So far, this year has been a breath of fresh air compared to last (COVID) season. We just completed our third event of the season. We had three guys place in our first event at the Pointer Open in Stevens Point, WI. Team points at this event were not kept. We had several others who lost their matches and did not get to the placer round.
Our second event was a home dual with Buena Vista, Iowa. We competed without a few weight classes due to growth and injuries. 125, 133, 141 were open weight classes for the Johnnies. These lighter weights are a priority with the next few years of recruiting. We battled back to be down by one, 20-21, before our two first-year student-wrestlers, at the top, lost their bouts.
Our third event was a new one to our program. We drove to Eau Claire, WI for a tournament called Eight-Man Battle -- four teams with two guys in each weight class. They ran extra brackets so each team could bring their complete roster. We placed third with Thorsten, Gilbertson. And fourth with LeMonds, Langer, and fifth with Mares. This tournament was a great design for a three-match day for each guy. The tournament started at 10 a.m. and we were on the road by 2:30 p.m. We are used to a much longer day with most tournament events. I would like to see more events like this one in the future, in order to keep my almost all dark hair for a few more decades.
We have four events scheduled in December: December 3, we dual Ridgewater; December 5, we are at the Moorhead State Open; December 12, we travel to the Itasca Duals; and the always-great-event, the Citrus Invite in Fort Lauderdale, FL, on December 29-30.
I would also like to send out a save the date for our alumni. We will be having a “Brawl at Br. Willies Pub” on January 28, from 5 to 9 pm. This event will honor the classes of 1970-74. I would ask anyone from this era to please help us spread the word to other SJU wresting alumni. My list for contacting our wrestlers has some outdated addresses and emails. I would like to get this info updated at soon, especially from the 1970-74 classes. Thank you for your help in advance with passing this info on to the ones missing from my list. I would like to have the honorees pair up with a current Johnnie wrestler, who will be on the mat that night, as their honorary coach. This will be a night filled with wrestling, food, fun and stories, as well as beverages and comradery in our on-campus PUB! We will try to have rolling alumni events each year so each of you are able to return to campus and to be thanked for your foundation in this program.
With our strong Go Johnnies Challenge earlier this fall, we were able to order new warm-ups and a new set of singlets. Our old sets were missing too many pieces and were not Johnnie colors. Thank you to everyone who made this year’s fundraiser one of the best ever for this wrestling program.
I look forward to seeing you at one of our events this year.
Best wishes,
Kevin Schiltz
Head Wrestling Coach
Saint John’s University