Vandalia gets past Coal City to capture first Lyle King PIT title
By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA
It’s been a special season thus far for Vandalia in its quest to improve upon last year’s fourth-place finish at the IHSA Class 1A Dual Team Finals.
And based on its accomplishments during the past three weeks, it appears that coach Jason Clay’s Vandals definitely have what it takes to challenge the last two first-place finishers in Class 1A, 2023 champion Coal City and 2024 title winner Marian Central Catholic, in their quest to capture their program’s second state championship and first since 1996.
The Vandals claimed top honors at ABE’s Rumble in Springfield on December 28 after jumping out to a big lead and holding off a comeback by Coal City in the semifinals and winning in a similar fashion in the championship dual meet against Marian Central Catholic.
It was more of the same for Vandalia on Saturday at the 61st annual Lyle King Princeton Invitational Tournament where it went toe-to-toe with Coal City throughout the two-day competition that featured many of the state’s best Class 1A teams and individuals from the 34 schools on hand.
Once again, the Vandals got the better of the Coalers, outscoring them 279.5-272 to become champions for the first time in a tournament that they have been competing in since 2000.
Meanwhile, the Coalers demonstrated that even though they weren’t at full strength in their quest to win a third-straight title, on any given day, they’re just as good as any team in 1A.
Leading the way for coach Jason Clay’s first-place Vandals were champions Kaden Tidwell (190), Tyson Waughtel (126), Preston Waughtel (120) and Max Philpot (113) as well as runner-up Dillon Hinton (150).
Other top placewinners and points scorers for Vandalia were Aiden Evans (fifth at 106), Ross Miller (fifth at 175), Cole Yarbrough (fifth at 138), Brody Matthews (sixth at 132), Dominic Swyers (sixth at 215), Dade Kleinik (seventh at 157), Artan Mustafa (eighth at 165), Keagan Turner (144) and Gabe Torres (285).
“It is actually the first time we have won the tournament since we started coming in 2000,” said Clay, who will be inducted into the IWCOA Hall of Fame this year. “We have been second about four times but never won it. I’m proud of how our guys performed over two days with this being our first competition since Abe’s Rumble. We scored at every weight class and that was critical to hold off Coal City. 279.5 is a pretty amazing point total for a tournament of this level. I thought we did an outstanding job of also getting bonus points via pins and tech falls.”
After taking fourth place in the IHSA Class 1A Dual Team Finals last season, Vandalia hopes to battle with last year’s runner-up and the 2023 1A champions, Coal City, as well as last year’s Class 1A champions, Marian Central Catholic.
The Vandals have won one Dual Team title and that was in 1996. They also hope to boost their total of individual champions since they have just four and have not had more than one state champion in a season.
Finalists for coach Mark Masters’ runner-up Coalers were champion Landin Benson (175) and second-place finishers Brock Finch (165) and Cooper Morris (126).
Additional top placers and point scorers for Coal City were John Keigher (third at 215), Owen Petersen (third at 113), Cade Poyner (third at 190), Mason Garner (fourth at 157), Aidan Kenney (fourth at 144), Luke Munsterman (fourth at 132), Brody D’Orazio (sixth at 190), Trace Wilson (sixth at 150), Noah Houston (seventh at 150), Roberto Rodriguez (seventh at 138), Payton Vigna (seventh at 285), Culan Lindemuth (eighth at 120) and Jason Piatak (106). Brody Widlowski, an IHSA runner-up last season and a two-time state medalist, did not compete.
“They know that they can perform a little bit better,” said Masters, who is a 2022 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee. “Everybody’s beat up a little bit, but they’re not using that as an excuse. We had our backup 38-pounder and he came in today and he placed. They let us bring a couple of extra guys and our backup 190 took sixth. (Cooper Morris) It was huge to see the takedown and it closed the gap against a two-time state champion and three-time finalist (Tyson Waughtel) and you belong, that’s the mentality.
“The one thing that programs always encourage is that you score the next point, whatever it is, whether it’s an escape, or takedown, nearfall, that’s all that we care about. Are you improving through the match? Even in the loss, maybe we didn’t wrestle so well the first period but man, you really put it together in the second and third period. You hear it all the time, it’s effort-based, not result-based, and that’s what we really encourage to the kids. We love you no matter what, we just need your best effort and I’m not too concerned about the outcome.”
Richmond-Burton took third place with 184 points and Newman Central Catholic finished fourth with 148 points and both teams had two champions and one second-place finisher.
Champions for Richmond-Burton were Emmett Nelson (144) and Colin Kraus (285) while Lelan Nelson (106) took second. Title winners for Newman Central Catholic were Daniel Kelly (165) and Landon Near (106) while Briar Ivey (157) took second place.
Returning state champions who won PIT titles were Rockridge’s Jude Finch (138), Illini Bluffs’ Jackson Carroll (150), Preston Waughtel (120) and Benson (175) while 2023 and 2022 state champ Tyson Waughtel (126) also took first place.
The other PIT title winners were Roxana’s Brandon Green, Jr. (132), Riverdale’s Blake Smith (157) and Mt. Zion’s Keller Stocks (215). Lyle King PIT Outstanding Wrestler Awards went to Preston Waughtel for the lower weights and Benson for the upper weights.
Champions with the most team points were Green, Jr with 34 while Preston Waughtel and Stocks were next with 33 points. Finch and Nelson both scored 32.5 points, Kraus had 32, Tyson Waughtel, Carroll and Philpot each had 31.5 and Tidwell collected 30.5 points.
A 2023 IHSA champion who took second place was Riverdale’s Dean Wainwright (132). Other state medalists who took second place were Olympia’s Dylan Eimer (113), Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth’s Logan Roberts (120), Princeton’s Ace Christiansen (144), Tremont’s Bowden Delaney (175) and Orion’s Maddux Anderson (190).
Other second-place finishers were Reed-Custer’s Jeremy Eggleston (138) and Dominic Alaimo (215) and LeRoy/Tri-Valley’s Tate Sigler (285).
Several freshmen claimed third-place finishes. They were Reed-Custer’s Colton Drinkwine (106), Oakwood/Salt Fork’s Mason Swartz (120), Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher’s Landen Lage (126), Princeton’s Kane Dauber (132) and Dixon’s Preston Richards (144).
Others who finished in third place were Oakwood/Salt Fork’s Pedro Rangel (138), Clifton Central/Iroquois West’s Gianni Panozzo (150), Byron’s Will Julian (157), Roxana’s Lyndon Thies (165), Richmond-Burton’s Blake Livdahl (175) and Princeton’s Cade Odell (285).
