Posts by IWCOA Admin
Millikin Wrestling Ranked #17
DECATUR, Illinois—The Millikin wrestling team was ranked #17 in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) NCAA Division III rankings released on December 18.
The Big Blue are off to a 9-1 start to the season. Millikin junior Bradan Birt (Epworth, Iowa, Western Dubuque H.S.) is 12-1 and ranked fifth in the nation at 165 pounds in the NWCA Individual rankings. Junior Logan Hagerbaumer (Quincy, H.S.) breaks into the national rankings at 197 pounds in ninth place. Hagerbaumer is 12-2 on the season.
Millikin will be in action on Saturday, December 21 at the Gator ‘Boots’ Duals in Nashville, Tennessee.
The next NWCA rankings are due out on January 6, 2020.
NWCA NCAA Division III Team Rankings
NWCA NCAA Division III Individual Rankings
Print Friendly Version
BENDY BATTLES ON AND OFF THE MAT
Joliet Junior College wrestler Anthony Bendy may have only three wins in his college career, but he is undefeated in both of his matches against cancer.
Bendy, a 2015 Lincoln-Way West graduate, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in the summer of 2016, shortly after his freshman year at Illinois State University. He underwent five rounds of chemo in the fall, then headed back to Normal for the spring 2017 semester, taking classes at Heartland Community College.
He re-enrolled at ISU for the fall 2017 semester, but was re-diagnosed in October. His cancer was caught early, and he was able to finish the semester and defer treatment until after the holidays and his January birthday.
Bendy, who had wrestled in high school, enrolled at JJC for the spring 2018 semester and approached Head Wrestling Coach A.J. Blahut about joining the team in February, but with only a few weeks left in the season, Coach Blahut encouraged him to come out the following season.
In the meantime, Bendy underwent treatment – a stem cell transplant, but with his own stem cells which were harvested early on. He then endured a very intense week of chemo, with sessions several times per day every day. With his immune system severely compromised by the powerful treatment, he was hospitalized for a month at the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital, then quarantined to his house for three months after being released. As soon as he was able, he began conditioning and pre-season workouts with the Wolves wresting team.
“JJC is local since I’m from New Lenox, and it probably would have been my choice for while I was home either way, but wrestling is definitely why I’m still here,” said Bendy, now in his second year with the Wolves. “Coming here gave me the opportunity to refocus on what I wanted to do, but it also gave me the opportunity to wrestle again and compete and feel normal at a time when I didn’t really feel normal.”
“There have been hard times, but wrestling has definitely helped with my strength, and after being on my own for so long in the hospital and at home, it was nice to be part of team again,” reflected Bendy. “Coach Blahut could have just said no from the start. I was already kind of older and I was still going through treatment so I didn’t necessarily bring a lot to the team. But he didn’t.”
“Wrestling is more of a personal challenge for a lot of athletes and sometimes I think they’re trying to work out their inner demons and compete against themselves to see where their limits are,” said Coach Blahut. “I think Anthony is making sure that he’s fighting every day, and he’s going to continue to fight regardless of what’s thrown at him, so who am I to take that away? If students have the heart and dedication – those characteristics that are needed not only to be a successful wrestler but also successful in life – you have to let them make their own decision.”
Bendy wrestled during the 2018-19 season, but earned only one win.
“Last year was pretty tough because I was still finishing treatment. My body wasn’t really ready, but I was mentally ready. I got a win, but it was a tough year overall,” said Bendy.
“He definitely took some lumps,” added Coach Blahut. “But he battled every match. You could see he never gave up. He constantly fought. He didn’t put his head down. We told him it would just take some time for him to get better.”
“This year, he looks a lot healthier, and he’s already won a couple of matches,” continued Blahut. “You could see the smile on his face after he won that first match in November, and then that same day he won another match. It was an emotional day for him, but it was good to see.”
“I’m definitely feeling better, and seeing my progression from last year to now is probably the best part of it all,” said Bendy, who will turn 23 in January. “Once I’m done wrestling, I’ll probably be much better off with my body than if I had not wrestled again.”
