Hersey’s Koepke hopes perseverance leads to state title
Jeff Koepke is your classic 9-to-5 worker on the wrestling mats. And he’s one who appears to be on the verge of bringing home a gold-plated lunch bucket from Champaign this weekend.
The Hersey senior completed a brilliant two days of work at the Barrington sectional to capture his second straight championship there and further cement his No. 1 ranking in the state with a punishing effort over No. 2 Josh Anthony of Machesney Park Harlem in the finals at 160 pounds.
“That really was another classic effort from Jeff out there this weekend,” said Huskies coach Jim Wormsley, who will escort the four-year veteran downstate, along with Huskies junior Stephfon Scales (43-3 at 119) and sophomore sectional champ Hunter Rollins (152, 41-5).
“I’ve been real fortunate since coming here, first having Demetrios Mitchell (state runner-up at 145 last season), then Jeff as my partners in the room, because they both have really pushed me to become better,” said Rollins.
“That’s exactly what Jeff does,” said Hersey assistant coach Matt Wahl, who, like Wormsley, wrestled for legendary Dundee-Crown coach Al Zinke. “He makes not only his partners better, but also everyone in the room because they all see the incredible work ethic, focus and dedication he brings each and every day.”
It was a mixed bag of results during Koepke’s rookie season. He went 20-20, mostly at 152 pounds, before dropping to 145 to compete in the regionals, where his season would eventually come to an end against Palatine standout Ross Grande.
Koepke turned the corner the next season and quickly rose to be near the top in the area at 160 pounds. If not for Kyle Czarnecki of Buffalo Grove, who later won a state title, Koepke very well could have placed downstate.
Czarnecki emerged to become the class of the Mid-Suburban League in 2010 and cruised through the competition at 160 pounds into the state tournament, where he earned a sixth-place medal and finished with a 50-8 record.
“Looking back, I feel like I could have finished higher at the tournament,” said Koepke, whose typical response is a simple, straightforward answer.
His name always seems to be just a click behind Steve Congenie (Willowbrook) and Anthony in every preseason publication at 160 pounds. But being mentioned as third-best never seemed to bother Koepke.
Soon, though, Koepke was being mentioned at or near the top at 171 pounds, which is where he stayed for most of the season before dropping down to 160 for the MSL tourney, where he would win his second straight title.
Back at the weight he has dominated now for three seasons, the mild-mannered Koepke showed an uncharacteristic bit of sarcasm in response to the various Internet forum rants which have questioned his reasons for dropping.
“The plan from the very start of this season was to compete at (171), then drop down to 160 ... I don’t run from anyone,” said Koepke without bravado, but instead with confidence.
“Not only is Jeff a tremendous leader,” said Wormsley, “but he’s also a great student-athlete, with a great GPA and test scores off the charts, and again, he’s one of those type of leaders in and away from the wrestling room that every coach dreams of.”
Back to the mat: The four-year starter has built an impressive resume, which includes 153 career victories, 128 takedowns, 15 pins and 10 technical fall victories this season. He’s also had solid off-season results, including placing in 2009 at the Cadet Nationals in freestyle at 160 pounds.
“We used to always wrestle with each other when we were in junior high, and Jeff was wrestling for the Arlington Cardinals, and they were our arch enemies,” says Wheeling senior Luke Smith, who along with his longtime friend Stevenson standout Danny Sabatello, enter the state tournament as the top-rated wrestlers in their weight classes. “But he’s always been one of the strongest guys around, and he’s continued to be because he’s such a hard worker. And now he has a very good chance to win a state title this weekend,”
Since arriving at Hersey, Koepke has progressed quickly. Competitors respect the way he carries himself during the action, and for a work ethic which is second to none.
Cool, calm and collected, the Huskies’ leader is sturdy enough to withstand the toughest of the tough attackers, but he’s also capable of unleashing a daunting arsenal himself.
“The one thing about Jeff is he just gets stronger and stronger as the match goes on, and when his opponent is gassed, he looks like he could go another two minutes after going six minutes nonstop,” said Wahl.
Off his championship run last weekend, Koepke was anointed the top seed this weekend in the 16-man field, and after a first-round bye will begin his quest for the big trophy against Dominique Hardy (Belleville West, 19-6). A victory likely means a bout with Willie Anaya (42-3) of Downers Grove South in Friday’s quarterfinals.
“One of my goals was to secure the top seed down here, but it’s only the beginning,” says Koepke.