Marian Central Catholic has four champs, qualifies eight at 1A Oregon Sectional

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

Marian Central Catholic, the defending IHSA Class 1A champion, led the way with eight state qualifiers and four champions at the Class 1A Oregon Sectional, which was held at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon on Friday and Saturday.

Richmond-Burton had six qualifiers, Lena-Winslow/ Stockton and Princeton both qualified five individuals while Johnsburg, Newman Central Catholic, Oregon and Wheaton Academy all advanced three individuals to this weekend’s IHSA Individual State Tournament in Champaign. 

Lena-Winslow/ Stockton and Richmond-Burton also both also had two title winners.

The Hurricanes, who are co-coached by Ryan Prater and Jordan Blanton, were led by title winners junior Austin Hagevold (113), senior Brayden Teunissen (120), senior Vance Williams (150) and sophomore Jimmy Mastny (190). 

“In my opinion, it’s definitely the toughest sectional in the state,” Prater said. “I think in a couple of the brackets, you had four or five guys in the top 10. It’s definitely loaded. And I like the atmosphere that Oregon does with the lights off and they pack them all in here, it’s an awesome place to wrestle. If you get out of here, you’re probably on the podium downstate. 

“It’s just about staying loose, having fun and scoring points. I think we preach extending leads and if we look at that last round, we started off with a tech in the finals and then we had a pin and another pin over here and we had four pins and a tech in placing rounds and finals. It’s just separating yourself and scoring points. 

“We’re riding high right now and a lot of our guys are kind of peaking so we will wrestle very well in these next coming weeks. We’re prepared and it’s kind of an unspoken thing, these guys want to win another state title and that’s what we’re here to do.”

Richmond-Burton got titles from seniors Clayton Madula (126) and Emmett Nelson (144) while Lena-Winslow/ Stockton received firsts from juniors Eli Larson (175) and Jeremiah Luke (215).

The other sectional champions were Morrison freshman Cael Wright (106), Riverdale junior Dean Wainwright (132), Rockridge senior Jude Finch (138), Newman Central Catholic senior Briar Ivey (157), Byron sophomore Brody Stien (165) and St. Francis junior Jaylen Torres (285).

Johnsburg had three second-place finishers, freshman Chase Vogel (113), senior Landon Johnson (138) and sophomore Duke Mays (175). Lena-Winslow/ Stockton had two who placed second, juniors Arrison Bauer (144) and Oliver McPeek (190). And Wheaton Academy also had two second-place finishers, juniors Lincoln Hoger (132) and Tyler Jones (165).

Others who placed second were Newman Central Catholic freshman Landon Near (106), Richmond-Burton freshman Adam Glauser (120), North Boone senior Gavin Ekberg (126), Stillman Valley senior Henry Hildreth (150), Riverdale senior Blake Smith (157), Marquette Academy sophomore Alex Schaefer (215) and Dakota junior Randy McPeek (285)..

Third-place finishers from the Oregon Sectional were Princeton junior Augustus Swanson (120), freshman Kane Dauber (132) and senior Ace Christiansen (144), Richmond-Burton freshman Lelan Nelson (106) and sophomore Blake Livdahl (175), Marian Central Catholic senior Andrew Alvarado (138) and junior Dan French (215), Dakota junior Brandon White (113), Lisle junior Alexander Ferari (126), Kewanee senior Ben Taylor (150), Erie/ Prophetstown senior Wyatt Goossens (157), Newman Central Catholic senior Danel Kelly (165), Orion senior Maddux Anderson (190) and Byron senior Jared Claunch (285).

And claiming fourth-place finishes at the Oregon Sectional were Oregon junior Josiah Perez (113), freshman Isaiah Perez (120) and sophomore Nelson Benesh (132), Marian Central Catholic freshman Camden Spiniolas (106) and sophomore Nick Marchese (126), Sandwich sophomore Cooper Corder (144) and senior Devon Blanchard (215), Princeton junior Casey Etheridge (165) and senior Cade Odell (285), Lena-Winslow/ Stockton junior Mauricio Glass (138), Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille/ Ohio sophomore Jose Lopez (150), Wheaton Academy senior Chasen Kazmierczak (157), Fulton senior Skylier Crooks (175) and Richmond-Burton sophomore Breckin Campbell (190).

Here’s a look at the IHSA Class 1A Oregon Sectional champions and their weight classes along with state qualifiers:

106 – Cael Wright, Morrison

Cael Wright was in unusual company among the 14 champions at the rugged IHSA Class 1A Oregon Sectional since unlike so many others who won titles and were thrilled about that achievement, the Morrison freshman wasn’t all that excited after capturing the championship of the first finals match at 106, despite winning against an individual who had beaten him 14-0 and who entered ranked second while Wright was ninth, behind three others in the sectional.

Wright (41-2), the lone qualifier of the four individuals who competed in the sectional for coach Tom Drosopoulos’ Mustangs, captured a 10-8 decision in the 106 title match over Newman Central Catholic freshman Landon Near (39-4), who just missed winning by a technical fall as he handed Wright his first defeat when the two met on December 21 in the semifinals of the Erie/Prophetstown Holiday Tournament. After opening with a win by technical fall, Wright won a decision in the quarterfinals and then earned his spot on the title mat when he recorded a fall in 3:18 over Stillman Valley senior Michael Pannarale. The title match was one of three decisions for championships and it tied the 165 title match, which also was a 10-8 outcome.

