By FRED KRONER
Joe Lashuay came into Oakwood High School in the fall of 2018 as a 126-pound freshman wrestler.
He won 31 of his 43 matches on varsity.
As a senior in the recently completed 2021-22 season, he competed at 160 pounds and won 36 of his 42 matches.
The growth that he displayed from the start until the end of his prep career was more than 34 pounds and five victories.
“When Joe first came in, he was a skinny little freshman and over the years, really bought into the nutrition and weightlifting, which transformed his body and way of thinking about wrestling,” Oakwood coach John Glosser said. “No longer was he trying to cut 10 or 15 pounds.
“Instead, he was packing on the pounds and wrestling at a weight he was only walking around a few pounds heavier than. This not only gave him more energy in big matches, but made him an animal in the practice room, always striving to be the hardest working kid each and every day.”
That work ethic resulted in an athlete who didn’t qualify for state as a freshman emerging as the Class 1A state runner-up as a senior.
With his success came the opportunity to continue wrestling beyond high school. Lashuay has signed a letter of intent to compete at Cornerstone University.
“Joe is the type of kid whose best wrestling is yet to come,” Glosser said. “Once he gets on a college team with next-level training partners and coaches, the sky is the limit with a kid that has the work ethic like him.”
His dedication and commitment goes beyond the wrestling mat.
Lashuay was chosen by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association as the Class 1A Scholastic Wrestler of the Year for the entire state.
“I knew I was in the running for the award, but I honestly did not expect to get it,” Lashuay said. “When I received a package in the mail from school, I didn’t know what to expect.
“I was super excited to have received this award. It’s truly a great honor.”
Lashuay recognized early that success in the classroom could make a college career in wrestling more attainable.
“I knew I needed to maintain certain grades in school to be able to pay for as much of my college as possible,” he said. “I want to thank my parents, especially my mom, for keeping me disciplined with my grades all of these years. She is the biggest reason as to why I have succeeded academically.”
Glosser said he is proud of the way that Lashuay embraced the concept of student-athlete.
“Joe comes from a great family who raised a very respectful, coachable, extremely hard-working kid, which contributed to him not only being a great wrestler but also a great athlete overall and more importantly a great student in the classroom, “ Glosser said. “He received the 1A Scholar Wrestler of the Year award, which caps off an amazing career of accomplishments both in and out of the classroom.”
Lashuay, who also lettered in soccer, compiled a career record of 122-27 on the wrestling mat.
He was 27-1 as a junior and 36-6 as a senior, both years at 160 pounds.
It was during a 28-8 sophomore season (at 132 pounds) that Lashuay began to carve out his goals.
“After about my sophomore year, I knew I wanted to continue wrestling in college,” Lashuay said. “Honestly, I really did not think much about it after that and I waited quite a bit longer than I probably should have to make the decision on which college to choose.
“Now that I have chosen my college, I am super excited and relieved about my decision. I chose a great school with awesome coaches, good programs, and a solid Christian community. I cannot wait to be a golden eagle for Cornerstone University.”
Glosser enjoyed his role in Lashuay’s development.
“I’ve known Joe and his brothers for years, and Joe is the last one to come through,” Glosser said. “From watching the scrappy little youth wrestler transform into the man he did in high school was fun and one-of-a-kind journey.”
Lashuay won the unofficial state championship as a junior. The IHSA didn’t conduct a postseason series due to Covid-19 in 2021, but the IWCOA held its own regionals, sectionals and state tournaments in all three classes and crowned state titlists.
For Lashuay, however, nothing could beat his senior year.
“This last year was my final hurrah,” he said. “It was so much fun and I loved every second that I got to spend with my team and coaches.
“I can’t say enough about how much my coaches impacted and continue to impact my life. When I came in as a freshman, I was just a scrappy wrestler who got in lots of bad positions.
“As the years have gone by, my coaches continued to train me and they helped me work out many of those kinks. I still have a lot to work on, but I have come a long way.”
Lashuay said he benefited greatly from the advice and knowledge of the various coaches who have been in his corner.
“My coaches have helped me so much,” he said. “They have taken me to offseason practices, worked out and trained with me, and motivated me to be a better wrestler and a man of good character.”
He wasn’t immediately starstruck with wrestling.
“I started wrestling when I was about 9,” Lashuay said, “and honestly didn’t like it very much because of the long tournaments, so I skipped a year, but then tried it again because my brothers did it and I wanted to see if I would like it.
“I ended up wrestling the rest of the years and now going into college. My youth coaches helped set a great foundation for my future high school career and I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”
Eventually, wrestling became Lashuay’s sport of choice.
“I played soccer and loved it all through high school,” Lashuay said, “but with soccer, it is team based – and that aspect is also true for wrestling – but there is also the individual aspect that applies to wrestling.
“When it is just me out there wrestling, then I am responsible for what I do and I really like that about wrestling. I also just fell more in love with wrestling when I actually started to win big matches.”
Cornerstone University, located in Grand Rapids, Mich., was one of several universities that Lashuay considered. The school has an enrollment of about 1,500 students.
“All had pros and cons, but didn’t quite feel right for me,” he said. “I had a set of standards to determine what colleges to reach out to. I actually reached out to Cornerstone about wrestling there.
“Afterwards, after praying and contemplating, I decided that was the place for me.”
Lashuay is ready to make the transition to the next level.
“I am very confident that I will fit in well with this team,” he said. “From what I have heard, it is a super-positive atmosphere where we all grow together as wrestlers and as Christ followers.
“I am most likely going to wrestle at 165 pounds, and I hope to improve my top game the most.”
There will be an adjustment period, not only in wrestling and the classroom, but also in his everyday life.
“I’m not stressed about going away to college, but it will definitely be a big change that I know will help shape me into the man God wants me to be,” Lashuay said.
He plans to major in kinesiology, the study of human movement, and is considering being a strength and conditioning coach after college.
“My signing day was really special because many of my friends and family members came to support me in my decision,” Lashuay said. “They have helped me in this journey more than they could ever know.”
