Pound-for-pound, he’s the best

Now a 189-pounder, Lee Munster of Grant High is shown before his season-opening match on Wednesday at Libertyville High. Of course, he dominated his opponent and the match was stopped when he got ahead by the required 15 points.

(Joe Shuman/Special to The News-Sun)

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Area sports fans who have never witnessed greatness should take the time this season to see Grant High’s Lee Munster take opponents apart on the wrestling mat.
This is the last prep go-round for a special athlete who will likely go down in history as among the best, if not THE best high-school wrestler Lake County has ever produced.

Going into his senior season, the Northwestern University-bound Munster has already racked up two state championships and a quarterfinal-round finish in three different weight divisions and a 123-6 overall record, including 1-0 this season.

 He enters this season as the No. 1-rated wrestler in the state, regardless of weight category.

Should he win his third state title, wrestling at 189 pounds (his fourth different weight class in as many years), Munster would become the first Lake County wrestler to capture three state crowns in three different weight classes. Up until now, the only county wrestler to stand on the top of the podium three times at the state meet was Rick Bay of Waukegan High in 1959 (145), 1960 (154) and 1961 (154).
 
After going 47-0 with a school-record 30 pins at 171 pounds his junior year, Munster finished second in a national freestyle tourney over the summer before moving up to 189 pounds for his senior high-school campaign, a weight he had already decided on attacking early his junior year.
“I decided to just eat normally and continue to concentrate on lifting weights,” said the unassuming Munster. “There was no point in losing weight any more. I’m still as quick as I was at 171, so I’m looking forward to wrestling at that weight.”

Last season, Munster was selected as Outstanding Wrestler at every meet in which he participated. So, his decision to move up again likely has numerous wrestlers throughout the state gaining or cutting pounds to stay away from the 189 category.

But he believes that somewhere down the line, he’ll probably be meeting old nemesis Matt Dwyer of Hononegah, whom he decisioned twice last year (including in the quarterfinals at state) and Sterling Hecox of Machesney Park Harlem, who he bested in the state semifinals 11-6.

Without sounding the least bit cocky, Munster said he was really not wary of anybody in the state.

“If I wrestle my way ... the way I’m capable of wrestling, I should be fine. I don’t feel any different at this higher weight. But I do feel stronger.”

Winning a state title at 119 pounds and another at 189 would be an astonishing accomplishment, should it come to pass.
 
The 70-pound differential over four years was not something he expected upon entering high school, but he noted that a growth spurt between freshman and sophomore year and again this summer was not totally unexpected.

“Mom’s side of the family is pretty big,” he acknowledged.

He’s not sure what weight class he’ll be wrestling at when he attends Northwestern, but he wants to use this year to improve his hand-fighting and technique to prepare what he realizes will be a big jump in competition at the next level.

“Everyone wrestling at the NCAA Division I level has been doing it since they were little,” said Munster. “Every opponent really knows what they’re doing.”

A 4.0 student in the classroom, his goal as a Wildcat is the same as it’s been in high school: Excel in the classroom and on the mat. Beyond college, he has a couple of other wrestling aspirations.

“I’ve always wanted to be an Olympic wrestler, or to make it onto a national team,” he said.

Better get out and see this kid in person now, while center stage is still within driving distance.