Every year thousands of wrestlers from all over the country come to Fargo, ND to battle for the stop sign – the plaque that says you are the best high school wrestler at your weight in either Greco Roman or Freestyle in the nation.
For four years Sam has come to Fargo and he’d gotten very close six times, but he’d never gone home with the stop sign – until now.
At 20, Ellis is the youngest member of the Olympic wrestling team and one of the most successful wrestlers in the wrestling room coached by Mike Powell. All of us who watched Ellis’ career bloom from 2005-2009 can recall Coach Powell kissing Ellis on the top of the head before each match. And then Ellis would go out and annihilate his opponent.
Headed to state tonight to watch our Huskies wrestle at Inidivual Illinois High School Association, Class 3A. Go Huskies!
If you are like me, you have been hooting and hollering about all the new viral “S—” different people say. I thought it was about time to give wrestling moms our due. I have so much material stay tuned for Part II.
Nothing could be worse than sitting in the stands all day or even just an evening only to miss your son or daughter’s six minutes, right? Well I have discovered what could be worse – traveling overseas to watch your son wrestle and missing it!
At a fundraiser held in a bar near Midway Airport recently, wrestling moms, dads, aunts, friends and a three-time world champion shared pizza, meatballs and world-class encouragement from three-time world champion Lee Kemp for a quad squad of Illinois wrestlers headed to Szombathley, Hungary this week to compete in the World Championships. All of it to help four Illinois wrestlers; Matt Rundell, Darius Henry, Sammy Brooks and Zane Richards, with the costs of the overseas trip.
Now our state is sending four wrestlers to be part of U.S. team that will take on the world. Those wrestlers will compete in the 2011 FILA Cadet World Championships in Szombathely, Hungary August 23-29. To help defray that you are invited to the Illinois’ World Championship Party! on 8/13, 6-10 p.m., a benefit to raise money for Illinois wrestlers competing in Hungary.
Many of us who are members of the Huskies Wrestling Family have been watching Ellis Coleman for years, since he was an eighth grader member of the Little Huskies. And here he is, a 2009 graduate of Oak Park-River Forest High School, this week making this crazy flying squirrel Ellis move that landed him on the home page of Yahoo, ESPN and so many sites.
See for yourself in this video why being on this team with this coach is an extraordinary experience for the young men on the team, including all three of my sons. Coach Powell talks about the coaches, the Oak Park-River Forest High School Huskies wrestling team, recent 2010 grad Charlie Johnson, and how any man can be extraordinary. Listen to senior Brian Toldeo talk about how wrestling changed his life. Watch Chris Ellis embrace Coach Powell. And maybe you can understand why it is about much more than wrestling.
Speaking of off-season work ethic, Coach Mike Powell is in San Diego with some of the team training with the Vista wrestlers for a week of twice a day wrestling practices. Colin is there and working hard. The Vista wrestlers come to Oak Park in two weeks to train here.
Do you know how much your child weighs down to the ounce? Do you avoid making eye contact with your child after he or she loses a match until your child approaches you? Do you find yourself wearing the school colors every day whether or not you are attending a meet or tournament?
Then you're a WMD. A Wrestling Mom or Dad.
And we'd love to hear your stories. Submit a guest column, a few photos, videos, or comments and we will publish them on the site.
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