pull it out and fell short of what we wanted. Everybody on this team is going to go on and do great things and we’re not going to let a tournament define us as a team. I love this team,  there’s no other team in the state that I’d rather wrestle for. Whether we win or lose, it doesn’t matter, this is my team. I think it’s fun to be part of a winning program like this. Last year we came short of placing but I think that fueled us this year to really go out and get it. This team is fun and we joke around a lot, but we also lock in at the right time and we get things done.”

Marian Central Catholic received a fall from Kaleb Eckman in 2:00 over Jaden Dene at 285, Diego Martinez followed with a win by technical fall over Vince Abon and Camden Spiniolas received a forfeit win to give their team a 30-16 advantage.

Two-time medalist and 2025 runner-up Austin Hagevold kept up the winning ways for the Hurricanes with a victory by technical fall over Zayden Mansfield at 120 and two-time champion and three-time finalist Brayden Teunissen closed out his career with a pin in 1:22 over Bryce Martin and Nick Marchese increased the lead to 44-16 with a 3-1 decision over Hunter Shike.

“We just have a young team,” Hagevold said. “At the end of the day, we’re still a team, and we’re brothers, so it doesn’t matter. Everyone had a great bond and everyone was always together, we were like brothers.”

Unity got wins in the final two matches as state champion Taylor Finley captured a 7-2 decision over two-time medal winner Andrew Alvarado and two-time runner-up Kaden Inman concluded his career with a win by technical fall over Noah Cerny.

“We didn’t have too good of a dual against them at the beginning,” Inman said of his team’s first meeting with Vandalia. “But we started training later on in the season and we always train later on in the season so you knew we were going to give it our all and make it close. We all bond well, we all understand each other and have fun with each other, and that makes it more fun to wrestle and to be around your friends. Everybody knows each other and we’re all close and we’ve definitely got some good bonding.”

With its first state championship claimed in 2024 and then a third-place finish this season, Marian Central Catholic figures to be a regular participant at the IHSA Dual Team Finals in upcoming years under the direction of co-coaches Jordan Blanton and Ryan Prater. They’ll have two-time champion Jimmy Mastny, two-time medalist and runner-up Austin Hagevold and three other state qualifiers, Dan French, Nick Marchese and Camden Spiniolas, back next season.

The Hurricanes will definitely miss the leadership of Vance Williams, who was one of the 11 four-time medalists in the state this season as well as being a three-time state finalist. The same can be said of Brayden Teunissen, who won two state championships in two seasons with the program and defeated Vandalia’s Tyson and Preston Waughtel for state titles after taking second place to St. Charles East’s Dom Munaretto while at Belvidere North in 3A and also Andrew Alvarado, who took fourth place this season after finishing fifth in 2023. 

“There were really razor-thin margins and that’s what this tournament is,” Blanton said. “It stinks to take third. Twenty to 30 years ago when I was a young kid wrestling, Vandalia was around and I have a ton of respect for their program. And Coal City has an unbelievable program. If you look at the intensity of that championship dual, those are unbelievable programs that are very well-coached with great wrestlers and we’re right there in the mix with them. That alone is a huge confidence boost for me as a coach and for what we’re trying to do with the program.

“A different day, a different match here or there, we could have been the champions again. Props to both of those teams and then Unity is right there. If you look at the top four teams here, these are programs that are modelled after the best. Every single one of these coaches is putting in the time to make their programs well-respected in the state, in any class. I leave here with a new-found appreciation of how special it is to win a championship, because you can have a championship team and fall short, and we found that out today.”

This is the third trophy that the Rockets have won in five seasons. They took third in 2020 and were fourth in 2022. Unity has won 24 or matches in each full season since Logan Patton took over the program in 2017-2018 and fell one win shy of reaching 30 wins for the fifth time. While seniors who were two-time medalists, 2024 champion Hunter Eastin, 2024 and 2025 runner-up Kaden Inman and Ryan Rink, will be hard to replace, and three-time medalist Holden Brazelton was a welcome addition in his lone season, they only graduate two other seniors. State champ Taylor Finley and qualifiers Abram Davidson and Hunter Shike will be back to lead the way.

“Vandalia has been a good rivalry,” Patton said. “We’ve been here eight years and it’s been good back and forth and our guys stepped up, but we were one match shy, one match shy. We had a great state tournament, we had a great dual state tournament. Our guys came here and battled, it’s matchups and bonus points. We didn’t match up well with Marian but we did match up well with Vandalia. It was a good tournament.”

Brazelton placed at state during his freshman and sophomore years while at St. Joseph-Ogden. While he fell short on competing for a state title after taking third two years ago, he was happy to conclude his career at Unity, where he competed in the Dual Team Finals for the first time.

“It’s been a great ride this year.” Brazelton said. “I moved to Tolono to try to get the state title but it didn’t go the way that I wanted it to go, I took fourth, but it was awesome. It was a crazy experience to be on a state tournament team, since I’ve never really been a part of that. They were very welcoming, they got me involved and I made a lot of friends right away. We bonded as a team and turned in the right direction at the right time, but just fell short in the semis.”

Semifinal Meet – Vandalia 33, Unity 30

Vandalia beat Unity 50-25 when the teams met on December 20 in Tolono but it was definitely a different story in the teams’ second meeting in the IHSA 1A semifinals when the Rockets took a 20-0 lead after five matches and were still up 24-3 midway through before the Vandals won six in a row to help them to a 33-30 win, assuring their first trip to the dual team finals since 2018.

Inman got things going for the Rockets when he won by technical fall over Keagan Turner at 144 before Brazelton claimed a 6-2 decision over Hinton in a matchup of three-time state medalists and Josh Heath followed with an 8-1 victory over Dade Kleinik. Then Germano captured a 10-1 major decision over Ray and Davidson added a victory by technical fall over Mustafa to give Unity a commanding 20-point advantage five matches into the meet..

The next two matches featured four all-staters going at it as Miller secured the Vandals’ first victory with a 7-5 decision over Rink at 190 and Eastin responded with a 17-5 major decision over Tidwell to put the Rockets up 24-3 at the midpoint of the meet.

Swyers got the ball rolling for Vandalia when he won a 3-0 decision over Dene at 285, Evans followed with a pin in 0:45 over Abon and Philpot got a forfeit win to close the gap to 24-18.

Robert McCoy captured a 9-4 decision over Bryce Martin at 120 and then Preston Waughtel put the Vandals in front for good at 27-24 with a pin in 4:45 over Mansfield and Tyson Waughtel sealed the deal with his fall in 0:58 over Shike. Finley received a forfeit win in the final match.

Semifinal Meet – Coal City 35, Marian Central Catholic 27

When Coal City got edged 30-28 by Vandalia in the semifinals at ABE’s Rumble on December 28, it missed out on a chance at a potential first rematch of last year’s Class 1A championship meet, where it fell 34-27 to Marian Central Catholic, who won its first IHSA title while the Coalers were denied in their bid to capture a second-straight state championship.

So the much-anticipated rematch had to wait until the final day of the season and this time it was the Coalers who prevailed after having an 8-6 advantage in victories and capturing two one-point decisions to help it claim a 35-27 victory over the Hurricanes, who saw their hopes of winning a second-straight state championship come to an end.

Not much separated the teams throughout the meet. Coal City grabbed a 16-8 advantage through six matches and still led 20-14 with six remaining before the Hurricanes captured three-straight victories to claim a 27-20 advantage with three matches to go. However, the Coalers recorded two falls and captured a 3-2 decision to help it claim a 35-27 victory that advanced to its third-straight appearance in the title meet at the IHSA Dual Team Finals.

After Kenney edged Alvarado 5-4 in the opener at 144 in a matchup of all-staters, Williams was a winner by technical fall over Houston. Garner put the Coalers back in front with a 15-5 major decision over Cassels and the Hurricanes answered as Astacio won a 6-3 decision over Finch. The Coalers built an eight-point lead after Benson won by fall in 0:44 over Sarfo at 175 and Poyner followed with an 8-2 decision over French to make it 16-8 six matches into the meet.

Mastny responded with a fall in 3:07 over Brody D’Orazio at 215 and Keigher answered with a 10-2 major decision over Eckman before the Hurricanes claimed wins in the next three matches as Spiniolas won a 12-0 major decision over Piatak, Hagevold followed with a 24-13 major decision over Petersen at 113 in a matchup of two-time state medalists which included a deduction of one team point against the Hurricanes and then Teunissen was a winner by fall over Lindemuth in 2:23 to put Marian Central Catholic up 27-20 with three matches left.

However, Coal City responded to the seven-point deficit with a fall from Morris in 3:46 over Zane Mochocki at 126 and Munsterman followed with a 3-2 decision over Marchese to put his team up at 29-27 before Widlowski wrapped up the victory with a fall in 0:47 over Cerny.

Quarterfinal Meet – Vandalia 52, Chicago Hope Academy 18

Chicago Hope Academy, making its first state appearance since 2018, won three of the first seven matches of its quarterfinals meet against Vandalia to only trail the state’s top-ranked team 17-15 at the midway mark. But it was all Vandals after that as they won six of the last seven matches to capture a 52-18 victory that assured the program of its 11th IHSA trophy.

All-stater Josiah Willis gave the Eagles (31-10) the early lead at 138 when he opened with a 16-6 major decision over Matthews, but the Vandals responded as Yarbrough won a 14-4 major decision over Dylan Galvez, Hinton captured a 12-0 major decision over Santori Knight and Ray recorded a fall in 3:14 over Tony Jones-Blakely.

Chicago Hope Academy won two of the next three matches as state medalist Arkail Griffin got a victory by technical fall over Mustafa at 165 before Miller answered with an 8-2 decision over Ismael Martinez. Ismael Montero won by fall in 2:32 over Gabe Torres to make it 17-15 and then Tidwell responded with a pin in 1:40 over Mastewal Evely and IHSA runner-up and two-time all-stater Roy Phelps gave the Eagles their last victory with an 11-4 decision over Swyers.

Evans got a win by technical fall over Indigo Berg and then the Waughtel brothers. Preston and Tyson, collected forfeit victories before Mabry concluded the meet with a fall in 0:37 over Mike Garcia to set the stage for the Vandals’ semifinal against Unity and title meet with Coal City.

Coach Dan Willis’ Eagles concluded a successful season where they had nine state qualifiers, three all-staters and Phelps competed for the IHSA title at 285. The 31 victories was the most that they’ve had in the 14 years that he’s led the program. Hopes are high for continued success in 2025-26 since the team had only four seniors, Andrew Payne, Jones-Blakely, Montero and Phelps and state medalists Griffin and Willis as well as qualifiers Nolan Callahan, Berg, Galvez, Knight and Martinez all return next season and five of them or freshmen or sophomores.

“We’re super proud of these guys,” Dan Willis said. “They’ve been committed and they’ve been faithful. Obviously we don’t have a lot of fans in the stands like a lot of these small towns. Our guys have overcome a lot. This is family to them and it’s really special. I’ll remember their commitment, I’ll remember them overcoming and I’ll remember their excitement and coming off the mat to each other, it was a lot of fun.” 

Quarterfinal Meet – Unity 40, Oregon 35

Oregon made its first appearance in the IHSA Dual Team Finals since 2008, which was the year that it completed a 12-year run when it captured eight state trophies. But the Hawks (27-5) missed out on a trophy for the first time in their history after running into a red-hot Unity team that followed up on a 40-35 quarterfinals victory by putting up a good fight against top-ranked Vandalia before falling 33-30 in the semifinals and eventually finishing in fourth place. 

The Rockets won the first eight matches against Oregon to grab a 40-0 advantage and after the Hawks picked up a couple of victories, its last four wins came by way of forfeits.

Finley opened with an 11-9 decision over Levi Benton at 138 before Inman got a pin in 3:50 over Jackson Messenger, Brazelton followed with a forfeit win and Germano won by fall in 3:56 over Jayden Berry to make it 21-0 following the first four matches.

Heath captured a 14-7 decision over Ethan Mowry at 165, Davidson won a 15-7 major decision over Andrew Young, Rink won by fall in 3:46 over Seth Rote and Eastin recorded a pin in 1:50 over Landen Elder to give the Rockets a 40-0 lead.

Briggs Sellers gave the Hawks their first victory with a pin in 2:14 over Chason Daly at 285 and Jordan Lowe followed with a win by technical fall over Abon. All-stater Josiah Perez, Isaiah Perez, Preston LaBay and Nelson Benesh all received forfeit wins to conclude a memorable season for coach Justin Lahman’s Hawks, who avenged an earlier loss to Newman Central Catholic with a win in their own sectional to earn their first trip to Dual Team since in 17 years.

Lahman, who has an 82-31 record in four seasons at Oregon with this season’s team having the most victories, who lose nine seniors to graduation, but all-stater Josiah Perez and state qualifiers Nelson Benesh and Isaiah Perez all return, as do nine others so the Hawks are hopeful that they won’t have to wait 17 more years before their next state appearance.  

“We knew that they were going to be a tough team and we had to wrestle lights out,” Lahman said. “It’s a neat arena down here so a lot of our young guys maybe haven’t competed in something this big, so I don’t know if that got to us a little bit. We wrestled pretty well, it just wasn’t our day. We lose a good group of seniors, but we have a lot of little guys coming back. It was a great year. We had a heck of a fan crew down here coming down to support us. Our little kids program, the support is there and the fans are there, now it’s our job to go out and perform and have some fun.”

Quarterfinal Meet – Marian Central Catholic 51, Murphysboro 18

Murphysboro made its first appearance in the IHSA Dual Team Finals since 2016, when it took third place and it was again led to state by coach Shea Baker, who was also a member of its only other state qualifying team in 2009.

The 25-6 Red Devils fell 51-18 in the quarterfinals to Marian Central Catholic, who hoped to repeat as Class 1A champions, but fell short of that goal after losing 35-27 to eventual champion Coal City in the semifinals before beating Unity 44-24 to claim third place.

The teams exchanged victories by technical fall in the first two matches as Alvarado beat Lemar Treshansky at 138 before Bryce Edwards defeated Cerny. Marian Central Catholic won the next three matches as Williams won by fall in 0:51 over Patrick Dover, Cassels got a win by technical fall over Sayvair Williams and Astacio also won by technical fall over Maxon Stearns.

Logan Tanner claimed a 12-3 major decision over Sarfo for Murphysboro’s second victory but Mastny answered with a fall in 0:31 over Nick Christopher and French won by technical fall over Caybren Hubbard to expand the Hurricanes’ lead to 32-9. 

Julien Tanner won 6-3 by sudden victory over Eckman at 285 before Spiniolas claimed a victory by technical fall over Jerry Moreno and Hagevold won in the same fashion over Paxton Pyatt.

Teunissen got a fall in 3:23 over Kaiden Richards and Marchese won 9-6 by sudden victory over Sergio Garcia before Aiston Holt recorded a pin in 1:42 over Mochocki in the finale to give Murphysboro an additional win. The future looks bright for the Red Devils since they only had three seniors on their tournament roster, state qualifier Edwards as well as Holt and Richards.

Three other state qualifiers, Pyatt, Stearns and Tanner will return next season.

The Red Devils have had back-to-back 25 win seasons, which is their best record since they went 28-5 in 2016 and claimed their only trophy with a third-place finish. In 2009, Baker, a three-time medalist, won a state championship and was a member of the school’s first team that qualified for dual team state, which was coached by his uncle, Dan Baker.

“It’s been awhile since we’ve been back up here, but it was nice to be here competing and the kids did a good job and they battled hard,” Baker said. “I felt like we had a real good sophomore class and we have some young kids coming in. I think we have a good shot to be just as good, if not better, next year. So we’re going to keep improving and hopefully build on this momentum. This was actually the third time in Murphysboro history of being up here. Our individuals did good and we’ll keep growing and the trajectory is going up right now.”

Quarterfinal Meet – Coal City 53, Olympia 22

Olympia qualified for the IHSA 1A Dual Team Finals for the first time since 2017 but coach Josh Collins’ Spartans (25-7)  ran into a Coal City team that featured numerous individuals who got to experience the thrill of winning the 2023 1A championship and the dejection of settling for second place last season who eventually achieved their goal of winning another state title.

The Coalers opened their state finals run toward a second title in three years by winning seven of the first eight matches to grab a 39-6 advantage and coach Mark Masters’ team went on to capture a 53-22 victory in the quarterfinals over the Spartans to assure themselves of claiming their eighth IHSA trophy in the last 10 seasons.

Widlowski started things off for Coal City with a win by technical fall over Cooper Phillips at 138, Kenney followed with a fall in 3:25 over Austin Kisner and Houston also collected a victory by technical fall over Kaden Collins to give their team a quick 16-0 advantage.

After Kelton Graden recorded a fall in 0:36 over Garner for Olympia’s first win at 157, Finch won with a pin over Kayden Thomas in 0:28, Benson claimed a win by technical fall over Isaac Warnock, Poyner was a winner by fall in 2:58 over Zach Fry and Keigher got a pin in 1:38 over Cohen Maness to help the Coalers expand their lead to 39-6.

The Spartans captured three of the next four matches as Darian Holloway won by fall in 3:09 over Waliczek at 285 and all-stater Brandon Gaither got a victory by technical fall over Piatak before Petersen countered with a win by technical fall over Tucker Garey and then three-time medalist Dylan Eimer concluded his career with a win by technical fall over Dominic Grassity.

Coal City closed things out with Lindemuth winning a 12-7 decision over Mateo Martinez and Munsterman claimed a victory by technical fall over Kenzer Burrell in the last match.

The good news for the Spartans is that they only had five seniors on the state finals roster, Mya Downs, Eimer, Graden, Martinez and Phillips. Gaither will lead the way for the 16 individuals who were on the state team and all but three of those are sophomores or freshmen.

This is the second year in a row the Olympia has had 25 or more victories and it also had 24 wins in 2022. Now that the Spartans have gotten back to state for the first time since 2017, the next step is achieving what the 2017 team accomplished, which is placing, and that one of the four that have won trophies and Collins, whose in his fifth season as head coach, was on the other three trophy-winning teams from 1999-2001 when he won two titles and was a runner-up for coach Mike Manahan, who was an IWCOA Lifetime Service Award recipient in 2005.

“This year was full of ups and downs for our team,” Collins said. “We fought through some injuries early in the season, but we were able to push through, and get everyone healthy at the right time, and win our regional, qualify for dual team sectionals as well as dual team state. We knew we were facing a tough Coal City team. We didn’t get the finish we’d hoped for, but I’m proud of the hard work and effort our kids put in to get there, and it will keep our young team motivated and hungry for more next season.”

Class 1A leaders in various statistics at the IHSA Dual Team Tournament included Mastny, Philpot and Teunissen leading the way in most team points with 18 while Preston Waughtel and Benson each had 17 points and Tyson Waughtel and Inman both scored 16 team points.

Hagevold led all individuals in the Dual Team Finals with 63 match points while Eastin ranked fourth with 47 points and Eastin was seventh with 45 points. Mastny and Teunissen were the only two individuals in Class 1A to collect three falls and only four others pulled off that feat. And Hagevold and Inman led all competitors in Class 1A with wins by technical fall, which was two.

IHSA Class 1A Dual Team State Tournament Results

IHSA Class 1A Championship Meet – Coal City 32, Vandalia 25

150 Dillon Hinton (Vandalia) over Noah Houston (Coal City) Dec 9-2

157 Parker Ray (Vandalia) over Mason Garner (Coal City) Dec 12-8

165 Brock Finch (Coal City) over Artan Mustafa (Vandalia) Maj 10-1

175 Landin Benson (Coal City) over Noah Langston (Vandalia) Fall 2:25

190 Cade Poyner (Coal City) over Ross Miller (Vandalia) Fall 4:36

215 John Keigher (Coal City) over Kaden Tidwell (Vandalia) Dec 10-6

285 Alec Waliczek (Coal City) over Dominic Swyers (Vandalia) TB-1 2-1

106 Aiden Evans (Vandalia) over Jason Piatak (Coal City) Maj 14-1

113 Max Philpot (Vandalia) over Owen Petersen (Coal City) Fall 1:34

120 Preston Waughtel (Vandalia) over Culan Lindemuth (Coal City) TF 22-6

126 Tyson Waughtel (Vandalia) over Cooper Morris (Coal City) Maj 8-0

132 Luke Munsterman (Coal City) over Elijah Mabry (Vandalia) Dec 4-2

138 Brody Widlowski (Coal City) over Brody Matthews (Vandalia) Maj 10-2

144 Aidan Kenney (Coal City) over Cole Yarbrough (Vandalia) Dec 9-4

IHSA Class 1A Third-Place Meet – Marian Central Catholic 44, Unity 24

150 Vance Williams (Marian Central Catholic) over Holden Brazelton (Unity) Dec 9-8

157 Keegan Germano (Unity) over Connor Cassels (Marian Central Catholic) TF 19-4

165 Nick Astacio (Marian Central Catholic) over Abram Davidson (Unity) Maj 14-5

175 Ryan Rink (Unity) over Sam Sarfo (Marian Central Catholic) Fall 1:22

190 Jimmy Mastny (Marian Central Catholic) over Bradley Smith (Unity) Fall 1:26

215 Hunter Eastin (Unity) over Dan French (Marian Central Catholic) TF 21-2

285 Kaleb Eckman (Marian Central Catholic) over Jaden Dene (Unity) Fall 2:00

106 Diego Martinez (Marian Central Catholic) over Vince Abon (Unity) TF 18-1

113 Camden Spiniolas (Marian Central Catholic) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

120 Austin Hagevold (Marian Central Catholic) over Zayden Mansfield (Unity) TF 19-3

126 Brayden Teunissen (Marian Central Catholic) over Bryce Martin (Unity) Fall 1:22

132 Nick Marchese (Marian Central Catholic) over Hunter Shike (Unity) Dec 3-1

138 Taylor Finley (Unity) over Andrew Alvarado (Marian Central Catholic) Dec 7-2

144 Kaden Inman (Unity) over Noah Cerny (Marian Central Catholic) TF 19-4

IHSA Class 1A Semifinal Meet – Vandalia 33, Unity 30

144 Kaden Inman (Unity) over Keagan Turner (Vandalia) TF 16-1

150 Holden Brazelton (Unity) over Dillon Hinton (Vandalia) Dec 6-2

157 Josh Heath (Unity) over Dade Kleinik (Vandalia) Dec 8-1

165 Keegan Germano (Unity) over Parker Ray (Vandalia) Maj 10-1

175 Abram Davidson (Unity) over Artan Mustafa (Vandalia) TF 17-1

190 Ross Miller (Vandalia) over Ryan Rink (Unity) Dec 7-5

215 Hunter Eastin (Unity) over Kaden Tidwell (Vandalia) Maj 17-5

285 Dominic Swyers (Vandalia) over Jaden Dene (Unity) Dec 3-0

106 Aiden Evans (Vandalia) over Vince Abon (Unity) Fall 0:45

113 Max Philpot (Vandalia) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

120 Robert McCoy (Vandalia) over Bryce Martin (Unity) Dec 9-4

126 Preston Waughtel (Vandalia) over Zayden Mansfield (Unity) Fall 4:45

132 Tyson Waughtel (Vandalia) over Hunter Shike (Unity) Fall 0:58

138 Taylor Finley (Unity) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

IHSA Class 1A Semifinal Meet – Coal City 35, Marian Central Catholic 27

144 Aidan Kenney (Coal City) over Andrew Alvarado (Marian Central Catholic) Dec 5-4

150 Vance Williams (Marian Central Catholic) over Noah Houston (Coal City) TF 17-2

157 Mason Garner (Coal City) over Connor Cassels (Marian Central Catholic) Maj 15-5

165 Nick Astacio (Marian Central Catholic) over Brock Finch (Coal City) Dec 6-3

175 Landin Benson (Coal City) over Sam Sarfo (Marian Central Catholic) Fall 0:44

190 Cade Poyner (Coal City) over Dan French (Marian Central Catholic) Dec 8-2

215 Jimmy Mastny (Marian Central Catholic) over Brody D`Orazio (Coal City) Fall 3:07

285 John Keigher (Coal City) over Kaleb Eckman (Marian Central Catholic) Maj 10-2

106 Camden Spiniolas (Marian Central Catholic) over Jason Piatak (Coal City) Maj 12-0

113 Austin Hagevold (Marian Central Catholic) over Owen Petersen (Coal City) Maj 24-13

120 Brayden Teunissen (Marian Central Catholic) over Culan Lindemuth (Coal City) Fall 2:23

126 Cooper Morris (Coal City) over Zane Mochocki (Marian Central Catholic) Fall 3:46

132 Luke Munsterman (Coal City) over Nick Marchese (Marian Central Catholic) Dec 3-2

138 Brody Widlowski (Coal City) over Noah Cerny (Marian Central Catholic) Fall 0:47

IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinal Meet – Vandalia 52, Chicago Hope Academy 18

138 Josiah Willis (Chicago Hope Academy) over Brody Matthews (Vandalia) Maj 16-6

144 Cole Yarbrough (Vandalia) over Dylan Galvez (Chicago Hope Academy) Maj 14-4

150 Dillon Hinton (Vandalia) over Santori Knight (Chicago Hope Academy) Maj 12-0

157 Parker Ray (Vandalia) over Tony Jones-Blakely (Chicago Hope Academy) Fall 3:14

165 Arkail Griffin (Chicago Hope Academy) over Artan Mustafa (Vandalia) TF 17-1

175 Ross Miller (Vandalia) over Ismael Martinez (Chicago Hope Academy) Dec 8-2

190 Ismael Montero (Chicago Hope Academy) over Gabe Torres (Vandalia) Fall 2:32

215 Kaden Tidwell (Vandalia) over Mastewal Evely (Chicago Hope Academy) Fall 1:40

285 Roy Phelps (Chicago Hope Academy) over Dominic Swyers (Vandalia) Dec 11-4

106 Aiden Evans (Vandalia) over Indigo Berg (Chicago Hope Academy) TF 16-0

113 Max Philpot (Vandalia) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

120 Preston Waughtel (Vandalia) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

126 Tyson Waughtel (Vandalia) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

132 Elijah Mabry (Vandalia) over Mike Garcia (Chicago Hope Academy) Fall 0:37

IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinal Meet – Unity 40, Oregon 35

138 Taylor Finley (Unity) over Levi Benton (Oregon) Dec 11-9

144 Kaden Inman (Unity) over Jackson Messenger (Oregon) Fall 3:50

150 Holden Brazelton (Unity) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

157 Keegan Germano (Unity) over Jayden Berry (Oregon) Fall 3:56

165 Josh Heath (Unity) over Ethan Mowry (Oregon) Dec 14-7

175 Abram Davidson (Unity) over Andrew Young (Oregon) Maj 15-7

190 Ryan Rink (Unity) over Seth Rote (Oregon) Fall 3:46

215 Hunter Eastin (Unity) over Landen Elder (Oregon) Fall 1:50

285 Briggs Sellers (Oregon) over Chason Daly (Unity) Fall 2:14

106 Jordan Lowe (Oregon) over Vince Abon (Unity) TF 16-1

113 Josiah Perez (Oregon) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

120 Isaiah Perez (Oregon) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

126 Preston LaBay (Oregon) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

132 Nelson Benesh (Oregon) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinal Meet – Marian Central Catholic 51, Murphysboro 18

138 Andrew Alvarado (Marian Central Catholic) over Lemar Treshansky (Murphysboro) TF 19-4

144 Bryce Edwards (Murphysboro) over Noah Cerny (Marian Central Catholic) TF 18-3

150 Vance Williams (Marian Central Catholic) over Patrick Dover (Murphysboro) Fall 0:51

157 Connor Cassels (Marian Central Catholic) over Sayvair Williams (Murphysboro) TF 22-7

165 Nick Astacio (Marian Central Catholic) over Maxon Stearns (Murphysboro) TF 15-0

175 Logan Tanner (Murphysboro) over Sam Sarfo (Marian Central Catholic) Maj 12-3

190 Jimmy Mastny (Marian Central Catholic) over Nick Christopher (Murphysboro) Fall 0:31

215 Dan French (Marian Central Catholic) over Caybren Hubbard (Murphysboro) TF 19-2

285 Julien Tanner (Murphysboro) over Kaleb Eckman (Marian Central Catholic) SV-1 6-3

106 Camden Spiniolas (Marian Central Catholic) over Jerry Moreno (Murphysboro) TF 15-0

113 Austin Hagevold (Marian Central Catholic) over Paxton Pyatt (Murphysboro) TF 20-3

120 Brayden Teunissen (Marian Central Catholic) over Kaiden Richards (Murphysboro) Fall 3:23

126 Nick Marchese (Marian Central Catholic) over Sergio Garcia (Murphysboro) SV-1 9-6

132 Aiston Holt (Murphysboro) over Zane Mochocki (Marian Central Catholic) Fall 1:42

IHSA Class 1A Quarterfinal Meet – Coal City 53, Olympia 22

138 Brody Widlowski (Coal City) over Cooper Phillips (Olympia) TF 18-2

144 Aidan Kenney (Coal City) over Austin Kisner (Olympia) Fall 3:25

150 Noah Houston (Coal City) over Kaden Collins (Olympia) TF 20-4

157 Kelton Graden (Olympia) over Mason Garner (Coal City) Fall 0:36

165 Brock Finch (Coal City) over Kayden Thomas (Olympia) Fall 0:28

175 Landin Benson (Coal City) over Isaac Warnock (Olympia) Fall

190 Cade Poyner (Coal City) over Zach Fry (Olympia) Fall 2:58

215 John Keigher (Coal City) over Cohen Maness (Olympia) Fall 1:38

285 Darian Holloway (Olympia) over Alec Waliczek (Coal City) Fall 3:09

106 Brandon Gaither (Olympia) over Jason Piatak (Coal City) TF 17-1

113 Owen Petersen (Coal City) over Tucker Garey (Olympia) TF 16-1

120 Dylan Eimer (Olympia) over Dominic Grassity (Coal City) TF 18-3

126 Culan Lindemuth (Coal City) over Mateo Martinez (Olympia) Dec 12-7

132 Luke Munsterman (Coal City) over Kenzer Burrell (Olympia) TF 17-1

Coal City IHSA Dual Team finishes in the last 10 seasons for Mark Masters

2025 1st in 1A beat Vandalia 32-25 for state title

2024 2nd in 1A lost to Marian Central Catholic 34-27 for state title

2023 1st in 1A beat Yorkville Christian 32-31 for state title

2020 2nd in 1A lost to Dakota 40-19 for state title

2019 2nd in 2A lost to Washington 45-21 for state title

2018 3rd in 1A beat Althoff Catholic 36-34 for third place

2016 2nd in 1A lost to Dakota 31-30 for state title

2015 3rd in 1A beat Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 40-31 for third place

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

The 29th-annual Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Championships will definitely be bigger this year, and hopefully that will be better for those who get the opportunity to participate in the expanded two-day event, which features both the Boys Freshman/Sophomore State Championship and the Girls Championship and both of the tournaments will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Bank of Springfield Center in downtown Springfield.

