LAS VEGAS, NV • Domenic Munaretto came into his U.S. Open weekend with one goal—one goal in two phases: win the Greco-Roman nomination for the U.S. World Team, and then win the Freestyle nomination for the U.S. World Team. He accomplished both tasks, and he did them in grand fashion.  In total, three wrestlers won titles […] More

LAS VEGAS, NV • There is nothing easy about earning two medals at the U.S. Open. However, this past weekend, Thomas Banas, who was a Greco-Roman champion one day, came through a strong Freestyle field and placed third. Isaac Barrientos, similarly, placed third in Greco-Roman competition, and then fourth in Freestyle. Two young stars on the […] More

LAS VEGAS, NV • Illinois came away from the U15 Greco-Roman championships with two titles—no surprise that Illinois is known for its Greco—and that is at any age. U.S. Open champions Robert Ruscitti and Thomas Banas moved through their weights in a most impressive fashion. For Ruscitti, he undeniably dominated the 48kg bracket as his longest […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Fourteen women from Illinois came to the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials with one goal: Paris. In the end, Illinois would see one Olympian graced with that very honor, and three others would earn a spot on the US National Team. Overall, with one Olympian, Illinois is very honored because, with only […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Fifty percent of the United States Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team is from Illinois—that is half. Now, two of those weight still need to be qualified—67kg and 77kg—but three of the six Trials champions come the Land of Lincoln; come August, the Land of Greco. In state, Greco-Roman wrestling, a style in Illinois […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Kennedy Blades has done what no other woman in America has been able to do since before 2011, and that is defeat the United States’ most decorated female wrestler, Adeline Gray. In the Bryce Jordan Center, on the campus of Penn State University, Blades, now 20 years old, cruised through the Challenge […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Ellis Coleman was an Olympian back in 2012; since, he has competed off and on with some success, has had multiple surgeries on various parts of his body, has retired, and now he has returned. Twelve years after his London Games Olympic experience at 20 years old, Coleman is now looking forward […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Kamal Bey came out of the Olympic Qualifier last month angry—angry at how he lost, and angry at himself for allowing his anger to impact his wrestling. Moving forward he said he was going to re-center himself for the Trials, and that was what he did. His calmness, patience, positioning, and, as […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Today is all that matters. Friday has been wrestled out and the Challenge Tournament has been completed—all of the everything will now play out over the next few hours inside of the Bryce Jordan Center in Happy Valley. Illinois’ two wrestlers will be Haley Augello (53kg) and Kennedy Blades (76kg). For Illinois, […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Today is all that matters. Friday has been wrestled out and the Challenge Tournament has been completed—all of the everything will now play out over the next few hours inside of the Bryce Jordan Center in Happy Valley.  For Illinois, there are three wrestlers who will try to hand-fight their way to […] More

6 min read STATE COLLEGE, PA • The morning began with 27 wrestlers from or with ties to Illinois, and now, headed into tonight’s semifinals, nine remain with Olympic dreams still intact. Of those nine, four are Greco, four are women’s Freestyle, and one is men’s Freestyle. Here are the matchups for the opportunity to wrestle either […] More