Local wrestlers have big showings at national events

Joliet West’s Wyatt Schmitt is in his first year of competing in the Greco-Roman style of wrestling. Greco-Roman differs from the more common freestyle in that it does not allow wrestlers to touch each other below the waist.

Schmitt, a junior at West, took to the style like a duck to water, finishing runner-up in the nation and earning All-American recognition at the USA Wrestling US Marine Corps Junior & 16U Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.

Schmitt went 4-1 in the tournament, losing the title match to Missouri’s Sampson Stillwell. In the process, he became the first male from Joliet West’s program to achieve All-American status.

Not bad for a first-timer.

“This is my first year doing both freestyle and Greco,” he said. “I think I did pretty good for my first year.

“Greco is a lot different than freestyle. I was able to get a lot more understanding of it when we were at the national team duals. I understand more how to score. Everyone says that it’s all about how hard you fight and how physical you can be, especially next year when I move up to the junior level. They say that it’s all about physicality and toughness at that level, and I am looking forward to that challenge.”

Schmitt said that he enjoyed the experience at Fargo.

“It was great,” Schmitt said. “It was the biggest crowd for wrestling I have seen, except maybe for the state tournament in Champaign. It was pretty cool to be in that setting.

“It was also great to be able to see wrestlers from all around the country and how their ways of wrestling might be different. I was able to pick up some things that I hope I can use. For the most part, the Team Illinois guys all stayed together, but we are from all over the state and we learned things from each other, too.”

“This was really great for Wyatt,” Joliet West coach Chuck Rumpf said. “He was seeded third in freestyle, but that didn’t go how he wanted, so it was great to see him come back and do so well in the Greco-Roman.

“It was also great exposure for Wyatt. There were a lot of college coaches out there, and now his name is definitely on their lists. It’s also great for the school and the program to have someone perform so well on the national level.”

The success continued for Joliet Catholic Academy’s Dillan Johnson and Gylon Sims at Fargo, as well

Both won their IHSA Class 2A state individual titles and were key figures in the Hilltoppers’ first Class 2A dual team championship last season.

Johnson, who was The Herald-News Co-Wrestler of the Year after finishing undefeated at 285 pounds, placed second in the nation in freestyle after dropping a 9-6 decision to Idaho’s Aden Attao in the title bout.

Prior to that, Johnson had dominated the competition, scoring victory by superiority (ahead by 10 points) in five of his six matches and winning by pin in the other.

Sims, who won the 113-pound state title, meanwhile, showed perseverance and finished with All-American status in freestyle as well, as he took eighth place at 120 pounds. He went 5-3 at the event.

Plainfield South’s Alexis Janiak, who won the girls individual state title at 130, placed third in the women’s division at 127. Janiak’s only loss was to eventual champion Sarah Savidge of Colorado.