Amid a weekend of triumphs, LeRoy's Justin Meyers had his share of tribulations.

One by one, the seven teammates who accompanied him to the state tournament fell by the wayside in their quest for state championships. Four of them, like Meyers, were seniors.

"It's tough," he said. "They are my best friends. I've grown up with them."

He dismissed the notion that he could help ease their pain and frustration by winning his first state championship.

"The only thing that will help them is winning dual-team state (which continues with Tuesday night sectional championship matches) and we're coming for it," said Meyers, who was in the Class 1A championship spotlight match.

Only in the 138-pound weight class, where second-ranked Meyers met Sandwich's top-ranked Alphonso Vruno, were both challengers unbeaten this season.

In a showdown between a pair of three-time championship-match participants, Vruno prevailed by one point — 4-3 — at the Assembly Hall in the 75th IHSA state wrestling tournament.

Meyers, who declined TV and newspaper requests for an interview after the finals, now has just as much motivation as his teammates to seek a title in the team-dual series.

LeRoy coach Doug DeWald said the closeness of the championship match indicated the closeness in the abilities of the finalists.

"It was two guys who wanted the same thing," he said. "Both are in great shape. Both understand wrestling. If they wrestled 10 times, they'd probably split them 5-5.

"Today, one guy comes out on top and the other goes home unhappy."

Meyers scored the first takedown but allowed one in the final minute to fall behind 4-3. He worked for a reversal and, DeWald said, "was awfully close, but he ran out of time. Another 10 or 15 seconds and he might have got it."

Meyers was one of the LeRoy grapplers who helped DeWald's team set a school record with five state placers. This was the fifth successive year for LeRoy athletes to earn medals, but the school had never had more than two in a year previously.

"Justin and Devin (Bulington) were in sixth grade when I came here," DeWald said. "You knew then they had something special."

Bulington joined Meyers as the first three-time placers from LeRoy.

"Their careers have been fantastic," DeWald said, "They're tremendous competitors, and they've set a high standard."

Bulington's first win Saturday was a pin (in 5:14) that was the 101st of his career and shot him into 12th place on the all-time IHSA state list and past former Urbana athlete Cody Abbott for the all-time News-Gazette area lead.

Overall the Panthers sent eight wrestlers to Champaign for State. Meyers took 2nd, Bradley Simmons 3rd, Bulington 4th, Austin Matlock and Josh Johnson each finished 6th, while Caleb Wilson, Ty Sandy and John Morrell each missed placing.

The Panthers are still alive for a shot at a team state championship, with their next step being Tuesday's Sectional match against PORTA.