Dixon follows Princeton Regional title with second trip to IHSA Dual Team State
By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA
PRINCETON – Dixon has definitely had one of the top programs in the state for a long time, as it entered the season with 874 dual meet victories and a .685 winning percentage in its dual meets during the past 73 seasons, according to its season summaries on the IHSA website.
The IHSA website shows only 11 programs had won more dual meets than Dixon heading into 2025-2026. But records in the season summaries indicate that there are at least four other schools that aren’t listed who have won over 1,000 dual meets.
However, the Dukes haven’t enjoyed much postseason success, winning only two regional titles, in 2017 and 2019, and regional titles were first awarded in 1983. And they had only qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals in 2017, when they took third place in Class 2A. That competition has been held since 1984.
So it was understandably a big deal when coach Micah Hey’s Dukes won the championship at the Class 1A Princeton Regional by scoring 221 points, placing it well ahead of runner-up Sandwich (177) and third-place Marquette Academy (172) for the school’s third regional title.
Then five days after that, Dixon defeated first-time regional winner Morrison 57-20 in the Class 1A Oregon Dual Team Sectional to qualify for the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the second time, with this visit being in Class 1A, which the program moved back down to this season.
The Dukes hope to capture their second state trophy and can do that on February 27 when they meet Althoff Catholic in the quarterfinals of the Class 1A Dual Team Finals, which takes place at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.
Dixon’s previous regional titles and its state appearance came under coach Chris Bishop, who led the Dukes from 2010-2011 to 2020-2021. The state team in 2017 had a program-best 24-2 record and beat Mahomet-Seymour in the quarterfinals, lost to the eventual champion, Washington Community, in the semifinals and defeated Cahokia for third place.
Hey, who’s in his fifth season as the Dukes’ head coach, was an assistant coach on that state team. He also had a great high school career at Dixon, winning a Class AA title at 119 in 1993 and taking third at 125 in AA in 1994.
“This was a big goal we had to win regionals and then earn a trip to the team state,” Hey said. “It is the second time we have done it as a team in Dixon history, so we are very excited. Of course, as great as it is to get down to state as a team, our eyes are set on a trophy.
“Currently we are locked back in on individuals. The guys that didn’t qualify for sectionals are still pushing hard to help the qualifiers get down to state. They know they will still have their chance to shine at team state.”
Hey said that the assistant coaches who have really made this all happen are Jacob Hey, Jamie Hey, Evan Thorpe and Matt Linder and volunteer coaches Chris Bishop, Colin Brinkmeier and Quinn Staples.
His brother, Jacob, a 2019 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee, was a three-time medalist and an undefeated IHSA champion in 1991 and the all-time wins leader for the Dukes, and his brother Jamie, was also an IHSA medalist in 1999. Jacob, who coached at Althoff Catholic for five seasons, earned All-American honors 18 times while at Dixon and the United States Air Force.
Of the 11 programs that the IHSA lists with having more dual meet wins than Dixon, those schools have averaged 22 regional titles and 11 state tournament appearances.
Winning championships for the Dukes at the Princeton Regional were Riley Paredes (106), Doolan Long (126), Charlie Connors (144), Dawson Kemp (216) and Dylan Bopes (285).
Finishing in second place were Jack Ragan (120), Preston Richards (150) and Blake Dingley (175) while Seth Shaffer (190) took third place to give the team nine qualifiers for this weekend’s Byron Individual Sectional.
Other Dukes who contributed to the title cause were Ian Fane (113), Kazmyn Barber (132), Channing Sarver (138), Neomiah Holloway (157) and Adam Staples (165).
In the Oregon Dual Team Sectional, The Dukes got falls from Long, Connors, Staples, Dingley, Kemp, Bopes and Paredes, a forfeit win from Gage Heath, a win by technical fall from Richards and a major decision from Ragan and only lost three contested matches to Morrison.
Leading the way for coach Derek Jones’ runner-up Indians were champions Cooper Corder (150) and Joshua Kotalik (175). Second-place finishers for Sandwich were Jaxson Blanchard (138) and Kai Kern (190) while Connor Blanchard (120), Dom Urbanski (126), Jack Forth (157) and Kaden Clevenger (215) all took third place to qualify for the sectional.
Top performers for coach Trent Lyons’ third-place Crusaders were title winners Wesley Janick (120), Koby Clark (132) and Brysen Manly (157). Runners-up for Marquette Academy were Connor Eggers (113), Logan Huenefeld (126), Reily Leifheit (165) and Alex Schaefer (215) while Dakota Harmon (106) and Beau Thompson (138) also advanced by taking third place.
The host Tigers, who are coached by 2020 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Amy, took fourth place had four champions, Augustus Swanson (113), Kane Dauber (138), Casey Etheridge (165) and Eli Berlin (190) while Corbin Brown (132) took third and also qualified.
