Boys Wrestling

Meet the 2026 Grand Marshals

The Grand Marshal will lead the annual Parade of Champions Saturday night (March 14) before the championship bouts of the 44rd Annual Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) State Final Wrestling Tournament.

Named Grand Marshals for 2026: Brady Knop and Ted Sieckowski

Brady Knop currently serves as Principal of West Carroll Middle School. A 1988 graduate of Savanna High School, he went on to earn his bachelor's degree from Western Illinois University in 1993 and a master's degree from Northern Illinois University in 1995.

A lifelong supporter of wrestling, Knop accumulated 110 varsity wins as a competitor and transitioned into coaching in 1995 as an assistant at Belvidere. He went on to serve as head coach at Illini Bluffs (1995–1997) and Savanna/West Carroll High School (1997–2008), before leading the West Carroll Middle School program from 2008–2018. Since becoming an administrator in 2018, he has remained active as a volunteer coach.

Over the course of his coaching career, Knop guided eight state finalists, four state champions, three state place winners, and 23 state qualifiers, while amassing more than 250 dual meet victories. He has also contributed to the sport as a wrestling official for more than five years and has been recognized multiple times as Conference Coach of the Year.

Ted Sieckowski has dedicated more than four decades to the sports of wrestling, football, track, and golf as both an official and coach. A 1978 graduate of Grant Community High School, he continued his education at the College of Lake County and Carthage College, graduating in 1984.

Sieckowski began his involvement in wrestling as an official from 1978–1985 with the IKWF, IESA, and IHSA, before transitioning into coaching. He served as an assistant coach at Antioch Community High School from 1985–1988 and later as head wrestling coach from 1994–2003. He also coached at Antioch Upper Grade School, first with the IKWF program (1989–1993) and then with the IESA program (2004–2020). His coaching contributions extended to football (1984–2005, Antioch High School), track (1989–2017, Antioch Upper Grade School), and girls golf (2005–2007, Antioch High School).

A retired educator and lifelong supporter of youth athletics, Sieckowski is also a proud lifetime member of the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA). His decades of service to student-athletes across multiple sports have left a lasting impact on the Antioch community and beyond.

Ted Sieckowski our 2026 IESA Wrestling Grand Marshal.