Bendy, who is taking business classes at JJC, will earn his associate degree in May. Although unsure of his career path, he plans to transfer to Governor’s State University in the fall. He also thinks about coaching wrestling, something Blahut thinks he could be good at.
“He’s been great to have in the room, helping to mentor some of his younger teammates,” said Coach Blahut. “At the beginning of the year, he shared his story with the freshmen who didn’t know him from last year, but he also told them not to waste their opportunities. You only get to be an athlete for so long in your college career and you have to take advantage of it and be willing to live the life, and I think that’s something he’s trying to pass along to his younger teammates.”
The Wolves host their only home dual meet of the season this Thursday, Dec. 19. JJC will take on Fontbonne University at 5 p.m. and Ancilla College at 6 p.m.
Trio of Trojans Leading Wrestling Team To Another Strong Season
Photo: Tyler Zeman in action at Art Kraft Memorial Tournament Dec. 14
TRIO OF TROJANS LEADING WRESTLING TEAM TO ANOTHER STRONG SEASONIn his quest to develop more All-Americans, Triton College head wrestling coach Tim Duggan is tapping into a multi-generational thread of Trojan achievers on the mats.
Veteran Tommy Russell is ranked No. 1 in the 125-pound weight class early on, newcomer Sean Kelly is ranked No. 5 in the 197 pound-class, and Duggan also can celebrate the breakthrough of fellow newcomer Tyler Zeman to No. 10 at 157 pounds. He transferred to Triton after starting at a Minnesota community college.
Zeman has the genes and the family training to go even higher than No. 10. The Lyons Township graduate is the son of Matt Zeman, a Triton All-American wrestler in 1995. In 1997, he was an assistant coach under former head coach and current Triton athletic director Harry McGinnis when the Trojans won the NJCAA Division III national championship.
Zeman’s wrestling bloodlines run even deeper. Grandfather Otto Zeman was an All-American at Northwestern before he became Lyons Township’s wrestling coach. Meanwhile, Matt Zeman’s brother, Billy Zeman, was a two-time all-state wrestler at Lyons before earning honorable mention All-American honors his junior year at the University of Illinois.
“I’ve known the Zeman family for many years and coaching Tyler is very easy,” said Duggan. “He has been trained well by his family and coaches, who did a great job.”
Tyler Zeman knew how far his kinfolk went. For him, No. 10 is just a starting point. And winning the championship at Triton’s 30th Annual Art Kraft Memorial Tournament Dec. 14 may propel him higher in the rankings.
“There’s always room for growth,” he said. “It’s great to go up against top wrestlers. The ranking means a lot, but at end of the day, it’s just a number.”
No way is his son just a number while Matt Zeman watches him compete. Backing away from day-to-day coaching in high school, he now has to restrain himself from shouting out advice and competing with Duggan and his staff while Tyler is entwined with an opponent.
“It’s hard to have that disconnect when he’s in front of you, but I’m getting better,” Matt Zeman said.
As a former coach, the elder Zeman knows well to let his son continue to grow in his own wrestling skin.
“Our styles are different,” he said. “Tyler scores points on top, where I never did. I was real good on my feet.”
Some of that Zeman wrestling tradition rubbed off on Russell.
“Tyler grew up down the block,” Russell said. “He’s a tough kid who grinds. He has the ability to be ranked No. 1 himself by the end of the season”
In turn, Russell’s achievements serve as a kind of role model for Zeman. He was a national qualifier in his first Triton season and was a two-time state qualifier at St. Rita. More recently, Russell snared the championship at the Yellow Jacket Open Nov. 2 in Rochester, Minn. and a third-place showing at the Ben McMullen Open Nov. 9 in Muskegon, Mich.
Like Zeman, Russell is not obsessed with high rankings. He is at the top of his game. But any momentary setback can cost the No. 1 rating. Russell suffered a close 3-2 loss in the championship bout in his weight class at the Art Kraft Memorial Tournament.
“It’s just keeping up the hard work,” he said. “No. 1 is hard to achieve. It’s a tough spot to get to, everyone is chasing you. If you put your mind to it, you could do it.”
“It’s always nice to be ranked early in the year,” said Duggan. “But we are not worried about rankings right now. We are focused on getting better and being the best team we can be in March.”
