CHAMPAIGN — Marist’s Ethan Sonne has risen up the ranks of wrestling over the last year in a fashion that has been nothing short of meteoric. Sonne became a national champion before he was ever a state medalist. He went from suffering a heartbreaking blood round loss last season at state to winn ing a 16U freestyle national title over the summer in Fargo, North Dakota. The Purdue recruit came back for his junior year with a new sense of belief. “Since Fargo, my mindset has stayed super calm and I know I’m always in the match,” Sonne said. “Fargo definitely gave me a boost in confidence and told me how good I could possibly be. “It was just a reminder to keep working hard and I knew I could do more big things.” Sonne definitely did something big Saturday night. He made his first state medal the best one, upsetting Lockport’s Justin Wardlow 15-14 in a thrilling Class 3A 157-pound state championship match at the State Farm Center. Marist’s Ethan Sonne, top, turns Lockport’s Justin Wardlow at 157 pounds in the Class 3A state championship match at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown) “I love wrestling him,” Sonne said of Wardlow. “He’s a great opponent. All respect to him. It was a great match. It feels amazing to be a state champion.” With the heartbreaking loss, Wardlow ends his high school career as a four-time state runner-up. Mount Carmel senior Liam Kelly, an Illinois commit, became a back-to-back state champion with an 8-1 overtime win over Rockton Hononegah’s Bruno Cassioppi at 165. Joliet Catholic’s Jason Hampton (132) was a runner-up for the second time, while Hilltopper teammates Luke Foster (126) and Adante Washington (138) both took third. Brother Rice’s Oliver Davis (144) and Lincoln-Way Central’s Aiden Hennings (285) also finished third. Joliet Catholic’s Adante Washington, left, tries to escape from Marmion’s Nicholas Garcia at 132 pounds in the Class 3A state title match at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown) Sonne, meanwhile, turned things around in a big way after losing a 10-2 major decision to Wardlow in the regular season. He jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Wardlow, who signed with Arizona State, rallied and then tied it at 14-14 with a takedown in the final minute. Sonne (38-3), however, was able to score an escape with 16 seconds left to capture the state title. “When I got the escape, it was crazy,” Sonne said. “Everything was going crazy in my mind. I was like, ‘I’m about to be a state champion.’ I knew I couldn’t let him get a takedown and I knew I couldn’t get a stalling penalty. It felt great seeing that clock run out.” Tommy Fidler, Sonne’s teammate who finished sixth at 150, was locked in watching the thrilling championship match. Fidler was anxious but still confident Sonne would come through. Marist’s Ethan Sonne, left, takes down Lockport’s Justin Wardlow at 157 pounds in the Class 3A state championship match at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown) “I felt like I was almost on the mat when I was watching him,” Fidler said. “He just goes hard all the time. There’s never a doubt. “He just works super hard. It didn’t happen on accident. He deserves every bit of it.” Aside from the state champions, one of the most joyous moments of the day belonged to Hennings (49-6), who pinned Montini’s Gavin Ericson-Staton for third place. Hennings, a Drake football recruit, won his first state medal in his final season of wrestling. Marist’s Ethan Sonne, right, gets taken down by Lockport’s Justin Wardlow at 157 pounds in the Class 3A state title match at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown) “That being my last match ever, it was awesome,” Hennings said. “I’ll never fully leave the sport of wrestling. When I’m in Des Moines, I might ref kids matches on Sundays or maybe become an assistant coach at a high school. “Just to remember that wrestling got me where I am in football.” Sonne shared Hennings’ elation as a first-time medalist, but also credited a sense of optimism for sparking his climb to the top. “You have to keep your mind free,” Sonne said. “You can’t let doubts creep in. That’s really what brings everyone down. I just love keeping a positive mindset about everything, no matter what happens in the room, no matter what happens in a match. “I’m always looking at the bright side and looking to learn off of it.” ...read more read less