Olejnik adds to his hardware with national title
He may not fully grasp what it means at this point, but Izzak Olejnik is a national champion and an All-American.
The 8-year-old Hollister resident and son of San Benito High wrestling coach Matt Olejnik was unbeaten over the weekend at the ASICS/USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to earn honors in the Bantam 55-pound division.
“He wrestled like a little man,” Matt Olejnik said. “Two years ago, he would’ve been really nervous. But he was really looking forward to this. It was the first time he started getting fired up before a match.”
For young Izzak, who already owns a host of trophies and medals from state and national competitions, this one was an exciting one.
“It was pretty tough. It feels great,” Izzak said.
In the finals, Izzak won by decision over Kenny O’Neil, the Minnesota state champion. He built a 7-1 lead before O’Neil took a shot late and Izzak conceded two points but stayed off his back to earn the win.
“He never really shows a lot of emotion,” Matt said. “But after the finals, he did a double fist pump and then single fist pump. I think it was partly the joy of winning and also relieving the pressure that it’s over. I don’t know if he understands what it means to be an All-American yet, but he seems to.”
To get to the finals, Izzak beat Wisconsin state champ Dylan Klemstein 7-1. Klemstein had a couple of opportunities to gain some momentum in the match, but Izzak fought him off.
Izzak started the tournament with a 48-second pin of the Illinois state champion, and then built a 12-0 lead over the state champ from New York, before pinning him early in the second period.
For Matt Olejnik, a former high school state champion in the 138-pound division while wrestling for Cupertino, it’s been a fun experience to watch his son learn and grow.
“The real excitement is that I’ve been with him. He’s been coming to (San Benito) practices since he was 3. I’ve been seeing the maturity since last year. Now he’s learning. He’s like a sponge.”
But Matt is also being careful to avoid burning Izzak out.
“This does no good if he doesn’t want to wrestle in high school,” Matt said. “We’re going to take a little break and play some baseball now.”
Izzak, who attends Ladd Lane Elementary School, will next compete in the Cliff Keen Eastern World Championships in Charleston, W.V., on April 28 and 29. He won the tournament last year in the 6-year-old division at 49 pounds.
In July, he’ll travel to Green Bay, Wisc., for the USA Wrestling ASICS Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman National Championships.
