Class of 2020
Hoffman Estates/Elgin
In 1984, Jason became interested in wrestling after his older brother, Arlen, watched Hulk Hogan portray Thunder Lips in the movie Rocky 3 and immediately tried out for the wrestling team in Junior High School. During Arlen’s 1st year on the team, he would come home, and practice moves on Jason. A year later, Jason began wrestling for the Schaumburg Shooters IKWF Club before transferring to the Junior Cougars IKWF Club where he wrestled for IWCOA Hall of Famer Fred Arkin. While wrestling for the Junior Cougars, Jason qualified for the IKWF State Tournament twice and placing 3rd in 1991.
After junior high, Jason competed at Hoffman Estates High School for IWCOA Hall of Famer Bill Scully. Jason was a varsity starter all 4 years in high school, becoming the first in school history to amass over 100 career victories. While in high school, he won the MSL Conference Tournament twice, and the IHSA Regionals twice.
He would qualify for the IHSA Sectionals three times and for the Individual State Tournament twice placing 6th in 1994. Jason placed 3rd in Illinois’ Freestyle State Tournament in 1995 qualifying him for USA Wrestling’s Junior Nationals Tournament in Fargo, ND.
Following high school, Jason went on to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering at Purdue University where he was a member of the University’s wrestling team for 3 years and coached by IWCOA Hall of Famer Tom Erikson. During Jason’s last year in college, he was an assistant wrestling coach at Clinton Prairie High School in Frankfort, Indiana. After graduating from Purdue University, Jason stayed involved with the sport of wrestling and became an official at the suggestion of his high school coach.
In the last 20 years Jason has officiated the following folkstyle events:
- 18 IHSA Regional Tournaments
- 11 IHSA Sectional Tournaments
- 5 IHSA Team Sectionals
- 7 IHSA State Tournaments
- 2 IESA or IWCOA Frosh/Soph Regional Tournaments
- 2 IWCOA Frosh/Soph Sectional Tournaments
- 4 IKWF Open Tournaments
- 22 IKWF Regional Tournaments
- 14 IKWF Sectional Tournaments
- 24 IKWF State Tournaments
Jason has worked several National level folkstyle events, including IWCOA’s Midwest Nationals, Reno Nationals, Border Wars Nationals, the Super 32 and the Clash National Duals. Jason has also served as the
Officials Director of the IKWF’s North Chicago Sectional since 2004.
In an effort to improve his skills as a referee, and at the suggestion of Albert Williams, Jason took up officiating the international wrestling styles of freestyle and Greco-Roman in 2005. In 2009, Jason became ILUSAW’s Freestyle & Greco-Roman Mat Officials Director and in 2015 he was named USA Wrestling’s Young Official of the Year.
Since taking up Freestyle & Greco-Roman officiating, Jason has worked:
- 37 ILUSAW State Tournaments
- 13 USAW Regional Tournaments
- 35 USAW National Tournaments
- 16 UWW or FILA Events including being named the Outstanding Official of the Cerro Pelado in Havana, Cuba in 2017.
- 7 USAW World Team Qualifying Events including the 2016 Olympic Team Trials
Of the 48 Regional and National events worked, Jason was assigned by USAW as the tournament’s Head Official or Clinician 7 times.
Throughout Jason’s 36-year involvement with the sport of wrestling, he would not have been able to accomplish anything without the love and support of his family, friends and mentors.
Jason currently resides in Elgin with his girlfriend Jennifer, their 3 kids (Alexandra, Alexander & Tristan) along with their dog Max. Jason looks forward to continued involvement in the sport of wrestling and strives to mentor young referees not only in the sport of wrestling but in life.
