Wrestling: Weiner steps down as Wheeling's wrestling coach
Just two months after guiding his Wheeling wrestling team to one of the finest seasons in program history, Neal Weiner announced he is retiring as head coach after 31 years.
"I've been extremely fortunate and blessed to be a part of such a terrific school, school district, staff and program for all of these years, it's been an unbelievable career for me," said Weiner, who leaves with an astounding 501 wins, only the 10th head coach in state high school wrestling history to do so.
Former Hersey standout and Elmhurst College All-American Charlie Curran will take over for Weiner. Curran served as an assistant last season after coming over from West Aurora, following a head-coaching stint there.
Weiner, who wrestled at New Trier West before continuing at Illinois State, began his coaching career at Wheeling in 1986. He has guided many dozens of wrestlers to the highest levels of prep competition and has had two state champions - Max Nowry in 2008 and Luke Smith in 2011.
Weiner coached eight state medalists.
"That was a special time for our program - we had two in the finals in 2011, Luke and Chris Johnson," Weiner said. "And just as we have for so many years, we were able to achieve our success through homegrown kids who came in and worked hard to get to another level."
In his final season, Wheeling won the Mid-Suburban League title along with a regional champions. The Wildcats went on to earn the program's third trip to the dual-team state finals, where they lost to fourth-place finisher Lincoln-Way West 33-28 in the quarterfinals.
"It was a great way for me to go out," Weiner said.
The sheer numbers Weiner, a Hall of Famer in the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, leaves behind are staggering. He coached 64 state qualifiers, 14 state place-winners, 39 MSL champs and 31 regionals champs.
"Charlie will do a great job running the program," said Weiner, "and with a handful of 30- and 40-match winners coming back, the cupboard won't be bare."
Weiner plans to continue as an assistant coach next season as he serves his final school year as Wheeling's athletic director.
Wroblewski to Illinois: Matt Wroblewski could not have known at the time that the brilliant three-day effort which led to his 220-pound state championship in Champaign would also lead the four-year Prospect standout back to the Illinois campus.
The Knights captain and two-time state medalist recently signed his national letter of intent to wrestle next season for Illini coach Jim Heffernan, who was able watch Wroblewski's state victory in person. It was only the second state championship in program history for Prospect.
"I like the coaching staff, the guys on the team, and the direction of the program, so I know I'll feel right at home in their room," said Wroblewski, who likely will redshirt during his first season and could eventually become a heavyweight for the Illini. "It all came together for me after I spoke to coach (Heffernan) at the state tournament, and under the spotlight at the state tournament, I felt that I was able to show the coaches what I could do."
Wroblewski finished his sparkling prep career with 151 wins, second only to the Knights' first champion, Matt Boggess. In addition to four regional championships and two sectional titles, Wroblewski also won three MSL crowns.
The two-time MSL wrestler of the eyar was nearly flawless during his 8-4 victory over Diata Drayton of Marist to end his final season under Tom Whalen at a perfect 35-0.
"All of us are very proud of Matt," said Whalen. "He worked so hard to reach this point in his high school career, and for him to be able to wrestle at this next level and to get his education paid for is unbelievable."