IESA practice opens November 30 and the first meets are December 7. We don't have rankings yet, and we're not going to guess. What we do have is every state qualifier from last March and the grade each one was in. So we know exactly who is back. We need your help with the rest.
Who's Back, By the Numbers
One note first. We cover IESA from 95 pounds up, the 13 weights in each class that feed high school varsity lineups. IESA also wrestles 65 through 90, and none of the numbers below include those weights. That's how we've always done it, and here's why.
At 95 and up, last season's state meet had 416 qualifiers. Here's what happened to that field.
- 328 were 8th graders. That's 79% of the field, now in high school.
- 88 state qualifiers return. 39 in Class AA and 49 in Class A.
- 30 of 156 state placers are back.
- 3 of 26 state champions are back.
That is what makes middle school different. Four out of five state qualifiers leave every year, so the ones who stay matter a lot.
You can browse all 88 on the 2026-27 rankings page, by class, or search for a wrestler or a school.
To be clear, that page is not a ranking. It's a starting point.
Three Champions Return
- Aiman Alimamatov (Vernon Hills Hawthorn North) won Class AA at 95 in a tiebreaker.
- Tristan Morgan (Shorewood Troy) won Class AA at 275 and pinned everyone he faced at state.
- Luke Ross (Monticello) won Class A at 100.
Seven state runners-up are back too.
- Max Schmidt (Lake Zurich South), AA 100
- Andrew Lyons (Shorewood Troy), AA 135
- Hudson King (Sherrard JHS), A 100
- Kellan Spisok (Forrest Prairie Central), A 112
- Jameson Quinn (Knoxville JHS), A 167
- Ian Young (Genoa Kingston), A 185
- Drake Watson (Williamsville), A 215
Look at Class A 100. Ross beat King in the state final, and both of them are back. And Schmidt made a state final as a 6th grader. He has two seasons left.
Where the Returners Are
Almost half of the 88 wrestled at the three lightest weights we cover.
- 95, 100 and 105: 42 returners
- 112 through 155: 22 returners
- 167 and up: 24 returners
The middle is thin. Across both classes, one state qualifier returns at 155, three at 126 and four at 119. A younger wrestler who made state at one of those weights was beating 8th graders to get there.
Six schools bring back three or more state qualifiers: Monticello and East Peoria Central with four each, and Bloomington JHS, Shorewood Troy, Prospect Heights MacArthur and Camp Point Central with three each.
Why There Are No Rankings Yet
Ranking wrestlers in November means guessing at two things nobody outside a wrestling room actually knows.
Who is wrestling. The 8th graders moved up, and that part is easy. The rest isn't. Kids change schools. Some try another sport. Some show up for the first time and nobody has heard of them yet.
What weight. Middle schoolers grow. A wrestler who made state at 95 as a 7th grader could be at 112 now. Or 126. Almost nobody comes back at the same weight.
Put those together and any list we published today would be last year's results with a new date on it. We'd rather wait for real matches.
Here's Where You Come In
On the rankings page there's a button that says Update a wrestler. Search a name, then tell us:
- What weight they're going this season
- If they changed schools
- If they aren't wrestling this year
It takes about a minute. Coaches, parents, and wrestlers are the best source there is for this.
Coaches: you can send your whole lineup at once. One name per weight, skip what you don't know yet.
Someone missing? A wrestler who missed state last year, a transfer in, a 6th or 7th grader who is going to make noise. Add them from the same form.
Nothing gets published straight from a submission. We review everything first.
Dates to Know
- November 30: practice may begin
- December 7: meets may begin
- February 27: regionals
- March 6: sectionals
- March 12-13: state finals at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb
What About Last Season?
It's all still here: the final 2025-26 rankings, the state finals results, and the full state recap.
High school? The IHSA season opened November 9. Here's who's back there.
What's Next
First rankings are coming soon. We don't have a date yet. It depends on how many matches get wrestled and how much you tell us in the meantime. Sign up for the newsletter if you want to know the minute they're live.