2026 Clutch Sports Media All-Area Boys Wrestling Team: 68 Central Illinois athletes earn honors 

A highly-competitive year in boys wrestling around Peoria and Bloomington/Normal led to state success for many wrestlers, including three who won state championships. 

Clutch Sports Media is proud to announce its first CSM All-Area Boys Wrestling Team, composed of over 60 top athletes from around the Peoria and Bloomington/Normal area. 

Olympia’s Connor Collins, Washington’s Wyatt Medlin and Canton’s Connor Williams ended the season on top with state championships and 11 other area wrestlers placed at state. Competition in several weight classes such as 106, 144, 215 and 285 was especially strong in Central Illinois with local products littering the top wrestlers in the state .

Washington, Olympia and Bloomington won regional team titles with each team featuring five or more all-area selections. Washington (Mid-Illini) and Normal Community (Big 12) won conference titles as well.

Clutch Sports Media’s boys wrestling All-Area team, which features a total of 68 honorees, is composed of athletes from the 39 schools in the CSM coverage area surrounding Peoria and Bloomington/Normal.

Clutch Sports Media will also have a Coach of the Year and a Boys Wrestler of the Year, which will both be announced shortly. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area First Team

Connor Collins, freshman, Olympia - 106 pounds

Collins’ freshman season couldn’t have gone much better as he became the fifth Olympia wrestler to win a state title. The Spartans’ lightweight on the Class 1A Dee-Mack Regional before narrowly falling in the sectional championship bout. He defeated Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Bentley Fields in a 7-3 decision to win the state title and finished his season with a 42-6 record. Collins’ campaign included first-place finishes at the Tolono Unity Invitational and Bethalto Civic Memorial’s Steve Bradley Invitational. 

Brandon Gaither, sophomore, Olympia - 113 pounds 

Gaither won 40 matches and advanced all the way to a fifth-place finish at state in Class 1A. The sophomore was the Class 1A Dee-Mack Regional champion at 113 before placing third at the Olympia Sectional. Gaither put up several podium finishes during the season and additionally helped lead Olympia to the Dual Team State Finals. 

Dyllan Steele, senior, Canton - 120 pounds 

Steele was undefeated all the way until the Class 1A State Finals, where he finished fourth and with a 32-2 record. He won all of his matches during a regular season slate that included trips to the Berman Holiday Invitational, Abe’s Rumble and the Seneca Invite. The first team all-Mid Illini wrestler plowed through the Class 1A Camp Point Central Regional and Olympia Sectional as well. 

Maddux Steele, senior, Canton - 126 pounds 

Steele returned from an injury that nearly kept him off the mats entirely and put together a 31-7 season that culminated in a state berth. He won the Mid-Illini Conference Tournament and Class 1A Camp Point Central Regional before a runner-up finish at the Olympia Sectional. Steele added to his campaign by winning the Seneca Invite and placing second at the Berman Holiday Invitational. 

Harrison Dea, senior, Morton - 132 pounds 

Dea leaves his mark as one of Central Illinois’ top wrestlers over the last few years and won 46 matches while only dropping two in his senior year. Dea took second at the Class 2A State Finals, his best finish yet after taking fifth as a freshman and a junior. The Potters’ senior won seven tournaments, including the Granite City Sectional, Lincoln Regional, Mid-Illini Conference Tournament and Mascoutah’s Dale Breckel Invite. 

Kenzer Burrell, sophomore, Olympia - 138 pounds 

Burrell gave Olympia a strong presence at 138 and was the lone wrestler from the area in his weight class to qualify for state. The sophomore won the Class 1A Dee-Mack Regional and placed third at the Olympia Sectional, Tolono Unity Invite and Civic Memorial’s Steve Bradley Invitational to finish with a 37-17 record. Burrell reached the second round of wrestlebacks at the Class 1A state finals. 

Bradlee Ellis, senior, Farmington - 144 pounds 

Ellis rolled through the season before falling one match shy of qualifying for state. The senior went 37-3 with 28 pins on the year and won tournaments at Clinton, Petersburg PORTA, Kewanee and Orion while going undefeated at Abe’s Rumble. The three-time state qualifier won the Class 1A Camp Point Central Regional and his only losses came to three state placers. 

Cooper Chester, junior, East Peoria - 150 pounds 

Chester qualified for state for the second straight season and won the Mid-Illini title and Class 2A Metamora Regional at 150. The junior, who finished 32-7, took fourth at the Geneseo Sectional and advanced to the second round of the consolation bracket at state. Chester took gold at the Bob & Liz Schnarr Invite and CICC Invitational, plus second at the Joe Bee Memorial and Quincy Invite. 

Grady Neal, junior, Metamora - 157 pounds 

Neal became the first Metamora wrestler to place at state since 2004 by taking third in Class 2A. The first team all-Mid Illini junior rarely dropped a match and won the Class 2A Metamora Regional, Geneseo Sectional, Mid-Illini Conference Tournament and Metamora Holiday Classic, along with three second-place finishes. Neal finished his season with a 47-5 record. 

