ILLINI and ILLINI RTC Have Won 200+ Matches Over the Summer

[Wrestleknownothing]

30 minutes ago, Idaho said:

Looking at the HS results, you would think that the NCAA would be full of champs and AA from the state of Illinois. 

Is that not the case?

[Idaho]

58 minutes ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

Is that not the case?

They haven’t been bad and definitely had a good 2023 with a national champ and several  AA. Best showing in a while.  In reference to the time frames I listed (at a later college age) they were pretty consistently in the #4-6 range in terms of total AA but had very few finalists and champs. Not bad but not as dominating as you saw them in HS.  Maybe my expectations are too high for a state that won fargo in both jr and cadet for several years in a row. 

Edited August 9, 2023 by Idaho

[bnwtwg]

1 hour ago, Idaho said:

Looking at the HS results, you would think that the NCAA would be full of champs and AA from the state of Illinois. 

IL had 1 champ and 3 finalists at NCAAs and at least one AA at every weight but 149 (I think). Going beyond college, IL has 3 reps on the senior world team this year. I would call 2023 a very successful campaign by anyone's folkstyle or international standards.

[Idaho]

57 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

IL had 1 champ and 3 finalists at NCAAs and at least one AA at every weight but 149 (I think). Going beyond college, IL has 3 reps on the senior world team this year. I would call 2023 a very successful campaign by anyone's folkstyle or international standards.

Look what I wrote above... I agree. 

[Formally140]

I coach in Illinois. And I agree that Illinois is very good top 5 at worst, but sometimes the self opinion can be.. mildly inflated. I also think that it’s overall cultural is a little too dependent on just collecting the best ikwf kids rather than development and coaching when compared to other states.

I like what Poeta is doing. But until he actually nails the north of I-80 kids.. his main avenue is to help develop the talent in the south 

[Husker_Du]

to be clear, my 'illinois overestimates their talent' was in response to Ludwig's recruiting and the Illinois wrestling community criticizing him for it. 

[Husker_Du]

8 hours ago, bnwtwg said:

 

I hear your argument. My counterpoint:

 

you see that part where PA was ahead by 151pts after Freestyle? 

that's what you should be focusing on. 

[Husker_Du]

4 hours ago, Idaho said:

My counterpoint to your counterpoint: Is HS wrestling value as a state measured by how well they do at Fargo or how well that translates to the next level?   Illinois has won Fargo Jrs as a team in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 (08-17 in Greco - 10 straight) They won Cadets in 09, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. I haven't seen 2018-2022.  It's easy to look at these results and see that they have been the best HS state as far as Fargo goes. However, another measurement would be how that has translated to the college level. Looking at the HS results, you would think that the NCAA would be full of champs and AA from the state of Illinois. 

Greco doesn't translate. almost a total non factor. 

i wouldn't look at Fargo team standings as any measure of a state's collective ncaa-readiness. 

look at Big Boards which show a more complete picture. 

[Idaho]

43 minutes ago, Husker_Du said:

Greco doesn't translate. almost a total non factor. 

i wouldn't look at Fargo team standings as any measure of a state's collective ncaa-readiness. 

look at Big Boards which show a more complete picture. 

Yep - that's why it's in parenthesis.... the other years are freestyle. 4x they won Jr. Freestyle and Cadet freestyle the same year. 

When did Big Boards start? I don't remember that being a big thing back in 2010 ish. 

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

I just wanted to celebrate a great Summer of ILLINI and ILLINI RTC wrestling, but you folks had to start attacking ILLINOIS wrestling. Well, now I'm furious! So furious I had to post about it at The ILLINI Wrestling Blog and Forum and Beyond:

 

LOL at People Who Think Their State Is as Good at Wrestling as the State of ILLINOIS

As an unbiased journalist and a scientist—a Political Scientist no less—I can prove that ILLINOIS is, was, has been and will always be the greatest wrestling state in the union. You can take the other top five wrestling states combined, and they don't equal the Land of Lincoln. Word. 

