Princeton’s Izzy Gibson, Augustus Swanson to compete at Greco Nationals

Two Princeton wrestlers will be competing for Illinois teams in the upcoming national events in Fargo, N.D.

Izzy Gibson qualified for the Team Illinois Girls 16U Freestyle team at 148 pounds and will start wrestling Friday in Fargo. She checked in to her team camp Sunday.

“It was great to qualify for nationals, because I will get to wrestle some of the best people in the country. I will gain lots of good experiences from it and learn a lot,” Gibson said. “I have made some new friends, and I am working hard every day to get better and to get ready for nationals.”

Gibson made school history by becoming the first PHS girl to wrestle in the IHSA State Meet last season.

Augustus Swanson, also an incoming junior at Princeton, will be returning to Fargo to compete in both Greco and Freestyle, but at two different weights and two different divisions.

He qualified for the Illinois 16U Boys Greco Roman as the 113-pound state champ this spring. Swanson will also wrestle for the Illinois Junior Boys Division Freestyle at 106 pounds.

“I am definitely excited to be going back to Fargo this year, and I am very grateful for this opportunity,” Swanson said. “Last year I only did Greco Roman and had a first-round bye. I won one match and lost two matches. I am definitely in better shape this year. As a year-round wrestler, I have been doing daily runs, workouts and wrestling practices.

“I just returned from Jeff Jordan’s Hammer Wrestling Camp for state qualifiers only, which has made me in even better shape. I feel like with it being the second time around, I will be more confident and stronger than last year.”

Swanson, who was a member of last year’s Illinois Team that won the 16U Greco Roman Fargo National Championship, left for Champaign Team camp on Tuesday. The boys will compete in Freestyle on July 15-18 with Greco to follow on July 19-20.