While Duggan, an aggressive recruiter and teacher, has assembled the talent, he delegates much instruction to assistant Jameel Carter, credited by Russell for his rise to the top.
“Coach Carter pushes me,” Russell said. “He wants me to finish my takedowns harder.”
Smack dab in the middle of the Top 10 rankings is Kelly, a Maine South product. Also not worried about specific rankings, Kelly still acknowledges “my record is better than what I expected it to be.”
The freshman Kelly has placed at all five events this season including a runner-up finish against a strong field at the Grand View Open Nov. 16 in Des Moines. Kelly was also runner-up at the Art Kraft Memorial Tournament.
Carter also boosted Kelly’s work ethic. The nursing major tries to achieve discipline in both class, on the mat and in workouts.
“They pushed us hard,” he said of the coaching staff. “They’re very good with our technique. They urge us to work out on our own, run on our own.
“My hand-fighting is better, and creating pressure between me and my opponent. I’m good on the bottom. I can escape. As you go along and gain more knowledge, you think more outside the box.”
Zeman started well after coming to Triton. Placing twice this season, he took third in the Nov. 23 meet at Concordia University-Wisconsin, going 5-1.
“I’ve gotten a lot better on my feet, and with conditioning,” Zeman said. “I definitely feel stronger. I did a real good job in off-season in running.
“I really like the coaching staff. Tim Duggan works with me individually at practice individually. You could tell he really cares.”
The development of Zeman and Kelly and the continued excellence of Russell could make those All-American rankings a reality for Triton going forward.
“We have a great chance,” said Kelly. “All my teammates have a great shot. We’re close-knit. If we keep it going, we should have multiple All-Americans.”
Follow Triton Athletics on Twitter @TritonTrojans1 or on Instagram @Triton_College_Athletics
Purdue Upends SIUE Wrestling
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Chase Diehl and Ryan Yarnell picked up wins Thursday in SIUE’s final dual meet of 2019, a 35-9 loss to Big Ten power and No. 11-ranked Purdue.
Diehl, a true freshman, defeated Purdue’s Elijah Davis 2-1 ar 165 pounds. The difference was a locked hands called on Davis when he was trying to keep Diehl from escaping.
“My coaches went over about how I should get ore on my offense, take more shots and be more aggressive,” said Diehl. “Even though I didn’t score a takedown, I was happy to get the win.”
“He fought hard through situations, and that’s what helps you get wins against teams like this,” said SIUE Head Coach Jeremy Spates.
Ryan Yarnell also earned a win, accepting an injury default after taking the lead against Max Lyon at 184 pounds.
SIUE, 1-4, is now idle until Dec 29-30 for the Midlands Invitational.
Purdue 35 SIUE 9
125: Devin Schroder (Purdue) over Gage Datlovsky (SIUE) (Fall 1:45)
133: Travis Ford-Melton (Purdue) over Jacob Blaha (SIUE) (Fall 0:12)
141: Parker Filius (Purdue) over Saul Ervin (SIUE) (Dec 7-1)
149: Griffin Parriott (Purdue) over Tyshawn Williams (SIUE) (TB-1 11-10)
157: Kendall Coleman (Purdue) over Justin Ruffin (SIUE) (MD 14-2)
165: Chase Diehl (SIUE) over Elijah Davis (Purdue) (Dec 2-1)
174: Dylan Lydy (Purdue) over Kevin Gschwendtner (SIUE) (MD 12-4)
184: Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) over Max Lyon (Purdue) (Inj. 3:00)
197: Christian Brunner (Purdue) over Jake McKiernan (SIUE) (Fall 1:57)
285: Thomas Penola (Purdue) over Colton McKiernan (SIUE) (Dec 7-3)
Records: SIUE 1-4, Purdue 7-1
Gothard wants to be a state champion in wrestling for Lemont.
His first name is from ‘Rocky’ in honor of Apollo Creed. Now, Apollo Gothard wants to be a state champion in wrestling for Lemont.
Article Written By: PATRICK Z. MCGAVINDAILY SOUTHTOWN |DEC 19, 2019 | 1:33 PM
Lemont junior Apollo Gothard thinks about it often.
