Takedown Report

TOM’s Campus Visit – McKendree

What do you do when you are trying to bring more Division II wrestling coverage to the fans and you have a weekend off from work? I was faced with that conundrum last week and I had myself an idea, what if I traveled four hours south to St Louis. I even had a built-in babysitter in my oldest sister and her family. I have a four-year-old and she has two kids right around the same age. I could drop her off with my sister and give my wife a weekend with just her and our eight-week-old while I took the chance to visit three Division II wrestling powerhouses all within 45 minutes of each other. How could I miss up an opportunity like this? Three emails later and I had visits set up with #4 McKendree University, #5 Lindenwood University, and #9 Maryville University. The trifecta!

McKendree University is the oldest university in all of Illinois. Located in the sleepy retirement community of Lebanon, McKendree has been around since 1828. The University may not be the most affordable private option in Illinois at just beyond $40,000 a year, but it offers things other institutions do not. It is the perfect blend of country and city located in a small town surrounded by farm fields, but less than 20 minutes outside of St Louis. It can appeal to those looking for either college experience or both. The Bearcats offer over 50 different undergraduate areas and four master’s programs. A truly ridiculous stat is the 14:1 student to faculty ratio, I guarantee that the professors there know the names of their students. Only the students there know if that is a good or a bad thing. Academics play a large role on campus with athletics coming in a distant second. It makes recruiting all the more difficult for the only head coach the McKendree Bearcat wrestling team has ever had. James Kisgen is entering his 15th season leading the program he has built from the ground up and the four-time All-American, himself, has coached nine national champions. Last season the Bearcats finished third in the team race behind national champion Michael Pixley and this year they enter the season ranked fourth.
For coach Kisgen, the Team is paramount. Any wrestler who steps into the McKendree wrestling room does so knowing that the Team comes first. Everything they do is for the betterment of the Bearcats. That means the rules apply to everyone. There is no favoritism from coach Kisgen or the staff, no one is above the Team. It seems odd that McKendree built an entirely separate facility with a wrestling room and a weight room in it until you hear the story of why. It was part of an agreement that helped spawn a women’s program at the University that Kisgen also oversees. Rest of this interesting story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/toms-campus-visit-mckendree/75168?mc_cid=fd834b255f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

November 2, 2019 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized