May 01, 2024
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Wrestling: Presenting the boys and girls on the 2023-24 Times All-Area Team

13 state qualifiers led the way last winter

By J.T. Pedelty
Sandwich’s Cooper Corder (at right) explodes toward Princeton’s Ace Christiansen in the 138-pound 1A third-place match at the IHSA State Finals at the State Farm Center in Champaign.

Sandwich’s Cooper Corder (at right) explodes toward Princeton’s Ace Christiansen in the 138-pound 1A third-place match at the IHSA State Finals at the State Farm Center in Champaign. (Alex T. Paschal)

A first team filled with our area’s 13 state qualifiers and an honorable mention list containing our additional 26 sectional-qualifying grapplers, we’re proud to present the 2023-24 Times All-Area Wrestling Team.

First Team

Gunner Varland, Seneca, so.

A Class 1A state qualifier at 157 pounds after claiming an individual sectional championship, Varland posted a 28-15 record as a 10th-grader for the Fighting Irish.

Juliana Thrush, Ottawa, so.

A girls state qualifier at 235 pounds, Thrush captured her second consecutive sectional championship for the Pirates, placed sixth at the IHSA State Finals and finished the season 30-6.

Raiden Terry, Seneca, fr.

A Class 1A state qualifier at 106 pounds, Terry earned a win at state as a freshman and concluded his rookie season 41-10.

Ashlyn Strenz, Sandwich, sr.

A girls state qualifier at 110 pounds, Strenz wrestled much of the season with the boys team but posted an 18-6 record against girls and placed fifth at state to cap her Indians career.

Colten Stone, Sandwich, fr.

A Class 1A state qualifier at 113 pounds, Stone finished the season 30-19, with that 30 including a win for the Indians at state.

Nicholas Pollett, Streator, sr.

A Class 2A state qualifier at 106 pounds, Pollett placed sixth at the IHSA State Finals – the first boys wrestling state medal for Streator High since 1958 – and capped his Bulldogs career with a 43-7 season.

Chris Peura, Seneca, sr.

A Class 1A state qualifier at 215 pounds after winning a sectional championship, , Peura scored a fourth-place individual finish in his weight class at the IHSA State Finals and concluded his Seneca career with a 47-6 senior-year record.

Nate Othon, Seneca, sr.

A Class 1A state qualifier at 150 pounds, Othon capped his Seneca career with a win at the IHSA State Finals and a 37-13 mark.

Asher Hamby, Seneca, sr.

A Class 1A state qualifier at 175 pounds, Hamby won an eye-popping 50 bouts, going 50-8 with his final two wins coming in Champaign-Urbana.

Lily Gwaltney, Streator, fr.

A girls state qualifier at 105 pounds, the Bulldogs lightweight had a stellar debut season ending at the IHSA State Finals with a 20-9 freshman campaign.

Sammie Greisen, Seneca, so.

A girls state qualifier at 130 pounds, Greisen posted a 31-11 record for the Fighting Irish that included a sixth-place finish at state.

Miles Corder, Sandwich, sr.

A Class 1A state qualifier at 144 pounds, the elder Corder on the Indians roster went 2-2 at state to finish his senior season with a 40-11 mark.

Cooper Corder, Sandwich, fr.

A Class 1A state qualifier at 138 pounds after winning a sectional championship, the younger Corder brother had a phenomenal debut season that included a 35-5 record and a fourth-place finish at the IHSA State Finals.

Streator's Lily Gwaltney wrestles L-P's Kiely Domyancich during a meet on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, in Sellett Gymnasium at L-P High School.

Streator's Lily Gwaltney wrestles L-P's Kiely Domyancich during a meet in Sellett Gymnasium at L-P High School. (Scott Anderson)

Honorable Mention

Kyra Wood, Seneca

Ava Weatherford, Ottawa

Norah Vick, Sandwich

Beau Thompson, Marquette

Sy Smith, Sandwich

Alex Schaefer, Marquette

Jacob Ross, Sandwich

Wyatt Reding, Ottawa

Ethan Othon, Seneca

Ivan Munoz, Ottawa

Brysen Manley, Marquette

Reily Leifheit, Marquette

Kai Kern, Sandwich

Payton Henson, Streator

Ian Hawkins, Sandwich

Jakob Gruca, Sandwich

Wyatt Gregory, Sandwich

Stephen Goplin, Streator

Jeremy Gagnon, Seneca

Jack Forth, Sandwich

Marek Duffy, Ottawa

Rylie Donahue, Somonauk

Nolan Demink, Marquette

Kaden Clevenger, Sandwich

Koby Clark, Marquette

Seneca freshman Raiden Terry looks to escape from the hold of Streator senior Nicholas Pollett in the 106-pound championship match of the Seneca Fighting Irish Wrestling Invitational on Saturday at Seneca

Seneca freshman Raiden Terry looks to escape from the hold of Streator senior Nicholas Pollett in the 106-pound championship match of the Seneca Fighting Irish Wrestling Invitational. ( Tom Sistak For Shaw Media )