In last season’s Class 2A 220-pound state championship match, Gothard suffered a bittersweet 1-0 loss to Cahokia’s Jacob Bullock.
“I play the match in my mind all the time, but I do not really dwell on it,” Gothard said. “Now, I am playing to win, and I do not want second place ever again. I am fixing all of my mistakes.”
Winning regularly has remained a constant for the dominant Gothard, who finished 44-3 last season.
Competing again at 220, he has a 9-0 record this season with seven pins.
He’s also the top-rated wrestler in 2A at 220, according to the rankings of Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association.
Even so, Gothard is not one to be content with either the past or his current status.
“He has a great love for the sport,” Lemont coach John St. Clair said. “He puts in a tremendous amount of work during the offseason.
“He is never one to just believe that wrestling is from November to February. He puts work into getting stronger.”
Gothard made an auspicious debut as a freshman by finishing fifth in the state at 195.
The 6-foot Gothard combines strength, quickness, balance and a hyper-competitive drive, according to St. Clair.
When he was barely able to walk, Gothard saw his older brother Damyen practicing on the mat and realized that would be his destiny.
“I wanted to do it so badly,” he said.
His father, Keith, is responsible for Apollo’s distinctive first name.
“All of my siblings have unique first names, and when it came to me, it was my dad’s turn,” Gothard said. “He was watching ‘Rocky’ and he heard the name, Apollo Creed, and he just said that was a champion’s name.”
Last season, Gothard also helped the Indians qualify for the 2A dual-team state quarterfinals.
Now, his quest is to be the last man standing. Wrestling is his only sport, a point of pride and a mark of his identity.
“I wrestle five days a week,” he said. “I spent a lot of time on the mat and in the weight room. I have the attitude that I am better than everyone and I have put too much into this to lose.”
During the offseason, he trained at a facility in Addison that also involved work in the Brazilian martial arts technique of jiu-jitsu.
“We all believed we let one get away last season,” St. Clair said. “The kid he lost to is a Division I wrestler. Definitely, I’d say, coming that close and coming up a point short is a driving force for him.”
At his weight class, Gothard is setting the standard. And that’s how he wants it.
“I just love everyone else knowing I am the best,” he said. “I love that other people want to chase after me. I always want to be the best and achieve whatever I can.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
‘Big kids’ Erik and Jose Garcia see growth over time
Photo by: Mary Beth Nolan
Article written by: KALEB CARTER Email Follow Dec. 16, 2019
DeKALB – Erik and Jose Garcia of Genoa-Kingston wrestling weren’t quite sure what was in store for them when they took to wrestling in middle school.
Neither Erik Garcia, a junior who now wrestles at 220 pounds, or Jose Garcia, a senior who wrestles at 285 pounds, had done the sport before, and the middle school and high school wrestling programs were far from well-established.
“We were just looking for a sport to do, and that was the only sport that was up and basketball, but we decided to go for wrestling since we’re big kids,” Erik Garcia said with a smile.
Not that there weren’t reservations early.
“I got him into it,” Erik Garcia said of his brother. “He didn’t really want to, but then he ended up going to it, and he enjoyed it, and I did too, so we stayed with it.”
They were only joined by a few wrestlers their first year, when Jose Garcia was a seventh-grader and Erik was in sixth grade.
“I started wrestling in middle school, and I saw three or five kids, me and my brother and some other four kids, and it was really small in middle school,” Jose Garcia said. “But we continued going.”
From there, it was an upward climb to relevance in a school with no wrestling banners hung in the gym.
“We weren’t that good to begin with, but then we just liked [it], so we just kept going with it,” Erik Garcia said.
Watching the duo on the practice mats can be a fun endeavor for the wrestlers and their coaches.
“It’s great to watch them battle, especially when they’re brothers. There’s more to it,” said 160-pound wrestler Will Butterfield. “It’s a fun show for us to watch. They get into it and push each other real hard.”
For the Cogs’ coaching staff, which has grown the program significantly since the Garcias were in middle school – Genoa-Kingston has 30 wrestlers listed on its roster this season – seeing the duo’s success is rewarding.
