Seneca’s Terry finishes third, Gagnon fourth at state wrestling finals

CHAMPAIGN — Sophomore Raiden Terry of Seneca capped a record-breaking season Saturday by finishing third in Class 1A at 106 pounds at the IHSA boys state wrestling finals at University of Illinois' State Farm Center.

Terry finished his season with a school-record 52 wins against just three losses. In the third-place match, he defeated Landon Near of Sterling Newman, 2-1. Near had beaten Terry 9-5 in the tournament’s opening round Thursday, but Terry battled through the consolation bracket to set up the rematch for third place.

“I feel like I could have done better, but I am happy to win my last match of the year,” Terry said. “You have to have short-term memory if you lose, because you have to get right back out there and keep wrestling.

“There are so many good wrestlers here, it’s crazy. I was here last year, but I went 1-2. I wanted to come back and get on the podium this year. Taking third is nothing to be upset about.”

Terry’s Fighting Irish teammate Jeremy Gagnon took fourth at 285, falling to Wheaton St. Francis' Jaylen Torres by fall in 4:59 of the third-place match.

“Raiden had a great year,” Seneca coach Todd Yegge said. “He set a school wins record with 52 this year. He had some high expectations coming into this tournament, but he lost his first match in a tough decision.

“He really showed his character by coming back, fighting hard and winning his last match. He dominated through the consolation bracket and ended his season with a win, which not many people are able to do.”

Other Illinois Valley wrestlers to win state medals, all in Class 1A, were freshman Kane Dauber of Princeton (5th, 132), Sandwich’s Cooper Corder (5th, 144) and Princeton’s Casey Etheridge (4th, 165). Also competing Saturday, but losing in the wrestlebacks were Princetons’s Augustus Swanson (120), Ace Christensen (144) and Cade Odell (285) and Ottawa Marquette’s Alex Schaefer (215).

“There were some good wrestlers here,” Dauber said. “I wrestled the No. 4 seed in the first round and beat him and I went against some other real good wrestlers.

“It was a fun experience and I am looking forward to the next three years.”