“It’s just what I’ve been working for,” Wright said. “It’s just another wrestling season. I work as hard as I can to try to get my goals. It’s what I’ve been working for all year, so I expect nothing else.”

Near (39-4) was one of two finalists and three state qualifiers for coach Brian Bahrs’ Comets. He followed a fall in his opener with a 7-0 decision in the semifinals over Richmond-Burton freshman Lelan Nelson (41-4), one of six state qualifiers for his team who bounced back from the semifinal loss to claim third place by prevailing 1-0 over Marian Central Catholic freshman Camden Spiniolas (26-20) in the third-place match. Spiniolas became the most unlikely of the Hurricanes’ eight state qualifiers after he lost 6-3 by sudden victory to Rockridge freshman Nate Lower in the first round before claiming three-straight wins, with the last of those being 12-9 in sudden victory over Pannarale (35-8), who fell a bit short of earning a trip to state in his final match. Lower (37-11) also fell one win shy of a trip to state.

113 – Austin Hagevold, Marian Central Catholic

Austin Hagevold enjoyed a memorable sophomore season in 2023-2024 when he finished in fourth place at 106 in the IHSA Class 1A Finals and then helped Marian Central Catholic to capture the IHSA Class 1A Dual Team championship, the school’s first state title in the sport. Beside trying to help the Hurricanes to capture another dual team title next weekend in Bloomington, Hagevold would like to accomplish what teammates Brayden Teunissen and Jimmy Mastny achieved last season, which was winning their initial IHSA championships.

Hagevold (39-7) definitely heads into this weekend’s Individual Finals on a high note after capturing the 113 title with a win by technical fall in 4:10 over Johnsburg freshman Chase Vogel to be the first of four champions and one of eight state qualifiers for the Hurricanes, who are co-coached by Ryan Prater and Jordan Blanton. The junior, who was ranked second behind Vandalia’s Max Philpot, opened with a pair of first-period falls and needed just 21 seconds to get a pin in the semifinals over Dakota junior Brandon White to earn his spot in the 113 finals.

“I wrestled that kid in the regional finals (Vogel) and I teched him,” Hagevold said. “So coming in here it’s not like I thought the bracket would play out. I thought I’d have somebody else and I was looking forward to that match. It’s sectionals, upsets happen.. No matter what, I had a game plan to win. That’s what we want to do, we want to be back-to-back state champ, that’s what we work for every day. It’s fun, we team-bond, we practice seven days a week together. We do everything together, so we’re just like one big family.”

Vogel (34-7), one of three second-place finishers and state qualifiers for coach James Sylvanus’ Skyhawks, won his first two matches by technical fall before the unranked freshman captured a 14-8 decision in the semifinals over Oregon junior Josiah Perez to earn his spot on the title mat. In the third-place match, sixth-ranked White (33-10) claimed a 23-9 major decision over tenth-ranked Perez (39-7), as White will be making his second-straight trip to state as one of two qualifiers for his team, while Perez is going to state for the second time in three years and will be one of three Hawks who all took fourth to advance. Kewanee senior Tyson Currie (31-10) and St. Bede Academy freshman Michael Benge (30-17) both lost in the consolation semifinals. 

120 – Brayden Teunissen, Marian Central Catholic

Brayden Teunissen qualified for the IHSA Finals for the fourth time and became one of four champions and eight state qualifiers for Marian Central Catholic after wrapping things up in the 120 bracket with a fall in 1:43 over Richmond-Burton freshman Adam Glauser in the title match to cap a three-pin effort as the top-ranked individual at his weight kept alive his quest to get to a state championship match for the third year in a row and also to capture his second-straight title.

Teunissen (31-5) captured the IHSA Class 1A title at 120 last season with a 7-5 win by sudden victory over Carlyle’s Tyson Waughtel to deny him of a third straight-championship after he took second in 3A at 106 in 2023 with a loss to St. Charles East’s Dom Munaretto. He hopes to join teammate Jimmy Mastny as a two-time state champ for Marian Central Catholic, a feat that’s only been accomplished by two others at the school, Dylan Connell, who won three titles, and Rich Powers, who captured two. Teunissen, who opened with a first-period pin and moved on to the finals with a fall in 2:52 over Oregon freshman Isaiah Perez, hopes to follow up on a second individual title by helping the Hurricanes to repeat as Class 1A Dual Team champions.

“This is a really tough sectional, so it’s good that we have eight guys going,” Teunissen said. “It was really good because a lot of our young guys did really good, especially 106 pounder in his match to make it to state, he was down 7-0 going into the third and got three or four takedowns. Stuff happens during the season where we lost as a team. But when it comes to team state, no one’s going to beat us, our team’s the best. We’re all really close and we mess with each other in the room. But when it comes time to compete, we’re all there. We hype each other up and we get really hyped before all of the matches and the energy is just crazy.”