Additional individuals who finished fourth were Dixon’s Jack Ragan (113) and Charlie Connors (138), Oakwood/Salt Fork’s Steven Uden (106), Richmond-Burton’s Adam Glauser (120), Newman Central Catholic’s Zhyler Hansen (126), Riverdale’s Kolton Kruse (150), Princeton’s Casey Etheridge (165), Mt. Zion’s Carson Thornton (175), Wilmington’s Logan VanDuyne (190), Litchfield/Mt. Olive’s Tristan Staggs (215) and Dakota’s Randy McPeek (285).
Here’s a look at the champions and weight classes of the 61st annual Lyle King Princeton Invitational Tournament (in the order they were contested):
157 – Blake Smith, Riverdale
Blake Smith took third place at 150 at the IHSA Class 1A Finals so the Riverdale senior definitely hopes to move higher up the awards stand this season. And he knows what it takes to be a state champion since he saw teammate Dean Wainwright achieve that feat in 2023 and his brother Brock and Collin Altensey also win titles for the Rams in 2022. Smith is obviously feeling really good about his progression after capturing a 7-0 decision over Newman Central Catholic senior Briar Ivey in the 157 Lyle King PIT title match to repeat as a champion in the competition and improve to 26-0 on the season.
Smith, one of two finalists and the lone champion for coach Aron Kindelsperger’s Rams, opened with a win by technical fall before getting a pin in 3:04 in the quarterfinals over Litchfield/Mt. Olive’s Braxton Kieffer. He earned his spot on the title mat with a 9-4 decision over Byron’s Will Julian in the semifinals. Kicking off the title matches, he grabbed an early 3-0 advantage over Ivey and increased it during the final period to claim his first championship of the season.
“I wrestled good all year and I had a good state tournament but third place was not where I wanted to be,” Smith said. “I want to be standing on top of that podium and I think this year it’s going to happen since I’ve been working really hard to get to that goal. With all of the work that I’ve been putting in, my confidence is growing and growing. I know what exactly needs to be done and I’m doing it so I’m going to be on top of that podium. (Riverdale) It’s a very special place. Wrestling is in our history at Riverdale and in my freshman and sophomore years, having the guys that I had in the room, every day I was getting better every single day. I’m just trying to stay on that same path of getting better every day, and it’s been working.”
Ivey (28-2) was one of three finalists for coach Brian Bahrs’ fourth-place Comets and he looks to get back to state for the first time since 2022 and earn his first medal there. He opened with a win by technical fall and then won a 16-5 major decision over LeRoy/Tri-Valley’s Brock Owens in the quarterfinals before claiming a 10-4 decision in the semifinals over PORTA’s Justin Zimmerman. In the third-place match, Byron sophomore Julian (12-1) won an 11-7 decision over Coal City junior Mason Garner (17-5). For fifth, PORTA junior Zimmerman (29-5) claimed a 10-2 major decision over LeRoy/Tri-Valley senior Owens (28-7). And for seventh place, Vandalia sophomore Dade Kleinik (17-6) won a 6-4 decision over Litchfield/Mt. Olive junior Kieffer (23-7).
190 – Kaden Tidwell, Vandalia
Kaden Tidwell was understandably excited about being one of the five individuals from Vandalia that reached the title mat at the Lyle King PIT and a bonus in the 190 PIT championship match was a rematch of last season’s third-place match at the IHSA Class 1A Finals at 190 where he lost 7-6 to Orion’s Maddux Anderson. In the rematch between the two seniors, Tidwell used a takedown and nearfall in the middle period to overcome an early deficit and went on to claim an 11-3 major decision to add to a first-place finish he had at Civic Memorial and improved to 29-2.
Tidwell, the first of four title winners for coach Jason Clay’s Vandals, got the added bonus of helping his team to win their first-ever Lyle King championship as they edged defending champion Coal City 279.5-272 for top honors in the 34-team event. He opened with two pins before getting a win by technical fall in 4:19 in the quarterfinals over Clinton’s Kristian Hibbard and then won an 11-6 decision over Coal City’s Cade Poyner in the semifinals.
“It’s been amazing,” Tidwell said of his team’s season thus far. “We had goals at the beginning of the year to win state and win ABE’s and get a bunch of winners here at Princeton, and we’ve kind of been completing them step by step and it just starts in the room, just practicing real hard. We just have to keep working hard in the room and not get too big in our heads because we’re winning other stuff because the main goal is February. It was a rematch and it felt amazing to get out there and kind of build my lead and I majored him and now I’m just working toward state. It’s a great time to build some momentum as we’re getting closer to regionals and postseason so hopefully we can just keep it rolling.”
Anderson (29-2), who was hoping to repeat as a PIT champion and add to titles that he’s won this season at Seneca and Erie/Prophetstown, was the lone finalist for coach Zach Nelson’s Chargers. He won his first two matches with first-period falls before getting a victory by technical fall in 2:22 over Dixon’s Will Howell. He earned his spot on the 190 title mat with a 12-0 major decision over Wilmington’s Logan VanDuyne in the semifinals. For third place, Coal City junior Poyner (18-3) won a 5-3 decision over Wilmington junior VanDuyne (22-3). In the fifth-place match, Dixon senior Howell (22-7) prevailed 9-8 over Coal City sophomore Brody D’Orazio (18-4). And for seventh place, Mt. Zion senior Kaden Becker (21-8) won by fall in 0:52 over Monticello senior Hunter Romano (24-4). Becker joined Oakwood/Salt Fork’s Brayden Edwards and Vandalia’s Ross Miller as the lone competitors to record five falls in the tournament.
144 – Emmett Nelson, Richmond-Burton
Emmett Nelson started off his career in an impressive fashion, placing second in the IHSA Class 1A Finals at 113 in 2022 and at 126 in 2023. After settling for a sixth-place finish at 144 a year ago in Champaign, the three-time state medalist hopes that he’s saved his best performance for last this season. So far, so good, as Nelson is off to a 25-1 start and he’s leading a Richmond-Burton team that’s won three titles and placed third twice. As a bonus, he became a first-time champion at the Lyle King PIT along with his senior teammate Colin Kraus and was one of three finalists for his team, with his freshman brother Lelan being the other one. He won the 144 title with a wild, high-scoring 22-14 major decision over Princeton senior Ace Christiansen.
Nelson, who won titles at his school’s own invite and at Palatine and suffered his lone loss in the finals at Glenbrook South, was one of seven top-five finishers for coach Tony Nelson’s Rockets, who easily claimed third place in the Lyle King PIT with 184 points. After getting two first-period falls, with the second one in 1:48 over Mt. Zion’s Drayden Smith in the quarterfinals, Nelson won by technical fall in 2:59 over Coal City’s Aidan Kenney to advance to the 144 finals. He finished with 32.5 team points, which tied him for fourth place with Rockridge’s Jude Finch and thanks to his high-scoring finale, he also tied for seventh place in match points with 60.