For the first time, the Boys Freshman/Sophomore Championship will feature 40-man brackets as the result of five qualifiers advancing from last weekend’s eight sectional tournaments, which were held in Evanston, Granite City, Harvey, Heyworth, Lake Zurich, Naperville, Palos Heights and Sterling. Thornton Township hosted the tournament in Harvey, Naperville Central was the host school in Naperville and Shepard hosted the competition in Palos Heights.

There are 600 freshmen and sophomores who will take part in the Boys Freshman/Sophomore Championship and 500 girls will participate in the Girls Championship. A year ago, there were 479 competitors in the Boys Frosh/Soph event and 300 individuals in the Girls Tournament. 

Doors open at 7:30 a.m.on Saturday at Bank of Springfield Center, which is at 1 Convention Center Plaza in Springfield. The opening ceremonies begin at 8:50 a.m. with the preliminary round matches at 9 a.m., the round of 32 matches are scheduled for 11 a.m., consolation round one is set for 3 p.m. and the round of 16 and consolation round two matches are slated for 5 p.m. to close out the opening day’s schedule. Note: all times that are listed are approximate.

On Sunday, doors to the BOSC will open at 8 a.m. with consolation round three getting underway at 9 a.m. and the quarterfinal and consolation round four are scheduled for 11 a.m. with consolation round five matches expected to commence at 1 p.m. 

Semifinal and quarterfinal consolation round matches are set to begin at 2 p.m., the semifinal consolation matches are expected to be at 3 p.m. and the Finals are scheduled for 4 p.m. Admission for spectators is $15 for adults for each session and $10 for students for each session. Coaches passes are available for $25 per day or with proof of IWCOA membership.

Freshmen and sophomore boys who did not qualify for the IHSA Individual State Tournament Finals were eligible to participate in the competition.The tournament has enjoyed a rich history where individuals who hoped for a better finish to their seasons got another chance to excel and it also benefited many who looked to the competition to better prepare them for the IHSA Finals.

Here’s a breakdown of the eight sectional tournaments and who the medal winners were from each of the competitions. Brackets are listed under the IWCOA heading on Trackwrestling.

IWCOA Granite City Sectional Boys Frosh/Soph results

Fresh Soph Boys – 101

1st Place Match

Ignacio Figueroa (Edwardsville) won by decision over Eli Hill (Auburn) (Dec 5-4)

3rd Place Match

Austin Jones (Alton) won by fall over Zander Johnson (Granite City) (Fall 2:43)

5th Place Match

Brendan Stewart (Effingham) won by fall over Harrison Kolba (Rochester) (Fall 2:44)

Fresh Soph Boys – 106

1st Place Match

Connor Castens (Collinsville) won by decision over Ben Rashman (Edwardsville) (Dec 13-10)

3rd Place Match

Isaac Wood (Carterville) won by major decision over Ethan Clark (East St. Louis Senior) (Maj 18-6)

5th Place Match

Wyatt Dahm (Belleville West) won by tech fall over Noah Walker (Edwardsville) (TF 18-1)

Fresh Soph Boys – 113

1st Place Match

Nathan Fisher (Cahokia) won by decision over Jack Clark (Mt. Vernon) (Dec 8-3)

3rd Place Match

Colton Madison (Edwardsville) won by decision over Tre Skelton (Roxana) (Dec 5-2)

5th Place Match

Korbin Kanallakan (Edwardsville) won by injury default over Liam Cardwell (O`Fallon) (Inj. 0:00)

Fresh Soph Boys – 120

1st Place Match

Miles Carroll (Rochester) won by fall over Jace Brown (Granite City) (Fall 2:31)

3rd Place Match

Tim Swaim (Edwardsville) won by major decision over Bradley O`dell (Carbondale) (Maj 23-11)

5th Place Match

Rylan Moore (Salem) won by fall over Charlie Welch (Camp Point Central) (Fall 0:34)

Fresh Soph Boys – 126

1st Place Match

Lukas Quartz (Freeburg) won by fall over Harrison Lott (Riverton) (Fall 2:04)

3rd Place Match

Bodey Waltz (Jersey Community) won by fall over Jeret Edwards (Murphysboro) (Fall 4:52)

5th Place Match

Shane Seip (Triad) won by fall over Case Hughes (Camp Point Central) (Fall 4:43)

Fresh Soph Boys – 132

1st Place Match

Trey Boston (Auburn) won by fall over Omar Mendez (Granite City) (Fall 2:54)

3rd Place Match

Eli Britton (Glenwood) won by major decision over Lemar Treshansky (Murphysboro) (Maj 11-2)

5th Place Match

Lincoln Coffey (Taylorville) won by decision over Josh Collins (Camp Point Central) (Dec 6-1)

Fresh Soph Boys – 138

1st Place Match

Braxton Tolley (Granite City) won by fall over Joseph Newell (Waterloo) (Fall 2:20)

3rd Place Match

Adrian Mendez (Granite City) won by fall over Francisco Lopez Banderas (Warrensburg-Latham) (Fall 0:55)

5th Place Match

Kyndell Johnson (Lanphier)) won by fall over Mason Bushe (Effingham) (Fall 2:45)

Fresh Soph Boys – 144

Guaranteed Places

1st Place Match

Cale Hilbing (Quincy Notre Dame) won by decision over Jaxon Mifflin (Waterloo) (Dec 12-5)

3rd Place Match

Zayne Zinkgraf (Vandalia) won by decision over Kevan Moore (Salem) (Dec 4-2)

5th Place Match

Jude Wirey (Oblong) won by decision over Jeremy Judd (Sacred Heart-Griffin) (Dec 9-6)

Fresh Soph Boys – 150

1st Place Match

Landon Weidler (Belleville East) won by decision over Jovonis Lundford (Sacred Heart-Griffin) (Dec 8-4)

3rd Place Match

Gavin Watson (Sparta) won by fall over Abram Zanger (Quincy Notre Dame) (Fall 4:50)

5th Place Match

Tyler Nolan (Granite City) won by decision over Brasen Monahan (Glenwood) (Dec 6-3)

Fresh Soph Boys – 157

1st Place Match

Rennie Lilo (Quincy Senior) won by major decision over Trevor Tucker (Jersey Community) (Maj 19-11)

3rd Place Match

Julian Rannelkaab (Glenwood) won by decision over Austin Wilkinson (Althoff Catholic) (Dec 6-3)

5th Place Match

Keaton Jones (Camp Point Central) won by decision over Haegan Hughes (Murphysboro) (Dec 9-5)

Fresh Soph Boys – 165

1st Place Match

James Escobar (Rochester) won by decision over Zayden Doehring (Vandalia) (Dec 11-4)

3rd Place Match

Jarrett Kye Jr. (East St. Louis Senior) won by decision over Rylee McClellan (Roxana) (Dec 5-4)

5th Place Match

Preston Camp (Salem) won by decision over Ayden Muenstermann (Edwardsville) (Dec 4-2)

Fresh Soph Boys – 175

1st Place Match

Eli Miller (Granite City) won by medical forfeit over Brock Meyer (Jacksonville) (MFF)

3rd Place Match

Noah Langston (Vandalia) won by fall over Harrison Redenius (Mascoutah) (Fall 2:21)

5th Place Match

Dakari Chaison (Belleville East) won by fall over Destry Bergman (Quincy Senior) (Fall 2:55)

Fresh Soph Boys – 190

1st Place Match

Payton Chanerl (O`Fallon) won by fall over Graham Blackwell (Warrensburg-Latham) (Fall 0:30)

3rd Place Match

Roman Preciado (Edwardsville) won by decision over Terry Mick (Carterville) (Dec 4-1)

5th Place Match

Alec Gilomen (Triad) won by decision over Oluwafemi Balogun (Glenwood) (Dec 2-0)

Fresh Soph Boys – 215

1st Place Match

Braylon Hill-Lomax (Edwardsville) won by decision over Caybren Hubbard (Murphysboro) (Dec 4-2)

3rd Place Match

Tristian Ward (Civic Memorial) won by tech fall over Dane Olmstead (Freeburg) (TF 17-2)

5th Place Match

Darrell Bibbs (Belleville East) won by decision over Lamarian Rainey (Lanphier) (Dec 1-0)

Fresh Soph Boys – 285

1st Place Match

Jack Amann (Freeburg) won by decision over Ayden Williams (Auburn) (Dec 12-5)

3rd Place Match

Dartaneon Green (Belleville East) won by medical forfeit over Martin Xoxotla (Carbondale) (MFF)

5th Place Match

Dylan Heinen (Sparta) won by fall over Gary Wesley (Southeast) (Fall 1:45)

IWCOA Heyworth Sectional Boys Frosh/Soph Results

Fresh Soph Boys – 101

1st Place Match

Wensley Rahn (Richwoods) won by tech fall over Kole Petta (El Paso) (TF 18-1)

3rd Place Match

Bryce Kuhlman (Normal) won by fall over Donovan Lowery (Normal West) (Fall 4:33)

5th Place Match

Sage Davis (Washington) won by major decision over Gracen Elliott (Robinson) (Maj 16-5)

Fresh Soph Boys – 106

1st Place Match

Kyler Guercio (Lawerenceville) won by fall over Lucas Bach (Washington) (Fall 2:27)

3rd Place Match

Hayden Hazel (Richland County) won by fall over Jake Baughman (LeRoy) (Fall 1:11)

5th Place Match

Ben Marshall (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) won by fall over Conner Knapp (Eureka) (Fall 2:20)

Fresh Soph Boys – 113

G1st Place Match

Mason Soney (Normal) won by tech fall over Micah Jackson (Washington) (TF 18-2)

3rd Place Match

Tucker Garey (Olympia) won by fall over Emmett Roeder (Unattached) (Fall 1:00)

5th Place Match

Nicky Weber (Tremont) won by fall over Brayden Dalton (Clinton) (Fall 2:59)

Fresh Soph Boys – 120

1st Place Match

Christian Johnson (Limestone) won by decision over Jack Schweitzer (Bloomington) (Dec 12-7)

3rd Place Match

Johnny Thomas (Normal) won by decision over Camden Brucker (Gibson City) (Dec 4-1)

5th Place Match

Johnathan Kirkbride (Shelbyville) won in the ultimate tie breaker over Colin Wells (Shelbyville) (UTB 4-2)

Fresh Soph Boys – 126

1st Place Match

Noah Davis (Pontiac) won by major decision over Kaeden Davis (Richland County) (Maj 14-4)

3rd Place Match

Koby Clark (Marquette Academy) won by decision over Liam Noonan (Mahomet-Seymour) (Dec 6-3)

5th Place Match

Ayden Stewart (Canton) won by major decision over Griffen McGrew (Normal West) (Maj 18-7)

Fresh Soph Boys – 132

1st Place Match

Malachi Hutchison (Champaign Central) won by decision over Lincoln Yerby (Morton) (Dec 6-2)

3rd Place Match

Beau Thompson (Marquette Academy) won by decision over Garrett Waisath (Mahomet-Seymour) (Dec 5-1)

5th Place Match

Cayden Park (Washington) won by decision over Kenzer Burrell (Olympia) (Dec 5-0)

Fresh Soph Boys – 138

1st Place Match

Chase Frye (Farmington) won in sudden victory – 1 over Orlando Castellano (Galesburg) (SV-1 11-8)

3rd Place Match

Aiden Hundley (St Joseph-Ogden) won by fall over Liam Hughes (Westville) (Fall 0:43)

5th Place Match

Sebastian Howe (Washington) won by decision over Elijah Bailey (Galesburg) (Dec 11-6)

Fresh Soph Boys – 144

1st Place Match

Austin Kistner (Olympia) won by fall over Dakari Brown (Matoon) (Fall 0:40)

3rd Place Match

Emery Pearce (Morton) won by decision over Austin Brewer (Farmington) (Dec 16-9)

5th Place Match

Renn VanDeveer (Mahomet-Seymour) won by tech fall over Elijah Raymer (East Peoria) (TF 21-6)

Fresh Soph Boys – 150

1st Place Match

Ben Mullins (Robinson) won by fall over Kaden Collins (Olympia) (Fall 1:53)

3rd Place Match

Brody Cabrera (Bloomington) won by fall over Will Vicary (Tremont) (Fall 2:05)

5th Place Match

Nino Caballero (Mahomet-Seymour) won by major decision over Isreal Ramirez (Clinton) (Maj 11-0)

Fresh Soph Boys – 157

1st Place Match

Jack Bernardi (Galesburg) won by major decision over Isaac Warnock (Olympia) (Maj 11-1)

3rd Place Match

Ashten Finch (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) won by decision over Alex Vaughn (St Joseph-Ogden) (Dec 8-6)

5th Place Match

Riley Dalluge (Mt. Zion) won by decision over Michael Young (Eisenhower) (Dec 8-1)

Fresh Soph Boys – 165

1st Place Match

Reily Leifheit (Marquette Academy) won by decision over Mark Aeschliman (Metamora Township) (Dec 7-0)

3rd Place Match

Tristian Stamp (Heyworth) won by tech fall over Braiden Tucker (Galesburg) (TF 17-0)

5th Place Match

Tyler Gardner (Bloomington) won by decision over Sam Alvarado (Champaign Central) (Dec 15-14)

Fresh Soph Boys – 175

1st Place Match

Colton Mckee (Morton) won by decision over Sergio Baity (Centennial) (Dec 9-7)

3rd Place Match

Brody Fulcher (Heyworth) won by fall over Wes Weatherford (Ottawa Township) (Fall 1:21)

5th Place Match

Cale Johnson (Galesburg) won by fall over Earl Kelnhofer (Hoopeston) (Fall 2:50)

Fresh Soph Boys – 190

1st Place Match

Daniel Bourbulas (Normal) won by decision over Hayden Mudgette (Shelbyville) (Dec 3-2)

3rd Place Match

Zach Fry (Olympia) won by decision over Michael Kimbrough (Richwoods) (Dec 4-1)

5th Place Match

Gabe DelToro (East Peoria) won by decision over Dray Neal (Lincoln) (Dec 11-7)

Fresh Soph Boys – 215

1st Place Match

Gentry Michels (Richland County) won by fall over Dario Agustin Castro (Bloomington) (Fall 1:48)

3rd Place Match

Ben Buis (El Paso) won by fall over Jayden Cantu (Knoxville) (Fall 0:59)

5th Place Match

Jose Torres (Mahomet-Seymour) won by decision over Connor McCall (Mahomet-Seymour) (Dec 2-1)

Fresh Soph Boys – 285

1st Place Match

Marqwuan Young (Washington) won by fall over Carson Sexton (Gibson City) (Fall 4:23)

3rd Place Match

Jaylen Raab (Bloomington) won by major decision over Hunter McCullough (Pontiac) (Maj 10-2)

5th Place Match

Remi Bryant (Charleston) won by major decision over Riley Davies (Richwoods) (Maj 17-5)

IWCOA Sterling Sectional Boys Frosh/Soph Results

Fresh Soph Boys – 101

1st Place Match

Cam Whitehead (Winnebago) won by fall over Coltin Hartman (Fulton) (Fall 3:26)

3rd Place Match

Nate Lower (Rockridge) won by decision over Aden Spinelli (Amboy) (Dec 6-1)

5th Place Match

Noah Simonson (DeKalb) won by fall over Matthew Frykman (DeKalb) (Fall 1:15)

Fresh Soph Boys – 106

1st Place Match

Julian Hartwig (DeKalb) won by tech fall over Tyquez Hudson (Rock Island) (TF 18-1)

3rd Place Match

Jordan Lowe (Oregon) won by decision over Scottie Hampton (Rock Falls) (Dec 4-1)

5th Place Match

Oscar Nelson (Burlington Central) won by fall over Daniel Sandoval (DeKalb) (Fall 4:13)

Fresh Soph Boys – 113

1st Place Match

Isaiah Martinez (Hononegah) won by decision over Riley Paredes (Dixon) (Dec 9-6)

3rd Place Match

Tennyson Hampton (Rock Island) won by injury default over Jaden Bradley (DeKalb) (Inj. 0:00)

5th Place Match

Drew Patel (North Boone) won by fall over Elliott Kreiner (Geneseo) (Fall 4:44)

Fresh Soph Boys – 120

1st Place Match

Collin Ledbetter (Moline) won by fall over Max Moreno (St. Bede) (Fall 2:54)

3rd Place Match

Gabe Marella (North Boone) won by decision over Doolan Long (Dixon) (Dec 9-3)

5th Place Match

Jaydee Doke (Harlem) won by fall over Owen Burgess (DeKalb) (Fall 1:51)

Fresh Soph Boys – 126

1st Place Match

Maricio Parker (Rock Island) won by major decision over Nathan Corder (Harlem) (Maj 9-1)

3rd Place Match

Landon Ege (Oregon) won by major decision over Tyler Daub (DeKalb) (Maj 14-4)

5th Place Match

Hunter King (Byron) won by fall over Thomas Olson (Freeport) (Fall 1:48)

Fresh Soph Boys – 132

1st Place Match

Housseyn Ndiaye (Moline) won by fall over Caleb Flint (United Township) (Fall 2:30)

3rd Place Match

Kie Smith (Geneseo) won by major decision over Corbin Brown (Princeton) (Maj 14-0)

5th Place Match

Adam Ramirez (Belvidere North) won by major decision over Evan Catour (Moline) (Maj 13-5)

Fresh Soph Boys – 138

1st Place Match

Caiden Heath (Amboy) won by decision over Landyn White (Woodstock) (Dec 10-8)

3rd Place Match

Hadley Losoya (Rochelle) won by decision over Elijah King (Rock Island) (Dec 11-4)

5th Place Match

James Brown (DeKalb) won by medical forfeit over Kennison Sims (DeKalb) (MFF)

Fresh Soph Boys – 144

1st Place Match

Parker Stannke (Rock Island) won by fall over Midaris Chappelle (DeKalb) (Fall 3:52)

3rd Place Match

Jaxxon Gustafson (Winnebago) won by fall over Noah Cerny (Marian Central Catholic) (Fall 4:33)

5th Place Match

Santino Sauer (Hampshire) won by fall over Guillermo Ortiz (Freeport) (Fall 0:42)

Fresh Soph Boys – 150

1st Place Match

Andrew Knox (Sherrard) won by decision over Cael O`Horo (Byron) (Dec 1-0)

3rd Place Match

Jayden Berry (Oregon) won by fall over Mathias Rada (Freeport) (Fall 1:34)

5th Place Match

Daniel Htoo (Rock Island) won by fall over Trenton Combs (Woodstock North) (Fall 0:40)

Fresh Soph Boys – 157

1st Place Match

Will Julian (Byron) won by fall over Ethan Waugh (Stillman Valley) (Fall 0:59)

3rd Place Match

Dominic Ritter (Geneseo) won by tech fall over Gavin Beauchamp (Hampshire) (TF 17-1)

5th Place Match

Jayden Allison (Rock Island) won by fall over Aiden Gemberling (Sycamore) (Fall 4:29)

Fresh Soph Boys – 165

1st Place Match

Jasper Hintz (Hampshire) won by tech fall over Billy Mills (Sterling) (TF 17-2)

3rd Place Match

Emarion Harris (Rock Island) won by decision over Ayden Gutierrez (Newman Central Catholic) (Dec 9-2)

5th Place Match

Gavin Boorsma (Marengo) won by fall over Douglas Gemberlin (Sycamore) (Fall 2:34)

Fresh Soph Boys – 175

1st Place Match

Giovanni Marino (Hampshire) won by fall over Seth Shaffer (Dixon) (Fall 3:30)

3rd Place Match

Blake Dingley (Dixon) won by major decision over Brady Mccray (Sterling) (Maj 8-0)

5th Place Match

Jay Pearson (Dakota) won by decision over Alex Martin Pecino (Hononegah) (Dec 7-0)

Fresh Soph Boys – 190

1st Place Match

Aiden Larson (Lena-Winslow) won by fall over Rowan Stockwell (Rock Island) (Fall 3:27)

3rd Place Match

Frankie Solis (Marengo) won by fall over Oliver Wysocki (Hononegah) (Fall 0:35)

5th Place Match

Kohthalu Htoo (Rock Island) won by fall over Mason Henderson (Lena-Winslow) (Fall 2:27)

Fresh Soph Boys – 215

1st Place Match

Colten Mooney (Geneseo) won by fall over Clyde Nott (Sycamore) (Fall 4:16)

3rd Place Match

Zachary Walker (Rock Falls) won by injury default over Wyatt Kinney (Hononegah) (Inj. 0:20)

5th Place Match

Kavone Brown (DeKalb) won by fall over Kendall Brown (Rock Island) (Fall 0:36)

Fresh Soph Boys – 285

1st Place Match

Josh Stahl (Geneseo) won by decision over Maddox McRoberts (Sycamore) (Dec 5-1)

3rd Place Match

Alijah Martin (Moline) won in sudden victory – 1 over Kareem Odeh (Freeport) (SV-1 8-5)

5th Place Match

Jayden Coleman (DeKalb) won by fall over Johnny Misiek (Alden-Hebron) (Fall 2:26)

IWCOA Lake Zurich Sectional Boys Frosh/Soph Results

Fresh Soph Boys – 101

1st Place Match

Lucas Crandall (Fremd) won by tech fall over Brayden Sroka (Zion-Benton) (TF 19-4)

3rd Place Match

Cael Saldana (Huntley) won by tech fall over Andrew Ocampo (Grant) (TF 19-4)

5th Place Match

Carlo Difalco (Prospect) won by decision over Brian Carmona (Schaumburg) (Dec 2-1)

Fresh Soph Boys – 106

1st Place Match

Matthew Blanke (Barrrington) won by injury default over Stone McKone (Buffalo Grove) (Inj. 0:00)

3rd Place Match

Madden Gunn (Wauconda) won by tech fall over Liam Lovelace (Lake Park) (TF 26-9)

5th Place Match

Noah Young (Fremd) won by tech fall over Carson Klos (Johnsburg) (TF 17-1)

Fresh Soph Boys – 113

1st Place Match

Breiydyn Hoffman (Grant) won by fall over Liam Perkins (Carmel Catholic) (Fall 1:23)

3rd Place Match

Willem Anderson (Barrrington) won by major decision over Thomas Fidler (Prospect) (Maj 13-0)

5th Place Match

Andrew Stapleton (Prospect) won by medical forfeit over Franklin Katz (Wheeling) (MFF)

Fresh Soph Boys – 120

1st Place Match

Enrique Garcia (Jacobs) won by decision over Mykola Shamray (Buffalo Grove) (Dec 6-3)

3rd Place Match

Damian Ramos Hernandez (Conant) won by major decision over Chase Davis (Johnsburg) (Maj 10-2)

5th Place Match

Rielen Hermsen (Carmel Catholic) won by major decision over Michael Goolish (Conant) (Maj 9-1)

Fresh Soph Boys – 126

1st Place Match

Isaac Thomson (Antioch) won by decision over Thad Park (Stevenson) (Dec 9-3)

3rd Place Match

Kyle Lochner (Hersey) won by fall over Preston Holian (Richmond-Burton) (Fall 3:23)

5th Place Match

Michael Latoria (Huntley) won by decision over William Blackhall (Lake Park) (Dec 4-3)

Fresh Soph Boys – 132

1st Place Match

Aiden Quevedo (Schaumburg) won by fall over Julian Gutierrez (Huntley) (Fall 1:59)

3rd Place Match

Damien Ortega (Rolling Meadows) won by decision over Evan Honegger (Lake Zurich) (Dec 16-9)

5th Place Match

Maximus Cordova (Mundelein) won by decision over William Guziec (Stevenson) (Dec 7-2)

Fresh Soph Boys – 138

1st Place Match

Gavin Nischke (Huntley) won by decision over Trevor Hengl (Grayslake Central) (Dec 4-2)

3rd Place Match

Nolan Variano (Hersey) won by major decision over Brody Hinkle (Schaumburg) (Maj 9-0)

5th Place Match

Elliott Hibbard (Libertyville) won in sudden victory – 1 over Joshua Kubicki (Antioch) (SV-1 8-5)

Fresh Soph Boys – 144

1st Place Match

Robert Suvi (Lake Zurich) won by fall over John Vanhoene (Grant) (Fall 3:26)

3rd Place Match

Kyle Miron (Warren) won by fall over Matt Moritz (Prairie Ridge) (Fall 1:27)

5th Place Match

John Gough (Schaumburg) won by decision over Davin Esparagoza (Zion-Benton) (Dec 1-0)

Fresh Soph Boys – 150

1st Place Match

Nick Zuehlke (Crystal Lake Central) won by fall over Danny Mandujano (Carmel Catholic) (Fall 4:49)

3rd Place Match

Narciso Gonzalez (Round Lake) won by major decision over Anthony Malone (Zion-Benton) (Maj 11-1)

5th Place Match

Dominic Sponsel (Fremd) won by fall over Helder Macedo (Schaumburg) (Fall 0:14)

Fresh Soph Boys – 157

1st Place Match

Nicholas Hermsen (Warren) won by fall over Brody McKenna (Wauconda) (Fall 2:41)

3rd Place Match

Gustanvo Quiroz (Hersey) won by fall over Leo Malatos (Lake Zurich) (Fall 0:24)

5th Place Match

Grayson Lennon (Grant) won by decision over Edgar Bonilla (Lake Zurich) (Dec 10-5)

Fresh Soph Boys – 165

1st Place Match

Samuel Cushman (Barrrington) won by fall over Aaron Von Heimburg (Stevenson) (Fall 0:52)

3rd Place Match

Michael Flatley (Lakes) won by decision over Jacob Becker (Vernon Hills) (Dec 4-2)

5th Place Match

Jackson Hjorth (Johnsburg) won by decision over Alexander Vega (Huntley) (Dec 2-0)

Fresh Soph Boys – 175

1st Place Match

James Scanio (Libertyville) won by tech fall over Aiden Rodriguez (Prairie Ridge) (TF 19-3)

3rd Place Match

Jiovanni Hernandez (Warren) won by decision over Alexander Gavrylyuk (Lake Park) (Dec 7-3)

5th Place Match

Hakeem Coleman (Fremd) won by forfeit over Xavier Arroyo (Grant) (FF)

Fresh Soph Boys – 190

1st Place Match

Rocco DiCanio (Lake Zurich) won by decision over Frank Matviychuk (Prairie Ridge) (Dec 10-4)

3rd Place Match

Timur Arzumanov (Vernon Hills) won by decision over Eduardo Albarran (Zion-Benton) (Dec 13-12)

5th Place Match

Ben Zebron (Hersey) won by decision over Jack Kassner (Crystal Lake Central) (Dec 7-3)

Fresh Soph Boys – 215

1st Place Match

Shane Falasca (Richmond-Burton) won by decision over Finn Loomis (Wauconda) (Dec 7-1)

3rd Place Match

Eduardo Juarez (Wheeling) won by fall over Jacob Syc (Libertyville) (Fall 2:04)

5th Place Match

Ajani Williams (Grant) won by major decision over Jesiah Hagge (Grant) (Maj 12-2)

Fresh Soph Boys – 285

1st Place Match

Chase Paduch (Bartlett) won by major decision over Nolan Lopez (Warren) (Maj 11-1)

3rd Place Match

Adriel Arana (Barrrington) won by medical forfeit over Jacari Travis (Palatine) (MFF)

5th Place Match

Mamadee Sheriff (Grant) won by major decision over Christopher Arciniega-Sanchez (Schaumburg) (Maj 14-3)

IWCOA Thornton Township Sectional Boys Frosh/Soph Results

Frosh Soph – 101

1st Place Match

Nathan Powers (Lincoln-Way East) won by decision over Salah Dajani (Lincoln-Way East) (Dec 4-1)

3rd Place Match

Casey Koerner (Joliet West) won in sudden victory – 1 over Jake Munsterman (Coal City) (SV-1 15-12)

5th Place Match

Francisco Oliva (Joliet West) won by tech fall over Jack Munn (Lincoln-Way West) (TF 17-0)

Frosh Soph – 106

1st Place Match

Parker Barry (Morris) won by decision over Everett Sievers (Lincoln-Way East) (Dec 4-1)

3rd Place Match

Logan Hudson (Joliet West) won by medical forfeit over Drew Ritchie (Plainfield South) (MFFL)

5th Place Match

Cullen Parks (Bourbonnais) won by major decision over Charlie Tustin (Lincoln-Way West) (Maj 13-0)

Frosh Soph – 113

1st Place Match

Zach Hoffner (Bourbonnais) won by decision over Mason Rohe (Andrew) (Dec 3-2)

3rd Place Match

Joseph Mendez (Bloom) won by fall over Rylan West (Reed-Custer) (Fall 1:34)

5th Place Match

Cash Ocampo (Joliet West) won by major decision over Dominic Flores (Joliet Catholic Academy) (Maj 9-0)

Frosh Soph – 120

1st Place Match

Matthew Laird (Joliet Catholic Academy) won by major decision over Eric Hoselton (Lincoln-Way Central) (Maj 13-4)

3rd Place Match

Joseph Pedrosa (Joliet West) won in sudden victory – 1 over Kyrin King (Rich) (SV-1 17-14)

5th Place Match

Raziel Perez (Bourbonnais) won by major decision over Nick Williams (Lincoln-Way East) (Maj 12-4)

Frosh Soph – 126

1st Place Match

Tyler Lachenberg (Lincoln-Way Central) won by decision over Joshua Theis (Lincoln-Way East) (Dec 10-6)

3rd Place Match

Benjamin Kaminski (Lockport Township) won by fall over Casey Janicki (Minooka) (Fall 0:42)

5th Place Match

Samuel Sabo (Plainfield North) won by decision over Leyton Bartley (Lincoln-Way West) (Dec 9-8)

Frosh Soph – 132

1st Place Match

Adante Washington (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by fall over Enzo Basso (Lincoln-Way East) (Fall 0:29)

3rd Place Match

Shane Stream (Lincoln-Way West) won by tech fall over Jacob Meloun (Morris) (TF 16-1)

5th Place Match

Andrew STaab (Joliet Catholic Academy) won by decision over Dame Avila (Bolingbrook) (Dec 9-5)

Frosh Soph – 138

Guaranteed Places

1st Place Match

Jayden Cooper (Bourbonnais) won by decision over Nick Polzin (Plainfield East) (Dec 9-8)

3rd Place Match

Oakley Rivera (Wilmington) won by decision over Roberto Rodriguez (Coal City) (Dec 8-5)

5th Place Match

Marcus Beach-Larrieu (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by decision over Maddox Stonitsch (Joliet Catholic Academy) (Dec 5-3)

Frosh Soph – 144

1st Place Match

Elijah Flowers (Bolingbrook) won by decision over Caleb Dennis (Joliet Central) (Dec 0-0)

3rd Place Match

Henry Bohms (Lincoln-Way East) won by tech fall over Kyle Mccormick (Plainfield South) (TF 17-0)

5th Place Match

Austin Solis (Plainfield North) won by decision over Jayden Cisneros (Joliet Central) (Dec 0-0)

Frosh Soph – 150

1st Place Match

Joaquin Gaskin (Bolingbrook) won by fall over Cayden Budimir (Manteno) (Fall 2:40)

3rd Place Match

Enzo Mugnolo (Coal City) won by fall over Xavier Feliciano (Homewood-Flossmoor) (Fall 3:37)

