Illinois came away from the 2026 Grappler Fall Classic with several noteworthy performances, but the biggest story belonged to Chazz Robinson of Homewood-Flossmoor. Robinson captured the 126-pound High School Elite championship in Sandusky, Ohio, winning one of the deepest brackets in the entire tournament. That is no small accomplishment.
The 126-pound field entered the weekend with 52 returning state placers and 15 state champions, one of the deepest groups at the event. Robinson was also listed among the nationally ranked wrestlers in the field before competition began.
For an Illinois wrestler already established as one of the best in the state, winning a bracket with that kind of depth is exactly the type of preseason result that gets attention.
Illinois finished the Grappler Fall Classic with 15 High School Elite place winners, led by 126-pound champion Chazz Robinson of Homewood-Flossmoor, along with runner-up performances from Donovan Rosauer of Yorkville at 150 and eighth-grader Grady Glowacki at 98.
Robinson Takes the 126-Pound Title
Robinson entered Grappler after finishing 4th in Class 3A at 126 pounds last February and was already considered one of Illinois’ top returning wrestlers.
This weekend, he took another step.
Winning Grappler is difficult at any weight, but 126 was loaded with accomplished wrestlers from across the country. The field included multiple state champions and nationally ranked competitors, so Robinson had little room for error.
His championship gives Illinois one of the marquee victories of the tournament and provides another indication that Robinson is ready to contend at a very high level this season.
But it is also worth remembering what made our original Grappler preview interesting in the first place.
Robinson stayed at 126 rather than making a major offseason jump.
While many Illinois wrestlers used the tournament to test a new weight, Robinson showed that he remains extremely dangerous right where he finished last season.
Rosauer Makes a Run to the 150-Pound Final
Donovan Rosauer of Yorkville produced another of Illinois’ best performances, finishing runner-up at 150 pounds.
Rosauer entered the weekend as one of the state’s most accomplished returning wrestlers after finishing third in Class 3A at 150 last season.
Like Robinson, Rosauer was competing at the same weight where he finished his IHSA season.
The Grappler field at 150 included 28 returning state placers, giving Rosauer plenty of high-level competition on his way through the bracket.
Reaching the final reinforces what Illinois fans already knew: Rosauer belongs in the discussion with the top wrestlers in the state and can compete with elite competition outside Illinois as well.
For Yorkville, it also provides another strong national-level result before the high school season begins.
Eighth-Grader Grady Glowacki Shows He Belongs
One of the most interesting Illinois performances came from someone who has not even started high school yet.
