A quartet of local wrestlers is still alive in the championship bracket at the IHSA State Meet after Day 1 on Thursday at State Farm Center in Champaign.

Sterling senior Drew Kested, Newman senior Will Rude, Eastland junior Wyatt Doty and Erie-Prophetstown junior Jase Grunder all won their first two matches, advancing to tonight’s semifinals.

Kested (34-7) defeated Glenwood junior Aden Byal 3-1 in the quarterfinals, and will take on Joliet Catholic junior Mason Alessio (35-4) in the Class 2A semifinals at 145 pounds.

Rude (21-0) is in the semifinal for the second straight year, after winning a state title at the IWCOA state meet last season. The 138-pounder defeated Vandalia senior Cutter Prater 3-0 in the quarterfinals, and will face Dwight senior Dillon Sarff (32-5) in the semifinals.

Grunder (28-7) defeated Seneca senior Owen Feiner 8-2 in their 145-pound quarterfinal. He’ll advance to take on Lena-Winslow/Stockton junior Garrett Luke (47-3) in the semifinals.

Doty (29-5), competing for the Polo co-op, won 11-5 over Canton junior Trevor Hedges in the quarterfinals, advancing to face Benton sophomore Mason Tieffel (48-4) in the semifinals at 126 pounds.

Tieffel advanced to the semis with a 5-3 win over Newman’s Carter Rude (43-4).

Seven other locals also fell in quarterfinal bouts. Sterling junior Tommy Tate (27-8) lost 4-3 to Kenwood senior Joshua Butler (35-7) in a 160-pound bout in Class 2A, while Dixon senior Justin Dallas (23-6) lost 14-10 to IC Catholic senior Jadon Mims (26-3) in a 220-pound quarterfinal in Class 1A.

Also in 1A, Newman freshman Briar Ivey (30-12) was pinned in 36 seconds by Harrisburg sophomore Tony Keene (41-2) at 113 pounds, while Brady Grennan (40-2) was pinned in 6:00 by Mercer County sophomore Ethan Monson (31-6) at 120 pounds.

Morrison senior Kayden White (34-4) lost a 4-2 decision to Hoopeston senior Abel Colunga (38-4) at 182 pounds, Polo senior Daniel Engel (24-4) lost 8-0 to IC Catholic senior Isaiah Gonzalez (31-1) at 285, and Erie-Prophetstown freshman Wyatt Goossens (31-7) lost 9-0 to Farmington sophomore Keygan Jennings (46-1) at 113.

All of those wrestlers await an opponent in the second round of wrestlebacks today.

Earlier in the day, those 12 wrestlers won their first-round matches, while five locals fell in their openers.

Sterling’s duo of Kested and Tate both won by decision in Class 2A. Kested defeated Oak Forest’s Connor Nowicki 3-2 at 145 pounds, and Tommy Tate beat Highland’s Ben Mitchell 8-7 at 160 pounds.

All four Newman wrestlers won their preliminary matches in Class 1A. Ivey (113) defeated DePaul Prep’s Max Rosen 6-3, Grennan (120) won an 11-6 decision over Chicago Phoenix’s Vin Moreno, Carter Rude (126) pinned Yorkville Christian’s Grason Johnson in 1:39, and Will Rude (138) pinned Yorkville Christian’s Braulio Flores in 5:04.

Dixon’s Dallas won his first-round bout at 220 pounds, pinning Ridgeview’s Evan Antonio in 5:16. Freshman teammate Ayden Rowley (106) lost his prelim match by pin to Anna-Jonesboro’s Drew Sadler in 1:53, while senior Mitchell White (195) was pinned in 57 seconds by Coal City’s Ashton Harvey. Rowley (12-5) will face LeRoy junior Brady Mouser (22-12) in the consolation first round, while White will take on Macomb junior Ethan Lass (39-10).

Erie-Prophetstown got prelim wins from Goossens (113) and Grunder (145). Goossens won a 10-4 decision over Coal City’s John Housman, while Grunder won a 6-2 decision over Canton’s Andrew Hedges. Teammate Elijah Friedrichsen (285) lost a 5-2 decision to Normal U-High’s Hunter Otto; the senior (44-6) will face Cumberland junior Noah Carl (42-8) in the consolation first round.

Polo got wins from both of its wrestlers. Doty won a 10-0 major decision over Chicago Phoenix’s Jose Lua at 126 pounds, and Engel pinned Bismarck-Henning’s Hunter Wilson in 4:55 at 285.

Morrison’s Kayden White pinned Manteno’s Colin Zeppi in 55 seconds at 182 pounds, while Mustangs senior Nate Schaefer (220) was pinned in 33 seconds by Dwight’s Samuel Edwards. Schafer (33-7) will wrestle Tolono Unity senior Oran Varela (35-7) in the first round of the consolation bracket.

Both of Oregon’s wrestlers suffered first-round losses. Lane Halverson (132) lost a 12-1 major decision to Oakwood’s Reef Pacot, while Seth Stevens (138) lost a 4-2 decision against Peotone’s Marco Spinazzola. Halverson (30-10) will face Chicago Phoenix senior Omar Ramirez (22-7) in the first round of wrestlebacks, while Stevens (37-9) will take on Anna-Jonesboro senior Blake Mays (30-7).

Fulton’s Zane Pannell (38-9) also fell in his first-round match at 170 pounds, losing a 9-6 decision to Canton’s Joseph Norton. He’ll wrestle against Manteno senior Wyatt Young (22-11) in a first-round consolation match.

Girls basketball

1A Eastland Regional final

Galena 47, Eastland 32: The Pirates built a 23-15 halftime lead, then pulled away from there to win the regional title over the host Cougars in Lanark.

Sarah Kempel paced Eastland (18-13) with eight points and five rebounds, while Addie Burkholder, Chloe Sweitzer and Annika Myre added six points each. Burkholder also had nine rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Myre chipped in three assists and two steals. Delana Erbsen grabbed six rebounds, Quinc Haverland had four points and three assists, and Sweitzer and Paige Joiner added two assists each; Joiner also scored a second-quarter basket.

Addie Hefel and Gracie Furlong led Galena with 20 and 14 points, respectively.

1A Indian Creek Regional final

Pecatonica 50, Polo 40: The Marcos suffered their third loss of the season against the Indians, this time in a regional title game in Shabbona.

Nicole Boelens and Lindee Poper scored 12 points each to lead Polo.

Elaina Rager poured in 20 points for Pec, and Lauren Mellentine scored 14.

Boys basketball

Polo 37, Amboy 20: Brock Soltow and Cooper Blake combined for 21 points to lead the Marcos past the Clippers in an NUIC South game in the teams’ regular-season finale in Amboy.

Soltow scored a game-high 11 points, while Blake chipped in 10 points for Polo. Carson Jones had six points, Tyler Merdian scored five points, and Cayden Webster added four points for the Marcos.

Brennan Blaine scored 10 points to lead Amboy. Caden Wittenauer, Connor Simpson and Wes Wilson added three points each for the Clippers.

Forreston 57, AFC 39: The Cardinals distributed the ball well, putting 11 players in the scoring column on their way to an NUIC South win over the Raiders in the teams’ regular-season finale in Forreston.

Cole Becker paced Forreston with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Joseph Snyder added 10 points and eight rebounds. Owen Greenfield pitched in six points for the Cardinals.

AFC was led by Carson Rueff and Jordan Harris with 14 points apiece. Griffin Bushman chipped in six points for the Raiders.