HERBERT KNOW HISTORY

Midlands star sets sights on breaking coach's record
By Mike Finn, W.I.N. Editor
Two-time Midlands champion Jake Herbert doesn’t even think he’s halfway home to believing he’s special on his Northwestern wrestling team.
“This feels good because it’s my home tourney,” said the Wildcat sophomore who added another Midlands title at 174 pounds after edging Iowa’s Mark Perry, 5-4, in the championship match. “But my coach is a five-time Midlands champion so I’m just trying to catch up to him and get some bragging rights.”
Herbert was speaking of Northwestern coach Tim Cysewski, the former Iowa All-American (third at 134 in 1976) who has been coaching at the Evanston, Ill., campus for 16 years.
“He’s got everything,” Cysewski said. “He’s a great kid who works hard. He has a positive attitude and that carries over in everything. He’s always coming into the practice room with a smile on his face and ready to go. He might have a bad day but will always find something good about it.”
Cysewski also sees a parallel between Herbert and his former coach Dan Gable, whose legendary reputation as a wrestler and coach started at the Midlands, which just celebrated its 43rd year as a regular-season tournament during the holidays.
“People are starting to realize that he’s something special,” Cysewski added. “I think this may be another Gable-like story.”
Herbert, who finished third in last year’s NCAA tournament, has yet to win a national title but the native of Wexford, Pa., — who became Northwestern’s ninth titlist a year ago — did become the first Wildcat wrestler to win two Midlands titles when he built a 5-1 lead over Perry who had a hard-time getting out from underneath Herbert.
Herbert’s strength also appeared to overcome Perry’s funky style, which helped him finish second in last year’s NCAAs at 165 pounds. But one of Perry’s moves actually put the Hawkeye on his back for a reversal and two-point nearfall in the second period.
“I’m pretty sure that’s what (Perry) hit on (Lehigh’s) Troy (Letters in the 2005 NCAAs),” Herbert said. “I got lucky and sat out; got my hips into him. I think I was a little more powerful coming into hi
Northwestern's Jake Herbert became Northwestern's first two-time Midlands champ when he defeated Iowa's Mark Perry.
m than he expected.”
Herbert said this match will also help him prepare for top-ranked Ben Askren, the two-time national runner-up, who also has a unique style.
“I’m from Pennsylvania and we’re all about the PA funk and I was kryptonite to funk,” said Herbert, a 2003 Pennsylvania state champion. “I grew up rolling around with the best; getting trained by (Ray) Brinzer and (Josh) Moore and they were as funky as they get.”
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