5th Place Match

Gaetano Baser (Lincoln-Way Central) won by medical forfeit over Robert Greenberg (Plainfield North) (MFFL)

Frosh Soph – 157

1st Place Match

Tristan Radeke (Joliet West) won by medical forfeit over Ethan Harvey (Lincoln-Way Central) (MFF)

3rd Place Match

Christian Czerwinski (Lockport Township) won by fall over Kaidon Yun (Lockport Township) (Fall 0:43)

5th Place Match

Lucas Hetman (Manteno) won by decision over Coen McGill (Bourbonnais) (Dec 7-1)

Frosh Soph – 165

1st Place Match

Kayden Roach (Bourbonnais) won by tech fall over Benji Knoepfle (Lockport Township) (TF 16-1)

3rd Place Match

Logan Sogavo (Bolingbrook) won by tech fall over Dawuan Becton (Homewood-Flossmoor) (TF 17-1)

5th Place Match

Laith Alamawi (Lincoln-Way Central) won by major decision over Wyatt Ricke (Coal City) (Maj 17-3)

Frosh Soph – 175

1st Place Match

Kaden Meyer (Minooka) won by tech fall over Will Wilson (Wilmington) (TF 16-1)

3rd Place Match

Justin Langford (Lincoln-Way Central) won by fall over Charlie Morzuch (Lincoln-Way West) (Fall 2:32)

5th Place Match

Shaun Chantome (Manteno) won by fall over Timotheus Connor (Providence Catholic) (Fall 0:39)

Frosh Soph – 190

1st Place Match

Jacob Tyderek (Joliet West) won by decision over Malachi Congo (Morris) (Dec 5-0)

3rd Place Match

Mason Bucon (Providence Catholic) won by tech fall over Alex Martinez (Joliet West) (TF 18-1)

5th Place Match

Isaac Diaz (Joliet Central) won by major decision over Shawn Lee (Bourbonnais) (Maj 15-1)

Frosh Soph – 215

1st Place Match

Aiden Bishop (Joliet Catholic Academy) won by tech fall over Justin Powers (Lincoln-Way East) (TF 17-1)

3rd Place Match

Jake Luedtke (Lincoln-Way East) won by medical forfeit over Luke Nielsen (Lincoln-Way Central) (MFFL)

5th Place Match

Noah Kirby (Plainfield North) won by medical forfeit over Xavier Cortes (Lincoln-Way West) (MFFL)

Frosh Soph – 285

1st Place Match

Daniel Dalach (Joliet Catholic Academy) won by fall over Taron Ramsey (Joliet Central) (Fall 1:21)

3rd Place Match

Andrew Klobnak (Joliet West) won by fall over Carmelo Wallace (Bloom) (Fall 3:35)

5th Place Match

Andrew Dye (Rich) won by injury default over Nicholas Paczesny (Lincoln-Way Central) (Inj. 0:00)

IWCOA Shepard Sectional Boys Frosh/Soph Results

Fresh Soph Boys – 101

1st Place Match

Kevin Bisonaya (Mount Carmel) won by tech fall over Jacob Simon (Oak Forest) (TF 16-0)

3rd Place Match

Finley Egan (Marist) won by major decision over Eduardo Garcia (Sarah Goode STEM) (Maj 15-5)

5th Place Match

Pat O`Connell (Tinley Park) won by fall over Eli Rodriguez (Saint Ignatius) (Fall 0:36)

Fresh Soph Boys – 106

1st Place Match

Szymon Kusper (Carl Sandburg) won by fall over Alonso Gomez (Payton)) (Fall 2:59)

Fresh Soph Boys – 113

1st Place Match

Roberto Rangel (Marist) won by fall over Jeremy Powell (Ag Science) (Fall 2:54)

3rd Place Match

Duane Connolly (Brother Rice) won by fall over Kenny Banks (Shepard) (Fall 2:05)

5th Place Match

Leonardo Zapien (Nobel/UIC) won by major decision over Chris Verdin (Carl Sandburg) (Maj 13-1)

Fresh Soph Boys – 120

1st Place Match

Colin Phelan (Marist) won by tech fall over Ryan Romo (Carl Sandburg) (TF 17-1)

3rd Place Match

Zayne Salah (Carl Sandburg) won by tech fall over Mohammed Hamdi (Carl Sandburg) (TF 19-1)

5th Place Match

Benito Chavez (Little Village) won by decision over Alan Jaimes (Curie) (Dec 7-3)

Fresh Soph Boys – 126

1st Place Match

Jacob Crawford (Marist) won by injury default over Macartan Parker (Carl Sandburg) (Inj. 0:00)

3rd Place Match

Amir Akilani (Richards) won by decision over Joe Franklin (St. Rita) (Dec 5-1)

5th Place Match

Alonte Lorek (Horizon Southwest) won by tech fall over Leland Pulido (Curie) (TF 17-2)

Fresh Soph Boys – 132

1st Place Match

Jonathan Fields (Marist) won by decision over Eddie Astorga (Marist) (Dec 9-2)

3rd Place Match

Jimmy Lotito (Brother Rice) won by major decision over Dylan McBride (Oak Forest) (Maj 12-3)

5th Place Match

Lucas Landry (Evergreen Park) won by decision over Anthony Oyola (Chicago Hope Academy) (Dec 11-7)

Fresh Soph Boys – 138

1st Place Match

Jaxon Jorgensen (Mount Carmel) won by fall over Jaxon Gineris (Mount Carmel) (Fall 0:31)

3rd Place Match

Johnathan Diaz (Oak Lawn) won by fall over Luke Sanchez (Saint Ignatius) (Fall 0:52)

5th Place Match

Laith Alomari (Carl Sandburg) won by fall over Augustus Leskauskas (Richards) (Fall 2:51)

Fresh Soph Boys – 144

1st Place Match

Khalid Eid (St. Laurence) won by decision over Jayden Patterson-Veal (Sarah Goode STEM) (Dec 4-1)

3rd Place Match

Romeo Gonzalez (Oak Lawn) won by decision over Francisco Camargo (Curie) (Dec 6-3)

5th Place Match

Lorenzo Harris (Marshall) won by fall over Christian Freeman (Sarah Goode STEM) (Fall 4:05)

Fresh Soph Boys – 150

1st Place Match

Samer Suleiman (Stagg) won by major decision over Joey Massey (Shepard) (Maj 10-0)

3rd Place Match

Jack Lorenz (Marist) won by fall over Melsyon Vrapi (Carl Sandburg) (Fall 4:17)

5th Place Match

Oscar De La Cruz (Bronzeville) won by fall over Ehizele Ijewere (Jones) (Fall 1:22)

Fresh Soph Boys – 157

1st Place Match

Brandon Beavers (Mount Carmel) won by decision over Kellen Breen (Mount Carmel) (Dec 7-0)

3rd Place Match

Brian Klimek (Carl Sandburg) won by fall over Manny Lopez (Brother Rice) (Fall 2:01)

5th Place Match

Deneir Williams (Kenwood) won by fall over Tommy Watson (Marist) (Fall 3:34)

Fresh Soph Boys – 165

1st Place Match

Marty McMeel (Marist) won by decision over Aden Mendoza (Carl Sandburg) (Dec 9-7)

3rd Place Match

Christian Aleman-Rodriguez (Little Village) won by decision over Isaiah Calvin (Mount Carmel) (Dec 10-3)

5th Place Match

Santiago Herrera (Jones) received a bye

Fresh Soph Boys – 175

1st Place Match

Jihad Suleiman (Stagg) won by tech fall over Collin Coffey (Marist) (TF 18-3)

3rd Place Match

Tom Molinets (Carl Sandburg) won by fall over Andy Cuevas (Curie) (Fall 4:34)

5th Place Match

Adrian Barzola-Toledo (Jones) won by fall over Sergio Lara (Bronzeville) (Fall 2:51)

Fresh Soph Boys – 190

1st Place Match

David Reardon (Saint Ignatius) won by fall over Zaid Masri (Carl Sandburg) (Fall 3:42)

3rd Place Match

Andrew Gutierrez (Carl Sandburg) won by fall over Anthony Senese (Oak Forest) (Fall 1:26)

5th Place Match

Noah Campos (Kennedy) won by fall over Mason Andrews (Mount Carmel) (Fall 1:43)

Fresh Soph Boys – 215

1st Place Match

Marquis Steel (Marist) won by major decision over James McCormick (Carl Sandburg) (Maj 18-7)

3rd Place Match

Nathan Morales (Stagg) won by fall over Luke Malberg (Marist) (Fall 0:28)

5th Place Match

Briant Long (Nobel/UIC) won by fall over Jose Murillo (Curie) (Fall 2:21)

Fresh Soph Boys – 285

1st Place Match

Brandon Brown (Marist) won by fall over Benjamin Hearon (Jones) (Fall 2:24)

3rd Place Match

Kavon Grant (Nobel/UIC) won by fall over Bryce Starks (Oak Lawn) (Fall 2:51)

5th Place Match

Jeremy Ingram (Mount Carmel) won by fall over Nathan Hernandez (Oak Lawn) (Fall 1:57)

IWCOA Evanston Township Sectional Boys Frosh/Soph Results

Fresh Soph Boys – 101

1st Place Match

Mike Bird (IC Catholic) won by fall over Troy Rotter (Deerfield) (Fall 1:51)

3rd Place Match

Erle Rosete (Maine South) won by fall over Jordan Dezara (Oak Park and River Forest) (Fall 1:54)

5th Place Match

Santino Scardina (Fenwick) won by major decision over Angel Jacobo (Morton) (Maj 15-1)

Fresh Soph Boys – 106

1st Place Match

Drew Murante (IC Catholic) won by major decision over Harrison Brown (Fenwick) (Maj 19-9)

3rd Place Match

Aedan Dillow (DePaul Prep) won by tech fall over Nicholas Karlesky (Maine South) (TF 18-3)

5th Place Match

Alex Farrell (Glenbrook South) won by fall over Chase Pabst (St. Patrick) (Fall 2:48)

Fresh Soph Boys – 113

1st Place Match

Santiago Trejo-Huerigo (Addison Trail) won by fall over Connor Maschek (DePaul Prep) (Fall 0:41)

3rd Place Match

Alezander Bautista (Addison Trail) won by fall over Jairo Kish (Maine East) (Fall 4:45)

5th Place Match

Jacob Badal (Niles North) won by fall over Jesse Rios (Morton) (Fall 4:30)

Fresh Soph Boys – 120

1st Place Match

Alex Cohen (Oak Park and River Forest) won by medical forfeit over Eli Brown (Glenbrook South) (MFF)

3rd Place Match

Daniel Myint (Loyola Academy) won by fall over Jack Jansen (Deerfield) (Fall 0:55)

5th Place Match

Joshua Jimenez (St. Patrick) won by medical forfeit over Erdene Munkhbat (Glenbrook South) (MFF)

Fresh Soph Boys – 126

1st Place Match

Roman Ocampo (Glenbrook South) won by decision over Dean Angelo Iii (St. Patrick) (Dec 5-4)

3rd Place Match

Zacarias Slaastad (New Trier) won by fall over Jimmy Jacinto (Addison Trail) (Fall 3:33)

5th Place Match

Declan Murphy (Notre Dame) won by fall over Donato Coloia (Maine South) (Fall 0:24)

Fresh Soph Boys – 132

1st Place Match

Rene Reyna (Fenton) won by decision over Lucas Slaastad (New Trier) (Dec 15-12)

3rd Place Match

Travis Leonardson (New Trier) won by major decision over Jarrett Mahurin (Notre Dame) (Maj 14-0)

5th Place Match

Theodore Janes-Smith (Niles North) won by fall over Luciano De La Pasqua (Maine South) (Fall 2:15)

Fresh Soph Boys – 138

1st Place Match

Kevin Hamilton (Maine South) won by fall over Lucas Youmara (Niles West) (Fall 2:35)

3rd Place Match

Kelvin West (Proviso West) won by fall over Kevin Pedersen (Maine South) (Fall 3:32)

5th Place Match

Ian Main-Duplechin (Lane Tech) won by decision over Samuel Schiller (New Trier) (Dec 9-8)

Fresh Soph Boys – 144

1st Place Match

Joe Siprut (Lane Tech) won by fall over Yahia Soliman (Elk Grove) (Fall 4:01)

3rd Place Match

Alex Albrecht (Oak Park and River Forest) won by fall over Qaisar Sadat (Niles West) (Fall 3:44)

5th Place Match

Caleb Padilla (Deerfield) won by major decision over Al Hasn Al Radi (Niles West) (Maj 16-5)

Fresh Soph Boys – 150

1st Place Match

Isaac Johnson (Glenbrook North) won by fall over Patrick Nix (Fenwick) (Fall 1:48)

3rd Place Match

Jake Luczak (Notre Dame) won by major decision over Mark Bilek (St. Patrick) (Maj 12-4)

5th Place Match

Jackson Decrane (Loyola Academy) won by major decision over Michael Centracchio (Notre Dame) (Maj 18-5)

Fresh Soph Boys – 157

1st Place Match

Zach Michaud (Oak Park and River Forest) won by injury default over Bryce Kopinski (Glenbrook South) (Inj. 1:30)

3rd Place Match

Nicholas Marcus (Niles North) won by fall over Art Bytyqi (Evanston Township) (Fall 1:47)

5th Place Match

Colin Walsh (Notre Dame) won by fall over Dmyrtii Mykhniak (Taft) (Fall 5:00)

Fresh Soph Boys – 165

1st Place Match

Tommy Tures (New Trier) won by decision over Alen Bautista (Addison Trail) (Dec 14-10)

3rd Place Match

Jeramy Hamm (Notre Dame) won by major decision over Diego Lopez (Evanston Township) (Maj 18-7)

5th Place Match

Aleksander Knapik (Loyola Academy) won by decision over Peter Escamilla (Notre Dame) (Dec 7-2)

Fresh Soph Boys – 175

1st Place Match

Isiah Robinson (Proviso West) won in the ultimate tie breaker over Santiago Moya (Morton) (UTB 4-2)

3rd Place Match

Derek Mazariegos (Fenton) won by fall over Cooper Cramer (New Trier) (Fall 0:55)

5th Place Match

Stefan Ivosevic (Maine South) won by fall over Eric Batmunkh (Glenbrook South) (Fall 2:50)

Fresh Soph Boys – 190

1st Place Match

Zach Willis (Glenbrook North) won by decision over Nathaniel Dorado (Maine West) (Dec 7-0)

3rd Place Match

Lucas Paich (Glenbrook North) won by fall over Timothy Golden (St. Patrick) (Fall 3:41)

5th Place Match

Darren Whitehead (Evanston Township) won by fall over Nathaniel Perez (St. Patrick) (Fall 3:31)

Fresh Soph Boys – 215

1st Place Match

Daniel Derbedyenyev (Highland Park) won by fall over Luois Luna (Glenbrook South) (Fall 4:36)

3rd Place Match

Conner Moynihan (Notre Dame) won by fall over John Boman (Highland Park) (Fall 1:35)

5th Place Match

Dearion Hunt (Taft) won by medical forfeit over Adi Mustafa (Amundsen) (MFF)

Fresh Soph Boys – 285

1st Place Match

Dameryon Paxton (Proviso West) won by fall over Martavion Howard (Proviso East) (Fall 1:53)

3rd Place Match

Sean Cook (Notre Dame) won by major decision over Andreas Thomas (Evanston Township) (Maj 14-3)

5th Place Match

Josh Dixon (Deerfield) won by decision over Jorge Santana (Maine East) (Dec 8-2)

IWCOA Naperville Central Sectional Boys Frosh/Soph Results

Fresh Soph Boys – 101

1st Place Match

Aidan Ambre (West Aurora) won by tech fall over Joseph Calvillo (Batavia) (TF 17-2)

3rd Place Match

Rocco Valvano (Wheaton Warrenville South) won by tech fall over Benjamin Sallas (Glenbard West) (TF 21-5)

5th Place Match

Declan Driscoll (Lyons Township) won by fall over Alexi Aguinaldo (Naperville Central) (Fall 1:22)

Fresh Soph Boys – 106

1st Place Match

Gabe Richmond (West Aurora) won by decision over Tanner Stone (Downers Grove South) (Dec 7-3)

3rd Place Match

Giovanni Ambris Aguilar (Glenbard West) won by decision over Damian Garcis (Downers Grove North) (Dec 10-4)

5th Place Match

Luke Edwards (Wheaton North) won by major decision over Lukas Thompson (Glenbard North) (Maj 15-7)

Fresh Soph Boys – 113

1st Place Match

Eric Castillo (West Aurora) won by fall over Emanuel Rangel (West Chicago) (Fall 4:49)

3rd Place Match

Landon Jenkins (Yorkville) won in sudden victory – 1 over Daniel Hyde (Wheaton North) (SV-1 7-4)

5th Place Match

George Driesbach (Geneva) won by fall over Shane Dodson (Oswego) (Fall 0:45)

Fresh Soph Boys – 120

1st Place Match

Nolan Chrisse (Yorkville) won by major decision over Cole Forsyth (Glenbard East) (Maj 9-0)

3rd Place Match

Manuel Rodriguez (Glenbard West) won by decision over Michael Riggs (Wheaton Warrenville South) (Dec 6-1)

5th Place Match

Joel Waggoner (Montini Catholic) won by decision over Dylan Woolsey (Downers Grove South) (Dec 4-0)

Fresh Soph Boys – 126

1st Place Match

Jadon Dinwiddie (Downers Grove South) won by medical forfeit over Jayden Hernandez (St. Charles East) (MFF)

3rd Place Match

Peter Kabene (West Aurora) won by tech fall over Josue Ortega (Metea Valley) (TF 16-1)

5th Place Match

Julian Guerra (Glenbard North) won by decision over Evan Madiol (Wheaton North) (Dec 7-2)

Fresh Soph Boys – 132

1st Place Match

Jaxson Blanchard (Sandwich) won by decision over Brian Correa (West Chicago) (Dec 3-1)

3rd Place Match

Jonathan Kopcio (Marmion Academy) won by major decision over Vincent Konecki (Yorkville) (Maj 10-2)

5th Place Match

Cole Fitzenreider (Wheaton North) won by major decision over Myles Monis (Montini Catholic) (Maj 14-0)

Fresh Soph Boys – 138

1st Place Match

Jay Doherty (Wheaton North) won in sudden victory – 1 over Julius Cole (Yorkville) (SV-1 10-7)

3rd Place Match

Max Mulhearn (Harvest Christian Academy) won by major decision over Angelo Gatses (Glenbard North) (Maj 11-3)

5th Place Match

Daniel Gonzalez (Batavia) won by decision over Maxwell Venecia (Naperville North) (Dec 10-3)

Fresh Soph Boys – 144

1st Place Match

Christian Chiarelli (Downers Grove North) won by medical forfeit over Timothy Garmon (Naperville North) (MFF)

3rd Place Match

Donncha Souza (Yorkville) won by fall over Michael Huicochea (West Aurora) (Fall 2:13)

5th Place Match

Ronin Brom (Neuqua Valley) won by decision over Owen Smott (Downers Grove South) (Dec 12-7)

Fresh Soph Boys – 150

1st Place Match

Tallis Taylor (Glenbard West) won by decision over Malan Hatfield (West Aurora) (Dec 11-10)

3rd Place Match

Johnny Consuegra (Lisle) won by fall over Brady Miller (Hinsdale South) (Fall 2:35)

5th Place Match

Luciano Litro (St. Charles East) won by decision over Owen Wijangco (Metea Valley) (Dec 8-5)

Fresh Soph Boys – 157

1st Place Match

Maximus Delgado (Yorkville) won by decision over Bryce Riley (West Aurora) (Dec 4-0)

3rd Place Match

Xavier Smiley (Glenbard North) won by fall over Justin Skryd (Naperville Central) (Fall 2:35)

5th Place Match

Joshua Kotalik (Sandwich) won by fall over Anthony Johnson (Lyons Township) (Fall 4:26)

Fresh Soph Boys – 165

1st Place Match

Kevin May (Montini Catholic) won by major decision over Grant Ellison (Naperville North) (Maj 9-1)

3rd Place Match

Rex Chavez (Downers Grove North) won by major decision over Adan Osorio (Glenbard West) (Maj 18-9)

5th Place Match

Lucas Pretkelis (Waubonsie Valley) won by decision over Xavier Morales (Glenbard North) (Dec 7-4)

Fresh Soph Boys – 175

1st Place Match

Marco Rafael (Glenbard North) won by decision over Benjamin Miller (Hinsdale South) (Dec 7-2)

3rd Place Match

Jt Hill (Naperville North) won by fall over Asher VanDermolen (St. Charles East) (Fall 3:32)

5th Place Match

Ben Reif (Naperville North) won by fall over Jacob Magana (Wheaton Warrenville South) (Fall 4:03)

Fresh Soph Boys – 190

1st Place Match

Ryker Czubak (Downers Grove South) won by decision over Christian Paige (Oswego) (Dec 7-2)

3rd Place Match

Hayden Wheeler (Yorkville Christian) won by medical forfeit over Bohdan Postoroniuk (Metea Valley) (MFF)

5th Place Match

Evan Reichert (Glenbard East) won by decision over Gregory Heavey (Wheaton Warrenville South) (Dec 5-4)

Fresh Soph Boys – 215

1st Place Match

Phin Codinha Iv (Glenbard West) won by decision over Chris Cali (Downers Grove South) (Dec 4-3)

3rd Place Match

Tommy Yannias (Glenbard East) won by decision over Sebastian Mitchell (Naperville Central) (Dec 7-0)

5th Place Match

Josiah Johnson (Batavia) won by fall over Damian Velasquez (Willowbrook) (Fall 2:50)

Fresh Soph Boys – 285

1st Place Match

Brandon Monroy (East Aurora) won by decision over Victor Juarez (Elgin) (Dec 4-0)

3rd Place Match

Avery Lane (Yorkville) won by fall over Michael Danial (Downers Grove South) (Fall 5:23)

5th Place Match

Tamer El-Dars (Hinsdale Central) won by fall over Holden Reible (Oswego) (Fall 2:06)

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

A record 500 girls are expected to be on hand to compete in the 29th-annual Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Championships, which features both the Girls Championship and the Boys Freshman/Sophomore State Championship and both tournaments take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Bank of Springfield Center in downtown Springfield.

For the first time, the Girls Championship will feature 40-woman brackets as the result of five qualifiers advancing from last weekend’s eight sectional tournaments, which were held in Evanston, Granite City, Harvey, Heyworth, Lake Zurich, Naperville, Palos Heights and Sterling. Thornton Township hosted the tournament in Harvey, Naperville Central was the host school in Naperville and Shepard hosted the competition in Palos Heights.

The 500 individuals who will be participating is 200 more than were on hand for last year’s competition, when there were 300 entrants while in 2023, 141 girls took part in the event.

Doors open at 7:30 a.m.on Saturday at Bank of Springfield Center, which is at 1 Convention Center Plaza in Springfield. The opening ceremonies begin at 8:50 a.m. with the preliminary round matches at 9 a.m., the round of 32 matches are scheduled for 11 a.m., consolation round one is set for 3 p.m. and the round of 16 and consolation round two matches are slated for 5 p.m. to close out the opening day’s schedule. Note: all times that are listed are approximate.

On Sunday, doors to the BOSC will open at 8 a.m. with consolation round three getting underway at 9 a.m. and the quarterfinal and consolation round four are scheduled for 11 a.m. with consolation round five matches expected to commence at 1 p.m. 

Semifinal and quarterfinal consolation round matches are set to begin at 2 p.m., the semifinal consolation matches are expected to be at 3 p.m. and the Finals are scheduled for 4 p.m. Admission for spectators is $15 for adults for each session and $10 for students for each session. Coaches passes are available for $25 per day or with proof of IWCOA membership.

Any high school girls who did not qualify for the IHSA Individual State Tournament Finals were eligible for the competition. While the top five were to qualify from each sectional, because several tournaments didn’t have that many qualifiers, girls who placed sixth were also included.

The first year of the Girls Open Championship was 2017 and it served as an unofficial girls state championship until the IHSA made girls wrestling an official sport during the 2021-2022 season and conducted its first State Finals in 2022 in Bloomington. 

Following in the rich tradition of the Freshman/Sophomore Boys State Championship, the Girls Championship serves as an opportunity for athletes who didn’t qualify for the IHSA Finals to finish their seasons on a positive note and gain valuable experience for future visits to state.

Here’s a breakdown of the eight sectional tournaments and who the medal winners were from each of the competitions. Brackets are listed under the IWCOA heading on Trackwrestling.

IWCOA Granite City Sectional Girls Results

Girls – 95

1st place Match

Jhayla Lawson (Mascoutah) won by fall over Taylor Duncan (Granite City) (Fall 2:54 and 3:49)

Girls – 100

1st Place match (round robin)

Josselyn Allen (Jersey Community) won by fall over Lillian Mcguiggan (Civic Memorial) (Fall 0:29)

3rd Place Match

Beautifull Wims (Springfield co-op) received a bye

Girls – 105

1st Place match (round robin)

Brielle Becker (Freeburg) won by major decision over Haydyn Williamson (Anna-Jonesboro) (Maj 15-4)

3rd Place Match

Briana Ramirez (Granite City) received a bye

Girls – 110

1st Place Match

Reaghan Madura (Springfield co-op) won by major decision over Lily Wagner (Triad) (Maj 14-0)

3rd Place Match

Hailey Buckingham (Edwardsville) won by fall over Emma Ford (Collinsville) (Fall 2:56)

5th Place Match

Peyton Rutledge (Dupo) won by fall over Prudence Snider (Althoff Catholic) (Fall 0:28)

Girls – 115

1st Place Match

Gigi Linhorst (Edwardsville) won by tech fall over Ma`Kayla Bonner (Granite City) (TF 17-0)

3rd Place Match

Zoey Nelson (Mascoutah) won by fall over Deja Porter (Cahokia) (Fall 1:36)

5th Place Match

Daisy Smith (Triad) won by fall over Sidney Ufert (Roxana) (Fall 1:38)

Girls – 120

1st Place Match

Meredith Gumz (Springfield co-op) won by fall over Olivia Jarret (Glenwood) (Fall 0:27)

3rd Place Match

Alauni Muex (Marion) won by fall over Lelynn Kelly (Granite City) (Fall 3:55)

5th Place Match

Ayda Brown (Waterloo) won by fall over Claire Shaw (Civic Memorial) (Fall 3:22)

Girls – 125

1st Place Match

Olive Linhorst (Edwardsville) won by tech fall over Alina Edwards (Springfield co-op) (TF 16-0)

3rd Place Match

Madison Bradley (Springfield co-op) won by fall over Brooklyn Truman (Waterloo) (Fall 4:02)

5th Place Match

Ava Asselmeier (Waterloo) won by decision over Kaytlynn Bray (Collinsville) (Dec 9-4)

Girls – 130

1st Place Match (round robin)

Ariella Miloncus (Springfield co-op) won by major decision over Kenzi Milestone (Glenwood) (Maj 11-1)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Joelene Nappier-Feth (Marion) won by fall over Madilyn Katana (Granite City) (Fall 0:53)

Girls – 135

1st Place Match

Isabella Resendez (Glenwood) won by fall over Jacee Mardirosian (Carterville) (Fall 2:25)

3rd Place Match

Kyliee Sudja (Freeburg) won by fall over Madelyn Edler (Waterloo) (Fall 0:32)

5th Place Match

Alyssa Hardt (Belleville West) won by tech fall over Tala Asad (Springfield co-op) (TF 21-4)

Girls – 140

1st Place Match (round robin)

Roxie Royster (Murphysboro) won by decision over Aubrey Raban (Freeburg) (Dec 7-1)

3rd Place Match

Alana Finney (Salem) received a bye

Girls – 145

1st Place – Rory Speidel of Jerseyville (Jersey) went 3-1

2nd Place – Audrey Whipple of Bethalto (Civic Memorial) went 3-1

3rd Place – Elsie Dozier of Chatham (Glenwood) went 3-1

4th Place – Elise Byman of Freeburg went 1-3

5th Place – Lillyanne Hankammer of Dupo went 0-4

Girls – 155

1st Place Match (round robin)

Nahima Mateo (Murphysboro) won by fall over Emma Gischer (Roxana) (Fall 1:40)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Sydney Funk (Mascoutah) won by fall over Lettie VanAllman (Jersey Community) (Fall 1:52)

5th Place Match

Chloe West (Granite City) received a bye

Girls – 170

1st Place Match (round robin)

Brynn Swyers (Vandalia) won by fall over Makayla Padilla (Jacksonville) (Fall 0:31)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Abigail Hayes (Edwardsville) won by fall over Dasonni Greene (Belleville West) (Fall 3:00)

5th Place Match

Olivia Monroe (Jacksonville) received a bye

Girls – 190

1st Place Match (round robin)

Izabell McBride (Waterloo) won by decision over Andre`a Kirkpatrick (Belleville West) (Dec 7-0)

3rd Place Match

Angie Nunez (Edwardsville) received a bye

Girls – 235

1st Place Match (round robin)

Kamryn Brown (Cahokia) won by fall over Olivia McDermott (Marion) (Fall 0:40)

3rd Place Match

Emily Sanders (Jacksonville) received a bye

IWCOA Heyworth Sectional Girls Results

Girls – 95

1st Place Match

Mya Downs (Olympia) won by injury default over Sierra Tuttle (Mahomet-Seymour) (Inj. 0:00)

3rd Place Match

Serenity Canady (Robinson) won by fall over Sophia Mundy (Mattoon) (Fall 1:53)

5th Place Match

Haley Richter (Heyworth) won by fall over Sandy Clark (Clinton) (Fall 0:58)

Girls – 100

1st Place Match

Madilyn Becker (Mahomet-Seymour) won by decision over Leah White (Richwoods) (Dec 13-9)

3rd Place Match

Gracie Pattison (Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin) won by fall over Grace Aeschliman (Metamora) (Fall 2:05)

5th Place Match

Bella Villanueva (Clinton) won by fall over Audrey Morss (ROWVA) (Fall 0:45)

Girls – 105

1st Place Match (round robin)

Heaven Sewell (Richwoods) won by fall over Chloe Baker (Farmington) (Fall 3:38)

3rd Place

Annalyn Osborn (Robinson)

Girls – 110

1st Place Match

Marissa Brown (ROWVA) won by fall over Payton Henson (Streator Township) (Fall 4:41)

3rd Place Match

Ariana Humes (Clinton) won by fall over Madizyn Megrant (Pekin) (Fall 2:21)

5th Place Match

Addison Yacko (Streator Township) won by fall over Aerith Adams (Dunlap) (Fall 4:14)

Girls – 115

1st Place Match

Violet Pennington (Pekin) won by tech fall over Kiley Knight (Westville) (TF 18-2)

3rd Place Match

Annalee Haschemeyer (Canton) won by fall over Sophia Mussari (Pontiac) (Fall 4:34)

5th Place Match

Val Munoz (Ottawa Township) won by fall over Eliza Bodine (Monticello) (Fall 2:12)

Girls – 120

1st Place Match

Laila Vaughn (Streator Township) won by fall over Lilyana Malagon (Illinois Valley Central) (Fall 1:58)