Let's start on July 21, 1951 when Robin Williams was born in Chicago, ILLINOIS. He would go on to wrestle in high school and without him, of course, there is no Mrs. Doubtfire, No "Goooood Morning, Vietnam!," no Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, or Mork and Mindy. All of that and more brought to you by a wrestler born in ILLINOIS. Shazbot, Mother*******!

If Robin Williams wasn't the funniest wrestler who ever lived, then that honor falls to Wheaton Central High School Wrestler John Belushi. Without this fellow, SNL is cancelled season one, you think Dan Akroyd could carry the show by himself? We get no Animal House. Or the freaking Blues Brothers. On the other hand, thousands of Deep Dish Pizzas and Polish would've survived at least one more day. America thanks you, ILLINOIS Wrestling! 

In 1985, the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago saw William "The Refrigerator" Perry and Jimbo Colvert of the Chicago Bears save professional wrestling in Wrestlemania 2. One of the referees for that match was none other than University of ILLINOIS and Chicago Bear legend Dick Butkus. Think about it like this, folks, without Wrestlemania 2 there would never have been a Wrestlemania 3 or a Wrestlemania 4. Dick Butkus may have saved the sport! Thank you, ILLINOIS, sir!

In 2001, rap could've died on the vine but along came Ludacris (Chris Bridges) the former Oak Park River Forest wrestler with his platinum smash Word of Mouf. Without this former ILLINOIS high school wrestler, rap may never have bridged the gap from Jay Z to Eminem. ILLINOIS says, sarcastically, to all you ungrateful ********* ******* ******* *************, "You're Welcome!" 

Our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln was a senior at Carl Sandburg High School with a record of 36-2. He dreamed of a wrestling scholarship from the University of Illinois, but he was only #98 on Willie's Senior Big Board. So, the lanky rail-splitter hopped a wagon train to the Northwest Territory to wrestle in the 9 stone 7 pound weight class at Fargo.

Old Timers say he wrestled like a furious shaved bear. 

The young railsplitter teched his way to the finals, setting up a match with the Virginia champion, Robert E. Lee. Well, my friends, that match was a sight! Over 40,000 fans, dressed in their Sunday best, watched while munching on boiled squirrel and pumpkin sandwiches. 

In the first period, Lincoln emancipated and proclamated for the full three hours, building up a sixty-point lead. During intermission, though, his corner had to reattach a finger, which had been chewed off by the Virginian.

Forty minutes into the second period, his reserves exhausted, Lee surrendered. 

HENCEFORTH and THEREAFTER a table was set up in the center of the mat, and Lee formally signed "The Articles of Agreement Relating to the Surrender of the Wrestler Robert E. Lee." You can see this document displayed on the second floor of the National Archives building in Washington, D.C.

Seriously, President Abraham Lincoln is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is said to have had a 299-1 wrestling record. He was also 1-0 against the South, and without him, y'all'd be barefoot and eating grits and collard greens. 

Unless your state has its own wrestling Great Emancipator or Blues Brother or Rap Star get the **** outta my face.

 

[ionel]

1 hour ago, ILLINIWrestlingBlog said:

I just wanted to celebrate a great Summer of ILLINI and ILLINI RTC wrestling, but you folks had to start attacking ILLINOIS wrestling. Well, now I'm furious! So furious I had to post about it at The ILLINI Wrestling Blog and Forum and Beyond:

 

LOL at People Who Think Their State Is as Good at Wrestling as the State of ILLINOIS

As an unbiased journalist and a scientist—a Political Scientist no less—I can prove that ILLINOIS is, was, has been and will always be the greatest wrestling state in the union. You can take the other top five wrestling states combined, and they don't equal the Land of Lincoln. Word. 

Let's start on July 21, 1951 when Robin Williams was born in Chicago, ILLINOIS. He would go on to wrestle in high school and without him, of course, there is no Mrs. Doubtfire, No "Goooood Morning, Vietnam!," no Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, or Mork and Mindy. All of that and more brought to you by a wrestler born in ILLINOIS. Shazbot, Mother*******!