Additional second-place finishers were Kewanee’s Lain Taylor (144) and Airies Simmons (285), Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille co-op’s Aden Spinelli (106), Saint Bede Academy’s Max Moreno (132) and Mendota’s Gavin Evans (157).
Kewanee also had three third-place finishers, Dontel Wommack (150), Brayden Johnson (165) and Ace Lafollette (175). Additional individuals who placed third and advanced to the sectional are ROWVA/ Williamsfield co-op’s Kegan Miller (113), Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille co-op’s Caiden Heath (144) and Putnam County/ Hall co-op’s Justin Doden (285).
Berlin and Dauber led all competitors with 28 team points while Corder (26.5), Janick (26), Bopes (24), Kemp (24), Kotalik (24), Long (24), Paredes (24) and Swanson (24) rounded out the top 10 in that category.
Swanson had the most pins in the least time with three in 2:09, ROWVA/ Williamsfield co-op’s Tommy DeRitter had the quickest technical fall in 2:00, Kewanee’s Trayvon Rucker had the most total match points with 46 and Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille co-op’s Ty Florschuetz had the largest see-place difference with four positions.
Returning state qualifiers who advanced were Princeton’s Casey Etheridge (fourth at 165), Kane Dauber (fifth at 132) and Augustus Swanson, Dixon’s Jack Ragan and Charlie Connors, Sandwich’s Cooper Corder (fifth at 144) and Marquette Academy’s Alex Schaefer.
Title winners who also won regional championships in 2025 were Princeton’s Kane Dauber, Casey Etheridge and Augustus Swanson, Dixon’s Charlie Conners and Jack Ragan, Sandwich’s Cooper Corder and Jaxson Blanchard and Marquette Academy’s Brysen Manly.
Sectional qualifiers from the Princeton Regional with the best records were Princeton’s Augustus Swanson (42-1), Sandwich’s Cooper Corder (36-1), Dixon’s Riley Paredes (33-1), Marquette Academy’s Wesley Janick (28-2), Marquette Academy’s Alex Schaefer (26-2), Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille co-op’s Aden Spinelli (25-2), Princeton’s Kane Dauber (23-2), Dixon’s Charlie Connors (37-4), Marquette Academy’s Reily Leifheit (31-4), Princeton’s Casey Etheridge (41-5), Sandwich’s Joshua Kotalik (41-5), Dixon’s Jack Ragan (34-5), Dixon’s Dylan Bopes (27-5), Kewanee’s Airies Simmons (21-5) and Dixon’s Preston Richards (35-6).
Here’s a look at the champions and their weights at the Class 1A Princeton Regional
106 – Riley Paredes, Dixon
Riley Paredes continued his excellent junior season by capturing his fifth tournament title at the Princeton Regional, becoming one of Dixon’s five champions and nine sectional qualifiers for coach Micah Hey’s Dukes, who won their third regional title in their program’s history. After winning by fall in 2:00 over Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille’s Aden Spinelli in the 106 title match. Paredes (33-1), who’s top-ranked in 1A, opened with a fall in the semifinals. His other titles were in the same gym at the PIT as well as at Sterling, Prospect and West Chicago. He tied three teammates who were also champions, Doolan Long, Dawson Kemp and Dylan Bopes, for fifth place for the most team points with 24. A few days after winning the regional, his team won 57-20 over Morrison to advance to IHSA Dual Team Finals for the second time.
“It feels good, Paredes said. “We’ve been talking about this since even the start of the year, so just getting this, getting this complete and going on to sectionals now and just tearing through whoever comes at us. The chemistry of all of us, it’s just so big, and I love it. This team is really special. I love this team so much, and I think that we’re going far. I’m a 106 and my coaches are always telling me, go start us out, so I just go do what I do and go start us out and get the pin. Most of us have been with each other since even before the club, so when we were five years old. Me and Jack (Ragan) have been wrestling with each other since we were five years old.”
Spinelli (25-2), a sophomore who’s ranked eighth and was a regional champion last season, was the lone finalist and one of two sectional qualifiers for coach Mike Olson’s Clippers. For third place, Marquette Academy freshman Dakota Harmon (31-11) got a pin in 1:12 over Sandwich sophomore Hunter Whitecotton (24-15).
113 – Augustus Swanson, Princeton
Augustus Swanson competed in his final match at Prouty Gym and definitely went out in style as the Princeton senior recorded a pin in 1:01 over Marquette Academy’s Connor Eggers in the 105 title match at the Princeton Regional and won all three of his matches by fall in just 2:09, which was a regional-best for pins in the least time. Swanson (42-1), who’s top-ranked at his weight added to title wins at his school’s PIT and LeRoy/Tri-Valley and his lone loss came to an Iowan in a tournament at Clinton DeWitt in Iowa. He was one of four champions, including three who also won regional titles a year ago, for the host Tigers, who are coached by 2020 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Amy. He’s a three-time state qualifier who finished in fifth place at 106 in 2024 and went 30-10 last season. He tied for fifth place for the most team points with 24.