“Sometimes you can tell it’s that brother rivalry, but they both work really hard,” Cogs coach Chad Wilmarth said. “They push each other in the right way, and Cody Peterson’s in that group, too. All three guys football players. All three guys that don’t like to lose.”
Both brothers achieved a small level of success a season ago, as Erik went 13-3 before dislocating his elbow in a competition at Polo. Jose was 10-3 before being injured as well.
Erik Garcia recently took third at a tournament at Richmond-Burton, where Jose took second, losing only to Lake Forest’s Jack Owen, the No. 7 ranked wrestler in Class 2A by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. Saturday, Erik Garcia won a tournament title at Plano, while Jose took third. Erik Garcia has a 10-1 record this season, while Jose Garcia is 11-2.
With this, the last season they’ll be competing with one another after picking up the sport together, both have goals in mind, starting with more postseason success for the Cogs, who finished sixth at their home Class 1A Genoa-Kingston Regional.
Individual success fuels them as well.
“I’m just trying to get 30-plus wins,” Erik Garcia said. “I’m trying not to lose more than five [matches], and I’m trying to make it to state.”
Whatever doubts Jose had after last season’s injury were silenced by the motivation to be better in his final year.
“I’ve just got to [make] it worth it and see what else can I do,” Jose Garcia said. “Get a couple more wins than last time. That’s all I was thinking, get a little bit better over time. That’s what I was looking forward to.”
Now, the motivation to hang banners is on the Garcia brothers’ minds.
“Ever since I’ve been here, I’ve never seen any titles for wrestling,” Jose Garcia said. “If we do, they’re really old. It’d be really nice if we put something in there this year.”
There’s no place like home
Photo and Article Written by: Theo Tate
December 19, 2019
SIUE assistant wrestling coach Ty Prazma had a large cheering section at the Cougar Clash on Dec. 7 at the First Community Arena.
The former Granite City wrestling standout had about 15 friends and family members attending the all-day tournament to watch him coach.
“Just being able to be around family all of the time and feeling like I’m still getting to not only chase my dream of coaching, but also spending time with the people I care about, has been a huge blessing,” Prazma said.
Prazma is in his first season on the SIUE coaching staff. He was hired as an assistant coach over the summer after spending three years at Northern Illinois University.
Prazma, a 2010 GCHS graduate, said he’s thrilled to return to the Metro East.
“I’m loving it,” he said. “I got some advice whenever I was younger and first getting into coaching. One of my mentors told me that it’s not every time that you get to make a move that progresses your career, but it’s also good for your family, and I’ve been lucky enough to do that twice now. But this one is a real ideal situation knowing that I’m 10 minutes away from home.”
Prazma is part of a coaching staff that includes head coach Jeremy Spates and assistant Barlow McGhee. Prazma said he heard about the assistant coaching opening from Spates, who has been heading the Cougars since 2013.
“Coach Spates and I both help out in Fargo in the big (high school) national tournament over the summer,” Prazma said. “I knew he had an opening and we talked about it just a little bit. He asked me to apply and I was lucky and fortunate enough to get the position.”
Prazma said one of his goals is to help SIUE become a successful program. The Cougars have a combined 17 freshmen and sophomores on their roster.
“We’re definitely young,” Prazma said. “With that comes a little bit of inexperience, so we’ve got a lot of guys that have a lot of potential and a lot of room to grow. This is a good thing, but we have to work on our part to get them there. They’re a young talented group that loves getting into the room and getting after all of the work we throw at them.”
After graduating from GCHS in 2010, Prazma went to Missouri and wrestled with the Tigers all four years. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2014 and a master’s the next year.
“I loved it,” Prazma said. “I didn’t achieve everything I wanted to in my career, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Prazma started his wrestling coaching career at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va., in the 2015-16 season. The next year, he headed back to Illinois in 2016 to take the assistant coaching job at Northern Illinois. He was hired as SIUE assistant in August.
Prazma said his high school coach, Allen Kirgan, and college coach, Brian Smith, were huge influences in him getting into the coaching profession.
“That was a big driving force in why I felt that coaching was going to be my path,” he said. “It’s really nice to be back in the wrestling community that gave me so much. Now, I’m just trying to return the favor.”
High school highlights
Finished with 140 victories in his four-year career
Captured regional championships in his freshman (112), sophomore (130) and senior (152) seasons
Competed at the state tournament in his sophomore and senior seasons
Helped the Warriors qualify for the Class AA dual team state tournament in his sophomore year
Follow AdVantage Sports on Facebook and #AdVsports on Twitter
Rock Island wrestling hangs on to top Moline
Written by: Kyle Hartwick Dec 17, 2019
Last season, the wrestling dual meet between Rock Island and Moline came down to the final match of the night. Tonight, the story wasn’t any different as the Rocks took down the Maroons 39-31.
Rock Island’s Aoci Bernard came away with a 9-3 decision over Alex Schmacht in the night’s final match. Before Bernard took the mat, Rock Island coach Joel Stockwell had a simple message for him: Get the win.
“I told him to wrestle for the win and to do his best,” Stockwell said. “But to tell the truth, as long as he didn’t get pinned or lose by technical fall, we won the dual. So we wanted him to stay off of his back as much as possible.”
Things looked dicey for Bernard in the third period as he was on his back and looking in rough shape, but he staved off a pin and got enough points to stay on top of Schmacht.
“I wanted to wrestle for the team,” Bernard said. “I knew it was close and I needed to wrestle hard. I went out there and gave it my all and had a lot of heart.”
The Rocks led 36-18 following the heavyweight match, but a tough group of Maroons in the lower weights turned the tide. Carmelo Cruz won a hard-fought 9-4 decision over Joe Ferguson in 106, Noah Tapia pinned Tyler Barbee in 1:51 at 113, and Charlie Farmer won a 12-3 major decision over Manny Limon in a battle of state qualifiers from last season.
Stockwell was happy that the team got the early points that they needed to come out on top.
“We knew that those weight classes were going to be tough matchups,” Stockwell said. “That’s why every team point mattered early on. We needed a comfortable win going into the final few matches, and it was enough to get the job done.”
The upper weight classes provided key points for the Rocks as Jaiden VanCoillie and Pharoah Gray each picked up six points with pins. VanCoille pinned Trystan Duyvejonck in 4:28 at 220 and Pharoah Gray pinned Nate Parker in 1:47 at 285.
With the victory, Rock Island improves to 3-3 in duals this season. Bernard wants to keep the momentum going for the team.
“We took a big team loss against Geneseo and felt down following that,” Bernard said. “But we kept putting in the work and started rolling through meets, and now we feel pretty good. As long as we keep working together as a team, we can keep this going.”
Muddy Water Duals set for Jan. 4
Article Written by : Matt Coss
When the third annual Muddy Water Duals are contested next month at Augustana College’s Carver Center, there will be two fewer teams in the field.
With this year’s daylong dual tournament moved to Jan. 4 because of the rollover schedule, Bettendorf and Moline were unavailable to make the event work for their schedules.
That leaves five schools competing for each state — Assumption, Pleasant Valley, Davenport North, Davenport Central and Davenport West for Iowa and United Township, Alleman, Sterling, Rock Island and Geneseo for Illinois.
“This is a different type of stress level,” PV coach Jake Larsen said Wednesday during a news conference at Sanchos to promote the event. “You’re trying to win every dual and give it your best, but these matches won’t impact you at a seeding meeting or be a future district matchup.”
Central activities director Kevin Petersen said the goal is returning the Muddy Water Duals to a 12-team field next year.
A date, however, has not been finalized for next season. There is a possibility of it moving to the first or second weekend of December.
In the meantime, each team will wrestle a dual on the center mat that will be televised by Mediacom 22.
It will be West and United Township in Round 1 (9 a.m.), Central and Alleman in Round 2 (10:30 a.m.), North and Sterling in Round 3 (noon), PV and Rock Island in Round 4 (1:30 p.m.) and Assumption and Geneseo in Round 5 (3 p.m.)
“This is such a good thing because all these kids know each other,” Assumption coach Jon Terronez said. “They wrestle in clubs together and the coaches know each other. There are bragging rights between us.
“It is more about this area to enjoy the sport and help it grow.”
Illinois has won the bi-state event each of the first two seasons. It finished with a 17-13 advantage in duals and outscored Iowa 1,244-964 in team points last season.