Wyatt Medlin, senior, Washington - 165 pounds 

One of the best to ever do it in Central Illinois, Medlin went undefeated en route to his third consecutive state title in his third different weight class. The Illinois commit beat New Lenox Providence Catholic’s Jasper Harper in a 19-3 tech fall to win the state title and finish the year 43-0. Medlin’s undefeated mark held through a challenging schedule that included the Geneseo Sectional, The Clash tournament in Wisconsin, Walsh Jesuit’s Ironman tournament in Ohio, the Flavin Duals and the Marmion Cadet Classic. Medlin ended his Washington career with a record of 161-12.

Tristan Stamp, sophomore, Heyworth - 175 pounds

Stamp showed much growth in his sophomore season and reached the Class 1A State Finals after placing third at the Olympia Sectional. Stamp, who went 44-7, won LeRoy’s Randy Bowman Invitational and the Clinton Holiday Invitational and the Ridgeview Regional. He reached the second round of the consolation bracket at state. 

Mark Aeschliman, sophomore, Metamora - 190 pounds 

Aeschliman nearly gave Metamora another state placer by reaching the consolation quarterfinals at the Class 2A state finals. The sophomore won a competitive Mid-Illini Conference Tournament and the Metamora Regional while adding bronze medal finishes at the Metamora Holiday Classic and Geneseo Sectional. Aeschliman posted a 41-13 record in his strong season.

Josh Hoffer, senior, Washington - 215 pounds 

Hoffer finished off a prep career where he placed at state for four straight years after finishing as the Class 2A state runner-up. The Illinois-bound senior dominated a large chunk of his opponents by winning the Mid-Illini Conference Tournament and Class 2A Metamora Regional before taking third at the Geneseo Sectional. He also won Batavia’s Clint Arlis Invitational and went undefeated at The Flavin Tournament. 

Connor Williams, senior, Canton - 285 pounds 

Williams completed his long road to a Class 1A state title by defeating Lena-Winslow/Stockton’s Jeremiah Luke in a 2-1 double-overtime victory in the state championship bout. The Canton heavyweight dominated his way to a 40-1 record, winning the Class 1A Olympia Sectional, Camp Point Central Regional, Mid-Illini Conference Tournament, Seneca Invite and the Berman Holiday Classic. He’s a two-time state placer after finishing fifth as a junior. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Second Team 

Isaac Showalter, freshman, Farmington - 106 pounds 

A 1-0 state semifinal loss was the only defeat Showalter suffered in an outstanding freshman season where he placed third in Class 1A. The Farmers’ young face racked up 24 pins with first-place finishes at the Bob Mitton Invite, Kewanee Invitational, Clinton Holiday Invitational, the Rex Avery Invite, plus his regional and sectional. 

Kole Petta, sophomore, El Paso-Gridley - 113 pounds 

Petta made his first IHSA State berth during a 38-9 sophomore campaign and finished in the second round of the consolation bracket. Petta finished only behind Olympia’s Brandon Gaither at the Class 1A Dee-Mack Regional and placed fourth at the Olympia Sectional. The star Titan took home first place at the Prairie Central Hawks Classic and Clinton Holiday Invitational while going undefeated at Abe’s Rumble and taking second at the Randy Bowman Invitational. 

Emmett Roeder, sophomore, Heyworth - 120 pounds 

Roeder helped make up a strong Heyworth squad that was among the best in the Heart of Illinois Conference, reaching the Class 1A state finals and going 35-13. Roeder’s campaign was highlighted by winning the Ridgeview Regional and Urbana Invitational, plus a runner-up finish at the Clinton Holiday Invitational. 

Tucker Garey, sophomore, Olympia - 126 pounds 

Garey won nearly 80 percent of his matches for Olympia, including finishing atop the Class 1A Dee-Mack Regional at 126 pounds. He took fourth at sectionals on his home mats to qualify for state. Garey went 8-0 at Abe’s Rumble and finished third at Betalto Civic Memorial’s Steve Bradley Invite. 

Barret Speck, sophomore, Illini Bluffs - 132 pounds 

Speck continued Illini Bluffs’ streak of success with a state quarterfinal berth and a 43-5 record. The Tigers’ sophomore picked up multiple tournament titles, including regional and sectional championships, plus victories at the Randy Bowman Invite and the Erie-Prophetstown Holiday Tournament. 

Lincoln Hawkins, sophomore, Pekin - 138 pounds 

Hawkins won a regional championship in his sophomore season, going 26-13 with a consolation semifinal berth at the Class 2A Granite City Sectional. Hawkins took first at the Class 2A Lincoln Regional and took third at the Mid-Illini Conference Tournament and the Joe Bee Memorial. 

Tyler Barlow, senior, Bloomington - 144 pounds 

A regional champion and state qualifier, Barlow went 24-8 and reached state for the third straight season. The Purple Raiders’ senior won the Class 2A Lincoln Regional and took second at the Granite City Sectional. Barlow won the Big 12 Conference Tournament and added a trio of podium finishes during the season. 