“I’ve been working really hard this year because my goal is to be on the top of the podium at the end of the year,” Swanson said. “Last year, I didn’t achieve my goal, so this year, it’s my turn. (Placing in 2024 and then not placing last year) It’s rough, but I’m back. I’m feeling good and I’ve been working hard. It’s enjoyable being able to wrestle with the guys on my team and they’re running pretty good this season. We lost some of our top guys last year, but we’re building. (Likes about being at Princeton) I’d say the coaching staff and the wrestlers themselves. I mean, they have a great attitude and you can tell that they want to get better.”
Eggers (23-13), a freshman, was one of seven finalists and four runners-up for coach Trent Lyons’ third-place Crusaders. In the third-place match, ROWVA/ Williamsfield co-op freshman Kegan Miller (26-9) became his team’s only sectional qualifier when he won by fall in 1:15 over Sandwich freshman Aiden Sinetos (16-14).
120 – Wesley Janick, Marquette Academy
Wesley Janick became the only freshman champion at the Princeton Regional when he claimed a 12-5 decision over Dixon’s Jack Ragan in the 120 title match. Janick (28-2), who’s ranked fifth, appeared in his fourth-straight tourney title match, also claiming a title at Orion while taking second at Plano and Reed-Custer. He was one of three champions and seven finalists for coach Trent Lyons’ Crusaders, who finished in third place. He won his first two matches by fall and ranked fourth for the most team points with 26, which was a high for his team.
“It’s fun to be a part of a program that started three years ago for our juniors,” Janick said. “So our football is good and wrestling is just now taking off. We’re all very uplifting and it’s a real tight-knit group. I’ve been wrestling since I was really young. I want to win it this year.”
Ragan (34-5), a junior who’s ranked sixth, advanced to his fourth tournament title match, also taking second at West Chicago while winning at the PIT and earlier at Sterling. A two-time IHSA qualifier who went 40-7 last season, he was one of eight finalists and three second-place finishers for coach Micah Hey’s Dukes, who won the school’s third regional title and then a few days later advanced to the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the second time. For third, Sandwich sophomore Connor Blanchard (22-16) won by fall in 2:45 over Princeton sophomore Allister Swanson (23-19).
126 – Doolan Long, Dixon
Doolan Long picked a good time to win his first tournament title of the season as he took top honors at 126 in the Princeton Regional by recording a fall in 1:54 over Marquette Academy’s Logan Huenefeld in the finals. An honorable mention selection who improved to 30-10, he also was second at Sterling and took third place at West Chicago. The sophomore was one of five champions and eight finalists for coach Micah Hey’s Dukes, who captured their program’s third regional title and then a few days later, assured their spot in the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the second time. He won all three of his matches by fall and tied teammates and fellow champions Riley Paredes, Dawson Kemp and Dylan Bopes for fifth place for the most team points with 24.
“I’ve been putting in a lot of work and coming to practice every day and eating healthy every day,” Long said, “So, it really pays off to get the win here. I think this is my 30th win and my first tournament, and it’s the regional, too, so now I get that bye at sectionals, so that’s perfect. I thought I did really good. I pushed the pace a lot and I didn’t let up any room for them to get up or anything. I’m really happy with how I did. (Teammates he works with) Jack Ragan, Charlie Connors and Preston (Richards). We have a really good room and that makes me better. And we all make each other better and It’s nice. (Dixon winning the regional) It’s nice for our coaches and their hard work is paying off. (His title match) I thought it was going to be a really hard match and I thought it was going to go late third period. Then I look at the clock and see like 15 seconds left and I see an opportunity and put in a wing and I run it hard and I was really happy when I got that pin, it was really nice. (what he likes about his team) I like how even the JV kids will push us varsity because in wrestling, it’s not just one person. It’s every single weight class. And even the JV kids help out. We have a lot of depth in our team, which I really like. And we really push hard at practice and we never mess around, and it really shows.”
Huenefeld (29-13), a freshman who won a title at Orion and took third at Plano, was one of seven finalists and four second-place finishers for the third-place Crusaders, who are coached by Trent Lyons. In the third-place match, Sandwich sophomore Dom Urbanski (22-23) had to win three matches in the consolation bracket and captured an 11-6 decision over Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille junior Ty Florschuetz (20-12), who had the largest seed-place difference of anyone in the competition, improving four positions after being seeded eighth.
132 – Koby Clark, Marquette Academy
Koby Clark hadn’t placed better than third in a tournament heading into the postseason but that didn’t prevent the Marquette Academy junior from claiming a championship at the Princeton Regional when he won a 20-11 major decision over Saint Bede Academy’s Max Moreno in the 132 title match. Clark, an honorable mention selection who improved to 29-7 and took third at Reed-Custer and fourth at Orion, was one of three champs and seven finalists for coach Trent Lyons’ third-place Crusaders. He opened with two falls and was 11th in team points with 23.