“With us changing conferences and now in the Big Six, we see the Illinois guys a lot,” Sterling coach Kevin Heller said. “This is our only chance for the most part to see the Iowa guys.
“We love the venue and opportunity to be down here.”
Davenport West coach Jim Weisrock believes the timing of this year’s event can be beneficial for his team.
“It gives us a reason to come in over (Christmas) break because we’re preparing for that Saturday at the end of break,” Weisrock said.
Quite a catch: Assumption 106-pound freshman Derrick Bass, a four-time state AAU champion, already has made an immediate impact.
Bass, off to a 12-0 start, picked up a championship at the Mount Vernon Invitational last weekend. In that tournament, he beat Class 1A top-ranked Quincy Happel of Lisbon by technical fall and bested Wapsie Valley’s Dawson Schmit in the finals.
“We knew he was a good wrestler, but sometimes kids transition better to high school wrestling than others,” Terronez said. “We didn’t get a true feel until he beat (Kale Anderson) of Clinton. Then it was like, ‘OK, this dude has it.’
“There is a difference between practice wrestlers and competition wrestlers. He’s proven to be a competition wrestler.”
‘Family feel’: With the renovations at PV, the Spartans have two separate wrestling rooms now. It has turned into a good thing for Jake Larsen’s program, which has more than 60 wrestlers out.
“We’re really working hard on maintaining and keeping a relationship with each of those kids,” Larsen said.
Practices are held at the same time, but PV splits its coaching staff up to give each of the kids individualized attention.
Larsen has seen a strong chemistry within his team this winter.
“When I started, we had some studs at PV but it wasn’t a balanced team or real close-knit,” Larsen said. “The vibe now is a family feel, more than it has been. Our kids see it, too.”
PV hosts Clinton and Davenport North in a triangular Thursday night.
Metro-East’s top 13 hopes
Here are the metro-east’s top 13 hopes to bring home state wrestling championships
The 2020 Illinois State Individual State Wrestling Tournament is still a little more than two months away, but already the top 13 wrestlers from southern Illinois have emerged as contenders for the top of the medal platform at State Farm Center in Champaign.
IHSA State Tournament runners-up a year ago, Althoff senior Anthony Federico and Josh Koderhandt of Belleville West highlight a list of local wrestlers ranked in the top five of their respective classes according to the most recent Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association State poll.
Federico is one of four Crusaders ranked in the Class 1A poll.
Following is a list of those who look to be the best bets to contend for state titles on the University of Illinois campus, Feb. 20-22, 2020.
CLASS 1A
106 Pounds: Matthew Minick, Althoff. Minick No. 1 ranked, placed 4th at 106 in 2018 and 5th at 106 in 2019
120 Pounds: Shawn Minick, Althoff, No. 3 ranked. placed 4th at 113 pounds in 2019
145 Pounds: Anthony Federico, Althoff, No. 2 ranked, placed second at 132 pounds in 2019; placed 6th at 132 pounds in 2018
170 Pounds: Joe Braunagel, Althoff, ranked 4th, placed 6th at 170 pounds in 2019
CLASS 2A
152 Pounds: Garrett Bakarich, Triad ranked 2nd, placed fifth at 145 pounds in 2019
152 Pounds: Chase Overton, Mascoutah, ranked 5th., was a state qualifier at 145 pounds in 2019
160 Pounds: Zeke Waltz, Jerseyville, ranked 3rd, placed 5th at 152 pounds in 2019
170 Pounds: Caleb Grau, Mascoutah, ranked 2nd, placed 5th at 170 pounds in 2019
182 Pounds: Arnold Edwards, Cahokia, ranked 2nd, placed third at 195 pounds in 2019
CLASS 3A
120 Pounds: Josh Koderhandt, Belleville West, ranked 2nd; placed second at 113 pounds in 2019
152 Pounds: Adam Thebeau, Belleville East, ranked 5th
160 Pounds: Luke Odom, Edwardsville, ranked 1st, placed 3rd at 126 in 2018 and third at 106 in 2017
285 Pounds: Lloyd Reynolds, Edwardsville, ranked 1st; placed 6th at 285 pounds in 2019