Newman's Landon Near won the Class 1A 113-pound championship, while Dixon's Charlie Connors placed second during the IHSA state boys wrestling finals at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday.

Class 1A, 2A and 3A wrestlers compete for the state title Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at State Farm Center in Champaign.

Here are the 18 Sauk Valley area qualifiers for the IHSA individual state wrestling meet. Newman's Landon Near, Dixon's Jack Ragan, Oregon's Nelson Benesh, Dixon's Charlie Connors and West Carroll's Connor Knop are all Top 4 seeds in their brackets.

Newman's Blair Grennan, Fulton's Kerby Germann and E-P's Michelle Naftzger won sectional wrestling titles as six area girls advanced to state. Fulton, Polo and E-P girls basketball won, and Sterling's Sarah Doughty qualified for state bowling on Saturday.

Last-second victories. Avenged losses. Blood-round wins, an undefeated champion and tight decisions. Saturday’s 1A Byron Sectional was an exciting one as area wrestlers advanced to state.

Wrestlers punch their ticket to the state tournament Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 at the Byron Class 1A wrestling sectional.

Here is a roundup of where area boys and girls wrestlers are heading into Saturday's final day of sectionals.

Erie-Prophetstown's Caleb Reymer is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week, presented by Loescher Heating and Air Conditioning. Here is a Q&A with Reymer, who won a heavyweight regional title by major decision and hopes to get to state as a junior.

The Dixon wrestling team took care of business against Morrison to advance to team dual state for just the second time in program history.