“This felt amazing,” Clark said. “I lost to him last week and I was up 7-4 and he got a double on me and pinned me. So I threw everything on this match and just gave it all I got and I came out on top. I pushed way harder. I gave up a little bit at Bob Mitton since I was sick that week, and I just had nothing left in me, and I really had to just fight that mental block of just wanting to just go easier. I just kept on pushing through everything, and I got it done. (Competing against Max Moreno) We always keep our friendship. We wrestled a couple times. We wrestled all the way through middle school and club and we were on the same team. You know, every time we’re on the mat, it’s straight business. And when we’re off the mat, we’re friends. (Being at Marquette Academy) Oh, yeah. It’s so amazing from what we’ve built up. Our freshman year, I think we had maybe seven kids on the team. When people used to look at us, they’re like, ‘Who is Marquette? Now, we aren’t so much the underdogs. We aren’t negative. We are really not negative to each other at all. We always lift each other up, and most of our guys are religious, so we always pray, and it just really helps us. Religion is like a big thing with us, and we like that.”
Moreno (35-7), a sophomore, was the lone finalist and sectional qualifier for coach Sam Allen’s Bruins. An honorable mention selection, he won a title at Fort Zumwalt West, MO, was second at Orion and took third at Kewanee and Plano. For third place, Princeton sophomore Corbin Brown (32-13) won a 14-5 major decision over Kewanee senior Landyn Greenhagen (24-12) in a rematch of their quarterfinal match where Greenhagen won by technical fall in 4:00.
138 – Kane Dauber, Princeton
Kane Dauber hopes that now that he’s overcome injuries that he’s ready to improve upon how well he did as a freshman, when he opened the postseason with a regional title and eventually took fifth place at 132 at the IHSA Finals to finish with a 50-5 record. The Princeton sophomore competed in only his second tournament and won his first title this season by taking first place at 138 in the regional that his school hosted, becoming one of four champions for the Tigers, who are coached by 2020 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Amy. Third-ranked at his weight, Dauber improved to 23-2 after recording three pins, with the last of those in 2:24 in the finals over Sandwich’s Jaxson Blanchard. He tied teammate and 190 champion Eli Berlin for the most team points with 28. His only other tournament finish was a third at Central DeWitt, Iowa.
“It was nice showing what I can do, it was fun,” Dauber said. “I was out for a month competing but I was practicing for two weeks before this. There was no rest because I kept pretty active during my recovery and have just come back stronger. Yeah, I think it did me some good just to get me recovering just so I can get back on my feet and be 100 percent during the matches. Just be aggressive. Just have no fear of losing or no fear of winning. You never think about the after the fact of the match, you always think about the present moment. And if you keep the present moment in between your eyes, there’s a bunch of little present moments in between matches. You’ve got to just try to win more than the other guy. That’s the goal of the sport. That’s it. Score more points that’s it. (Competing for Princeton) If I just keep moving and those guys keep coaching me, I’ll be fine. I don’t think about the outcome of the state tournament. My only part is winning the match ahead of me and focus on the guy in front of me. And if that all goes well, how far we get is how far we get.”
Blanchard (30-7), a sophomore who won a regional title last season, was one of four finalists and two second-place finishers for coach Derek Jones’ second-place Indians, is an honorable mention selection who won a title at Prairie Central and also placed second at Reed-Custer. Marquette Academy junior Beau Thompson (29-12) won three matches in the consolation bracket, getting a pin before rallying for a 7-4 win by sudden victory over Kewanee senior Hunter Vancil (30-13) to advance to the third-place match, where he was a winner by fall in 1:28 over Mendota junior Trayvon Rucker (21-17), who had the most total match points (46) and single match points (29) in the regional.
144 – Charlie Connors, Dixon
Charlie Connors advanced to the IHSA Finals last season as a freshman but was unable to win any matches and finished with a 32-8 record. Beside hoping that he and Jack Ragan qualify for state again along with some of their teammates, the Dixon sophomore looks to contend for a medal and improved to 37-4 after winning the 144 title at the Princeton Regional with a 10-2 major decision over Kewanee’s Lain Taylor. Seventh-ranked at 144, he also won titles at Sterling and West Chicago, was a runner-up at Prospect and took fourth at Princeton’s PIT. One of five champions and eight finalists for coach Micah Hey’s champion Dukes, he opened with a pin and then got a victory by technical fall. A few days after helping Dixon win its third regional title, he and his teammates assured their program of a second trip to the IHSA Dual Team Finals.
“We’re just in the practice room putting in hard work every day, you know, everyone, all throughout our lineup,” Connors said. “We’re definitely looking forward to hopefully making it down to team state. And, yeah, just all throughout the lineup, we’ve got good partners for everyone. (Has worked on to get better) I was definitely just putting in the work every single day in the offseason. I didn’t get to my attacks as much as I would have liked to in the finals match, but got it done. We’re looking to send as many as we can down to state this year. (what he likes about his team) You know, we have a lot of chemistry and good team bonding. And I think it really helps out in those close duals. Overall, the team chemistry really helps in the long run.”
