Providence Grad Gets a Hold of College Wrestling

New Lenox native Eddie Kilmara is back on the mat, and with a vengeance.

UPDATE: Sandburg's Chris Pajak is Patch MVP

Sandburg wrestling standout Chris Pajak outpolled seven others in voting for Southland Patch MVP, Feb. 18-24. He is now eligible for Patch Athlete of the Month honors.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

• Photos (10)

Watch Live: Chicago Catholic League Wrestling Championships

Individual wrestlers from 13 area Catholic high schools will compete in the daylong tournament. Watch all the action live on Patch.

The Chicago Catholic League Individual Wrestling Championships take place Saturday, Jan. 19 and you can watch full coverage right here on Patch.  We will be streaming live video of the meet starting Saturday morning. Schools competing in the tournament include: Mount Carmel, St. Rita, Providence Catholic, Brother Rice, Loyola Academy, Fenwick, Gordon Tech, Bishop McNamara, De La Salle, Saint Ignatius, St. Francis de Sales, St. Laurence and St. Joseph. 

• Photos (1)

Falcons and Lincoln-Way Wrestling Teams Merge

Youth wrestling clubs merge. Practice begins in November.

I Love Mokena!

I Love Mokena: Wrestling Rep for Michael Kelly is Growing

Can you help think up a nickname for the 8-year-old champion?

Welcome back. Last year, we talked about Mokena resident and national wrestling champion Michael Kelly. At the end of the article I revealed that Michael won that title at the tender age of 6. Well, Mike is no longer 6 years old. He is now a dynamic and passionate competitive 8-year-old champion wrestler. Yes, you read correctly, champion! Again. At the recent ASICS USA National Wrestling Championship in Cedar Falls, IA, our own Mike Kelly did it once more. He quite easily dispatched his opponents in three separate matches to win the Bantam 70 National Title. His winning scores were 10-2, 10-0 and 14-1. So frustrated were Mike's opponents that one of them rammed him with an illegal head butt and knocked out one of Mike's teeth! Fortunately…

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

I Love Mokena!

I Love Mokena: Wrestling Star Has Local Roots

Wrestling star Mike Kelly has lived in Mokena his entire life.

Welcome back. Wrestling. The term conjures up as many different memories as there are different disciplines of the sport. Yes, I said it, sport. Many people are fans of the weekly spectacles on TV, with colorful characters known by even more colorful names. Then there is traditional wrestling, as we have in school sports all the way up to the Olympics. While I'm familiar with the wildly popular Pro Wrestling circuit and it's dedicated fan base, the term Pro Wrestling, to those of my generation, growing up in the '50s and '60s, brings up memories of such notable pioneers as Moose Cholak, Dick the Bruiser and Killer Kowalski. And then we have Mokena resident Mike Kelly. Mike has lived in Mokena his entire life. He's an avid athlete and a …

• Photos (1)

Gimme 5: L-W East's Murphy Ready for Wrestling and Football

Already a veteran of varsity sports in two years at East, Mitch Murphy has been busy for the fall and winter sports seasons.

Mitch Murphy made the leap to the varsity wrestling team during his freshman year at Lincoln-Way East. So, in addition to making the transition from junior high to high school, Murphy also was thrust into the pressure of varsity sports. He’s been around long enough now to help coach Tyrone Byrd and his teammates enjoy success, incluiding the program’s first-ever win against perennial power Providence Catholic last December. Murphy’s been busy traveling out of state for wrestling tournaments this summer and assisting with wrestling camps, and he's now preparing for the football season. Heading into his junior season, Murphy is also a knockout in the classroom. He earned high honors on the second-semester honor roll earlier this year.

• Videos (1)

Local Sports Notebook

Frankfort’s Bormet Accepts Job Coaching Wrestling at Michigan

Former Providence Catholic standout Sean Bormet led the Celtics to back-to-back state titles in the late '80s. He later went on to become a two-time All-America selection with the Wolverines.

Frankfort native Sean Bormet, who helped Providence Catholic High School win back-to-back dual-team state wrestling titles in 1988 and 1989--the Celtics would add a third straight after he graduated–will join the University of Michigan wrestling program as an assistant coach. Bormet was a two-time Big Ten Champion and NCAA All-American while competing for the Wolverines in the early- to mid-'90s. Lincoln-Way North's Jake Harper impressed a lot of hitters this spring with his dominating efforts on the mound for the Phoenix. He efforts recently were rewarded as he was a Class 4A all-state selection, the lone representative from both Lincoln-Way North and Lincoln-Way East, district rivals that combined to win a pair of regional titles and a …

• Photos (4)

The Next Level: L-W East Student-Athletes Announce Their College Choices

Coaches praise 17 Griffins Wednesday as they commit to the schools they'll be attending this fall.

Seventeen Lincoln-Way East High Schoolstudent-athletes announced Wednesday afternoon the colleges they're commiting to in order to continue their athletic careers. Lincoln-Way East athletic director David Brost led the ceremony, while the coaches of each athlete briefly discussed each player. The following are the student-athletes and the schools they'll be attending: Sport: Soccer Position: Outside midfield College: Concordia University Why she's going there: “I really fell in love with the campus when I first visited. They also have a good school for my major, and I like the atmosphere.” Sport: Cheerleading Position: Flyer College: Olivet Nazarene University Why she's going there: “I picked this school because of its amazing Christian …

• Photos (17)

Local Sports Notebook

L-W North's Balcerzak Shuts Out L-W Central, Bloom

Phoenix gird for a big girls soccer match against Andrew on Tuesday.

The Lincoln-Way North girls soccer team edged Lincoln-Way Central 1-0, thanks to a Rita Craven goal on Tuesday. Then, on the Thursday, the Phoenix cruised to a 6-0 win over 6-0 Bloom. Goalkeeper Michelle Balcerzak earned shutouts in both victories as the Phoenix improved to 11-4-1. The Lincoln-Way lacrosse team is playing its first varsity season this spring. The teams is made up of players from all four of the Lincoln-Way high schools. The team has had a bit of a rude awakening at the varsity level with a 2-6 record through April 28, but the team has been competitive in most of its contests. Victories for Lincoln-Way include a 16-4 decision against Minooka and a 12-10 victory over Lane Tech. The team has lost several close games, falling …

• Photos (1)