CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Another tournament has come and gone at the State Farm Center as the IHSA boys' wrestling season comes to a close. Athletes were honored for top-6 finishes over the course of the 3-day tournament, following Saturday night's championship bouts.
The "Walk of Champions" opened the event and celebrated each of the contending wrestlers, their coaches, and programs, as they prepared to compete for their respected title in each division and weight class.
Beginning in the heavyweight divisions, Glenwood's Cody Moss was the first of local competitors to take the mats. Moss hoped to repeat as a 2A champion at 285-pounds, but lost an 8-4 decision.
His teammate in the lightweights, sophomore Cooper Clarke, also qualified for the title round at 106-pounds. Despite scoring 3-points on a takedown, Clarke dropped a 6-3 result in his first state title appearance.
Both Glenwood wrestlers say the future is bright for the program in Chatham moving forward.
"It's an amazing program," Moss said following his bout. "I've never seen anyone that's had this kind of capability. We're really growing and striving as a program. It's just amazing to see."
Clarke said he hopes to use the performance as a motivating tool to return to the state finals tournament in the years to come. "I'll use this experience just to learn and to push myself to think 'I don't wanna be like this again,'" Clarke said.Â
Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley also had a pair of wrestlers claw their way to the 1A championship rounds on Saturday. Bentley Fields, a freshman, advanced through the semis with a 1-0 victory, but finished as runner-up on a 7-3 decision. Fellow Falcon rep, sophomore Landen Lage, had a convincing run to the 136-pound championship, but was stopped shy of the crown in overtime, 5-3.
Vandalia found success from their finalists. Junior Preston Waughtel was aggressive from the very start of his match and used a pair of takedowns to win his second state championship, winning 7-4 in his 126-pound round. Right afterward, fellow Vandal Max Philpot matched the feat, holding on to clinch the crown in 132 pounds with a narrow 5-4 result.
"I'd say Vandalia's biggest thing is just working on making our students and athletes better people," Waughtel said after donning his championship medal. "It helps us maintain a perfect lifestyle and training to be better."
The VerHeecke twins from Unity Christian, Garrett and Clinton, returned to the state finals hungry to finally win the title. Garrett took the mats first in the 144-pound class. Using a late reversal to take the advantage, he was able to pin his opponent with 51 seconds remaining in the third and final round, winning his first championship.
Following the match, Clinton had an opportunity to do the same at 150-pounds. In a neck-and-neck bout where both wrestlers traded opportunities, a reversal in the final seconds ultimately led Clinton to come up shy, falling 10-9. It was a bittersweet ending to the VerHeeckes' wrestling career, but they enjoyed competing and growing as athletes.
"We've always had the approach that wins and losses are not the ultimate goal," said Jodi, the VerHeecke twins mom. "It's about learning and growing as a person... being a good teammate, a good partner, and lifting each other up when one is down."
Copyright 2026. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
