MadDog Wrestling Academy

Zachary has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called FG Syndrome. We started seeing signs of behavior problems with him about a year ago now. Our pediatrician recommended we take him to a therapist due to his bad temper tantrums (when things did not go his way he would lash out by spitting, biting, punching, kicking, pinching, and yelling "shut up idiot")....I felt so proud of my boy for being able to express himself so openly (hahaha). We thought at first that he had Oppositional Defiant Disorder....meaning in very basic terms that the child is much more oppositional and defiant to being told any type of order, and wants to be in constant control. My only problem with this was that as much as he was quite the little "terd" at times, when he was done with the tantrum, he would immediately turn it off and want his mommy. At this same time, Zach started pre-school. He did exhibit some of his more colorful expressions in class, but what I really became concerned with was his lack of real interest in the school setting, and his very apparent delay in learning. About a month into his therapy, we realized Zach does not have O.D.D. We were relieved yet his therapist was concerned with him falling a lot. I happened to question his awesome ability to find the smallest speck of dust and proceed to trip over it. There isn't anything as fearful or sad as watching your child playing, or even just walking and ...BOOM... down he goes...time and time again (his head took the brunt of the falls). Well, that led us back to our pediatrician for a complete neurological write-up. We were recommended to go and see a geneticist and a neurologist at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. I thought seeing a geneticist was frankly a waste of my time and I really had no interest in going except that one of my dearest friends is a nurse and was going to further her studies in genetics. I thought it would be interesting at that point to see what it's all about.....and that's where our lives changed forever. At the time I sent out the Christmas cards, we had been given a tentative diagnosis of Opitz G/BBB Syndrome from the geneticist (by the way==small plug for the hospital and our doctor...if you ever have to "visit" this hospital...it totally rocks!!!) And if you're in the market for a good geneticist==our original geneticist, Dr. Angle, is a very great doctor and awesome guy (Zach HATES doctors and everything they represent...Dr. Angle left the lab coat outside the door, and proceeded to engage Zach in "playing" to be able to examine him, and Zach let him). When the cards went out, I wasn't ready to open up yet....I guess we were both in shock...............Opitz G/BBB is a very rare genetic disorder that involves the physical midline to be off (imagine looking at a picture of yourself and drawing a line straight down the middle of it). His main symptoms involved separated eyes, ...a flat, broad nose, ..high mouth palate, ...double hernias, ...bulging stomach muscles, ...low muscle tone, ...he's very short with very big flat feet, and he must love Michael Jordan 'cuz that tongue is always at the tip of his mouth (hehehe)...and his behaviors were (are) quite severe with massive sensory integration (anything in relation to his senses is totally out of whack==a light grab will send him reeling, yet a gentle rub at times could calm him out of a bad temper (if handled correctly).... and with Zach EVERYTHING is based on his mood which gets difficult when you're not sure if he is sleeping well enough thru the night (due to his flat bridge and high mouth palate), we're guessing that his sinuses are all smashed and screwed up....hence-he constantly snores in his sleep, and has recently picked up a very loud breathing-habit when he inhales. He constantly bangs as if everything is a drum. He would suck on anything that had metal in it. He also has a very short fuse...a look could send him into a tantrum if he's in the mood to be angry. And when he decided to just be moody and "blow" his tantrums would last up to an hour with him chasing me around the house trying to hurt me (thru biting, pinching, kicking). Believe me, for a 4-year old, this kid could hurt you. Even with all my Tae-Bo, he was able to catch me (hahaha). As you can see, I still have my wierd humor..... Anyway, as time went on Zach was tested for and accepted in the Special Education Program for Early Intervention with children that have learning difficulties and/or delays. At the time he was tested, he was about 1.5 years behind where he should be (emotionally, socially, and educationally). This ended up being the absolute best thing for him. We pulled him out of his other pre-school due to his lack of real interest (and the teacher and I clashed over whether anything was truly wrong with him....as I grayed more and more with my stress, she would tell me he's just being a boy....). The day the little yellow bus came for him the first time, I felt so much relief that my baby boy was finally going to be taken care of properly, and I was so proud of him. He so happily got on the bus and waved bye-bye to me..he was on his way to his big boy new school.....and as the bus pulled away, I sobbed and sobbed over the true meaning of the "little yellow bus" (usually used for the special ed. children). That was my first realization in months that my baby boy was "special". God gave him to me for a reason, and I know I'm the best person to raise this beautiful yet challenging little boy that I totally adore and totally stress over. All of our testing began last December. Zach has been to a geneticist, psychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist, another geneticist (she sucked), and back and forth to his pediatrician multiple times since then. He's also had genetic testing done, an MRI, a sleep study, an EEG, and an EKG done. Our next plight is to see an ear, nose, & throat specialist, a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, and a neurologist. After that, I will be ready for my medical degree. Just a few weeks ago, we received word from Dr. Opitz himself (the main doctor who has "discovered" these syndromes) and he decided that what Zachary has follows the Opitz path, but that the FG Syndrome was much more exacting to his symptoms. The basic clinical description is as follows: ........"clinical features include constipation, delayed acquisition of speech and motor skills. Childhood is frequently dominated by severe behavior problems, in part response to communication difficulties but to a larger part to delayed sensory integration with overreaction to sensory stimulation including touch, sound, light, crowds, emotional pressure, temperature variations, and oral aversion to food textures (with tendency to "bolt" food and risk of aspiration and asphyxiation); overreactions occur in the form of severe temper tantrums and withdrawl. Frequent fascinations with mechanical objects and toys, tendency to self-absorption. Frequently diagnosed as "autistic" or as having Asperger Syndrome or "Pervasive Developmental Disorder". Mental retardation is rare - most affected boys and girls function in the normal range. Seizures are rare; spastic diplegia more common." - Dr. John Opitz................ *note* (Zach has the autistic-like symptoms with the drumming [banging] and constantly repeating the same question and answer over and over and over. He also has the spastic diplegia reactions [think of the 80's breakdancers when they would make their bodies do those wierd body movements simultaneously with both arms to their waists, then down their legs, feet, and toes.] That's pretty much what it looks like.) His physicalities are not that severe - a lot of the symptoms mirror the Opitz. Zach's therapist sums it up best, "this is a very challeging little boy that will give you many, many moments of grief and incredible stress...but he also is a good boy with lots of potential and love."

Dual Team Results (State Championships) 2002 State 2nd Place (Men's Division) 2000 State 6th Place (Senior Division) 1999 State Qualifiers (Senior Division) 1998 State Qualifiers (Senior Division) State Titles 2009 3rd Place (Midget Division) 2006 6th Place (Tot Division) 2000 7th Place (Senior Division) Sectional Titles 2000 1st Place (Senior Division) 1999 1st Place (Senior Division) 1998 1st Place (Senior Division) Regional Titles 2009 1st Place (Midget Division) 2008 3rd Place (Midget Division) 2006 1st Place (Senior Division) 2005 3rd Place (Bantam Division) 2005 3rd Place (Midget Division) 2005 3rd Place (Novice Division) 2005 4th Place (Senior Division) 2004 3rd Place (Novice Division) 2003 3rd Place (Senior Division) 2002 3rd Place (Senior Division) 2001 3rd Place (Senior Division) 2001 3rd Place (Novice Division) 2000 Overall Regional Champions 2000 1st Place (Senior Division) 2000 2nd Place (Novice Division) 1999 Overall Regional Champions 1999 1st Place (Senior Division) 1999 3rd Palce (Novice Division) 1999 3rd Palce (Junior Division) 1998 Overall Regional Champions 1998 1st Place (Senior Division) Tournament Titles 2008 1st Place Mineral Point 2007 2nd Place Cary Grove Matmen Open 2007 3rd Place St. Valentine's Day Massacre 2007 3rd Place Marengo "Cabin Fever" Open 2006 3rd Place St Valentine Massacre 2006 3rd Place Marengo "Cabin Fever" Open 2005 1st Place Shamrock Rumble IV 2005 2nd Place Marengo "Cabin Fever" Open 2005 3rd Place Predator Open 2005 5th Place St. Valentine's Massacre 2005 3rd Place MadDog Open 2004 3rd Place MadDog Open 2004 3rd Place Prairieville Open 2004 2nd Place Knights Open 2004 7th Place Bulldog Coliseum 2004 3rd Place Illinois Open 2004 3rd Place Tomcat Invite (10 & Under Division) 2004 3rd Place ChampFest Challenge 2003 2nd Place Prairieville Open 2003 2nd Place Gladiators Open 2003 5th Place Knights Open 2003 3rd Place Illinois Open 2003 7th Place Mustang Last Chance 2003 3rd Place AAU Illinois Challenge Championships 1998 2nd Place Wildcat Invite (Senior Division) 1998 1st Place Wildcat Invite (Novice Division)

