The polls are now closed for the March Athlete of the Month challenge.
Congratulations to Ryan Jaffray on being named our March Athlete of the Month. Ryan will receive a commemorative plaque presented by Country Financial and be featured in this week’s edition of Pioneer Press. Thank you to all of our challengers and voters!
This program is governed by these rules. Voting results are considered preliminary and are not final until winners are announced at the end of the voting period.
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More: Official rules | Athlete of the Month: FAQ | Questions? Concerns?
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Name: Jake Rundell
Year in school: Sophomore
School: Oak Park-River Forest
Sport: Wrestling
Position: 106 pounds
Best game: Rundell improved his record to 42-2 by capturing the Class 3A 106-pound title on Feb. 17 in Champaign. Rundell beat Marmion’s Diego Sotelo 5-2 in the final after cruising to regional and sectional championships. Rundell also was instrumental in OPRF’s path to the Class 3A dual-team state meet.
Quote: “I tried to do all the extra work during the offseason to improve, and leading up to this weekend, it was all about staying sharp to get myself ready to go,” Rundell said. “It all paid off for me.”
Name: Jacob Kaminski
Year in school: Sophomore
School: Fenwick
Sport: Wrestling
Position: 195 pounds
Best game: Kaminski marched through the Class 2A 195-pound bracket and claimed a state championship by defeating Rochelle’s Alex Harvey 7-1 in the state final on Feb. 17 in Champaign. Kaminski finished the season 31-2 and had five pins in the state playoffs.
Quote: “This was a well-deserved and earned state title for Jacob,” Fenwick coach Pete Kowalczuk said. “It’s also great for the rest of our guys to witness. It will go a long way in the growth and development of the Fenwick program.”
Name: Ryan Jaffray
Year in school: Junior
School: Leyden
Sport: Wrestling
Position: 220 pounds
Best game: Jaffray (34-7) came agonizingly close to qualifying for the Class 3A state tournament at the Larkin Sectional. After earning points for what appeared to be the winning takedown in his consolation semifinal, Jaffray was subsequently pinned. He would have advanced to state if he won the match.
Quote: “(Jaffray) is such a hard worker and is so disciplined in how he goes about the sport,” Eagles coach John Kading said. “He’ll spend the offseason practicing and doing the things he needs to do to get better and reach his goals next year.”
