Walking through the doors of the enormous dome indicated the beginning of a ruthless journey for two dedicated Knights. On February 17, state qualifiers Joe Arroyo and Jake Wright made their way to the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois, to compete in the annual IHSA Wrestling State Tournament. By February 20, Joe Arroyo took sixth place in the 113 lbs weight class division.

“Wrestling has not only become the best thing that has occurred in my life, but it is also my biggest accomplishment,” Arroyo said.

Both wrestlers were eager to tackle the challenging three day tournament and achieve the ultimate goal of bringing pride to their high school. Throughout the entire season, the team has prepared through hard, demanding training and conditioning from their coaches. Some wrestlers even committed their summers to prepare themselves for the obstacles they would encounter during the winter.

“We enjoyed having short, hard practices to keep the wrestlers focused and intrigued, which becomes one of the most important aspects in training. However, we also want to have a lot of fun with the boys during training,” said head varsity coach Collin McKillip.
In the State tournament, the competition was heated as blood, sweat, and tears fell onto the orange mats. The dome was crowded with family and friends anticipating the speaker to announce their wrestlers’ name. Fans and coaches watched the wrestlers compete with their hearts, giving it their all.

“Pursuing wrestling improved my work ethic drastically, and I was able to create great friendships that I would not have been able to experience without the commitment of the sport,” said senior Jake Wright.

Though it is the end of the season, the next generation of North’s wrestlers have already begun to dedicate their time and strength to bring ultimate school pride as well as a competitive spirit to the mats.