June 9, 2011

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - University of Illinois assistant coach Jeremy Hunter, an NCAA champion in 2000 and four-time Pennsylvania state champion, will be one of 19 inductees into the Washington-Greene Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame on Friday. Hunter is one of only nine wrestlers in Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association history to win four state titles and he won the NCAA title at 125 pounds in 2000 while at Penn State.

Hunter has been an assistant coach at Illinois since 2001, serving as a volunteer assistant from 2001-08 before becoming an assistant coach in 2009. He has been instrumental in the success of All-Americans Mike Poeta (157 pounds), Jimmy Kennedy (133/141) and John Wise (HWT) as well as numerous other Fighting Illini wrestlers.

Hunter was a three-time All-American at Penn State, ending his career ranked third in school history with 62 dual-meet wins and 29 career pins. His 123 career victories were tied for fifth and his 14-5 NCAA Championships record ranked ninth in PSU history heading into the 2010-11 season.

He won a Big Ten title in 1999 and placed among the top three at the Big Ten Championships four times. He was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year in 2000 after his second-straight 33-1 season and was the conference's Rookie of the Year in 1997. He led the Nittany Lions in scoring for three straight seasons and posted a string of 41 consecutive dual-meet wins. Hunter won four PIAA titles, compiling a 172-2 high school record, and is the most recent athlete to capture four state titles.