ALTON – Alton's Courteney Wilson qualified for this weekend's IHSA Class 3A individual state wrestling tournament with a fourth-place finish in the 152-pound weight class in the Alton individual Sectional tournament.
Wilson will be the only Redbird heading to State Farm Center in Champaign-Urbana for the tournament, which gets under way Thursday and runs through Saturday night.
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“I was a little nervous,” Wilson admitted. “If I hadn't placed fourth, it would have been my last tournament (Wilson is a senior); I'm very excited (about heading to state).”
The competition in the tournament was “pretty tough”, Wilson said. “Especially coming off they call the 'blood round' (the consolation bracket semifinals); everyone knows that if you lose, you're done; your season is over with. That's like another motivation factor – the competition is even more fierce.”
Wilson can now go to State Farm Center and enjoy the moment. “Anything can happen; that's what my coaches say (about the state tournament,” Wilson said. “My plan is to just wrestle as hard as I can, make sure I leave everything I have on the mat.”
