Richmond-Burton’s Emmett Nelson breaks program’s wins record: Northwest Herald wrestling notes

When Richmond-Burton senior Emmett Nelson broke the Rockets’ all-time wins record over the weekend, he celebrated the wrestler he’d become rather than the accomplishment itself.

Nelson broke Garrett Sutton’s 11-year-old record of 164 career wins Saturday at the Muskego Invitational. He didn’t know he broke it when it happened, but the team celebrated later after the fact.

When the Rockets celebrated the major accomplishment, Nelson was grateful for what he had accomplished up to that point.

“It was just another cool thing that I got to experience,” Nelson said. “I’m just more happy to be able to wrestle as much as I can.”

Nelson has experienced plenty of success in his four seasons as a high school wrestler. He finished runner-up at the individual state tournament in his first two seasons before placing last year.

But Nelson was more proud of the way he developed as a wrestler.

He changed his mindset after his second runner-up finish from focusing on winning state championships to just getting better from his results. Instead of worrying that he lost, Nelson learned to examine whether he was proud of the way he wrestled in a loss.

Nelson also became a strong leader for his teammates, even if that’s not how he looks at it.

“I think it is effective, but I don’t think about it too much,” Nelson said. “I kind of just go into the room, get my work done, and then it kind of trickles down along.”

Now that Nelson has made history, he can shoot for a personal goal in the last month of his high school wrestling career. Nelson will try to get over the hump and win an individual state championship.

“It was just another cool thing that I got to experience. I’m just more happy to be able to wrestle as much as I can.”

—  Emmett Nelson, Richmond-Burton senior

But after learning more about what he values, he’s more looking forward to trying to help his team win a dual team state title.

“That’s always been a goal,” Nelson said. “I think as I’ve grown up a little, it’s more about the team, because I’m so close to all my teammates. I think it’d be more fun as a team, but I’m definitely going to get both.”

Crystal Lake Central sharpens what it has learned

The Tigers will try to build upon what they’ve learned this season as they prepare for the postseason.

“I think we should focus on whatever we’ve picked up to this point,” Central coach Justen Lehr said. “Our go-to moves, things that have worked well, we just get better at it. Like, we just try to say, ‘Hey, like what tools do we have that we’ve picked up and we got to sharpen them?' Because at the end of the day, we can’t wrestle to say, ‘Well, that kid does this, so we have to do this.’ ”

The Tigers have been tested throughout the season. They’ve competed in some of the top individual tournaments in the area on top of competing in tough duals. Central also has run out to a 6-1 record in the Fox Valley Conference heading into action Thursday.

Lehr’s hoping those moments and building on what they’ve learned will be the difference in the postseason.

“It’s got to be our best is better than their best,” Lehr said. “That never works, like I’m going to stop this. But no. You just got to get to what you do first and do it better. So I think that’s what we got to focus on.”

Jacobs jelling as postseason nears

The Golden Eagles had to do a lot of learning quickly this season. Coach Gary Conrad returned as the head coach of the program in October, only a few weeks before Jacobs started its season.

Although it took some time to reset the program to his expectations, Jacobs’ dual against Central showed Conrad how much the wrestlers have developed into his system.

“We got the formula down,” Conrad said. “We just need time. It’s my first year back, so we gotta get back to that transition, and I think we’re starting to show the fruits of that labor right now.”

Conrad pointed out senior Nathan Gomez’s win at 144 against the Tigers when talking about that growth. Gomez started wrestling this year and picked up a win against a Central team that’s been ranked as one of the best in Class 2A this season.

Conrad saw a lot of other tough performances in that dual and is looking to continue that heading into the postseason in a few weeks.

“We just got to stay healthy going into that, and then you just let them go,” Conrad said. “The work’s done. So if you work hard, the confidence is there, and you let her rip.”

Postseason assignments

The IHSA released assignments for the boys and girls wrestling postseason tournaments.

In Class 1A for boys, Alden-Hebron, Johnsburg, Marengo, Richmond-Burton and Marian Central will compete in the Marengo Regional. Winners will advance to the Oregon individual sectional, while the winning team will compete in the Oregon Team Sectional.

Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South and Prairie Ridge will participate in the Class 2A Antioch Regional. They’ll have a chance to advance to the Crystal Lake Central individual sectional and a team sectional with a location still to be determined.

Burlington Central, Harvard, Woodstock and Woodstock North are set to compete in the Class 2A Rockford East Regional. They’ll try to advance to the Washington individual sectional and a team sectional that still needs a site.

In Class 3A, Jacobs, Hampshire and Huntley will compete in the Hononegah Regional, McHenry will be at the Grant Regional, while Dundee-Crown will host its own regional. They’ll have a chance to advance to the Barrington individual sectional. The team sectional site is still to be announced.

The boys individual state tournament will take place Feb. 20-22 at State Farm Center in Champaign. The dual team state tournament will be Feb. 28-March 1 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

In the girls postseason, Jacobs, Dundee-Crown, Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South, Prairie Ridge, Hampshire, Harvard, Huntley, Johnsburg, Marengo, McHenry, Richmond-Burton and Woodstock co-op will compete in the Hampshire Regional. Winners will advance to the Schaumburg Sectional.

Burlington Central will take part in the Rock Falls Regional and try to reach the Geneseo Sectional.

The girls individual state tournament will take place Feb. 28-March 1 at Grossinger Motors Arena.