J. DENNIS HASTERT OF ILLINOIS, FORMER WRESTLING COACH, ELECTED SPEAKER OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
 Congressman J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, a former high school wrestling coach and an active leader in the sport, was been elected as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives. He was elected by his fellow congressmen in the opening session of the 106th Congress today. 
 Hastert is a Republican representing the 14th Congressional District of Illinois, serving in his sixth term in office. He was the chief deputy majority whip in the last Congress. Hastert worked as a history teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School before seeking public office. 
 "I see myself as a person who throughout my career has listened to the people and tried to understand the issues they want to talk about. I try to bring people together; I see that as my role," Hastert told the Associated Press. "It's a very humbling experience. I'm just going to try to pull up every ounce of courage and strength... to do the best job I can." 
 The Speaker is the most powerful and respected individual in the House of Representatives. Another former wrestler also served as Speaker of the House, the late Carl Albert of Oklahoma. 
 "They do call me 'The Coach' on (Capitol) Hill, and I guess one of my roles is to put other people out there in the limelight, to get to be the star, and I think that's what we'll be able to do in this Congress," Hastert told the Associated Press. 
 The fact that Hastert coached a high school wrestling team is well documented; however, few of the stories have explained just how successful he was during his coaching career.  
 According to Illinois Wrestling Historian Ed Ewoldt, Hastert was one of the best coaches in the state during his tenure. Among his wrestling coaching achievements at Class A Yorkville High School included the 1976 State Champion team, three state runner-up teams (1974, 1977 and 1978) and the 1979 state third place team. 
 His teams won 14 Conference championships, six Regional championships and four Sectional championships, according to Ewoldt. In 1976, he was named Illinois high school wrestling Coach of the Year, and was inducted in the Illinois Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980. He also served as the Grand Marshall for the Illinois State Wrestling Championships in 1983. 
 Among Hastert's honors within the wrestling community was the 1996 Order of Merit award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He also received the 1995 Impact of the Year award from W.I.N. magazine. 
 Hastert competed in wrestling at Oswego High School, and went on to compete on the Wheaton College wrestling team.  
 He remains very active in wrestling, attending a number of major events such as the Midlands Championships, the NCAA Championships, the Dan Gable Classic and other tournaments. He has been a supporter of USA Wrestling, the national governing body of the sport.  
 Hastert has received praise from colleagues on both sides of the aisle. He is respected for his hard work and integrity, some of the values that he learned through his involvement in wrestling.  
 Consider these statements from his peers: 
 * "(Hastert) used to be a wrestling coach. I think Denny will coach and manage the team. I think he'll do that extremely effectively." - Representative James Talent, R-Mo. 
 * "How long has it been since anybody rose to that level in government without seeking it? What does that tell you about the guy? Doesn't it make you feel a little bit good about the guy." - Representative Glenn Poshard, D-Illinois. 
 * "Denny's a coach. He doesn't need to be a star, he makes stars, he makes winning teams. Right now, we don't need a lightning rod, we need a coach... He'll work with everybody." - Representative David L. Hobson, R-Ohio. 
 * "One of the reasons he has emerged is because he is a consensus kind of person. It would be great for Illinois." - Representative Danny Davis, D-Illinois. 
 * "He is just an all-around good, solid guy and a very skilled legislator. He's a down-to-earth, common sense guy who gets along with everyone and always keeps his word." - Governor-elect George Ryan - Illinois. 
 * "He has a way of working with people and working things out. We need someone to try to bring us together and get rid of the hostilities between the two parties," - Representative E. Clay Shaw, R-Fla. 
 Hastert remains close with many friends in the wrestling community. His success in Washington has not been a surprise to those who know him well. 
 "The theme that runs through this guy's life is he's always been pressed into leadership," said Tom Jarman, the athletic director and wrestling coach at Manchester College, to the Associate Press. Jarman has known Hastert since high school and was a wrestling teammate at Wheaton College.