Where Are They Now?!?

North Central Wrestling recently caught up with several recipients of the Craig E. Fischer Memorial Award to reminisce a bit about their career at North Central and see what they're up to today!

Darrick Snyder

1) What are you up to these days?

       I am a Social Studies Teacher and the Head Wrestling Coach at Mishawaka High School in Indiana.

 

2) What is your favorite memory from your North Central Wrestling Days?

       I loved every second of wrestling at North Central.  Several team trips come to mind, but my favorite memory was our team winning Coach Miller's first Conference Championship.

 

3) What is one thing that North Central College/Wrestling did for your that has helped you in your career?

        North Central Wrestling helped me develop the type of work ethic and attitude that I can carry with me in all facets of my life.

 

Brian "Bubba" Johnson
1) What are you up to these days?
      I have been a quality assurance auditor and project administrator for Metra rail since I graduated from North Central.  June 25th (day of the Fisher outing) will be my four year anniversary at Metra. 

      I just received my MBA with an emphasis in Financial Fraud Examination & Management from Saint Xavier University. I will be taking the summer off from studying and will begin taking the CPA exams in the fall.

2) What is your favorite memory from your North Central Wrestling Days?
      My favorite memories are when I think about that 10 minutes before practice started when everyone was slowly coming into the wrestling room. It was like a small family reunion every day, where we would talk about goofy things, sneak in a game of Animal Ball or Wall Ball and just hangout. 

3) What is one thing that North Central College/Wrestling did for you that has helped you in your career?
      Wrestling at North Central College taught me about life more than I could ever explain.  It taught me about hard work, dedication, determination, and working together to reach goals....it also introduced me to proper Burpee form.

Ben Youel
1) What are you up to these days?
      I am in dental school at UIC.

2) What is your favorite memory from your North Central Wrestling Days?
      It's very difficult to pick a favorite memory. But I have to say that hearing my name chanted by our fans at Nationals my junior year was my favorite memory. I still vividly remember feeling ten feet tall as I stood out on the mat with "BEEEEN YOUUUUUEL" resonating off the walls of the arena. God that was awesome! That was the greatest feeling I ever got from wrestling.

3) What is one thing that North Central College/Wrestling did for you that has helped you in your career?
      NCC Wrestling made me a hammer. Now I am a hammer dental student. In a couple years I'll be a hammer dentist. And that is the best kind of dentist you can be.

Anthony LiFonti
1) What are you up to these days?
     I am currently an English teacher at Glenbard North High School in Carol Steam, Illinois where I coach football and wrestling (2011 AAA State Champs!)

2) What is your favorite memory from your North Central Wrestling Days?   
      Winning the CCIW Championship my senior year, as well as an individual championship, stand out greatly since it was the first time since 1979 and Coach Miller's first CCIW Championship, as well as my own; however, the team in 1995 stands out the most.  That year, at the CCIW tournament, we finished second by 0.5 points to a nationally loaded Augustana team – bastards.
      We had a number of guys step up that day getting to the finals, small sacrifices in-between, winning big matches and scoring points – it was tight all of the way down to the heavyweight match.  I remember walking up to Coach Miller, all tensed up and big-eyed right before the start of finals and telling him to "relax and enjoy." Coach just paused and laughed with that genuine Miller smile and I think he started to take in the moment – he was now seeing his saving of the program potentially reach one of his goals.
      We had guys learning how to pump gas for the first time, my alley walks with 'Fish' to the other end of campus after my Raphael Wilson encounter/s, Walt and 'Fish' swapping spots in the line-up at CCIWs, coconuts against the pool and practices at the beach, the team semi-finals in Monmouth versus Olivet, road trips in the 15-passenger-roller-coaster van to tournaments, random Dairy Queen finds and, ultimately, the many haphazard searches for D-Martin…1995 is full of great memories.

3) What is one thing that North Central College/Wrestling did for you that has helped you in your career?
       Two words allowed me to be where I am at in life right now after high school: Jim Miller.  North Central gave me a highly regarded degree, and later my Masters, which gave me the opportunity to get in front of people to sell myself.  But Jim Miller, Coach Miller gave me the opportunity and believed in me almost immediately and saw my potential well before I did helping me grow and achieve and pushing me beyond my potential.
       North Central College and the North Central College Wrestling Team have given me a great deal – more than I will ever be able to express.  I have gained incredible friendships, memories and the opportunity to grow and compete and be successful in all aspects of my life.  The work ethic, toughness and stubbornness I had coming into college, the refined sense of self and full awareness of the world around me and how to be successful within it on a larger scale was given to me when I graduated.

Joe Pope
1) What are you up to these days?

        I am finishing my sixth year teaching 5th and 6th grade PE at Three Rivers School in Channahon, IL.  I am also the head wrestling coach for the IESA Channahon Jr. High team.  In the past six years I have had two undefeated state champions, two third place medalists, and one fourth place medalist.  Our wrestling team has multiplied from 19 wrestlers my first year to over 65 wrestlers the past few seasons.  I am currently interviewing for administrative positions after receiving my Masters of School Improvement Leadership (Type 75) from Olivet Nazarene University. 

2) What is your favorite memory from your North Central Wrestling Days?

        I have so many memories from wrestling at North Central College.  Wrestling at NCC was one of the fondest times I have ever had!  I will never forget our trips to Ft. Lauderdale after Christmas.  Most stories cannot be re-printed!  Trips with Jim Miller were infamous!!!  I'll never forget the time Coach Miller thought he could give the guys a ride home in the back of his pickup.  Needless to say, he lost all his shocks that night.  I cannot remember everybody in the truck, but I do remember nobody was under 250 lbs. (John Witte, Tommy Przybylski, myself, and a number of others).  But probably my best memory was winning the CCIW title at heavyweight in 2001 by pinning the defending champ in 19 sec.

3) What is one thing that North Central College/Wrestling did for you that has helped you in your career?

        I believe my success in the classroom and on the mat comes from treating my students/athletes with respect and showing them I care.  North Central College provided a close knit family-like atmosphere in all of its programs (I also played football).  Jim Miller exemplified that with a great deal of passion and care for his athletes.  He treated each of us wrestlers like family.