Glauser (41-9) was one of two freshmen and two sophomores who were joined by two seniors as state qualifiers for coach Tony Nelson’s Rockets, who capped a special performance with the second-highest number of qualifiers with six, ranking behind Marian Central Catholic, who had eight. Glauser, who is ranked fourth, followed an opening pin with two victories by technical fall, with the second one coming in the semifinals in 2:00 over Princeton junior Augustus Swanson (28-8), a three-time state qualifier who took fifth place at 106 last season and was ranked tenth. Swanson, one of five state qualifiers for coach Steve Amy’s Tigers, claimed third place with a 13-5 major decision over Perez (37-9), one of three qualifiers for coach Justin Lahman’s Hawks. `Byron senior Jackson Norris (34-5) and North Boone freshman Gabe Marella (34-16) both fell one win shy of advancing to state.

126 – Clayton Madula, Richmond-Burton

Clayton Madula qualified for the IHSA Class 1A Finals in 2022 but had been unable to make a return to state since then. But in his last opportunity to make a return to Champaign the Richmond-Burton senior not only qualified from the Class 1A Oregon Sectional, he won the title at 126 when he overcame a deficit against North Boone senior Gavin Ekberg by recording a fall in 5:10 to join teammate Emmett Nelson as a title winner and he is one of six members of coach Tony Nelson’s Rockets who will be competing at the State Farm Center this weekend.

Madula (42-10), who was ranked seventh, opened with a first-period fall and then won a 10-7 decision over Oregon’s Preston LaBay in the quarterfinals. He earned his spot on the 126 title mat by capturing an 11-0 major decision in the semifinals over Marian Central Catholic sophomore Nick Marchese, who was ranked ninth. 

“It’s definitely been fun this year,” Madula said. “We have a whole bunch of new freshmen and they’ve been kicking it and the whole team has been doing great. We’ve been going out and winning big tournaments and beating some bigger schools. We’re right there, just behind Marian, but there’s nothing we can do about it. This is super exciting to be able to show all of the hard work that we’ve put in, and it paid off. I actually was feeling real confident going into the state series. I was able to come in here and beat some guys I lost to previously in the year. It’s just a real good confidence booster.”

Ekberg (37-6), who took sixth place at 126 in last year’s IHSA Finals and was ranked fifth, was the lone qualifier out of three individuals who advanced to the Oregon Sectional for coach Jason Mamer-Cox’s Vikings. After winning his opener by fall, he had his hands full in the semifinals, and claimed a 4-3 decision over Lisle junior Alexander Ferari (35-6), who bounced back from that tough defeat to claim third place with a fall in 3:29 over Marchese (25-14). Newman Central Catholic junior Zhyler Hansen (41-9), who was ranked sixth, and Rockridge junior Clayton Blumenstein (33-11) both fell in the consolation semifinals.

132 – Dean Wainwright, Riverdale

Dean Wainwright had a great debut season in 2022-2023 when he beat Illini Bluffs’ Hunter Robbins to win the IHSA Class 1A title at 106 and finished with a 50-1 record and was an all-stater along with seniors Collin Altensey, Brock Smith and Alex Watson for Riverdale while competing in the final season for a popular and longtime coach at the school in Port Byron, the late Myron Keppy. His 2023-2024 season was very impressive, too, as he bounced back from a quarterfinal loss to three-time finalist and eventual runner-up at 120, Tyson Waughtel, and settled for third place with a 47-3 record, with teammate Blake Smith also placing third at 150.

Wainwright continues his run of success in his junior season as he improved to 43-2 and is now 140-6 during his career after taking first at 132 at the Oregon Sectional when he captured a 10-2 major decision over Wheaton Academy junior Lincoln Hoger, who placed fifth in Class 1A at 126 last season. Ranked third at 132 behind Roxana’s Brandon Green, Jr,. and Unity Christian’s Garrett VerHeecke, Wainwright and Smith were finalists and state qualifiers once again for coach Aron Kindelsperger’s Rams. After opening with a fall, he earned his spot in the 132 finals with a wild 20-15 decision in the semifinals over Princeton freshman Kane Dauber. 

“I love competing and it’s always fun being in the March,” Wainwright said. “But every match is the same match, whether it’s the state finals or it’s a consolation side first-round, I try to look at it like that. Wrestling is so mental, it’s such a mental sport. It’s very hard on your body and that plays a toll on your mind, too. So it’s always those guys in the postseason and the end of the year that have the strongest mental game that seem to come through. Sometimes I think I get a little caught up in focusing on the result, so a thing that has really helped me is focusing on the work that I put in. The results will come as a byproduct, I just have to focus on what I do during the match. I love competing, and any chance I get. This was a tough tournament here and I hope to continue that momentum and bring it to the state finals.”

Hoger (43-7) joined teammate Tyler Jones as a finalist and also Chasen Kazmierczak as one of three state qualifiers for coach Steve Aiello’s Warriors. Hoger was a winner by technical fall in the quarterfinals and then claimed a 7-5 decision over Oregon sophomore Nelson Benesh to set up the clash between returning state medalists for the 132 title. In the third-place match, Dauber (46-3) won by fall in 4:46 over Benesh (40-8). Dauber was one of five qualifiers for coach Steve Amy’s Tigers while Benesh was one of three state qualifiers for coach Justin Lahman’s Hawks. Newman Central Catholic junior Landon Blanton (39-10), a two-time state qualifier, and Sandwich sophomore Colten Stone (25-19) both lost in the consolation semifinals. 

