NT_011019

44 | January 10, 2019 | The Northbrook tower sports
northbrooktower.com
Wrestling
Casey leads Spartans in final home meet
David Jaffe
Freelance Reporter
Glenbrook North wrestler
Cam Casey, along
with nine other Spartan
wrestler,s were honored
during GBN’s final home
match of the season Friday,
Jan. 4, as part of senior
night. And Casey was
appreciative considering
how much work this senior
class has put in.
“It’s really nice and awesome
to be recognized,”
Casey said. “All the seniors
have worked really
hard during these last four
years. We got to show that
tonight and it’s been that
way since we first started
wrestling here. It felt good
to be appreciated for the
time we’ve spent competing
at GBN.”
“It’s tough to put into
words what this senior
class has meant,” GBN
coach Jason Erwinski
said. “They’ve done the
right things both on and
off the mat. They’ve set a
phenomenal example for
the younger kids and are
terrific role models. I’ve
seen firsthand how they’ve
handled their business and
hopefully the younger kids
have learned from it.”
During his time at GBN,
Casey has focused on not
just winning his matches
but making sure he both
completely controls the
match and enjoys himself
in the process.
“My mindset and mentality
have shifted over the
years. I don’t just want to
win. I want to dominate,”
Casey said. “I also make
sure I’m having fun and
enjoying every match. By
doing that, it takes some
of the pressure off. There’s
always going to be nerves
before the match but by
focusing on having fun, I
feel like I’ve managed to
limit those nerves.”
“You can tell when Cam
is out there that he’s wrestling
loose and free,” Erwinski
said. “When he’s
wrestled like he has lately
and hitting his attacks, the
sky’s the limit for him. He
has lofty goals. But he’s
been a pleasure to coach.
He has a great work ethic.
He’s never afraid to come
in early and get in an extra
workout.”
Casey will remember
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the time he’s spent with his
teammates before matches
and the camaraderie they
have.
“My teammates and
coaches are what’s been
most enjoyable about
wrestling for GBN,” Casey
said. “Having fun and
hanging out with teammates
on the drives early
in the morning to matches
are what’s stood out to me.
You have to enjoy yourself,
that’s what makes it
worthwhile.”
GBN defeated Vernon
Hills 58-15 as Casey dominated
his match at 182
pounds winning by technical
fall. His fast start set
the tone, which is what he
has tried to do.
“I like to make sure I
start off fast and keep the
pace that I want to wrestle
at,” Casey said. “I want to
be the one setting the pace
and attacking and making
sure my opponent has to
match the pace that I’ve
set if they want to compete
with me.”
The Spartans won all but
three matches and a couple
who Erwinski was impressed
with were Tim St.
John who came back after
trailing to pin his opponent
in 145 with 10 seconds left
in the second period and
Louis Schaller who pinned
his opponent in heavyweight
with six seconds
left in the first.
“Tim came back to get
a pin and a good solid
win. He went from wrestling
126 last year to 145
and he’s been learning the
technique and to handle
the strength that goes
with wrestling in a higher
weight. He’s been capitalizing
on the opportunities
he gets and has turned a
corner,” Erwinski said.
“And Louis has a lot of
heart. He’s wrestling in
heavyweight even though
he’s only 205. Trent (Williams)
has been doing so
well at 220. So Louis is a
guy that should be in 220
wrestling heavyweight.
But he’s never complained
and you saw his heart today.”
GBN’s other winners
were Joe Cho in 106 (4-2),
Eddie Kline in 113 (pin
47 seconds left in 2nd),
Max Sherman in 126 (pin
24 seconds into 2nd), senior
Sam Ryabov in 138
(17-4), senior Anthony
Sherman in 152 (pin 15
seconds left in second),
senior Kyle Williams in
160 (13-0), senior Nico
Jung in 170 (forfeit) and
senior Trent Williams in
220 (pin 1:08 left in second).
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skating
From Page 46
of overcoming another injury
faced her.
“They keep taking you
down a notch,” Hult said
of the injuries. “Then you
build up mentally and you
come back and it plays terrible
games with you.”
Slovin continued to play
those games as she retuned
to skating in September,
determined to not let her
season end. She practiced
early in the morning and
after school for two weeks
in preparation for the
2018 Upper Great Lakes
Regional Figure Skating
Championships in Peoria in
October. She finished in the
top four of the regional’s
novice level, good enough
to advance to the sectional
in Fort Wayne, Ind., in November.
She skated a strong
program, finishing fourth
and moving on to nationals,
a feat no one thought was
possible.
“It was nice to know that
I could do it. It was nice to
see how I could overcome
this big thing,” Slovin said.
“There are issues and challenges
in life, so being able
to overcome like this was
nice to see that I could do
it.”
Work left to do
Slovin continued her
jumps at the Northbrook
Sports Complex in early
December without a flinch.
She doesn’t hesitate to
perform now, not after the
past year.
She’s getting ready to go
to Detroit in a few weeks
and perform where she
didn’t think was possible
only a few months ago.
“I’m very excited,” Slovin
said. “I think it’ll be
a really nice experience,
even if I don’t end up
where I want. I think it’ll
be an amazing time.”
She’s not the same skater
or person as she was when
she came onto the ice
early in May. The Spartan
learned a lot about herself,
how strong she is when
faced with adversity.
“She started off with
something so terrible and
it’s sort of like just amazing
that all this good stuff
has happened,” Hult said.
“I think she’s coming away
with different understanding
as a skater. It’s been
inspiring for a lot of people
around here. It’s inspiring
to watch.”
She’ll skate at nationals
as if nothing happened.