WB_082219

wilmettebeacon.com SPORTS
the wilmette beacon | August 22, 2019 | 35
From the sports intern
Looking back on a memorable internship with The Wilmette Beacon
drew Favakeh
Sports Intern
When I first
started at 22nd
Century Media,
I expected to be doing
typical intern’s grunt
work. Answer phone
calls, grab a coffee or
two, maybe write the occasional
game recap.
Sure, I did write some
game recaps, especially
in the beginning with
lacrosse season coming to
an end. But by the end of
my internship, I refined
my writing skills tremendously.
I was writing 2-4
feature stories per week
and generally learning
on the fly, just as I had
wanted to when I applied
to intern at 22nd Century
Media.
But in many ways, it
was way more than I expected.
When Lake Forest
Leader editor Alyssa Groh
left for another job, Nick
Frazier worked double
duty until a new editor
arrived three weeks later.
You’d be hard-pressed
to find Nick without
bags under his eyes or
sweat seeping through
his shirt. Needless to say,
he worked tremendously
hard and even still, his
content was impressive.
Alyssa’s departure also
meant I had to cover for
Nick at times. I had to
write even more feature
stories and I’m not
going to lie, I struggled
sometimes. I am the first
to admit that I struggle
with deadlines. But with
Nick’s help, I improved
in that aspect. He would
constantly remind me
via text or in person, that
he needed stories a few
days early. For that, I am
grateful.
I am grateful for all the
sports editors’ help this
year; Northbrook Tower
and Glenview Lantern
sports editor, Michal
Dwojak and Wilmette
Beacon, Glencoe Anchor
and Winnetka Current
sports editor, Michael
Wojtychiw, too. Michael
Wojtychiw taught me
to find the focus of the
“Above all, I couldn’t have done
it without you, the reader.”
—Drew Favakeh on his summer internship
with 22nd Century Media
story and Michal Dowjak,
to cut unnecessary
words. I would also like
to thank Eric DeGrechie
and Megan Bernard, both
of whom helped me land
this internship in the first
place.
With their help, I was
able to cover sports
stories across the north
shore. My goal at the
beginning was to show
the human aspect of an
athletes’ life. Confidently,
I can say I succeeded in
doing so.
I wrote about Princeton
University and New Trier
alumnus Steven Cook,
who quit professional
basketball to volunteer in
Uganda, Baylor University
sophomore and
Highland Park alumna,
soccer player Giuliana
Cunningham, who overcame
anemia to have a
great freshman season,
and Princeton junior and
Highland Park alumnus
Levy Nathan, who
had shingles but ended
the swimming season
and school year strong.
And those are just a few
people I met.
In writing and reporting
for 22nd Century Media,
I found that I still have a
passion for doing such.
Next semester, I begin
a sports editor internship
at the IndyStar and
my second year at the
Butler Collegian. Before,
I wasn’t sure I was
prepared, but with this opportunity,
I can now say I
am fully prepared.
Above all, I couldn’t
have done it without you,
the reader. Thank you for
taking this trip with me,
through all the ups and
downs. It will be exciting
to read all the 22nd Century
Media crew has to
offer while I’m in college,
at Butler University.
In the meantime, keep
reading, who knows who
you might meet.
Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 2 days ago
Collum chosen to take over Loyola wrestling program
Michael Wojtychiw
Sports Editor
After spending his entire
wrestling coaching career
at public schools, Matthew
Collum thought it was time
for a change; he decided to
go into the private school
ranks at his next coaching
stop.
Collum made the change
after accepting the Loyola
Academy head coaching
position last month.
“It kind of intrigued me
being a private school, that
I could grab kids from all
sorts of different places,”
Collum said.
Although he’ll be new
to the North Shore, Collum
isn’t new to the Illinois
wrestling scene.
The Chicago-area native
went to Neuqua Valley
High School in Naperville,
where he was a three-time
state placer, including a
state title in 2004, a season
in which he went undefeated.
Collum, who’s wrestled
for 28 years, was also a
two-time Fargo All-American
Fargo finalist, senior
national champion in high
school, a National Junior
College Athletic Association
national champ and a
two-time NAIA All-American.
He also still wrestles
to this day at the senior
level.
Still competing is something
that he feels he uses
to his advantage.
“I think it does (help),”
he said. “I still get those
emotions, those nervous
feelings before matches
that I know the kids feel.
And I’ve been doing it for
my whole life. So, I think
that that’s kind of important
to know how they feel
out there.
“And to keep up with
kind of the current techniques
in wrestling, you
know, the basics always
stay the same. But there’s
a few different things that
are always evolving year
to year. So I think that
helps me. And I could figure
out what skills work,
what skills may not work
so much. Actually being
able to do them and show
them that things work.”
Prior to coming to be an
assistant coach at Neuqua
Valley last season, Collum
spent eight years in Missouri
at Timberland High
School, four years as an
assistant coach as well as
four years as a head coach.
Even though it’s still
the sport of wrestling, he’s
seen some differences between
Illinois and Missouri
wrestling.
“As far as like stylistically,
Illinois is typically
more of a physical style
of wrestling and Missouri
is kind of a more of
a skills and scrambles,”
Collum said. “Whereas
Illinois is more physical
and more basic, so that
would probably be the
biggest difference. Then
obviously Illinois has a
lot more wrestlers than
Missouri does. Missouri
is a great wrestling state.
And they’re getting better.
Right now Illinois is the
top.”
Loyola’s wrestling program
has had a bit of an
issue getting athletes to
come out for the sport as
of late. That’s something
Collum wants to make
sure improves this season
and next. If the Ramblers
can do that, he feels like
they can make a quick rise.
“We need to get more
kids and we need to work
hard and we need to win,
Loyola coach Matt
Collum. Photo submitted
basically,” he said. “We
need to win. And that’s going
to take work. But its
going to happen if the kids
put forth the effort, and we
can more kids in, it’ll happen.”