3rd Place Match

Rylie Foglesong (ROWVA) won by fall over Cheyanne Anderson (Normal West) (Fall 0:15)

5th Place Match

Ciara Bolf (Ottawa Township) won by fall over Eryn White (Heyworth) (Fall 0:42)

Girls – 125

1st Place Match

Randi Campe (Urbana) won by fall over Madison Peaslee (Westville) (Fall 2:22)

3rd Place Match

Jaiyden Provance (Ottawa Township) won by fall over Rachel Richey (Robinson) (Fall 4:03)

5th Place Match

Julie Roberts (Unity Christian) received a bye

Girls – 130

1st Place Match (round robin)

Amyah Pruitt (Galesburg) won by fall over Hailey Watson (University High) (Fall 0:56)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Emma Ziegler (Washington) won by fall over Lexi Sawin (Ottawa Township) (Fall 2:05)

Girls – 135

1st Place Match

Ava Weatherford (Ottawa Township) won by decision over Olivia Curtis (Dunlap) (Dec 7-2)

3rd Place Match

London Grant (Champaign Central) won by fall over Jocelyn Deedrick (Mahomet-Seymour) (Fall 1:32)

5th Place Match

Tenley Wade (Normal Community) received a bye

Girls – 140

First Place Match (round robin)

Alexis Rogers (Ottawa Township) won by fall over Alivia Butler (Ottawa Township) (Fall 0:48)

Third Place Match (round robin)

Makenna Roedl (Westville) won by fall over Kaisley Shotkoski (Mahomet-Seymour) (Fall 2:33)

Girls – 145

1st Place Match

Macee Hammond (Robinson) won by fall over Holly Hixon (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) (Fall 4:04)

3rd Place Match

Alyssa Artman (Pekin) won by fall over Bethany Marshall (Washington) (Fall 4:20)

5th Place Match

Claire Zorns (Unity) received a bye

Girls – 155

First Place Matches

Paytyn Dykes (Tremont) won by fall over Zaniah Manuel (Eisenhower) (Fall 1:41, Fall 2:19)

Girls – 170

1st Place Match

Iyjah Grant (Champaign Central) won by tech fall over Sydney Johnson (Richwoods) (TF 16-1)

3rd Place Match

DaLonna Buckley (ROWVA) won by fall over Keira Minassian (Morton) (Fall 0:49)

5th Place Match

Tahlia Hostetter (Limestone) received a bye

Girls – 235

Guaranteed Places

1st Place Match (round robin)

Marley Clark (Richwoods) won by decision over Khyiema Poole (Robinson) (Dec 6-1)

3rd Place 

Marlie Abner (Midwest Central)

IWCOA Sterling Sectional Girls Results

Girls – 100

1st Place Match

Addison Hadsall (Geneseo) won by injury default over Monika Jahn (Hononegah) (Inj. 1:40)

3rd Place Match

Melanie Granada (Burlington Central) won by fall over Kylie Tate (Sterling) (Fall 4:30)

5th Place Match

Rylee Backes (Princeton) won by fall over Kalista Frost (LaSalle-Peru) (Fall 2:12)

Girls – 110

1st Place Match

Eva Hermansson (Woodstock) won by decision over Abigail Harris (Princeton) (Dec 10-4)

3rd Place Match

Nevada Wells (Erie) won by fall over Jenavieve Echols (Sterling) (Fall 0:36)

5th Place Match

Amelia Buckley (LaSalle-Peru) received a bye

Girls – 115

1st Place Match

Zandra Vock (Polo) won by fall over Sophia Bradarich (Sherrard) (Fall 3:28)

3rd Place Match

Noelani Ibarra (Sterling) won by fall over Ireland Dolan (Unattached) (Fall 2:32)

5th Place Match

Ruby Vences (Burlington Central) won by fall over Maggie Anderson (Hampshire) (Fall 0:16)

Girls – 120

1st Place Match

Ryleigh Eriks (Rock Falls) won by fall over Kaylee Benyo (Newman Central Catholic) (Fall 1:21)

3rd Place Match

Danica La Tessa (Woodstock) won by decision over Jadeyn Klingenberg (Princeton) (Dec 8-1)

5th Place Match

Nevaeh Delgado (Sterling) won by fall over Aubree Hansen (Woodstock) (Fall 3:45)

Girls – 125

1st Place Match

Kylie Mathis (Sherrard) won by fall over Khloe Vest (Harvard) (Fall 0:59)

3rd Place Match

Hannah Olsen (Woodstock) won by fall over Maddi Wickhman (Sterling) (Fall 2:02)

5th Place Match

Adison Stephens (Erie) received a bye

Girls – 130

1st Place Match

Bella Curcuru (Geneseo) won by fall over Emma Duncan (Galena) (Fall 0:27)

3rd Place Match

Aubrey Herndon (Polo) won by fall over Ayden Grawe (Erie) (Fall 0:55)

5th Place Match

Layla Roy (Guilford) won by fall over Mila Masny (Woodstock) (Fall 2:31)

Girls – 135

1st Place match (round robin)

Lana Zimmerman (DeKalb) won by major decision over Dyani Torres (Kaneland) (Maj 12-3)

3rd Place 

Skyann Munz (Sterling)

Girls – 140

1st Place Match

Dena Cox (Erie) won by fall over BryLeigh Nance (Sherrard) (Fall 0:45)

Girls – 145

1st Place

Madison Minson (Hampshire)

Girls – 155

1st Place Match (round robin)

Brianna Crown (Woodstock) won by decision over Avelina McMurtry (Sycamore) (Dec 10-4)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Vivianna Torres (Sterling) won by fall over Winter Beard (Sycamore) (Fall 0:18)

Girls – 170

1st Place Match

Linda Villa (Hononegah) won by fall over Adeleine Roland (Galena) (Fall 0:17)

Girls – 235

1st Place Match

Savannah Trevino (Belvidere North) won by fall over Allison Hill (Woodstock) (Fall 4:50)

IWCOA Lake Zurich Sectional Girls Results

Girls – 95

1st Place Match

Makenzi Aguilar (Schaumburg) won by fall over Yuna Jung (Vernon Hills) (Fall 1:40)

Girls – 100

1st Place Match

Haydee Cruz (Wheeling) won by forfeit over Timyra Caces (Lakes) (FF)

3rd Place Match

Reese Nicolas (Lake Park) received a bye

Girls – 105

1st Place Match

Justice Girod (Schaumburg) won by fall over Hanna Lee (Vernon Hills) (Fall 4:01)

3rd Place Match

Londyn LLoyd (Antioch) won by fall over Adinai Muktarbekova (Hoffman Estates) (Fall 2:21)

5th Place Match

April Stevens (Wauconda) won by fall over Angely Ayala (North Chicago) (Fall 0:11)

Girls – 110

1st Place Match

Aaliyah Vazquez (Warren) won by major decision over Georgia Hay (Lake Zurich) (Maj 13-1)

3rd Place Match

Evalyn Idzik (Saint Viator) won by decision over Jaiydyn Hoffman (Grant) (Dec 3-1)

5th Place Match

Athena Zappas (Stevenson) won in sudden victory – 1 over Haven Sylves (Lakes) (SV-1 8-5)

Girls – 115

1st Place Match

Kamila Florencio (Hoffman Estates) won by decision over America Camacho (Grant) (Dec 12-10)

3rd Place Match

Osmairi Medina Alvarado (Lakes) won by fall over Madeline Rakoci (Hoffman Estates) (Fall 2:42)

5th Place Match

Mayali Suarez (Wheeling) won by fall over Evelyn Gonzalez (Grant) (Fall 3:18)

Girls – 120

1st Place Match

Isabella Rivas (Schaumburg) won by decision over Myla Reyes (Grant) (Dec 2-1)

3rd Place Match

Mirabelle Duboeuf (Lake Forest) won by fall over Lianny Guzman (Huntley) (Fall 1:55)

5th Place Match

Gianna Cerauli (Vernon Hills) won by fall over Zoe Servia (Dundee-Crown) (Fall 1:42)

Girls – 125

1st Place Match

Lauren Brehmer (Schaumburg) won by fall over Caroline Marogy (Buffalo Grove) (Fall 4:45)

3rd Place Match

Cordelia Adame (Huntley) won by fall over Jocelyn Cortes (Round Lake) (Fall 4:34)

5th Place Match

Lillian Johnsten (Stevenson) won by medical forfeit over Haley Ramos (Carmel) (MFF)

Girls – 130

1st Place Match

Caitlin Ruley (Lake Zurich) won by fall over Alanna Carlberg (Lake Zurich) (Fall 2:06)

3rd Place Match

Bree Hirsch (Lake Forest) won by decision over Veronica Vera (Grant) (Dec 7-3)

Girls – 135

1st Place Match

Ewa Krupa (Conant) won by fall over Ruby Gavina (Dundee-Crown) (Fall 3:54)

3rd Place Match

Nariah Adams (Huntley) won by fall over Kristyanna Apostol (Lake Zurich) (Fall 2:34)

5th Place Match

Isabel Hilinski (Stevenson) won by fall over Aryna Latushkina (Vernon Hills) (Fall 3:30)

Girls – 140

1st Place Match

Nicole Dziura (Barrington) won by decision over Sasha Johnson (Antioch) (Dec 9-4)

3rd Place Match

Liriana Rakoci (Hoffman Estates) won by fall over Annabelle Melton (Grant) (Fall 1:31)

5th Place Match

Grace Ciszek (Warren) won by decision over Ellery Brown (Warren) (Dec 1-0)

Girls – 145

1st Place Match

Tyanna Jackson (Warren) won by fall over Daniella Ibanez (Dundee-Crown) (Fall 2:03)

3rd Place Match

Joscelin Ritthamel (Lake Park) won by fall over Gianna Strauss (Jacobs) (Fall 0:29)

5th Place Match

Maryia Razhkova (Vernon Hills) won by decision over Jessica Ivanyak (Stevenson) (Dec 5-0)

Girls – 155

1st Place Match

Christinia Marogy (Buffalo Grove) won by fall over Nikki Hubbard (Hoffman Estates) (Fall 1:53)

3rd Place Match

Madeline Chicas (Wheeling) won by decision over Nastia Haines (Carmel) (Dec 9-2)

5th Place Match

Layla McHenry (Schaumburg) won by fall over Peyton Stephenson (Vernon Hills) (Fall 4:19)

Girls – 170

1st Place Match

Denver Gier (Cary-Grove) won by fall over Maja Brzosko (Schaumburg) (Fall 2:02)

3rd Place Match

Kylee Brankin-Reyes (Lake Zurich) received a bye

Girls – 190

1st Place Match

Irma Villa Colunga (Palatine) won by fall over Paige Washburn (Lake Park) (Fall 1:23)

3rd Place Match

Ashley Aquilar (North Chicago) won by fall over Angie Pena (Buffalo Grove) (Fall 3:21)

Girls – 235

1st Place

Nala Hernandez (McHenry)

IWCOA Thornton Township Sectional Girls Results

Girls – 95

1st Place

Kassandra Ruiz (Joliet Central) won by fall over Lillian O`Brien (Bloom) (Fall 4:50)

3rd Place

Monica Alvarez of New Lenox (Lincoln-Way)

Girls – 100

1st Place Match (round robin)

Emily Peyton (Lincoln-Way) won by fall over Ellie Evans (Morris) (Fall 0:46)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Sharleen Barrera (Bolingbrook) won by fall over Julia Hernandez (Lockport Township) (Fall 4:25)

Girls – 105

1st Place Match (round robin)

Averi Colella (Lockport Township) won by fall over Angelina Nettey (Plainfield East) (Fall 1:34)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Mikaela Najera (Bolingbrook) won by fall over Zoe Zerial (New Lenox (Lincoln-Way) (Fall 4:40)

5th Place

Grace Spangler (Lincoln-Way)

Girls – 110

1st Place Match (round robin)

Jordan Rodriguez (Bolingbrook) won in sudden victory over Taniyah Moss (Hillcrest) (SV-1 14-11)

3rd Place

Candice Cameron (Minooka)

Girls – 115

1st Place Match

Makensi Martin (Morris) won by decision over Shania Davison (Plainfield Central) (Dec 13-8)

3rd Place Match

Maggie Gordon (Morris) won by decision over Abby Lizak (Lincoln-Way) (Dec 2-0)

5th Place Match

Makayla Castro (Bolingbrook) won by decision over Bella Romando (Lockport Township) (Dec 11-5)

Girls – 120

1st Place Match

Aubrianna Rapier (Bradley-Bourbonnais) won by fall over Taniyah Sherman (Kankakee) (Fall 2:09)

3rd Place Match

Claire Bray (Lincoln-Way) won by decision over Haven Nicolaides (Seneca) (Dec 8-1)

5th Place Match

Taniyah Bradley (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by fall over Alexia Kachiroubas (Plainfield South) (Fall 2:21)

Girls – 125

1st Place Match

Piper Booe (District 230) won by fall over Adilyn Avilez (Dwight) (Fall 0:53)

3rd Place Match

Sabina Charlebois (Minooka) won by fall over Nyima Outlaw (Bolingbrook) (Fall 2:33)

5th Place Match

Anastasia Dewey (Minooka) won by fall over Kaitlyn Erdakos (Lincoln-Way) (Fall 2:29)

Girls – 130

1st Place match (round robin)

Amara Nwoye (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by fall over April Ortiz (Joliet Central) (Fall 1:50)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Anaya Campbell (Bolingbrook) won by major decision over Issabella Kirkpatrick (Kankakee) (Maj 20-7)

5th Place 

Talah Hamed (District 230)

Girls – 135

1st Place Match

Olyve Havens (Morris) won by fall over Sommer Boswell (Bradley-Bourbonnais) (Fall 0:50)

3rd Place Match

Gianna Boudonck (Minooka) won by fall over Maelyn Chromcak (Bolingbrook) (Fall 2:15)

5th Place Match

Lexie Lakota (Minooka) won by forfeit over Na`imah Lamon (Homewood-Flossmoor) (FF)

Girls – 140

1st Place Match

Haiden Lavarier (Seneca) won by fall over Sophia Domont (Bradley-Bourbonnais) (Fall 3:54)

3rd Place Match

Madelynn McClements (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by fall over Denise Brown (Homewood-Flossmoor) (Fall 2:47)

5th Place Match

Tamira Welch (Kankakee) won by fall over Liv Clumpner (Lincoln-Way) (Fall 1:17)

Girls – 145

1st Place Match

Viktoriia Rodnikova (Plainfield North) won by fall over Bailey Mitchell (Lincoln-Way) (Fall 2:10)

3rd Place Match

Mia Lemberg (Minooka) won by fall over Savannah Burns (Bolingbrook) (Fall 3:56)

5th Place Match

Kennedy Dade (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by decision over Kate Bohms (Lincoln-Way) (Dec 5-0)

Girls – 155

1st Place Match

Kaitlyn Bucholz (Plainfield East) won by fall over Kylie Rapier (Bradley-Bourbonnais) (Fall 2:08)

3rd Place Match

Rachel Nugin (Homewood-Flossmoor) won by decision over Avery Holeman (Lincoln-Way) (Dec 7-4)

5th Place Match

Faith Joslin (Kankakee) won by fall over Leslie Duncan (Bolingbrook) (Fall 1:11)

Girls – 170

1st Place Match (round robin)

Jen Serna (Plainfield (East)) won by fall over Cai Triplett (Homewood-Flossmoor) (Fall 2:21)

3rd Place Match

Olivia Haywood (Homewood-Flossmoor)

Girls – 190

1st Place Match (round robin)

Riley DePolo (Lincoln-Way) won by fall over Liana Zimmer (Lincoln-Way) (Fall 2:34)

3rd Place

Lyric Bryant (Homewood-Flossmoor)

IWCOA Shepard Sectional Girls Results

Girls – 95

1st Place Match

Daniella Almazan (Shepard) won by fall over Breana Marshall (Shepard) (Fall 1:23)

Girls – 100

1st Place Match

Felix Morales (Oak Lawn) won by fall over Shae Halloran (Marist) (Fall 0:37)

Girls – 105

1st Place Match

Malia O`Neal (Evergreen Park) won by fall over Ariel Sanchez (Shepard) (Fall 0:23)

Girls – 110

1st Place

Yazmine Garcia (Kelly)

Girls – 115

1st Place Match

Riley Osborne (Evergreen Park) won by decision over Melanie Cervantes (Eisenhower) (Dec 9-3)

3rd Place Match

Isabelle Diaz (Agricultural Science) won by fall over Perla Sanchez Nava (Eisenhower) (Fall 2:53)

5th Place Match

Tatiana Haggard (Westinghouse College Prep) won by forfeit over Allison Nava (Oak Lawn) (FF)

Girls – 120

1st Place Match

Ava Enright (Marist) won by fall over Esmeralda Sanchez Nave (Eisenhower) (Fall 0:55)

3rd Place

Isabelle Matthews (Agricultural Science)

Girls – 125

1st Place Match

Brooklyn Strelow (Oak Forest) won by fall over Journey Jackson (Oak Lawn) (Fall 2:19)

3rd Place

Samantha Durbin (Marist)

Girls – 130

1st Place Match

Stella Harris (Marist) won by major decision over Amelia Quinlan (Bremen) (Maj 15-3)

3rd Place Match

Priscilla Ruiz (Oak Lawn) won by fall over Madison Cruz (Agricultural Science) (Fall 1:57)

Girls – 135

1st Place

Victoria Perez (Shepard)

Girls – 140

1st Place

Marlen Morelos Perez (Eisenhower)

Girls – 145

1st Place Match

Giancarla Garduno (Saint Ignatius) won by fall over Rylee Hernandez (Tinley Park) (Fall 1:24)

3rd Place Match

Hannah Marusarz (St. Laurence) won by fall over Crystal Perez (Shepard) (Fall 0:41)

Girls – 155

1st Place Match

Brianna Zaid (Tinley Park) won by fall over Kassandra Lee (Shepard) (Fall 2:05)

3rd Place Match

Lilly Lara (Marist) won by fall over Isabel Emeterio (Kelly) (Fall 0:54)

Girls – 170

1st Place Match

Sarah Parker (Marist) won by fall over Liana Andrade (Kelly) (Fall 3:49)

3rd Place Match

Marisol Valencia (Curie) won by fall over Delia Humphrey (St. Laurence) (Fall 2:15)

5th Place

Olamide Osinowo (Tinley Park)

Girls – 190

1st Place Match

Phoebe Heyboer (Eisenhower) won by major decision over Lilith Merikort (Evergreen Park) (Maj 13-5)

Girls – 235

1st Place Match

Karrine Jenkins (Shepard) won by fall over Nathalia Vega (Oak Lawn) (Fall 1:41)

3rd Place

Layla Gipson (Shepard)

IWCOA Evanston Township Sectional Girls Results

Girls – 95

1st Place Match

Evelyn Torres (Maine East) won by fall over Evelyn Delgado (Morton) (Fall 2:40)

Girls – 100

1st Place Match

Leah Stringfellow (Glenbrook North) won by fall over Isabella Datil (Addison Trail) (Fall 3:43)

3rd Place Match

Andaira Marron (Morton) won by fall over Isabella Castro (New Trier) (Fall 1:00)

Girls – 105

1st Place Match

Eliana Badeen (Maine East) won by fall over Karla Munoz (Morton) (Fall 1:45)

3rd Place Match

Tia Teague (Proviso West) won by fall over Andrea Reyes (Maine East) (Fall 2:51)

Girls – 110

1st Place Match

Lola Bianco (New Trier) won by fall over Hannah Chong (Crane Medical Prep) (Fall 0:52)

3rd Place Match

Regina Jones (Proviso East) won by tech fall over Matylda Piskorz (Fenton) (TF 15-0)

Girls – 115

1st Place Match

Charlie Dolan (York) won by fall over Victoria Vargas (Morton) (Fall 3:53)

3rd Place Match

Lauren Guerrero (Lane Tech) won by fall over Evangline Lopez (York) (Fall 0:50)

Girls – 120

1st Place Match

Drea Lazzara (Addison Trail) won by fall over Zmorah Izenstark (New Trier) (Fall 2:20)

3rd Place Match

Brianna Carbajal (Morton) won by fall over Simone Dyer (Crane Medical Prep) (Fall 4:31)

Girls – 125

1st Place Match

Rose McFadden (Ridgewood) won by fall over Fatima Martinez (Morton) (Fall 2:47)

3rd Place Match

Michelle Kpekpe (Oak Park and River Forest) won by fall over Evolet Mata (Addison Trail) (Fall 2:26)

Girls – 130

1st Place Match

Cecilia Brubaker (Deerfield) won by major decision over Melanie Mundo (Proviso East) (Maj 13-3)

3rd Place Match

Imyjah Jackson (Lane Tech) won by fall over Andrea Martinez (Morton) (Fall 4:26)

Girls – 135

1st Place Match

Alena Oshana (Maine East) won by tech fall over Natalia Cordova (Lane Tech) (TF 19-3)

3rd Place Match

Uliana Persky (Deerfield) won by no contest over Zainab Nathani (Niles West) (NC)

Girls – 140

1st Place Match

Isabella Miller (Oak Park and River Forest) won by fall over Mary McFadden (Ridgewood) (Fall 1:13)

Girls – 145

1st Place Match

Isabelle Mejia (Rickover Naval Academy) won by fall over Kamila Sosa (Maine East) (Fall 0:32)

3rd Place Match

Nerissa Blue (Oak Park and River Forest) received a bye

Girls – 155

1st Place Match

Camila Martinez-Gonzalez (Rickover Naval Academy) won by fall over Midna Lazoya (Rickover Naval Academy) (Fall 0:43)

3rd Place Match

Sylvia Lupa (Addison Trail) won by no contest over Natalie Rumpel (Deerfield) (NC)

Girls – 170

1st Place Match

Caliyah Campbell (Oak Park and River Forest) won by fall over Daniela Velazquez (Maine East) (Fall 3:20)

Girls – 190

1st Place Match

Anali Wilson (Morton) won by tech fall over Angelica Wszolek (Maine East) (TF 16-1)

3rd Place Match

Julia Augello (Rickover Naval Academy) won by fall over Leilani Flores (Niles West) (Fall 1:59)

Girls – 235

1st Place

Sophia Fortis (Maine South)

IWCOA Naperville Central Sectional Girls Results

Girls – 95

1st Place Match (first win)

Annika Hull (Naperville Central) won by fall over Sophia Espinoza (St. Charles East) (Fall 2:11) 

Girls – 100

1st Place Match

Jivona Brown (Glenbard West) won by fall over Joselyn Llanos (East Aurora) (Fall 2:06)

3rd Place Match

Susan Cruz (Larkin) won by fall over Melissa Melgar (West Aurora) (Fall 2:17)

5th Place Match

Anni Romo (South Elgin) received a bye

Girls – 105

1st Place Match (round robin)

Ashley Hammond (Larkin) won by tech fall over Brissia Bucio (West Chicago) (TF 16-0)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Monserrat Alvarez (South Elgin) won by fall over Andrea Jones (Glenbard East) (Fall 3:30)

Girls – 110

1st Place Match

Sydney Stieb (St. Charles East) won by tech fall over Angelina Manlapaz (Willowbrook) (TF 17-1)

3rd Place Match

Angela Marinelli (Glenbard East) won by fall over Satara Horton (Glenbard West) (Fall 3:20)

5th Place Match

Alexandra Avila (Larkin) won by major decision over Karlie Hardekopf (Sandwich) (Maj 12-0)

Girls – 115

1st Place Match

Janiy Moore (Metea Valley) won by major decision over Gracie Meluch (Naperville Central) (Maj 15-4)

3rd Place Match

Lydia Cartwright (Sandwich) won by fall over Kendra Padilla (Oswego) (Fall 1:18)

5th Place Match

Kaylee Martinez (West Aurora) won by fall over Leslie Rodriguez (East Aurora) (Fall 0:17)

Girls – 120

1st Place Match

Valentina Fantoni (Glenbard West) won by fall over Bianca Arredondo (Naperville Central) (Fall 2:56)

3rd Place Match

Mia Nevarez (Oswego East) won by fall over Lailonie Molina (West Aurora) (Fall 4:23)

5th Place Match

Valentina Barboa (East Aurora) won by fall over Mackensie Szajda (West Chicago) (Fall 0:38)

Girls – 125

1st Place Match

Sophie Crescenzo (Lisle) won by fall over Zuzanna Wegiera (Neuqua Valley) (Fall 2:26)

3rd Place Match

Britany Chavarria (East Aurora) won by fall over Izzy Smith (Naperville North) (Fall 0:33)

5th Place Match

Mia Orozco (West Aurora) won by fall over Seana Gavin (Hinsdale Central) (Fall 1:29)

Girls – 130

1st Place Match

Natalia Cruz (Downers Grove North) won by fall over Lupita Garcia (East Aurora) (Fall 1:54)

3rd Place Match

Keagan Edwards (Glenbard North) won by fall over Nydia Jotzat (Glenbard West) (Fall 2:33)

5th Place Match

Rylee Coy (Yorkville) won by fall over Elizabeth Moreno (Glenbard East) (Fall 2:55)

Girls – 135

1st Place Match

Alketa Picari (Metea Valley) won by major decision over Batula Nasib (West Chicago) (Maj 11-2)

3rd Place Match

Heidi Bourne (Wheaton Warrenville South) won by major decision over Alyssa Galarza (East Aurora) (Maj 17-7)

5th Place Match

Olivia Pearson (St. Charles East) won by fall over Evie DeSantis (Glenbard South) (Fall 2:02)

Girls – 140

1st Place Match

Suzanne Stalley (Glenbard North) won by fall over Tiyanna Hart (Hinsdale Central) (Fall 1:26)

3rd Place Match

Emily Anaya (Riverside-Brookfield) won in sudden victory – 1 over Giselle Marin-Carrasco (West Aurora) (SV-1 14-7)

5th Place Match

Arianna Rico (Naperville Central) won by fall over Celia Rodriguez (East Aurora) (Fall 0:57)

Girls – 145

1st Place Match (round robin)

Jazmin Rios (Sandwich) won by fall over Gabriella Giunti (Glenbard North) (Fall 0:39)

3rd Place

Yessenia Garcia (Larkin)

Girls – 155

1st Place Match (round robin)

Miyalinna DeJesus (Glenbard West) won by injury default over Caoimhe Mitchell (Batavia) (Inj. 1:40)

3rd Place Match (round robin)

Camila Gonzalez (Lombard (Glenbard East)) won by fall over Brooklyn Konczal (Sandwich) (Fall 0:40)

Girls – 170

1st Place Match

Lauryn Trotter (Yorkville) won by fall over Jessica Stover (Oswego East) (Fall 0:49)

3rd Place Match

Olivia Halminiak (West Chicago) won by fall over Julissa Rendon (St. Charles North) (Fall 0:59)

5th Place Match

Gabrielle Brown (East Aurora) received a bye

Girls – 190

1st Place Match

Nadine Spandiary (Glenbard East) won by fall over Angelina Dimas (East Aurora) (Fall 1:52)

3rd Place Match

Jadelin Caballero (Larkin) won by fall over Gianna Tammo (Glenbard North) (Fall 2:18)

5th Place Match

Ema Hulin (Willowbrook) received a bye

Girls – 235

1st Place Match

Asreilla Wallace (Glenbard North) won by fall over Ariana Bonilla (West Chicago) (Fall 1:57)

3rd Place Match

Lilli Ortiz (East Aurora) won by decision over Thanh Dinh (Glenbard West) (Dec 2-0)

5th Place Match

Janet Viche (Glenbard East) received a bye

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

Seven girls’ IHSA state champions went unbeaten this year, five of whom won state titles last season. Three more state champs only lost once all year. By class, two freshmen, one sophomore, three juniors and eight seniors were state champions. 

Seven girls became their school’s first-ever state champion in girls wrestling while one state champ, Hononegah’s Angelina Cassioppi, became the sport’s first four-time state champion in Illinois.

Cassioppi, Loyola Academy’s Harlee Hiller, Collinsville’s Taylor Dawson, Burlington Central’s Victoria Macias and Highland’s August Rottmann all became four-time medalists this year. 

But numbers and career accomplishments never tell the whole story of the individual state finals, because the journey is always the thing.

Case in point: Hoffman Estates senior Sophia Ball. Ball became the first girl to win a wrestling state title in her school’s history this year, and was a three-time state medal-winner. Ball was also one of six state champions who placed second at last year’s state tournament. 

The group who journeyed all the way back to this year’s state title mat and won included Loyola’s Harlee Hiller, Collinsville’s Taylor Dawson, Cumberland’s Natalie Beaumont, Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker, and Lakes’ Josie Larson.

Some journeys happened quickly, as Rockford East’s Saya Hongmoungkhoune and Roxana’s Chloe Skiles dominated their way to state titles as mere freshmen this year.

Lakes’ Larson embarked on one of the most dominant journeys this season, going 29-0 with 29 pins. The journey for Kaneland’s Angelina Gochis included the grit she showed in a semifinal comeback win, while coming back from multiple surgeries was just a part of Vandalia senior Sophie Bowers’ unique journey.

The journey for Lockport’s two-time state champion, junior Claudia Heeney, has her on the path to becoming one of Illinois’ all-time greats in girls wrestling. Hinsdale South’s Callie Carr became her program’s first girl to journey to the top of the awards stand in Bloomington, while Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker and Prairie Central’s Chloe Hoselton each capped the end of their high school journeys by winning the second state titles of their careers.

The state finals tournament certainly celebrates state champions but whatever the journey — from this year’s crop of state champions and place-medal winners, to sectional qualifiers or girls brand new to the sport — the state of girls’ wrestling remains on a meteoric rise in Illinois.

Here’s a look at the best of the best of them this year.

100 – Saya Hongmoungkhoune, Rockford East

Rockford East freshman Saya Hongmoungkhoune won an IKWF state title as an eighth-grader, so the potential was already there for her to make some noise in the 100-pound weight class in high school.

She had a deafening roar of a season.

Hongmoungkhoune (28-0) was the first of seven girls to finish as unbeaten state champions when she won by fall on the title mat against Montini Catholic’s Katelyn Bell (39-6). 

Hongmoungkhoune finished with three falls and a major decision win in her first state finals and became her school’s first state champion in girls wrestling.

She’s hoping her win helps bolster the program at Rockford East.

“It feels really good. It still hasn’t really clicked that I won state,” Hongmoungkhoune said. “But it means a lot and I’m hoping it inspires other girls to join the sport and see what they can do, because it’s a lot of fun. This year we only had three girls so I’m hoping next year we can build a team.

“I knew that I had worked hard and this is something that I’ve been working for not only this year, but for years before. It’s something I wanted. I wanted to be a champion.”

E-Rabs coach Madelynn Hongmoungkhoune wrestled at Rockford East with the boys’ team before girls wrestling became an IHSA sport, and is Saya’s sister. She saw the writing on the wall for Saya before she entered high school.

“I’m not at all surprised at how well she’s done this season,” she said. “She has worked extremely hard to get where she is today. Even as an eighth-grader last year she had been bumping up to the high school division to see where she contested with most of those girls, and was dominating them there as well.”

