Foster defeats Robinson for third at state wrestling

Lukas Foster wrestles Chazz Robinson
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Homewood-Flossmoor's Chazz Robinson tries to untangle himself from the grasp Joliet Catholic's Lukas Foster during their 126-pound match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals on Saturday. Foster, who scored on takedowns in the first and third periods, went on to win the match 6-0 to win the bronze medal. Robinson, a junior, finished the weekend with three wins, two losses, and fourth overall in the division. See more photos and tournament recap below for both wrestlers.

Lukas Foster's tournament summary:

  • Champ. Round 1 - Defeated St. Charles East's Declan Sons (34-19) by tech fall 21-5 (TF-1.5 1:49)
  • Quarterfinal - Defeated Montini's Bobby Ruscitti (47-2) by major decision 10-2
  • Semifinal - Lost to Hersey's Oleksandr Havrylkiv (41-5) by major decision 11-2
  • Cons. Semi - Defeated Marmion Academy's Aidan McClure (32-13) by decision 8-2
  • 3rd Place Match - Defeated Homewood-Flossmoor's Chazz Robinson (35-6) by decision 6-0

Chazz Robinson's tournament summary:

  • Champ. Round 1 - Pinned West Chicago's Emanuel Rangel (31-8) at 2:37
  • Quarterfinal - Defeated Marmion Academy's Aidan McClure (32-13) by decision 7-6
  • Semifinal - Lost to Oak Park-River Forest's Jamiel Castleberry (36-3) by decision 5-4
  • Cons. Semi - Defeated Montini's Bobby Ruscitti (47-2) by decision 4-2
  • 3rd Place Match - Fell 6-0 to Lukas Foster (35-6) by decision 6-0

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TAGS: IHSA wrestling State Farm Center, Joliet Catholic wrestling, Foster wins third at state, Robinson finishes fourth in 126-pound division, Homewood-Floosmoor wrestler Chazz Robinson
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Photo of the Day |
Oakwood's Uden heads back to state

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

CHAMPAIGN - Oakwood-Salt Fork's Steven Uden settles in for the pin wrestling Canton's Jaxsun Owens in last season's Class 1A 106-pound first-round match at the 2025 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals. Unden won his opening bout by pin at 4:53. The sophomore rolled through the bracket to face Charlie Flores in the finals, falling in a close 4-0 decision to fill the runnerup spot. Two weeks ago, the junior (39-6) started his pursuit of a 2026 state title. He finished first at the Robinson Regional tournament in the 113-pound division and qualified for state after knocking off Althoff junior Jacobi Cobbs for the sectional title.


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TAGS: Sentinel Photo of the Day, IHSA wrestling, Oakwood Comets, Steven Uden wrestles at state, Uden wins wrestling titles
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Photo of the Day |
Duarte wrestles for 5th, beats Yeary at state meet

From the extensive archive of photos from the iphotonews.com, here is the photo of the day for January 29, 2026.

Alejandro Duarte wrestles Olympia's Nolen Yeary for fifth place at state

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Kewanee's Alejandro Duarte ties up Olympia's Nolen Yeary in their Class 1A 215-pound fifth-place match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals on February 17, 2024. Duarte won the bout with a pin at 3:37 into his match.

Past Photos of the Day

TAGS: Kewanee wrestler Alejandro Duarte, IHSA state wrestling tournament, Olympia wrestler Nolan Yeary, Nolan Yeary sixth at state, Alejandro Duarte places fifth at state, Duarte pins Yeary at state wrestling tournament
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Photo of the Day |
Urbana's Rickasia Ivy makes strong showing at state

Urbana sophomre Rickasia Ivy finished 2-2 at the 2025 IHSA Girls Individual State Wrestling Tournament back in February. She is back on the roster on the prowl for another chance at a state title with the 5th-ranked Tigers. Here is a look back at her first state match.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Urbana's Rickasia Ivy (right) looks to get head control on New Trier's Jillian Giller during their 140-pound match on at the Illinois High School Association's Girls Individual Wrestling State Finals in Bloomington on Friday, February 28, 2025. Ivy, a sophomore, lost the match by fall at 5:04. She finished the state tourament 2-2 after a 3-1 loss to Karen Canchola in the wrestleback. Giller, a senior, ended her high school career with pin to finish 5th.