“It’s fun winning by yourself, but I think it’s even more fun when the team is doing well because then everybody is going to get good,” Nelson said. “It’s even more fun beating bigger schools since they seem to underestimate us a little bit. I’m really close with him (Lelan), so it’s really cool. And we go at it all of the time in the room, so it’s good to just have another partner in there. It makes me take on a leadership role on the team, so it makes me not just work hard for myself but also so I can set a good example for other people. A big part of it is how much we support each other and everybody really gets behind everybody on our team. In this one (PIT) they did a good job of really making the atmosphere cool and I always want to put on a show for the fans.”
Christiansen (21-3) prevailed with a 12-10 decision over Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth’s Charlie Wittmer in the semifinals to give the large crowd at Prouty Gym hope that IWCOA Hall of Famer Sreve Amy’s Tigers, who tied Dixon for fifth place with 129 points, might get a championship from their lone finalist at their 34-team tournament. Christiansen, who took third place at 138 in the IHSA 1A Finals in 2024 and was seeking his first title of the season, opened with two falls, including one in 2:50 over Clifton Central’s Evan Cox in the quarterfinals. In the third-place match, Dixon freshman Preston Richards (26-7) bounced back from a 5-4 quarterfinal loss to Kenney (20-7) to capture a 4-3 decision over the Coaler junior. For fifth place, Roxana junior Logan Riggs (23-10) won by medical forfeit over Warrensburg-Latham junior Wittmer (26-5). And for seventh, PORTA senior Mike Minor (18-4) won 6-1 over Olympia sophomore Austin Kisner (30-10).
126 – Tyson Waughtel, Vandalia
Tyson Waughtel has enjoyed a great career, winning IHSA Class 1A titles at 113 in 2023 and at 106 in 2022 and just falling short of another title at 120 last season while at Carlyle. Now with him and his sophomore brother Preston, an IHSA champion at 113 a year ago as a freshman, also competing for Carlyle, the pairs’ hopes are much bigger than winning individual titles since they’re on a team that closed 2024 by taking first at ABE’s Rumble and opened 2025 with a title at the Lyle King PIT. Tyson Waughtel was one of four champions, five finalists and 12 individuals who placed eighth or better to help Vandalia get past Coal City by a 279.5-272 margin to win their first Lyle King PIT team championship. The senior improved to 32-0 after claiming the 126 title with an 11-5 decision over Coal City sophomore Cooper Morris.
Tyson Waughtel opened with two falls, including one in 1:25 in the quarterfinals over Rockridge’s Clayton Blumenstein, and the senior earned his spot on the title mat with a win by technical fall in 2:57 over Newman Central Catholic’s Zhyler Hansen. This was his second tournament title of the season with the other coming at Civic Memorial’s Steve Bradley Invite. Vandalia had a tournament-high four champions for coach Jason Clay, who is a 2025 inductee for the IWCOA Hall of Fame. Kaden Tidwell (190) won two matches before him and his brother Preston (120) and Max Philpot (113) claimed consecutive titles a bit later while Dillon Hinton (150) took second. He tied for seventh for the most team points with Philpot and Illini Bluffs’ Jackson Carroll with 31.5.
“We’re just making history,” Tyson Waughtel said. “We’re doing great. We won ABE’s, which was really big because we were the two-seed going into it. (Taking second last year) I put a picture of me in my room of losing just to motivate me every day, and it helps keep me going and to remind myself of what I have to accomplish. It’s awesome seeing your little brother just compete and do the best that he can out there, it’s like I helped him do that. (Being at Vandalia) I’m so grateful to have these guys, I’m just really thankful for them. We all act like a family. We’re not just teammates, we work as if we’re related almost, and it’s awesome to have that.”
Morris (22-3), who took fifth at 113 at state and second at the PIT last season, put up a good fight in the finals, getting a takedown late in the second period to close to within 6-5 before the senior scored the final five points. One of three finalists and 15 individuals who placed eighth or better for the runner-up Coalers, who are coached by 2022 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Mark Masters. Morris joined champion Landin Benson (175) and runner-up Brock Finch (165) as finalists after winning 4-3 in an overtime tiebreaker to Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher’s Landen Lage in the semifinals. He opened with a fall and won a 16-8 major decision over Rock Falls’ Josiah Tarbill in the quarterfinals. In the third-place match, GCMSF freshman Lage (24-2) won 7-4 over Newman Central Catholic junior Hansen (27-3). For fifth, Richmond-Burton senior Clayton Madula (28-7) won by fall in 2:56 over Monticello junior Nick Litchfield (24-13), who led all competitors with the most total match points with 88. And for seventh place, Rock Falls junior Tarbill (4-2) won 16-10 over Byron senior Damien Palacios (7-5). Tarbill was seeded 26th, so he finished 19 places better than that, which was the second-largest seed to place differential.
138 – Jude Finch, Rockridge
Jude Finch reached the pinnacle last season by taking first place at 132 in the IHSA 1A Finals after placing third at 126 in 2023 at state. Now the three-time state qualifier hopes to do something that only one other individual from Rockridge has been able to accomplish, 2020 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee and Princeton coach Steve Amy, which is winning more than one state title. The senior is off to a great start, improving to 19-0 after winning the 138 championship at the Lyle King PIT with a 19-5 major decision over Reed-Custer senior Jeremy Eggleston, handing him his first defeat. Finch claimed second place finishes in the PIT in both 2024 and 2023.
Finch, who also won a title at Erie/Prophetstown this season, wasn’t pleased with the fact that he had to spend the whole six minutes on the title mat after opening with two falls in the first minute, including one in 0:49 over Coal City’s Roberto Rodriguez in the quarterfinals. And he needed just 2:22 to win by technical fall in the semifinals over Dixon’s Charlie Connors to become the lone finalist for coach Lucas Smith’s Rockets. Finch tied Richmond-Burton’s Emmett Nelson for the fourth-most team points with 32.5
“I’ve been trying to win for a while now and could never seem to get it done, but finally did,” Finch said of winning the PIT. “I’m just working hard in the room every day. Being on weight and wrestling the whole match. (The finals) That was the longest match that I wrestled all season. Being one point away from the tech and then giving up a dumb takedown, I was just trying to finish the match instead of wrestling. (About Rockridge) I love wrestling with my friends, it’s fun. It’s an individual sport, but it also is a team and those are the guys that you train with.”
Eggleston (24-1) hopes to get back to the state finals, which he qualified for in 2023. One of two finalists for coach Yale Davis’ Comets, with junior Dominic Alaimo (215) the other one, he got pins in his first two matches, winning by fall over Illinois Valley Central’s Hunter Toliver in 5:08 in the quarterfinals. Then he claimed a 7-5 decision over Vandalia’s Cole Yarbrough in the semifinals prior to suffering his first loss this season. In the third-place match, Oakwood/Salt Fork senior Pedro Rangel (22-6), a three-time state qualifier, claimed a 7-3 decision over Dixon freshman Connors (18-5). For fifth place, Vandalia sophomore Yarbrough (24-7) was a winner by technical fall in 4:31 over Tremont senior Chase Stedman (32-10), who had the largest seed to place differential of 21 places after being seeded 27th. And for seventh place, Coal City sophomore Rodriguez (15-3) claimed a 20-8 major decision over IVC sophomore Toliver (3-3).
