Lucas Van Poucke supposes his nickname fits, although it’s a little unusual for a 17-year-old.
“The kids call him Grand Poucke — he’s an old soul,” Naperville North wrestling coach Tom Champion said of his junior 113-pounder. “Everything he does is old school.”
Van Poucke doesn’t dispute it.
“When people look at some of the wrestlers and then look at me, they say I stand like an old man,” Van Poucke said. “Stuff annoys me. I hate loud, obnoxious people, people bumping into me from behind, stepping on my shoe.
“It’s not the worst nickname. It could be better. Take it how you want.”
Nondescript and unassuming aptly describe Van Poucke. He hardly stands out in the crowded Naperville North wrestling room.
It’s the exact opposite when Van Poucke hits the wrestling mat.
Van Poucke, who had a 39-8 record last year as a state qualifier, is pure entertainment. Champion said Van Poucke performs more moves during a typical match than Champion did during a whole season when he wrestled.
“If everybody wrestled like Lucas, wrestling would be sold out across the country,” Champion said. “He’s a point-getter. That’s a huge advantage in a sport like wrestling where they tend to be conservative, especially as the season goes on.
“If he doesn’t pin a kid, it’s not for lack of trying.”
Van Poucke describes his assortment of moves in a different way.
“I don’t know if you call them ‘moves’ — it’s me throwing myself around so I can get the upper hand,” Van Poucke said. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I have a couple core moves that I like to do. I’ve expanded this year.”
Hunting for bonus points has its benefits. Champion isn’t afraid to bump Van Poucke up a weight class to score big.
A match is never over with Van Poucke around.
“His goal in a match is not to win by one or two points, he’s always going for the fall,” Champion said. “It actually hurts him some times. He’s not paying attention to the score. He knows where he’s at and is a very intelligent wrestler, but his focus is not on the score.”
Van Poucke’s focus this season is squarely on earning a state medal in Champaign.
He replaced injured Metea Valley wrestler Phillip Sims as an alternate at state last year. Van Poucke finished in the top eight at 113 pounds, going 1-2 and dropping a wrestleback decision to a Huntley wrestler he had beaten during the regular season.
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“It was right there, it was set up for me, and I didn’t deliver,” said Van Poucke, who’s already 8-0 this season. “I think about that match every day. It’s motivated me to get that medal.”
Champion appreciates a kid who is “100-percent coachable,” who never complains, gives a referee a bad look or disrespects his opponent after a loss.
“With Lucas it’s always what else should I have done,” Champion said. “When he gets on that podium at state — and he will — I just know there will be a big smile on his face.
“Last year he got a taste. He’s a kid I want to succeed because he’s the type of kid who should be succeeding.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.