Panthers battle the competition at Yorkville

There was a good amount of strong wrestling by everyone who competed at the Denny Hastert-Yorkville Invitational on Dec. 16th. Several young wrestlers continue to add to their collection of hardware, and some of the older wrestlers stepped up and "showed up." The coaches continue to be impressed by the everyone's competitiveness and desire to fight to the final whistle. Great job by everyone who attended.

We're going to continue working on the basics, while introducing new skills during each practice. Try to attend as many practices as you can to aid your development.

Last week we had five wrestlers qualify for the annual "Midget State Tournament" held Feb. 15 & 16 at Palmer Arena in Danville, IL. This event is a terrific opportunity for wrestlers to compete at a higher level and against some of the top wrestlers in their division.

So far Tony Biondo, Colin Bradley-Leon, Joey Gallardo, Brendan O'Brien and Joe Riordan are qualified - Congratulations, guys. There are still several qualifier events remaining on our schedule, we hope to field a good team for he Midget State experience.

Finally, be sure to check the CALENDAR for the holiday season practice schedule, AND watch for information/e-mails about our home event on Dec. 30th.

If you ever have questions don't hesitate to ask any coach.

A Great Showing at Braves Classic!

The team participated in our 2nd tournament of the year at Waubonsie Valley HS, and the coaches continue to be impressed by the effort and competitiveness shown by the athletes. EVERYONE is really battling hard ... no one is quitting, and that is a great thing. Keep working hard at practice to eliminate the little mistakes and fine tune your technique.

Many wrestlers collected hardware for their efforts - we've attempted to list our place winners on the RESULTS page of the web site. Check the PHOTOS page each week for a photo album of shots taken at the events.

Several "new" wrestlers took advantage of a second event for rookies at Downers Grove South HS on Dec. 9th. As soon as we get those results we'll be sure to post them. Thanks to Coach Ron Wilke for leading that group.

A note about practice - there is a change to the practice schedule for the week of Dec. 10th. Full practices this week will take place on Tues., Dec. 11, and Wed., Dec. 12. A one-hour (6-7p) practice for Seniors, Novice and experienced Midgets will take place in the small room upstairs on Thursday. We're forced to make this change due to a home gymnastics meet at the high school. The club will send out an email to all parents with a few details.

Don't forget to order your Panther Wear - the new shirts, shorts, sweatshirts and other clothing with the team logo look great. You download a copy of the order form here: PANTHERS GEAR & CLOTHING ORDER FORM

First Tournament in the Books!

About 50 wrestlers competed at the Neuqua Valley Invitational on Dec. 2nd! All the coaches were very happy with this representation ... especially the over 20 first-year wrestlers who took the mat for their first matches. Congratulations, you are now "real wrestlers." All the kids looked great in their matching t-shirts!

There were some very encouraging results ... and some things on which we need to continue working. Keep coming to practice, listen and work hard - it will pay off!

A special "thank you" to all the moms and dads who helped keep the wrestlers together, got them to the right place on time and helped the coaches remain somewhat organized amid the chaos that is a Sunday wrestling tournament.

As a way to recognize our wrestlers we're going to list place winers on the club's web site. Check the RESULTS page each week of an updated list.

ALSO - You can still order Panther Wear, just click on the order form and check out all the great club merchandise. Place an order by 12/7 to get delivery before Christmas!
PANTHERS GEAR & CLOTHING ORDER FORM