CHAMPAIGN • The wait for the state championships is over, and with it will now come a variety of special moments for the wrestlers, the coaches, the families, and the communities. This year, there will be 18 seniors in 1A who are seeking multiple medals, and of that pack, three are seeking a very prestigious fourth podium appearance while seven are in pursuit of a second or third bracket board.
Wrestling to their fourth podium
For the three seniors in 1A seeking a fourth state medal, Tyson Waughtel of Vandalia is arguably the most decorated. Waughtel comes into the 126-pound bracket as a two-time state champion (2022 at 106 and 2003 at 113) and a three-time finalist—he placed second last year as a junior.
As a freshman, Waughtel ended his individual state championship run with a perfect 52-0 record and his sights on being a four-timer. During his sophomore campaign, he would earn his second title, along with a 50-1 record to close out his individual season; he would repeat that same record as a junior, but his lone loss would come in the state championship match at 120 pounds against Brayden Teunissen of Woodstock (Marian Catholic).
Now, as a senior, Waughtel has extra motivation as he enters this year’s individual tournament looking to bookend what has been an amazing high school career with his eyes to a third state title and a second perfect season.
At 144 pounds, Emmit Nelson Richmond (Richmond-Burton) has been a two-time finalist—once as a freshman and once as a sophomore—last season he placed sixth.
In 2022, Nelson ended his individual state tournament with a 41-4 record, and a runner-up finish to Anthony Ruzic; in 2023, he was the runner-up to TJ Silva while compiling a 46-3 record to close out his individual season. Last season at 144 pounds, Nelson would fight his way through the Blood Round and forfeit out, placing sixth.
Now as a senior, Nelson is looking to wrestle himself back into the Grand March. Coming in with a 41-1 record at 144 pounds, Nelson will have some opponents to contend with; however, his experience and his desire to end on the top of the podium make him a viable contender for a state title to close out his fourth podium appearance.
Finally, Vance Williams of Woodstock (Marian Catholic) will be chasing down a fourth medal, as well as his first IHSA State championship.
The senior, who has been a staple at the 132-pound weight for the past three seasons, will bump up and now try his hand at 150 pounds. With a 37-5 record coming into this year’s bracket, Williams is now looking to be the guy to beat at the weight.
As a freshman, Williams placed fourth. In his semifinal bout, he lost to the eventual state champion Brock Smith of Riverdale, and in the third-place match, he would drop a decision to Dresden Grimm of Auburn. As a sophomore and a junior, Williams would lose in the state championship match; in 2023 he would be defeated by four-time champion Phoenix Blakely of Dakota; in 2024, he would lose to Jude Finch of Taylor Ridge (Rockridge).
It is clear that when Williams loses, he loses to the best. However, this year, he will be wrestling to be the guy in the bracket whose name becomes immortalized alongside those that he has previous lost to, and he wants his name to be the name that people look back on as the best in 2025.
Trying for three
Regarding the senior wrestlers who will be looking to attain a third state medal, Braden Teunissen, Jude Finch, and Jason Dowell are the only three looking for a second state championship.
Teunissen, who will be returning to his state title weight from a season ago, 120 pounds, comes in having been in the Grand March twice, and high atop the podium once.
In 2023, at 106 pounds and wrestling for Belvidere (North) in 3A, Teunissen lost to then freshman state champion Dominic Munaretto of St. Charles East in the title match—Teunissen wrestled for Belvidere North as a freshman and a sophomore. In 2024, and moving up to 120 pounds, Teunissen relocated and won his state title for Woodstock (Marian Catholic), the same school he will be representing this season.
In front of the two-seeded Teunissen will be the one-seeded sophomore Preston Waughtel of Carlyle. If the one and two seeded wrestlers meet in the finals, it will be a battle of state champions. Last season as a freshman, Waughtel recorded a 50-0 record while defeating two-time finalist and state champion Anthony Alanis of Woodstock (Marian Catholic) in the finals.
There will be a number of strong wrestlers at this weight; however, if the wrestling fans have their way, it will be Teunissen and Waughtel come Saturday night.
For Jude Finchof Taylor Ridge (Rockridge), his perfect 38-0 record coming into this year’s State Championships gives him reason enough to be confident. Add his state title run last year at 132 pounds, and Finch may just be the man to beat at this weight.