285 – Colin Kraus, Richmond-Burton
Colin Kraus came into the 61st Lyle King PIT with literally nothing to lose since he was unranked at 285 and hadn’t ever qualified for state. So all the Richmond-Burton senior went out and did was not lose any of his five matches as he captured top honors at 285 by recording a fall in 4:41 over LeRoy/Tri-Valley’s Tate Sigler, another senior who was unranked and hadn’t gone to state but also went 4-0 to advance to the title mat. Every other title match featured two individuals who were ranked in the top 10 and other than the all-freshman matchup at 106 which featured one of three Richmond-Burton finalists, Lelan Nelson, every other finalist had at least made one trip to state and 19 of the 28 had also been state medal winners.
Kraus, who improved to 22-6, was one of two champions for coach Tony Nelson’s third-place Rockets, with classmate Emmett Nelson (144) the other. The 285 champion won his first three matches by fall, needing 5:37 to pin Dakota’s Randy McPeek before earning his spot in the finals by capturing a 4-1 decision over Princeton’s Cade Odell. Kraus added to a title win at his school’s invite and also took second at Palatine and fourth at Glenbrook South this season. Kraus finished with a total of 32 team points, which ranked him sixth in that category.
“I’ve never been to this tournament before, it was my first one,” Kraus said. “I saw a lot of good kids and went against a really good kid and I surprised myself by beating him. That’s the thing I love about wrestling, it’s the team. I could be having a really bad day in the wrestling room and I can look over and see everyone else putting in the same work as me and it motivates me to keep going. I love my team, it’s what keeps me going. We’ve put in the work, we’re all here together and wrestling with each other. It’s a team sport, but it’s also individual. I really think that the team part helps the individual. It all ties together and that’s what I love about it.”
Sigler (28-5), the lone finalist for coach Brady Sant Amour’s Panthers, followed two pins with two decisions, winning 5-2 over Clinton’s Dawson Thayer in the quarterfinals and then 8-4 in the semifinals over Byron’s Jared Claunch to assure him of improving on his other tournament finish this season, a fourth at PORTA. For third place, Princeton senior Odell (16-1), who took second at his own tournament last season, bounced back from his first defeat to Kraus to record a fall in 1:26 over Dakota junior McPeek (19-5). In the fifth-place match, Olympia junior Darian Holloway (33-6) claimed a 7-5 decision over Byron senior Claunch (9-4). And for seventh, Coal City junior Payton Vigna (14-5) was a winner by medical forfeit over Clinton senior Thayer (14-1), who also suffered his first defeat of the season with his quarterfinal loss to Sigler..
165 – Daniel Kelly, Newman Central Catholic
Daniel Kelly is proud to point to all of the success that Newman Central Catholic has enjoyed at the IHSA Finals during the years and he’d like to do what many others have achieved while competing for the school, winning a state title. Boosted by a fifth-place finish in Class 1A at 157 in 2024, the senior would like to be the school’s first champion since Will Rude won the IWCOA Open title in 2021 and he’s off to a 20-0 start after winning a 4-2 decision over Coal City junior Brock Finch in the 165 championship to become the first of two title winners for coach Brian Bahrs’ Comets, with freshman Landon Near taking first at 106 in the next match on the title mat.
Kelly added to tournament championships at Sterling and Erie/Prophetstown thanks to collecting the full spectrum of wins enroute to the 165 championship. He opened with a win by technical fall and followed with a first-period pinl. Then he captured a 13-5 major decision over Byron’s Brody Stien in the quarterfinals and followed that with a 15-9 decision over Roxana’s Lyndon Thies in the semifinals to become one of three finalists for his team, with Briar Ivey (157) the other. Kelly fell behind early against Thies in the semifinals in a rematch of last year’s PIT finals at 157, which Thies won, but he rallied to reach the title match again and then he held off a spirited challenge by Finch to win his first PIT title and continue his unbeaten season.
“We had three in the finals and Briar started it off and he’s been wrestling really good,” Kelly said. “Landon is just like a workhorse and he’s really surprised a lot of people. (The semifinal) It was a tough match. I was down and I battled through and I knew I had to put pressure on him in the third, so I had to get a lot of takedowns and that’s what I did. Everyone that comes through here (his school), is usually a pretty good wrestler. All of our coaches are state champs and we have the second- or third-most state champs in Illinois, that’s a crazy feature, especially for a 1A school. It’s just really fun to be a part of the team, especially with its rich history, great coaches and the great culture around it. And I think we have one of the toughest rooms in the state.”
Finch (17-5) was one of three finalists and 15 top-eight finishers for the runner-up Coalers, who are coached by 2022 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Mark Masters. The two-time state qualifier, who hopes to win his first state medal this season, recorded falls in his first two matches, with the second of those coming in 2:48 over Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher’s Cooper Miller in the quarterfinals and then he claimed a 10-5 decision over Princeton’s Casey Etheridge to earn his spot on the 165 title mat. In the third-place match, Roxana junior Thies (26-2), who took fourth in 1A at 157 last season and ranked second in match points with 74, won 17-10 over Princeton junior Etheridge (24-2). For fifth place, Byron sophomore Stien (11-3) got a fall in 1:43 over Clinton senior Logan Thoms (15-6). For seventh, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher sophomore Miller (20-7) claimed a 15-11 victory over Vandalia senior Artan Mustafa (22-9).
106 – Landon Near, Newman Central Catholic
Landon Near and Daniel Kelly aren’t likely to win many consecutive titles since the former is at 106 and the latter at 165. But because the Lyle King PIT mixes up its first-place and third-place matches, odd combinations happen and that benefitted Newman Central Catholic since senior Kelly won 4-2 over Coal City’s Brock Finch and freshman Near followed with a 4-0 decision over Richmond-Burton freshman Lelan Nelson to claim the 106 championship, helping coach Brian Bahrs’ Comets to a fourth-place finish in the 34-team event that presented its 61st tournament.
Near (24-1), one of three finalists for Newman Central Catholic with Briar Ivey (157), who normally would have competed just ahead of Kelly, being the other. Near got a win by technical fall in his first match and then claimed a 9-0 major decision over Olympia’s Brandon Gaither in the quarterfinals. He earned his spot on the 106 title mat with a 7-1 decision over Reed-Custer’s Colton Drinkwine in the semifinals. This was the third finals appearance for Near, who also won a championship at Sterling and placed second at Erie/Prophetstown.
“It feels great, especially as a freshman,” Near said. “This was a really big tournament. I’ve won two and I got second at one, too. It’s very fun and we always work hard in the room, too. I like how hard we work and we don’t really give up during our match. We had quite a few comeback wins during this tournament that were pretty big to get us into that final round. I got second at state last year in IKWF. I’ve been working hard in the room and putting in the extra time.”
Nelson (26-3) was one of three finalists for the third-place Rockets, with his brother Emmett (144) and Colin Kraus (285) both winning titles. After opening with a 3-2 decision over Dixon’s Riley Paredes, the freshman needed just 24 seconds to record a fall over Vandalia’s Aiden Evans in the quarterfinals and then earned his trip to the 106 championship match with a 9-6 decision over Oakwood/Salt Fork’s Steven Uden in the semifinals. For third place, Reed-Custer freshman Drinkwine (24-3) prevailed 1-0 over Oakwood/Salt Fork sophomore Uden (22-4). In the fifth-place match, Vandalia freshman Evans (26-7) captured a 7-1 decision over Olympia freshman Gaither (30-8). And for seventh place, PORTA freshman Coyt Rademaker (24-9) claimed a 6-0 victory over Rockridge freshman Nate Lower (18-8).
215 – Keller Stocks, Mt. Zion
Keller Stocks enjoyed a successful sophomore season in 2023-2024 when he won 42 matches and qualified for the IHSA Finals for the first time. But he had the bad luck of running into a pair of eventual medalists and thus went 0-2 in Champaign. Thanks to that experience and faith in his coaches, the Mt. Zion junior is anticipating bigger and better things this season and he improved to 25-2 after recording a fall in 3:54 over Reed-Custer junior Dominic Alaimo in the PIT 215 title match to become his team’s lone champion and added to a first-place finish he had at PORTA. He tied for second in team points with 33 along with Vandalia’s Preston Waughtel, which was one point behind the leader, Roxana’s Brandon Green, Jr, who had 34 team points.
Stocks was the lone finalist for coach Dave Klemm’s Braves. He’s happy to be led by a coach like Klemm, who had great college careers as a wrestler and coach, and is a recipient of a 2012 Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame-Illinois Chapter and received a Lifetime Service Award from the IWCOA in 2015. He hopes to become the 15th individual from his program to win a state medal and perhaps, its fourth champ. He opened with two falls, with the second in 2:58 over Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher’s Cohen Kean in the quarterfinals and then he won 16-5 over Coal City’s John Keigher to reach the 215 title mat.
“It feels pretty good, it feels like a preview to state,” Stocks said. (Competing for Dave Klemm) It gets your name out there a little bit and he’s always there to push you in the room and make sure that you go hard. “(Mt. Zion) I feel like it’s just the people that continue to invest in it and we always want to have a good coach and to have a good room. I like that our team loves to get better on their own. They like to go out on runs, go lift and we all stay focused, and I like that. I’ve just learned to stop over-thinking, that tended to be my problem last year.”
Alaimo (25-1) also qualified for state for the first time last season as a sophomore and won one match there. He joined Jeremy Eggleston (138) as one of two finalists for coach Yale Davis’ Comets, and they both suffered their first defeats of the season on the title mat. Alaimo got a fall in his opener before winning a 4-1 decision over Vandalia’s Dominic Swyers in the quarterfinals. Then he claimed a 4-2 victory over Litchfield/Mt. Olive’s Tristan Staggs to advance to the finals. In the third-place match, Coal City senior Keigher (15-1) was a winner by fall over Litchfield/Mt. Olive junior Staggs (27-5). For fifth place, Richmond-Burton freshman Shane Falasca (28-8) got a pin in 2:42 over Vandalia sophomore Swyers (21-11). And for seventh, Dixon junior Dawson Kemp (7-6) won by fall in 2:00 over Clifton Central junior Brody O’Connor (27-11).
120 – Preston Waughtel, Vandalia
Preston Waughtel is understandably very happy that the addition of him and his brother Tyson to the Vandalia program has helped it to achieve some special accomplishments in the last few weeks. The Vandals capped 2024 by winning close dual meets over Coal City and Marian Central Catholic to win ABE’s Rumble in Springfield and they kicked off 2025 by getting past Coal City to win their first-ever title at the Lyle King PIT, which they’ve competed in since 2000. Preston took top honors at 120 while Tyson (126), Kaden Tidwell (190) and Max Philpot (103) also won titles and Dillon Hinton (150) took second to help Vandalia win the 34-team tournament with 279.5 points, which was 7.5 points ahead of the runner-up Coalers, who had 272 points. This was the third tournament title season for Vandalia, who also took first at Civic Memorial.
Preston Waughtel, who won the IHSA Class 1A title at 113 as a freshman competing at Carlyle last season, improved to 30-1 and became the third of the four champions for the Vandals, who are coached by Jason Clay, who will be one of this year’s inductees into the IWCOA Hall of Fame. He won by technical fall in 2:40 over Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth senior Logan Roberts in the 120 championship match to claim his second title of the season, with Civic Memorial being the first. He opened with two falls, including one in 1:17 over Coal City’s Culan Lindemuth in the quarterfinals and then he won by technical fall in 3:51 over Oakwood/Salt Fork’s Mason Swartz in the semifinals. He tied for second with Mt. Zion’s Keller Stocks for the most team points with 33, which was one behind the leader, Roxana’s Brandon Green, Jr. Preston Waughtel received the PIT’s Outstanding Wrestler Award for the lower weights.
“We had one goal coming to this tournament, just beat Coal City,” Preston Waughtel said. “They’re one of the top teams, so beating them is always going to feel good. It’s always fun competing in tournaments, and especially getting the win, that’s the best part. The Vandalia room is just so incredible. I feel that we could have over half of our kids place at state and the other half in sectionals. All of the weights are great to wrestle with, they’re great partners and they’re always supporting you. Win or lose, they’re there to help us. We won ABE’s and that’s definitely the first step to winning that team state title.”
Roberts (28-2), a two-time state qualifier who finished sixth at 120 in Class 1A last season and hopes to become the first two-time IHSA medalist for his program, was the lone finalist for coach Garrett Knock’s Cardinals. After opening with a fall, he won an 8-3 decision over Illini Bluffs’ Barret Speck in the quarterfinals before claiming a 10-2 major decision over Princeton’s Augustus Swanson to advance to the 120 title mat. In the third-place match, Oakwood/Salt Fork freshman Swartz (26-3) captured a 7-0 decision over Richmond-Burton freshman Adam Glauser (27-6). For fifth place, Illini Bluffs freshman Speck (30-4) was a 12-8 victor over Princeton junior Swanson (9-4). For seventh place, Litchfield/Mt. Olive junior Vinny Moore (30-3) won 8-5 over Coal City senior Lindemuth (20-9). LeRoy/Tri-Valley senior Brady Mouser (26-3), a three-time state qualifier and 2024 PIT champ, lost his opener and eventually took a medical forfeit.