138 – Jude Finch, Rockridge

Jude Finch is putting the finishing touches on one of the top careers of any competitor at Rockridge as he looks to become just the fourth individual from his school to win three or more state medals and join just one other, Steve Amy, who won more than one title at the school in Taylor Ridge. He fell one victory shy of a medal as a freshman at 126 then took third at that weight in 2023 and won the 1A title at 132 last year to cap a 43-6 season. He’s 38-0 and is top-ranked at 138 heading into the IHSA Class 1A Finals after winning the 138 championship at the Oregon Sectional with a win by medical forfeit over Johnsburg senior Landon Johnson.

Finch was the lone state qualifier for coach Lucas Smith’s Rockets, who had three others, Nate Lower (106), Clayton Blumenstein (126) and Thomas Sowards (144) all fall one win shy of state trips after losing in the consolation semifinals. Finch won by fall in 1:04 over Lena-Winslow/ Stockton junior Mauricio Glass in the quarterfinals and earned his spot on the 138 title mat with a victory by technical fall over Marian Central Catholic senior Andrew Alvarado in 2:19.

Johnson (35-5), who’s ranked eighth and is a first-time IHSA qualifier, was one of three qualifiers who all took second place for coach James Sylvanus’ Skyhawks. He was tested right away, needing an 8-5 win in sudden victory in his opener with Kewanee’s Lain Taylor before getting a fall in the quarterfinals and then claiming a 10-2 major decision in the semifinals over Rock Falls senior Logan Williamson. For third place, Alvarado (22-10) won by fall in 4:15 over Glass (41-11). Alvarado, who’s ranked sixth and placed fifth at 113 in 2023, qualified for state for the fourth time while Glass will be making his first trip to Champaign. Williamson (31-18), a senior, lost in both the semifinals and consolation semifinals, where Marquette Academy sophomore Beau Thompson also fell one win shy of a state trip.

144 – Emmett Nelson, Richmond-Burton

Emmett Nelson is hoping that the fourth time’s the charm for him as the Richmond-Burton senior completes an excellent career in which he’s participated in the Grand March twice and claimed three IHSA medals while posting a 176-11 record. After coming up a bit short to Auburn’s unbeaten Joey Ruzic in the 113 finals in 2022 and falling to Dakota’s TJ Silva in the 126 finals in 2023, Nelson got bumped into the consolation bracket a year ago at 144 after losing in the quarterfinals to the eventual runner-up, Unity’s Kaden Inman, then won twice to assure himself of a third medal before taking two medical forfeits to place sixth and finish with a 48-3 record.

Nelson is feeling good about his chances of finally winning a state title and comes into the the IHSA Class 1A Finals with a 41-1 record and a 30-match winning streak since suffering his lone loss to Antioch’s Chase Nobiling by an 8-4 score in the 144 finals of Glenbrook South’s Rus Erb on December 21. Nelson heads into his fourth state appearance ranked second behind Inman. He claimed top honors at 144 at the Oregon Sectional with a win by technical fall in 2:15 over Lena-Winslow/ Stockton junior Arrison Bauer. He opened with a fall in 2:22 over West Carroll’s Connor Kemp and then earned his spot in the finals with a 15-3 major decision over Princeton senior Ace Christiansen in the semifinals. He was one of two champions, three finalists and six state qualifiers for coach Tony Nelson’s Rockets, with one of those who’ll be joining him in his final appearance in Champaign being his freshman brother Lelan (41-4), who took third at 106.    

“It’s cool, we have six state qualifiers,” Nelson said. “I’ve never been to state with even close to that many teammates, so I’m really looking forward to it. Being a part of this team has just been so much fun. We were winning, which was cool, but we get along so well and everybody on the team is so close. We’re always together all of the time. I’ve really been chasing it down (going for a state title). I wanted it more to give a good example for my little brother to show him what it takes. (Being on the team with his brother) It’s been different for me because it’s usually that he’s just my little brother, but now, he’s my little brother and my teammate. I liked being with my friends and my teammates as much as I could. We were really fortunate since we didn’t have a whole lot of injuries or sickness, everybody’s been pretty healthy, for the most part. It’s just been so cool to see everyone around me have success, as well, instead of just winning by myself.”

Bauer (42-6), who was a state qualifier last year and is ranked ninth, was one of four finalists and five state qualifiers for coach Kevin Milder’s PantherHawks. He opened with a victory by technical fall before winning a thriller in the semifinals when he got an escape to capture a 3-2 win by ultimate tiebreaker over Sandwich sophomore Cooper Corder, who placed fourth at 138 last season and is ranked third. Christiansen (43-5), who’s ranked fourth and is making his third trip to state, where he placed third at 138 a year ago, claimed third place at 144 when Corder took a medical forfeit. Christiansen was one one of five qualifiers for the Tigers while Corder (34-5) was one of two qualifiers for Sandwich. Two sophomores lost in the consolation semifinals, Morrison’s Caleb Modglin (42-9) and Rockridge’s Thomas Sowards (34-10).