Saya’s title match began with a bit of a scare. Bell drove her off the mat early in the first period and Hongmoungkhoune landed hard on her shoulder. She stayed down while a trainer tended to her for roughly 30 seconds.

“These mats are super hard and I didn’t really prepare for it when I rolled off,” Hongmoungkhoune said. “I hit my shoulder super-hard. I knew she’d try to keep using that little push-out to take advantage of me so I just had to focus on pushing (the injury) away and just think about this match and winning this championship.”

Like it is for all the best wrestlers in the sport, her celebration period for winning a state title won’t be extended.

“I’ll take a week off,” Hongmoungkhoune said, “but then I’m back at it.”

District 230 freshman Jade Hardee (37-5) won a sudden victory match for third place over Round Lake’s fourth-place junior Riley Kongkaeow (45-5), and Batavia’s Lily Enos (45-7) took fifth by major decision over sixth-place Emma Rogers (41-7) of Edwardsville.

Hardee became the fifth girl from District 230 to place downstate, and Kongkaeow joined Ireland McCain to become the second state medalist for Round Lake. Enos now has three state finals medals to her name, while Rogers became the sixth wrestler from Edwardsville to finish in the state’s top six in girls wrestling.

105 – Chloe Skiles, Roxana

It may be a tired sports cliche but Roxana’s Chloe Skiles followed the old trope that says ‘to be the best, you have to beat the best’.

On paper, the freshman Skiles (42-5) seemed to be up against it heading into her state semifinal match against West Aurora’s Kameyah Young (42-4).

The senior Young has been one of the best around for multiple seasons in Illinois. She is a four-time state qualifier, three-time state medal winner, and placed second downstate last year. 

But while the veteran Young was poised to reach the finals again, Skiles had other ideas. After all, she didn’t win two IKWF state titles prior to high school by accident.

The talented freshman won a major decision over Young to cruise into the state title match, where another tall order awaited her in yet another heralded upperclassman: Glenbard East junior Nadiia Shymkiv (35-2), who placed third at 105 last season.

Skiles followed the script. Her 10-5 win against Shymkiv earned her a state title, the first in Roxana girls wrestling history.

“It feels good,” Skiles said. “I was definitely nervous and I just trained hard. I couldn’t have done this without my parents and my coaches. A shout out to Tommy Hill and Ryan King and PSF Wrestling for getting me here. (PSF Wrestling) I think it’s just getting there, wrestling live and rolling on the mats and pushing yourself to the limit against the best wrestlers in the area.”

Roxana coach Tom Blaha knew early on that he had a good one on his hands.

“Chloe won the prestigious Wonder Woman tournament at Battle High School in Missouri, and she beat the returning state champion 7-0 in the finals,” Blaha said. “I knew then we had a very special wrestler.

“Chloe had an amazing season. She was 32-0 versus girls only this year. She works hard and is very dedicated. She also studies her opponents. Winning a state championship is a very difficult feat at any age, but to do it as a freshman is almost unheard of. She had to beat three returning medalists to win that state championship. And she already has her sights set on winning next year.”

Skiles embraced the challenge at the Wonder Woman tournament, and intends to stay on a path to reach the top of the podium in Bloomington again.

And again. And again.

“They called me the unseeded freshman (at the Wonder Woman),” Skiles said. “I thought that I was going to prove everyone wrong there, and I defeated a defending state champion. I’ve been saying since my eighth grade year that I wanted to win (an Illinois state title) four times, and I knew that this was the most important one.”

Roxana wrestling has produced two other state champions, Tom Riggins in 1996 and 1997 and Rob Warren in 1982.

West Aurora’s Young (42-4) capped a fine career in Bloomington, placing third in a 6-1 decision over fourth-place Zoe Sadler (46-12) of Anna-Jonesboro. Another quality newcomer to the finals in Leyden’s Zoey Dodgers (26-3) won by fall for fifth-place over DeKalb’s sixth-place medalist Alex Gregrorio-Perez (49-6).

Young and Sadler both graduate with three state medals to their names; Dodgers won the first state medal in Leyden history, and Gregorio-Perez now has two place medals to her name.

110 – Angelina Gochis, Kaneland

Everyone who follows girls wrestling in Illinois knows that Hononegah’s Angelina Cassioppi became the state’s first four-time state champion this year.

Are there any other girls in position to chase that record? Well, a pair of state champs in Rockford East freshmen Saya Hongmoungkhoune and Roxana’s Chloe Skiles each took that first baby step towards becoming four-timers. 

The only other girl in Illinois with a chance at matching Cassioppi wrestles at Kaneland. 

Sophomore Angelina Gochis (36-0) won her second state title in Bloomington this year, after winning the title at 105 last season. But where becoming a four-timer is concerned, Gochis isn’t about to put the cart ahead of the horse.

“No,” Gochis said. “It’s one match at a time to get to where I want to be.”

Her state semifinal match against Glenbard West’s previously unbeaten freshman Khloe Perez (39-2) this year nearly derailed Gochis’ quest for a second state title but instead showed what she’s made of. Gochis went for a headlock early, Perez scored off it, and Gochis found herself in a hole against one of Illinois’ best wrestlers. 

“I was down six points and knew I had to come back and get the win,” Gochis said. “I had to realize what I was doing and finish the job, so I could get to the finals.”

Kaneland coach Josh West saw his sophomore show composure against Perez.

“She hasn’t had to battle back much over these last two years, so for her to stay calm and chip away was great to see,” Kaneland coach Josh West said. “She kept applying pressure, picked her spots, and really wrestled a good second and third period.”

Gochis fought back to win a 7-6 decision over Perez and earn another state title shot. 

Once there, Gochis won her second state title by posting her third tech-fall win of the day, against Crystal Lake South’s Annalee Aarseth (17-3).

“It feels really good, working hard to get to where I want to be,” Gochis said. “I was definitely more composed this year. Last year I was a lot more nervous. It was my first time down and I had to get used to what it was.”

After a close call in the semifinals, West was glad to see Gochis get back in the saddle.

“Angelina looked great in the finals, more like her usual self. She got back to her attacks,” West said. “I’m really blessed to have a wrestler like Angelina in our program.  Winning is fun but the thing about her is how she carries herself when she wins. Nothing flashy, no backflips.  She’s humble. She goes and shakes the opposing coaches hands and comes back to her coaches.” 

West also believes that Gochis now knows fully what it will take to make a run at a third state title.

“We’re all very proud of Angelina and her accomplishment,” West said. “It’s very hard to stay at the top of the mountain. Once you get there, you are the target. Everyone looks at you, studies you, wants to beat you. Angelina can’t let up. She needs to train even harder if she wants to stay at the top and I think she understands that a little bit more now.”

In placing third, Lincoln-Way junior Zoe Dempsey (47-4) became the second wrestler to win a downstate medal for her program, joining former teammate Gracie Guarino. Fourth-place freshman Perez of Glenbard West joins former Hilltopper Khatija Ahmed and Perez’s sister Alicia to become Glenbard West’s third all-state wrestler. Alicia Perez won the state title at 110 last year.

Litchfield sophomore Rilynn Younker (43-12) won the second state medal of her young career in placing fifth by fall over sixth-place junior London Gandy (43-10) of Homewood-Flossmoor, who became the fifth girl in program history to become an all-stater.

115 – Harlee Hiller, Loyola Academy

Senior Harlee Hiller is now the lone two-time state champion in wrestling history at Loyola Academy — one state title win ahead of boys’ single-state title winners Massey Odiotti and Kai Calcutt.

Hiller (27-1) is also the lone girls state medal winner thus far for Loyola in the brief history of the girls’ sport in Illinois.

“She finishes as a two-time state champ, three-time state finalist, and four-time state medalist,” Loyola coach Matt Collum said. “She did everything right this year and her performances proved that.”

Hiller was over the moon after winning her second title.

“It was really great and I’m so excited,” Hiller said. “And I’m so grateful for all of my coaches and teammates who have helped me get here. It’s just so amazing and I’m so happy.

“It’s been great. I started my freshman year (at Loyola) and it’s just been amazing. I’ve had amazing coaches, great training partners and I’m just so lucky.”

Hiller won by fall, a disqualification, and then a major decision in her semifinal to reach the title mat, where she won a 12-0 major against Mt. Zion’s Sydney Cannon (13-1). The junior Cannon has now won three state medals, having finished third at 110, fourth at 115, and second this year.

Hiller (27-1) placed third in Illinois as a freshman, and won a state title at 105 as a sophomore before an injury-plagued junior year that still saw her finish second at state to three-time state champion Gabby Gomez of Glenbard North.

Returning to the top of the podium in Bloomington capped a fine high school career.

“She battled through injuries last season just to have a shot at winning another state title,” Collum said. “Harlee is an extremely hard worker, doesn’t take days off, and is very deserving of another state title.”

Hiller was happy to put last year’s runner-up finish behind her.

“I was disappointed in last year and I feel like this year I had no regrets and I put everything out there. I feel like I did a lot better and I wrestled really hard,” Hiller said.

“It’s so amazing how many girls are here and all of the opportunities that we get now and it’s just really great how fast it’s growing. I’m definitely getting a lot of good matches and there’s just so many more girls at all of these tournaments, it’s so cool.”

Hampshire sophomore Amelia Nidelea-Polanin (37-3) finished third over fourth-place junior Alejandra Flores (33-6) of Bolingbrook, while LaSalle-Peru junior Kiely Domyancich (33-4) won 6-3 for fifth place against Burlington Central senior Tori Macias (34-9).

Nidelea-Polanin joined 2025 teammates Samantha Diehl and Anneliese Tavira as Hampshire’s first three state medal winners in program history. Domyancich is LaSalle-Peru’s first state medal-winner, and Macias became a four-time all-stater in her senior year.

120 – Angelina Cassioppi, Hononegah

The Cassioppi family is arguably the First Family of Illinois high school wrestling, with five brothers and sisters who have all won individual state medals, and four of whom have been state champions. But twenty years from now, when the Cassioppis gather together for the holidays, one of them will have bragging rights that no other can match.

Angelina Cassioppi’s journey was one for the ages where Illinois high school wrestling is concerned. Her 32-0 rampage through the 120-pound weight class this year ended with a fall on the title mat against Glenbrook North’s Ariela Dobin, making her the first four-time state champion in Illinois girls’ wrestling history.

“It feels amazing,” she said. “I’m super happy. I just worked on my mentality, and tried not to get too nervous because I was going for a fourth (state title).”

Cassioppi departs Illinois high school wrestling with a career record of 99-13. She went 23-6 and won the title at 100 pounds in 2022. She went 27-6 in winning the title at 120 in 2023 and went 17-1 in winning the title at 120 last year.

She has now won by fall twice on the title mat in Bloomington. As a freshman, she won a 6-2 decision to win the title in 2022 against Thornton-Fractional South’s Dutchess King. This year’s champion at 130, Hoffman Estates’ Sophia Ball, gave Cassioppi her toughest downstate test last year in the finals, with Cassioppi winning a 4-3 decision. 

That didn’t exactly sit well with Cassioppi.

“She was upset last year how close the finals match was and really wanted to prove a point this year,” Hononegah coach Tyler DeMoss said.

Point taken. Cassioppi didn’t give up a single takedown in 32 matches this season. 

“I got more confident on my feet since last year,” Cassioppi said. (DeMoss) has been with me pretty much since I started wrestling, helping me to develop year-round. Definitely my parents and the coaches we’ve had have helped me get here.”

Older brother Tony Cassioppi was a two-time heavyweight state champion in Illinois, sister Rose won a girls state title in 2022, brother Rocco won a state title this year, and brother Bruno placed third in Champaign last year.

Angelina held out for a while before her wrestling genes got the better of her.

“I started when I was eleven,” Cassioppi said. “I was the last sibling to start wrestling in my family.”

Cassioppi won a prestigious Ironman Tournament title in December in Ohio, and proved untouchable in Illinois all season.

“I was very proud of how Gina wrestled, she trained this season to dominate and thats exactly what she did,” DeMoss said. “She won the Ironman in December and kept it rolling all season. We couldn’t be more proud of her.”

With her second-place finish, Dobin (45-2) became the first state finalist and first state-place medal winner in Glenbrook North history.

Bartlett senior Emma Engels (44-4) placed third by decision over fourth-place medalist Lydia King (50-8) of Geneseo, and Leyden’s Sabrina Bono (30-7) won by fall four fifth place over fifth-place medalist Mary Minogue (15-5) of Libertyville.

The senior Engels won the third state medal of her Bartlett career, having won a state title at 100 in 2023 and placed sixth at 110 last year. King became Geneseo’s first all-state wrestler in girls’ program history, while Bono became the second medalist in Leyden history after Zoey Dodgers medaled at 105 earlier in the day. Minogue also became Libertyville’s first-ever all-state girl in program history.

125 – Sophie Bowers, Vandalia

Sophie Bowers’ history in Illinois wrestling is unique among this year’s crop of girls state champions.

After winning her second individual state title in girls’ wrestling in the afternoon in Bloomington, Bowers was part of the 1A dual team state title that Vandalia’s boys’ team competed for that night.

Bowers is thus the first state champion to also be a member of a dual team that competed for a state title later in the day. Vandalia had three champions this season, and only won four IHSA titles before this year, including her first title from last season.

“About everyone on the team probably started when they were seven, if not even younger,” Bowers said. “When you’re with the sport for eight, ten years, you get pretty good at it, and I think that’s how Vandalia has become such a good program. We have a good youth program and we have amazing high school coaches and it just leads up to the same thing.”

As a freshman, Bowers became only the fifth girl in IHSA history to qualify for the boys’ state tournament, and only the second to win a match in Champaign. Bowers high school path was derailed by ACL surgery in her sophomore year, plus surgery on both of her shoulders.

She returned to form last year, going 27-7 to win her first girls state title. This year, she showed wire-to-wire dominance.

Bowers capped a perfect 42-0 season with her second state championship. She had a unique backdrop during her final match, with an entire row of shirtless male classmates in the stands, with a single letter painted on each of their chests to spell out her name.

Bowers gave her fans what they wanted, winning by major decision for the title against Wheeling’s Elise Burkut (38-4).

The junior Burkut (38-4) became the first state finalist and second state medalist in Wheeling program history, joining two-time medalist and teammate Jasmine Rene.

Grayslake Central junior Gianna Arzer (46-5) placed third by major decision over fourth-place senior Brooklyn Sheaffer (44-4) of Kaneland. Jacksonville senior Alexis Seymour (29-6) took fifth by fall over Naperville Central sophomore Dezi Azar (39-9).

Arzer is Grayslake Central’s first state medalist while Sheaffer won the second state medal of her career. The senior Seymour departs the Jacksonville program as a three-time state medalist, and Azar became the first state medalist in Naperville Central girls program history.

But it was Bowers who stood on the podium above them all.

“It was awesome to see Sophie win her second state title last weekend,” Vandalia coach Jason Clay said. “She has been a great wrestler for a long time. I’m proud of her perseverance battling through (injuries) to achieve what she has. She is a great kid that loves the sport and has already started giving back as an official at the youth level. She’s a special kid that we will truly miss.”

Bowers sees good things ahead for the continued growth of girls wrestling in Illinois.

“It’s definitely an amazing thing,” she said. “I bet in the next five years that we’re going to have classes and I just can’t wait to see how the sport progresses, especially when I’m an adult and my kids are hopefully wrestling.”

130 – Sophia Ball, Hoffman Estates

Five minutes after she won her state title, the adrenaline was still coarsing through Sophia Ball. She shifted her weight quickly from one foot to the other and simply couldn’t stand still as the realization of what she’d just accomplished sank in.

What Ball (43-1) accomplished was four-fold, so there was a lot to take in. First, the four-time state medal winner won the first state title of her career; second, she became the first girls wrestling state champion in Hoffman Estates history; and third, she avenged her only loss this season on the state title mat.

But the day of firsts didn’t stop there for Ball.

“There are no girls state champions (in any sport) on the wall of state champions at school,” Ball said. “There are only boys.”

Ball’s photo will soon hang on that wall, finally giving it a female touch. “Sophia is an outstanding young lady,” Hoffman Estates coach Leo Clark said. “Her work ethic is unmatched and reminds you of those old school wrestlers who just grind, inside and outside the wrestling room.”

The last coaching instruction Clark gave Ball in her career came when Ball got Canton’s Kinnley Smith on her back near the edge, with plenty of time remaining in the second period on the title mat. Clark urged her from the corner to take her time towards getting the fall but Ball had other ideas.

“I just caught it and squeezed it,” Ball said. “I was not taking my time.”

Ball’s fall at 3:29 gave her the title. She was asked how she intended to celebrate becoming a state champion.

“I have no idea. It’s never happened before,” she said. “I’ll find out later.”

And any girls aiming for the top spot on the podium in Bloomington next year better listen up, because Ball offers up the best of advice.

“You have to have confidence,” Ball said. “If you doubt yourself at all, you’re not going to win here.”

Smith leaves the Canton program as its most-decorated girls wrestler, a three-time state medalist who reached the state title mat three times in a fantastic career.

Joliet Catholic Academy senior Grace Laird (24-6) placed third in state by major decision over fourth-place senior Nyah Lovis (46-7) of Lane. Erie junior Michelle Naftzger (33-14) placed fifth and Huntley junior Aubrie Rohrbacher (45-10) finished sixth.

With her third-place finish, Laird became the first state medalist in Joliet Catholic history. Lovis joined Lane graduate Noemi Marchan as only the second medalist thus far in program history, and Naftzger is Erie’s first-ever state medalist. Rohrbacher won the second state medal of her Huntley career, having placed third at 130 last season, joining Janiah Slaughter as a two-time all-stater for the Red Raiders.

135 – Claudia Heeney, Lockport

Prospect senior Viola Pianetto became her program’s first-ever all-stater in girls wrestling this year, going 39-2 in the process.

Unfortunately for Pianetto — and everyone else in the 135-pound weight class — Lockport’s Claudia Heeney is still around. Heeney was queen of the hill at 135 this year and won her second consecutive state title.

And she’s not done yet.

The junior Heeney finished a 46-2 season with a 6-0 decision in this year’s finals over Pianetto, handing the Prospect senior both of her losses this year.

Heeney is now a two-time state champ and three-time state finalist for Lockport. She opened with a fall and a major decision before punching her ticket to the title mat with a fall in the semifinals against Hononegah’s Bella Castelli. Heeney won her first state title last year at 130 pounds and placed second at 125 as a freshman.

Her impact on the girls’ program at Lockport is unprecedented.

“Claudia has elevated this program beyond any expectations that I had when it started four years ago,” Lockport coach Nate Roth said. “It has been amazing to have an athlete as talented and dedicated as Claudia on the team. She has been great to have as an athlete, obviously, but she has also helped everyone around her. She works with other girls and helps them take their skill to the next level. She has even helped me be a better coach. Her wealth of knowledge is expansive and I am humbled to be lucky enough to have an athlete like her be on the team.”

Winning a second consecutive state title for Heeney brought a different dynamic than winning the first one did.

“I’d say it’s kind of a surreal feeling,” Heeney said. “Last year, it was super cool and I wanted it to happen but I didn’t know if it was going to. This year, it was kind of the same thing but there was a little bit more pressure because I won it last year. I’m so excited about this and It’s super fun to be out here and to do it with your friends.

“Now I feel like when people wrestle me, there’s a lot more nerves going into it. I don’t think I’m much different from the rest of the competition because anything can happen in a match. So I think that people come out there and want to beat me and I think it’s fun and it’s challenging.”

District 230 senior Alyssa Keane (42-4) placed third via 11-4 decision over Dwight’s fourth-place freshman medalist Avery Crouch (11-3), and finishes her career as a two-time all-stater. Hononegah freshman Bella Castelli (26-5) won by fall for fifth against Edwardsville senior Holly Zugmaier (40-8), who also departs her program as a two-time all-stater in Illinois.

Heeney is one of seven individuals who have won two or more titles and been in three finals. Beside four-time champion Angelina Cassioppi and three-time title winners Cadence Diduch, Gabby Gomez and Sydney Perry the only others to do that are Boylan Catholic’s Netavia Wickson, Plainfield Central’s Alicia Tucker and Heeney.

She’s already thinking about chasing a third state title next year.

“I’m just going to put in the work in the offseason and I go to practice every day, sometimes three hours a day, just keep pushing and keep grinding,” Heeney said. “I love Freestyle, too, so I’m pushing toward that and placing at Fargo maybe this year, that’s kind of one of my goals and that’s kind of what’s keeping me going.”

Her coach is glad to be along for the ride as Heeney chases a third state title and Lockport history. Brad Johnson is the only other Lockport wrestler with two state titles, having won in 2011 and 2012.

“This year when she won her state championship, it was very exciting,” Roth said. “To have any state champion on a team is surreal enough, but to have a two-time champion and a three-time finalist that is still only a junior is beyond awesome. and I can’t wait to see her and the rest of the team dominate the mats in the future.”

140 – Taylor Dawson, Collinsville

45 seconds — that was all the time Collinsville senior Taylor Dawson needed on the state title mat at 140, but those 45 seconds represented much more time than that.

Dawson’s journey to her first state title spanned four years, during which she placed second twice and third once for the Kahoks’ girls program.

Her quick takedown off the opening whistle of her title match against Mother McAuley’s Maggie Zuber (30-5) was an exclamation point for Dawson (36-3) in Bloomington.

“That’s what I told my coaches,” Dawson said. “Right off the whistle, that was the plan. A lot of time I go into a match with an idea of what I want to do, and I’ve usually been able to do them. This feels great.”

Dawson went 47-1 last year and finished second at 130. She placed third at 130 as a sophomore and went 34-5. She leaves Collinsville with a career record of 136-32, with 23 of those losses coming in her freshman season when she went 19-23 but still managed to reach the state title mat, placing second.

Collinsville coach Jordan May has watched Collins go from that upstart freshman to a dominant senior state champion, who will wrestle at Missouri’s Lindenwood University next year.

“She is definitely one of the most talented wrestlers I’ve ever seen,” May said. “She’s been through a crazy journey. She injured her ankle three days ago so she had to overcome some adversity, but she came out and made a statement.

“She came in as a freshman and only had a few moves, but she’s so tough and as time has gone on, her technique got so much better, and she lives wrestling. Her skill level and her confidence have really grown.”

The ingredients Dawson mixed together to win her state title are part of an ancient recipe for success. “I lifted weights, wrestled, and competed all summer,” Dawson said. “And I went to the best tournaments I can. That’s the only way to get better.”

Dawson pinned all four of her downstate opponents to win her title and on her way out of the Illinois high school wrestling scene, she offered solid advice on how to approach the high-pressure event of the state finals.

“Not to be nervous, wrestle your match, and that anything can happen,” Dawson said.
Zuber became Mother McAuley’s first-ever state medalist in girls wrestling in her senior year.
Morton’s Karen Conchola (31-3) became a two-time state medalist with her win by fall for third-place against Sycamore sophomore Ema Durst (140). Conchola and Durst are their programs’ lone all-state wrestlers thus far in the four-year history of IHSA girls wrestling.

New Trier senior Jillian Giller (48-4) placed fifth with a fall against sixth-place senior Christiara Finley (30-30) of Hillcrest. Both became their respective programs’ first-ever all-staters.

145 – Natalie Beaumont, Cumberland

One year after placing second last year to Freeport’s three-time state champion Cadence Diduch, Cumberland junior Natalie Beaumont reached the summit of the podium in Bloomington this year. 

Beaumont (30-3) won a 5-0 decision over Schaumburg senior Hope Zerafa-Lazarevic (47-3) in the finals at 145 to claim her first individual state title.

“I’ve always been told for state, just take it all in, and don’t take it for granted, and I definitely tried, but the nerves get the best of you sometimes,” Beaumont said. “So I think this year, I just focused on wrestling like I can wrestle, get into my moves and doing my stuff, and in the end, it definitely worked out. I’m where I want to be right now, and I’m just ecstatic to be there.”

Cumberland coach Ashley Edmonds likes the path her junior is walking for the Pirates.

“Natalie is now a two-time finalist for us, and next year could become our first three-time medalist, girls or boys,” Edmonds said. “She works a ton in the off-season with her clubs that she attends and she was very motivated after losing the title last year. She had a good tournament and did a lot of stuff that we had worked on throughout the past few weeks.”

Beaumont credits her training all season with the boys’ team at Cumberland for helping her this year. Staying committed to the sport year-round has also been key.

“I’ve put in a ton of work over the offseason, extra practices, extra meets, just doing everything I can,” Beaumont said. “It’s been a long season with a lot of ups and downs, definitely, but I came out on top and I got what I wanted.”

With her title win, Beaumont became Cumberland’s first state champion in wrestling. Two boys from Cumberland competed for state titles, but both took second. Jess McMechan was second at 112 in Class A in 1998 and 1999 and Nathan Day was second at 113 in 1A in 2012.

Glenwood junior Jenna Tuxhorn (35-3) placed third in Bloomington in a 5-3 decision over fourth-place freshman Allison Garbacz (33-2) from South Elgin, and Phoenix Military Academy senior AJ Grant (45-5) placed fifth via tech fall over Rochelle senior Dempsey Atkinson (24-3).

Tuxhorn became Glenwood’s first two-time all-stater, while Garbacz became South Elgin’s first all-state wrestler. As their respective programs’ lone all-staters, Grant and Atkinson both became two-time medal winners in Bloomington. 

155 – Callie Carr, Hinsdale South

Sometimes a wrestler is the last to know.

Junior Callie Carr etched her name in the Hinsdale South record book, finishing a perfect 39-0 season by becoming the first state champion and the first state medalist in her program’s history.

After failing to place downstate last year, Carr was one of the clear favorites to win a state title this year. But it took some convincing for Carr to think of herself in that way.

Carr became even more dedicated to the sport since last year, training with the boys’ team, putting in extra sessions, staying late after practice — but still, a state championship?

“I honestly didn’t see it coming,” she said. “I would have been happy just to place. But all my practice partners in the room — like the boys would be like ‘I’m taking down the state champ’. But I’m like ‘guys, I’m not there yet’.”

She got there. Carr won 6-0 on a state title mat against someone she wrestled four times this season, Oswego senior Kiyah Chavez (41-10). Carr went into the final with a few butterflies.

“I was so nervous and my brother (former South wrestler Griffin Carr) just said, ‘why are you nervous? You’ve trained so hard.’ But I wrestled her four times and I knew she was going to come out hard, and she did.”

Chavez made Carr earn it. At one point in the second period, Chavez had one of Carr’s legs and was in hot pursuit of a takedown. But it was a brief pursuit, as Carr fought it off.

“That was my closest match,” Carr said. “Props to her but I just didn’t want to get taken down. I really, really wanted more this year and I went and got it. And I still want more.”
Hinsdale South coach Andy Mangiaguerra watched Carr embrace the habits of a state champion this year.

“We made a pact at the beginning of the year that we’d get extra workouts in, stay after practice, and just do everything extra we could do,” Mangiaguerra said. “Callie’s got dedication. When her mind is set on something she just goes with it. She’ so driven and she just knows how to keep working, harder and harder.

“This is amazing for our program — a 39-0, undefeated season. You can’t beat that. And now more girls are going to come out. She’s been a great role model for the girls and the boys in our program.”

Chavez also became the first medalist in her program’s history. In the process, she beat previously unbeaten senior Teagan Aurich (40-1) of Plainfield South by sudden victory in a state semifinal match.

Aurich went on to place third via 7-4 decision over fourth-place senior medalist Nola Oben (41-6) of District 230. Oak Lawn senior Charvelle Mclain (36-10) placed fifth by fall over Rock Falls freshman Akira Schick (18-6).

Their state medals were the first won by Aurich, Oben, McLain, and Schick. Aurich became the third girl in Plainfield South history to place downstate, while Mclain and Schick are their programs’ first all-staters.

Oben is now one of five District 230 all-staters in program history.

170 – Alicia Tucker, Plainfield Central

Senior Alicia Tucker (29-1) became a two-time state champion and a three-time state-placer for Plainfield Central this year, and on her way out the door she took some time to smell the roses.

“It’s really so much fun being able to do this every day,” Tucker said. “I love this sport so much and I appreciate everybody who’s helped me get here. At my school, I’m the first-ever two-time state champion, boys and girls.

“I think that this is super important. It shows that really anybody can get here, no matter where they came from. They just need to work hard, and maybe they’ll be able to do what I can do, too.”

Plainfield Central coach Kyle Hildebrandt has watched Tucker travel a great distance for his program.

“Her state championship title was a great way to put an end to her fantastic high school wrestling career,” Hildebrandt said. “We are very proud of her and all of her accomplishments. She has done an excellent job representing our program and school.”

Tucker opened with a pair of falls in Bloomington before winning an 8-4 semifinal decision over Hampshire’s Annaliese Tavira (36-7). Waiting for Tucker in the finals was one of Illinois’ best in Highland senior August Rottman (35-2). Rottman was a state champion two years ago at 170.

Tucker was spotless in the final, winning a 5-0 decision to claim her second state crown. She hopes her two state titles don’t stand as the program standard for long.

“It’s a record I made to be broken,” Tucker said. “I really hope that I don’t stay as the only two-time state champion at that school. I hope somebody else, maybe another girl, comes along and breaks every single record that I set there.”

Tucker went 34-2 as a sophomore two years ago to win her first state title, and placed second in state last season, going 36-2. She went 3-2 as a freshman, putting her career record for Plainfield Central at an impressive 102-7.

At one point along the way this year, Hildebrandt saw a light switch go on for his senior stud.

“After the Oswego East tournament, we saw a shift in Alicia’s mentality,” he said. “After she won the Hawk Tournament in Hoffman Estates, we talked with her about never being satisfied, and if you want to be successful, you can not be satisfied, there is always more you can do. Her training began to reflect this. She dominated the regional and sectional tournaments, in each tournament, we had close finals matches, but we maintained control. Her finals match demonstrated the dominant mentality she had going into the last match.

Tucker leaves as the first Wildcat girls athlete to be a state champion in two seasons and only the fourth athlete at the school to achieve that feat. The others were Ben Bates in boys swimming  (1984-1985), Luke Winder in boys track and field (2013-2014) and Kahmari Montgomery in boys track and field (2014-2015).

She’s only the second girl, the third wrestler and one of six total athletes who earned all-state honors at a state tournament three straight years. The other wrestlers were Ryan Prater (2005-2007) and Nick Nasenbeny (2011-2013). 

Peoria Notre Dame senior Autumne Williams (18-4) won by fall to place third at 170 in Bloomington, against fourth-place medalist and sophomore Sara Martinez-Lopera (32-2) of Kelly. Maine West senior Lillian Garrett (34-7) and Hampshire senior Tavira (36-7) locked horns in a doozy for fifth-place, with Garrett ekeing out the 1-0 decision win.

As the lone state medal-winner in Highland history, Rottman will graduate as a four-time all-stater, having placed third, first, sixth and second in Bloomington.

Williams placed third at twice at 170 and leaves as her program’s only state medal-winner in the short history of Illinois girls wrestling. Martinez-Lopera became Kelly’s first all-stater this year, Garrett was Maine West’s first all-stater, and Tavira was one of three Hampshire wrestlers this season to become the program’s first-ever medal winners.

190 – Josie Larson, Lakes

This was Josie Larson’s year.

After placing second in state at 190 last season, the Lakes senior went on a rampage through the division this year. She finished 29-0 with 29 pins, won a state title, and until Saturday no girl in Illinois survived into the second period with Larson.

That’s about as dominant a season’s performance as Illinois has ever seen, on the boys’ or girls’ side of the sport.

“I remember about ten matches into the season I asked her to look at her long-term goal of being a state champ and going undefeated,” Lakes coach Mark Stave said. “I asked her if I could add a goal… her original goal, but all pins. She said ‘yep I can do that, coach. No problem’.”

Larson’s first-period pin of Clifton Central sophomore Payton Temple (27-2) earned her the state crown and added to her fifth- and second-place finishes downstate. Temple earned her second state medal after placing sixth at 155 last season.

It was Larson’s semifinal match that got her ready for the state title mat. Schaumburg’s Nadia Razzak (47-5) battled Larson well for nearly three periods, before Larson won by fall with only three seconds remaining in the match.

“That was my most difficult match and that really, really helped me to prepare for (the final),” Larson said.

That final lasted 41 seconds, when Larson stuck Temple to complete her state title journey in her senior year. Was she as nervous as she was heading into last year’s state title match?

“A little bit more just because it’s my final run, so I was really nervous,” Larson said. 

“We watched a little bit of film and this morning we went over a few of the things that (Temple) does. My goal was just to get everything over and done with. Logically, I knew that I could beat her. But I also don’t really like crowds. They kind of freak me out. So I was nervous. I’m still a little bit in shock because I can’t believe I did it.”

Stave is just happy she did.

“I am so proud of the work this young lady put in to achieve her goal of going undefeated and winning the state championship,” Stave said. “She is such a natural leader on and off the  mat.”

Larson will wrestle for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut next year.

Hampshire freshman Samantha Diehl (31-6) placed third with a 4-0 decision against Streamwood’s Jasmine Rene (25-4), and Schaumburg junior Razzak finished fifth in state with her 8-3 decision against the sixth-place medalist, Oak Forest senior Isabel Peralta (40-10).

Diehl was one of three girls from Hampshire at this year’s finals to become their program’s first state medalists, and helped Hampshire to a third-place IHSA team finish. 

Rene is now a two-time state medalist, while Razzak won her first medal and became Schaumburg’s fourth all-state wrestler in program history. Peralta placed downstate for her first time and became Oak Lawn’s third all-stater.

235 — Chloe Hoselton, Prairie Central

Now a two-time state champion, Prairie Central senior Chloe Hoselton went a perfect 27-0 this year and leaves as a pioneer for Prairie Central in girls wrestling in Illinois.

What she’s leaving behind for coach Scott Ziller is unquantifiable.

“The best things about Chloe are wrapped up in the example she sets on and off of the mat,” Ziller said. “She’s a leader, a good teammate, a successful student, and a kind human. What Chloe leaves behind for our program is as much to be proud of as her individual accomplishments.”

Those accomplishments are unprecedented for the Hawks’ program. Hoselton won two state titles and is the only state medal winner thus far in the brief history of IHSA girls wrestling in Illinois.

Hoselton’s 8-0 major decision win on this year’s title mat against Rickover Academy’s Jasmine Mejia gave her a second state crown, to go with the one she won in an ultimate tie-break match over Unity’s Phoenix Molina in last year’s finals.

“Being able to win a championship again is amazing and I can’t put it into words,” Hoselton said. “Knowing that I won it with my Prairie Central team and having my teammates and the support of my family and my club all means so much to me.

“The Prairie Central community is very supportive. There’s so many people that wanted to see me succeed and do what I do best. And I had some people from Prairie Central who came out to support me.”

Hoselton’s 4-0 weekend in Bloomington this year featured two falls, a tech fall, and a major decision win.

“She trains like a champion, but more than that she has a great mentality on the mat,” Ziller said. “She doesn’t get rattled and stays on the hunt to score no matter what.”

Hoselton is hoping that more Prairie Central girls scale the state finals podium, sooner than later.

“We had new girls this year and I was the captain and I was kind of their leader,” Hoselton said. “I wanted to let them know after winning this championship that if you keep training in the offseason and trying hard during the season that anything is possible. One of our girls, Yuri Vilchis, went from not even qualifying from regionals to being a state qualifier. She put in the work in the offseason and she trained and lifted, so it meant so much for her to be here.”

Hoselton is only the third wrestler at Prairie Central to be a two-time champion. Her brother Brandon (2018-2019) and Logan Deacetis (2019-2020) were the others. Her brother Drew was a champion in 2018 and her cousin Andy was a champion in 2011. Brandon was a three-time finalist and Drew and Andy were two-time finalists.

“We have six state titles in the Hoselton family and hopefully more to come soon,” Hoselton said.

Like Hoselton at Prairie Central, Mejia is the poster child for girls wrestling at Rickover. Mejia followed last year’s fifth-place downstate finish by going 38-3 and reaching the state title mat in her senior season. Also like Hoselton, she is the first and only wrestler to medal thus far for her girls’ wrestling program.

Unity’s Phoenix Molina (33-6), last year’s state runner-up at 235, finished third via 6-0 decision against Urbana junior Lillian DiSanto (38-11). Moline senior Kirsten Kpoto (8-3) placed fifth while Ottawa junior Juliana Thrush (35-7) placed sixth.

Molina joins former state champion Lexi Ritchie as a two-time all-stater for Unity, DiSanto became Urbana’s second all-stater, Kpoto joins former state champ Maryam Ndiaye as a two-time medal-winner for Moline, and Thrush is one of two all-staters for Ottawa and its first two-time state placer.

By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA

You can think about winning a team state title, set a goal to win a team state title, and dream about seeing it happen, but putting yourself in position to actually do it — well, that’s where the work comes in.

The girls from the IHSA state champion District 230 co-op team were happy to work for coach Liz Short this year.

“They had all the other components, but it’s hard to coach grit and teach that,” Short said. “The wrestling part is easier, but it’s the grit and the heart… they were just invested in wrestling and in the sport.

“It’s very cool and for the program it means a lot, just the hard work. We just kept telling them all year to just trust in your training and the rest will kind of come into play. So it was just controlling what we can and the rest will figure itself out.”

Girls from Carl Sandburg, Andrew and Stagg make up the District 230 team, and their grit earned them a team state title in Bloomington.

District 230’s seven state qualifiers earned 66 team points to lead the field. Hampshire’s three state qualifiers earned the second-place team trophy with 51 points scored among them, and Kaneland’s four qualifiers posted 45.5 points to finish third.

Collinsville placed fourth with 40.5 points, Lockport (40) and Hononegah (40) tied for fifth, Schaumburg (35) placed seventh, Hoffman Estates (34.5) was eighth, Roxana (31.5) was ninth and last year’s team champion, Lakes (30) rounded out the top 10 team finishes.

District 230 got third-place individual finishes from freshman Jade Hardee (100) and senior Alyssa Keane (135), and a fourth from senior Nola Oben (155) to lead the way. Also scoring team points were Tatum De La Vega (105), Sophia Figueroa (115) and Saja Bader (120), with Adrianna Vela (170) also competing.

Hardee (37-5) won a 9-6 sudden victory decision on the third-place mat against Round Lake’s Riley Kongkaeow (45-5), while Keane (42-4) took third with an 11-4 decision against Dwight’s Avery Crouch (11-3). Keane went 5-1 while Hardee went 4-1 in this year’s state tournament. Oben (41-6) went 3-2 in Bloomington and placed fourth in a 7-4 decision to Plainfield South’s Teagan Aurich (40-1).

Short will bid farewell to senior state qualifiers Keane, Oben, Figueroa, Bader and Vela from this year’s state qualifiers.

“They really like the sport and were great role models for our younger athletes, too, and really helped set the tone for the room and really made it a competitive room,” Short said.

“There was a great foundation that (Andrew boys coach) Pete Kowalczuk had built. We went to college together at Northern Michigan, and we wrestled at the US OTC, and it was a great opportunity. And I had some awesome help, some really accomplished wrestlers and coaches.”

Now that the District 230 team has a well-established program after four seasons of IHSA girls wrestling in Illinois, Short wants to see her girls take another incremental step forward.

“We are focusing on the quality of girls wrestling instead of just the quantity,” Short said. “We were so focused on building, building, building, but now, we have to focus on the quality. It’s just improved dramatically in the past couple of years, and at Fargo our numbers are great and building Team Illinois.

“It’s about getting them invested enough that they want to keep wrestling and they’ll keep liking it. I love wrestling and I try to help them love wrestling.” 

For state runner-up Hampshire, coach Matthew Todd got third-place individual finishes from sophomore Amelia Nidelea-Polanin (115) and freshman Samantha Diehl (190), and a sixth-place finish from senior Anneliese Tavira (170).

With all three of Hampshire’s state qualifiers fighting their way to the podium steps, the Whip-Purs won the first team trophy in their program’s history.

“I am incredibly proud of our wrestlers and all the hard work they put in this year to achieve their goals,” Todd said. “Bringing home a trophy for the first time in our wrestling program’s history is a monumental achievement for our school and one that will be remembered for a very long time.”

Nidelea-Polanin (37-3) won by tech fall on the third-place mat, against Bolingbrook’s Alejandra Flores (33-6). Nidelea-Polanin went 4-1 in Bloomington, with her lone loss coming in a state semifinal match to eventual state champion Harlee Hiller of Loyola Academy.

Diehl (31-6) also went 4-1 and took third with a 4-0 decision over Streamwood’s Jasmine Rene (25-4), and Tavira (36-7) lost a hard-fought 1-0 decision on the fifth-place mat to Maine West’s Lillian Garrett (34-7).

“On the way home, it truly hit the girls just how much support we have from our community, and it’s clear they are hungry for more,” Todd said. “They are eager to see the growth of the sport and are excited about what the future holds.

“I would also like to highlight the exceptional leadership of our senior wrestler, Anneliese Tavira. Her guidance has been instrumental in helping her teammates perform at their best, and we are very proud of what they have accomplished together. As a coaching staff, we are thrilled about this achievement and can’t wait to see what the future brings for our program.”

Kaneland’s third-place team finish featured a two-time state champion in Angelina Gochis (110), and a fourth-place finish from Brooklyn Sheaffer (125). State qualifiers Caitlyn Manier (155) and Sadie Kinsella (190) also competed for the Knights.

“We knew with our hammers Brooklyn Sheaffer and Angelina Gochis, we would be right in the thick of things for a team trophy,” coach Josh West said. “Caitlyn lost a close match and then lost in the wrestle backs. Sadie won her first match and then dropped the next two.  But great seasons for both of them, they both will be back next year and the expectations will be high.”

Sophomore Gochis went a perfect 36-0 in winning back-to-back state titles, going 4-0 in Bloomington and winning by tech fall on the state title mat over Crystal Lake South’s Annalee Aarseth (17-3). The senior Sheaffer (44-4) went 3-2, winning by major decision over Naperville Central’s Dezi Azar in her consolation semifinal match before losing on the fourth-place mat to Grayslake Central’s Gianna Arzer.

“When our season ended last year we wrote some goals down,” West said. “It’s not often that a team checks off all or most of those goals. We had conference title, regional title, sectional title, and state top 3 as goals for this year. We did not win the sectional as we got 2nd place, but we won our conference, took first in our regional, and finished third in the state. So it was a heck of a year for the Kaneland Knights.

“What can I say except I am fortunate to be in the situation I am. The girls work hard and support one another.  They earned this and I am happy for them. It’s going to be tough to replace Brooklyn and our other seniors.  Brooklyn is a three-time qualifier and two-time place winner. 

“But if there is one thing I have learned it’s never count out the Knights.”

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

IC Catholic Prep had 10 all-staters and three champions, Montini Catholic finished with eight medal winners and two first-place finishers and Washington captured four state championships to lead the way at the IHSA Class 2A Individual Tournament in Champaign.

Those also were the top three teams in the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals with IC Catholic Prep winning its first championship with a 46-17 victory over Washington, who competed in the title dual meet for the ninth time in the last 10 tournaments and was seeking a third-straight title but took second place for the third time during that run. Montini Catholic was edged by the Knights 29-27 in the semifinals and then beat Mahomet-Seymour 50-24 to finish third.

Washington established a new record for its program by having four state champions. Winning titles for coach Nick Miller’s Panthers were Noah Woods (120), Peyton Cox (144), Wyatt Medlin (157) and Josh Hoffer (215). Medlin won his second title while the other three became first-time champions and Cox proved to be one of the top stories of the tournament since he had finished in second place in his three previous appearances at the IHSA Finals.

“Washington wrestling had a banner weekend with four state champions and a sixth-place finisher,” Miller said. “While it was not the most medalists we have had in a season, it was the most state champions we have had in a single year. 

“Josh Hoffer got us kicked off with a very controlled 5-0 win over Jaxson Mathenia from Waterloo. Josh did a great job of keeping pressure on and finding his way to his attacks on his feet. We then waited to the 120 pound finals where Noah Woods had a nail-biter type of match going into two overtimes and finding a reversal to the back. Michael Malizzio of Montini did a great job keeping Noah off his attacks on their feet and then both wrestlers had tough rides on top to keep it scoreless into overtime. Noah got to a legitimate attack right at the end of the first overtime on the edge, but ran out of time and space to finish it there. Coin flip went to Woods who deferred the choice and got another 30 second rideout, putting him on bottom with a chance to win with an escape. He got to a half stand situation and created a roll which led to a reversal to the back and secured an overtime fall for a State Title. 

“Peyton Cox was next and in a very low scoring and controlled match he earned his much alluded State Championship after three-straight runner-up finishes with a 1-0 victory over Aiden Arnett from IC Catholic. It was a moment filled with lots of emotions and a long-awaited dream come true for Cox. The night finished with a very dominant 20-5 technical fall for Wyatt Medlin in his second-straight State Championship. The match started with a couple early period takedowns, and then securing some nearfall in the second period along with another takedown or two. Wyatt displayed his dominance throughout the tournament winning every match with a technical fall.”

IC Catholic Prep’s title winners were Max Cumbee (126), Deven Casey (132) and Brody Kelly (175). Casey captured his second-straight title and was a four-time medalist while Kelly moved up one spot from last year and Cumbee won his first title in his initial season with the Knights. 

Montini Catholic’s champions were Allen Woo (113) and Kam Luif (138) with Woo repeating as a title winner while Luif claimed his first state championship.

The other five state champions were from East St. Louis Senior, Glenwood, Lemont, Notre Dame College Prep and Providence Catholic. 

Two brothers, Judah Heeg (190) and Justus Heeg (150), won titles representing different schools with Judah at Lemont and Justus at Providence Catholic. The brothers competed in Minnesota last season and Justus was a champion for Simley as an eighth grader.

Pierre Walton (165) became East St. Louis Senior’s first title winner since 1943 and Ray Long (106) was Notre Dame College Prep’s second champion and its first since 1994.

Cody Moss (285) was the second individual from Glenwood to become a champion, with Drew Davis the other in 2022 and 2023, so the program has now won three titles in four seasons. 

Four of the champions won titles in their first appearances in the IHSA Finals, Long, Walton and the Heeg brothers while Moss captured a state championship for his first medal in Champaign.

While there was a concentration of titles with three teams capturing nine of the championships, only one team had more than one second-place finisher, and that was Montini Catholic with two, Mikey Malizzio (120) and Santino Tenuta (165).

Rochelle’s Xavier Villalobos (126) finished second as a senior and also was a runner-up as a freshman in 2022 and Crystal Lake Central’s Cayden Parks (190) finished in second place for the second year in a row.

Others who claimed second-place finishes were Grayslake Central’s Vince DeMarco (106), St. Patrick’s Daniel Goodwin (113), Civic Memorial’s Bradley Ruckman (132), Rockford East’s Donald Cannon (138), IC Catholic Prep’s Aiden Arnett (144), Mascoutah’s Brock Ross (150), Highland’s Tyson Rakers (157), Geneseo’s Kye Weinzierl (175), Waterloo’s Jaxson Mathenia (215) and East Peoria’s Jose Del Toro (285).

In some of the closest title matches, Woo edged Goodwin 4-1 by sudden victory at 113, Judah Heeg got past Parks 4-1 by sudden victory at 190, Woods pulled out a 2-0 win on a tiebreaker over Malizzio at 120, Cumbee got past Villalobos 1-0 at 126, Cox edged Arnett 1-0 at 144, Moss prevailed over Del Toro 9-7 at 285 and Long outscored over DeMarco 15-12 at 106.

Justus Heeg and Medlin were the only 2A individuals who had four wins by technical fall and only five others pulled off that feat in the other two classes. Plano’s Richie Amakiri had the most match points of anyone with 89 while Richards’ Mike Taheny (78) ranked third behind St. Charles East’s Dom Munaretto (79) and Medlin and Justus Heeg tied for fourth with 77 points. While six individuals collected three or more pins, no one in Class 2A had more than two falls.

Antioch, Brother Rice and Providence Catholic all had four medal winners while Civic Memorial, Rochelle and Rockford East each had three medalists.

Beside champions Casey and Cox, there were two other individuals in Class 2A who won medals for four-straight years, Genseseo’s Zachary Montez (fourth at 165) and Yorkville Christian’s Aiden Larsen (fifth at 120).

Other seniors who finished their careers as three-time all-staters were Rochelle’s Xavier Villalobos (second at 126), Civic Memorial’s Bradley Ruckman (second at 132), Rockford East’s Donald Cannon (second at 138), Crystal Lake Central’s Cayden Parks (second at 190), Wauconda’s Gavin Rockey (third at 120) and Deerfield’s Jordan Rasof (third at 138).

DePaul College Prep’s Hunter Wahtola became the first medalist for his school. Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Nate Sanchez was his school’s second medal winner and first since 2001 when he claimed third place at 157. Waterloo’s Jaxson Mathenia (second at 215) also became his school’s second medalist. And Evergreen Park’s Genesis Ward (fourth at 215) was the first all-stater for his school since 1996. 

Here’s a look at the 2025 IHSA Class 2A state champions and the other Class 2A medalists, beginning at the start of the Individual State Finals, which was at 175:

175 – Brody Kelly, IC Catholic Prep

Brody Kelly began the last chapter of a special day for IC Catholic Prep at the IHSA Class 2A Finals when he became the first of its three champions who led the way among the 10 state medalists that it had in the competition for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights, who one week later capped their memorable season at the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals by winning their first team title when they defeated two-time defending champion Washington 46-17 in the championship meet. The junior, who finished with a 50-5 record, wrapped up his tournament run with victory by technical fall in 5:13 over Geneseo junior Kye Weinzierl in the 175 title match.

Kelly, a three-time state qualifier who was a state runner-up at 150 in 2024 after dropping a 3-2 decision to Montini Catholic’s David Mayora in the finals, opened with a fall in 3:00 over East St. Louis’ Corey Robinson before getting his first victory by technical fall in 4:16 over Sycamore’s Cooper Bode and then he earned his spot on the state title mat for the second year in a row after capturing an 8-2 decision over Mahomet-Seymour’s Marco Casillas in the semifinals. 

“Losing last year, I didn’t want to feel that again so I worked really hard all summer and the whole year I was working for that state title this year and I finally accomplished it,” Kelly said. “Everyone in our room is going hard and we all have really high goals and we want to achieve, and the best we can do is be state champions, and we all want to be champs. We had nine in the semis and then we got four into the finals. So we were all doing pretty good and we just wanted to keep it rolling. I lost close in the finals my sophomore year, and it was terrible because I was right there for what I wanted to get for my whole life. This year it was like the best thing ever to accomplish, it was so much different.”

Weinzierl (45-3) is a three-time state qualifier who earned his first medal and was the top finisher and one of two all-staters for coach Jon Murray’s Maple Leafs, who also qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals. Murray, a 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee, is retiring after leading the program since 2002-2003 and he also served as an assistant coach at Geneseo. Weinzierl followed a win by technical with a 15-5 major decision over Glenwood’s Elijah Smith and then captured a 10-5 decision over Brother Rice’s Dan Costello to advance to the 175 finals. 

“It all relies on trusting in your training and working hard, getting in the room any time you can, transferring what you do and just believing in yourself,” Weinzierl said following the semifinals. “This is my first time placing and It feels awesome. After last year, I was devastated, I came up short on my goal of placing. So this year to kind of punch my ticket, it feels amazing. I am so excited. Growing up coming to the state tournament and watching, it just feels amazing. I’ve always loved the environment since Illinois does it nice, it does it the good way. I love these guys and I love the coaches. We all work so hard together, it just feels great.”

In the third-place match between individuals who lost in the semifinals, Mahomet-Seymour freshman Marco Casillas (55-4) won an 8-0 major decision over Brother Rice sophomore Dan Costello (28-11), who placed sixth at 175 last season. For fifth place, Antioch senior Ben Vazquez (41-9) won a 6-5 decision over Sycamore  junior Cooper Bode (41-13). Sterling’s Gage Tate and Montini Catholic’s AJ Tack finished one win shy of claiming medals.

“I’m excited to see that hard work has paid off,” Casillas said. “All glory to God. And I thank my parents and my brother (Mateo), my whole family. They just helped me to focus and worry about the next-best thing, which was third, so that was good. (Mahomet-Seymour) It’s just the culture there, everyone comes in there wanting to get better and our teammates are just pushing everybody and it just pays off.”

190 – Judah Heeg, Lemont

Judah Heeg was certainly not as well known throughout the season as was his brother, Justus, but that was understandable since the Lemont junior went 0-1 for Simley in the Minnesota state tournament last season while Providence Catholic freshman Justus won a title as an eighth grader, also for Simley. But while Judah’s quest for a state title at 190 didn’t garner the same attention as Justus’ title pursuit, at the the conclusion of the IHSA Class 2A Finals, both were state champions with Judah winning 4-1 by sudden victory over Crystal Lake Central senior Cayden Parks in the 190 title match while Justus followed in his footsteps to claim first at 150. 

Heeg (41-3), the lone all-stater for coach Egan Berta’s Lemont team, opened with a victory by technical fall in 4:36 over Southeast’s Chris Hull. He followed up on that with another win by technical fall, this time in 5:13 over East Peoria’s Dalton Oakman. Heeg earned his trip to the finals with a 15-3 major decision over IC Catholic Prep’s Isaac Barrientos. He became the sixth individual from Lemont to win a state championship and the first one to pull off the achievement since 2020, when Drew Nash, Apollo Gothard and Mo Jarad all claimed IHSA titles.

“It feels great,” Judah Heeg said. “I definitely put the work in this year and I feel like my coaches have helped me out a lot. It just feels so amazing. That dude beat me earlier in the year and I came back and it was a hard-fought victory. Whenever I’m in a spot like that, I have to open up and give it all here, there’s no holding back any more. Last year, I never even scored a point and went 0-1 at the Minnesota state tournament. I definitely was a little bit nervous and I definitely overcame that. I just got my mindset in the right spot and just went out there and gave it everything that I’ve got. I give most of the credit to my coaches, who really put me to work this season. Also my teammate, Vincent DelliColli, he’s been with me the whole way, just working me every single day in the room, making me better.”

Parks (46-2), a three-time medalist who took second at 190 last season to Rock Island’s Andrew Marquez and placed fourth at 170 in 2023, was the lone finalist and one of two all-staters for coach Justen Lehr’s Tigers, who advanced to the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals for the first time since 2017. He opened with a fall, claimed a 10-1 major decision over Richards’ Mike Taheny and then earned his way to his second trip to the Class 2A title mat in two years by getting a fall in 1:04 over Montini Catholic’s Jaxon Lane. He became the sixth individual from his school to win three or more state medals.

Richards senior Mike Taheny (43-3) won the third place match by technical fall in 3:42 over Plano senior Richie Amakiri (44-3). The Bulldogs senior claimed his first medal in his third appearance at state. He was his program’s first medal winner since 1996, when Vance Kirar took fifth at 152. And it was the best showing for an individual from the Oak Lawn school since 1992 when heavyweight Bob O’Connor also placed third. Amakiri, who was making his initial state appearance, was the first medalist for the Reapers since 2016, when three individuals placed at state in Class 1A and he had to win four matches in the wrestlebacks after losing a close decision in his first match to Fenwick’s Jack Paris. Amakiri also led all qualifiers with 89 match points while Taheny ranked third in that category with 78 points.

“I’m super proud to be from there,” Taheny said of Richards. “It’s difficult some times because of how it’s arranged and our schedule isn’t nearly as tough so I don’t get the best matches during the year, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s all about preparation. Since my freshman year, I haven’t stopped wrestling. All year around for like four years, that’s what it’s been. It’s kind of tough when I don’t get the ultimate goal that I wanted, and that is winning state. But it’s still moments like these that are still rewarding and being able to experience it with my team. And just having success at this tournament, something I failed to do the last two years.”

“Richie Amakiri wrapped up a phenomenal season with a 44-3 record,” Plano coach Dwayne Love said. “Richie had only one loss coming into the State Championship. He lost the first round first match 9-7 to Jack Paris of Fenwick. He then wrestled the gauntlet on the consolation side of the bracket. He is the first place finisher for Plano since 2016. It has been awesome to watch Richie grow and mature as a wrestler. There are big things in the future for Richie, he plans on wrestling in college and is undecided on where he is going to.”

IC Catholic Prep freshman Isaac Barrientos (38-17), a freshman, reached the semifinals and wound up claiming fifth place with a 13-4 major decision over Montini Catholic senior Jaxson Lane (40-23), a senior who was making his second-straight trip to state. Falling one win shy of state medals were Rochelle’s Roman Villalobos and Wauconda’s Mike Merevick.

215 – Josh Hoffer, Washington

Josh Hoffer began a run of success for four competitors from Washington who all won state championship matches when the junior captured a 5-0 decision over Waterloo sophomore Jaxson Mathenia in the 215 finals. Hoffer was joined on top of the awards stand by Noah Woods (120), Peyton Cox (144) and Wyatt Medlin (157) and it was the first title for each of them but Medlin, who took first at 138 last season while Cox had placed second on three occasions. The four state championships is also a new record for the program.

Hoffer (53-3), who took fourth at 190 last season and placed sixth at 195 in 2023, was also one of five medal winners for coach Nick Miller’s Panthers, who lost 46-17 to IC Catholic Prep in the title meet at the IHSA Dual Team Finals, thus missing out on a third-straight title but it also is the sixth time in the last nine seasons that the program has finished either first or second. He opened with two victories by technical fall,  winning in 3:12 over Oak Forest’s Andrius Vasilevskas to start his title run and Crystal Lake Central’s Tommy McNeil in 5:27 in the quarterfinals. He had his toughest match in the semifinals, going extra time to win 4-1 by sudden victory over Evergreen Park’s Genesis Ward. His brother, Justin, was also an IHSA Class 2A champion for the Panthers in 2023 when he took first place at 220.

“It’s just kind of what I’ve worked for year-around, so having it finally pay off feels good,” Hoffer said. “I feel pretty good, but maybe it hasn’t hit me yet. I don’t think I performed real well last year, I did better than the year before, so finally coming in here and getting it done feels pretty good. (Winning a state title) It’s been on my mind all year around and having a good offseason and wrestling in the summer definitely helps with that.”

Mathenia (43-3), who qualified for state but did not place in 2024, was the lone medalist for coach Chase Guercio’s Bulldogs. He ecame Waterloo’s second medal winner, with the first being Jordan Sommers, who took second at 220 in 2022 and fifth at 195 in 2020. After opening with a pin, Mathenia claimed a 14-4 major decision over last year’s runner-up at 215, Rochelle’s Kaiden Morris, in the quarterfinals. He became the second Bulldog to advance to a title match with a win by technical fall in 1:45 over St. Laurence’s Xavier Bitner.

“It feels great,” Mathenia said following his win in the semifinals. “Coming here not placing last year was one of the hardest times of my life. So coming back this year and tech falling in my semifinals feels great. This is what you work year-round for. I put my heart on this mat and leave it all on the mat, that’s all that you’ve got to do. Our coaches are definitely some of the best around. They really connect with us and you have to build a team bond to be great. It feels amazing to be fighting for the best.”

IC Catholic Prep junior Foley Calcagno (42-15) was a winner by fall in 5:08 over Evergreen Park senior Genesis Ward (34-7) in the third-place match. Calcagno became his school’s second three-time medalist, with Joey Bianchini (2016-2018) the first. Calcagno, who also took third at 190 last season after finishing sixth at 182 in 2023, avenged his 4-2 defeat to Ward in the quarterfinals by winning his last four matches, with Ward his final opponent. Ward, who only  began competing in the sport as a sophomore, became his program’s first medal winner since 1996, when Dan McNulty placed fourth at 160. 

For fifth place, Rochelle senior Kaiden Morris (49-5) won by fall in 2:30 over St. Laurence junior Xavier Bitner (27-14). Morris became the fifth Hub to win two or more state medals with senior Xavier Villalobos becoming the school’s first three-time all-stater after getting edged by IC Catholic Prep’s Max Cumbee in the 126 finals. Bitner, who lost in the semifinals, became St. Laurence’s first medalist since 2015 when Frank Tomaskovic took sixth at 285. Bloomington’s Kenner Bye and Crystal Lake Central’s Tommy McNeil fell one win shy of a state medal.  

285 – Cody Moss, Glenwood

Cody Moss accomplished something that only one other individual from Glenwood has been able to achieve, and that is winning an IHSA championship. The Titans junior used two falls and two decisions to claim the title at 285 by claiming a 9-7 decision over East Peoria senior Jose Del Toro in the finals. The only other athlete from Glenwood that won a state title was Drew Davis, who captured championships in 2022 and 2023 and claimed second place in 2024. 

Moss (40-6), who was a state qualifier in 2024 and placed for the first time this season, was the lone medal winner among six qualifiers for coach Jerod Bruner’s Titans, who again qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals after taking third last season. He opened with a fall in 1:16 over Wheeling’s Pablo Morales and followed with an 8-0 major decision over Washington’s Sean Thornton in the quarterfinals. He became the sixth individual from his school to advance to an IHSA championship match when he recorded a fall in 4:42 over Cary-Grove’s Lucas Burton.

“It’s an incredible feeling, there’s not many in Glenwood history, so it’s just great to be a part of it, it’s an unreal feeling,” Moss said. “I just tried to remain calm and not get my nerves too high. We get a lot of tough tournaments and I just started beating tough opponents, and then I was like, ‘I can do this.’ I knew that my coaches had belief in me and they were willing to push me as hard as they could. It felt unbelievable at first. I always dreamt of this experience as a kid and being able to walk in the walk of champions, it was such a surreal moment and I was just happy that I was able to experience it.”

“Cody Moss is a champion in life,” Glenwood coach Jerod Bruner said. “He goes to school, eats a clean diet, then wrestling practice and finally the gym after that to lift. I am not sure he ever takes a day off from training. I’ll say it again, it is no mystery why he is the state champion and certainly will be the favorite to repeat next year.”

