By Kyle Klingman

Is Jake Herbert the greatest Northwestern University wrestler ever? There is a resounding “yes” if you ask Wildcat head wrestling coach Tim Cysewski.

            After a college career that saw Herbert become only the second two-time NCAA champion (Jack Riley won titles in 1931 and ’32) and the only four-time All-American in program history, it is hard to argue that anyone but Jake Herbert deserves the title of greatest Wildcat wrestler to date.

            “He is (the greatest) and that’s great,” said Cysewski. “He sets the bar very high and now we have some young kids who will shoot for that bar and maybe jump over it someday.

            “When we first recruited Jake and had the opportunity to have him come to Northwestern, we knew he was going to be something special. Everything he’s wanted to do from day one he’s done it. And I’m very proud of him. He stayed with his plan and he’s gotten better every year.”

            Herbert has a special place in NCAA wrestling history too. His 135-4 career college record ranks as the fifth best winning percentage among all Division I wrestlers over the past 35 years.

            His 66-match winning streak isn’t bad either. Herbert’s only setback in the last three years of competitive collegiate wrestling was a 14-2 loss to Missouri’s Ben Askren in the 174-pound finals of the 2006 NCAAs.

            Herbert put the cap on his career with a 6-3 win over Ohio State’s Mike Pucillo, the defending champion at the 184-pound weight class, in the finals of this year’s NCAA tournament.

            “It’s so weird that I was that little kid in the back of the wrestling camps that was goofing off and watching the All-Americans like Teague Moore, Ty Moore, Andy Hrovat and Cael Sanderson,” said Herbert. “They were my heroes growing up. And now that I can be compared to them it’s a dream come true.”

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