150 – Vance Williams, Marian Central Catholic

Vance Williams has already etched his name among the all-time best at Marian Central Catholic regardless of how he fares in his fourth appearance at the IHSA Class 1A Finals in Champaign. He’s one of five three-time medalists and joined Dylan Connell as only the second individual in the program to compete in two or more state title matches and he also can also point to helping the Hurricanes win their first IHSA Dual Team title last season. But there’s one big achievement that has eluded the senior, and that is winning an IHSA individual state title and although the 150 weight class includes three other four-time qualifiers, two others who’ve won two state medals and a returning state champion, Williams believes he has what it takes to win the title.

Williams improved to 37-5 after winning the 150 title at the Oregon Sectional by recording a fall in 3:06 over Stillman Valley senior Henry Hildreth to become one of four champions and eight qualifiers for the Hurricanes, who are co-coached by Ryan Prater and Jordan Blanton. He won by technical fall in his opener and then recorded a pin in 1:07 in the semifinals over Kewanee senior Ben Taylor. Ranked second behind Illini Bluffs’ Jackson Carroll, who won the 144 title last season, Williams placed second to Rockridge’s Jude Finch at 132 in 2024 and finished with a 48-9 record. He also took second to Dakota’s Phoenix Blakely at 132 as a sophomore in 2023 after finishing fourth at that same weight class in 2022 in his debut season with the Hurricanes. 

“(Eight state qualifiers) It’s impressive, but each of our guys have earned it, those guys that are going down have been working the hardest,” Williams said. “Definitely, the team wants to return and be two-time state champs and then move up to 2A next year. So that’s definitely the goal and that’s what everyone has in mind. At the end of the day, winners win and we’re creating winners every day.”

Hildreth (38-5), the lone state qualifier for coach Jamie McCarty’s Cardinals, advanced to state for the first time after winning his opener by technical fall and then recording a pin in 2:40 in the semifinals over Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille/ Ohio co-op sophomore Jose Lopez. In the third-place match, Taylor (34-4) captured a 10-0 major decision over Lopez (28-15) as both individuals were the lone state qualifiers for their schools. Richmond-Burton senior Dalton Youngs (28-19) and Erie/ Prophetstown sophomore Tristan Hovey lost in the consolation semifinals to fall one win shy of advancing to Champaign.

157 – Briar Ivey, Newman Central Catholic

Briar Ivey qualified for the IHSA Finals as a freshman in 2022 and won his initial match there before losing his next two. He looked like he might get back to state last season but fell one win shy at the Byron Sectional in a 39-6 season. The Newman Central Catholic senior is finally making his return to the State Farm Center in Champaign and he’s doing it with a whole lot of momentum after second-ranked Ivey defeated the top-ranked individual at 157, Riverdale’s Blake Smith, by taking control in the final period to capture a 9-4 decision for the 157 championshi[, handing Smith his first setback in 33 matches. It also avenged a Smith fall in 3:05 in the title match at the Riverdale Regional as well as a 7-0 Smith decision in the finals of Princeton’s Lyle King PIT.

Ivey (44-3) was the lone champion and one of two finalists and three state qualifiers for coach Brian Bahr’s Comets. He had to compete in four matches and only the first one wasn’t close as he captured a 16-2 major decision. He needed to prevail 4-1 in sudden victory over Wheaton Academy’s Chasen Kazmierczak, who’s ranked sixth, before capturing a 2-1 decision in the semifinals over Erie/ Prophetstown’s Wyatt Goossens, who’s ranked third, in order to get a rematch with Smith. The 157 bracket was most likely the toughest of any in the Class 1A sectionals since it featured the first four and five of the top-six at that weight class, which was unfortunate for Byron’s Will Julian, who was ranked fourth but fell a win shy on two occasions.

“You just have to grit them out,” Ivey said, “Coming in here, every match, everyone’s coming to wrestle me, so I just wrestled six full minutes and wrestled the whole match and wrestle hard. It just goes back to practice and working hard every day and putting myself in these spots in my head and I came out with a win. I’ve been working hard every day and putting the rest up to God and see how it turns out. We’re just a really tight-knit group and we all know how to work hard and we’re going to push each other to work hard every day.”

Smith (32-1), who placed third at 150 last year at state, opened with a win by technical fall in just 58 seconds in the quarterfinals before capturing a 10-4 decision over Julian (39-5) in the semifinals. In the third-place match featuring two seniors, Goossens (41-8) won by fall in 1:32 over Kazmierczak (43-7). Goosens, who also is making his first state trip since 2022, was the lone state qualifier for his team while Kazmierczak, who qualified for state last year, joins two other Warriors in Champaign this weekend. Sophomore Julian saw his state hopes dashed in both the semifinals and consolation semifinals, with the latter being the final match for Oregon senior Ethan Mowry (30-14), who was hoping to make his first trip to the IHSA finals.

165 – Brody Stien, Byron

Brody Stien was one of two champions at the Oregon Sectional that went the full six minutes in all of his matches, with Briar Ivey right before him taking first at 157 as the other. But the Byron sophomore was the only one to prevail by two points in each of his wins. Stein’s clutch performance resulted in a 12-10 decision over Marian Central Catholic’s Nic Astacio (14-5) in the quarterfinals, followed by an 8-6 win over the top-ranked individual at the weight, Newman Central Catholic senior Daniel Kelly, and was capped by a 10-8 win in an unexpected 165 title match between 10th-ranked Stien and an unranked junior, Wheaton Academy’s Tyler Jones.

