A wrestling room can be a disorganized place before a practice session. Vernon Hills senior Peter VanderBloomer is charged with keeping order.
“I control the tone of the room and get us motivated,” said VanderBloomer, a 145-pounder. “I have respect in the room.”
The respect has been earned. After winning all four of his matches at a dual meet against Lakes on Friday and a quad at Riverside-Brookfield on Saturday, VanderBloomer is 14-0 in 2014. He is ranked in the honorable mention category by the wrestling website illinoismatmen.com
The accolade and unblemished record have come while the Cougars senior is wrestling up three weight classes from 126 pounds, where he finished last season. The extra weight is not a burden for VanderBloomer. In fact, it’s been a revelation.
“A lot of wrestlers don’t want to gain much and wrestle bigger guys,” he said. “I’m wrestling better now at this weight class.”
“He’s just gotten better and better each season,” coach Jerry Miceli said. “He’s physical and now he has the experience.”
More Top Picks Best Balance Boards For Kids
In previous seasons, VanderBloomer was most comfortable scoring from his knees. In 2014, he’s scoring on his feet. It’s a change that signals a wrestler moving to the next stage of his development.
“I’ve gotten better going from one [the mat] to the other [his feet],” VanderBloomer said. “If one shot doesn’t work, I work my way to a second takedown. One move to the next.”
That doesn’t happen by accident. It comes as a result of training.
VanderBloomer participated in the last season’s Class 2A state meet at 126 pounds. He lost his only match. Over the summer and fall, he sharpened his technical skills at Poeta Training Center in Lake Forest. He had to put on weight. He did so not through excessive weightlifting, but through body-weight workouts.
“I would run and do pull-ups in the park,” VanderBloomer said. “Those [exercises] are the biggest help you can possibly get. It gives you dense muscle mass. A lot of the kids I’ve beaten this year are muscular and huge.”
In the wrestling room at Vernon Hills, the extra weight has VanderBloomer working out with a new partner. Sophomore Dylan Geick (152) pushes VanderBloomer, much like state qualifier Jordan Reich did in 2013-14.
Now a freshman at Princeton, Reich’s regimented practice mentality was adopted by VanderBloomer, a second-year captain.
“Without him [Reich] pushing me, I wouldn’t have gotten downstate,” VanderBloomer said. “He made me the wrestler I am today. Hopefully I carry those principles into being a leader.”
“Peter has the mentality when drilling that the pace and tempo is fast,” Miceli said. “Whoever is with him has no choice but to drill like that. This is the way it’s going to be done, or get off the mat.”
VanderBloomer hopes his time to get off the mat isn’t until February’s state meet. Early this season, he is leading the way in his weight class and in the Cougars’ wrestling room
“Getting to wrestle at the state meet motivated me for senior year,” VanderBloomer said. “Thinking about getting back down there pushes me every day.”