If Robin Williams wasn't the funniest wrestler who ever lived, then that honor falls to Wheaton Central High School Wrestler John Belushi. Without this fellow, SNL is cancelled season one, you think Dan Akroyd could carry the show by himself? We get no Animal House. Or the freaking Blues Brothers. On the other hand, thousands of Deep Dish Pizzas and Polish would've survived at least one more day. America thanks you, ILLINOIS Wrestling! 

In 1985, the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago saw William "The Refrigerator" Perry and Jimbo Colvert of the Chicago Bears save professional wrestling in Wrestlemania 2. One of the referees for that match was none other than University of ILLINOIS and Chicago Bear legend Dick Butkus. Think about it like this, folks, without Wrestlemania 2 there would never have been a Wrestlemania 3 or a Wrestlemania 4. Dick Butkus may have saved the sport! Thank you, ILLINOIS, sir!

In 2001, rap could've died on the vine but along came Ludacris (Chris Bridges) the former Oak Park River Forest wrestler with his platinum smash Word of Mouf. Without this former ILLINOIS high school wrestler, rap may never have bridged the gap from Jay Z to Eminem. ILLINOIS says, sarcastically, to all you ungrateful ********* ******* ******* *************, "You're Welcome!" 

Our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln was a senior at Carl Sandburg High School with a record of 36-2. He dreamed of a wrestling scholarship from the University of Illinois, but he was only #98 on Willie's Senior Big Board. So, the lanky rail-splitter hopped a wagon train to the Northwest Territory to wrestle in the 9 stone 7 pound weight class at Fargo.

Old Timers say he wrestled like a furious shaved bear. 

The young railsplitter teched his way to the finals, setting up a match with the Virginia champion, Robert E. Lee. Well, my friends, that match was a sight! Over 40,000 fans, dressed in their Sunday best, watched while munching on boiled squirrel and pumpkin sandwiches. 

In the first period, Lincoln emancipated and proclamated for the full three hours, building up a sixty-point lead. During intermission, though, his corner had to reattach a finger, which had been chewed off by the Virginian.

Forty minutes into the second period, his reserves exhausted, Lee surrendered. 

HENCEFORTH and THEREAFTER a table was set up in the center of the mat, and Lee formally signed "The Articles of Agreement Relating to the Surrender of the Wrestler Robert E. Lee." You can see this document displayed on the second floor of the National Archives building in Washington, D.C.

Seriously, President Abraham Lincoln is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is said to have had a 299-1 wrestling record. He was also 1-0 against the South, and without him, y'all'd be barefoot and eating grits and collard greens. 

Unless your state has its own wrestling Great Emancipator or Blues Brother or Rap Star get the **** outta my face.

 

Don't forget:

[Idaho]

2 hours ago, ILLINIWrestlingBlog said:

I just wanted to celebrate a great Summer of ILLINI and ILLINI RTC wrestling, but you folks had to start attacking ILLINOIS wrestling. Well, now I'm furious! So furious I had to post about it at The ILLINI Wrestling Blog and Forum and Beyond:

 

LOL at People Who Think Their State Is as Good at Wrestling as the State of ILLINOIS

As an unbiased journalist and a scientist—a Political Scientist no less—I can prove that ILLINOIS is, was, has been and will always be the greatest wrestling state in the union. You can take the other top five wrestling states combined, and they don't equal the Land of Lincoln. Word. 

Let's start on July 21, 1951 when Robin Williams was born in Chicago, ILLINOIS. He would go on to wrestle in high school and without him, of course, there is no Mrs. Doubtfire, No "Goooood Morning, Vietnam!," no Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, or Mork and Mindy. All of that and more brought to you by a wrestler born in ILLINOIS. Shazbot, Mother*******!

If Robin Williams wasn't the funniest wrestler who ever lived, then that honor falls to Wheaton Central High School Wrestler John Belushi. Without this fellow, SNL is cancelled season one, you think Dan Akroyd could carry the show by himself? We get no Animal House. Or the freaking Blues Brothers. On the other hand, thousands of Deep Dish Pizzas and Polish would've survived at least one more day. America thanks you, ILLINOIS Wrestling! 

