Jeff Sorensen

Class of 2013

Bloomington

Jeff Sorensen was born in Cedar Falls, Iowa on May 7th, 1963. He grew up involved in sports in the small town of Janesville, which is located directly between the University of Northern Iowa and Wartburg College. Sorensen was a three-year starter for Janesville High School and Coach Don Mortimer. A 1981 graduate,

Sorensen was the Wildcats team captain and named the Outstanding Senior Wrestler despite being two points shy of qualifying for state.

Sorensen was a four-year letter winner in both football as a running back/defensive back and in track as a sprinter and pole-vaulter. The Salutatorian of his graduating class, he then chose to study Computer Science at the University of Iowa.

During his time at college, Sorensen would frequent several tournaments where his younger brothers would compete for Janesville High School. Watching them wrestle from the stands and seeing what appeared at the time to be questionable calls, it was then that he decided to pursue officiating.

Since moving to the state of Illinois, Sorensen has officiated for a total of 27 years. He has been appointed to officiate the IHSA Individual Regionals 23 TIMES, 18 Individual Sectionals, eight Dual Team State Finals and seven Individual State Finals. Sorensen has officiated numerous IKWF, IESA and Frosh/Soph regional, sectional and state tournaments, along with a few freestyle and Greco state meets. In 2007, the IWCOA awarded Sorensen the Official of the Year Award.

Sorensen also has helped coach the Bloomington Raider Wrestling Club from 1997-2005, was a volunteer wrestling coach for Bloomington Junior High in 2005 – 06 and helped BJHS capture an IESA Team State Title.

Sorensen served as the director of the Twin City Tiger Youth Football program from 2000-10, responsible for 140 football players across four different age groups each year. Much like many other parents, he has also coached boy’s baseball, girls’ softball and soccer for both boys and girls.

Sorensen and his wife Lynnette, reside in Bloomington, Illinois. He is a Manager in the IT department at State Farm Insurance. He is the father of Illinois State University graduate Stephanie who works at ACE Insurance Group in downtown Chicago, senior step daughter Erika, sophomore son Kylor, and freshman step daughter Emily are all pursuing degrees at ISU in Normal. Jeff and Lynnette are happy to be empty nesters!

At this point, the time spent coaching has been replaced by several other interests: traveling to watch his nephews wrestle, pursuing his latest hobby of photography, riding motorcycles with his wife or cruising in his Hawkeye yellow Camaro.