Austin Kisner, junior, Olympia - 150 pounds 

Kisner was one of seven individual state qualifiers for the Spartans and helped propel them to a Class 1A Dual Team State berth. The junior placed third at regionals and fourth at sectionals before making a run to the consolation quarterfinals at the Class 1A state finals. He added a pair of third-place showings at Braidwood Reed-Custer’s Comet Classic and Bethalto Civic Memorial’s Steve Bradley Invitational. 

Cruise Brolley, senior, Washington - 157 pounds 

Brolley put together a strong breakout season, going 40-11 and finishing in the top eight in Class 2A. The Panthers’ senior took second at the Mid-Illini Conference Meet and the Metamora Regional. He placed third at the Geneseo Sectional, Clint Arlis Invitational and the Marmion Cadet Classic. 

Carter Mayes, senior, Normal Community - 165 pounds

The Big 12 Conference champion at 165, Mayes competed in a tough Class 3A bracket in the postseason. He was the runner-up at the Normal Regional and won the Floyd Bee Memorial Holiday Tournament. Mayes, who pinned 25 opponents, also took second at the Marty Williams Invitational and the McLaughlin Invite. 

Colton McKee, junior, Morton - 175 pounds

McKee was a force in the Mid-Illini, winning the conference tournament and the Class 2A Lincoln Regional. McKee took second at the Granite City Sectional and reached the consolation quarterfinals at state. McKee went 34-10 on the season and finished second at the Bob & Liz Schnarr Invite and third at the Dale Breckel Mascoutah Invite. 

Dalton Oakman, senior, East Peoria - 190 pounds 

Oakman continued his winning ways as a senior and qualified for state for the second straight season. The Raiders’ 190-pounder won the Quincy Invite, Bob & Liz Schnarr Invitational, CICC Invite and took second at Mid-Illini Conference Tournament and Metamora Regional. He finished fourth at the Geneseo Sectional to qualify for state and posted a 35-9 record on the season. 

Alec Del Toro, senior, East Peoria - 215 pounds 

Del Toro kept up a family tradition of placing at state, taking fifth in Class 2A and faring well against a loaded Mid-Illini contingent during the season. He won four tournaments, including the Bob & Liz Schnarr Invitational and the Joe Bee Memorial, during a dominant regular season. In the postseason, he took third at the Metamora Regional and second at the Geneseo Sectional to finish the year at 38-6. 

Darian Holloway, senior, Olympia - 285 pounds 

Holloway finished out his career with a fourth-place finish at state in Class 1A, capping off a strong 47-7 year. The Spartans’ heavyweight finished second — only to Canton’s Connor Williams — at regionals and sectionals and won the Bethalto Civic Memorial Steve Bradley Invitational. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Honorable Mention

Trygg Herron, freshman, Morton - 106

Jackson Soney, senior, Normal Community - 106

Symon Woods, senior, Washington - 106

Cooper Bye, freshman, Bloomington - 113

Micah Jackson, sophomore, Washington - 113

Noah Harris, junior, Morton - 120

Liam Major, freshman, Illini Bluffs - 120

Mason Soney, junior, Normal Community - 120

Lincoln Steers, junior, Bloomington - 120

Hunter Tolliver, junior, IVC - 126

Ethan Cavallo, senior, Normal Community - 132

Jacob Hardesty, junior, Canton - 132

Remi Joesting, senior, Peoria Notre Dame - 132

Logan Makiney, senior, Washington - 132

Henry Watson, junior, Eureka - 132

Jack Bartoletta, senior, Peoria Notre Dame - 138

Connor Graham, senior, Metamora - 144

Finn Hoffman, sophomore, Eureka - 144

AJ Tolliver, junior, IVC - 144

Brody Watson, sophomore, Morton - 144

Brody Cabrera, sophomore, Bloomington - 150

Gabe Robb, senior, Richwoods - 150

Kaden Collins, junior, Olympia - 157

Victor Reyes, senior, Normal Community - 157

Chris Rose, junior, Bloomington - 165

Jayden Schmick, junior, Dunlap - 165

Maison Tolliver, junior, IVC - 165

Wyatt Leman, junior, Washington - 175

Colton Mosack, junior, Dunlap - 175

Owen Moser, senior, IVC - 175

Daniel Bourbulas, junior, Normal Community - 190

Ryker Gemberling, junior, Dee-Mack - 190

Braden Gibson, junior, El Paso-Gridley - 190

Benjamin Chaffer, senior, Morton - 215

Jarrod Fulcher, junior, Heyworth - 215

Jayden Lambert, senior, Metamora - 215

Mason Caraway, senior, Normal Community - 285

Joey Humphries, junior, Dee-Mack - 285

Brady Mullens, senior, Peoria Notre Dame - 285

Sean Thornton, senior, Washington - 285