Now Available: Illinois Champion

March 2, 2012 – Featuring final results and reviews from the 2012 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals Feb. 16-18, the PhotoNews announced the release Illinois Champion this week. What makes the 60-page, full-color special edition … well, special … are the beautiful, color 60-plus action photographs taken at this year’s three-day tournament.

For years the PhotoNews has covered the Illinois high school state final wrestling tournament for numerous newspapers and magazines around the state. Of the hundreds of great moments captured from the preliminary rounds through championship finales, only a select few images found their way into print documenting the achievements of Illinois’ top athletes. The vast majority of the images captured created each year - spectacular, once in a lifetime moments went unpublished.

Illinois Champion features the crème de la crème of over 2,700 images captured at the tournament. Additional photos from the featured matches can be found in the PhotoNews wrestling state tournament photo gallery here as well as here in the PhotoNews wire service feed called Live Transmit.

From 1A to 3A the photos make Illinois Champion must have memorabilia.

Inside, is a sweet, full-page photo of Manteno’s Schuyler Lindsay throwing Gibson City-Melvin Sibley’s Chet McClure on page nine and you have to see the two page spread of with Newman Catholic’s Maxx Hubbard celebrating his 132-pound title in Hulk like fashion. Other photos include wrestlers from Sandburg, Geneseo, Lockport as well as Morrison twin state champions Matt (195-lb) and Mark McDonnell (145-lb).

©2012 PhotoNews

February 28, 2012- Champaign, IL - This a sample page from Illinois Champion, featuring St. Joseph-Ogden's four state wrestling qualifiers.

Illinois wrestling athletes and fans can preview and purchase their copy of Illinois Champion here. The publication is available both in traditional print and a special electronic format for the iPad and other tablet devices.

Illinois Champion follows Takedown! the first PhotoNews special edition this year which featured wrestling coverage from the Argenta Class 1A regional meet on Feb. 4. ((Click here to view Takedown!))

The PhotoNews has one other wrestling special edition planned for release late March, early April featuring the best photos as well interviews with area wrestlers from its coverage during the 2011-2012 prep season. Specific details will be available in a few weeks.