When asked what his goals were to start the wrestling season, Marquette freshman Wesley Janick said he’s had those achievements in mind for a long time.

“My goal ever since I can remember was to win the state title in high school all four years,” Janick said. “I get it, it’s a pretty big goal, but it’s one I’m working for, and I’ve got a pretty good start.”

Janick - the 2026 Times Boys Wrestler of the Year - took the first step toward his goal after winning the IHSA Class 1A Individual State Championship at 120 pounds and finishing the season with a 35-4 record.

“I started wrestling when I was 3 or 4 years old ... My older brother got into it,” Janick said. “It was the physicality of the sport and how hard you have to work at it that has kept me with it. In this sport it is all on you, you can’t blame anyone else or point fingers. I like that.

“In eighth grade I won IKWF state, was runner-up in sixth grade and have wrestled at a few national events, so going to state this year wasn’t really that overwhelming for me. It was just exciting.”

After a solid regular season in which he won a title at Orion’s Bob Mitton Invitational and finished second at both the Plano Reaper Classic and Reed-Custer Comet Classic, Janick won three straight matches to win the title at the Princeton Regional.

But then he dropped his opening match of the Byron Sectional.

“I had hurt my knee at practice that week and I wasn’t 100 percent but with all that I didn’t wrestle well in that first match at sectional,” Janick said. “I was wearing knee pad and to be honest it really threw me off. I just was unable to get any momentum. I just had to let that loss go and focus on winning my next three. I had to just keep looking forward.”

He then reeled off three straight pinfalls before dropping the third-place match but that was enough to advance to state.

At the state finals, Janick secured a pair of one-point wins around a major decision triumph to reach the title match against Oakwood’s Weston Frazier.

“I knew with every opponent I faced at state what their go-to move was and how they wanted to wrestle,” Janick said. “The key was staying away from the things they wanted to try and do. That said I also had to stick with what I do well. I don’t really have a go-to, I like to just stick to the basic stuff, but I will say I like reattacks and slidebys.”

After a scoreless opening period in the championship match, Janick recorded an escape 30 seconds into the second period and picked up a takedown nine seconds later to hold a 4-0 heading to the final period.

“I just kept telling myself to not take my foot off the gas pedal,” Janick said. “I just had to stay aggressive but also wrestle smart. In the end not giving up a point was a little icing on the cake to go along with the championship.”

Janick then posted another takedown as well a nearfall in the third period to finish off a 10-0 victory.

He then performed a backflip to celebrate his state championship.

“I had it in my mind I was going to do either a side flip or a back flip,” Janick said. “I asked one of my best friends, Amboy’s Aden Spinelli, what I should do. He said go with the back flip, so that’s what I did.”

With his first prep season in the books and his goal still on track, Janick said it’s all about focusing on improving any way he can.

“In the offseason I’m just going to keep on adding, especially with my attacks,” Janick said. “I feel like the second you stop working is a second that someone has a chance to pass you. I know after this year, I’ll have a target on my back in every match I have next year, so I’m just going to have to keep working to get better every single day.”