The Wilmot Panthers Wrestling Club, led by US Air Force Veteran CJ Vroman, is taking off like an F-16 military jet. The program is only 3 years old, and is growing exponentially in members, coaches, and state medals.
Coach Vroman said, “Overall, I think we represented ourselves very, very well. We wrestled hard. If a couple things go differently, you know, a little more experience in big tournaments like that, a little more experience with this sort of feel, and we have eight, or more, on the podium, instead of five. It is all about the experience of getting used to that moment, and that pressure. As soon as that becomes secondary to the wrestling, then we are fine. So, very impressed, and very happy with it.“
Who is next to go to state?
Coach Vroman says, “Nate Dzierzanowski, a first-year wrestler. He’s an athletic kid. He’s a tough kid. I believe we will have a lot of success with him coming up. Randy Vendegna. He has been there before. He’s strong, and I think he has a lot of potential to be consistently going (to state). And the Sandrik brothers.” (Lucas & Jonathan)
Ian Grubbs (right), of Bristol, wins this 90-pound match at the 2019 WWF Folkstyle State Championships.Reece Vendegna (top), of Twin Lakes, handles Gage Ostby in this 10-0 win at the WWF State Finals in Madison on March 23rd.Soren Peterson (right), of Salem, competes at the wrestling State Finals in Madison on March 23rd.Willy Du Chemin (center), has just crushed Hunter Steinfeldt’s dream in the 60-pound weight class at the WWF State Finals.Brock Griffin wins this match at the 2019 WWF State Finals in Madison. Panther wrestling coach, Jed Defillippo, is fired up as his son, Logan, wins the WWF state championship match at 91-pounds.“Caleb (Walshire) is a hammer. He has one speed, and he is constantly forward. And he is a pain for people to deal with.” – Coach CJ VromanSalem’s Signe Peterson (right) battles in the Girl’s 60-pound weight class at the State Finals in Madison, WI.Bristol’s Ian Grubbs (right) competes at the WWF State Finals in Madison, WI.Silver Lake’s Colton Vroman wins a big match at the WWF State Finals in Madison, WI.Two-time state champion, Joel Sullivan (top), of Silver Lake works to turn his opponent at the WWF State Finals in Madison, WI. “Colton (top) pulled a complete 180 in the last two months of the season. He went from wrestling and doing okay, to winning 5 out of 6 tournaments, and started getting after it.” -Coach Vroman, on third-grade son Colton.Reece Vendegna (top) fights off this reversal at the end of his 10-0 victory over Gage Ostby at the 2019 WWF state tournament.William Du Chemin (green ankle-band) credits his practice partners, Jonathan Sandrik and Eric Bush, for getting him prepared for state. Du Chemin said, “They push me.”State qualifier, Gianni Rebellato (right), looks for a takedown in this 85 pound match at the Alliant Center in Madison.Ian Grubbs, of Bristol, wins this 90-pound match at the WWF State Finals.Coach CJ Vroman on Joel Sullivan‘s (right) competition at state, “It was a bracket filled with kids competing for the state title. Not a bracket with kids competing to be on the podium, or just happy they made it to state.” The two-time state champion placed 6th this year.Silver Lake’s Joel Sullivan (left) wins this match at the state tournament in Madison.Ben Spalla (top) has 2019 state champion, Paxton Gish, on his back in the first period of the semis. Spalla enjoys riding dirt bikes in the summer. His favorite move is the Granby roll.Coach CJ Vroman on the Du Chemin 3-Peat, “It was something that I know he really really wanted. He wrestled nervously. And he’s not a kid that wrestles nervously. Because he really really wanted it, he went out there and he made it happen.“Coach Vroman on Logan Defillipo‘s state title, “He has put in the work to get that experience, and learn from it, to know how, and have the mental and physical capabilities to finish out each and every match, one at a time, so that his tournament goes the way he wants it to.“
*** Coach Vroman is running “open mats” at Wilmot HS on Wednesdays. It is a great opportunity for your kid to come out and give the sport a try.
