Among the usual suspects: Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Iowa, Oklahoma.
Jon Burns (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)One high school wrestler is doing his best to raise the profile of prep wrestling in North Carolina … while making a name for himself, too.
His name is Jon Burns, RevWrestling.com's top-ranked high school wrestler in the country at 145 pounds. In the past year, the senior at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh won the North Carolina state championship, as well as titles at the 2007 NHSCA Junior Nationals and at the 2007 Walsh Ironman tournament.
It all started with the Twisters
Jon Burns grew up in the southern suburbs of Chicago. His first introduction to sports was playing football.
"One of the coaches of the Harvey Twisters asked me to come out for wrestling after football season," says Jon. (The Twisters are the Illinois-based wrestling club that launched the mat careers of a number of nationally-renowned wrestlers, including University of Iowa NCAA champs Joe and T.J. Williams.)
In fifth grade, Jon's dad was transferred by Ford Motor Company to Georgia, where he continued the football-and-wrestling combination. In eighth grade, the Burns family moved again -- this time to the Raleigh, North Carolina area. "My school didn't have wrestling, so I went out for basketball," according to Jon. "But I didn't make the team."
"I didn't get to wrestle again 'til my freshman year at Cary High School."
Despite the layoff, Jon didn't lose a step on the wrestling mat. His freshman year at Cary, he compiled a 53-5 record, and placed third at the North Carolina state tournament.
As a sophomore, Jon transferred to Cardinal Gibbons … and had to sit out that season. In an article published by the Cary newspaper, Jon was quoted as saying, "It was real tough knowing I couldn't wrestle that year. I went to the state tournament and I watched. I was kind of sad I wasn't able to participate, but I continued to work hard so I would be able to make this year happen."
"This year" refers to Jon Burns' junior year, where he put away his football helmet for good and concentrated all his athletic efforts on wrestling. In his first year competing for Cardinal Gibbons, Jon racked up a perfect 65-0 season, and won the 140-pound 1-A/2-A North Carolina state wrestling championship in February 2007.
National recognition
How do you top a state title? Jon Burns found a way… by claiming the 140-pound crown at the 2007 NHSCA Junior National Wrestling Championships in Virginia Beach in March.
The event is open to prep wrestlers in their junior year. The 2007 Junior Nationals attracted over 700 participants … including some of the top high school matmen in the country.
Jon's weight class was no exception. In his first bout, he went up against two-time Pennsylvania state qualifier Adam Will, and got a 10-3 victory. In his next two matches, Jon scored two major decisions -- a 14-4 win over Tanner Schaffer, a two-time Maryland state placewinner, and a 13-5 victory over Dan Clarke, a New Jersey All-American.
In the quarterfinals, Jon earned an 8-1 win over Austin Cordova, a state titleholder from Texas. Next, it was a battle of the recently-crowned North Carolina state champs. In the semifinals, Jon went up against Michael Williams, the defending 3-A champ from Southern Lee. Williams had a 1-0 lead at the end of the second period … but Jon came roaring back in the third, getting a 8-2 win.
Jon's rival for the 140-pound title was Ryan Konz, a three-time Tennessee state placer and All-American … but the Cardinal Gibbons wrestler prevailed, 9-4, to win the Junior National crown.
The Man at the Ironman
Arguably the biggest highlight of Jon Burns' senior year in high school was winning the 145-pound title at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Invitational tournament held in December 2007 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Jon claimed the championship with a 4-1 win over two-time Ohio state champ Ben Jordan of national wrestling powerhouse St. Paris Graham.
Jon Burns defeated then-No. 1 Mario Mason in the semifinals at the Walsh Ironman (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)In an interview with Rob Sherrill for W.I.N. Magazine, Jon said, "(The third period), I got out, and it was 4-2. He took some injury time. He looked tired to me, or at least that's what I thought. And maybe 15 or 20 seconds later, I took him down and put him on his back, and got a three-count, and now it's 7-4. I rode him out for the rest of the period."
