Wrestling Career of Ron Semetis
I began my wrestling career as a freshman at Carl Sandburg High School in 1957 at Orland Park,
Illinois. I had two older brothers who had wrestled for Sandburg, so I was expected to also wrestle.
When the varsity 103 pounder was hurt, I was moved from the freshman team to fill the vacant
position,. Wrestling was a new sport at Sandburg, and there were not many kids out for wrestling. I
had no previous wrestling experience before my freshman year but still finished the season with a
varsity record of 8 wins and 7 losses. I was proud to have a winning record in the tough southwest
Suburban Conference as a freshman.
As a sophomore, I wrestled at 112 pounds and finished with a varsity record of 15 wins and 6 losses. I
began to study the sport of wrestling and found out what wrestling moves made a wrestler a winner and
what moves made him a loser.
As a junior, I moved up to the 120 pound class. I finished the season with a 21-4 record and won the
Conference, District, and Sectional titles and qualified for the State tournament in Champaign, Illinois.
During my senior year in 1961, I won my second Conference, District, and Sectional titles and
completed the season with a 31-2-1 record. The season was highlighted by winning the 127 pound
State championship. I also qualified for State in track that year, placing second at Sectionals in the pole
vault competition.
In 1962, I transferred from the University of Illinois to Eastern Illinois, where my older brother had
wrestled. I lost a year of eligibility, and in 1963, I won the IIAC Conference Title. As a junior at EIU,
I won another conference title and placed third at the NCAAII National Tournament. I finished the
season with a 14-1 record.
As a senior at EIU, I won my third IIAC Conference Title and finished with a 14-1-2 record. I lost only
one dual match at EIU. I was captain of the 1964 and 1965 teams. After college, I wrestled in AAU
meets in Chicago and placed second four times. In 1989, I was elected into the Athletic Hall of Fame
at Eastern Illinois University.
In 1967, I began my wrestling, coaching, and teaching career at Tinley Park High School. Tinley won
the conference title that year in 1968, and four boys qualified for the State Tournament. Tinley Park
had a boy place second at 120 and another placed fourth at 112 pounds.
In the 1968-1969 season, Tinley Park had its first wrestling State champion in Ken Gerdes. In the
1969-70 season, Tinley again won the Conference and District titles and sent four boys to State. Tinley
Park finished 3rd in State that season with all four boys placing, with one being a State champion.
In 1970, I began teaching and coaching wrestling at Dixon High School. Dixon finished with a 13-4
record with two boys qualifying for the State tournament and Jim Witzleb winning the State
championship as a heavyweight in 1971. Dixon would have another State champion in 1973 in Clyde
Ruffin at 132 lbs. Dixon had two undefeated State champions and three of my wrestlers would earn
high school All American awards.
In 1982, I began my fifteen year career as a wrestling official. My career was highlighted by
officiating the State Individual and Dual Team Championships. In 1994, I was elected into the IWCOA
Hall of Fame. From 1998 to 2008, I was the scorer at table 2 at the Individual State Wrestling
Tournaments in Champaign. From 1982 until the present, I have been the scorer at all the home
wrestling meets and tournaments at Dixon High School. In 2018, I was awarded a Lifetime Services
Award for dedication to the sport of wrestling by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials
Association. In 2022, I will be inducted into the Dixon High School Athletic Hall of Fame. 2021
marks my 64th year involved in Illinois Wrestling as a wrestler, coach, official, and scorer.
I married my Sandburg sweetheart in 1962, and we have three beautiful girls. Mindy Kaplan of
Riverwoods, Illinois, Veronica Lawless of Elmhurst, Illinois, and Lisa Copeland of Keller, Texas.