Last season, Finch that to go through the gauntlet of Holden Brazelton of St. Joseph Odgen in the quarterfinals, Carson Bissey Richland in the semifinals, and then Vance Williams of Woodstock (Marian Catholic) in the finals. He certainly earned his crown.
In 2022, Finch was a Top Eight finisher, losing in the Blood Round. With that experience, in 2023, Finch placed third and compiled a 44-5 record before exiting the championships. He took his Blood Round loss and turned that into a medal. He took his medal experience and turned it into a title. And now the only question left to be answered is if he can take a title experience and turn it into a second title.
Now, even though Finch is undefeated, there are two other wrestlers at the 138-pound weight who are also undefeated, juniors Brody Widlowski of Coal City who is 24-0, and Clinton VerHeecke of Decatur (Unity Christian) who is 40-0.
Finch will occupy the one seed and be opposite of both VerHeecke, and Widlowski but the potential semifinal matchup between the two-seeded VerHeecke and three-seeded Widlowski should be nothing short of a magnificent bout. And, if all plays out according to the seeds, one of these men will face Finch for the right to a state championship and undefeated season.
Jason Dowell won his first state medal for Cahokia High School back in 2023 at 285 pounds; he placed third while recoding a 42-10 record. After two years at Cahokia, however, Dowell moved to Belleville (Althoff Catholic) for his junior and this his senior season.
As a junior, Dowell would win his first state championship, a 2-1 decision over then sophomore Jaylen Torres of Wheaton (St. Francis). And now, as a senior, with a perfect 30-0 record coming into the tournament, Dowell is looking to repeat. He has earned the number one seed in his bracket, while his finals opponent from a season ago, Torres, has earned the two seed.
With Dowell and Torres being the class of the weight, expect them to meet up again; however, never count anyone out in Champaign, especially in those heavier weights, as this is where matches can be kept close, upsets can happen, and where someone can make a name for himself.
Others to watch
In looking at a few other wrestlers, Ian Akers of Peoria (Notre Dame) is a senior with his sights set on a second Grand March, as well as stepping one step higher up on the podium.
As a freshman, Akers made his way to the 106-pound quarterfinals, only to lose to Tyson Waughtel, a then 50-0 freshman and eventual state champion. He would fall into the consolations and lose in the Blood Round. During his sophomore campaign, however, he would win a medal. He would, unfortunately, end his state tournament with two losses, and, unfortunately, they would be to the same wrestler: Drew Sadler of Anna-Jonesboro.
Last season, now up a weight class to 113 pounds, Akers would make the finals, but he would fall to freshman Preston Waughtel of Carlyle. His individual season would end with a 41-6 record, but now as a 45-3 senior coming into this weekend, Akers is looking to improve upon last year’s finish.
Also at 126 pounds, and a two-time third-place medalist, is Anna-Jonesboro’s Drew Sadler. After a Top Eight finish at 120 pounds last season, after two medals as a freshman and sophomore at 106 pounds, Sadler appears to be well acclimated to the weight and looking to find a third medal to close out his high school career.
As a freshman state champion at 106 pounds, now junior Dean Wainwright of Port Byron (Riverdale), has only one goal: to return to Saturday night and collect a second backet board.
During his attempt to win a second title in 2024, Wainwright would lose in the quarterfinals to who would become a two-time state champion in Carlyle’s Tyson Waughtel. After that loss, however, Wainwright would score four consecutive falls on his way to a third-place finish.
With a record of 43-2 coming into this weekend, it is safe to say that Wainwright is not only looking for his third state medal, but also his second title.
Another returning state champion to keep track of is senior Jackson Carroll at 150 pounds from Illini Bluff. In 2024, as a junior, Carroll finally made it to the podium at 144 pounds, and, as it turned out, he was at the very top of it. Coming off a 51-2 individual season a year ago, Carroll has been perfect thus far this season as he has amassed a 49-0 record entering this weekend.
Carroll, who will have to contend with either senior Keyton King from Salem or senior Dylan Crouch of Dwight, most likely, in the semifinals, would then be in the championships match against either senior Vance Williams or of Woodstock (Marian Catholic) or junior Dillon Hinton of Vandalia. In that, 150 is a great weight to keep tabs on over the weekend as semifinal matches will be some of the more entertaining bouts on the floor.