Taylor (36-7) was one of two second-place finishers and five sectional qualifiers who led the way for coach Charley Eads’ fifth-place Boilermakers. The sophomore also was a runner-up at Orion and took third place at his school’s invite. In the third-place match, Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille co-op junior Caiden Heath (23-8) was a winner by fall in 4:30 over Sandwich senior Jacob Cassie (21-8).
150 – Cooper Corder, Sandwich
Cooper Corder claimed fourth place at 138 at the IHSA as a freshman in 2024 and then took fifth place at 144 last season and finished with a 37-7 record. The Sandwich junior has much bigger plans than just getting back to state, since he would like to become the seventh individual from his school to be a three-time medal winner and also join a longer list of those who’ve won IHSA titles for the program. He improved to 36-1 after winning the 150 title at the Princeton Regional with a 16-5 major decision over Dixon’s Preston Richards. He opened with a pin and then got a win by technical fall to give him 26.5 team points, which was the third-highest total. Ranked third at 150, his lone loss was to Unity Christian’s Clinton VerHeecke in the finals of the Prairie Central Hawk Classic. He joined Joshua Kotalik (175) as a champion and also Jaxson Blanchard (138) and Kai Kern (190) as finalists for coach Derek Jones’ second-place Indians.
“It’s awesome,” Corder said. “Every year I come here to win regionals and sectionals and hopefully get that state title. And a lot of work I’ve been doing in the offseason, in-season, groups I’ve been training with all around the state. It’s definitely coming full circle. So it’s just a step in the right direction. He’s a tough kid, but I’m definitely not happy with the match. I obviously wanted to come through get techs and pins and show the domination I think if that match were to have been wrestled both equally if everyone’s going at it it would have been a little bit better but I feel like I was aggressing quite a bit at the end of the day I think he wanted to keep it close. Not happy with it, but I got the title. I love not being complacent. I like looking back and being like, ‘that was a good match, but I want more’. I want to continuously grow and chase excellence. I’ve been at state twice, placed both times. Again, I’ve been doing so much work. I’m really excited to see what this season brings. No doubt in my mind that I can win that bracket. It’s going to be tough, a lot of hard matches, and the next step is sectionals, so it’s one match at a time. (Competing for Sandwich) I’ve been here since I was a little kid. Coming up in the middle school, kids club, now in high school. I feel like it was in a blink of an eye. I’m an upperclassman. I’m starting to shape those younger kids, but it’s awesome. I like being in the practice room and encouraging people. I think we’re a hard-working group of guys and we have a couple going to sectionals and I’m excited to see how they’ll do. Every day is a blessing in that room. It’s a good support system. I think everyone in there is hungry to get better.”
Richards (35-6) was one of eight finalists and three second-place finishers for coach Micah Hey’s champion Dukes, who won their third regional title and a few days later, advanced to the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the second time. Ranked fourth at 150, the sophomore added to second-place finishes at Sterling, Prospect and West Chicago and a third at Princeton. In the third-place match, Kewanee senior Dontel Wommack (27-12) won 12-9 by sudden victory over Mendota sophomore Komen Denault (29-9). Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille co-op junior Jose Lopez, an IHSA qualifier in 2025, fell one win shy of advancing to the sectional.
157 – Brysen Manly, Marquette Academy
Brysen Manly was one of three champions and seven finalists for coach Trent Lyons’ third-place Crusaders at the Princeton Regional and that was a big deal for the junior since it qualified him for the Byron Sectional after his previous-best finishes in tournaments were a fifth at Orion and a sixth at Plano. He improved to 24-13 after claiming an 8-5 decision over Mendota’s Gavin Evans in the finals after winning a major decision in the semifinals in his only other match. He was also one of nine sectional qualifiers for his team, which had 10 competitors in the regional. Last season he went 31-16 and qualified for the Oregon Sectional.
“I remember coming in my freshman year and I consider myself to be one of the founding fathers of the Marquette program,” Manly said. “It was such a small team, maybe like seven kids when I started. So it’s nice to see that we had a full-team roster this year. We went and won multiple tournaments and we’ve been expanding so much. It’s great to see and I can’t wait to see what the program becomes. We’re definitely proud, and I think everybody could say that for the team, you know. And it shows, I mean, we all have quite a few freshmen today making it to sectionals. (Reasons for the success) I’ve got to say, it’s the support that we’ve gotten from our community, helping to bring us up. And definitely Coach Trent (Lyons), he’s done so much for us and he takes his time off for us. I feel, as an upperclassman, that it’s us upperclassmen who are encouraging the freshmen. This year, I really try to emphasize my defensive style of wrestling and I’ve definitely seen improvements. In my first-place match against a great kid from Mendota, he was very offensive and it showed my defensive wrestling is becoming my strong suit. My teammates, Alex Schaefer, a former state qualifier, and Reily Leifheit, Koby Clark and Beau Thompson, we’ve all been together since our freshman year, so I think with them being great wrestlers, it’s helped me to improve a lot, too.”
