Jake Oster

Lockport/Elmhurst College

Wrestler

Known for his unorthodox wrestling style, Martin “Jake” Oster started his wrestling career when he was five

years old with the Lemont Bears Wrestling Club in the IKWF under legendary coach Jeff Festin. He was a part

of several successful Bears teams that placed in the IKWF State and Dual State Tournaments and he ultimately

placed 2nd in the 2001 IKWF State Tournament.

Jake wrestled at Lockport Township High School under IWCOA Hall of Famer Joe Williams and George

Brecheisen. Jake came into high school weighing 93 pounds and joined his oldest brother Josh on the varsity team

as the 103 pounder. Despite giving up a lot of weight, Jake found a lot of success his freshman year. He failed to

qualify for state, but won the IWCOA Fresh/Soph Tournament. Jake was a state qualifier as sophomore, but fell

short of the podium.

Jake’s junior season and particularly his 2004 IHSA AA Individual Finals has become one that is held up as a

moment no one in Assembly Hall would forget. At 112 pounds, the heavy favorite was Naperville North’s Nick

Fanthorpe, a returning undefeated state champion who is a 2025 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee. In their timeless

classic of a match, Jake came out on top by a score of 8-5 to finish 40-2. These two seemed to be on a collision

course for a rematch at the 2005 State Tournament until an injury at sectionals ended Jake’s season and high

school career with a record of 135-25, which was a career win record for the Porters when he graduated.

Jake wrestled in college under IWCOA Hall of Famer Steve Marianetti at Elmhurst College. During his time at

Elmhurst, Jake became the most decorated athlete in any sport to that point in Elmhurst history. Jake was a threetime CCIW Conference Champion and the CCIW Outstanding Wrestler in 2009. He was a four-time NCAA

Division III All-American at 125 pounds for the Bluejays, becoming the first at his school to do that. He placed

seventh in 2007, fifth in 2008, third in 2010, and became the school’s first National Champion in 2009 when he

won the 125 title to cap a 27-0 season. His career record at Elmhurst was 98-20. In addition to his wrestling

accomplishments, he was also a two-time NCAA Academic All-American. Jake, who was Elmhurst’s Male

Athlete of the Year in both 2009 and 2010, earned his degree in Physical Education and was inducted into the

Elmhurst University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jake started his coaching career at his Alma Mater, Lockport Township High School, as an assistant at first with

Joe Williams and then with his brother, Josh Oster. During his time coaching in Lockport he and Josh also started

the Lockport Jr. Porter Wrestling Club where he was the club’s first head coach. Jake got a full-time teaching

position in Yorkville as an Elementary PE teacher and became an assistant coach to Joe Fornell in the 2012-2013

season at Yorkville High School. The two switched roles when Jake became the Head Coach for the 2016-2017

season. As an assistant coach, Jake’s teams had a record of 104-43 and to date his record as a head coach is 153-

76. In Jake’s years as a high school coach, he has coached 60 State Qualifiers, 31 State Placers, and 5 State

Champions. He has also coached six Regional Championship Teams, 3 State Qualifying Teams, and has brought

home two team trophies, a 4th place finish in 2023 and a 2nd place finish in 2024.