In 1985, the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago saw William "The Refrigerator" Perry and Jimbo Colvert of the Chicago Bears save professional wrestling in Wrestlemania 2. One of the referees for that match was none other than University of ILLINOIS and Chicago Bear legend Dick Butkus. Think about it like this, folks, without Wrestlemania 2 there would never have been a Wrestlemania 3 or a Wrestlemania 4. Dick Butkus may have saved the sport! Thank you, ILLINOIS, sir!

In 2001, rap could've died on the vine but along came Ludacris (Chris Bridges) the former Oak Park River Forest wrestler with his platinum smash Word of Mouf. Without this former ILLINOIS high school wrestler, rap may never have bridged the gap from Jay Z to Eminem. ILLINOIS says, sarcastically, to all you ungrateful ********* ******* ******* *************, "You're Welcome!" 

Our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln was a senior at Carl Sandburg High School with a record of 36-2. He dreamed of a wrestling scholarship from the University of Illinois, but he was only #98 on Willie's Senior Big Board. So, the lanky rail-splitter hopped a wagon train to the Northwest Territory to wrestle in the 9 stone 7 pound weight class at Fargo.

Old Timers say he wrestled like a furious shaved bear. 

The young railsplitter teched his way to the finals, setting up a match with the Virginia champion, Robert E. Lee. Well, my friends, that match was a sight! Over 40,000 fans, dressed in their Sunday best, watched while munching on boiled squirrel and pumpkin sandwiches. 

In the first period, Lincoln emancipated and proclamated for the full three hours, building up a sixty-point lead. During intermission, though, his corner had to reattach a finger, which had been chewed off by the Virginian.

Forty minutes into the second period, his reserves exhausted, Lee surrendered. 

HENCEFORTH and THEREAFTER a table was set up in the center of the mat, and Lee formally signed "The Articles of Agreement Relating to the Surrender of the Wrestler Robert E. Lee." You can see this document displayed on the second floor of the National Archives building in Washington, D.C.

Seriously, President Abraham Lincoln is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is said to have had a 299-1 wrestling record. He was also 1-0 against the South, and without him, y'all'd be barefoot and eating grits and collard greens. 

Unless your state has its own wrestling Great Emancipator or Blues Brother or Rap Star get the **** outta my face.

 

You really missed the boat when you left out probably the most famous person from Illinois.... Juice Wrld. 

[ionel]

2 minutes ago, Idaho said:

You really missed the boat when you left out probably the most famous person from Illinois.... Juice Wrld. 

 

but did he wrestle or only supply the team?

[Idaho]

27 minutes ago, ionel said:

but did he wrestle or only supply the team?

He wrestles with outfit and hair choices daily bro. 

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

43 minutes ago, ionel said:

Don't forget:

 

I did not know this. I didn't even know who this was. Thanks for the education! From the National Wrestling Hall of Fame:

Quote

 

"Did you know that Rachal Brosnahan, the leading lady in Amazon.com's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was a high school wrestler? 

The thing about wrestling is it doesn't really matter what gender you are. You're wrestling against someone who's the same weight as you. They might be stronger physically. You might be quicker.... It's like improv. I wish I could've kept going with it because I absolutely loved it." 

 

But she's only the second most famous ILLINOIS high school wrestler to have wrestled at Highland Park High School. Coach Mike Poeta is number one. 

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

A couple of observations: First, the anti-ILLINOIS faction likes to jump over Fargo and National Duals on the one side to get to NCAA results. Then, they need to jump from the other side over the four ILLINOIS Final X winners to get to NCAA results.  

Second, I think that I've proven the case historically, morally, politically, comedically and scientifically. Until your state wins a Fargo, has at least four Final X Champions AND has a Great Emancipator, the two funniest (though currently dead) humans to ever live, a two-time-Golden-Globe-winning actress and a Rap Star, get out my face!

[ionel]

17 minutes ago, Idaho said:

He wrestles with outfit and hair choices daily bro. 

You sure?