All-Illinois Wrestlers

 

2012

Hazen Rice - IKWF Senior State Championships - 2nd Place

Troy Ott - IKWF Senior State Championships - 5th Place

2011

Troy Ott - IKWF State Championships - 4th Place

Troy Ott - IWAY State Championships - 1st Place

Ronan Schuelke - Bantam - 1st Place

Joe LaManna - IHSA - 6th Place

2010
Joey Bianchini - Midget - 3rd Place
Jackson Lingle - Midget - 3rd Place
Olijah Sally - Midget - 8th Place
Nolan Warner- Midget - 7th
Ronan Schuelke - Bantam - 3rd Place

2009
Hazen Rice - Midget - 1st Place
Robbie Seredi - Midget 1st Place
Tyler Robinson - Bantam - 2nd Place
Joey Bianchini - Midget - 3rd Place
Troy Ott - Midget - 4th Place
Zac Ciupka - Midget - 5th Place
Ronan Schuelke - Bantam - 5th Place
Zachery Nemec - Midget - 7th
Zachary Robinson - Bantam - 8th Place

2008
Hazen Rice - Midget - 1st Place
Tyler Robinson - Bantam - 2nd Place
Joey Bianchini - Bantam - 3rd Place - Midget - 8th Place
Zach Roeske - Bantam - 5th Place
Nolan Warner - Bantam - 6th Place
Eric Lovill - Novice - 7th Place
Troy Ott - Midget - 8th Place


2007
Troy Ott - Bantam - 1st Place
Hazen Rice - Bantam - 1st Place
Robert Fox - Midget - 2nd Place
Melissa Kempf - USGWA (IL) - 2nd Place
Hazen Rice - Midget - 3rd Place
Joey Bianchini - Bantam - 3rd Place
Zack Nemec - Bantam - 4th Place
Nolan Warner - Bantam - 4th Place
Alex Rader - Midget - 5th Place
Zach Roeske - Bantam - 5th Place
Issac Hurtado - Bantam - 6th Place
Jack Bornhofen - Midget - 7th Place
Tyler Robinson - Bantam - 7th Place
Joe Lamanna - Senior - 7th Place


2006
Kyle Peisker - Bantam - 1st Place
Hazen Rice - Bantam - 1st Place
Eric Lovill - Midget - 2nd Place
Melissa Kempf - USGWA (WI) - 3rd Place
Melissa Kempf - USGWA (IL) - 3rd Place
Zachary Hartwig - Bantam - 3rd Place
Danny Malik - Senior - 4th Place
Joey Bianchini - Bantam - 5th Place
Nolan Warner - Bantam - 6th Place
Adam Snow - IHSA - 6th Place
Zach Roeske - Bantam - 7th Place
Danny Sharizi - Midget - 8th Place
Zachery Nemec - Bantam - 8th Place

2005
Alex Rader - Bantam - 1st Place
Robert Fox - Bantam (South) - 1st Place
Adam Gleixner - Junior (greco-roman) - 2nd Place
Danny Malik - Novice - 2nd Place
Melissa Kempf - Girls - 2nd Place
Hazen Rice - Bantam - 2nd Place (OW Award)
Kyle Peisker - Bantam - 2nd Place
Robert Fox - Bantam - 2nd Place
Eric Lovill - Midget - 2nd Place
Sal Annoreno - Midget - 3rd Place
Adam Snow - IHSA - 4th Place
Ben Clifford - Midget - 4th Place
Adam Gleixner - Junior (freestyle) - 4th Place
Derek Weseen - Schoolboy (freestyle) - 4th Place
Troy Ott - Bantam - 5th Place
Robert Fox - Midget - 5th Place
Joe Patricelli - Schoolboy (greco-roman) - 5th Place
Cleo Walker - IHSA - 6th Place
Joe Bianchini - Bantam - 6th Place
Robert Rader- Midget - 6th Place
Chris Whitehead - Midget - 6th Place

