From the hometown of poet Carl Sandburg… the Galesburg Register-Mail
100 wins behind him, Noll aims for state
By JUSTIN CONN
of The Register-Mail
Jacob Noll
– Vitals: Noll, a senior on the Galesburg High School wrestling team, notched his 100th career win as a varsity wrestler last week. According to Galesburg coach John Chapman, it’s a feat accomplished by only six or seven other Silver Streaks ever. Noll, who is wrestling at 135 pounds this season, has advanced to sectionals in the past, but this year hopes to make the state meet. So far this season, Noll is 22-11.
– Family: Parents are Mike and Carol Noll. Sister is 19-year-old Lindsay.
– Other sports: Cross country and track.
– Other interests: Noll enjoys X-box games, particularly first-person shooter games, and likes listening to punk rock.
Q: You won 25 matches your freshman year. How did you get so good so fast?
Noll: “I wasn’t very good to start off with. But I got into the junior Streaks wrestling program when Evan Thorpe was running it. He’s the head coach at Dixon now. He got me in really good shape and showed me a lot of the basics. I wouldn’t be where I’m at now without him.”
Q: As a freshman you wrestled at 103. How big did you think you would get back then?
Noll: “Well, I was pretty short as a freshman. My dad wrestled at 152, and I thought I’d grow to that. I didn’t, but I have gained 32 pounds since my freshman year. That’s quite a bit.”
Q: You’re 22-11 so far this season. Have you been pleased with your performance?
Noll: “It hasn’t been as good as I hoped. I’ve lost a lot of matches by one point. I’m probably not in as good a shape as I should have been coming in. I’ve wrestled a lot of good competition, and I’ve placed higher at tournaments than I have in the past. But I’ve lost more dual meet matches than I should have.”
Q: What was your reaction to getting your 100th career varsity win?
Noll: “It was kind of exciting. I thought it was neat that I was only the sixth of seventh wrestler at Galesburg to ever do it. After I got 25 wins as a freshman, I thought if I could stay healthy I could get it. I definitely thought about it back then.”
Q: What are your goals for your final wrestling postseason?
Noll: “I hope I can make state, then win a couple of matches and see what happens. I know I have a really tough regional with two returning state qualifiers in my weight class. But if I can make it out, I think I can make it to state.”
Q: Have you ever been to the state meet before?
Noll: “When I was a sophomore, I went there and watched Aaron Lipe wrestle. It was pretty impressive. It was really big.”
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