When asked what he hit Mason with, Jon replied, "It was kind of a pancake. I just ran through him. He took kind of a weak shot and didn't recover fast enough, and I rushed him, knocked him off his balance, and put him on his back."
After defeating two of the best wrestlers from two of the best prep programs in the country, Jon Burns is definitely now on the radar screens of other 145-pounders across the nation. "My coaches say my name's out there now, and everybody's going to try to get me," Jon told W.I.N. Magazine. "I just try to stay focused. If I wrestle my match, and not let anyone take control, I should be fine."
Senior season success
There's no stopping Jon Burns. So far in his last year at Cardinal Gibbons, he has compiled a 49-0 record … extending his win streak past the 100-match mark.
Ask him if there's any pressure to maintain the streak, Jon replies, "I don't let it phase me."
"Losing is never an option. I always know that I'm going to win."
"I want to let people know that I'm the best," Jon continues, using the same matter-of-fact tone throughout the interview for this profile. There's no hint of cockiness or arrogance in his voice.
Also in his voice there's also a quest for continuous improvement, of never being completely satisfied. "When I'm in practice, I try to move up weight sets to better myself. I always try to do more wind sprints than the last time. Go for more takedowns than before. I'm always competing with myself."
"I like to try new things during a match, see what works," Jon adds. "I wrestle my own matches. I have control over my matches."
"My goal is to always get a pin. It's important for the team -- it means six points. Being a young team, it can make the difference."
Jon's passion for pinning is backed up by the stats: In both his freshman and junior year of competition, he scored at least 40 pins each season. "In my junior year, only about three of my matches were regular decisions," says the Cardinal Gibbons senior.
A sense of style
Ask Jon Burns to describe his wrestling style, and the first thing he mentions is his pre-match preparation routine: "A lot of guys get pumped up, angry. I'm not angry. I'm usually relaxed, laid-back."
"I save my energy for the mat. I go out and attack, wrestle my match."
Jon is also flexible: "I can be slick, real technical, or physical when I need to be."
Jon Burns defeated two-time Ohio state champ Ben Jordan to win the Walsh IronmanAsk the same question of his coach Stan Chambers, and his first response is to chuckle: "The things he's doing to people, you just can't coach that stuff."
"His style is, 'I'm going to beat you and you won't be able to do anything about it.'"
"He's a hard worker," continues coach Chambers. "He's honest, straightforward. Gets good grades. Has a good relationship with his parents. Very much a team player. A treat to have around."
"He doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Then again, North Carolina doesn't get the recognition it deserves in terms of wrestling. There are lots of great people doing great things here. Jon's success may help bring national recognition to North Carolina wrestling."
The recruitment drive
Recognition may be coming Jon Burns' way … at least in terms of attracting attention from a wide range of top-flight colleges and universities.
All this interest isn't simply because of Jon's success on the mat. He's earned a 3.7 grade point average, is a member of the National Honor Society, and scored over 1500 on the combined SAT. Those stats -- along with his wrestling record -- grabbed the attention of elite schools such as Cornell University, Columbia, and Stanford, as well as the top wrestling programs in the country, including Minnesota.
After weighing all his options, Jon chose the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
"(Nebraska head) coach (Mark) Manning came to visit me here," says the highly recruited 145-pound senior. "At the end of October I went out there for a visit. I watched the intrasquad dual, and got a tour of the school. I was especially impressed with the athletic facilities."
"Everyone showed they cared about my interests -- not just wrestling, but academics as well."
The road ahead
What does the future hold for the future Cornhusker? "As for my college major, I'm pretty sure it'll be some business degree," says Jon. "Possibly working towards a career in real estate."
Jon Burns (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"Coaching might be in the future, too. I enjoy helping little kids; I've worked with young kids at camp. Right now, I can't see myself coaching in college but who knows?"
At the end of our interview, Jon said, "I try to give all the glory to God, my parents, my teammates, and coaches."
With all his accomplishments on and off the mat, Jon Burns is not only getting the recognition he deserves … but he's also helping to put the spotlight on wrestling in the state of North Carolina.
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