Matt Wroblewski enjoyed his recent visit to Champaign so much, he decided to make it his permanent residence.
Two weeks after winning a Class 3A state wrestling title on the floor of State Farm Center, the Prospect senior orally committed to wrestle for Illinois and coach Jim Heffernan next season.
Wroblewski said he decided to commit to Illinois after speaking with Heffernan at the state tournament. He announced his commitment Wednesday on Twitter.
“I like the coaching staff, the guys on the team, the direction in which wrestling is going at Illinois,” said Wroblewski, who plans to sign his national letter of intent in April. “I know I’ll feel at home in their room, which made this decision an easy one for me.
“I felt that, under the spotlight of the state tournament, I was able to show the coaches what I could do, and in their eyes, that helped them see what I was capable of.”
Wroblewski, who was near-flawless in his 220-pound final against Diata Drayton of Marist, went 35-0 this season to end his brilliant four-year career with a 151-16 overall record.
“We’re all very proud around here of Matt,” Prospect head coach Tom Whalen said. “He’s worked so hard to reach this point, and for him to be able to not only wrestle at the next level but to get his education paid for is unbelievable.”
Wroblewski was a four-time regional champion, three-time Mid-Suburban League champion and two-time sectional champion, as well as a two-time MSL player of the year, as voted by the league’s coaches.
He placed fourth at 182 pounds as a sophomore and made it back to state as a junior before winning as a senior.
“The most important thing for me is to know I won’t just be another guy on the roster, and I never felt that at all during any time I spent with Coach Heffernan,” said Wroblewski, who chose Illinois over Iowa State, Northern Illinois and Old Dominion.
The Knights’ captain said he likely will redshirt his first season with an eye on competing the following year either at 197 pounds or heavyweight.
“A lot depends on how much I grow and what kind of weight I’ll be able to put on my frame after that before they decide what weight I’ll eventually wrestle at,” he said. “But for now, this is the best thing that’s happened to me in my career.”
Michael Garofola is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