Adding to the field are two wrestlers with state runner-up finishes in 2024 who are looking to collect a title this year. Junior Brody Widlowski of Coal City placed fourth as a freshman in 2023 before becoming a 2024 state runner-up. Now, with his perfect 24-0 record coming into the 138-pound bracket, he is counting on his growth and experience to push him to a state title.
Additionally, Dillon Hinton enters the 150-pound bracket with a 48-2 record, and a Grand March experience last season. After placing fifth for Vandalia as a freshman, and a runner-up as a sophomore to undefeated state champion Mason Tieffel, Hinton is hoping his junior season is one to remember.
Out of Decatur (Unity Christian), the VerHeecke brothers, juniors, are each looking for a third state medal, and each is also looking to achieve this by way of a state championship.
Last season, Garrett VerHeecke ended his season with a 44-1 record—his only loss coming in the state semifinals to eventual state champion Anthony Ruzic of Auburn. After that loss, VerHeecke would place third showing his strength and poise and toughness. After placing sixth as a freshman, and being close last season, VerHeecke, now 41-1 entering his 132-pound bracket, knows what it takes to take that next step, and he should be a great follow for fans all weekend long.
The other VerHeecke half, but in the 138-pound bracket, is Clinton VerHeecke. With a 40-0 record, he is one of the three undefeated wrestlers at the weight. As a freshman, VerHeecke placed third; as a sophomore, he placed fifth, losing to the eventual state champion Brayden Teunissen of Woodstock (Marian Catholic) in the semifinals.
Now undefeated, it is time for the junior to make the climb to the Saturday night. Of course, to do this, he will have to wrestle well and, most likely, have to find a way to wrestle past Widlowski. Again, this 138-pound bracket is one to watch.
As for last year’s pair of freshmen state champions that will now be seeking their second title as sophomores, that list is simply Preston Waughtel of Carlyle who won his title at 113 pounds and capped off a perfect 50-0 season, and Jimmy Mastny of Woodstock (Marian Catholic) who won his crown at 157 pounds while exiting his first championship run in Champaign with a 28-1 record.
At 190 pounds, if two-seeded Mastny reaches the finals as everyone expects, he would most likely meet the one-seeded Hunter Eastin of Tolono (Unity), the returning state champion at the weight. Both Mastny and Eastin are each looking to secure a second state medal in the form of a second state championship. For an upper-weight matchup, this could prove to be one of the stronger matchups of the tournament.
There are a number of other wrestlers with some great stories and moments of their own; however, this was simply a quick look into a few that will be stepping onto the mats this weekend.
Taking in a few resumes
Here is a quick look at the wrestlers who will be chasing down a fourth IHSA State medal this weekend on the floor in Champaign. The record provided is the wrestler’s individual record at the end of the Individual State Championships; it does not include any wrestling that happened in the Dual Team State Championship series.
126 / Tyson Waughtel, Sr. • Vandalia • 50-0
2024 • 120, 2nd (50-01) • Carlyle
2023 • 113, 1st (50-01) • Carlyle
2022 • 106, 1st (52-0) • Carlyle
144 / Emmett Nelson, Sr. • Richmond (Richmond-Burton) • 41-1
2024 • 144, 6th (48-3)
2023 • 126, 2nd (46-3)
2022 • 113, 2nd (41-4)
150 / Vance Williams, Sr. • Woodstock (Marian Catholic) • 37-5
2024 • 132, 2nd (44-9)
2023 • 132, 2nd (41-8)
2022 • 132, 4th (39-12)
Below is a list of the wrestlers who will be looking to earn a third IHSA State medal.