Evans (29-8), a senior, was the lone finalist and sectional qualifier for coach Brent Montavon’s Trojans, who had three others who lost in third-place matches. Sandwich senior Jack Forth (27-18) claimed third place with an 11-7 decision over Kewanee junior Jermain McKnight, Jr. (23-10). Forth got pinned by McKnight in 5:28 in his opener and then won a 4-3 decision over Dixon junior Neomiah Holloway (16-13) to earn a rematch with McKnight, Jr. for third place.
165 – Casey Etheridge, Princeton
Casey Etheridge claimed a 10-3 decision over Reily Leifheit in the 165 title match in a clash between the second- and third-ranked individuals at their weights and it was also a rematch from last year’s Oregon Sectional where Etheridge won to earn a spot in the third-place match. Competing in his final match at Prouty Gym, senior Etheridge (41-5) repeated as a regional champion after opening the tournament with two first-minute falls and he added to first-place finishes at Central DeWitt, Iowa and LeRoy/ Tri-Valley and a runner-up showing at his school’s PIT. He was one of four champions and five sectional qualifiers for the fourth-place host Tigers, who are coached by 2020 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Amy. Etheridge, a two-time IHSA qualifier, went 48-6 last season and took fourth place at 165 to claim his first state medal.
“It’s a little different this year compared to last year because we met in the regional finals last year, and by that point we wrestled at Plano, then regionals, then sectionals,” Etheridge said. “So this year, this is the first time I’ve seen him. He’s had a really good year, so I knew I had my work coming for me, but I thought we both wrestled really well, and I’d love to see him again at sectionals and hopefully at state. But he’s a great competitor, and I know he works really hard at this sport, so I have a lot of respect for him. I’m really blessed to be at Princeton and with the all-around coaching. I’m grateful since they push us to be the best wrestlers that we can be. It’s really nice to have them around. I struggled in December after losing a couple of close, tough matches, but then they kept to my ear the entire time, that this truly doesn’t matter until February. It’s a little different having the sectionals in two weeks instead of next week, but I like that because it gives me a little more time to prepare. Once you get into January, you’re having so many duals and tournaments, you’re losing time for practice. And I think that the most important thing in a room is to make sure that you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals.”
Leifheit (31-4), who fell one victory shy of a trip to the IHSA Finals last season and finished with a 38-7 record, was one of four runners-up, seven finalists and nine sectional qualifiers for coach Trent Lyons’ third-place Crusaders. Ranked third at 165, the junior won titles at Plano and Unity and finished third at Reed-Custer. In the third-place match, Kewanee senior Brayden Johnson (28-16) was a winner by fall in 1:05 over Dixon senior Adam Staples (19-16).
175 – Joshua Kotalik, Sandwich
Joshua Kotalik continued his successful sophomore season for Sandwich by not only surpassing the 40-victory total but also winning the 175 title at the Princeton Regional by recording a fall on 1:28 over Dixon’s Blake Dingley. He joined Cooper Corder (150) as a champion and was one of four finalists and eight sectional qualifiers for coach Derek Jones’ second-place Indians. Ranked eighth at his weight, this was his first tournament title after placing second at Plano and Prairie Central and third at Reed-Custer. He got pins in all of three of his matches and tied for fifth place in most team points with 24. Last season, he fell a bit short of advancing from the Oregon Sectional and finished with a 35-17 record.
“It feels great,” Kotalik said. “I got second at the Plano Reaper and got third at Reed-Custer. I think it was just great to come out here and wrestle. (Cooper Corder) He’s a nice guy, a nice friend and we train together. He’s doing nice and I’m doing good, too. I feel like everything that Sandwich does, whether it’s wrestling or any sport, we kind of bring the energy. (Likes about his team) “I like that they’re all for each other. We’re all fiends here and we all have fun. And we’re there for the good feelings and ready to get out there if we want to win.”
Dingley (28-15), a sophomore who also took second place at Prospect, was one of eight finalists and three runners-up for the champion Dukes, who are coached by Micah Hey. In the third-place match, Kewanee sophomore Ace Lafollette (30-11) won by fall in 2:41 over Mendota senior Corbin Furar (17-2).
190 – Eli Berlin, Princeton
Eli Berlin joined Augustus Swanson (113), Kane Dauber (138) and Casey Etheridge (165) as champions for coach Steve Amy’s fourth-place Tigers in the Princeton Regional and was one of their five sectional qualifiers after recording three-straight pins to claim the title at 190 with a fall in 5:53 over Sandwich’s Kai Kern. Berlin (36-10), a senior who competed at Prouty Gym for the last time, tied teammate Dauber for the most team points in the regional with 28.This was his best tournament finish of the season with his previous-high being fourth at LeRoy/ Tri-Valley.
