Rob Ledin
8.7K posts
@CoachLedin
Alt. Ed. Director & Head Wrestling Coach of Mahomet-Seymour HS
MSJH wrestling turned in a strong performance at the IESA Class AA Regional, placing third overall in the five-team field and advancing a solid group of wrestlers on to sectionals. The Bulldogs crowned several regional champions. Graham Smolich (70), Clayton Moen (90), Gabe Cadenas (100), Brayden Watts (105), and Bentley Wycoff (112) each claimed first place in their respective weight classes. Smolich, Cadenas, and Watts were especially dominant, combining for multiple falls on their way to titles. The Bulldogs also picked up a number of runner-up finishes. Rhett Ernst (65) and Emmett Watson (95) each placed second, while Ernst and Watson both earned key wins to secure their advancement. Third-place finishes were recorded by Max Freiburg (80), Leo Venatta (112), Brett Back (126), and Kinley Junge (185), all of whom punched their tickets to sectionals. Freiburg and Venatta both closed their tournaments with falls in the third-place matches. Several other Bulldogs just missed qualification with fourth-place finishes, including Bronx Stuckey (70), Coen Van Bellehem (75), Eli Koontz (105), Ben Revega (145), and Owen Sorenson (185). Those who qualified will compete at the IESA Sectional on Saturday, March 7, in Jacksonville. Photos courtesy of Coach Heinold. @MSJHBulldogs
MARCO CASILLAS HEADED TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH! Casillas was a 3-2 winner in a thrilling semifinal match. Marco will wrestle in tomorrow evenings I.H.S.A. Class 2A State Championship match! More to come. @mshsathletics @CoachLedin @zachpiatt13
𝑷𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒚 2/20/2026 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒐'𝒔 𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆 A portion of the Bulldog contingent reacts as Marco Casillas wins his semifinal bout at the IHSA State Wrestling Finals. Thank you to the Karuzis Insurance Agency - Country Financial for helping share this Bulldog Nation capture. @CoachLedin @mshsathletics
You couldn’t have asked for a better IHSA State wrestling semifinal than the 190-pound showdown between Mahomet-Seymour sophomore Marco Casillas and IC Catholic senior Foley Calcagno. It took extra time to decide who would advance to the state title match. In the ultimate tiebreaker, Casillas earned an escape point to secure the thrilling victory. An incredible match between two elite contenders. Casillas (48-3) will wrestle for a state championship Saturday evening at the State Farm Center in Champaign. All five Bulldog state qualifiers were in action Friday. Garrett Waisath and Justus Vrona were defeated in their opening wrestleback matches, bringing their state runs to a close. Both wrapped up outstanding seasons with plenty to be proud of. Gideon Hayter remains alive in the wrestlebacks after winning his first match by fall and his second by decision (10-8). Hayter will face Champaign Central’s Poeta in the wrestleback quarterfinals Saturday. Talon Decker is also still in contention. Decker earned a tech fall victory in his second round of wrestlebacks match to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinal, where he will take on Bode of Sycamore. Wrestleback quarterfinals begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, followed by wrestleback semifinal, third-, fourth-, and fifth-place matches. Championship finals begin at 6 p.m., with the Grand March scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thank you to Busey Bank and Core40 for powering this varsity wrestling update. @mshsathletics @CoachLedin
Talon Decker’s run in the IHSA State Wrestling Finals came to an end this morning. Decker lost his quarterfinal match in the wrestlebacks on Saturday by decision (4-5). Congratulations, Talon, on a great season! Photos courtesy of Mama C Photography @CoachLedin @mshsathletics
Gideon Hayter places 5th at the IHSA Individual State Wrestling Finals! On Saturday, Hayter won his quarterfinal matchup in the wrestlebacks by fall. In the semifinal he lost by decision (2-7). In the 5th place match Hayter won by decision (8-4). Congratulations, Gideon! @CoachLedin @mshsathletics @zachpiatt13
