World silver medalist Jake Herbert back on the mat after European vacation
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by Craig Sesker
Jake Herbert looks for an opening at the World Championships. Tony Rotundo photo.
Nobody will ever accuse Jake Herbert of not living life to the fullest.
Following his silver-medal performance at September's World Championships in Herning, Denmark, Herbert embarked on a whirlwind tour of Europe.
Fellow World Team member Dustin Schlatter and his brother C.P. Schlatter accompanied Herbert on the first part of the trip.
"We went everywhere," Herbert, a recent graduate of Northwestern University, said with a laugh. "Copenhagen. Amsterdam. Munich. Prague. Madrid. Barcelona. Paris. It was awesome. I drank a glass of champagne on top of the Eiffel Tower - that was sweet. I saw the Mona Lisa. I saw some castles in Prague. We celebrated Oktoberfest in Munich. It was a great trip."
Herbert returned to the U.S. on Oct. 13 and just resumed training on Monday. He is scheduled to begin his 2009-10 season by competing in a U.S. freestyle dual meet against Russia on Nov. 20 in New York City. He will then wrestle in the New York AC International Open on Nov. 22.
The 2010 World Championships are scheduled for Sept. 6-12 in Moscow, Russia.
Herbert will be honored for his World silver medal and his college achievements in front of 50,000 fans at the Northwestern-Penn State football game on Oct. 31 in Evanston, Ill. Herbert was a two-time NCAA champion for Northwestern. He won the Hodge Trophy in 2009 as the nation's top college wrestler. He also was named Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year.
Herbert also will serve as a clinician at the annual Northwestern coaches' clinic on Nov. 1 at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Herbert is now splitting his time between Chicago and Colorado Springs. He said he recently moved into a place just four blocks from Wrigley Field near downtown Chicago. He also will train part-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He also will train in the Northwestern room and at the Overtime School of Wrestling with his personal coach, Sean Bormet.
Herbert will be in Colorado Springs next week for a freestyle training camp.
"It's the best of both Worlds for me," said Herbert, who competes for the New York AC. "I have a great training situation here in Chicago. And then I come out to the Springs, and you have a full-time freestyle focus with great coaches and great training partners. I can train out in Colorado with (fellow National Team members) Andy Hrovat, Trent and Travis Paulson, and Bryce Hasseman."
Herbert, 24, made his first World Team this year at 84 kg/185 lbs. in freestyle. He took full advantage of his opportunity, turning in a strong performance to win his first Senior-level medal.
"I finally went back about a week ago and watched the tape of my matches," Herbert said. "I looked really sloppy at times - there were so many mistakes I made. I have so much to go back and work on. I need to get better. I need to perfect everything over the next two or three years before I wrestle in the Olympics."
Herbert fell behind in four of his five matches at the Worlds, but he rallied to win three of those bouts. His superior conditioning and hard-charging style was too much for his opponents to handle.
That was evident in his semifinal win over 20-year-old Russian phenom Abdusalam Gadisov. Herbert dropped the first period 4-0 before winning the next two periods 2-2, 1-0. Gadisov, a 2008 Junior World champion, appeared to be exhausted in the third period as Herbert continued to attack and pressure him.
"You lose a period and it's over with," Herbert said. "I just had to come right back and impose my will on my opponents. I just keep pushing and pushing until the guy breaks."
Herbert fell 1-0, 1-0 to Uzbekistan's Zaurbek Sokhiev in the finals of the Worlds. The powerful Sokhiev, 23, a World bronze medalist in 2006 and 2007, scored on a first-period pushout. He then finished for a takedown in the leg clinch after winning a ball draw following a scoreless second period.
Herbert was the aggressor during the match.
"I have a great single leg, but I need another attack," Herbert said. "I need to create more flurries and more scrambles. I need to push the pace more the next time I face that guy. I need to stay on the guy from the beginning."
Herbert is looking forward to being honored at Northwestern on Oct. 31.
