2013 All-American
2012 All-American
2010 Junior World Team member
2012-13: Finished season with a 27-8 overall record ... Notched his second All-America honor after placing a career-best fifth at the 2013 NCAA Championships ... Went 5-2 at NCAAs ... Placed a career-best second at the Big Ten Championships to automatically qualify for nationals ... Placed fifth at Midlands ... Finished second at the Northern Iowa Open ... Recorded 38 dual team points, the most of any Illini this season ... Pinned Maryland's Josh Snook in 12 seconds which was the fastest this year ... Academic All-Big Ten honoree ... Part of NWCA Division I All-Academic Team.
2011-12: Earned his first All-America honor after finishing eighth at the 2012 NCAA Championships ... Went 4-3 at the NCAA Championships ... Finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships to qualify automatically for the NCAA Championships ... Went 6-1 in Big Ten duals after being sidelined by a torn MCL on Nov. 20 against Lehigh ... Won the Loras Open ... Named an Academic All-Big Ten selection.
2010-11: Full-time starter at 165, compiling a 14-11 record ... Placed sixth at the Big Ten Championships, missing an automatic qualifier spot for the NCAA Championships by one place ... Went 6-2 in Big Ten duals, dropping one-point matches to No. 7 Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) and No. 11 Cody Yohn (Minnesota) ... Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
2009-10: Started at both 165 and 157 throughout the season, earning the most action at 165 ... Placed seventh at the Big Ten Championships with a 2-2 record, narrowly missing at automatic qualifier spot for the NCAA Championships ... Went 3-4 in Big Ten duals, 2-2 at 165 and 1-2 at 157 ... Wrestled at 157 from Dec. 29-Jan. 29, going 3-5 ... Went 14-10 at 165, including a win over No. 13 Donnie Jones (West Virginia) at the Sprawl and Brawl duals ... Pushed No. 7 Nick Marable (Missouri) to the limit in a 3-2 loss in the dual against the Tigers ... Scored bonus points in six matches, including a pair of pins ... Won the Junior World Team Trials at 74 KG/163 pounds in May, advancing to the Junior World Championships in Hungary.
2008-09: Redshirt season ... Went 1-1 at the Missouri Open ... Took fourth place at the Fila Junior Freestyle World Team Trials in May, going 2-2 in the 74 KG / 163 lbs bracket.
HIGH SCHOOL: Three-time IHSA Class AA state champion, winning the 135-pound title in 2006, the 140-pound crown in 2007 and the 160-pound championship in 2008 ... Defeated fellow Illini freshman Brian Reynolds in the 2008 state title match ... Earned a final No. 4 national ranking by W.I.N. Magazine in 2008 ... Named Illinois' 2008 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner ... Finished second at the 2007 Fargo Junior Nationals in the 152-pound freestyle class ... Led Sandburg to three straight IHSA Class AA team dual championships.
PERSONAL: Born on March 20, 1990 ... Parents are Mike and Sue Polz ... Majoring in kinesiology ... Older brother, Clinton, also wrestles for the Illini ... Father, Mike, coached both sons at Sandburg ... Lists Tiger Woods as his favorite athlete because of his mental toughness ... Eric Siebert was his Fighting Illini hero growing up.
Polz' career recordYear W L F Big Ten NCAA2009-10 17 15 2 7th DNP2010-11 14 11 2 6th2011-12 24 8 4 4th 8th2012-13 27 8 4 2nd 5thTotal 92 42 12
