{"id":7354,"date":"2025-03-14T23:49:59","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T23:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7354"},"modified":"2025-03-14T23:49:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T23:49:59","slug":"bcr-wrestler-of-year-motivation-carries-princetons-casey-etheridge-to-the-awards-stand-shaw-local-news-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7354","title":{"rendered":"BCR Wrestler of Year: Motivation carries Princeton\u2019s Casey Etheridge to the awards stand – Shaw Local News Network"},"content":{"rendered":"


Princeton junior Casey Etheridge was the top area state medalist, finishing fourth at 144 pounds, with a 48-6 record. He is the 2024-25 BCR Wrestler of the Year. <\/span>(Mike Vaughn)
Casey Etheridge didn\u2019t forget.
He made the 2024 state wrestling tournament and was the only wrestler of four from Princeton<\/a> not to medal.
He made sure it didn\u2019t happen again.
That motivation carried Etheridge all the way to the awards podium at the IHSA Class 1A State Wrestling Tournament this year. The Princeton junior grappler made it through the \u201cblood round,\u201d taking his place on the podium with a fourth-place finish at 165 pounds, his first state medal in three years wrestling for the Tigers.
\u201cLast year I was pretty disappointed that I wasn\u2019t able to place because I came so close and wasn\u2019t able to be on that podium,\u201d he said. \u201cBut this year, I was happy I finished a lot stronger. I wasn\u2019t exactly thrilled to be in fourth place, but I met my goal of placing, so I was happy with that.\u201d
Along the way, Etheridge won the LeRoy and Dewitt invites, placed fourth at the PIT and was crowned as a regional champion. He sported a 48-6 record, named First-Team All-Three Rivers Conference.
For all of his accomplishments, Etheridge is the 2024-25 BCR Wrestler of the Year.
PHS coach Steve Amy wants to see Etheridge continue to be motivated to get all the way to the top of the podium next year.
\u201cI think last year was very disappointing for him. To be that close and fall short is very hard. I think that for him though it was an eye-opening experience that told him that he is right there with the best guys in the state,\u201d he said. \u201cI know this year his goal was to make the medal stand and he accomplished that. I am very proud of how hard he has worked over the years to make that happen, but he is not done yet.
\u201cHopefully this season showed him just how close he was to being in the finals and winning it all. If he continues to work this offseason I have no doubt that with his talent he can be standing on the top of the podium next year.\u201d
Sterling Newman\u2019s Danny Kelly and Princeton\u2019s Casey Etheridge wrestle at 165 pounds at the 1A Oregon Regional on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. <\/span>(Earleen Hinton)
Walking into the PHS wrestling room with its newly installed wall of champions this year, featuring all of the past state medalists from yesteryear, was another source of motivation for Etheridge.
\u201cIt feels really good since this is the first year (Amy) did it and last year I didn\u2019t place and it drove me a little further,\u201d Etheridge said. \u201cI realized I had an extra goal to get up there on the wall. It\u2019s a good thing to have because it pushes you. I saw some of my friends up here and I was so close to being with my guys. I didn\u2019t want to be close this year. I wanted to be up there.\u201d
Etheridge had his work cut out to make it back to state. He dropped a 5-4 semifinal match at sectional and had to win one match in the \u201cblood round.\u201d He barely worked up a sweat winning with an 18-4 major decision to punch his ticket to State before falling 7-2 in the third-place match.
He said there is a sense of pressure leading into each match knowing if you lose you go home, but not when you\u2019re out on the mat.
\u201cIt shows how much you\u2019re willing to fight to get a medal if you lose in the first round,\u201d he said. \u201cAt sectionals, if you lose you\u2019re not going to state. And if you lose at state, what did you work for if you\u2019re not going for a medal? No one wants to end your season just going to state. You want to finish the season strong, place, be on top.\u201d
Admittedly, he was pretty frustrated dropping his first match at state to Adam Haddad of Northridge 7-3. He bounced back to take three straight before falling to Haddad once again in the third-place match.
\u201cThe second day, I had a pretty quick match and kind of got my head going a little better,\u201d he said \u201cI gained some confidence and the coaches helped me get through that and I just kind of kept rolling. They told me to wrestle the way I wrestle in practice.\u201d
Etheridge reached a milestone this season by recording his 100th win for the Tigers, now standing at 111-32 for his career. He took a lot of pride in that accomplishment.
\u201cKind of shows you\u2019re going in the right direction,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re able to produce your freshmen and sophomore years. Halfway through my junior year it was a nice accomplishment. Hopefully I can keep it going and maybe reach 150.\u201d
Far from satisfied, Etheridge knows he\u2019s got some work to do to get higher on the awards stand with an eye on first place. And he\u2019s taking nothing for granted.
\u201cIt\u2019s going to take lot more technique work and more determination,\u201d he said. \u201cI still need to have that drive I had coming into this year. Just because I got fourth place this year doesn\u2019t mean I can place next year unless I keep going.
\u201cAnd you see that with a lot of people. In the quarterfinals in 1A, there were three state champions who lost. It was a crazy round. Just shows you just because you won last year, doesn\u2019t mean you will next year.\u201d
And that\u2019s enough motivation for Etheridge to make it happen.
Princeton junior Casey Etheridge was the top area state medalist, finishing fourth at 144 pounds, with a 48-6 record. He is the 2024-25 BCR Wrestler of the Year. <\/span>(Mike Vaughn)
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network<\/p>\n

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Princeton junior Casey Etheridge was the top area state medalist, finishing fourth at 144 pounds, with a 48-6 record. He is the 2024-25 BCR Wrestler of the Year. (Mike Vaughn)Casey Etheridge didn\u2019t forget. He made the 2024 state wrestling tournament and was the only wrestler of four from Princeton not to medal.He made sure it didn\u2019t happen again.That motivation carried<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t