Hunter, Poeta Complete Heffernan's First Coaching Staff
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Friday, June 19, 2009 ~ Illinois Matmen News
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 Former Volunteer Assistant Coach Hired in Full-Time Role; 3-Time All-American Hired as Volunteer Assistant
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois head wrestling coach Jim Heffernan has announced the hiring of Jeremy Hunter as an assistant coach and the addition of Mike Poeta as a volunteer assistant coach, completing Heffernan's first coaching staff. Hunter and Poeta will join Carl Perry as on Heffernan's staff, giving the Fighting Illini a wealth of experience and expertise, including three national championships, 12 All-America honors and a variety of international experience. Poeta also will continue to train for and compete in freestyle events, having ...
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Chase beats LaValle for FILA Junior Greco-Roman World Team spot
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Friday, June 19, 2009 ~ Illinois Matmen News
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 By Jason Bryant
Special to TheMat.com
Rochester, Minn. -- The few similarities between Illinois’ Jimmy Chase and Minnesota’s Justin LaValle are notable.
Both graduated from high school wrestling powerhouse programs, LaValle from Apple Valley; Chase from Glenbard North. Both have been nationally ranked during their high school careers and both have chosen to wrestle collegiately at schools in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Wednesday, the two met for the second time this off-season in a special wrestle-off to determine the FILA Junior World Team member at 60kg prior to the USA Wrestling ...
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Grant Goebel making a name for himself
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Thursday, June 11, 2009 ~ Illinois Matmen News
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 By Seth Schwartz
Illinois Matmen
A veteran professional football player once quipped, “Potential, is a fancy French word which means you haven’t done deleted.”
That’s what Grant Goebel’s resume looked like beginning of last summer. As a junior at Montini, he got on the field, but did nothing to attract Division I interest. Unable to crack the Broncos formidable lineup, he moved up to 215 pounds; no small feat when you’re weighing 175. He proved he could contend with the best, but didn’t make it out of the regional. An angular 6-3, Goebel’s physique wasn’t suited for muscle magazine, but his mental mettle gives him a demeanor rarely found among his peers.
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Sean Bormet named USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year
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Thursday, June 11, 2009 ~ Illinois Matmen News
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 By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling
Sean Bormet of Naperville, Ill. has been named 2008 Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. This is the second time that Bormet has received this prestigious award, also winning the award in 2006.
This award is named after the late wrestling legend Terry McCann, a 1960 Olympic champion wrestler. McCann was a long-time coach with the successful Mayor Daley Youth Foundation club, which won numerous national titles in freestyle and Greco-Roman and produced champion athletes for the United States. McCann also served as USA Wrestling President and a FILA Bureau member.
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U.S. youth defeat club team from Russia
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Thursday, June 11, 2009 ~ Illinois Matmen News
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 ELMHURST, ILL. - A team of Illinois age-group athletes won a dual meet against a visiting club team from Dagestan, Russia at Elmhurst College on Wednesday night.
The Project Torch foundation (www.projecttorchusa.org) hosted the dual meet between some of the best wrestlers from the Chicagoland area and the elite Club Olympus from Dagestan Republic of Russia.
The United States won all of the matches held in the dual meet, which featured teenage athletes of high school and middle school age on both teams. Opponents were paired up based upon age and weight. A crowd of 700 spectators attended the competition.
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Herbert Makes World Team
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Thursday, June 11, 2009 ~ Illinois Matmen News
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 By Seth Schwartz
Illinois Matmen
Twice, Jake Herbert proved he was the best in the nation. Now he’s in position to challenge for a world championship after a three-match win over Bryce Hasseman.
He won the first match 0-1, 3-2, 1-0, lost the second 0-1, 1-0, 3-1 and won the third 1-0, 1-1 May 31 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
“He wanted to stay and hand-fight and I created motion and attacked; I made it tougher for him,” said Herbert.
A single leg, to a body lock and seat belt toss sealed the deal for the Northwestern national champion.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling [making the US World Team], I am one tournament ...
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Ramos Rolls
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Thursday, June 11, 2009 ~ Illinois Matmen News
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 By Seth Schwartz
Illinois Matmen
The proper diet was a difference as Tony Ramos handed Logan Stieber [Monroeville, Ohio] his lunch in the Fila Junior Worlds at Colorado Springs, May 23.
Facing the biggest cut of his career [121.25 pounds], Ramos went about it the right way.
“Before I’d have a slurpee, pizza and candy bars,” said Ramos. “Usually I would cut the night before, but that food doesn’t work.”
After meeting with a nutritionist, he was given a diet plan which he’s now following.
“I eat more chicken and fish, no red meat and lots of greens,” said Ramos.
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Been away, and need some assistance
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009 ~ Shannon's Blog
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Hey guys. Long time no see. Too long, as far as I can tell. I hope to do something about that next season. Of course, two guys I followed for three years running -- Adam Sheley and Cameron Vance, who were on the Times' season preview cover photo -- both won state titles and I wasn't there to see it.
Look for something I'm putting together with all the local western Illinois champs, a roundtable of sorts, that I hope to publish here in early July (Joe Roth and Ryan Gilbert, I'm looking for you, so please PM me, or someone who has their contact info please do so).
But for now, I need some help, and the kind of help I need, the wrestling community is the perfect community to give it.
Those of you who've seen me know that I'm not exactly a small person. It didn't always used to be that way. I ...
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