LAS VEGAS, NV • Coming in as perhaps the most underappreciated, or maybe just the most unassuming number-one seed at the US Open, Zane Richards, who was a US National Team member last year, proved all the naysayers wrong by accomplishing his only goal on the weekend: winning the 57 kg bracket.  Unfortunately, for Richards, whose […] More

DOWNERS GROVE • The Club Cup finals could not have been any closer—the championships would come down to criteria after it was wrestled to a 32-32 tie. In that, the dual between SPAR (IL) and AWA (Lake Country, WI) would be the trustiest version of a lower-weight dual versus an upper-weight dual—and it was truly that […] More

ILLINOIS • The IHSA “Success Factor” has elevated another very talented program into the 3A wrestling realm. However, what the IHSA’s “Success Factor,” and even the “Multiplier,” fail to take into consideration is the impact such a move will have on an already top-heavy classification, as well as the classifications those teams leave. These guidelines, in […] More

ILLINOIS • Since the IHSA State Championships have concluded, and enough time has passed to put away the emotions, while the hard numbers are now definitive, it is time to look at how each Individual Sectional fared at the championships, as well as the public school versus private school debate. More importantly, how the best teams […] More

TULSA, OKLAHOMA • Eleven wrestlers with Illinois ties brought home All-American honors, and one of those young men was a national champion. Illinois came into the tournament with the second largest contingent of national qualifiers, second only to Pennsylvania. Those thirty-four Illinoisians, combined with qualifiers from the four Division I programs located in Illinois, gave the […] More

TULSA, OKLAHOMA • After going 13-0 and winning a national championship at 149 pounds in 2021, Austin O’Connor (Chicago St. Rita) would jump up a weight class and have some setbacks that removed the once mighty king from his throne. Saturday night in Tulsa, the king recrowned himself after claiming his second title in three years, […] More

TULSA, OKLAHOMA • Matt Ramos of Purdue (Lockport High School) came into his 125-pound semifinal bout against Spencer Lee of Iowa with a great deal of respect for his opponent, and a great deal of confidence in himself.  For Ramos, this match would serve as a stepping stone—he had already earned Purdue its first All-American since […] More

TULSA, OKLAHOMA • Austin O’Connor (Chicago St. Rita) wrestled well enough to win on Thursday, but his matches were all much closer than they needed to be. Thursday night, O’Connor had a meeting with his coaches and, come Friday morning, O’Connor took a new approach to his matches. That approach: dominate. In his 157-pound quarterfinal bout, […] More

TULSA, OKLAHOMA • For those on the backside of the bracket with opportunity to wrestle and push themselves into the “Blood Round,” an entire season came down to one match. One match that would give them a title that they could never be stripped of. One match that would etch them into their school’s and the […] More

TULSA, OKLAHOMA • Friday is simply the best day of wrestling in terms of excitement and cheer, and sorrow and heartbreak. All the championship quarterfinalists had positioned themselves to continue with their dreams of being a national champion. For those that won, it is onto the semifinals and a guaranteed All-American honor. For those who lost, […] More

TULSA, OKLAHOMA • Illinois-rooted wrestlers came in with thirty-four national qualifiers, the second largest total of wrestlers from any one state. In addition to these qualifiers, Illinois also has a strong contingent of qualifiers from its DI programs as well.  For those who have advanced to the quarterfinals, a win not only brings them one more […] More

TULSA, OKLAHOMA • Illinois-rooted wrestlers came in with thirty-four national qualifiers, the second largest total of wrestlers from any one state. In addition to these qualifiers, Illinois also has a strong contingent of qualifiers from its DI programs as well.  For those who have advanced to the quarterfinals, a win not only brings them one more […] More