Sermon Service & Electric Student-Athlete of the Week – Madison State Champion Wrestlers – Mar. 5, 2026

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – In this week's Sermon Service & Electric Student-Athlete of the Week segment, I went to Madison High School to speak with some state champion wrestlers. Brand'n Edstrom (120), Ace Ingram (144), McGregor Miller (215), and Sidi Kante (285) all won the state championship in their weight class, making this the first time in program history that the Bobcats have had four state champs in one year.

“It's pretty awesome to have. Yeah, six finalists and four champions," McGregor said. "It's always fun in the parade of champions when your teammates are there with you.”

All four of these competitors had great things to say about the coaching staff at Madison, crediting a lot of their success and development to them.

"Our coaches are awesome," Ace Ingram stated. "We have some of the best coaching staff in the state. Our head coach, Coach Peterson, has won Coach of the Year two times... They're always trying to be kind to us. They're never rude. It's always constructive. They always just want what's best for us."

Sidi Kante also chimed in on his coaches, saying: "The main structure, Coach Peterson, Coach Wilder, Coach Jensen, Coach Ingram, and coach Edstrom... they're just such great coaches."

Ace Ingram, a senior, finished his high school career being pinned in a match just once. He attributes his scrappy and determined style to his upbringing.

"It's something that I've always had from a young age, that drive to never give up, not wanting to lose, not getting pinned, not giving up points, you know," Ingram said. "That comes from all of my brothers, growing up in a competitive household with three older brothers."

For some of these athletes, this was their first-ever state championship win. Brand'n Edstrom is one of those athletes, and he explained that the feeling of pulling it off is almost indescribable.

"It's honestly... it's like nothing I could even explain. It's the best, like... anything I've ever felt because I've been to the finals the past two years," Edstrom said. "And just to finally get the one, like it felt so good. I can't even explain it."

Sidi Kante, also a first-time champ, shared how positive self-talk before matches keeps him sharp when hitting the mat.

"Before matches, I usually have a little mantra that I do that I learned from my great friend and teammate James Hansen," he told me. "It's: 'you're the best in neutral, you can score. You're the best on top, I will turn them. I'm the best on the bottom, I will escape.' and then my last one, and this one feels like the most important one to me, is 'surrender the outcome.' All I can control is how hard I work and how hard I've been working."

McGregor Miller was a new face at Madison this year. He originally went to school and wrestled at South Fremont before transferring. He said his teammates and coaches made all the difference in making the transition smooth.

"Oh man, they were all so welcoming... I had won my first state title there [South Fremont] and I wasn't sure about transferring," said McGregor. "I was like, 'I'm going to a bigger playing field, new place, a giant school.' I had gone to a few summer camps with them [his Madison teammates], and they really embraced me and made me feel at home."

Miller's path to a state title came with an extra hurdle to jump. Around the time of the District Tournament, he had found out he suffered a high ankle sprain.

"That weekend home, I remember sitting at home like 'oh man, two weeks out from state, I can't walk without pain. What am I going to do?' So I was in a walking boot, and then I was able to practice three times before state," Miller said. "So I went into a state a little bit nervous if I was going to be out of shape... and it just came down to, I just had to go out on the mat and just go for it, and I did. I actually walked into the state tournament in a walking boot.”

Congratulations to Sermon Service & Electric Student Athletes of the Week, Madison's 4 state champion wrestlers. If you know an athlete who deserves some spotlight, let us know! You can send an email to sports@localnews8.com with their name and a brief explanation of why they deserve it.