Wrestling notebook: Princeton taking record 5 wrestlers to state

Last year, Princeton qualified a then school-record four wrestlers for the IHSA state individual wrestling tournament, bringing home three state medals.

The Tigers have one-upped that record this year, sending five wrestlers to Champaign with an eye on setting a new record for state medalists.

Making a return trip to state will be junior Augustus Swanson (120 pounds) and senior Ace Christiansen (144), who each placed third at Saturday’s Class 1A Oregon Sectional, and junior Casey Etheridge (165) and senior Cade Odell (285), who finished fourth.

They will be joined by freshman Kane Dauber, who placed third at 132.

“It’s big for the program to get five down there,” Princeton coach Steve Amy said. “These guys have been working hard for a very long time to get to this point. It’s really a testament to our guys' dedication and determination to continue to compete in tough situations.

“It’s a school record but hopefully we’re not done breaking those. Hopefully we can bring home five medals this weekend.”

The Tigers are excited to go back.

“It is a great feeling to be able to return the same amount of guys as last year and even adding a great talent like Kane,” said Etheridge, who seeks his first IHSA state medal. “We are happy to be able to compete next weekend but our goals and ambitions don’t end with just being there. We have high aspirations for next weekend and we are ready to compete with the best in the state.”

“It’s great having five of us make it out of our sectional which is always one of the toughest ones in the state and is really cool,” said Christiansen, who placed third at state a year ago.

“It’s definitely something special that’s for sure,” said Swanson, who placed fifth at 113 pounds last year. “It is a huge honor being apart of this team with five of us making it. There was definitely people who doubted me since i went up to 120, but I proved to them and myself that I can do it.”

Odell, a fourth-place state medalist last year, had the most tedious ride of the Tigers. He fell to Jaylen Torres of St. Francis 7-1 in the semifinals at 285 and trailed by one point with 30 seconds in his semifinal wrestleback before scoring with an escape and takedown for a 9-6 win over Colin Kraus of Richmond-Burton.

Odell dropped a 4-3 decision to Byron’s Jared Claunch, finishing fourth.

“It’s happiness, fatigue,” Odell said after the sectional. “I was elated. I was here my sophomore year and I lost in sudden death to a Lena-Winslow heavyweight at the time. So it’s nice to come back and do it here and actually make it out this time.

“Earlier this year I dealt with a pretty bad injury and I wasn’t even sure I was going to be able to wrestle at regionals. Just coming back here and just being able to wrestle my butt off, it’s just all glory to God, really. It’s just kind of the bow on my career, you know.”

Swanson lost to Richmond-Burton’s Adam Glauser in the semifinals but bounced back to win by fall in 3:45 in his semifinal wrestleback against Byron’s Jackson Norris and by 13-5 major decision over Oregon’s Isaiah Perez to take third place.

Dauber lost 20-15 Riverdale’s Dean Wainwright in the semifinals but earned his state berth with a 12-6 decision in a semifinal wrestleback over Newman’s Landon Blanton and a pin at 4:45 over Oregon’s Nelson Benesh in the third-place match.

Christiansen lost by 15-3 major decision to Richmond-Burton’s Emmett Nelson in his semifinal. He won a 7-1 decision over Rockridge’s Tomas Sowards in his semifinal wrestleback and won by medical forfeit in the third-place match.

Etheridge dropped a 5-4 decision to Wheaton Academy’s Tyler Jones in the semifinals then won by 16-4 major decision over Marquette’s Reily Leifheit in his semifinal wrestleback to earn a return trip to state. He lost a 7-2 decision Newman’s Daniel Kelly in the third-place match.

Princeton freshman Jacob Paull (113) saw his season end in wrestlebacks.

Prior to last year, Princeton’s best medal take at state had been two medalists which it did six times - 1990, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2019.

State matchups

All of the Tigers will be wrestling in opening round Class 1A matchup starting at noon Thursday at the State Farm Center in Champaign.

Swanson (28-8) will face Coal City senior Culan Lindemuth (33-11) at 120; Dauber (46-3) drew Brenden Rayl (34-1), a senior from Belleville Althoff at 132; Christiansen will square off with Logan Riggs (35-12), a junior from Roxana at 144 and Etheridge (44-4) will face Adam Haddad (36-2), a senior sectional champion from Northridge at 165 while Odell (31-3) will wrestle David McCarthy (28-2), a senior sectional champ and returning state medalist (fifth) from Chicago De La Salle.

Lindemuth, Rayl and Riggs were all sectional runners-up.

“We have some matchups. At this point in the season, everyone is good so we just have to stick to doing what we’re good at,” Amy said.