From the moment he took over as head coach of the Johnsburg boys wrestling program four years ago, J.D. Sylvanus knew that becoming Kishwaukee River Conference champions would require patience.

Sylvanus, a Johnsburg alum and former Skyhawks wrestler who took over the program from Mike Miller, laid the foundation early on. That foundation, which emphasized strength in numbers and outworking opponents, enabled him to develop more than 100 IESA state qualifiers during his tenure as head coach at Johnsburg Junior High.

With a more competitive practice room and participation numbers on the rise, Johnsburg slowly progressed in its first two seasons under Sylvanus. The Skyhawks made their first real move up the KRC ladder last year, when they went 17-3 overall, 5-2 in the KRC and challenged defending conference champion Richmond-Burton for the title.

While Johnsburg fell just short, the Skyhawks proved they were ready to ascend even higher. Bringing back almost all of its varsity wrestlers this winter, Johnsburg completed the four-year journey it began when Sylvanus took over in 2022. Knocking off the three-time defending champion Rockets, Johnsburg finished 15-1 and 7-0 in KRC duals and clinched the program’s first conference title since 1995.

“It wasn’t just a year’s worth of work,” Sylvanus said. “It was four years of getting the kids out and continuing to make the Johnsburg program great. We had good numbers year over year, and that led to a stronger practice room and a more competitive team. ... Last year, we battled with Richmond, and this year was when it all came together.”

For his efforts, Sylvanus has been named the 2026 Northwest Herald Boys Wrestling Coach of the Year by the sports staff with input from area coaches. Johnsburg crowned three Class 1A regional champions and sent nine wrestlers to sectionals. The Skyhawks advanced three boys to the state tournament, and two of them earned medals. Duke Mays (175) finished fifth, while Chase Vogel (120) placed sixth.

Sports reporter Russ Hodges spoke with Sylvanus about the 2025-26 season, his coaching background and more.

What did it mean to win the conference title this season?

Sylvanus: I think it was a build-up from when I took over as head coach four years ago. It’s really meaningful, but it’s more than just the one season of work because these kids have shown up and bought into the program. It’s been a build-up for this year, so it makes it really meaningful and very well earned for the kids and for the program.

What were the biggest keys to success this season?

Sylvanus: For all 16 dual meets we had, we forfeited zero times. We stayed healthy, we stayed disciplined on weight and we never gave up points because of a forfeit. Any points scored against us were earned, so that helped as we went against a lot of 2A and 3A competition. We also put a heavy emphasis on recovery. Kids have essentially a half hour after each practice for recovery time. So that includes rolling out, heating sore muscles, using an ice bath or leg recovery machines.

What are the team’s biggest strengths right now?

Sylvanus: Attendance is a huge thing. We have 35 total registered wrestlers, 31 boys and four girls. With those numbers, we had maybe one or two kids miss practice. 97% of our team was at every single practice. Attendance is such a big thing because it makes the energy in the practice room better, and it makes us able to switch up practice partners. Having all of those kids in the room at the same time is definitely a huge advantage for our program.

What are your individual and team goals for next season?

Sylvanus: Our base goals are always to win the conference and to win a regional. If we want to compete for a team state title, then the first step is winning a regional. Then we can go on to team sectionals and all of that fun stuff. We have two pretty dynamic eighth-graders, and we’re going to be able to plug them into our lineup. That’s going to make us very competitive on the tournament side of things.

What inspired you to become a wrestling coach?

Sylvanus: I graduated college in April 2009 and I accepted the head coaching job at Johnsburg Junior High in July, so I started in 2009. I love wrestling. I wrestled through college, and I thought I’d really love to coach wrestling. I thought if I could bring a college mentality to even a junior high program, then we could have some success.

How would you describe your coaching philosophy?

Sylvanus: Every time we condition or we drill, our goal is to outwork our opponents. I always try to put the kids in tougher situations in the practice room to mimic that idea. If we’re conditioning or doing explosive sprints ... it’s always about opening the gap. Being in first place is never enough. If we’re running sprints down and back, then we want to be in first place by half a mat, two mats or three mats.

Who have been role models or inspirations to you?

Sylvanus: I had an awesome high school wrestling coach, Larry Zimmerman or “Zim.” He bent over backwards for us. He took us out to Iowa for team camps and did all of these things for us. He was a positive influence and a role model. My college wrestling coach, Pete Rogers, was the exact same. He was the guy I went to, and he was a role model on campus for us. I still mimic so much of their coaching styles and the things they taught me, both on and off the mat.