“I think everybody performed well,” Berlin said. “We work hard in the practice and at meets and everything else. (Winning the regional title) It means a lot because last year I came in and I was sick and I didn’t even make it out of the regionals. So to come back here and get first this year is a big deal to me. Having a legend like coach Amy come here and help us means a lot. I was a little upset with how I wrestled in my finals match. I feel like I gassed out in the third and I’ll have to work on that and luckily we have an extra week to practice. But other than that, I pinned my first two kids fairly fast and I got it done, so I’m happy with it. (Setting a record for pins at the school) For this to be my third or fourth year wrestling and to get that record means a lot to me. I feel like we’ve all been friends since we were little kids, so our teamwork and us working together and being there for each other has been there for a long time because we grew up with each other in the small town. (Hopes for the sectional) I’m hoping to get out of sectionals and go to the state for the first time this year and get it done for sure.”
Kern (26-14) was one of four finalists and seven sectional qualifiers for coach Derek Jones’ second-place Indians. A year ago, he won a regional championship and finished with an 18-10 record. His best previous tournament finishes this season had been fourth place at both Plano and Prairie Central. In the third-place match, Dixon junior Seth Shaffer (26-18) won a 12-4 major decision over Kewanee senior Douglas Swearingen (25-10).
215 – Dawson Kemp, Dixon
Dawson Kemp claimed his first tournament title of the season and helped cap a memorable day for Dixon as it won its third regional championship with 221 points to win the Princeton Regional by 44 points over Sandwich. Then a few days later, the Dukes beat Morrison in 57-20 in the Oregon Sectional to qualify for the IHSA Dual Team Finals for only the second time. Kemp (33-8), a senior who’s ranked fifth, got his third pin in three matches in 1:31 over Marquette Academy’s Alex Schaefer in the 215 title match. He was one of five title winners, eight finalists and nine sectional qualifiers for coach Micah Hey’s Dukes. Kemp’s other top finishes were a second at Sterling and a third at West Chicago. He tied for fifth place with five others, including teammates Riley Paredes, Doolan Long and Dylan Bopes for the most team points with 24.
“It feels great,” Kemp said. “At the end of the day, what it comes down to is working hard in practice and doing everything that coach says, without any questions asked since he knows best. He knows how I wrestle, he knows how the whole team wrestles and he knows how we work and that’s what it comes down to. The teamwork, the pride that we put in at practice, the work that we put in, it all translates to how we do out here. Really, what I can emphasize is just that hard work that it takes. Because you can do all this hard work, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to outwork the guy that’s doing the most. In the wrestling room, our coach has a practice of the last team that made it to Team State. Every day I look at that poster, I think about how great it would feel to make it there myself. (What he likes about his team) My favorite part is just the team spirit and the pride. Because you’ve got to bring the energy up. If you don’t have the energy, then what’s the point?”
Schaefer (26-2), a junior who was ranked sixth, was one of six finalists and three second-place finishers for coach Trent Lyons’ third-place Crusaders. A regional champion and IHSA qualifier last season who finished with a 36-11 record, he recorded falls in his first two matches and was hoping to add to title wins at Plano, Unity and Orion. In the third-place match, Sandwich senior Kaden Clevenger (30-10) won by fall in 2:49 over Princeton senior Rhett Pearson (21-21).
285 – Dylan Bopes, Dixon
Dylan Bopes put the finishing touches on Dixon’s impressive first-place performance at the Princeton Regional when he became one of five champions, eight finalists and nine sectional qualifiers as coach Micah Hey’s Dukes outscored runner-up Sandwich 221-177 for the title, the third in program history. Then a few days later, Bopes and his teammates defeated Morrison 57-20 at the Oregon Sectional to assure Dixon of advancing the the IHSA Dual Team Finals for the second time, with the first appearance in 2017, when coach Chris Bishop led the program to a third-place finish in Class 2A. Bopes (27-5) won the title at 285 by recording a fall in 2:33 over Kewanee’s Airies Simmons, which was his second pin of the event. The senior tied teammates Riley Paredes, Doolan Long and Dawson Kemp for fifth in team points with 24. Ranked ninth at 285, he also won a title at Sterling and took third place in the same gym at Princeton’s PIT.
“It feels just like a dream right now because I remember last year we were so close to winning it, but we just couldn’t follow through,” Bopes said. “It was a full team effort where we all tried to try our best. And the room, it’s really hard to compete because everyone’s just on another level there. (Why the team is having success) I believe it’s because we’re like a family and we’re all just super close. We’ve been on the JV level together and on varsity and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Simmons (21-5) joined Lain Taylor (144) as second-place finishers for coach Charley Eads’ Boilermakers, and he also was one of five sectional qualifiers for his team. Simmons, a senior, also took second place at Orion. For third place, Putnam County/ Hall co-op sophomore Justin Doden (19-16) became his program’s lone sectional qualifier when he won by fall in 3:21 over ROWVA/ Williamsfield co-op freshman Tommy DeRidder (13-8), who had the quickest win by technical fall in the regional with a time of 2:00.
