A chance to help Hruska

The first of two benefits to help raise funds for former Conant wrestling and football standout and coach Chris Hruska in his battle with brain cancer will be held Sunday at Durty Nellie's in Palatine.

All ages are welcome and the cost is $30 per person for live music, food and soft drinks. There will also be a cash bar and a raffle and silent auction to help Hruska, who was recently diagnosed with gioblastoma multiforme brain cancer, which is considered a very aggressive form of brain cancer.

Conant will also host the "Tom Brands Benefit Wrestling Clinic" from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. on June 18 with all the proceeds benefitting Hruska. The registration cost is $40 for wrestlers, coaches and parents and has techniques geared toward high school, junior high and experienced youth wrestlers - with all of them receiving a free poster.

Brands is the head coach of back-to-back NCAA champion Iowa. He was a 1996 Olympic gold medalist and a four-time U.S. Open and three-time NCAA champion.

Hruska was a two-time state placewinner in wrestling at Conant - finishing fourth at 130 pounds in 1989 and third at 135 in 1990. He was also an all-conference defensive end in football.

Hruska also was an NCAA Division II national wrestling qualifier at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

He has coached in the Conant wrestling program since 2003 and had worked with the school's kids mat club since 2000. He also coached collegiately at Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois.

For more information, contact Conant athletic director John Kane at (847) 755-3770.