Grant's Munster commits to NU

Lee Munster recognizes opportunities and pounces quickly.

A master on mats, he's used skill and savvy to help him excel in wrestling and judo since he was little.

Last Sunday, just two days after being offered a wrestling scholarship offer from Northwestern University, Munster, who's both a great student and great athlete at Grant, struck early again.

He accepted NU's offer.

He's only a junior, mind you.

"It was the first school that was equally as interested in me as I was interested in them," said Munster, who can't sign a national letter of intent until after his junior year. "They made me an offer that was hard to refuse."

Munster, who won the IHSA Class AA state championship at 112 pounds as a freshman before losing in the state quarterfinals at 140 last winter, has been wrestling since he was 8. He started judo at age 3 and became a seven-time national champ. He won five international titles, as well.

The two sports certainly complement each other, with judo having aided him "tremendously," he said, on the wrestling mat.

"(With) balance and mat savvy," said Munster, who hasn't competed judo the last couple of years. "Most wrestling is done with attacking legs and shots, but judo has helped me develop upper-body moves and balance. So I'm comfortable in all aspects of wrestling."

Last July, Munster wrestled for Team Illinois in the USA Wrestling freestyle junior nationals in Oklahoma City. Wrestling at 152, he helped Team Illinois win an unprecedented third consecutive freestyle national championship.

Also this past summer, Munster earned All-American status at freestyle junior nationals in Fargo, N.D. One of nearly 100 competitors from 32 states, he placed fourth.

While Munster said he hoped to make his college decision before his senior year, he didn't necessarily plan on verbally committing to a school before the start of his junior season of wrestling.

But he said Northwestern took an "aggressive initiative" to make him an offer that he would not want to turn down.

Munster boasts a 4.0 GPA (4.0 scale) and is interested in potentially pursuing a career in law. The son of Leroy and Raedel, his twin sisters are both college athletes. Trista plays Division I soccer for Jacksonville State, while Kaela is on the basketball team at Carthage.

As for how his decision to commit to a college now will weigh on him his junior and senior seasons, Munster said there are both good and bad aspects to it. While he won't feel pressure to do well at every tournament to impress college coaches, he also knows opponents will be eager to beat the Northwestern-bound kid from Grant.

"I really don't think it will affect me too much," he said. "I'm just looking forward to it."