Ironman so far...

[mckbln]

Tough day for Illinois teams.

The lone finalist is Pete Christensen (Montini) at 195lbs.

Wrestling for consolation places:

Marian Catholic has Ford and Heller.

Marmion Academy has Sotelo and Chumbley.

Mt Carmel has Drousias .

Lockport has Ramos.

Montini has Mayora and Ragusin.

Blair Academy leads by a wide margin, had 9 (from 6 different states) in the semi-finals. Wyoming Seminary is currently 2nd, no other teams are even close.

[gulach]

Very tough day for Illinois. We send some of our best teams and better wrestlers and I hate to say this, but the gap is getting bigger than closer to the top east coast teams/wrestlers and it's not even close.

Top wrestler I saw the past 2 days- Reece Witcraft, Broken Arrow (OK).


In my opinion and take on Illinois wrestling, we have to change something.

I get that Florida and California have some of the best Football and High School baseball teams in the country. The weather has a lot to do with it.

Wrestling has zero excuses why Illinois is this far from the top teams from PA and OH. Blair is Blair which I believe is great for the sport! They are the Chinese Taipei.

Is there a national wrestling clinic? Something like the ABCA baseball convention/clinic.

Get off bottom!

[Blonjuan44]

Very tough day for Illinois. We send some of our best teams and better wrestlers and I hate to say this, but the gap is getting bigger than closer to the top east coast teams/wrestlers and it's not even close.

Top wrestler I saw the past 2 days- Reece Witcraft, Broken Arrow (OK).


In my opinion and take on Illinois wrestling, we have to change something.

I get that Florida and California have some of the best Football and High School baseball teams in the country. The weather has a lot to do with it.

Wrestling has zero excuses why Illinois is this far from the top teams from PA and OH. Blair is Blair which I believe is great for the sport! They are the Chinese Taipei.

Is there a national wrestling clinic? Something like the ABCA baseball convention/clinic.

Get off bottom!

Those are basically all star teams, drawing from the nation. They do nationally what Montini does locally. Having top competitors is a different animal than the general health of the sport in the state. Otherwise all the states would do what Utah is doing since the sports best wrestler came from there. We are seeing in all sports the best getting better, because they draw the top talent. Also, IL has 13 colleges that offer wrestling, OH&PA together offer 62. All those colleges have camps (that draw from those states), siblings, alumni, 2nd & 3rd generation wrestlers - it adds up. And they all draw from the east coast, there is no draw to IL from other states at that level because it is surrounded by good wrestling states...Are any of the schools good in wrestling in IL Boarding Schools like Blair - where you go and live there? That might have something to do with it. The closest might be that military school in Indiana...

[mckbln]

Montini was right in the national mix last year, and OPRF was arguably the best team in the country 2014 and 2015. It can be done. Right now it's a down year.

[gulach]

Thanks....makes sense, hope we can find a way to turn it around. Nothing would be better to get to the top of that podium.

2 on 1

[maddog81]

Those are basically all star teams, drawing from the nation. They do nationally what Montini does locally. Having top competitors is a different animal than the general health of the sport in the state. Otherwise all the states would do what Utah is doing since the sports best wrestler came from there. We are seeing in all sports the best getting better, because they draw the top talent. Also, IL has 13 colleges that offer wrestling, OH&PA together offer 62. All those colleges have camps (that draw from those states), siblings, alumni, 2nd & 3rd generation wrestlers - it adds up. And they all draw from the east coast, there is no draw to IL from other states at that level because it is surrounded by good wrestling states...Are any of the schools good in wrestling in IL Boarding Schools like Blair - where you go and live there? That might have something to do with it. The closest might be that military school in Indiana...

To go to these prestigious schools doesn't come cheap. Wyoming sem tuition is $24.000 per yr and $51,000 if you get room and board.Blair academy is $42.000 and $61,000 for boarding students per year.

[barzagar]

To go to these prestigious schools doesn't come cheap. Wyoming sem tuition is $24.000 per yr and $51,000 if you get room and board.Blair academy is $42.000 and $61,000 for boarding students per year.

Do you really think the kids pay the full freight if they are being recruited for a sport? I doubt it.

[maddog81]

Do you really think the kids pay the full freight if they are being recruited for a sport? I doubt it.

Even half is still big amount for highschool education.

[Blonjuan44]

Do you really think the kids pay the full freight if they are being recruited for a sport? I doubt it.

They likely do it like colleges, you have to show them your taxes and they adjust it based on how much you make. Most college wrestlers are div 3, and that is how they do it. U of I is free now to those who show low enough income & get in, for example it is free the kids of foreign entrepreneurs with state residency who are able to keep their wealth in foreign banks, but that is part of the game I guess. They are welcome to roll the dice.

[Truth is Out There]

This tournament remains the best predictor of next level success IMO. Every corner of the country is represented and they all bring some of the best kids in HS wrestling.

[southsidehawkeye]

All those kids from IL that placed at the Ironman WILL and SHOULD be on a d1 roster somewhere in the country.
All those kids are college ready in my opinion.

I agree. It’s one of the best predictors of D1 wrestlers year in, year out.