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Nine middle school wrestlers from Coal City are aiming for success at the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) State Finals this weekend. The championship event is set to take place in DeKalb, with participants having earned their spots through sectional victories.
Max Christensen, Ryder Gill, and Dominic Zuccarello secured their places in the state tournament by winning sectionals last weekend in Deerfield. They will be joined by Eli Wix, Brantley Brooks, Phoenix Senodenos, Carter Wix, Gavin Roudis, and Cody Kozlowski. These athletes were among the top four placers at their sectional competitions.
The 43rd annual state tournament begins its first round on Friday, March 7 at 11:30 a.m., with championship matches scheduled for Saturday evening.
Branden Petersen has been selected as one of two grand marshals for the state tournament. Petersen previously coached wrestling at Coal City Middle School for 19 years before stepping down after the 2023 season. He currently teaches physical education at Coal City Early Childhood Center.
During his coaching career, Petersen achieved significant success with numerous regional and sectional titles and six state placements including championships in 2019 and 2022. Under his guidance, Coal City produced 155 state qualifiers, 75 state placers, and 18 state champions.
His selection as a grand marshal was made based on nominations by the IESA Wrestling Advisory Committee and approved by the IESA Board of Directors.
