Wrestling: Newman’s Rude advances to 138-pound state championship; Riverdale’s Altensey, Wainwright reach title matches

CHAMPAIGN – On Thursday morning, 10 Sauk Valley area wrestlers walked into the State Farm Center with dreams of winning a state title. After the IHSA individual state semifinals on Friday, only one will have the chance to achieve that in 2023.

Newman junior Carter Rude advanced to the 138-pound title match Friday night, winning a 10-2 major decision against Auburn’s Dresden Grimm in the semifinal round.

In January, at Princeton’s Lyle King PIT, Rude lost to Dresden by pin in 2:56.

But the experience gave the junior a powerful inkling – an inkling that could help him reach the state title match.

“My first time wrestling him, I saw that I could scramble with him,” Rude said. “And I got some points doing that. So I went back at it.”

As the sixth-place finisher at 126 pounds last year, Rude has already reached the high point of his wrestling career by competing for the title. But he’s not satisfied yet.

“It feels amazing, but the job’s not done,” Rude said. “We’ve gotta keep it up.”

Rude will face Benton’s Mason Tieffel in the championship match.

Rude’s junior teammate, Brady Grennan, lost an 8-2 decision to Dakota’s TJ Silva in the 126-pound semifinals. On Saturday, he’ll wrestle in the semifinal wrestlebacks, with a chance at back-to-back third-place state finishes.

Riverdale senior Collin Altensey, the reigning Class 1A 152-pound state champion, beat Shelbyville’s Will Fox 15-0 by technical fall in 1:58, breaking the previous IHSA tournament record of 2:04.

From the initial moments of the match, Altensey was in control.

“I was working my tilts on top and it seemed to work from the start, so I just kept doing it over and over,” Altensey said. “It feels really good [to have a chance to win back-to-back state titles]. I’m excited for that match tomorrow. I’m not really worried about what [my opponent is] doing, I just want to focus on myself and try to dominate the match.”

Altensey draws El-Paso Gridley’s Dax Gentes in the championship match.

Riverdale freshman Dean Wainwright (106) took an 8-4 decision against Anna-Jonesboro’s Drew Sadler in the semifinals. He’ll wrestle Illini Bluffs’ Hunter Robbins in his championship match.