113 / Dylan Eimer, Sr. • Stanford (Olympia) • 40-4
2024 • 113, 4th (33-5)
2022 • 106, 4th (43-7)
120 / Brayden Teunissen, Sr. • Woodstock (Marian Catholic) • 31-5
2024 • 120, 1st (40-5)
2023 • 106, 2nd (48-3) • Belvidere North, 3A
2022 • 106, SQ (42-7) • Belvidere North, 3A
126 / Ian Akers,Sr. • Peoria (Notre Dame) • 45-3
2024 • 113 • 2nd (41-6)
2023 • 106 • 4th (43-6)
2022 • 106 • T8 (35-8)
126 / Drew Sadler, Sr. • Anna (Anna-Jonesboro) • 43-8
2024 • 120, T8 (49-5)
2023 • 106, 3rd (47-2)
2022 • 106, 3rd (50-5)
132 / Garrett VerHeecke, Jr. • Decatur (Unity Christian) • 41-1
2024 • 126, 3rd (44-1)
2023 • 120, 6th (43-7)
132 / Dean Wainwright, Jr. • Port Byron (Riverdale) • 43-2
2024 • 120, 3rd (47-3)
2023 • 106, 1st (49-1)
138 / Jude Finch, Sr. • Taylor Ridge (Rockridge) • 38-0
2024 • 132, 1st (43-6)
2023 • 126, 3rd (44-5)
2022 • 126, T8 (37-11)
138 / Clinton VerHeecke, Jr. • (Decatur (Unity Christian) • 40-0
2024 • 120, 5th (42-2)
2023 • 113, 3rd (48-2)
138 / Brody Widlowski, Jr. • Coal City • 24-0
2024 • 126, 2nd (26-4)
2023 • 113, 4th (39-3)
150 / Dillon Hinton, Jr. • Vandalia • 48-2
2024 • 138, 2nd (46-4)
2023 • 132, 5th (46-7)
150 / Holden Brazelton, Sr. • Tolono (Unity) • 45-7
2024 • 132, T8 (47-3) • St. Joseph Ogden
2023 • 132, 3rd (49-3) • St. Joseph Ogden
2022 • 120, 6th (44-6) • St. Joseph Ogden
157 / Carson Bissey, Sr. • Olney (Richland County) • 17-1
2024 • 132, 4th (48-3)
2022 • 126, 4th (31-6)
285 / Jason Dowell, Sr. • Belleville (Althoff Catholic) • 30-0
2024 • 285, 1st (32-2)
2023 • 285, 3rd (42-10) • Cahokia
Below is a list of some of the wrestlers who will be looking to earn a second IHSA State medal.
120 / Preston Waughtel, So. • Carlyle • 48-1
2024 • 113, 1st (50-0)
126 / Maddux Steele, Jr. • Canton • 31-4
2024 • 113, SQ (37-10)
2023 • 106, 5th (43-10)
138 / Andrew Alvarado, Sr. • Woodstock (Marian Catholic) • 22-10
2024 • 138, SQ (34-14)
2023 • 113, 5th (21-10)
2022 • 113, T8 (22-13) • ICCP, 1A
144 / Kaden Inman, Sr. • Tolono (Unity) • 45-5
2024 • 144, 2nd (44-8)
2023 • 138, SQ (42-6)
2022 • 120, SQ (41-14)
150 / Jackson Carroll, Sr. • Illini Bluffs • 49-0
2024 • 144, 1st (51-2)
2023 • 138, T8 (47-8)
2022 • 132, SQ (32-12)
165 / Bowden Delaney, Sr. • Tremont • 47-3
2024 • 165, 2nd (45-2)
2023 • 138, SQ (42-6)
2022 • 120, SQ (35-7)
175 / Landin Benson, Sr. • Coal City • 38-2
2024 • 165, 1st (26-2)
2023 • 152, SQ (23-7)
190 / Hunter Eastin, Sr. • Tolono (Unity) • 48-2
2024 • 190, 1st (47-6)
2023 • 182, T8 (48-7)
190 / Jimmy Mastny, So. • Woodstock (Marian Catholic) • 49-1
2024 • 157, 1st (28-1)
215 / Drake Champlin, Sr. • Wood River (East Alton-Wood River) • 39-1
2024 • 215, 2nd (51-4)
2023 • 220, T8 (46-8)
2022 • 220, SQ (32-16)
285 / Jaylen Torres, Jr. • Wheaton (St. Francis) • 28-2
2024 • 285, 2nd (19-2)
2023 • 285, T8 (21-3)
• TC LIFONTI / LEAD WRITER FOR ILLINOIS MATMEN / tclifonti.com
