Name: Van Rosauer

School: Yorkville, junior

Sport: Wrestling

Why he was selected: Rosauer won the 150-pound sectional championship at the Class 3A Edwardsville Sectional with an overtime decision to qualify for state.

He was selected the Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Other nominees were Sandwich wrestling’s Cooper Corder, Oswego East wrestling’s Ella Cooper and Oswego wrestling’s Aiden Ortiz.

Here is Rosauer’s interview with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

That championship match at sectionals, how did you pull it off? Did you anticipate it being a tight match like that given your history with him? What kind of boost does it give you going into state?

Rosauer: I stayed confident in my offense and made sure to handfight hard. I knew it was gonna be a good match going into it but expected more offense from myself and not ending up going to overtime. Winning that match lets me keep the momentum I’ve been building leading up to state.

How do you feel about your season otherwise? Any big wins stand out?

Rosauer: I feel like I’ve have a solid season, definitely a major improvement from last year. I think my best tournament of the year so far was Cheesehead in Wisconsin where I took second and had a record of 6-1.

How are you a different wrestler than you were going into state last year?

Rosauer: Besides the improvement in technique from last year, this year I know what to expect going into the state tournament. I know how I’ll feel and what it’s like to wrestle at the State Farm Center.

What did you take out of the state experience last year that you can apply this weekend?

Rosauer: Last year I didn’t really know what to expect and was super nervous going into it, this year I’m a little more relaxed and exited to go and wrestle.

What’s your thoughts on your draw at state?

Rosauer: I think I have a really good draw and winning sectionals and getting the two seed puts me in a good spot.

What’s the prep week for this like?

Rosauer: This week is all about feeling good and knowing what I’m good at so I can use it. Most of the super hard work is out of the way, now it’s just time to feel good and execute.

When did you start wrestling and how did you get into it? Did you have a lot of success before high school?

Rosauer: I first started wrestling when I was five because all of my friends and my brother did it. I never really took it serious until my eighth grade year, though, and that’s when I noticed the most success. I took second at IKWF state that year and since then I’ve been focused on wrestling.