113 – Max Philpot, Vandalia
Max Philpot got the good fortune to step on to the title mat at 113 right after his teammate and fellow sophomore Preston Waughtel gave Vandalia its third Lyle King PIT title at 120. The sophomore made the most of the opportunity by capturing an 8-3 decision over Olympia senior Dylan Eimer to help Vandalia move closer to its first title in the competition, which it has been taking part in since 2000. Philpot, last year’s runner-up at 106 in 1A, was one of five finalists for coach Jason Clay’s Vandals and it was his second title this season, with the other at Civic Memorial, where he also beat Eimer in the finals. Philpot (32-0), recorded falls in his first two matches, with the second in 2:40 over Reed-Custer’s Cole Harris in the quarterfinals. He earned his spot in the 113 title match with a victory by technical fall in 4:51 over Dixon’s Jack Ragan.
Philpot tied teammate Tyson Waughtel (126) and Illini Bluffs’ Jackson Carroll for seventh in team points with 31.5, which was one point more than his other teammate who also won a title, Kaden Tidwell (190). Those four and the Vandals’ other finalist, Dillon Hinton (150), are all eying up the real possibility that any of the five could join four others from the program who have won state titles, and be the first to pull off that feat since Jarek Wehrle captured first place in the IWCOA Open in 2021. Vandalia has never had more than one state champion in a season.
“I think a big part for me winning this was the confidence that my team gave me when I saw them get their hands raised in the finals,” Philpot said. “I’m just grateful to win this tournament and hard work really does pay off. We have a lot of potential and I think we can be a lot greater than we are. (Training with the Waughtel brothers) It’s helped me a bunch, but the same with my other teammates. Growing up with my teammates and them being my best friends through my whole life really helps our team come together as one.”
Eimer (25-3) was the lone finalist for coach Josh Collins’ Spartans. A fourth-place finisher in the IHSA 1A Finals twice, at 113 in 2024 and at 106 in 2022, the senior hoped to add to titles this season at Illini Bluffs, Pontiac and Unity, but was again stymied by Philpot and took second in the PIT for the second year in a row. He opened with a decision before getting a victory by technical fall in 3:31 over Clinton’s Briley Carter. Eimer advanced to the finals with a 16-3 major decision over Coal City sophomore Owen Petersen (24-2), who went on to claim third place with
a 12-2 major decision over Dixon sophomore Ragan (26-3). For fifth, Dakota junior Brandon White (22-7) won by fall in 2:39 over Oakwood/Salt Fork senior Brayden Edwards (20-10), who was one of three competitors who collected five pins. And in the seventh-place match, PORTA freshman Kainin Fillbright (28-8) got a pin in 3:27 over Clinton sophomore Carter (18-6).
132 – Brandon Green, Jr., Roxana
Brandon Green, Jr. said that he’s a different wrestler than he was a year ago when he took fifth at 132 in the IHSA Class 1A Finals. After claiming a fifth-place finish at Fargo in Greco-Roman, the Roxana junior who helped his team take third place at the Class 1A Dual Team Finals in 2024, looks like he’s capable of bigger and better things this season and he showed that at the Lyle King PIT when he won the 132 title with a fall in 4:50 over Riverdale junior Dean Wainwright, to add to a first at Mascoutah and improved his record to 27-0. Wainwright, who won the 2023 IHSA 1A title at 106 and took third last season at 120, lost for the first time in 27 matches.
Green Jr., won all four of his matches by fall, pinning Newman Central Catholic’s Landon Blanton in 4:26 in the quarterfinals before earning his spot on the title mat with a fall in 1:27 over PORTA’s Zach Bryant to become the lone finalist for coach Rob Milazzo’s Shells. He led all champions with 34 team points, which was one point more than the two individuals who tied for second place in that category, Mt. Zion’s Keller Stocks and Vandalia’s Preston Waughtel.
“Last year I came here and I took third, but this year I’m dominant and I was ready for it,” Green, Jr. said. “I knew that it was going to be tough. Last year I was a sophomore and felt like I still had that inner child in me. I went to Fargo and was an All-American. I’m a junior now and I’m a lot more focused. I feel more mature and I’m not stupid and have crazy moves like I used to. I miss our team from last year but our team is decent this year and I think we can do big things. This tourney, it matters, but it really doesn’t matter because state is all that matters to me.”
Wainwright was one of two finalists for coach Aron Kindelsperger’s Rams, with champion Blake Smith (157) the other. The two-time PIT champion opened with a first-period fall and won a 10-2 major decision over Coal City’s Luke Munsterman in the quarterfinals. He earned his spot on the 132 title mat with a 15-3 major decision over Princeton freshman Kane Dauber (24-2), who went on to claim third place after he captured a 14-3 major decision over Coal City junior Munsterman (22-8). For fifth place, PORTA junior Bryant (29-8) won by fall in 1:36 over Vandalia sophomore Brody Matthews (25-7). And for seventh place, Newman Central Catholic junior Blanton (25-4) claimed a 6-1 decision over Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher sophomore Nolan Lowe (21-7).
150 – Jackson Carroll, Illini Bluffs
Jackson Carroll made history last season for Illini Bluffs when he became the school’s fifth IHSA champion with his Class 1A title at 144 and he was the second individual to achieve that feat since 1986 with Paul Ishikawa, who won an IHSA title in 2023 and IWCOA Open Championship in 2021, the other. Not only would he like to give the program a state champion for the third year in a row, he hopes to join his former teammate as a two-time state title winner. The senior remained unbeaten with a 34-0 record after capturing a 9-1 major decision over Vandalia junior Dillon Hinton in the 150 championship match at the Lyle King PIT, his first title at the event.
Carroll, a three-time state qualifier and the lone finalist for coach Shawn O’Connor’s Tigers, won his third tournament title of the season, adding to firsts at his school’s invite as well as at Erie/Prophetstown and this was his first PIT championship after finishing second last season. His first three victories all came by technical fall and he won in 1:43 in the quarterfinals over Coal City’s Noah Houston and then earned his spot in a PIT title match for the second year in a row when he beat Clifton Central’s Gianni Panozzo in 4:22. He and Rock Falls’ Logan Thome were the only individuals who had three wins by technical fall and he ranked fourth in total match points with 70 and tied two others for seventh place in team points with 31.5.
“I don’t want to wrestle like I just did,” Carroll said. “I know I’m the best in the state and I know that I should win state if I wrestle the best. I just want to widen the gap every time and in my match, I just wanted to win, and I didn’t wrestle like I should have, I could have scored a lot more points. I just kind of stuck to what I do and got the win, which is great, but I know that I’m better than that and my performance didn’t show it. My cardio has been a big factor and I definitely did work on that more. But overall, I was not very disciplined when I wrestled. I’ve always wrestled not really to win, I liked to do cool moves and liked be the guy that people
want to watch and be entertaining.”
Hinton (29-2), who took second in Class 1A at 138 last season and fifth at 132 in 1A in 2023, was one of five finalists for coach Jason Clay’s champion Vandals. He advanced to a PIT title match for the third time but was unable to repeat as a champion. A returning member of a team that placed fourth at the Dual Team Finals last year, Hinton won his first four matches with pins, needing 3:21 in the quarterfinals to beat Coal City’s Trace Wilson and 3:20 in the semifinals to defeat Riverdale’s Kolton Kruse. In the third-place match, Clifton Central senior Panozzo (29-3) won a 9-1 major decision over Riverdale senior Kruse (25-2). For fifth place, LeRoy/Tri-Valley senior Kobe Brent (30-4) won a 7-5 decision over Coal City junior Wilson (9-3). And for seventh, Coal City junior Houston (13-7) got a pin in 3:12 over PORTA junior Logan Baker (27-9).
175 – Landin Benson, Coal City
Landin Benson edged Bowden Delaney 3-1 in the IHSA Class 1A championship at 165 last season so it was no surprise that the two seniors would meet up in the 175 title match at the Lyle King PIT, where they also faced off a year ago with Tremont’s Delaney winning that time with a 4-0 decision. In what was appropriately the last championship match of a quality final round, Coal City’s Benson prevailed in another close decision, this time 2-0, to make him the lone champion for the Coalers, who put up a good battle to try to three-peat as tournament champions before Vandalia prevailed by a 279.5-272 margin to win the PIT title for the first time.
Benson, a two-time state qualifier who improved to 20-2, was one of three finalists for the Coalers, the 2023 IHSA 1A champions who placed second to Marian Central Catholic in last year’s Dual Team Finals and are coached by 2022 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Mark Masters. He opened with two falls, getting a pin in 3:28 over Monticello’s Ross Brown in the quarterfinals before capturing a 5-3 decision over Richmond-Burton’s Blake Livdahl to assure himself of a chance to claim his second PIT title while also earning his third appearance in the finals. Benson received the Lyle King PIT’s Outstanding Wrestler Award for the upper weights.
“It’s fun to wrestle him,” Benson said of Delaney. “He’s an amazing wrestler and to have that competition and to push each other, it’s nice to have that. (Coal City) We’re looking good right now and I don’t think we’re at full potential because we’re battling some injuries and some people are still getting into it. Once we get everything settled up, I think we’ll be rolling. We’re looking forward to Team State Finals. I’m excited, we have a lot of potential right now. And down the road, you’ll see a lot of success.”
Delaney (33-2), a three-time state qualifier, was the lone finalist for coach TJ Williams’ Turks. He recorded falls in his other three matches, winning in 2:36 over Illinois Valley Central’s Owen Moser in the quarterfinals and in 1:13 over Mt. Zion’s Carson Thornton in the semifinals. For third place, Richmond-Burton sophomore Livdahl (28-3) won a 17-3 major decision over Mt. Zion junior Thornton (17-2). In the fifth-place match, Vandalia junior Ross Miller (25-9), who was one of three individuals to record five falls, got a pin in 0:48 over Newman Central Catholic junior Ben Geske (11-10). And for seventh place, Byron junior Issac Alvarez (11-3) was a winner by fall in 1:23 over Auburn’s Owen Evans (16-9).
61st annual Lyle King Princeton Invitational Tournament place matches
157
1st Place Match
Blake Smith (Riverdale) 26-0, Sr. over Briar Ivey (Newman Central Catholic) 28-2, Sr. (Dec 7-0)
3rd Place Match
Will Julian (Byron) 12-1, So. over Mason Garner (Coal City) 17-5, Jr. (Dec 11-7)
5th Place Match
Justin Zimmerman (PORTA) 29-5, Jr. over Brock Owens (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 28-7, Sr. (MD 10-2)
7th Place Match
Dade Kleinik (Vandalia) 17-6, So. over Braxton Kieffer (Litchfield/Mt. Olive) 23-7, Jr. (Dec 6-4)
190
1st Place Match
Kaden Tidwell (Vandalia) 29-2, Sr. over Maddux Anderson (Orion) 29-2, Sr. (MD 11-3)
3rd Place Match
Cade Poyner (Coal City) 18-3, Jr. over Logan VanDuyne (Wilmington) 22-3, Jr. (Dec 5-3)
5th Place Match
Will Howell (Dixon) 22-7, Sr. over Brody D`Orazio (Coal City) 18-4, So. (Dec 9-8)
7th Place Match
Kaden Becker (Mt. Zion) 21-8, Sr. over Hunter Romano (Monticello) 24-4, Sr. (Fall 0:52)
144
1st Place Match
Emmett Nelson (Richmond-Burton) 25-1, Sr. over Ace Christiansen (Princeton) 21-3, Sr. (MD 22-14)
3rd Place Match
Preston Richards (Dixon) 26-7, Fr. over Aidan Kenney (Coal City) 20-7, Jr. (Dec 4-3)
5th Place Match
Logan Riggs (Roxana) 23-10, Jr. over Charlie Wittmer (Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth) 26-5, Jr. (M. For.)
7th Place Match
Mike Minor (PORTA) 18-4, Sr. over Austin Kisner (Olympia) 30-10, So. (Dec 6-1)
126
1st Place Match
Tyson Waughtel (Vandalia) 32-0, Sr. over Cooper Morris (Coal City) 22-3, So. (Dec 11-5)
3rd Place Match
Landen Lage (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 24-2, Fr. over Zhyler Hansen (Newman Central Catholic) 27-3, Jr. (Dec 7-4)
5th Place Match
Clayton Madula (Richmond-Burton) 28-7, Sr. over Nick Litchfield (Monticello) 24-13, Jr. (Fall 2:56)
7th Place Match
Josiah Tarbill (Rock Falls) 4-2, Jr. over Damien Palacios (Byron) 7-5, Sr. (Dec 16-10)
138
1st Place Match
Jude Finch (Rockridge) 19-0, Sr. over Jeremy Eggleston (Reed-Custer) 24-1, Sr. (MD 19-5)
3rd Place Match
Pedro Rangel (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 22-6, Sr. over Charlie Connors (Dixon) 18-5, Fr. (Dec 7-3)
5th Place Match
Cole Yarbrough (Vandalia) 24-7, So. over Chase Stedman (Tremont) 32-10, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:31 (19-3))
7th Place Match
Roberto Rodriguez (Coal City) 15-3, So. over Hunter Toliver (Illinois Valley Central) 3-3, So. (MD 20-8)
285
1st Place Match
Colin Kraus (Richmond-Burton) 22-6, Sr. over Tate Sigler (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 28-5, Sr. (Fall 4:41)
3rd Place Match
Cade Odell (Princeton) 16-1, Sr. over Randy McPeek (Dakota) 19-5, Jr. (Fall 1:26)
5th Place Match
Darian Holloway (Olympia) 33-6, Jr. over Jared Claunch (Byron) 9-4, Sr. (Dec 7-5)
7th Place Match
Payton Vigna (Coal City) 14-5, Jr. over Dawson Thayer (Clinton) 14-1, Sr. (M. For.)
