Casey Etheridge and Augustus Swanson went to the IESA State Wrestling finals together for Logan Junior High in the eighth grade.

Etheridge took first place and Swanson was third. The best thing about going, Etheridge said, was going with his best friend.

Fast forward four years later and Etheridge and Swanson made one last ride together at the IHSA State Wrestling Tournament in Champaign.

Swanson was state runner-up at 113 pounds while Etheridge claimed a second-place finish at 165.

They couldn’t have thought of a better way to go out together.

“It’s petty cool. We’ve both wrestled since first grade together. Making it to state is a huge accomplishment. Both of us as seniors, it’s a good way to end it,” Swanson said.

Etheridge wasn’t sure his eighth grade self would have pictured himself going this far.

“I could picture him. I don’t know if I had the confidence in myself,” he said. “Doing that in eighth grade I was like, ‘wow I didn’t think I could make it this far.’ Even with how the year started out I didn’t see myself making it very far. Our coaches kept reminding us, it doesn’t matter until February. I felt like that really showed over the tournament.”

They were both crowned as regional champions on the home mats at Prouty Gym. They both achieved their career 150th win at sectional and surpassed the school-record for career pins.

For all of their accomplishments, they are the 2025-26 co-BCR Wrestlers of the Year.

Tiger coach Steve Amy said he couldn’t have asked any more out of his senior tandem.

“Casey and Augustus are perfect examples of buying into the program and working hard to accomplish your goals,” he said. “I have been with these two a very long time. We have gone through a lot and have grown together through the process. I remember when they were in Tiger Town Tanglers, Casey crying and hugging me after every loss and Augustus always had the biggest smile sometimes even during his matches.

“These two have been through it all and they did it together. They have been amazing role models for the future of Princeton wrestling and I am beyond proud of them and all of their accomplishments.”

Etheridge said things haven’t changed much for those two eighth graders who wrestled at state together.

“Doing that in eighth grade in IESA, I would say is a lot easier than high school. So I think it’s really cool to get back to a similar spot,” Etheridge said. “I think (Swanson) has a similar feeling. We’re happy we were able to make it to the podium but there’s also some disappointment of not getting first place because when you make it there you want to give it your all and get first.

“But in a way, you can’t win every single one. I felt like him. We both grew compared to last year and even at the beginning of the season. We grew over the season and I feel like that’s the most important thing, is growth.

“He didn’t place last year and I got fourth. And this year we both got second so we’ve both shown a lot of growth the last two years and our four years.”

Swanson, who became just the second four-time state qualifier for the Tigers along with Ty Taylor (2008), was pleased to bounce back this season after not making it on the podium last year.

“My junior year I was at 120. It was a pretty hard weight class. I didn’t make it to the podium. It was nice again to get towards the top of the podium,” he said. “I definitely left it all out on the mat. I’m happy of all that I accomplished ... but the goal’s always first.

“It was super fun being down there with all my teammates and both of us getting second.”

PHS sophomore Kane Dauber, who joined his elder Tigers at state, taking fourth, said the senior pair set a high standard to follow.

“They’re my practice partners. They push me to the next level. They set a standard that we need to keep going,” he said.

Looking at his image and career highlights on the Wall of Medalists in the PHS wrestling room, Etheridge is proud of the legacy he and Swanson left behind.

“I felt we left something behind that a lot of kids can look up to and I think that’s the most important thing is inspiring those kids to work hard,” Etheridge said. “We might not wrestle year-round, but we’d come in the room and give it our all every single practice and I felt like that showed because we wouldn’t have been on the podium if we wouldn’t have given it our all every day.”

Swanson plans to continue his wrestling career at St. Ambrose University next year. Etheridge, the BCR Football Player of the Year, will be playing football at UW-Platteville, but hasn’t ruled out wrestling.

“It’s been a very confusing feeling. Last year I was content with getting fourth place. But this year, I didn’t think I’d make it far enough to get second,” he said. “There’s a lot of emotion this week (after the state meet) so you’re still trying to process that. I’ll miss wrestling and I’ll see what’s in the cards for me at Platteville. Maybe if I miss it enough I can always come back to it.”