We Are… MD! A History of Mater Dei Wrestling

Description

We Are..MD! A History of Mater Dei Wrestling is a comprehensive look at the program that has gained state recognition year after year in this competitive high school sport. Mater Dei has a long tradition of producing top athletes to compete in this unique program that starts at the elementary level and fosters kids throughout their high school years.
Over 300 photos take you through the years of tradition.

The book is a large 8.5” x 11” coffee table edition, containing approximately 280 pages, with a deluxe hardbound cover and color dust jacket. High-gloss, double-coated paper is used for superior photo reproduction.

What people are saying about “We Are..MD!

I know personally how much dedication it takes to research and then write a book about local sports, and author John Johnson’s book, We Are…MD!, is a testament to his passion for Mater Dei wrestling.
In addition to detailed accounts of every one of the nearly 50 years of the program, John provides facts and figures about the feeder league, high school tournament results, records and awards. Whether you’re a Wildcat fan or just a fan who appreciates local sports, I would highly recommend Mr. Johnson’s book.

Ron Eaton – author of Local Legends: The Stories behind the Headlines and Local Legends II: The Stories Continue

I just finished up “We Are…MD! A History of Mater Dei Wrestling” and thought I would share my thoughts on it.

Evansville Mater Dei is one of Indiana wrestling’s storied programs, and for years, the most shrouded in mystery. I’ve done the Evansville Semi State rankings for too long to remember and I can recall when you could not get any information on Mater Dei. This book does a great job of pulling back the curtain and inviting the reader into the Mater Dei realm.

We Are MD! begins with a chronological, season-by-season history of its program. But it doesn’t just simply list wins, losses, and stats; it delves deeply into each season. Author John S. Johnson scoured 65 years of wrestling history and scored over 100 interviews with coaches and wrestlers.

One of my favorite stories comes from the 2002-2003 season. Sam Wildeman commented, after losing at the Cincinnati SWOWCA tournament, how he took it on the chin from his uncles and family members at a family gathering. He had to endure their comments about how they spent all the money on hotels, travel, and food only to see him get stuck!

Wildeman got his revenge as he proceeded on to win a state title that year, defeating a heavily favored Jimmy Schultz of Mishawaka in the semifinal at state. That is Mater Dei Wrestling.

I enjoyed reading the chapter from when I was in school, the 2003-2004 season. Due to work commitments I was unable to see the Maurer/Dolly match, considered by many to be the greatest state finals match of all time. The book brought that match to life.

At the end, there is a section about Mater Dei’s greatest dual matches. The 1999 Team State Finals comeback against Hobart is the greatest in IHSAA Team State history. What fun it was to relive that!

The book ends with the State, IHSAA All Sports and National records held by Mater Dei. Additionally, it provides a Mater Dei dream team, annual award winners, all time dual meet records, individual state performances, etc. This book leaves no stone unturned.

A fun nugget at the end of the book, is what I can only assume is a nod to the “Mater Dei Recruits” posters on Indianamat.com, is a list of Mater Dei Youth League Champions from 1983 to present day. Many familiar names are listed there.

This just isn’t a book for Mater Dei fans. This book is a must for any fan of Indiana Wrestling. If you are reading this post, chances are this book is for you. Johnson has done a great job bringing you only Mater Dei wrestling but Indiana’s tradition and growth in wrestling.

We are MD! is a great way to get in the wrestling mood for the upcoming season!

Triple B (Dustin Bentz, Madison Wrestling)