Stien (42-5) also qualified for state last year as a freshman and lost both of his matches there to conclude a successful 33-16 debut season. And as was the case a year ago, he will be joined in Champaign by teammate Jared Claunch, a senior, who also went 0-2 in Champaign in 2024. They are the lone qualifiers for the Tigers and their matches will be the final time that Mike Elsbury will be in the corner for Byron, since he’s stepping down as the program’s head coach after being in that role since 2007. Needless to say, Stien and Claunch hope to extend their coach’s stay until Saturday so they can give him a nice sendoff with two more state medalists. 

“It’s great,” Stien said of competing for Byron. “Our coaches are great and they’re top in the state, they’re just excellent. It’s a tough tournament. Everybody that comes out of here, there’s lots of good kids, but some kids don’t make it. I started out the season a little messed up and I lost a couple of matches that I shouldn’t have. But then I started coming back and believing in all my coaches and my teammates have helped me get better every single day.”

Jones (37-5) won one match at last year’s Byron Sectional and finished with a 31-15 record. He’s one of two finalists and three state qualifiers for coach Steve Aiello’s Warriors. Like Stien, Jones was also involved in three close decisions, getting a 4-1 victory in the quarterfinals over Morrison’s Brady Anderson (39-11) before prevailing 5-4 over Princeton junior Casey Etheridge, who is ranked fourth, in the semifinals. For third place, Kelly (37-3), who took fifth place at 157 last season at state, captured a 7-2 decision over Etheridge (44-4), who also qualified for state in 2024. Marquette Academy sophomore Reily Leifheit (38-7) and Morrison’s Anderson both saw their seasons conclude in the consolation semifinals.

175 – Eli Larson, Lena-Winslow/ Stockton

Eli Larson took second place at 175 in last year’s IHSA Class 1A Finals when he dropped a 7-2 decision to Manteno senior Carter Watkins to conclude a 44-6 sophomore season in his initial visit to Champaign. Now the Lena-Winslow/ Stockton junior is hopeful that he can not only get back to the Grand March but also add his name to the long list of PantherHawks who have won IHSA championships. He improved to 45-2 after capturing the 175 title at the Oregon Sectional by recording a victory by technical fall in 2:37 over Johnsburg sophomore Duke Mays.

Larson, who’s ranked second at his weight to Coal City’s Landin Benson, who won the Class 1A title at 165 last season, was one of two champions, four finalists and five state qualifiers for coach Kevin Milder’s PantherHawks. He opened with a fall in 1:26 over Morrison’s Noah Stout and followed that up with a 4-2 decision over Richmond-Burton’s Blake Livdahl in the semifinals.

“This sectional definitely prepares kids the best in 1A for the state tournament,” Larson said. It’s a good environment (Lena-Winslow / Stockton). You grow up, and you wrestle and you go to the duals and you watch it, it’s something that’s installed in you throughout life basically. Being able to watch the ‘17 and ‘19 teams winning state, it was definitely a cool experience to grow up with. Coach Milder, he hammers us all season and he’s definitely getting us ready and he knows what he’s doing. And he’s at 599 wins right now so we’re going to try to get him to 700. I’ve really stopped thinking about how last year went. But definitely it’s some motivation.”

Mays (27-9), one of three state qualifiers who all finished in second place for coach James Sylvanus’ Skyhawks, is making his first trip to state after coming up one win shy of qualifying in 2024 at the Byron Sectional where he closed out his freshman season with a 33-10 record. Mays had to compete in four matches, and two of his victories were by technical fall, including his opener. After winning a 16-4 decision over Sandwich’s Kai Kern in the quarterfinals, he earned his spot in the 175 finals with a win by technical fall in 3:50 over Fulton senior Skylier Crooks. In the third-place match, sophomore Livdahl (41-5) also won by technical fall over Crooks (39-12), needing just 1:51 to close out his win. Livdahl was one of six qualifiers for Richmond-Burton while Crooks was the lone state qualifier for the Steamers. Oregon senior Andrew Young (28-8) and Morrison sophomore Noah Stout (33-9) fell one win shy of state trips.

190 – Jimmy Mastny, Marian Central Catholic

Jimmy Mastny certainly had an impressive debut season in 2023-2024, only losing once in 33 matches and he capped things with a win by fall in 3:23 over Oakwood/ Salt Fork’s Bryson Capansky in the IHSA Class 1A Finals at 157 in Champaign before he closed out his team’s season by helping Marian Central Catholic to claim its first-ever state title in the IHSA Class 1A Dual Team Finals with a 34-27 victory over defending champion Coal City in Bloomington.

Mastny, top-ranked and unbeaten in Illinois, has only suffered one loss, to Ponderosa, CO’s De’Alcapon Veazy, at the Ironman in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio in early December. He improved to 49-1 after capturing the 190 championship at the Class 1A Oregon Sectional with a win by fall in 0:59 over Lena-Winslow/ Stockton junior Oliver McPeek. He opened with a pin in 2:21 over Oregon’s Seth Rote and then recorded another fall, this one in 3:50 over Orion’s Maddux Anderson in the semifinals. He was one of four champions and eight state qualifiers for the Hurricanes, who are co-coached by Jordan Blanton and Ryan Prater. And once this weekend is over, Marian Central Catholic looks to repeat as 1A champions at the IHSA Dual Team Finals.

