CHAMPAIGN (WSIL) -- Ten wrestlers from the WSIL viewing area entered the State Wrestling Finals. After two days of wrestling, five wrestlers have been eliminated. Five will try to survive and win a state title on Saturday but none of them having any margin for error. All five have one loss in the double elimination tournament.
Here are the latest updates on our local wrestlers.
Day Two
It's a double elimination tournament and Carbondale's Luke Daly entered as the only local wrestler yet to lose.
In the 2A 170 pound weight class, Carbondale's Luke Daly lost his first match on Friday to undefeated Dylan Connell(46-0) of West Marian by a decision of 7-0. Daly will compete in the get back round on Saturday. Daly is 2-1 in the tournament.
Daly's teammate Aron Taylor had one win and one loss on Thursday in the 2A 152 pound weight class. On Friday, he won again to keep his title hopes alive. Taylor beat Chase Overton of Mascouta with an 8-0 medical decision. On Saturday, Taylor will face Rocco Palumbo of Richards and if Taylor wins, he moves on to face Garrett Bakarich of Triad. Taylor is 2-1 in the tournament.
In the 2A 182 pound weight class, Marion's River Flute lost his opening round match leaving him no margin for error the rest of the way. Flute started Friday off with a pin at 5:47 over St. Patrick's Alex Goworowski. In the next match Flute's remarkable career came to an end. The Marion senior lost an 8-2 decision to Crete's Raymond Arebalo. Flute finished the tournament 1-2
Flute's teammate Gaige Owens had better success on Friday, picking up a pair of wins in the 2A 126 pound weight class. In his first match Owens defeated Shawncy Toombs from Richwood with a technical fall at 5:24. In his next match, Owens beat LaSalle's Ayden Sines with a 6-4 decision to keep his season alive. On Saturday Owens will face Luke Henkhaus of Geneseo. The winner will face Scotty Burke of West Marian. Owens is 2-1 in the tournament.
In the 1A, 285 pound weight class Benton's Gabe Craig won and then lost on the opening day of the tournament. On day two, Craig collected another win by beating IC Catholic's Isaiah Gonzalez with a 6-0 decision. On Saturday, Craig will face another elimination match against Unity's Logan Wilson. The winner gets Vandalia's Anthony Enlow.
In the 1A, 170 pound weight class, West Frankfort's Connor Eaton won by a pin and lost by a pin on the opening day of the tournament. On day two, Eaton kept his career alive with a 9-7 decision over Unity's Connor Eastin. On Saturday, Eaton will face Case Harmston of Lenawins. The winner squares off with Nate Critchfield of Mt. Carmel. Eaton is 2-1 in the tournament.
In the 1A, 220 pound weight class, Harrisburg's Tucker Bryant lost his first match on the opening day. Day two, Bryant picks up a win in an elimination match with an 8-6 decision over Wilmington's Nick Gornik. Bryant would be eliminated in his next match by Jadon Mims of IC Catholic in a 10-6 decision.
In the 1A, 126 pound weight class, Anna-Jonesboro's Blake Mays lost his first match and was eliminated on day two going 0-2 at the Finals. On Friday, Mays lost a 7-4 decision to Colton Linke of Morrison.
In the 1A 120 pound weight class, Pinckneyville's Ryder Parson lost his first match and was eliminated on day two but not before picking up a win. Parson defeated Austin Grise of Herscher with a 10-2 medical decision. Parson was eliminated by Auburn's Dresden Grimm by pin at 4:31.
In the 1A, 106 pound weight class, Goreville's Memphis Lapatas lost his first match and on day two he was officially eliminated from the Finals when he was pinned by Yorkville's Isaac Bourge. Lapatas went 0-2 at the Finals.
DAY ONE
Ten southern Illinois wrestlers from the WSIL viewing area competed Thursday in the opening rounds of Illinois high school wrestling state championships that are being held on the University of Illinois campus.
Carbondale's Luke Daly is the only wrestler to not lose on the opening Day. Daly advanced to the final four of the 2A 170 pound weight class.
In his first match Daly won with a 4-1 decision over Joliet Catholic Academy's Owen Gerdes.
In his next match, Daly advanced to the final four of the winners bracket with a 1-0 decision victory over Chase Waggoner of Lake Forest.
In the 2A 152 pound weight class, Daly's teammate Aron Taylor (Carbondale) won his opening match with an 11-3 medical decision over Tom Bennett of Brother Rice (Chicago) . Taylor lost his next match by a 15-4 medical decision to Joliet Catholic's Dean Hamiti, Jr.
In the 2A 182 pound weight class, Marion's River Flute lost his opening match to Freeport's Matthew Chavers by a 12-7 decision.
In the 2A 126 pound weight class, Marion's Gaige Owens lost to Kenyon Boyce of Calumet City (Thornton Fractional North) by a 7-3 decision.
In the 1A 285 pound class, Benton's Gabe Craig won his first round match over Heyworth's Lauterberg with a pin at 2:36. Craig lost his next match to Tyler Elsbury of Byron by a 6-2 decision.
In the 1A 170 pound weight class, West Frankfort's Connor Eaton won his first match with a pin at 3:50 over Riverdale's Trystan Altensey. In his second match, Eaton is pinned in 22 seconds by Logan Deacetis of Fairburg (Prairie Central).
In the 1A 220 pound weight class, Harrisburg's Tucker Bryant lost in the opening round to Jacob Waskow by fall in 47 seconds.
In the 1A 126 pound weight class, Anna-Jonesboro's Blake Mays lost his opening match to Tristan Daugherty of Peoria (Notre Dame) by technical fall at 4:08.
In the 1A 120 pound weight class, Pinckneyville's Ryder Parson lost his opening round match to Blain Christie of McNamara by a 16-3 medical decision.
In the 1A 106 pound weight class, Goreville's Memphis Lapatas lost his opening match to Saul Trejo Jr. of Elmhurst (IC Catholic) by technical fall at 3:38.
