MM_112918

mokenamessenger.com sports
the Mokena Messenger | November 29, 2018 | 41
Athlete of the Week
10 Questions
with Gus Christensen
Gus Christensen is a senior
wrestler on the Lincoln-Way
East team
How’d you get started
in wrestling?
I first started out in seventh
grade. My brother did it
when he was little, and my
dad just wanted us to start
it up again just to see if we
liked it because he knew that
it helps us with football and
also teaches us great mental
strength and mental toughness.
He wanted us to be better
overall people because
he knew that wrestling helps
with all the lessons that you
learn in hard work, and it
just teaches you a bunch of
great lessons. And I’ve loved
it ever since.
Do you have any
pre-match rituals or
superstitions?
I do not. I make sure I do a
couple of pushups and a couple
of sprints back and forth,
then I’m all sweaty. But I
don’t really have anything
except making sure I highfive
my coach and making
sure I’m all ready.
What’s your favorite
memory of wrestling?
Going to Malecek, Wisconsin,
with my team this
summer. We have a different
coach this year [Kevin
Rockett]. … It was just fun
to bond with all my new
teammates and my new
coaches.
If you won the lottery,
then what would be the
first thing you’d buy?
I would say a Range Rover.
That’s my favorite car.
That’s just been my dream
car since I was little and I’ve
always wanted one. That’d
be the first thing. A silver
one.
You’re also a linebacker
for the Griffins’ football
team. How does
wrestling help with
football?
Well it definitely teaches
you balance. You’re always
on one leg. You have great
body awareness, especially
in all three different stances.
And it helps you with tackling
and takedowns, [which]
have a great similarity. And I
think it just helps you mostly
with mental toughness,
whether it’s deep in to a
match or in the fourth quarter
of a game.
What’s your favorite
movie?
“I am Legend” with Will
Smith. I just like the movie.
Who would you choose
as a tag team partner?
Definitely Jordan Rose.
I’ve always looked up to
him, especially since I started
wrestling. When you start
a sport, you look for people
who you can look up to and
be like... So, since then, I’ve
always wanted to be like him
and looked up to him.
Photo submitted
If you could have dinner
with anyone living or
dead, then who would
it be?
Probably [NFL Hall of
Fame linebacker] Ray Lewis.
He wrestled when he was
in high school, too. He’s
another guy I look up to because
he played football and
wrestled. And even though
we came up from different
— he had a hard childhood
and I came up in Frankfort, a
very wealthy [town] — he’s
just a guy I look up to and
hope to be like.
What are your plans for
college?
I plan on going to Washington
University of St. Louis.
And I plan to play football
there. I don’t think I’m going
to wrestle there. I’m either
going to play outside
linebacker or maybe some
safety.
What advice do you
have for the next
generation of Griffins’
wrestlers?
I would say, “Stick with
it.” It’s going to be hard in
the beginning just with the
whole mental part of it and
cutting weight and all those
long tournaments. But, definitely
stick with it because
it teaches you great lessons
and definitely builds your
character.
Interview conducted by Editor
T.J. Kremer III
This Week In...
Knights Varsity
Athletics
Boys Basketball
■Nov. ■ 30 - at Homewood-
Flossmoor, 7 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 5 - host Southland
College Prep, 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball
■Dec. ■ 4 - at Homewood-
Flossmoor, 6:30 p.m.
Boys Bowling
■Nov. ■ 29 - hosts Lincoln-Way
East, 4:30 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 1 - at Oak Forest Invite,
8:30 a.m.
■Dec. ■ 3 - at Lockport, 4:30
p.m.
■Dec. ■ 6 - host Sandburg
(Senior Night), 4:30 p.m.
Girls Bowling
■Dec. ■ 1 - at Rich East
Tournament, 9 a.m.
■Dec. ■ 3 - at Plainfield South,
4:30 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 4 - host Thornridge,
4:30 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 6 - at Andrew, 4:30
p.m.
Wrestling
■Nov. ■ 29 - at Thornridge,
Bradley-Bourbonnais, 5 p.m.
■Nov. ■ 30 - host Naperville
North, 5 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 1 - at Plainfield North
Mega Duals, 9 a.m.
■Dec. ■ 6 - at Sandburg, 5 p.m.
Boys Swimming and
Diving
■Nov. ■ 30 - host Warrior
Pentathalon, 4:45 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 4 - at Lockport, 5 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 6 - host Lincoln-Way
East, 5 p.m.
Competitive Dance
■Dec. ■ 1 - at Lake Zurich
Invitational, TBA
■Dec. ■ 2 - at Naperville North
Invitational, TBA
Girls gymnastics
■Dec. ■ 1 - at Glenbard West
Invite, 11 a.m.
■Dec. ■ 4 - at Andrew, 5:30
p.m.
Griffins Varsity
Athletics
Boys Basketball
■Nov. ■ 30 - host Bradley-
Bourbonnais, 6:30 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 4 - at Bloom Township,
6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
■Nov. ■ 29 - host Bloomington
Catholic Central, 5:45 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 4 - host Bradley-
Bourbonnais, 6:30 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 6 - at Crete-Monee, 6
p.m.
Boys Bowling
■Nov. ■ 29 - at Lincoln-Way
Central, 4:30 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 1 - at 15th Annual
high school highlights
The rest of the week in high school sports
Boys basketball
Lincoln-Way East 68, Plainfield South 67
Julian Barr hit a 3-pointer with 4 seconds
left to win the game for the Griffins Nov. 21.
Girls basketball
Lincoln-Way East 67, Plainfield East 21
Lilly Genis (15 points) led the Griffins
Nov. 21.
Lincoln-Way East 59, Crete-Monee 39
Boys Bengal Bowling Invite,
8:30 a.m.
■Dec. ■ 4 - host Lincoln-Way
West, 4:30 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 6 - host Lockport, 4:30
p.m.
Girls Bowling
■Dec. ■ 1 - at Joliet West Invite,
9 a.m.
■Dec. ■ 3 - at Rich South, 4:30
p.m.
■Dec. ■ 4 - host Stagg, 4:30
p.m.
■Dec. ■ 5 - at Herscher, 4:30
p.m.
■Dec. ■ 6 - at Thornridge, 4:30
p.m.
Wrestling
■Nov. ■ 30 - host Homewood-
Flossmoor, 5 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 1 - at Plainfield North
Mega Duels, 9 a.m.
Boys Swimming and
Diving
■Dec. ■ 4 - host Andrew, 5 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 6 - at Lincoln-Way
Central, 5 p.m.
Competitive Dance
■Dec. ■ 1 - at Minooka Dance
Invite, 8 a.m.
Girls gymnastics
■Dec. ■ 1 - at Glenbard West
Invite, 11 a.m.
■Dec. ■ 4 - at Andrew, 5:30
p.m.
Lilly Genis (15 points) led the Griffins in
the victory Nov. 20.
Lincoln-Way East 53, Marist 55
Katchie Savic led the Griffins with 17
points in the loss Nov. 19.
Lincoln-Way Central 47, Joliet West 42
Haley Stoklosa (13 points, 7 rebounds) and
Abi Baumgartner (12 points, 10 rebounds)
led the way for the Knights on Nov. 17.
Visit us online at
www.mokenamessenger.com