‘I kind of got my swagger back’: Uppinghouse rebounds to take third, make QHS wrestling history with second state medal

Quincy High School's Owen Uppinghouse reacts to beating St. Charles East's Anthony Gutierrez in the third-place match at 165 pounds at the Class 3A state tournament Saturday at State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill. | Photo courtesy Clark Brooks, PhotoNews Media

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Owen Uppinghouse admitted the sting wasn’t easy to shake. The Quincy High School 165-pound senior wrestler went to the Class 3A state tournament undefeated with his sights set squarely on becoming the fifth state champion in program history. A quarterfinal loss Friday morning to LaGrange Lyons’ Gunnar Garelli ruined that. Although he…

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‘In my mind, I’m the best in the state’: Uppinghouse keeps perfect record intact at sectional

Referee Ray Eickelschulte raises Owen Uppinghouse's hand after his 3-0 victory in the championship match of the 165-pound division at the Class 3A sectional on Saturday at Blue Devil Gym. | David Adam photo

QUINCY — To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man. Owen Uppinghouse believes he’s the man to beat at 165 pounds in Illinois. Uppinghouse won three matches this weekend in the Class 3A sectional in Blue Devil Gym to remain undefeated after 54 matches. The most important victory was a 3-0 decision over…

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‘Owen’s just a special kid’: Uppinghouse clears first hurdle to state tournament with regional title

Quincy High School's Owen Uppinghouse flexes in celebration of winning the Class 3A regional wrestling championship in the QHS gymnasium Saturday afternoon. | David Adam

QUINCY — Phil Neally has worked with many successful teams and wrestlers during his 20 years as the head coach at Quincy High School, but as the 2023-24 season winds down, he knows his time to witness true greatness is dwindling. Neally has had a ringside seat for Owen Uppinghouse’s dominating senior season. The QHS…

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Uppinghouse builds mark to 44-0, leads QHS to third place at 32nd QND Wrestling Invitational

Palmyra's Tyler Spicknall picks up Quincy Notre Dame's Cale Hilbing during their semifinal match in the 132-pound weight class during the QND Wrestling Invitational on Saturday at the Pit. Spicknall won the match and eventually placed second. | David Adam

QUINCY — Quincy High School’s Owen Uppinghouse had every right to be exhausted. And make no mistake about it, he most certainly was. Uppinghouse wrapped up the 165-pound championship Saturday in the 32nd annual Quincy Notre Dame Wrestling Invitational, and what followed was not so much a raised fist in the air signifying another win…

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Showcasing heart and talent: QHS wrestlers dominate own invitational, win team title for third straight year

Quincy High School's Payton Eddy, left, reacts as teammate Bryor Newbold holds up the team trophy after the QHS wrestling squad won the championship of the Quincy Invitational on Saturday at the QHS gym. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Imperfect weather couldn’t deter the Quincy High School wrestling team from having a perfect weekend. Truly, that’s all Bryor Newbold wanted. In search of his first Quincy Invitational championship in his final try, the senior dominated the 175-pound weight class with four pins and a technical fall in his five matches, finishing his…

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Uppinghouse continues undefeated run through top competition, three other QHS wrestlers finish in top three at holiday tourney

GRANITE CITY, Ill. — Owen Uppinghouse’s mission is clear. Show no mercy. The Quincy High School senior wrestler won another tournament title this week, outgrappling a talented field at the 62nd Red Schmitt Holiday Tournament to earn the 165-pound championship and improve to 25-0 overall. That helped the Blue Devils finish sixth in the 27-team…

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Blue Devils’ Uppinghouse reaches century mark with championship, Newbold tops talented field

Quincy High School senior wrestler Owen Uppinghouse won the 165-pound bracket at the Baltzley Invitational in Johnston, Iowa, on Saturday, earning his 100th career victory in the process. | Matt Schuckman photo

JOHNSTON, Iowa — A career milestone came with a championship and a statement. Owen Uppinghouse refuses to be beaten. The Quincy High School senior wrestler earned his 100th career victory Saturday during the Baltzley Invitational, beating two of the top three ranked Class 3A wrestlers in Iowa in the process and winning the 165-pound championship.…

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Three individual titles, third-place team finish make for solid opening tourney for QHS wrestlers

ANTIOCH, Ill. — The Quincy High School wrestling team made a strong statement during its first tournament of the season. The Blue Devils finished third in the 24-team Ted DeRousse Invitational on Saturday, capturing three individual championships. QHS racked up 356.5 points to finish behind Elmhurst IC Catholic and Marmion Academy. IC Catholic has produced…

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Battling bronchitis, Uppinghouse dominates final two matches to place third in Class 3A state meet

Quincy's Owen Uppinghouse celebrates after pinning Lyons's Gunnar Garelli in their third-place match at 160 pounds in Class 3A at the IHSA individual wrestling state finals in State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday. | Photo courtesy of PhotoNews Media/Chris Johns

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After placing third in the 160-pound division in Class 3A at the Illinois High School Association Class 3A individual state wrestling tournament, Quincy High School’s Owen Uppinghouse is ready for a break. And some sleep. Uppinghouse won four out of five matches this week at State Farm Center to finish with a…

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Loss to top seed in semifinals forces Quincy’s Uppinghouse to focus on third-place medal

Quincy's Owen Uppinghouse wrestles Hersey's Aaron Hernandez during their match on Friday morning at the IHSA individual wrestling state finals on Friday in Champaign. | Photo courtesy of PhotoNews Media/Chris Johns

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Quincy High School’s Owen Uppinghouse hopes of winning a state championship game to an end on Friday night.  Now, the focus is on capturing a third-place medal. Uppinghouse lost to undefeated and top-seeded Ethan Stiles of Conant by pinfall in 3:03 in the semifinals of the 160-pound division in the Illinois High…

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Uppinghouse advances to 160-pound quarterfinals with 1-0 decision; four other local wrestlers in loser’s bracket

Quincy's Owen Uppinghouse, top, wrestles Marist's Ricky Ericksen during their Class 3A 160-pound match at the IHSA individual wrestling state finals on Thursday in Champaign. | Photo courtesy of PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Quincy High School’s Owen Uppinghouse didn’t score a point until the third period, but it was the only point he needed. Uppinghouse won his first-round match in the 160-pound weight class at the IHSA Class 3A state wrestling meet in Champaign by a 1-0 decision over Marist’s Ricky Ericksen. An escape 15 seconds…

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From top to bottom of lineup, Blue Devils pitch in to defend own invitational wrestling championship

Quincy High School junior Owen Uppinghouse celebrates his semifinal victory in the 160-pound class during Saturday's Quincy Invitational at the QHS gym. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The beauty of playing host to a high school wrestling tournament is the opportunity to compete in a packed-to-hilt gym full of familiar faces the way the Quincy High School gym was Saturday. “Every seat was filled,” QHS junior Owen Uppinghouse said. The drawback is what awaits in the aftermath. “I was kind…

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Area Distributors Area Player of the Week: QHS wrestler Owen Uppinghouse

Quincy High School's Owen Uppinghouse, wrestling at 160 pounds, is undefeated this season with seven pins in nine matches. | Submitted photo

QUINCY — Owen Uppinghouse isn’t taking long to assert his dominance. The Quincy High School 160-pound senior wrestler went 6-0 last week with only two of his four matches stretching beyond the first period. Last Thursday at home, Uppinghouse pinned Fort Madison’s Emmett Kruse in 3 minutes, 37 seconds. He was even better at the…

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