On February 19, 2026, over 250 high schools competed at the IHSA Wrestling State Championship. Lincoln-Way West had four state qualifiers this year: Kellan Hack (Fr. 113 lbs), Brady Glynn (Jr. 132 lbs), Jack Strezo (Sr. 144 lbs), and Max Herman (Sr. 165 lbs). Competing at State is a significant milestone in any high school wrestler’s career. The conditioning and determination that these wrestlers have was shown at the most prestigious level. From wrestling individually in the off season to winning the 2026 regional tournament as a team, these state qualifiers were looking forward to the ultimate goal: becoming a state placer.
The Lincoln-Way West wrestling program is extremely well coached with a total of ten coaches. Each one brings a different level of knowledge and experience to the program. West is proud to be led by Coach Brian Glynn who has been the head wrestling coach for 18 years. Coach Glynn is a two-time All-American wrestler and University of Illinois graduate. In 2020, he was inducted into the IWCOA Hall of Fame, an honor given to the most exceptional wrestling coaches recognized by the state.
“Our coaching philosophy is to outwork our opponents. We are known as a team that we don’t get tired,” Coach Glynn said about his coaching philosophy.
Coach Glynn also has long-term goals for the program that the team is working hard to accomplish. “My number one goal is to get a state champion or a state finalist,” he explained. The closest that West has been to achieving that goal was a third-place finish. Additionally, Coach Glynn hopes to add a new trophy to West’s collection, “the last time we got a team trophy was in 2017.” Earning a team trophy signifies that the team accumulated the most total points and high-place finishes in a tournament. This accolade signifies the strong lineup across all weight classes.
Standout matches this year included Michael Scott using the spladle move on his opponent in the last match for the LWE vs LWW dual, Max Herman winning the bloodround at State, and Jimmy Talley being a finalist at the Dan Gable Donnybrook. This season also saw many comebacks that brought more victories for the team. “My day two of sectionals, I was down 9-1 and I had to mentally come back and reset that third period,” Kellan Hack explained. Having the right mindset is crucial in the sport of wrestling. Bo Bassett, an undefeated wrestler and record breaker at just nineteen years old, encourages the “Machine Gun Mindset”. This philosophy involves intensive attacks and unparalleled speed to tire out the opponent and win the match by a high number of points.
Along with the proper mindset, practicing constantly is essential to sport. With lots of practice comes experience that is beneficial both on and off the mat. Jack Strezo shared that one of the biggest things he’s taken from high school wrestling is that hard work pays off, “If you really set your mind to something and you’re always working at it, you’ll eventually get there.”
Coach Glynn explained that taking the team to the University of Illinois was special for him as both a coach and a father, “For years I was waiting for my sons to get in the program…I think it’s lived up to all the expectations, bringing them back to where I wrestled in the same place. It hits a little bit different.”
Brady Glynn shared that his biggest inspiration is his dad, “With him being a two-time All-American wrestling for Illinois, it’s good to look up to him.” He explained that having his dad as a coach has been significant for him as a wrestler. “It’s good to have a support system like that, especially someone who’s always looking out for you. I think that’s even bigger in the sport of wrestling, where all the little things matter.” Brady is a two-time state qualifier and three-time varsity athlete. He plans to take his wrestling to the collegiate level and become an All-American wrestler.
The season never truly ends for these wrestlers. Brady Glynn explained that off season wrestling brings great competition. These competitions include Fargo, the world’s largest wrestling tournament, and Super 32, which is highly competitive and considered one of the most difficult tournaments in the US. Attending the tournaments is an honor for every wrestler and proves the commitment that the athletes have for the sport.
Max Herman, a new addition to the West wrestling program, transferred from Texas for his senior year. “We have a really good program here. Our coaches do a good job of developing all the wrestlers and getting them ready at the right time for the state tournament, which is super important,” he shared. When it came down to wrestling at state, Max was faced with an opponent whom he had faced in the season four times before, two of which resulted in double overtime. “Going into that match, I had seen the kid before, I knew I could beat him again. Before the match I told myself, ‘Win or lose, I’m super proud of what I’ve done,’ he explained. After a hard-fought match, Max won the bloodround and received fifth place, officially securing his spot as a state finalist.
Congratulations to the state qualifiers and the coaches on another outstanding season. These wrestlers all worked incredibly hard to secure their spots as state qualifiers. They represented Lincoln-Way West and proved that warrior wrestlers are determined athletes who never back down from a challenge.
