This past weekend the Panthers took part in the Little Huskies Open in Oak Park with several of the area's best teams. Our wrestlers matched up with some very talented opponents and many Panthers turned in great performances (see the RESULTS page). They should be proud.
We're also all very proud of the performance by our own Coach Anthony Cesaretti, who opened Sunday's event with an impressive singing of our National Anthem. The crowd loved it!
This tournament is an excellent gauge for the older wrestlers to know where they stand with just a few weeks to go until the Regional Tournament on Feb. 23rd. In addition to tournament wrestling it is important that your sons and daughters - no matter how old - attend practice with a positive attitude and a willingness to put in some hard work. The coaches will continue to teach and work with the team, but every wrestler has to be willing to put in the effort.
Remember ... a wrestler's performance (not necessarily wins and losses) in a match is directly proportional to the effort they put forth at practice.
Here's a summary of the remaining events on our schedule. If you are not registered for an event and wish to participate please speak with Alex or Toni Kuhel at practice about event registration payments and deadlines.
* Wed., Jan. 16th, Dungeon Duels - you must be pre-registered for this event.
* Sat., Jan. 26th, Minooka Little Indians Open - Minooka High School, Minooka, Ill.
* Sat., Jan. 27th, Jr. Dukes Rookie Rumble, York High School, Elmhurst, Ill.
* Sun., Feb. 3rd, Bears Bash, Lemont High School, Lemont, Ill.
* Sun., Feb. 10, Little Spartan Rumble, Palmer Arena, Danville, Ill.
* Sat., Feb. 23, IKWF Regionals, Willowbrook High School, Villa Park, Ill.
* Sat., Mar. 1st, IKWF Sectionals, location to be confirmed
* March 6 - 8, IKWF State Tournament (for Novice & Senior div.), Rockford MetroCentre
* March, 15 - 16, Midget State (for pre-qualified Midgets), Danville, Ill.
The CALENDAR on the web site is a good source of information for the various events, but if you have questions please don't hesitate to ask a coach.
Lastly, there remain opportunities for parents to get further involved with the club by taking on various duties. Send us an e-mail if you'd like to volunteer; we'd appreciate any help you can offer.