Regional champions
106 – Riley Paredes (Dixon) 33-1
113 – Augustus Swanson (Princeton) 42-1
120 – Wesley Janick (Marquette Academy) 28-2
126 – Doolan Long (Dixon) 30-10
132 – Koby Clark (Marquette Academy) 29-7
138 – Kane Dauber (Princeton) 23-2
144 – Charlie Connors (Dixon) 37-4
150 – Cooper Corder (Sandwich) 36-1
157 – Brysen Manly (Marquette Academy) 24-13
165 – Casey Etheridge (Princeton) 41-5
175 – Joshua Kotalik (Sandwich) 41-5
190 – Eli Berlin (Princeton) 36-10
215 – Dawson Kemp (Dixon) 33-8
285 – Dylan Bopes (Dixon) 27-5
Additional sectional qualifiers
106 – Aden Spinelli (Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille) 25-2; Dakota Harmon (Marquette Academy) 31-11
113 – Connor Eggers (Marquette Academy) 23-13; Kegan Miller (ROWVA/ Williamsfield) 26-9
120 – Jack Ragan (Dixon) 34-5; Connor Blanchard (Sandwich) 22-16
126 – Logan Huenefeld (Marquette Academy) 29-13; Dom Urbanski (Sandwich) 22-23
132 – Max Moreno (Saint Bede Academy) 35-7; Corbin Brown (Princeton) 32-13
138 – Jaxson Blanchard (Sandwich) 30-7; Beau Thompson (Marquette Academy) 29-12
144 – Lain Taylor (Kewanee) 36-7; Caiden Heath (Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille) 23-8
150 – Preston Richards (Dixon) 35-6; Dontel Wommack (Kewanee) 27-12
157 – Gavin Evans (Mendota) 29-8; Jack Forth (Sandwich) 27-18
165 – Reily Leifheit (Marquette Academy) 31-4; Brayden Johnson (Kewanee) 28-16
175 – Blake Dingley (Dixon) 28-15; Ace Lafollette (Kewanee) 30-11
190 – Kai Kern (Sandwich) 26-14; Seth Shaffer (Dixon) 26-18
215 – Alex Schaefer (Marquette Academy) 26-2; Kaden Clevenger (Sandwich) 30-10
285 – Airies Simmons (Kewanee) 21-5; Justin Doden (Putnam County/ Hall) 19-16
Team scores
Dixon 221, Sandwich 177, Marquette Academy 172, Princeton 145, Kewanee 139.5, Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille co-op 63, Mendota 60, ROWVA/ Williamsfield co-op 49.5, Saint Bede Academy 29.5, Putnam County/ Hall co-op 26, Somonauk/ Leland co-op 18
Individual statistics
Most team points: Eli Berlin, Princeton 28; Kane Dauber, Princeton 28; Cooper Corder, Sandwich 26.5; Wesley Janick, Marquette Academy 26; Dylan Bopes, Dixon 24; Dawson Kemp, Dixon 24; Joshua Kotalik, Sandwich 24; Doolan Long, Dixon 24; Riley Paredes, Dixon 24; Augustus Swanson, Princeton 24
Most total match points: Trayvon Rucker, Mendota 46; Cooper Corder, Sandwich 42; Charlie Connors, Dixon 38
Most pins: Augustus Swanson, Princeton 3 (in 2:09); Eli Berlin, Princeton 3; Connor Blanchard, Sandwich 3; Kaden Clevenger, Sandwich 3: Kane Dauber, Princeton 3; Justin Doden, Putnam County/ Hall 3; Caden Heath, Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille 3; Dakota Harmon, Marquette Academy 3; Dawson Kemp, Dixon 3; Joshua Kotalik, Sandwich 3; Brayden Johnson, Kewanne 3; Ace Lafollette, Kewanee 3; Doolan Long, Dixon 3; Kegan Miller, ROWVA/ Williamsfield 3
Most technical falls: Tommy DeRidder, ROWVA/ Williamsfield 1 (in 2:00); Jayden Carreon, ROWVA/ Williamsfield 1; Charlie Connors, Dixon 1; Cooper Corder, Sandwich 1; Connor Eggers, Marquette Academy 1; Landyn Greenhagen, Kewanee 1; Logan Huenefeld, Marquette Academy 1; Maks Niedzwiedz, Saint Bede Academy 1; Kingston Peterson, Kewanee 1; Preston Richards, Dixon 1; Aden Spinelli, Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille 1; Allister Swanson, Princeton 1; Lain Taylor, Kewanne 1; Dom Urbanski, Sandwich 1
Largest seed-place difference: Ty Florschuetz, Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille 4
Team statistics
Most total match points: Kewanee 259; Sandwich 243; Dixon 209
Most pins: Dixon 22, Kewanee 18; Sandwich 17
Most technical falls: Kewanee 3; Dixon 2; Marquette Academy 2; ROWVA/ Williamsfield 2; Sandwich 2