Although Barrington senior Julius Smith is admittedly quiet, the 170-pound senior has a commanding presence with his teammates.
“Julius is definitely one of the quieter kids in the room, but he leads by example as a captain,” Barrington coach David Udchik said. “When he talks, everybody listens.”
“I want everyone to see how hard I work. It’s that work ethic for me in being a captain,” added Smith, who was also an outside linebacker on Barrington’s state quarterfinal football team. “When I do speak up, it’s usually something serious, and they listen.”
In addition to leading by example in practice and workouts, Smith also leads by his performance on the mat. Among his many highlights this season, Smith won the prestigious Prospect Tournament, made the finals of the Mid-Suburban League tournament, finished second at two other top-tier tournaments in Barrington and Palatine and is currently ranked No. 9 in his weight class by illinoismatmen.com.
More Top Picks Washing Machines
Smith has been grappling on the varsity since seeing a little action his freshman year, which included the MSL tournament. As a sophomore, he started to turn the heads of opponents on the mat and coaches off of it.
“He was so quick, aggressive and strong for his age,” Udchik said. “He had the body of a senior.”
Smith caught fire at the end of his junior year, going 32-15 while winning his bracket at the MSL tournament and then advancing through sectionals to go downstate. He was one match away from placing in the top six at state.
“I always knew he had it in him,” Udchik said. “Julius really put it together and turned it on at the right time.”
Smith’s wrestling partner is star 160-pounder Travis Cysewski, a senior captain.
“Julius excels on his feet. He’s really an explosive wrestler,” Cysewski said. “He’s taught me how to have good footwork, defend shots and get my offense going on my feet.”
One of the things Smith is most proud of is related to two of his younger siblings, Bryan and Ryan, sixth-grade wrestlers at Prairie Middle School.
“It’s pretty cool that we’ve started a legacy as a wrestling family,” Smith said. “We all have something in common.”
Big brother though, knows when to put the younger wrestlers in their place.
“They try to team up on me sometimes, but it never works,” Smith laughed.
Smith will take a 27-5 record into the Class 3A Grant Regional on Saturday.
“I’ve been practicing hard this week for regionals,” Smith said. “I’m very confident that we can come out on top as a team.”
Joining Smith and Cysewski at Grant will be a strong contingent of Barrington wrestlers including freshman Markus Hartman (106 pounds), senior Chris Kazanowski (138), senior Conner Boundy (145), junior Max Guhde (182), senior John DePersia (195) and senior Alex Zentner (285).
Barrington, ranked ninth by illinoismatmen.com, will be among nine teams competing in the regional, with Grant and McHenry looming as threats.
Smith sees big things for himself in the near future and down the road.
“I can see myself placing downstate this year. That’s my goal,” Smith said. “I’m pretty interested in wrestling in college.”
“A lot of [colleges] have been asking about him,” Udchik said. “If he medals at state, that will open up even more doors for him.”
Mark Perlman is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.