QHS sends two, Macomb advances three to state wrestling tournament

NORMAL, Ill. — A pair of Quincy High School wrestlers battled their way to the first state tournament berths of their careers, and they’ll be joined in Champaign by a trio of Macomb wrestlers.

Owen Uppinghouse finished second at 160 pounds in the Class 3A Normal Community Sectional, while Bryor Newbold finished third at 182 to give the Blue Devils their pair of qualifiers. Ethan Ladd took second at 220 pounds for Macomb at the Class 1A Clinton Sectional, while Max Ryner (195) and Carter Hoge (152) both finished third.

Uppinghouse, a junior who went into the title match with a 40-0 record, pinned Lincoln Way East’s Zach LaMonto in 3 minutes, 33 seconds in the quarterfinals and followed it up with a 7-2 victory over Homewood-Flossmoor’s Jon Fulgencio. In the championship match, Lockport senior Logan Swaw beat Uppinghouse 8-1.

Swaw (43-1) is a returning state qualifier.

Newbold, a junior, lost his opening match, falling 5-3 to Bradley-Bourbonnais’ AJ Mancilla before fighting his way through the back draw. Newbold scored a 9-0 major decision over Belleville West’s Brody O’Donnell, a 9-1 major decision over Plainfield Central’s Max Bowen and a 4-0 decision over Lockport’s Aidan Nolting.

In the third-place match, Newbold beat Moline’s James Soliz 4-1. Newbold takes a 40-5 record to the state tournament.

At Clinton, Ladd won three straight decisions — 9-2 over St. Joseph-Ogden’s Owen Birt, 3-0 over Normal U-High’s Isaiah Im and 3-0 over Bismarck-Henning’s Nathanael Gnaden — to reach the title match, where he suffered a 3-1 loss to Beardstown’s Owen O’Hara.

Ladd is now 46-6.

Ryner pinned Peoria Heights’ Isaac Coleman in 1:20 in the quarterfinals before suffering an 8-0 loss to Tolona Unity’s Nick Nosler. It forced him to win two matches in the back draw — both by pin — to finish third and take a 48-3 record to state.

Hoge suffered an 11-8 loss to Monmouth United’s Jake McElwee in the semifinals at 152, but he rebounded with an 11-7 decision against Ridgeview’s Caden Lopshire and a pin of Tolono Unity’s Ryan Rink in 3:34 in the third-place match. Hoge is 45-7.

The state wrestling tournament begins Thursday at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign with the champions being crowned Saturday.