Matthew Hennessey '18 Recruiting Profile

My senior season I won the 220lbs 3A Illinois State Champion with a record of 44-0 with only 4 matches going all three periods.  I am currently ranked nationally by several publications.  I am ranked #15 by Intermat, #11 by WrestlingUSA and #15 by OpenMat.  In addition, I was named to the 2018 WrestlingUSA's Scholastic All-American Team.

Two weeks prior to my fifth birthday, I began my journey in the sport that I hold extreme passion for. Wrestling has been a huge part of my entire life. I am pursuing my lifelong dream to compete in Division 1 and become an NCAA champion. I learned very early that wrestling isn’t an easy sport by no means. It really puts your mind and body to the test. As I progressed throughout the years, I sharpened my technique, strength, and overall wrestling ability to eventually put me on the big stage. I am a Junior at Plainfield North High School in Illinois currently pursuing a state title at the weight class of 195 pounds. In the past couple years, I have been nationally recognized; and, I am currently ranked 10th for Juniors at 195 pounds by Wrestling USA Magazine. I bring several aspects to a team that are very valuable. First, I am very good at keeping a positive attitude in the room at all times. As the team leader and captain of my team, I know what it takes to get our guys through the long season. Keeping my team in an upbeat and fired up mood for each and every practice and meet has a positive output. I consider myself a very dedicated and goals driven individual that can offer collegiate success to a team.

I envision my college years to be a personal growth period. I am very confident that I will not only be successful on the mat but also in the classroom.  My goal is to pursue a degree in business because all industries need strong leaders, managers, and market-savvy decision-makers.  A quality education is the most important aspect of college to me.  Being a successful student athlete is very important to me.  I am currently a positive role model to my classmates in high school and I know I will continue to be that same role model while in college.