Del Toro (48-3) was the lone state medal winner for the Raiders, who are coached by 2024 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Phil Johns. He won his second state medal after taking fourth last year at 285 to become the fifth Raider to win two state medals. He opened with two first-period falls, with the second of those in 1:05 over DePaul College Prep’s Hunter Wahtola in the quarterfinals. Then he captured the first of two decisions that he was in that were both decided by two points, winning 4-2 in the semifinals over IC Catholic’s Anthony Sebastian.

For third place, DePaul College Prep sophomore Hunter Wahtola (36-11) claimed a 4-0 decision over IC Catholic Prep sophomore Anthony Sebastian (31-16). Wahtola lost in the quarterfinals and won his next four matches to become his program’s first medalist in his second state trip while Sebastian was one of 10 all-staters for IC Catholic Prep was able to advance to the semifinals in state debut.

“Hunter had a lot of ups and downs this season after moving up from 215 last year where he qualified for state as a freshman,” DePaul College Prep coach Patrick Heffernan said. “He put it all together at the right time and had a great state tournament. Hunter is the first wrestling state placer in DePaul Prep’s 11-year existence.”

In the fifth-place match, Montini Catholic sophomore Gavin Ericson (36-20), a first-time qualifier, won 4-1 by sudden victory over Cary-Grove senior Lucas Burton (30-5), who was making his second trip to state, as both earned all-state honors for the first time. Falling one victory shy of state medals were Jacksonville’s Aiden Surratt and Bloomington’s David Williams. 

106 – Ray Long, Notre Dame College Prep

Ray Long became the second state champion from Notre Dame College Prep and its first since 1994, when Mike Rosengrant claimed the Class AA title at 130, when the Dons sophomore won a 15-12 decision in the Class 2A 106 championship match over Grayslake Central sophomore Vince DeMarco. Long was also only the fourth individual from his program to advance to an IHSA state title match, and again that hadn’t been done since Rosengrant’s championship.

Long (46-4), the lone finalist and one of two medal winners for coach Anthony Genovesi’s Dons, claimed a victory by technical fall in 4:35 over Jersey Community’s Maddox Williams in his opening match and then won a 9-1 major decision over Washington’s Symon Woods in the quarterfinals. He registered another win by technical fall in 5:21 over Providence Catholic’s Christian Corcoran to end a 31-year drought his program had with no one reaching the title mat.

“I knew that (Vince) DeMarco would be motivated in our final after I beat him last weekend at sectionals, but I’ve always felt that if I just go out and wrestle the way I know, there isn’t anyone that can stay with me,” Long said. “Winning at state is great, and was one of my goals, but I have a lot of work ahead of me if I want to accomplish the goals I’ve made for myself.”

DeMarco (47-3) became the ninth individual from Grayslake Central or Grayslake High to reach the title mat and also those schools’ ninth to win two or more state medals. The lone medal winner for coach Matthew Joseph’s Rams, he also placed at 106 last season, taking fourth place. DeMarco got a win by technical fall in his initial match and then won a 4-1 decision over Montini Catholic’s Erik Klichurov before earning his spot opposite of Long in the 106 finals with a pin in 1:35 over IC Catholic Prep’s Dominic Pasquale in the semifinals.

In the third-place match, Montini Catholic freshman Erik Klichurov (53-5) won by technical fall in 5:50 over IC Catholic Prep sophomore Dominic Pasquale (23-10) as Klichurov won four matches in the wrestlebacks to become one of eight all-staters for the Broncos and Pasquale reached the semifinals and collected a medal in his state debut. 

“This was not my goal, I wanted to take first, but things happen,” Klichurov said. “To wrestle, to go for the action, to continue moving, continue putting in the pace and leave it all on the mat.”

For fifth place, Providence Catholic freshman Christian Corcoran (38-17), who advanced to the semifinals, got a win by technical fall in 3:30 over Washington junior Symon Woods (44-10), who also made his debut at state. St. Patrick sophomore Jack Koenig and Sycamore freshman Carson West both fell one win shy of getting medals.

113- Allen Woo, Montini Catholic

Allen Woo made it two championships in his first two seasons at Montini Catholic when the sophomore claimed a 4-1 win by sudden victory over St. Patrick junior Daniel Goodwin in the 113 title match. Woo, one of two champions, four finalists and eight all-staters for the Broncos, who are coached by 2008 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Mike Bukovsky, also claimed first place at 106 last season. He concluded his season in the IHSA Dual Team Finals where Montini Catholic finished in third after falling 29-27 to eventual champ IC Catholic Prep in the semifinals.

Woo (53-5), who defeated Wauconda’s Gavin Rockey 7-4 to win the 106 title in 2024, claimed wins by technical fall in his three matches leading up to the 113 finals. In his opener, he needed 3:00 to defeat Fenwick’s CJ Brown. Then he went 4:00 to get a win over Mahomet-Seymour’s Gideon Hayter. And he required a little bit longer to reach the championship match, going 4:25 before he defeated IC Catholic Prep’s Sam Murante in the semifinals. He joins a very exclusive club of Broncos who won state championships in both their freshman and sophomore seasons.

“First and foremost, I just want to thank God, my family, my coaches and my partners, I couldn’t do it without them,” Woo said. “It’s hard to plan for the finals since you never know what’s going to happen. I was a little frustrated in the match because I could have scored more points. It’s hard to keep a match that close when you train so hard, you expect more. (Kam Luif winning a title) He’s been training really hard this year and he deserved it.”

Goodwin (45-5) was the lone finalist and one of two medal winners for coach Dominic Angelo’s Shamrocks. He also finished in fifth place at 106 last season in his state debut and he’s just the third individual from St. Patrick who has competed in an IHSA title match, with Joe Fagiano (2006 and 2007) and Mike Mroczek (1985) the others, and he’s also one of five from his program who have collected two or more state medals, with classmate Van Grasser also winning his second medal this year. Goodwin opened with a victory by technical fall before winning a 7-0 decision over Normal West’s Dylan McGrew and then captured a 4-0 decision over Oak Forest’s Jacob Sebek in the semifinals to advance to the 113 title match.

In the third-place match, IC Catholic Prep junior Sam Murante (12-2) was a winner by fall in 2:00 over Oak Forest sophomore Jacob Sebek (42-6). Both individuals won their first IHSA medals with Murante doing so in his initial state trip and Sebek achieving that in his second visit. For fifth place, Morris sophomore Paxton Valentine (43-8) won a 5-4 decision over Crystal Lake Central sophomore Jackson Marlett (46-9). It was the first state tournament appearance for the two sophomores. Falling one victory shy of earning all-state honors were two other sophomores, Morton’s Noah Harris and Mahomet-Seymour’s Gideon Hayter. 

120 – Noah Woods, Washington

Noah Woods made the big jump from finishing sixth at 120 last season to being one of Washington’s tournament-best and school-best four IHSA champions when the senior followed two victories by technical fall with two close decisions to improve to 45-2 and he finished 48-3 as the Panthers were unable to win a third-straight 2A title when they lost 46-17 to IC Catholic Prep in the championship meet at the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals. The three-time state qualifier and two-time medalist became his team’s second champion in the Finals when he claimed a 2-0 victory on a tiebreaker over Montini Catholic sophomore Mikey Malizzio in the 120 finals.

Woods opened with a win by technical fall in 3:26 over Charleston’s Trotter Titus and then won again by technical fall, this time in 1:44 over Prairie Ridge’s Jake Lowitzki. He earned his spot as one of the Panthers’ four finalists who eventually all won championships by capturing a 4-1 decision over Riverside-Brookfield’s Edgar Mosquera in the semifinals. Of the four title winners, Woods’ match was the only one that needed extra time. Four-time finalist junior Peyton Cox won his first title at 144 by a 1-0 score, junior Josh Hoffer captured his first title by a 5-0 score at 215 and junior Wyatt Medlin won his second-straight title with a victory by technical fall at 157.

“I think I performed to the best of my ability before this and that’s what probably gave me the mental edge over him,” Woods said. “I felt not nervous because he hadn’t really experienced this. To have my family and my coaches behind me and supporting me, that was a big part of my performance, because of them.” 

Malizzio (43-10), one of the four finalists and eight medal winners for coach Mike Bukovsky’s Broncos, improved one spot from a year ago when he took third at 113. He was involved in three tight matches, winning his opener 1-0 over Wauconda’s Gavin Rockey, a three-time medalist and two-time finalist who wrestled back to finish third. His quarterfinal win was his largest as he captured a 9-0 major decision over Triad’s Will Kelly. And there was more drama in the semifinals as he prevailed 7-1 by sudden victory over IC Catholic Prep’s Kannon Judycki.

In the third-place match, Wauconda senior Gavin Rockey (46-10) closed out his record-setting career for the Bulldogs by winning a 3-1 decision over Riverside-Brookfield senior Edgar Mosquera (40-7), his fifth-straight win in the wrestlebacks after losing 1-0 in his opener to Malizzio. Rockey became the first individual from his school to be a three-time medalist and he also is the only one to compete in two title matches, and unfortunately for him, settling for second at 106 both times, in 2024 to Montini Catholic’s Allen Woo and in 2023 to Grayslake Central’s Anthony Alanis. Mosquera, who took second place to Rock Island’s Truth Vesey at 113 in 2024, became the sixth Bulldog to win two or more medals and the first to pull off that feat since two-time champion Dave Vohaska captured his third medal in 1983. 

“I treated it like it was blood round every match,” Rockey said. “It’s my senior year, so I told myself every time to just wrestle as hard as I can and I’ll make it back. It sucks losing in the first round, especially in a close match. (Competing at Wauconda) It was absolutely amazing. I love every single one of my coaches, they treat me like family. I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

In the fifth-place match, Yorkville Christian senior Aiden Larsen (43-6) closed out his historic career by being one of the 11 four-time medalists in the tournament when he won 6-3 in sudden victory over IC Catholic Prep sophomore Kannon Judycki (31-21). Larsen, who also took fifth in 2022 and was sixth in both 2023 and 2024, is one of four Mustangs that have won at least two medals and the only one to win more than two and he also was  a member of coach Mike Vester’s 2022 Class 1A championship team that beat Tremont and his 2023 tea, that was Class 1A runner-up to Coal City. Judycki won his first state medal in his second trip and was one of a tournament-high 10 all-staters for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights, who won their first-ever IHSA team title at the Class 2A Dual Team Finals. St. Rita’s Jack Hogan, who took third place at 106 in 2024, and Sycamore’s Michael Olson, both fell one win shy of earning all-state honors.

“Aiden Larsen was able to complete something that very few wrestlers ever do, and that was to become a four-time state medalist,” Yorkville Christian coach Mike Vester said. “By placing fifth at 120 this year he capped off a career of 140-plus wins, four individual state medals, two team medals and has committed to the University of Central Missouri where he will continue wrestling and continue his education through the ROTC program. Though his place on the podium was not where he wanted it to be, there were mere seconds or a point separating him from the top of the podium versus fifth place. And knowing that he has been battle-tested against the best, injured or healthy, good day or bad day, he has continued from day one to help guide this program (which is only in its seventh year now) to the success it has had and hopes to leave it with a legacy that can carry on that success after he is in college and beyond.”

126 – Max Cumbee, IC Catholic Prep

Max Cumbee believed that a new setting benefitted him to go from placing fifth at 113 in Class 3A for Joliet Catholic Academy to becoming an IHSA champion at 126 in Class 2A for IC Catholic Prep after the sophomore became one of three title winners, four finalists and 10 medalists for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights. He became his team’s second champion in the Finals when he prevailed 1-0 over Rochelle senior Xavier Villalobos in the 126 title match.

Cumbee (23-5) opened with two victories by technical fall, winning in  2:53 over Mattoon’s Tristan Porter and in 2:44 over Geneseo’s Tim Sebastian, a three-time state qualifier, in the quarterfinals. He earned his spot on the 126 title mat by capturing a 7-0 decision over Morton’s Harrison Dea in the semifinals. An equally important upside of his move to his new school came one week later when IC Catholic Prep captured its first state team title after defeating two-time defending champion Washington 46-17 in the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals in Bloomington.

“I had no doubt that I was going to be champion this year,” Cumbee said. “(Being a state champ) It’s great, it’s so much better than last year and not really getting what I wanted. (IC Catholic Prep) It’s great. Our coaching staff is really great, they push us, they’re great people and they’re just as happy as us when we win. Our team bonding and our team energy is great, we’re all great with each other and we’re friends who push each other.”

Villalobos (42-6), a four-time qualifier who also took fifth place at 126 last season and was the runner-up at 113 to Joliet Catholic Academy’s Gylon Sims in 2022, was the lone finalist and joined senior fifth-place finishers Kaiden Morris (215) and Grant Gensler (165) as medalists for coach Alphonso Vruno’s Hubs. He made his mark on the record book for Rochelle by becoming the program’s first three-time medalist, its second two-time finalist and one of six who won two or more state medals. He opened his second trek to the state title mat a major decision. Then he captured a 5-2 decision over Notre Dame College Prep’s John Sheehy in the quarterfinals and prevailed 2-1 on a tiebreaker over Antioch’s Gavin Hanrahan in the semifinals.

“Just to be in this great environment in one of the toughest states for wrestling feels great and amazing,” Villalobos said following his win in the semifinals. “I was in this spot freshman year and it didn’t go my way so you have to battle back and win.”

In the third-place match, Antioch senior Gavin Hanrahan (28-8) won an 8-3 decision over Notre Dame College Prep senior John Sheehy (45-9). Hanrahan, a four-time state qualifier who advanced to the semifinals, also took third at 120 last year after falling just short of all-state honors in his first two trips to Champaign, became one of 11 Sequoits to win two or more state medals. Sheehy, a three-time qualifier who also placed fourth at 113 in 2024, became the third Don to win two state medals, following up on his former teammate, Karl Schmalz, who took thirds at 285 in 2022 and 2023. And he was one of two medal winners this year along with Ray Long, who became the second individual from the program to win a title when he took first at 106, the Dons’ first champion in 31 years, when Mike Rosengrant won at 130 in 1994.

“It was hard losing in the semis in ultimate tiebreaker by one, but I just came back with a positive mindset and wrestled aggressively,” Hanrahan said. “(Competing at Antioch) It was a great experience. I’ve had good coaches and they’ve been pushing me ever since I was a freshman at 106. I’ve been down here four times and freshman and sophomore years, I lost in the blood round. Last year, I came back strong and took third. And this year, I took third again.”

For fifth place, Morton junior Harrison Dea (36-6) won a 16-11 decision over Civic Memorial sophomore  Avery Jaime (39-13) in a rematch from the quarterfinals, where Dea captured a 12-0 major decision. Dea, who advanced to the semifinals in his second state appearance, also placed fifth at 106 in 2023 and became the sixth Potter to win two or more state medals. Jaime claimed his first medal in his second trip to state. Coming up one victory shy of earning all-state honors were Champaign Central’s Talin Baker and Deerfield’s Adrian Cohen.

132 – Deven Casey, IC Catholic Prep

Deven Casey became the third individual from IC Catholic Prep to win two state titles and was one of 11 individuals in the IHSA Finals who earned all-state honors for a fourth time when the senior captured a 10-1 major decision over Civic Memorial senior Bradley Ruckman in the 132 title match. Casey, who denied Glenwood’s Drew Davis of a third title in last year’s Class 2A 120 finals, joins Michael Calcagno (2022 and 2024) and Joey Bianchini (2017 and 2018) as two-time champions for the Knights, with Casey achieving that feat in two seasons after claiming third at 106 in 2022 and third place at 113 in 2023 while competing for Aurora Christian.

Casey (51-6), was the third of three champions and one of four finalists and a tournament-best 10 medalists for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights, who also captured their program’s first state title one week later in the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals when they captured a 46-17 victory over Washington. He won his first two matches by fall, needing 1:32 over East Peoria’s Cooper Chester and then in just 40 seconds to get past Lemont’s Cory Zator in the quarterfinals. He joined junior teammate Brody Kelly, the champion at 175, as the fourth and fifth individuals from their school to advance to two or more title matches when he got a win by technical fall in 3:12 over Brother Rice’s Bobby Conway. Sophomore Max Cumbee took first at 126 before him.

“The second title was great, it definitely secured my spot at the top, even if it was 2A, I love to wrestle the 3A guys in other tournaments,” Casey said. “It was great being able to lead the team, more importantly, and kind of just set the example and set the standard. I set the standard high trying to achieve my goals. (IC Catholic Prep) It’s a great community, It’s a team of guys who have high goals, high standards. Everyone is focused on the same and we’re all motivated to work hard.”

Ruckman (43-4), who also made his fourth appearance in the IHSA Finals, collected the best of his three medals after missing out on placing a year ago. He also took fourth place at 106 in 2023 and sixth place at 106 in 2022 to become the fifth individual from Civic Memorial to earn IHSA all-state honors three or more times, with former teammate Bryce Griffin pulling off the same feat last season, and the eighth to win three or more medals if you include the 2021 IWCOA Open Championships. The lone finalist and one of three medalists for coach Jeremy Christeson’s Eagles, he won a 5-0 decision over Montini Catholic’s Isaac Mayora in his opener, followed with a win by technical fall in 4:45 over Deerfield’s Jackson Palzet and earned his first trip to the title mat by capturing a 4-3 decision over Providence Catholic’s Tommy Banas.

“I felt like I was more offensive than normal, which is what my goal was, so I thought it was a pretty good match and I’m happy about it,” Ruckman said following his semifinals victory. “In my freshman and sophomore years I placed and sophomore year I was in the semis, and I lost and that really hurt me. And in my junior year, I didn’t even place so this whole offseason just has been focused on these type of matches so I knew that I was prepared for it. It feels great. It’s what I’ve dreamed about my whole life.”

In the third-place match, Deerfield senior Jackson Palzet (50-3) won a 4-0 decision over Montini Catholic sophomore Isaac Mayora (36-18). Palzet earned a medal in his first state visit while Mayora was making his second appearance at state. 

“Third, I’ll take it, but I wanted first,” Palzet said. “I was training with my coach, Jake Reicin, year-around, doing doubles and always working on what we needed so that we were ready for moments like this. You could see him in my corner, I do everything that he says. It’s been a long ride at Deerfield up until this time, but it didn’t always go how I wanted it to go, but at the end, we got it done.”

For fifth place, Providence Catholic sophomore Tommy Banas (31-14) claimed a 4-1 decision over Brother Rice senior Bobby Conway (20-8). Banas took sixth place at 126 last season while Conway won the 2023 126 2A title over Triad’s Colby Crouch and was making his third state trip. Falling one win shy of claiming state medals were Geneseo senior Devan Hornback and Crystal Lake South junior Nathan Randle, a three-time qualifier who took second place to Glenwood’s Drew Davis in 2A at 113 in 2023 as a freshman competing for Wauconda.

138  – Kam Luif, Montini Catholic

Kam Luif set the stage for being a state champion with a sixth-place finish at 120 as a freshman in 2023 and then a third-place effort at 132 last season. The junior joined two-time title winner Allen Woo, who took first place at 113, to become Montini Catholic’s second champion of the event when he captured a 15-5 major decision over Rockford East senior Donald Cannon in the 138 title match. He joins over 20 other Broncos who won a title and three or more state medals.

Luif (53-4) was one of four finalists and eight medal winners for coach Mike Bukovsky’s Broncos, who closed their season by claiming a third-place showing in the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals. He recorded victories by technical fall in his other three matches. He needed just 48 seconds to win his opener with Mascoutah’s Desi Wade and then got the job done in 3:30 in the quarterfinals over Kaneland’s Alex Gochis before earning his first appearance in a state title match when he defeated Champaign Central’s Ronald Baker III in 5:50 in the semifinals. 

“I felt very confident just because I know that I trust in the training and I knew that I did everything I possibly could to lead up to that state championship,” Luif said. “I’m always trying to get better and always being pushed to get better there, so it’s a great place. Coach Bu is amazing, he’s the best. He’s one of a kind, for sure. Honestly, it’s bringing everybody together as a family. It’s not just the way he coaches, because that’s amazing, and he pushes us, too, it’s how he brings people together but also gets people to better each other. And also all of our coaching staff. Our team, it’s honestly not a team, it’s a family. Those are my brothers and I would do anything for this team. We’re all very close and we hang outside of high school together. And we just go and battle together as brothers and I think that’s what makes it special, being a part of that.” 

Cannon (32-5), who placed fifth at 126 as a freshman and fourth at 132 last year, became the second individual from Rockford East to be a three-time medalist, with Jordan Kolinski the other one to achieve that, which he did from 2002 to 2004. He opened with a decision, followed with a 9-3 triumph over Evergreen Park’s Chance Woods and earned his first trip to the state title mat with a 5-2 win by sudden victory over Deerfield’s Jordan Rasof. Cannon was his team’s lone finalist and was joined by fifth-place finishers Dana Wickson and Ty Smart to give coach Gene Lee’s E-Rabs three all-staters, tying their best total for medalists, which was set 50 years ago.

“That was a match,” Cannon said following his semifinals win. “I was expecting it to be a close one but I was also expecting him  to get the edge over me, to be honest. I just wrestled smart and wrestled hard and was not giving up on positions. I think that I wrestled pretty well staying in a good position the whole time. It’s really exciting. I really wasn’t expecting this. This is just crazy.”

In the third-place match, Deerfield senior Jordan Rasof (51-3) won a 13-4 major decision over Champaign Central senior Ronald Baker III (42-3). Rasof turned in his best showing at state after taking fifth last year at 138 and sixth at 126 in 2023. The semifinalist joins two-time IHSA champion Ted Parker (1961-1964) as the second Warrior to be a three-time medal winner and coach Marc Pechter’s Warriors also received a third-place finish from senior Jackson Palzet right before that at 132 while sophomore Adrian Cohen fell a win shy of a medal at 126. Baker III, who made the semifinals in his third trip to state, was the Maroons’ first medalist since 2020. 

“I was bummed about not making the finals,” Rasof said. “I knew that I could wake up this morning and just quit, but I wanted third, I didn’t want to go out like that, that’s not who I am. I think I had to prove something. It sucks that I wasn’t in the finals, but I’m glad I could prove it. My coaches care for me, so it means the world to wrestle for Deerfield.”

For fifth place, Brother Rice junior Oliver Davis (40-7) won his first medal in his second trip to  state when he got a win by technical fall in 4:51 over Sycamore sophomore Jayden Dohogne (47-11), who also won his first medal in his second state trip. Individuals who fell one win shy of a medal were Evergreen Park’s Chance Woods and Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Colton Huff.

144 – Peyton Cox, Washington

Peyton Cox faced the frustration of falling in four-straight IHSA championship matches but the Washington senior was determined that he was not going to be denied in his fourth attempt at winning a title and he finally was able to finish on top of the awards stand in Champaign after winning a 1-0 decision over IC Catholic Prep freshman Aiden Arnett in the 144 2A championship match. He joined junior Josh Hoffer (215) and senior Noah Woods (120) as title winners and junior Wyatt Medlin (157) followed him to be the fourth champ for coach Nick Miller’s Panthers, who had five all-staters with junior Symon Woods (106) taking sixth. Washington not only set a school record with four title winners but also had the most champions of any team in the Finals.

Cox (44-4) opened with a 7-0 victory over St. Rita’s Enzo Canali and then captured a 5-0 decision over Antioch’s Chase Nobling in the quarterfinals. He earned a spot in the finals for a fourth time with a pin in 25 seconds over Oak Forest’s Austin Perez. He joins Jacob Warner (2014-2017) as the program’s second four-time finalist and becomes the fifth four-time medalist along with Dylan Reel (2009-2012), Dack Punke (2014-2017), Jace Punke (2016-2019) and Warner for the Panthers, who settled for second place to IC Catholic Prep at the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals, marking the ninth time since 2015 that the program placed first or second.

“It’s indescribable,” Cox said. “The last three years, coming just short and this year finally being able to get it done, it’s a dream come true. We did our homework and we had a game plan and I didn’t execute actually what I wanted to because I didn’t get any takedowns, but I was able to get the job done and do what I needed to do. My coaching staff, practice partners, all of those people, those are the people that made me. Yeah, I put the work in, but those were the guys that pushed me and got me in the right direction. I wouldn’t be here without them. (Winning his title with teammates who won titles) It’s awesome and we’ve got another one who’s winning right now and hopefully we’re going to end up going 4-for-4. It always sucks going back on the bus when you got a guy losing, and I’m used to that guy being me. But it looks like, thankfully, we’re going to be able to take home four champs this year, and that’s something special.”

Arnett (41-11) was one of two freshmen who advanced to the title mat in Class 2A, along with Providence Catholic’s Justus Heeg, who won the title in the following match at 150, being the other. He was one of four finalists and program-best 10 medalists for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights, who followed up on their strong showing in Champaign by winning the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals in Bloomington to win their state championship. Arnett got a pin in his first match at state before claiming a 1-0 decision over Geneseo’s Izaac Gaines in the quarterfinals. Then he handed Mt. Vernon’s Dillon White his first defeat by claiming a 3-0 decision in the semifinals.

Oak Forest junior Austin Perez (30-2) won the third-place match 14-9 in a tiebreaker over Antioch junior Chase Nobiling (44-10) after falling to Cox in the semifinals. Perez took sixth at 138 in 2024 in his state debut while Nobiling earned all-state honors in his first visit to state. 

“In the overtime finish, I wanted a hard six minutes and I got more than six minutes and I love that,” Perez said. “That’s what the sport is about, battling hard, and I was glad to get the victory there. It feels great, I know I wanted that win and I got it. (His dad, Angel) My dad has been there throughout my whole career and coach (Shawn) Forst is a great coach, I love him, he never gives up on us and he takes good care of us. And I’m glad we’re part of the team.” 

In the fifth-place match, Morris junior Carter Skoff (51-5) claimed his first medal in his initial state appearance and won the fifth-place match by medical forfeit over Mt. Vernon senior Dillon White (42-1), who lost 3-0 in the semifinals to Arnett and was unable to compete again. The three-time qualifier for the Rams was the runner-up at 138 in 2024 to Washington’s Wyatt Medlin. White was the third individual from Mt. Vernon to win two or medals at state and the first to pull off that feat since Chase Vosburgh claimed his second of a school-best three medals in 2014. Falling one win shy of medals were DePaul College Prep’s Max Rosen and Geneseo’s Izaac Gaines.

150 – Justus Heeg, Providence Catholic

Justus Heeg pulled off the rare feat of a freshman winning his second state title when the Providence Catholic athlete capped a 45-3 debut season in Illinois by getting four wins by technical fall to win the Class 2A 150 title match in 4:36 over Mascoutah junior Brock Ross. Heeg, who took first in AA at 133 at the Minnesota State High School League Championships last season while competing for Simley, was joined on the awards stand in Champaign by his brother Judah, a junior who capped his initial season for Lemont with a 41-3 record after winning the 190 title 4-1 by sudden victory over Crystal Lake Central’s Cayden Parks.

Heeg was the lone finalist and one of three freshman medalists as well as a sophomore who won his second state medal for the Celtics, who are coached by 2022 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Donald Reynolds. He was one of seven individuals in the entire tournament and two in Class 2A who had four wins by technical fall, with Washington’s Wyatt Medlin the other. He was the first Celtic to win a championship since Jake Lindsey in 2017. He opened with a victory in 1:54 over Springfield High’s Bryce Bryant, claimed a win in 3:04 over Antioch’s Dominic Garcia and earned his spot in the title match with a triumph in 3:47 over Civic Memorial’s Knox Verbais.

“He sees me thriving in the sport, and I start thriving. If he’s thriving, I see him thriving and I’m going to start thriving,” Justus Heeg said about his brother Judah. (Being at different schools) It’s a little weird but it kind of gives us our own spotlight at both of our schools. He was definitely flying under the radar at the beginning of the season. (Being at Providence Catholic) It’s real fun and it’s kind of nice to bring this program back to where it was a couple of years ago.”

Ross (47-5), who earned his first state medal in his second appearance in Champaign, was the only all-stater for coach Chris Lindsay’s Indians. He is the fourth individual from Mascoutah to advance to a title match with Santino Robinson, a two-time finalist and the 132 2A champion in 2023, was the last to do that. After opening with a 6-0 decision, he defeated Rockford East’s Dana Wickson with an 11-0 major decision in the quarterfinals and then earned his spot in the 150 title match with an 8-3 decision over Carmel Catholic’s David Farjado in the semifinals.

“It’s my first time being in the finals,” Ross said following his victory in the semifinals. “Obviously it was scary wrestling in the semis. But when I won, it felt pretty good, it was like a relief off of my shoulders. (Santino Robinson) He comes into practice with us sometimes, mainly with me, because he knows that I’m pretty decent. He’s a big help because he’s already been here and through all of this. (Russ Witzig) He retired at Triad a year ago and then apparently he found his spirit and saw some potential in our team and came to coach us. I’m glad he chose our community to be along with.”

Civic Memorial freshman Knox Verbais (44-7), who lost to Heeg in the semifinals and was one of three medal winners for the Eagles, captured third place with a 6-1 decision over Antioch sophomore Dominic Garcia (35-7), who made his first state appearance and was one of four all-staters for the Sequoits. 

“The best coaches in the world, the best team in the world, the environment is amazing,” Verbais said. “I’m just happy to be here and making it. I had a rough summer, I tore both of my meniscus, so I’m coming back from that. I was out for about seven months. We’ve got three placers today and just a lot of tough guys throughout the lineup who are keeping me humble. They’re taking me down and beating me and I’m getting back up.”

For fifth place, Rockford East junior Dana Wickson (36-7), a state qualifier last season, won by medical forfeit over Carmel Catholic senior David Farjado (22-2), who fell to Ross in the semifinals, earned his first state medal. Coming up one victory short of medals were Geneseo’s Malaki Jackson, a three-time qualifier, and Metamora’s Grady Neal, who qualified last year.

157 – Wyatt Medlin, Washington

Wyatt Medlin entered the 157 championship match on a roll after having won his three previous matches with victories by technical fall. But while there was plenty of drama in the title wins by his teammates, junior Josh Hoffer (215) and seniors Noah Woods (120) and Peyton Cox (144), with all three of those decided by five points or less, with Cox prevailing 1-0 and Woods getting a 2-0 triumph on a tiebreaker. But the Panthers junior not only made sure that the outcome of his title match with Highland senior Tyson Rakers would not be close, he became one of of seven individuals in the tournament and two in Class 2A who finished with four wins by technical fall after ending matters in 4:54 to assure Washington of a school-record four titles at a state finals and also give it one more championship than IC Catholic finished with, which was three, as coach Nick Miller’s Panthers led all teams in Champaign with their four-title performance.

Medlin (52-3) repeated as a champion after taking first place at 138 last season with a 10-3 decision over Mt. Vernon’s Dillon White and he also placed third at 126 in 2023. His initial win was in 1:35 over Deerfield’s Charlie Cross and he followed that up with a victory in 2:14 over Mascoutah’s Jordan Sonon-Hale and then assured himself of a second-straight trip to a state title match with a triumph in 5:00 over Saint Ignatius College Preps’s Nate Sanchez in the semifinals.The only other individual in Class 2A to record four wins by technical fall was Providence Catholic’s Justus Heeg, who pulled off that feat just before Medlin began his match with Rakers. Medlin, who finished unbeaten Illinois competitors, became the seventh individual from his program to win two or more IHSA titles. The Panthers, who finished with five medal winners, advanced to the IHSA 2A Dual Team championship meet for the ninth time since 2015, but their hopes for a three-peat were dashed by IC Catholic Prep, who beat them 46-17 for its first state championship. Washington has six titles and three seconds in the last 10 seasons.