“We had eight qualifiers and I wish we could have gotten a couple more, but that’s what it is,” Mastny said. “Getting bonus points when we can is a big deal. (Camden) Spiniolas, especially, had a great comeback win in the blood round, and (Dan) French, too.”

McPeek (42-5), one of four finalists and five state qualifiers for the PantherHawks, is ranked sixth and is making his first trip to the state finals. He got a pin in his opener and then got another fall, in 3:11, over Richmond-Burton sophomore Breckin Campbell in the semifinals. In the third-place, Orion senior Maddux Anderson (48-3) won by fall in 1:37 over Campbell (36-13). Anderson, a three-time qualifier who placed third at 190 last season, is Orion’s lone qualifier while Campbell is one of six state qualifiers for Richmond-Burton. Alden-Hebron senior Logan Crowell (25-8) and Fulton junior Mason Kuebel (34-10) both lost in the consolation semifinals. 

215 – Jeremiah Luke, Lena-Winslow/ Stockton

Jeremiah Luke assured Lena-Winslow/ Stockton of a second title in three finals matches and also made his team one of three who had more than one sectional champion when he claimed first place at 215 in the Class 1A Oregon Sectional. Luke captured a 16-7 major decision over Marquette Academy’s Alex Schaefer to add to a title that Eli Larson collected at 175. The PantherHawks had two other finalists, but Arrison Bauer (144) and Oliver McPeek (190) both took second as their team was represented by an individual in four of the final eight title matches. With Mauricio Glass (138) also claiming fourth place, it was a good tournament with five qualifiers for 2020 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Milder, who now has 599 dual meet wins in his career. 

Luke (42-5), a junior who’s ranked second behind East Alton-Wood River’s Drake Champlin, opened with a win by technical fall in the quarterfinals over Sandwich senior Devon Blanchard and then earned his spot on the 215 title mat with a 10-2 major decision over Marian Central Catholic junior Dan French, who’s ranked fifth, in the semifinals. Luke made his first state trip in 2024 and he went 1-2 to conclude a successful 43-8 sophomore season. Now he’s hoping to do what Larson did last year, which was not only earning a medal but advancing to a title match.

“A lot of good things are happening in our room,” Luke said. “It just really shows our work ethic in the room and we’ve just got a lot of great guys going in to get some work in every day. We lost a couple of guys in the consolations, but it was nice to see Mauricio Glass make it out of the blood rounds and place. It should seed me pretty well, but I just have to keep going back every day in the week and just work as hard as I can to get the results. The thing I like the most about this team is just our tough mentality. Everybody is willing to come into the room and work to the maximum every single day. It’s just a great work ethic all around.”

Schaefer (34-9), who’s a sophomore that is unranked, hopes to make history by becoming the first medal winner for Marquette Academy, which is in Ottawa. He opened with a fall over Wheaton Academy’s Jeremy Johanik (38-11) and then surprised a returning medalist in the semifinals, Kewanee senior Alejandro Duarte by claiming a 16-12 decision to advance to the finals. For third place, French (33-14) recorded a fall in 4:38 over Blanchard (42-10), who was one of two state qualifiers for Sandwich. Duarte (35-5), who took fifth at state at 215 in 2024 and was ranked fifth, lost in both the semifinals and consolation semifinals, and Richmond-Burton freshman Shane Falasca (39-13) also fell one win shy of a trip to state.

285 – Jaylen Torres, St. Francis

Jaylen Torres lost a 2-1 decision to Althoff Catholic’s Jason Dowell in last year’s IHSA Class 1A championship at 285 and no doubt wants to get back to the Grand March and accomplish some feats that either haven’t been done by an individual from St. Francis yet or it’s been an awful long time since it’s happened. If the Spartans junior wins any medal at the state finals, he’ll be the first from the Wheaton school to be a two-time all-stater. Since there’s only been two finalists in the school’s history, if he gets back to the title mat at State Farm Center, that will also be a first. The elusive goal is one established, coincidentally, by another heavyweight, Bob Hudetz, who won the Class A championship in 1980 for the school’s lone state title. After being the first medal winner from the school in 40 years in 2024, he can rewrite the records this weekend.

Torres, a three-time state qualifier who went 19-2 last season, improved to 28-2 after winning the 285 title at the Oregon Sectional by technical fall in 5:55 over Dakota junior Randy McPeek. Third-ranked at his weight behind Dowell and De La Salle Institute’s David McCarthy, he opened with a fall in 3:23 over Byron senior Jared Claunch and then earned his spot on the title mat by capturing a 7-1 decision in the semifinals over Princeton senior Cade Odell, who is ranked fifth. 

McPeek (36-7), a junior who is ranked tenth, earned his first trip to state and was one of two qualifiers and the lone finalist for coach Matt Jacobs’ Indians. His closest match came in his first one where he won 3-1 on a tiebreaker over Richmond-Burton senior Colin Kraus (38-10) in the quarterfinals and then held off a good challenge from Wheaton Academy junior Hezekiah Garcia (30-21) in the semifinals to reach the finals. In the third place match between two seniors, Claunch (38-8), a three-time qualifier who was unranked, edged Odell (31-3), who placed fourth at 285 last season. Claunch was one of two qualifiers for Byron while Odell will join four others from Princeton at state. Two individuals who McPeek beat, Kraus and Garcia, both fell one win shy of advancing to Champaign after falling in the consolation semifinals.

