The Grappler Fall Classic arrives at the perfect time for Illinois wrestling fans.
The high school season is still months away from Champaign, but enough time has passed since February that many wrestlers no longer look like the athletes we saw at the IHSA State Tournament.
That makes one question especially interesting this weekend:
Who grew into what?
Grappler gives us our first real opportunity to see where Illinois wrestlers are physically settling after a spring and summer of freestyle, Greco, lifting, training and, for many of these athletes, simply growing.
The pre-seeds also give Illinois fans plenty to follow. The group includes returning state champions, finalists and placers, along with several younger wrestlers receiving significant respect before the IHSA season has even started.
But remember one thing throughout the weekend.
It is September. This is still preseason.
A Grappler result can tell us something. It does not tell us everything.
98: The 8th grader Glowacki gets IL started
Illinois starts off with one of its young up and coming stars in #4 Grady Glowacki. Glowacki is a multiple time age group champion, who will test his mettle against some of the top 98 lbs. Wrestlers in the country.
Can Glowacki handle the step up in class, all arrows point to yes. It will be exciting to see how deep of a run the young Glowacki can make.
113: Four Illinois State Placers Are Seeded
Illinois immediately has one of its most interesting groups at 113 pounds.
#9 Michael McNamara (Edwardsville) finished 3rd in Class 3A at 106 pounds last February. #12 Treyden Diduch (Freeport) won the Class 2A state championship at 106, and #16 Aidan Ortega (Glenbard West) finished 4th in Class 3A at 106. While #17 Sebastian Gracia (Mt. Carmel) finished 5th in Class 3A at 106 as well. McNamara, Ortega, and Gracia were all on the 3A podium, while Diduch came out of the 2A field as a state champion.
That alone makes this weight interesting, but the bigger Illinois storyline is that all four of them were 106-pounders during the IHSA postseason.
Now all four are at 113.