"That's going to be a lot of fun," he said. "It will be my first game back as an alum. It's a great honor, that's for sure.
Nobody will ever accuse Jake Herbert of not living life to the fullest.
Following his silver-medal performance at September's World Championships in Herning, Denmark, Herbert embarked on a whirlwind tour of Europe.
Fellow World Team member Dustin Schlatter and his brother C.P. Schlatter accompanied Herbert on the first part of the trip.
"We went everywhere," Herbert, a recent graduate of Northwestern University, said with a laugh. "Copenhagen. Amsterdam. Munich. Prague. Madrid. Barcelona. Paris. It was awesome. I drank a glass of champagne on top of the Eiffel Tower - that was sweet. I saw the Mona Lisa. I saw some castles in Prague. We celebrated Oktoberfest in Munich. It was a great trip."
Herbert returned to the U.S. on Oct. 13 and just resumed training on Monday. He is scheduled to begin his 2009-10 season by competing in a U.S. freestyle dual meet against Russia on Nov. 20 in New York City. He will then wrestle in the New York AC International Open on Nov. 22.
The 2010 World Championships are scheduled for Sept. 6-12 in Moscow, Russia.
Herbert will be honored for his World silver medal and his college achievements in front of 50,000 fans at the Northwestern-Penn State football game on Oct. 31 in Evanston, Ill. Herbert was a two-time NCAA champion for Northwestern. He won the Hodge Trophy in 2009 as the nation's top college wrestler. He also was named Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year.
Herbert also will serve as a clinician at the annual Northwestern coaches' clinic on Nov. 1 at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Herbert is now splitting his time between Chicago and Colorado Springs. He said he recently moved into a place just four blocks from Wrigley Field near downtown Chicago. He also will train part-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He also will train in the Northwestern room and at the Overtime School of Wrestling with his personal coach, Sean Bormet.
Herbert will be in Colorado Springs next week for a freestyle training camp.
"It's the best of both Worlds for me," said Herbert, who competes for the New York AC. "I have a great training situation here in Chicago. And then I come out to the Springs, and you have a full-time freestyle focus with great coaches and great training partners. I can train out in Colorado with (fellow National Team members) Andy Hrovat, Trent and Travis Paulson, and Bryce Hasseman."
Herbert, 24, made his first World Team this year at 84 kg/185 lbs. in freestyle. He took full advantage of his opportunity, turning in a strong performance to win his first Senior-level medal.
"I finally went back about a week ago and watched the tape of my matches," Herbert said. "I looked really sloppy at times - there were so many mistakes I made. I have so much to go back and work on. I need to get better. I need to perfect everything over the next two or three years before I wrestle in the Olympics."
Herbert fell behind in four of his five matches at the Worlds, but he rallied to win three of those bouts. His superior conditioning and hard-charging style was too much for his opponents to handle.
That was evident in his semifinal win over 20-year-old Russian phenom Abdusalam Gadisov. Herbert dropped the first period 4-0 before winning the next two periods 2-2, 1-0. Gadisov, a 2008 Junior World champion, appeared to be exhausted in the third period as Herbert continued to attack and pressure him.
"You lose a period and it's over with," Herbert said. "I just had to come right back and impose my will on my opponents. I just keep pushing and pushing until the guy breaks."
Herbert fell 1-0, 1-0 to Uzbekistan's Zaurbek Sokhiev in the finals of the Worlds. The powerful Sokhiev, 23, a World bronze medalist in 2006 and 2007, scored on a first-period pushout. He then finished for a takedown in the leg clinch after winning a ball draw following a scoreless second period.
Herbert was the aggressor during the match.
"I have a great single leg, but I need another attack," Herbert said. "I need to create more flurries and more scrambles. I need to push the pace more the next time I face that guy. I need to stay on the guy from the beginning."
Herbert is looking forward to being honored at Northwestern on Oct. 31.
"That's going to be a lot of fun," he said. "It will be my first game back as an alum. It's a great honor, that's for sure.
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