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The Washington wrestling team won in lopsided fashion Saturday at the Mid-Illini Conference tournament.
The Panthers were credited with 219.5 points as eight athletes won individual titles in Canton. Each will be a first-team all-league honorees.
With the tournament finish added to a 5-1 dual record, Washington earned 15.5 points for the season. It was the program’s third first-place league award in succession.
"The guys wrestled very well, wrestled with a lot of spirit," WCHS head coach Bryan Medlin said.
The Panthers broke out of a deadlock with East Peoria and Canton, both of whom also were 5-1 in duals.
The Raiders wound up second overall and Canton third after East Peoria edged the Little Giants, 158-154, in the finale.
Some Washington players added to their M-I championship collection, while others received a first-place medal for the first time.
Senior Dylan Reel became a four-time league titlist.
Reel (39-2) closed out 160-pound foe Derek Schrodt of Canton with a technical fall late in the second period.
The result was one of five Panther wins in six finals matchups against either Canton or East Peoria.
In the semifinals, Reel pinned Josh Bernius of Metamora at the 1:12 mark.
Austin Wileman, Travis Rice, Lane Weaver, Andy Rettke, Colton Gladwell, Mason Wright and Anthony DeMito all won titles as well for Washington.
Wileman (29-8), a junior, clinched his second conference crown in a row with a pin of Dillon Lee of Canton at 3:29 in the 106 weight class.
He opened with a second-period pin of Morton’s Austin Sievert in the semifinals.
The junior Rice (30-6) reached the 30-victory benchmark with a 22-8 major decision in the 113 title bout against East Peoria’s Austin Harper.
Another major decision, 17-5 against Drew Burgess of Limestone, began Rice’s day in Fulton County.
Weaver (20-18), a sophomore, pinned Nathan Ball at 5:06 to complete his championship pursuit in 126.
He also pinned Limestone’s Zak McCaddon in the semifinals.
Rettke (26-12), a junior, handed Bryce Vaughn of Canton a 12-7 defeat in the finals to conclude the 132 bracket competition.
He held off Pekin’s Rich Smith in the semifinals, 5-2.
Gladwell (25-4), also a junior, won the 138 title with a pin of Dragon Michael Ashby at 1:56.
He started his second championship-winning effort in as many years with a pin of Metamora’s Jared Ambrosh.
Wright (25-8), a senior, earned bookend M-I titles for his four-year career with a pin of Morton’s Clay Cone with 32 seconds left in the opening period.
The Washington wrestling team won in lopsided fashion Saturday at the Mid-Illini Conference tournament.
The Panthers were credited with 219.5 points as eight athletes won individual titles in Canton. Each will be a first-team all-league honorees.
With the tournament finish added to a 5-1 dual record, Washington earned 15.5 points for the season. It was the program’s third first-place league award in succession.
"The guys wrestled very well, wrestled with a lot of spirit," WCHS head coach Bryan Medlin said.
The Panthers broke out of a deadlock with East Peoria and Canton, both of whom also were 5-1 in duals.
The Raiders wound up second overall and Canton third after East Peoria edged the Little Giants, 158-154, in the finale.
Some Washington players added to their M-I championship collection, while others received a first-place medal for the first time.
Senior Dylan Reel became a four-time league titlist.
Reel (39-2) closed out 160-pound foe Derek Schrodt of Canton with a technical fall late in the second period.
The result was one of five Panther wins in six finals matchups against either Canton or East Peoria.
In the semifinals, Reel pinned Josh Bernius of Metamora at the 1:12 mark.
Austin Wileman, Travis Rice, Lane Weaver, Andy Rettke, Colton Gladwell, Mason Wright and Anthony DeMito all won titles as well for Washington.
Wileman (29-8), a junior, clinched his second conference crown in a row with a pin of Dillon Lee of Canton at 3:29 in the 106 weight class.
He opened with a second-period pin of Morton’s Austin Sievert in the semifinals.
The junior Rice (30-6) reached the 30-victory benchmark with a 22-8 major decision in the 113 title bout against East Peoria’s Austin Harper.
Another major decision, 17-5 against Drew Burgess of Limestone, began Rice’s day in Fulton County.
Weaver (20-18), a sophomore, pinned Nathan Ball at 5:06 to complete his championship pursuit in 126.
He also pinned Limestone’s Zak McCaddon in the semifinals.
Rettke (26-12), a junior, handed Bryce Vaughn of Canton a 12-7 defeat in the finals to conclude the 132 bracket competition.
He held off Pekin’s Rich Smith in the semifinals, 5-2.
Gladwell (25-4), also a junior, won the 138 title with a pin of Dragon Michael Ashby at 1:56.
He started his second championship-winning effort in as many years with a pin of Metamora’s Jared Ambrosh.
Wright (25-8), a senior, earned bookend M-I titles for his four-year career with a pin of Morton’s Clay Cone with 32 seconds left in the opening period.
He pinned Jake Lingenfelter of Canton in the semis.
An 8-3 decision over Morton’s Landan Dorn gave DeMito (16-17) the top prize in the 182 category.
DeMito, a junior, opened with a pin of Limestone’s August Moss.
Highlighted by a 9-0 major decision in the semifinals, senior Keil Dossett of Washington landed second place in 285.
Panther Justin Clem was third in 152 after winning his final three contests, two of which were by pin.
Jake Godinez and Steeler Trout both were fourth in 195 and 220 respectively.
Washington won one more individual title than in 2010-11 and scored 20 more points.
The Panthers' tough schedule over the course of the season made a difference. Although the individual records have blemishes, the wrestlers got better by facing high-level competition.
East Peoria was first four times and Canton won two divisions.
Limestone, with four third-place individual recipients, was not in last place for the first time since ’06-07.
The Rockets broke out of a tie with Metamora and Morton to wind up fourth overall.
Pekin, the last team besides Washington to win the conference, entered only nine wrestlers and was relegated to seventh place.
Postseason: Washington is one of nine teams Saturday at its own Class 2A regional. Action begins at 9 a.m.
The top-three individuals in each weight class advance to the Feb. 10-11 Sterling Sectional.
It is the objective for all Panther entrants to make it past the regional.
"The goal is always the same — we expect our guys to all go through. That's the mentality," said Medlin.
Washington is the healthiest it has been all season, with just some minor ailments.
"It's nothing we can't wrestle through, which is a good thing," Medlin said.
The regional champion team proceeds to the Feb. 21 Sycamore Dual Team Sectional.