Jarad Anthony Higgins (December 2, 1998 – December 8, 2019), known professionally as Juice Wrld (pronounced "juice world"; stylized as Juice WRLD)

[Idaho]

2 hours ago, ionel said:

You sure?

Jarad Anthony Higgins (December 2, 1998 – December 8, 2019), known professionally as Juice Wrld (pronounced "juice world"; stylized as Juice WRLD)

Wrestled….. and still famous for being from Illinois. 

[1032004]

On 8/10/2023 at 9:42 AM, Idaho said:

You really missed the boat when you left out probably the most famous person from Illinois.... Juice Wrld. 

Isn’t that the t-shirt brand that Stevan Micic talks about and costs like $800 a shirt or something?

Edited August 13, 2023 by 1032004

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

Add another Championship run to the supernatural ILLINI Summer. 

In the UWW Grappling World Championships, former ILLINI wrestler Mario Gonzalez came out on top. He had to beat the defending champion on his way to the finals where he met the Polish BEAST you see in the video below:

 

 

Gonzalez was one of the strongest wrestlers ever to wear the Orange and Blue, and he liked to attempt the impossible in nearly every match. The video starts out eleven years ago with him as a Sophomore in college bumping up from 197 to wrestle Cornell's heavyweight at the National Duals. This was one of my top three ILLINI dual wins of all time. 

That win seemed to propel him to a Big Ten Championship at 197 a month later. 

Injuries then worked their evil magic on his body, but he was still able to do the impossible while beating an Iowa Hawkeye the next year. In the video, you can see Gonzalez with a whizzer while his Hawkeye opponent is in the seatbelt position. What Mario does after that has to be seen to be believed. 

To me, it looks like the video is running backwards! 

Fast forward eleven years, and Mario is a World Champion. What a Summer! Fall doesn't officially start until September 23, and I can't help but wonder what other sorcery the ILLINI and the ILLINI RTC have in store for us. 

[VeryOldFormerGrappler]

On 8/9/2023 at 8:12 PM, Formally140 said:

I coach in Illinois. And I agree that Illinois is very good top 5 at worst, but sometimes the self opinion can be.. mildly inflated. I also think that it’s overall cultural is a little too dependent on just collecting the best ikwf kids rather than development and coaching when compared to other states.

I like what Poeta is doing. But until he actually nails the north of I-80 kids.. his main avenue is to help develop the talent in the south 

Nailed it with the bolded statement.

I also agree that Poeta needs to continue to pick up the ball on top-tier Illinois HS recruits that his predecessor dropped consistently.

[Nightcrawler]

43 minutes ago, VeryOldFormerGrappler said:

Nailed it with the bolded statement.

I also agree that Poeta needs to continue to pick up the ball on top-tier Illinois HS recruits that his predecessor dropped consistently.

Agree with both of the statements here; the referred one and your own.

I can say that the interest and effort to go after top recruits is there - and much more organized than it has been. Under the previous staff, I know one too recruit who said one coach would call on Monday and another would call on Wednesday - the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. 
 

Illinois has suffered when it comes to getting top recruits for a lot of reasons, some being improved. Illinois is finally going to be getting new facilities, which is sorely needed when they have kids being courted by Michigan, for example. Tuition at U of I is very high; I know multiple athletes that chose Northwestern over Illinois because with the other aid packages available, they would come out with less debt. (And yes on the whole Northwestern has more prestige but UIUC is also a great school, with an exceptional engineering program - enough that I can name a few kids who there was mutual interest in, but they just couldn’t make the grades to get in).

Adding AOC to the coaching staff is nothing but helpful; he’s an Illinois legend. Mike and Austin are both really easy going and really easy to talk to, which helps the recruiting (I feel like Ruth is, but I haven’t had the pleasure). Hunter always comes off to me like the man that is so quiet that when he speaks, everyone listens because it’s worth hearing. 
 

They’re on the right track, but keeping a lot of the suburban studs is definitely a work in progress. When the new facilities are built, or recruits know they’ll be up by the time they are there, that will help.

[Idaho]

Good summer for them