2004
Cleo Walker - Cadet (greco-roman) - 1st Place
Joey Kubica - Novice (greco-roman) - 1st Place
Joshua Marchok - Novice (greco-roman) - 1st Place
Joshua Boggess - Midget (greco-roman) - 1st Place
Matt Boggess - Schoolboy (freestyle) - 1st Place
Brandon Glinski - Midget (freestyle) - 1st Place
Joshua Boggess - Midget (freestyle) - 1st Place
Max Nowry - Schoolboy (freestyle) - 2nd Place
Joey Kubica - Novice (freestyle) - 2nd Place
Joshua Marchok - Midget - 2nd Place
Andrew Tenner - Cadet (greco-roman) - 3rd Place
Jamie Schwarz - Junior (greco-roman) - 3rd Place
Jack Joyce - Schoolboy (freestyle) - 3rd Place
Robert Fox - Bantam - 3rd Place
Eric Lovill - Bantam - 3rd Place
Kyle Peisker - Tot - 3rd Place
Joe VanWetering - Junior (freestyle) - 4th Place
Cleo Walker - Cadet (freestyle) - 4th Place
Jonny Brennan - Schoolboy (freestyle) - 4th Place
Jeff Koepke - Novice (freestyle) - 4th Place
Danny Malik - Novice - 4th Place
Joe VanWetering - Junior (greco-roman) - 5th Place
Adam Snow - Cadet (freestyle) - 5th Place
Troy Olsen - Frosh/Soph - 5th Place
Jesse Gonzalez - Frosh/Soph - 5th Place
Anthony Taylor - Frosh/Soph - 5th Place
Adam Gleixner - Frosh/Soph - 5th Place
Sal Annoreno - Midget - 5th Place
Andrew Tenner - Cadet (freestyle) - 6th Place
Sal Annoreno - Midget (freestyle) - 6th Place

2003
David Pierce - Intermediate - 1st Place (men's division)
Brad Keil - College - 1st Place (men's division)
Derek Weseen - Novice - 1st Place (freestlye)
Sal Annoreno - Midget - 2nd Place (greco-roman)
Robert Fox - Bantam - 2nd Place
Joey Kubica - Bantam - 2nd Place (greco-roman)
Joshua Marchok - Junior - 3rd Place
Jesse Gonzalez - Cadet - 3rd Place (greco-roman)
Danny Malik - Junior - 4th Place
Adam Snow - Cadet - 4th Place (freestyle)

2002
David Pierce - Intermediate - 1st Place (men's division)
Adam Gleixner - Senior - 2nd Place
Jesse Gonzalez - Schoolboy - 2nd Place (freestyle)
Derek Weseen - Novice - 4th Place (freestyle)
Derek Weseen - Junior - 6th Place

2001
Joe Schaffer - Senior - 1st Place
Dante Williams - Novice - 2nd Place
Nick Schoenfeld - Novice - 2nd Place
Adam Gleixner - Senior - 3rd Place
Scott Bodizak - IHSA - 4th
Jesse Gonzalez - Novice - 5th Place
Tom Kaminski - Novice - 6th Place

2000
Dante Williams - Junior - 1st Place
Scott Bodizak - Frosh/Soph - 2nd Place
Thomas Johnson - Senior - 4th Place
Mike Thorpe - Senoir - 4th Place
Adam Gleixner - Novice - 4th Place
David Barbato - Senior - 5th Place
Andrew Eller - Senior - 5th Place

1999
Andrew Eller - Novice - 1st Place
Scott Bodizak - Frosh/Soph - 2nd Place
Sean Maher - Senior - 2nd Place
Dan Zingerle - Senior - 5th Place
Brian Rojas - Senior - 5th Place
Dante Williams - Junior - 5th Place
Corey Myers - Senior - 6th Place
Adam Gleixner - Novice - 6th Place

1998
Adam Sesso - Frosh/Soph - 1st Place
Brad Keil - Frosh/Soph - 1st Place
Scott Bodizak - Senior - 3rd Place
Joe Kierzek - Senior - 3rd Place
John Hydo - Senior - 3rd Place

Below is a list of Officials that have agreed to call the matches at the 2005 Winter Open: Jason Salley - Head Official Danielle Pastern Jack Wiesneth Ken Watkins Don Kush Tom Futris Mike Cummings Al Williams Tosca Adams Tim Sampey Matt Fruth Rick Spencer Jim Chaloupka Ray Winesburg Steve Winesburg Greg Brooks Sean Wetendorf Greg Hunt Samantha Gasca Eddie Idrizovic Mike Wilkey Dave Mathews Ron Boyko Brad Blanchette Fred Brach

Here is a list of the teams that have confirmed that they will be attending the MadDog Winter Open: *@MadDog Wrestling Academy (NC) - 50