Blanton's Blog 4

[Rocketwrestler171]

Alright, I figured that I’d start doing my blog again for this off-season, so I’ll start it right now and give my thoughts on how the season went, and what is up ahead.

First off, I just want to thank everyone that was there sitting up in the “C” sections with my community. The support was unbelievable, and I thank God that I was so fortunate to have as many people as I did there supporting me.

Now that the season is over, I feel great. This season was an awesome experience, and with the coaching staff we have in the room, I made leaps and bounds from day one to the state tournament. Having coach Tyrone Byrd and John Murphy in our room this year along w/ Coach Wojcik and Lesniak (they’ve been there all four years) gave me such a huge advantage compared to years past, because the knowledge in the room was completely new and fresh. I developed in a lot of areas I had been lacking in, and I look forward to working with them this off season to learn even more.

Overall, I think the season was really successful. I think our schedule at R-B is getting a lot tougher, so it was nice getting pushed throughout the year with solid competition. The state series was especially nice, because I was pushed just about every round from my first regional match to the state finals. I think that played a huge role in preparing me physically and mentally for the state tournament type matches, where everyone is solid, and will push for 6 minutes.

I’m really excited for the next couple of months, because there will be a lot of great tournaments I’m looking to compete in. I haven’t heard anything about it yet, but I plan on wrestling in the Illinois v. Indiana Duals, Senior Nationals, and the FILA Junior Nationals. I will be training hard this off season, and switching off between ISI and IzzyStyle Wrestling.

If anyone has any questions or wants to know about anything else, just let me know. Thanks a lot, and let me know what you think!
Jordan Blanton

[ZBCOACH]

I would like to congradulate you on a absolutely great high school career and wish you the best of luck at Illinois. Now I have to find something to look foward to when we go to the Round Lake triple duals. It's been great watching you the last few years and hopefully the other young men wrestling have seen how to handle themselves with the same class as you demonstrate.

I would just like to hear some of your thoughs about college wrestling. Maybe what your looking foward to as you prepare for college wrestling and the way your fast paced style will switch over to a seemingly slower pace of the college level.

[Luvwrestling]

Thanks for sharing with us. And more importantly, for your oustanding performance through the years of your wrestling career. It has been our good fortune to watch such a fine young man through the years. Much continued success to you in the off season and at Illinois.

[TheRoc]

JORDAN JORDAN YOUR MY MAN IF YOU CANT DO IT NO ONE CAN... haha jordan whatsup man... im glad to have won a state championship this year w/ you and i want to thank you for helping me achieve my goals and pushing me in the wrestling room over at izzys... thanks a lot and good luck at u of i... i'll def see you the next 4-5 years...

[agdfan]

Jordan...thanks so much for giving us the pleasure of watching such talent. Do you remember what you said to me the first time we met? It was at a FS tournament in the Chicago area somewhere, probably OPRF. Well, tables are turned now and guess who's looking up to who? You make Illinois proud, in more ways than just your wrestling. You are a great young man, with many good things to come.:)

Sincerely,
Gail Rush

[wrestlersdad]

Congrats....on a great season and great career.

Good luck at U of I, do you plan to red-shirt your first year?

What will you be studying? Journalism maybe?

Look forward to seeing you wrestle in the off-season.

[IHSAWrestleFan]

Hey Jordan, check your PM please.

[HardCore]

Congrats on your 3rd state title! It has been great fun to watch you develop over the past 4 years! You are an incredible wrestler and appear to be a very classy young man!! I wish you the best of luck in the future and can't wait to see you on the college mats!!!

[WashingtonWrestler135]

Congrats On Ur 3rd Title....you Are Amazing To Watch

[normster]

Jordan,

Let me just say what a pleasure it's been to watch you wrestle these past few years. You have been the definition of class and sportsmanship, not to mention an example of relentless work. My son is a sophomore wrestler at Prairie Ridge, and you have been an inspiration to him.

Between last year's Benefiel match and this year's Spangler match (the best high school match I've ever seen) you have provided the wrestling community something to be truely thankful for. You will be missed here in McHenry County, but I know you'll do great things for the Univ of Illinois. And who knows, maybe even a Benefiel rematch!

Thanks again. The very best of luck to you. See you under the college lights!

Norm Vinton
Crystal Lake

[flyonthewall]

Many were uncertain you could pull this off, but under all the pressure you held up. I know it was not easy and you worked really hard and never stopped beleiving in yourself.

I have a some questions.

Did you every read the posts on matmen between you and Chris, and do you think that the emergence of Chris in your bracket made you work harder?

You have accomplished so much in wrestling in highschool and are probably going to go down as one of the best. My question is have you thought about what you want to do after wrestling in College and what you might want to major in College?

At what point did you realise that wrestling was it? You are a great athlete, But what i was wondering was it when you won the single A tournament is this were you knew that wrestling was the only sport you only wanted to do? also you do not need to respond on any questions ive just kinda of wondering about some of these things.


Good luck in College it will be tougher, but your certainly have proven that tougher is not something that you run from. Congratulations on a great high school wrestling carrer!

[Iron Sharpens Iron]

Check your p-mail!!

[Southsidetransplant]

Jordan,

I would like to echo the congrats that you have received from the wrestling community. As a former coach I have always tried to instill the type of integrity that you exude on the mat into every student I have been blessed to work with. Following your career thus far has been outstanding, not just because you are a winner. You are. Mostly because even when you have lost in the past, (which had to have been the toughest part of everything) you have handled yourself with great humility. The action of raising Benefiels’ hand was one that touched my heart. I wanted to write to say thanks for making an old coach and even older wrestler-at-heart proud. I am not that old though, I competed against an alumni from your great school and I am proud to say as a Junior in his Senior season gave him all he could handle. His name is Chris Steadman. Maybe you are familiar? State Champion 1989, I think.

Let me also state to you and any others reading this, that in this world today there are struggles that are similar to what you have dealt with on the mat and you and wrestlers your age should be applauded for your diligence and perseverance. It is rare to see in your age group. Wrestling and life are tough, but wrestling will help you to put into perspective all the tough parts of life. I only wish that all of the students who have never dared to venture out and do something that is not easy, that may stretch them and help them to grow could see the importance. I am sure that even you as a high school student have seen those whom are struggling in their teen years to set themselves apart by everything from piercing’s to tattoo’s to drugs to the way they carry themselves and dress. Just think if any of them could actually use that energy for something good like you and others who have dared to don that singlet have.

Lastly, I wanted to ask of you that you continue to put energy into showing your peers not only in your immediate vicinity, but through the internet and your blog’s what being a man and a person of integrity is. I am not putting you on a pedestal and asking you to be perfect by any means, just keep on doing what you are doing. It is EXCELLENT!

A couple of quotes to live by:

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt

Do today what others won't so you can live tomorrow like others can't. -Unknown

The greatest match a man can win is WON within. -Unknown


God Bless You in your Endeavors!

Southsidetransplant