165
1st Place Match
Daniel Kelly (Newman Central Catholic) 20-0, Sr. over Brock Finch (Coal City) 17-5, Jr. (Dec 4-2)
3rd Place Match
Lyndon Thies (Roxana) 26-2, Jr. over Casey Etheridge (Princeton) 24-2, Jr. (Dec 17-10)
5th Place Match
Brody Stien (Byron) 11-3, So. over Logan Thoms (Clinton) 15-6, Sr. (Fall 1:43)
7th Place Match
Cooper Miller (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 20-7, So. over Artan Mustafa (Vandalia) 22-9, Sr. (Dec 15-11)
106
1st Place Match
Landon Near (Newman Central Catholic) 24-1, Fr. over Lelan Nelson (Richmond-Burton) 26-3, Fr. (Dec 4-0)
3rd Place Match
Colton Drinkwine (Reed-Custer) 24-3, Fr. over Steven Uden (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 22-4, So. (Dec 1-0)
5th Place Match
Aiden Evans (Vandalia) 26-7, Fr. over Brandon Gaither (Olympia) 30-8, Fr. (Dec 7-1)
7th Place Match
Coyt Rademaker (PORTA) 24-9, Fr. over Nate Lower (Rockridge) 18-8, Fr. (Dec 6-0)
215
1st Place Match
Keller Stocks (Mt. Zion) 25-2, Jr. over Dominic Alaimo (Reed-Custer) 25-1, Jr. (Fall 3:54)
3rd Place Match
John Keigher (Coal City) 15-1, Sr. over Tristan Staggs (Litchfield/Mt. Olive) 27-5, Jr. (Fall 5:48)
5th Place Match
Shane Falasca (Richmond-Burton) 28-8, Fr. over Dominic Swyers (Vandalia) 21-11, So. (Fall 2:42)
7th Place Match
Dawson Kemp (Dixon) 7-6, Jr. over Brody O`Connor (Clifton Central/Iroquois West) 27-11, Jr. (Fall 2:00)
120
1st Place Match
Preston Waughtel (Vandalia) 30-1, So. over Logan Roberts (Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth) 28-2, Sr. (TF-1.5 2:40 (18-3))
3rd Place Match
Mason Swartz (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 26-3, Fr. over Adam Glauser (Richmond-Burton) 27-6, Fr. (Dec 7-0)
5th Place Match
Barret Speck (Illini Bluffs) 30-4, Fr. over Augustus Swanson (Princeton) 9-4, Jr. (Dec 12-8)
7th Place Match
Vinny Moore (Litchfield/Mt. Olive) 30-3, Jr. over Culan Lindemuth (Coal City) 20-9, Sr. (Dec 8-5)
113
1st Place Match
Max Philpot (Vandalia) 32-0, So. over Dylan Eimer (Olympia) 25-3, Sr. (Dec 8-3)
3rd Place Match
Owen Petersen (Coal City) 24-2, So. over Jack Ragan (Dixon) 26-3, So. (MD 12-2)
5th Place Match
Brandon White (Dakota) 22-7, Jr. over Brayden Edwards (Oakwood/Salt Fork) 20-10, Sr. (Fall 2:39)
7th Place Match
Kainin Fillbright (PORTA) 28-8, Fr. over Briley Carter (Clinton) 18-6, So. (Fall 3:27)
132
1st Place Match
Brandon Green, Jr. (Roxana) 27-0, Jr. over Dean Wainwright (Riverdale) 26-1, Jr. (Fall 4:50)
3rd Place Match
Kane Dauber (Princeton) 24-2, Fr. over Luke Munsterman (Coal City) 22-8, Jr. (MD 14-3)
5th Place Match
Zach Bryant (PORTA) 29-8, Jr. over Brody Matthews (Vandalia) 25-7, So. (Fall 1:36)
7th Place Match
Landon Blanton (Newman Central Catholic) 25-4, Jr. over Nolan Lowe (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) 21-7, So. (Dec 6-1)
150
1st Place Match
Jackson Carroll (Illini Bluffs) 34-0, Sr. over Dillon Hinton (Vandalia) 29-2, Jr. (MD 9-1)
3rd Place Match
Gianni Panozzo (Clifton Central/Iroquois West) 29-3, Sr. over Kolton Kruse (Riverdale) 25-2, Sr. (MD 9-1)
5th Place Match
Kobe Brent (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) 30-4, Sr. over Trace Wilson (Coal City) 9-3, Jr. (Dec 7-5)
7th Place Match
Noah Houston (Coal City) 13-7, Jr. over Logan Baker (PORTA) 27-9, Jr. (Fall 3:12)
175
1st Place Match
Landin Benson (Coal City) 20-2, Sr. over Bowden Delaney (Tremont) 33-2, Sr. (Dec 2-0)
3rd Place Match
Blake Livdahl (Richmond-Burton) 28-3, So. over Carson Thornton (Mt. Zion) 17-2, Jr. (MD 17-3)
5th Place Match
Ross Miller (Vandalia) 25-9, Jr. over Ben Geske (Newman Central Catholic) 11-10, Jr. (Fall 0:48)
7th Place Match
Issac Alvarez (Byron) 11-3, Jr. over Owen Evans (Auburn/Franklin/New Berlin) 16-9 (Fall 1:23)
Team scores
1. Vandalia 279.5, 2. Coal City 272, 3. Richmond-Burton 184, 4. Newman Central Catholic 148, 5. Dixon 129, 5. Princeton 129, 7. Reed-Custer 119.5, 8. Olympia 116.5, 9. Oakwood/Salt Fork 109, 9. PORTA 109, 11. Byron 105.5, 12. Roxana 103, 13. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher 95, 14. Mt. Zion 87.5, 15. Riverdale 86.5, 16. LeRoy/Tri-Valley 80, 17. Clifton Central/Iroquois West 77, 18. Rockridge 70.5, 19. Litchfield/Mt. Olive 69, 20. Monticello 66, 21. Tremont 65, 22. Clinton 60, 22. Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth 60, 24. Illini Bluffs 52.5, 25. Dakota 47.5, 26. Orion 44.5, 27. Auburn/Franklin/New Berlin 36, 28. Wilmington 34.5, 29. Rock Falls 33, 30. Illinois Valley Central 29.5, 31. Mercer County 24, 32. Ottawa Township 14, 33. Alleman 11, 34. Manteno 5.