A look at the top boys and girls wrestlers in the NewsTribune area for the 2025-26 season.

Eli Berlin, sr., Princeton: Berlin had a strong senior season as he went 38-12 at 190 pounds with 31 of his wins coming via fall, which set a program record for pins in a season. Berlin won the Class 1A Princeton Regional and came up one win short of a state berth.

Corbin Brown, so., Princeton: There was no sophomore slump for Brown as we went 33-15 with 19 wins by fall at 132 pounds. Brown placed third at the Class 1A Princeton Regional and won his first match at the Byron Sectional.

Kane Dauber, so., Princeton: Dauber overcame an injury to have another solid season, going 29-5 with 18 pins at 138 pounds. He pinned his way through the Class 1A Princeton Regional to win the title, then placed second at the Byron Sectional. Dauber finished fourth at state.

Kiely Domyancich, sr., La Salle-Peru: The repeat NewsTribune Girls Wrestler of the Year was dominant as she went 35-5 at 125 pounds. She won the Rockford East, Princeton, Ottawa and Interstate 8 Conference tournaments. Domyancich won the Normal West Regional, placed second at the DeKalb Sectional and finished one win shy of a state medal.

Marisa Eggersdorfer, sr., La Salle-Peru: Eggersdorfer nearly earned a state berth, falling one win short. She won the Interstate 8 Conference Tournament and the Normal West Regional. She placed second at the Mahomet-Seymour Tournament. Eggersdorfer went 28-6 at 155 with 27 wins by fall.

Casey Etheridge, sr., Princeton: The co-NewsTribune Boys Wrestler of the Year went 46-7 and was Class 1A state runner-up at 165 pounds. Etheridge won the Princeton Regional and finished second at the Byron Sectional. He won the LeRoy and Dewitt tournaments and set the program record for career pins.

Gavin Evans, sr., Mendota: Evans finished his career strong as he went 31-9 with 20 pins at 157. He placed second at the Kewanee Invitational. In the postseason, Evans placed second at the Class 1A Princeton Regional to advance to the Byron Sectional.

Kalista Frost, so., La Salle-Peru: Frost had another successful season as she qualified for the sectional for the second time. She won the Rockford East Tournament, Interstate 8 Conference Tournament and the Normal West Regional. Frost finished 27-8 at 100 pounds with 23 pins.

Emily Lowery, so., La Salle-Peru: Lowery had a solid sophomore season as she went 27-11 with 20 pins at 115 pounds. She won the Interstate 8 Conference Tournament. In the postseason, Lowery placed fourth at the Normal West Regional and won two sectional matches.

Sarah Lowery, jr., La Salle-Peru: Lowery was strong all season, finishing second on the team in wins at 33-7 at 110 pounds. She won 29 matches via fall. Lowery won the Springfield and Mahomet-Seymour tournaments, placed second at the Interstate 8 Conference tournament and the Normal West Regional and took third at the Rockford East and Princeton tournaments.

Max Moreno, so., St. Bede: Moreno followed up a strong freshman season with a successful sophomore campaign as he went 36-9 at 132 pounds. He won the Jaguar Classic, placed second at the Orion Invitational and took third at the Plano and Kewanee invites. Moreno placed second at the Class 1A Princeton Regional to earn a sectional berth.

Augustus Swanson, sr., Princeton: The co-NewsTribune Boys Wrestler of the Year placed second in Class 1A at 113 pounds and finished the season 47-3 with 30 wins by fall. He won the Princeton Regional and took second at the Byron Sectional. Swanson won the Princeton Invitational and the LeRoy Tournament.

Gianni Verucchi, jr., La Salle-Peru: Verucchi won 20 matches at 113/120, with nine coming by pin. He placed fourth at the Plano Tournament and took fifth at the Sterling Tournament. Verucchi was runner-up at the Class 2A Sterling Regional to earn a sectional berth.

Jentz Watson, sr., La Salle-Peru: Watson capped his career with a strong senior season, going 28-17 at 165 pounds. He won 17 matches by fall and four by technical fall. Watson placed third at the Sterling Tournament, fourth at the Morton Tournament and sixth at the Springfield and Reed-Custer tournaments. He took third at the Class 2A Sterling Regional to advance to sectional.

Honorable mention: Michael Benge, so., St. Bede; Komen Denault, so., Mendota; Justyn Doden, so., Putnam County-Hall; Avalyn Edwall, so., La Salle-Peru; Ella Irwin, sr., Putnam County-Hall; Brady Peach, so., Princeton; Audri Plut, fr., La Salle-Peru