IHSA Class 1A Oregon Sectional Place Matches

106

1st Place Match

Cael Wright (Morrison) 41-2, Fr. over Landon Near (Newman Central Catholic) 39-4, Fr. (Dec 10-8)

3rd Place Match

Lelan Nelson (Richmond-Burton) 41-4, Fr. over Camden Spiniolas (Marian Central Catholic) 26-20, Fr. (Dec 1-0)

113

1st Place Match

Austin Hagevold (Marian Central Catholic) 39-7, Jr. over Chase Vogel (Johnsburg) 34-7, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:10 (18-3))

3rd Place Match

Brandon White (Dakota) 33-10, Jr. over Josiah Perez (Oregon) 39-7, Jr. (MD 23-9)

120

1st Place Match

Brayden Teunissen (Marian Central Catholic) 31-5, Sr. over Adam Glauser (Richmond-Burton) 41-9, Fr. (Fall 1:43)

3rd Place Match

Augustus Swanson (Princeton) 28-8, Jr. over Isaiah Perez (Oregon) 37-9, Fr. (MD 13-5)

126

1st Place Match

Clayton Madula (Richmond-Burton) 42-10, Sr. over Gavin Ekberg (North Boone) 37-6, Sr. (Fall 5:10)

3rd Place Match

Alexander Ferari (Lisle) 35-6, Jr. over Nick Marchese (Marian Central Catholic) 25-14, So. (Fall 3:29)

132

1st Place Match

Dean Wainwright (Riverdale) 43-2, Jr. over Lincoln Hoger (Wheaton Academy) 43-7, Jr. (MD 10-2)

3rd Place Match

Kane Dauber (Princeton) 46-3, Fr. over Nelson Benesh (Oregon) 40-8, So. (Fall 4:46)

138

1st Place Match

Jude Finch (Rockridge) 38-0, Sr. over Landon Johnson (Johnsburg) 35-5, Sr. (M. For.)

3rd Place Match

Andrew Alvarado (Marian Central Catholic) 22-10, Sr. over Mauricio Glass (Lena-Winslow/ Stockton) 41-11, Jr. (Fall 4:15)

144

1st Place Match

Emmett Nelson (Richmond-Burton) 41-1, Sr. over Arrison Bauer (Lena-Winslow/ Stockton) 42-6, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:15 (22-5))

3rd Place Match

Ace Christiansen (Princeton) 43-5, Sr. over Cooper Corder (Sandwich) 34-5, So. (M. For.)

150

1st Place Match

Vance Williams (Marian Central Catholic) 37-5, Sr. over Henry Hildreth (Stillman Valley) 38-5, Sr. (Fall 3:06)

3rd Place Match

Ben Taylor (Kewanee) 34-4, Sr. over Jose Lopez (Amboy/ Ashton-Franklin Center/ LaMoille/ Ohio) 28-15, So. (MD 10-0)

157

1st Place Match

Briar Ivey (Newman Central Catholic) 44-3, Sr. over Blake Smith (Riverdale) 32-1, Sr. (Dec 9-4)

3rd Place Match

Wyatt Goossens (Erie/ Prophetstown) 41-8, Sr. over Chasen Kazmierczak (Wheaton Academy) 43-7, Sr. (Fall 1:32)

165

1st Place Match

Brody Stien (Byron) 42-5, So. over Tyler Jones (Wheaton Academy) 37-5, Jr. (Dec 10-8)

3rd Place Match

Daniel Kelly (Newman Central Catholic) 37-3, Sr. over Casey Etheridge (Princeton) 44-4, Jr. (Dec 7-2)

175

1st Place Match

Eli Larson (Lena-Winslow/ Stockton) 45-2, Jr. over Duke Mays (Johnsburg) 27-9, So. (TF-1.5 2:37 (17-0))

3rd Place Match

Blake Livdahl (Richmond-Burton) 41-5, So. over Skylier Crooks (Fulton) 39-12, Sr. (TF-1.5 1:51 (18-3))

190

1st Place Match

Jimmy Mastny (Marian Central Catholic) 49-1, So. over Oliver McPeek (Lena-Winslow/ Stockton) 42-5, Jr. (Fall 0:59)

3rd Place Match

Maddux Anderson (Orion) 48-3, Sr. over Breckin Campbell (Richmond-Burton) 36-13, So. (Fall 1:37)

215

1st Place Match

Jeremiah Luke (Lena-Winslow/ Stockton) 42-5, Jr. over Alex Schaefer (Marquette Academy) 34-9, So. (MD 16-7)

3rd Place Match

Dan French (Marian Central Catholic) 33-14, Jr. over Devon Blanchard (Sandwich) 42-10, Sr. (Fall 4:38)

285

1st Place Match

Jaylen Torres (St. Francis) 28-2, Jr. over Randy McPeek (Dakota) 36-7, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:55 (15-0))

3rd Place Match

Jared Claunch (Byron) 38-8, Sr. over Cade Odell (Princeton) 31-3, Sr. (Dec 4-3)