CHAMPAIGN — Jim Heffernan made the 170-mile trip to Lake Forest and the Poeta Training Center about six years ago to watch then prospective recruit Eric Barone in a workout.
The Crystal Lake native would ultimately sign with Illinois wrestling, but that one particular trip ended up being a two-for-one recruiting stop for the Illini coach.
“I went up to watch Eric practice one time and started asking (now Illinois assistant Mike Poeta) questions about this other guy and it ended up being Emery,” Heffernan said.
As in now Illinois redshirt senior Emery Parker. The Warren Township grad, who earned All-American honors last season with a third-place finish at nationals, will finish his Illini career at the NCAA championships, which get underway today in Pittsburgh.