TAGS: Urbana sophomore wrestler Rickasia Ivy, New Trier wrestler finishes 5th at state, Trevian senior Jillian Giller
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Photo of the Day |
Takedown season underway

Loyola junior Kai Calcutt
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

CHAMPAIGH - Loyola Academy's Kai Calcutt tries to avoid a takedown on a shot by Joliet Central's Charles Walker during their 215-pound Class 3A title match at the IHSA Boys Wrestling State Final back in February. Calcutt, a junior and the defending champion, lost the match by a 7-5 decision. Heading into the title match, Calcutt rolled through the bracket, spending just five minutes on the mat total against his first three opponents. The IHSA wrestling season started a week ago Monday. Look for him back in title contention after finishing with a 40-2 record last year. The match season for IHSA wrestling starts this Monday around the state.

Past Photos of the Day

TAGS: Photo of the Day, Riverdale sophomore James Moorhusen, Snowstorm cancels IHSA golf, IHSA golf tournament postponed, Port Byron Riverdale golfer at state tournament
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Hunter Wahtola earns All-State Honors with bronze medal finish at 285 pounds

DePaul's Hunter Wahtola celebrates his 2-1 decision
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

DePaul's Hunter Wahtola celebrates his 2-1 decision over Bloomington's David Williams. The sophomore continued his run through the blood rounds in his second state appearance to finish third at this year's state wrestling tournament.
CHAMPAIGN - Representing DePaul College Prep this weekend on Illinois wrestling's biggest stage, Hunter Wahtola battled his way through the consolation bracket for a third-place finish at the IHSA Boys Individual Wrestling State Finals on Saturday. Staying determined and tenacious, he overcame the physically demanding battles from equally motivated opponents in the heavyweight division.

Wahtola entered the State Farm Center with a solid 31-10 record, eager to surpass his freshman year performance where he wrestled at 215 pounds and faced a tough draw in the bracket. This season, with improved technical finesse and increased strength, he left no doubt about his prowess on the mat, finishing the season with 36-11.

Wahtola's season-long journey culminated in a series of victories at state that also earned him All-State honors.

His path to the podium was marked by resilience and smart wrestling. Wahtola's campaign at state saw him triumph in five out of six matches. His pivotal matches included decisive victories over formidable opponents, including an 11-6 victory over Cary-Groves' Lucas Burton (30-5) and a 6-1 decision over St. Rita's Pat Conneely (18-13). Demonstrating his ability to perform under pressure, his attention to detail and strong work ethic in the off-season paid dividends.

Hunter Wahtola wrestles David Williams
Going nose-to-nose, Hunter Wahtola didn't back down from Bloomington's David Williams in thrilling match that ended 2-1 in his favor.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
In his bronze medal match against Anthony Sebastian of Elmhurst (IC Catholic), Wahtola used his head and his brawn. Utilizing the first period to assess his opponent, Wahtola scored on an escape in the second period, followed by a pivotal takedown that solidified his lead. With a scoreless third period, he clinched the victory with a 4-0 decision, securing the third-place spot on the podium.

Wahtola did not travel downstate to Champaign alone. Also competing for DePaul College Prep against the top wrestlers in the state were teammates Nabiel Rosario and Max Rosen. Rosario, competing at 132 pounds, concluded his season with a commendable 33-13 record. He dropped his preliminary round match and bounced back to win his first-round wrestleback, getting a tech fall on Waterloo's Konnor Stephens. The senior was then majored in his next match against Deerfield's Jackson Palzet (50-3).

Meanwhile Rosen, wrestling at 144 pounds, finished at 32-11 after going 2-2 at state. His first victory over Matton's Ben Capitosti (45-7) was settled via a 5-2 decision. He picked up a second win after his quarterfinal loss, pinning Civic Memorial's Nathen Herrin (34-17) at 4:36.

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Aidan Kenney's strong performance at IHSA state finals earns a fourth-place finish

Aidan Kenney wrestles Logan Riggs
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Coal City's Aidan Kenney lunges in for a takedown on Roxana's Logan Riggs during their consolation semifinal on Saturday at the IHSA's state wrestling meet.

