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11-27-2006, 09:00 AM
http://www.illinoismatmen.com/images/wrestlers/blanton_jordan.gifBY TIMOTHY WOLFMEYER
twolfmeyer@nwnewsgroup.com
Photo by Bruce Meminger (Illinois Matmen)
Why is Jordan Blanton smiling?
It’s not because of his achievements – the 71-match unbeaten streak, or the two straight state championships. Nor it is because of his written accolades – the many publications that list the Richmond-Burton junior as one of the country’s top prep wrestlers.
It’s not that he’s only 61 victories away from the state’s consecutive win record, or that he’s halfway to becoming one of the few undefeated, four-time champions in Illinois history.
So why is Blanton smiling?
Because R-B, after more than 60 years of existence, now is a Class AA school. And Blanton, who won both his state titles at the Class A level, now has an opportunity to compete on the state’s highest stage.
“I’m really happy that we moved up [to Class AA]. I’ve wanted this since my freshman year,” Blanton said. “There will be more competition [at AA]. There will be harder matches. Yeah, it might be tougher to keep the [unbeaten] streak alive, but in my mind [moving to Class AA] is a gift.”
Blanton, who said he’ll compete at 171 pounds this season, will have to be at his best to keep his unbeaten streak intact. Rockets coach Bret Wojcik said his team will face 14 or 15 Class AA schools in the regular season, including Lake Zurich, Deerfield, Prairie Ridge, Rockford Boylan and McHenry, and Blanton will face the best AA wrestlers the Chicagoland area has to offer in the postseason.
Six members of last season’s Class AA 171-pound state tournament are back, and one or more of the 160-pound tournament’s six returners could jump up in weight. Also competing at 171 this season will be Burbank Reavis’ Jim Kernats, the 2005 Class AA runner-up at the weight, and Montini’s Mike Benefiel, a three-time state champion.
Blanton said a postseason battle between Benefiel, who won the Class A 119-pound title as a freshman, the Class A 140-pound title as a sophomore and the Class AA 152-pound title as a junior, and himself would be “the match of the season.”
“The difference, skill-wise, between a Class A wrestler and a Class AA wrestler is pretty minimal. A stud at A is going to be a stud at AA,” Wojcik said. “There is a difference between the classes, however. Depth. There are so many more good wrestlers in AA. In the A state tournament there’s usually two or three good kids, while in the AA tournament there’s usually 10.”
Wojcik noted Blanton was “much improved” entering this season, an observation the junior agrees with. Blanton said wrestling 50 to 60 matches over the summer under the tutelage of world-caliber coaches helped both his mental and physical ability.
He hopes his off-season work will help ease the adjustment from A to AA.
“This summer was great. I wrestled really well, and worked with some of the country’s top coaches,” Blanton said. “So I’m ready for this season. I’m very, very excited that I’ll be competing in AA this year. The competition will be tougher, which will make the victories that much better.”
twolfmeyer@nwnewsgroup.com
Photo by Bruce Meminger (Illinois Matmen)
Why is Jordan Blanton smiling?
It’s not because of his achievements – the 71-match unbeaten streak, or the two straight state championships. Nor it is because of his written accolades – the many publications that list the Richmond-Burton junior as one of the country’s top prep wrestlers.
It’s not that he’s only 61 victories away from the state’s consecutive win record, or that he’s halfway to becoming one of the few undefeated, four-time champions in Illinois history.
So why is Blanton smiling?
Because R-B, after more than 60 years of existence, now is a Class AA school. And Blanton, who won both his state titles at the Class A level, now has an opportunity to compete on the state’s highest stage.
“I’m really happy that we moved up [to Class AA]. I’ve wanted this since my freshman year,” Blanton said. “There will be more competition [at AA]. There will be harder matches. Yeah, it might be tougher to keep the [unbeaten] streak alive, but in my mind [moving to Class AA] is a gift.”
Blanton, who said he’ll compete at 171 pounds this season, will have to be at his best to keep his unbeaten streak intact. Rockets coach Bret Wojcik said his team will face 14 or 15 Class AA schools in the regular season, including Lake Zurich, Deerfield, Prairie Ridge, Rockford Boylan and McHenry, and Blanton will face the best AA wrestlers the Chicagoland area has to offer in the postseason.
Six members of last season’s Class AA 171-pound state tournament are back, and one or more of the 160-pound tournament’s six returners could jump up in weight. Also competing at 171 this season will be Burbank Reavis’ Jim Kernats, the 2005 Class AA runner-up at the weight, and Montini’s Mike Benefiel, a three-time state champion.
Blanton said a postseason battle between Benefiel, who won the Class A 119-pound title as a freshman, the Class A 140-pound title as a sophomore and the Class AA 152-pound title as a junior, and himself would be “the match of the season.”
“The difference, skill-wise, between a Class A wrestler and a Class AA wrestler is pretty minimal. A stud at A is going to be a stud at AA,” Wojcik said. “There is a difference between the classes, however. Depth. There are so many more good wrestlers in AA. In the A state tournament there’s usually two or three good kids, while in the AA tournament there’s usually 10.”
Wojcik noted Blanton was “much improved” entering this season, an observation the junior agrees with. Blanton said wrestling 50 to 60 matches over the summer under the tutelage of world-caliber coaches helped both his mental and physical ability.
He hopes his off-season work will help ease the adjustment from A to AA.
“This summer was great. I wrestled really well, and worked with some of the country’s top coaches,” Blanton said. “So I’m ready for this season. I’m very, very excited that I’ll be competing in AA this year. The competition will be tougher, which will make the victories that much better.”