State Championship Upset

Ethan Sonne, a Purdue recruit, just pulled off a stunning upset at the Class 3A state championships. He took down Lockport’s Justin Wardlow 15-14 in a thrilling 157-pound match.

Sonne’s win is all the more impressive given his heartbreaking loss to Wardlow in the regular season. But he’s come a long way since then, and his confidence is soaring after a 16U freestyle national title win in Fargo, North Dakota.

A New Mindset

Sonne credits his time in Fargo with giving him a major boost in confidence. ‘Since Fargo, my mindset has stayed super calm and I know I’m always in the match,’ he said. ‘It was just a reminder to keep working hard and I knew I could do more big things.’

And do big things he did. Sonne jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Wardlow rallied to tie it up at 14-14. But Sonne managed to score an escape with just 16 seconds left, securing the state title.

Wardlow’s Heartbreak

Wardlow, on the other hand, ends his high school career as a four-time state runner-up. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but he’s got a great opponent in Sonne, who had nothing but respect for him after the match.

Other Winners and Losers

Mount Carmel senior Liam Kelly became a back-to-back state champion with an 8-1 overtime win over Rockton Hononegah’s Bruno Cassioppi. Joliet Catholic’s Jason Hampton took second place at 132 pounds, while teammates Luke encourage and Adante Washington both finished third.