CHAMPAIGN - In a thrilling display of grit and determination, Aidan Kenney of Coal City High School capped off his junior season with a fourth-place finish at the Boys' Individual Wrestling State Finals. Held at the iconic State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus, Kenney, boasting a stellar 39-12 record, navigated through a competitive field to secure his spot on the podium.

Kenney's journey began with a dominant major decision victory over Alex Carrier of Canton, showcasing his technical skill. The Coal City standout continued his winning streak in a tense quarterfinal match against Arrison Bauer from Lena-Winslow, clinching victory via first-period sudden victory after a hard-fought battle that ended 9-6 in his favor.

Facing tough competition in the semifinals against Unity's Kaden Inman, Kenney battled fiercely but fell short, conceding a 7-2 decision. Undeterred, he rebounded in the consolation semifinals, securing a hard-earned 16-13 decision over Logan Riggs of Roxana, setting up a rematch scenario in the third-place match against Bauer.

In a rematch that underscored the intensity of state-level competition, Kenney, fatigued from his earlier matches, struggled to find openings against Bauer's resilient defense. Despite Kenney's determined efforts, Bauer's strategic takedowns in first and third period culminated led to an 8-0 major decision, securing the third-place spot and leaving Kenney with a well-earned fourth-place finish.

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Seven area girls ready to compete for state wrestling titles on Friday in Bloomington

Phoenix Molina wrestles Chloe Hoselton
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity's Phoenix Molina wrestles Prairie Central's Chloe Hoselton in the 235 pound championship match at the IHSA Girls Individual Wrestling State Finals in 2024. Molina, a 28-5 junior and last year's runner-up, returns to Grossinger Motors Arena with her eye on besting Hoselton, a senior with a record of 23-0, looking to defend her title.
URBANA - Seven area wrestlers will travel to Bloomington on Friday in search of a state wrestling title at the fourth Girls Individual Wrestling State Finals.

Maddie Wells will be one of the five, heading to Champaign-Urbana's sister twin city as the first female SJO wrestler to compete for an IHSA state title. She finished second at the Pontiac regional meet, falling to Urbana's Rickasia Ivy in the title match by major decision, 15-6. A week later, she took third at the Highland sectional after losing her quarterfinal bout against eventual champion Taylor Dawson from Collinsville. Wells heads to state with an 18-6 record.

"I feel privileged to be able to pave the path, but I'm excited to see the girls that follow," said Wells, coached by longtime wrestling coach Bill Gallo. She is optimistic about the future for other girls taking up the sport. "I hope I inspired girls younger than me to not be afraid of trying new things despite their gender and to follow their dreams."

Representing Urbana High School, Rickasia Ivy (28-5) will compete in the 140-pound category, and Lillian Disanto (34-9) in the 235-pound category. Coached by Phil Sexton, the Tigers secured their girls program's first regional title on February 8.

Unity head coach Logan Patton will returns to the girls' state finals with veteran Phoenix Molina (28-5) wrestling at 235 pounds along Anna Vasey (32-4) at 155.

Centennial's Ava Beldo (24-6) qualified for state in the 130-pound division after finishing second at the Highland sectional meet on February 15. The first and only Charger to advance to state, she is coached by Ron Beldo.

"I love the sport," she told the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association after winning the Pontiac regional title. "It takes dedication and mental strength. That was the biggest part for me—being able to push through no matter what. It doesn’t matter the ranking or the name; what matters is giving it 100 percent on the mat. Win or lose, you learn. I drill a lot with the boys. Last year, I was the only girl on my wrestling team, so it’s amazing to open up the environment for more girls. I just love the environment when I wrestle."

Completing the group of seven area state qualifiers, Mahomet-Seymour freshman Jaycee Weitekamp, under coach Jeff Castor, will also make the trip to Bloomington on Friday. Weitekamp, in her first varsity wrestling season, holds a 19-14 record. She finished fourth at both the Pontiac regional and Highland sectional.

Competition begins at 9 a.m. on Friday with action on six mats. Quarterfinal matches and first-round wrestlebacks start at 11 a.m.

Admission is $10 per session at the arena. Tickets are available online via Ticketmaster or by calling the City Box Office at (309) 434-2777. The tournament will be live-streamed on the NFHS Network.

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