“There’s definitely always something to prove,” Medlin said. “Being dominant all through high school is something to be known as. I want guys to say Wyatt Medlin, and they say, wow, ‘that kid kicked some butt in high school.’” Medlin said. “My coaching staff is awesome. Matt Webster, Nick Miller, Max Nowry, the newest addition, and Danny Thornton, all of those guys, they’re just super supportive and always constantly wanting to get us kids better and sometimes they put us before themselves and their families. They make sacrifices, and it’s just awesome. In between sessions (in Champaign), we get to train in the Illinois wrestling room. I can pick their brains a little bit. They’re excellent coaches and that’s why I’m going to Illinois. I’m super excited.” 

Rakers (46-3), a three-time qualifier, became his school’s third two-time medalist along with his brother Trent Rakers (2016-2017) and Tanner Farmer (2013-2014). He also moved past Trent to become the school’s all-time wins leader. Tyson, who was the fourth Bulldog to advance to a state title match, took fourth at 150 last season. He was the lone medal winner for Highland, which is coached by Terry Ohren. He also opened with a victory by technical fall before winning a 13-3 major decision over Fenwick’s Aiden Burns and he earned his spot in the 157 finals with another major decision, this time 10-1, over Brother Rice’s Frank Miceli in the semifinals.

Saint Ignatius College Prep senior Nate Sanchez (39-5) claimed third place by capturing a 13-7 decision over Providence Catholic freshman Jasper Harper (40-17). Sanchez, a three-time qualifier who advanced to the semifinals and is coached by his father, Ben, became the Wolfpack’s second medalist, with the other being Pat Lukanich, who took second at 140 in Class AA in 2001. Harper, who also lost to Sanchez 14-2 in the quarterfinals, was one of four medal winners for coach Donald Reynolds’ Celtics, including one of three freshmen all-staters.

“It’s been a long time since Saint Ignatius got a medalist, so this is showing the program that if you keep putting that work in and trust in your coaches that it’s going to happen,” Nate Sanchez said. “In the first two years the lights got to me and I had that pressure of wanting to get those wins but I couldn’t. I got one win my sophomore year and that kind of pushed me to think that next year I’m placing, but injuries happen. Coming back senior year, I’m a veteran here and I’m showing that I’m the veteran and getting it done.”

“Nate is the first medalist for Saint Ignatius since 2001,” Saint Ignatius College Prep coach and Nate’s father, Ben Sanchez said. “Pat Lukanich, our only other medalist, actually called Nate to congratulate him on his third place finish. Nate has surrounded himself by great coaches, and a huge shout out to our staff and Beat the Streets for all the work with Nate. Nate now has 149 career varsity wins, most all time. Nate will be wrestling at The University of Chicago next year.”

Rockford East junior Ty Smart (40-14) took fifth place with a 16-6 major decision over Brother Rice sophomore Frank Miceli (38-10). Smart, who advanced to state for the second time and won his first medal, was one of three medalists for coach Gene Lee’s E-Rabs, who tied their program’s record for most all-staters with three that was set in 1975. Miceli, who also qualified for state last season, advanced to the semifinals and was one of four medal winners for coach Jan Murzyn’s Crusaders, who made their third-straight appearance in the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals, where they fell 42-26 to eventual runner-up Washington. Falling one win shy of earning all-state honors were Fenwick’s Aiden Burns and Plano’s Caiden Ronning.

165 – Pierre Walton, East St. Louis Senior

Pierre Walton ended one of the longest droughts between champions at the IHSA Class 2A Finals when the junior from East St. Louis Senior won by fall in 3:47 over Montini Catholic junior Santino Tenuta in the 165 finals to give the Flyers their first state championship since 1943. Walton (42-4), one of two state qualifiers for coach Stephen Doty’s Flyers, began his surprising run to the 165 championship with a fall in 1:57 over Galesburg’s Anthony Makwala and then he captured an 8-4 decision over Vernon Hills’ Ilia Dvoriannikov in the quarterfinals before earning his spot as the first person from his school to advance to the title mat at the IHSA Finals in 11 years when he shocked Geneseo’s Zachary Montez, a four-time medalist, 6-5 in the semifinals. The last Flyer to compete in a championship match was SirRomeo Howard, who took second at 145 in 2014 to another individual from Montini Catholic, Chris Garcia, who won a 6-4 decision. Walton, who won titles at major tournaments at Mascoutah and Carbondale, wasn’t ranked in the final poll, however each of his last three opponents were ranked at second, first and fourth.   

Walton is likely to hold the record for ending the long championship drought for some time since it appears that there’s only two other schools that won titles earlier than the Flyers’ previous champion. The last time an athlete at East St. Louis Senior captured an IHSA title was 82 years ago, when sophomore Gene Couch won a 3-0 decision over Rock Island freshman Glenn McCarty for top honors at 95, in the seventh IHSA Tournament, which took place at the Men’s Old Gym Annex on the University of Illinois campus. The title was a big deal for a program that had only won eight medals since the IHSA split the event into two classes in 1974, with the last of those coming in 2018 when Anthony King claimed third place in Class 2A at 106.

“As I keep saying in these interviews, it’s been 80-plus years since we had had a state champion, back in like 1940,” Walton said. “So for it to happen in the modern era right now when wrestling isn’t like a big thing in East St. Louis is incredible. I’ve been working so hard since I started wrestling when I was 12 years old, until now when I’m 17 and a junior, I’ve been working really, really hard. This just shows that hard work pays off, it’s undisputable. I think I’m going to absolutely inspire a bunch of other guys to come out. Now that they see that I’m from East St. Louis and it’s possible, everybody else is going to want to do what I’m doing. This means that we’re going to keep growing as a program and you’re going to hear way more from East St. Louis in upcoming years. When I got that fall, the arena exploded. I definitely made a name for myself here today.” 

Tenuta (44-8) was one of four finalists and eight all-staters for coach Mike Bukovsky’s Broncos, who finished in third place at the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals to conclude their season. After opening with a pin, he prevailed 4-1 by sudden victory over Rochelle’s Grant Gensler before earning his spot in the 165 finals with a fall in 0:32 over St. Patrick’s Van Grasser. This was the third appearance in Champaign for Tenuta and he earned his first medal.

The final two individuals that Walton defeated to reach the title match met up for third place and Vernon Hills junior Ilia Dvooriannikov won a 4-3 decision over Geneseo senior Zachary Montez (45-2). This was the third state trip for Dvoriannikov and he became just the third Cougar to be a two-time all-stater, with his first state trip in 2024 being highlighted by him taking second place at 165 after he lost 4-2 to Dunlap’s Nick Mueller in the finals. Montez is the first four-time medal winner for the Maple Leafs, whose head coach, 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Jon Murray, is retiring from a position that he’s held since 2002-2003. Montez took third place at 150 last year and third at 132 in 2023 and also placed fourth at 113 in 2022. He and 175 runner-up Kye Weinzierl were the lone medal winners for Geneseo, who advanced to the IHSA Dual Team Finals where it fell 47-22 to eventual champion IC Catholic Prep in the quarterfinals.

For fifth place, Rochelle senior Grant Gensler (49-7) won by fall in 4:40 over St. Patrick junior Van Grasser (35-12). Gensler earned his first state medal in his third appearance in Champaign while Grassler, who advanced to the semifinals, took sixth place at 157 in 2024, giving him two medals in two visits to state. Grassler and classmate Daniel Goodwin, who took second at 113, became the fourth and fifth Shamrocks to win two or more state medals. Falling one victory shy of earning all-state honors were Mahomet-Seymour senior AJ Demos (39-13) and St. Rita junior Micah Spinazzola (29-9), who qualified in 1A the last two years while competing for Peotone.  

IHSA Class 2A Individual Tournament Final Results

2A 106

1st Place Match

Ray Long (Notre Dame College Prep) 46-4, So. over Vince DeMarco (Grayslake Central) 47-3, So. (Dec 15-12)

3rd Place Match

Erik Klichurov (Montini Catholic) 49-5, Fr. over Dominic Pasquale (IC Catholic Prep) 21-9, So. (TF-1.5 5:50 (19-3))

5th Place Match

Christian Corcoran (Providence Catholic) 38-17, Fr. over Symon Woods (Washington) 42-9, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:30 (20-3))

2A 113

1st Place Match

Allen Woo (Montini Catholic) 49-5, So. over Daniel Goodwin (St. Patrick) 45-5, Jr. (SV-1 4-1)

3rd Place Match

Sam Murante (IC Catholic Prep) 10-1, Jr. over Jacob Sebek (Oak Forest) 42-6, So. (Fall 2:00)

5th Place Match

Paxton Valentine (Morris) 43-8, So. over Jackson Marlett (Crystal Lake Central) 44-9, So. (Dec 5-4)

2A 120

1st Place Match

Noah Woods (Washington) 45-2, Sr. over Mikey Malizzio (Montini Catholic) 40-9, So. (TB-1 2-0)

3rd Place Match

Gavin Rockey (Wauconda) 46-10, Sr. over Edgar Mosquera (Riverside-Brookfield) 40-7, Sr. (Dec 3-1)

5th Place Match

Aiden Larsen (Yorkville Christian) 43-6, Sr. over Kannon Judycki (IC Catholic Prep) 29-20, So. (SV-1 6-3)

2A 126

1st Place Match

Max Cumbee (IC Catholic Prep) 20-5, So. over Xavier Villalobos (Rochelle) 42-6, Sr. (Dec 1-0)

3rd Place Match

Gavin Hanrahan (Antioch) 28-8, Sr. over John Sheehy (Notre Dame College Prep) 45-9, Sr. (Dec 8-3)

5th Place Match

Harrison Dea (Morton) 36-6, Jr. over Avery Jaime (Civic Memorial) 39-13, So. (Dec 16-11)

2A 132

1st Place Match

Deven Casey (IC Catholic Prep) 47-6, Sr. over Bradley Ruckman (Civic Memorial) 43-4, Sr. (MD 10-1)

3rd Place Match

Jackson Palzet (Deerfield) 50-3, Sr. over Isaac Mayora (Montini Catholic) 34-17, So. (Dec 4-0)

5th Place Match

Tommy Banas (Providence Catholic) 31-14, So. over Bobby Conway (Brother Rice) 19-8, Sr. (Dec 4-1)

2A 138

1st Place Match

Kam Luif (Montini Catholic) 50-4, Jr. over Donald Cannon (Rockford East) 32-5, Sr. (MD 15-5)

3rd Place Match

Jordan Rasof (Deerfield) 51-3, Sr. over Ronald Baker III (Champaign Central) 42-3, Sr. (MD 13-4)

5th Place Match

Oliver Davis (Brother Rice) 40-7, Jr. over Jayden Dohogne (Sycamore) 46-11, So. (TF-1.5 4:51 (21-3))

2A 144

1st Place Match

Peyton Cox (Washington) 40-4, Sr. over Aiden Arnett (IC Catholic Prep) 37-11, Fr. (Dec 1-0)

3rd Place Match

Austin Perez (Oak Forest) 29-2, Jr. over Chase Nobiling (Antioch) 44-10, Jr. (TB-1 14-9)

5th Place Match

Carter Skoff (Morris) 51-5, Jr. over Dillon White (Mt. Vernon) 42-1, Sr. (M. For.)

2A 150

1st Place Match

Justus Heeg (Providence Catholic) 45-3, Fr. over Brock Ross (Mascoutah) 47-5, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:36 (20-5))

3rd Place Match

Knox Verbais (Civic Memorial) 44-7, Fr. over Dominic Garcia (Antioch) 35-7, So. (Dec 6-1)

5th Place Match

Dana Wickson (Rockford East) 36-7, Jr. over David Farjado (Carmel Catholic) 22-2, Sr. (M. For.)

2A 157

1st Place Match

Wyatt Medlin (Washington) 48-3, Jr. over Tyson Rakers (Highland) 46-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:54 (20-5))

3rd Place Match

Nate Sanchez (Saint Ignatius College Prep) 39-5, Sr. over Jasper Harper (Providence Catholic) 40-17, Fr. (Dec 13-7)

5th Place Match

Ty Smart (Rockford East) 40-14, Jr. over Frank Miceli (Brother Rice) 37-10, So. (MD 16-6)

2A 165

1st Place Match

Pierre Walton (East St. Louis Senior) 42-4, Jr. over Santino Tenuta (Montini Catholic) 40-8, Jr. (Fall 3:47)

3rd Place Match

Ilia Dvoriannikov (Vernon Hills) 44-6, Jr. over Zachary Montez (Geneseo) 43-2, Sr. (Dec 4-3)

5th Place Match

Grant Gensler (Rochelle) 49-7, Sr. over Van Grasser (St. Patrick) 35-12, Jr. (Fall 4:40)

2A 175

1st Place Match

Brody Kelly (IC Catholic Prep) 46-5, Jr. over Kye Weinzierl (Geneseo) 44-3, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:13 (21-6))

3rd Place Match

Marco Casillas (Mahomet-Seymour) 51-4, Fr. over Dan Costello (Brother Rice) 27-11, So. (MD 8-0)

5th Place Match

Ben Vazquez (Antioch) 41-9, Sr. over Cooper Bode (Sycamore) 40-13, Jr. (Dec 6-5)

2A 190

1st Place Match

Judah Heeg (Lemont) 41-3, Jr. over Cayden Parks (Crystal Lake Central) 44-2, Sr. (SV-1 4-1)

3rd Place Match

Mike Taheny (Richards) 43-3, Sr. over Richie Amakiri (Plano) 44-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:42 (25-7))

5th Place Match

Isaac Barrientos (IC Catholic Prep) 34-17, Fr. over Jaxon Lane (Montini Catholic) 38-21, Sr. (MD 13-4)

2A 215

1st Place Match

Josh Hoffer (Washington) 49-3, Jr. over Jaxson Mathenia (Waterloo) 43-3, So. (Dec 5-0)

3rd Place Match

Foley Calcagno (IC Catholic Prep) 41-14, Jr. over Genesis Ward (Evergreen Park) 34-7, Sr. (Fall 5:08)

5th Place Match

Kaiden Morris (Rochelle) 49-5, Sr. over Xavier Bitner (St. Laurence) 27-14, Jr. (Fall 2:30)

2A 285

1st Place Match

Cody Moss (Glenwood) 39-5, Jr. over Jose Del Toro (East Peoria) 48-3, Sr. (Dec 9-7)

3rd Place Match

Hunter Wahtola (DePaul College Prep) 36-11, So. over Anthony Sebastian (IC Catholic Prep) 31-16, So. (Dec 4-0)

5th Place Match

Gavin Ericson (Montini Catholic) 36-20, So. over Lucas Burton (Cary-Grove) 30-5, Sr. (SV-1 4-1)

By Mike Garofola for the IWCOA

BLOOMINGTON — It was a weekend full of surprises.

The 40th dual-team state tournament would provide a shocking result on the opening day with Hononegah, perhaps overlooked in advance of this final weekend of the season, providing a stunning victory over the reigning state champion to get the proceedings off to a rip-roaring start.

Reigning state champion Mount Carmel would headline the top half of the bracket here in Bloomington at the Grossinger Motors Arena, and with its headline star Seth Mendoza at the forefront, it looked as though the Caravan would find its way into the state final come Saturday night.

It appeared the stars were aligned for the Caravan who earlier in the week would avenge a mid-January loss to No. 1 Marist (43-26) with a 35-34 victory in its dual-team sectional at Yorkville.

Hononegah stood in the way of the Caravan, along with No. 4 Joliet Catholic Academy, and Oak Park-River Forest, which was making its 13th trip to the dual team finals.

On the bottom half of this bracket stood No. 3 Marmion Academy, still in search of its first-ever state title, plus No. 10 Edwardsville, MSL champion Hersey and its league rival Schaumburg, here on its maiden voyage.

Quality teams for sure, and an incredible array of individual talent for an appreciative audience to admire.

This eight-team field delivered five state champions, 26 state medal winners, and 58 overall state qualifiers from the individual state tournament in Champaign.

Here’s a closer look at both days of of the dual team state tournament:

Day One action:

Long before the Mount Carmel-Hononegah quarterfinal drew to a close, Marmion Academy rolled past Schaumburg, 63-10 to advance into the Saturday morning semifinal.

“We knew what our chances were once we beat Lane on Tuesday to make it down here for the first time,” Schaumburg coach Mike Levanti said. “Marmion Academy is a great program, and one that we have a lot of respect for.” 

Schaumburg (22-5) won its third consecutive regional title to reach a dual-team sectional in its home gym.

“We had a monumental task ahead of us today,” Levanti said. “But I’d rather that we have it (downstate) after we achieved something our program, prior to this year, had never done.”

Levanti and his staff will stay goodbye to six seniors, five of which were starters, including the four-time state medal winner Brady Phelps, and four-year star Callen Kirchner, who earned his first state medal in three tries in Champaign.

“This is a great way to end our high school career, and it’s something that I will remember forever,” said Phelps, second to Dom Munaretto (St. Charles East) at 120 pounds.

AJ Quevedo, Justin Cortes-Apolinar, Tommy Baisler and Sean Christoffel will graduate this May also after claiming over 80 combined victories on the season.

“This is the best group that I’ve had during my time as head coach, what they did was special, and it’s something they should all be proud of,” said Levanti.

The spotlight dual of the day in the top half of the bracket featured Mount Carmel vs. Hononegah; the tournament favorites against the No. 12 Indians, who dealt with injuries all season long, but came together in the nick of time.

“This is a family we have at Hononegah, a real close family that wrestles for each other, our coaches, program, and then ourselves,” said Hononegah’s Rocco Cassioppi, who last weekend won a state title at 132 pounds.

Hononegah would state its intent from the very start when a tech-fall from Thomas Silva at 138, followed by a pin from Bruno Cassioppi, gave the NIC-10 champs an early 11-0 lead.

Mount Carmel’s Seth Mendoza, who was coming off a fourth state championship, showed his awesome talent and versatility by bumping all the way up from 138 to 150, where he recorded a tech-fall.

Hononegah sophomore Brody Sendele, out for close to six weeks with a knee injury that will require surgery at season’s end, gave the Indians an all-important bonus-point victory with a tech fall to increase the Indians advantage to 16-10.

The dual then went back-and-forth until the very last match.

State champion Liam Kelly (175) and Sergio Calleros (190) pushed Mount Carmel ahead 18-16 with their eight points earned.

Hononegah senior Kurt Smith countered with a 13-4 major, answered quickly by a forfeit given to Mount Carmel heavyweight Landin Carter.

Freshman Sebastian Gracia gave Mount Carmel its final lead of the day at 28-20 with a 12-2 major decision win.

It would then be the heroics of Hononegah’s Isaiah Martinez (113), Jackson Olson (120) and Rocco Cassioppi (126) coming through in sensational fashion.

Martinez was the key to the Indians 14-0 late run, holding onto a 6-5 advantage for the final 70 seconds of his match with Mount Carmel’s William Grafton-Hodgetts.

The one-point decision drew the Indians within five (28-23) with an Olson pin at 42 seconds putting his club ahead for good (29-28) and the Hononegah fans tasting success.

“There was never a doubt in my mind we could come in here and give Mount Carmel a strong enough effort to put ourselves in position to win,” Hononegah coach Tyler DeMoss said. “It was as close as I figured it would be. But that win from Martinez was so big, and with Olson and then Rocco up next, we knew this dual would be ours.”

Cassioppi put on the finishing touches for the underdogs with a tech-fall, making the major decision victory from Mount Carmel’s Justin Williamson meaningless in a 34-32 final.

“There were so many big wins from the guys, many with bonus points attached to them. It was a great win for the guys and our program against a great team,” said DeMoss.

DeMoss’ club would face Joliet Catholic Academy in the semifinals after the Hilltoppers held off a valiant Oak Park-River Forest club, 38-29. OPRF reached Bloomington by surprising St. Charles East it the sectional dual to earn his spot here in the final eight.

OPRF (15-4-0) stars Zev Koransky (138) and Joseph Knackstedt (144) gave the Huskies its first lead of the day (7-0) and would hold it until the Hilltoppers went ahead at (18-13) on a fall from Isaac Clauson at 175.

Three-time state medal winner Nico Ronchetti would add to Hilltoppers lead (23-13) with a tech-fall at 190.

It was at this point the Huskies would give the Hilltoppers faithful plenty of nervous moments when they reeled off three consecutive victories.

Eric Harris who won a hard fought match to help the Huskies defeat St. Charles East – was at it again when he registered a major decision at 215, before his teammate Terrence Garner (285) followed with 4-2 win to draw the Huskies closer (23-20) until 106-pound state champion MJ Rundell gave his side its last lead (26-23) of the evening with his 24th pin of the season.

“The guys showed a lot of heart throughout this match. A couple of decisions or bonus points either way, and maybe the result is in our favor,” said OPRF head coach Paul Collins.

Joliet Catholic’s Lukas Foster pinned his rival at 113, and OPRF’s Jamiel Castleberry (120) answered with a 7-1 victory to draw the Huskies level at 29-29.

That’s when Matthew Laird put the Hilltoppers ahead for good (33-29) with an 8-0 major decision. That win gave way to a tech-fall win from Mount Carmel’s three-time state medalist Jason Hampton, ending the dream for Collins’ club and giving the Caravan a 38-29 win.

“It was a great team win for us tonight, we had to work hard against a very good opponent to guarantee ourselves a team state trophy,” said Hampton.

“I could not be more proud of this team,” began Paul Collins. “Our seniors really led the way for us. They were tough, mentally and physically, and showed the younger guys what it takes to get to the state tournament.

“We have a lot of guys returning next year, so to get down here this season, and to have those younger guys be in this environment – that will go a long way towards the team earning another trip here and coming away with a better result. After enjoying a great run for 5-6 years, we’ve had several lean years, but this group has helped bring our program back.”

Collins led back-to-back state championships in 2015 and 2016, and twice earned second-place honors in 2018 and 2019.

In the fourth 3A quarterfinal dual, Hersey would secure its first state trophy since the very first years of the existence of the school, with a hard fought, well-deserved 40-27 victory over Edwardsville.

The Huskies’ program would enjoy extraordinary success when it won back-to-back state titles in 1971 and 1972 under head coach Tom Porter on the strength of individual titles from Jim Battaglia and Brad Smith, plus a quartet of top four state placers.

Both sides in the quarterfinal would take turns dominating the proceedings. The Huskies went out to a 17-5 advantage only to see Edwardsville (16-4-0) roar back to score the next 22 points in building a 27-17 lead.

But from that point it was all Hersey, which scored the last 23 points to earn a historic victory for the program.

“This has been a real hard-working, gritty team all season long, so I wasn’t surprised that we stayed under control when (Edwardsville) went on their run,” Hersey senior Riddick Variano said. “We finished strong to get this huge victory.” 

Variano closed out the Tigers with a pin at 126 in advance of a tech-fall win by teammate Elijah Garza in the final bout of the dual.

Garza earned a fourth-place state medal in Champaign, joining senior Max Mukhamedaliyev, now a three-time state placer after his fifth-place finish in Champaign.

“It was a real emotional win for me,” said a proud Huskies head coach, Joe Rupslauk.

“When I look back to where this program was when I came here five or six years ago, and see where it’s at right now, it proves that all of the hard work, dedication, offseason training, and the total commitment from the guys paid off.”

Edwardsville saw a marvelous season end abruptly, after Eric Pretto’s’ men defeated Lincoln-Way East in a dual-team sectional Tuesday to earn the program’s fifth trip to Bloomington, and first since 2019.

Pretto will say goodbye to just six from this year’s roster, while returning eight from his starting 14, including all four of his state qualifiers in Michael McNamara, Ryan Ritchie, Simon Schulte and Roman Janek.

Schulte (190, 34-14) finished sixth at state at 190.

Day Two action:

Marmion Academy would continue on its winning ways after a comfortable 55-15 win over Hersey to advance into the final, while Hononegah once again found itself in another fierce battle with its quality opponent from Joliet Catholic Academy.

The Hononegah-Joliet Catholic Academy semifinal was what one would expect, with each side playing to its strengths. In the end, it would be a key pin from Hononegah’s Kristian DeClerq that would level this contest at at 20-20, setting up a big finish from the Indians’ hammers.

Before that occurred, it took gritty performances from Max Haskins (157), Connor Diemel (190) and Ethan Ballard (285) to stay away from bonus points defeats — always a major key in dual-team competition.

Also key to the eventual Hononegah victory was a 13-3 major decision from Jackson Olson (120) to cancel a major from Lukas Foster (13-1) at 113.

Rocco Cassioppi delivered a pin at 1:14 to give Hononegah a 30-24 advantage that Joliet Catholic’s Jason Hampton could only draw even via a win by fall.

The junior would tech fall his opponent to make it 30-29, followed by a pin from Hononegah’s Thomas Silva (45-4) to end things at 36-29 and send the four-time state medalist and his teammate into its first ever dual-team state final.

“We had a lot of guys come through in a big way, even if it wasn’t with a win,” Silva said. “They were still able to stay away from getting pinned, teched, or majored, and that pin from (Kristian) DeClercq, in my opinion was the biggest of all wins for us. 

“Throughout this year we dealt with injuries. (Brody) Sendele and Bruno (Cassioppi) were out for a long time. But we picked each other up and wrestled hard, which is something we did against Mt. Carmel and today with Joliet.”

The stage was now set for a Marmion Academy-Hononegah final, with Hersey and Joliet Catholic Academy vying for third-place honors.

Once there, and after a raucous crowd settled in to watch three finals across all three classes, Marmion Academy broke out on top with a tech-fall from Zach Stewart at 150, and a pin by Ashton Hobson to the delight of the Cadets’ faithful.

It was then that Hononegah’s upper weights would flex their collective muscle, with a pair of majors from Max Haskins and Brody Sendele, and then a tech fall from Connor Diemel at 190 to give Hononegah a 13-11 lead.

The Kurt Smith-Joe Favia 215-pound contest, expected to be a furious match – ended quicker than expected when a throw from Marmion’s Favia was deemed to be a slam.

After a long discussion between the two officials, Smith was given a six-point DQ victory.

“That was a big moment in this match, but we all stayed composed and under control, because there still was a lot of wrestling remaining,” Marmion’s Zach Stewart said.

Stewart’s words rang true. Teammates Mateusz Nycz (285), Colton Wyller (106) and Preston Morrison (113) posted three consecutive pins to lift Marmion to a 29-19 advantage.

“Wyller had a great year,” Marmion coach Anthony Cirrincione said. “He qualified for state at 120 while weighing just under 110 pounds. And Preston went from a jayvee wrestler a year ago to finishing third at state last weekend at 106.

“(Nycz) has had an incredible year at heavyweight, just an anchor to the end of our lineup, while becoming one of the most dependable and consistent guys I have ever coached.”

Nycz (49-6) will play football in the fall at Dartmouth.

“We never looked past any opponent this year,” Nycz said. “Especially down here, it was one team at a time and nothing else,” said Nycz.

After the Marmion trio forced Hononegah to chase a 10-point lead, Hononegah’s Jackson Olson closed the gap to 29-25 with a pin at 120 pounds. 

But Marmion state champ Nicholas Garcia (126) recorded a pin, and Demetrios Carrera earned a hard-fought 6-3 decision over Rocco Cassioppi (132) to start the celebration for Marmion’s fans.

Marmion’s Grayson Gracia won by a pin at 138, before Hononegah’s Thomas Silva ended the night with a forfeit to bring the final total to 42-31.

“I’ve been very fortunate to come to Marmion after two great years at South Elgin,” said Carrera, who placed third at 132 in Champaign. “My coaches and teammates there were all fantastic.

“Our room at Marmion is filled with some tremendous guys, who train like nothing I’ve ever seen, our coaching staff is so competitive, and the support from everyone involved in wrestling and in the school has been amazing.”

Stewart believed in this year’s squad at Marmion from the season’s start.

“Both Nick (Garcia) and I felt strongly at the start of the year that if we stayed healthy, we could make our way into the final and win it all,” Stewart said.

“The emotions involved with finally winning a state title is something that I can’t describe,” Garcia said. “There really are no words to say right now.”

Marmion’s skipper loved what he got from his side in the finals.

“Every guy did their job against Hononegah. It’s what makes wrestling so special, and the ultimate team sport, because you’re doing it for your teammates,” said Cirrincione.

“We are losing three terrific seniors in Andrew Harritos, Anthony Haddad and (Mateusz) Nycz, but we return a lot of firepower and I know those kids will all get better between now and then.”

Hononegah will take a bigger graduation hit than the Cadets (21-2-0). Starters Thomas Silva, Maxx Aranki, Max Haskins, Connor Diemel, Kurt Smith and Ethan Ballard are leaving behind close to 250 victories combined.

“We had an amazing weekend, and to get three wins in a row against tremendous opponents was something we felt we could do when we got down here,” DeMoss said. “But Marmion is a great team and credit to them for winning the state title.

“This team dealt with injuries but never let it affect the way we trained and competed. When it all came together in the final weekend of the season, we were able to show just how good of a team we were.”

Of the four losses on the season for Hononegah (27-4) three came against out-of-state opponents at The Clash in Wisconsin.

Not to be forgotten was the result from the third-place match. Joliet Catholic won 46-22 over Hersey to give the Hilltoppers their second state trophy in three seasons.

The Hilltoppers were 2A state runners-up in 2023, and were eliminated last year when they lost to eventual state champion Mount Carmel 33-26 in a state quarterfinal dual.

“It’s been an incredible four-year run for me,” Joliet Catholic’s Nico Ronchetti said. “It’s something that I will never forget, and something that I appreciate.

“We’ve lost a lot of great wrestlers and teammates since our second place finish down here three years ago, but our program has always remained together and very strong. Much of that is due to an amazing coaching staff, and their commitment to all of us.”

With over 130 career victories, Ronchetti moves on with five other seniors. Joliet Catholic started the season at 3-7 before turning things around with victories over Carl Sandburg, Yorkville, Lincoln-Way West, and 1A state champ Coal City.

Joliet Catholic won 43-27 in its dual-team sectional over Yorkville to advance downstate.

Hersey head coach Joe Rupslauk praised Hilltoppers head coach Ryan Cumbee for his sportsmanship during their dual, and then quickly turn his attention one last time to his club.

“Ryan is a first class guy all the way around,” began Rupslauk. “We obviously were getting beat pretty badly with just a few matches to go, so I went to Ryan and said I was hoping to get my two seniors Elijah (Garza) and (Max) Munkhamedaliyev a chance to wrestle one more time. He agreed right away, and it’s something that I’ll always appreciate.”

Garza and Munkhamedaliyev both went out victorious, with Munkhamedaliyev falling just short of 50 wins on the season and 170 victories in his career.

“It’s been a great four-year career at Hersey and with Rup. He’s been an amazing coach, person and leader of a program that has accomplished so much since he took over,” said Munkhamedaliyev, who will wrestle in the fall at the University of Chicago.