MAHOMET – Ryan Berger had been in the stands at Huff Hall plenty of times before, taking in the sights and sounds of Illinois wrestling meets.

On Jan. 23, 1997, he experienced what it was like to wrestle at the historic UI building.

"It was neat," said Berger, recalling the excitement and big-time atmosphere of the night, when his typically powerful Mahomet-Seymour team mauled Monticello 53-22.

As Berger left the wrestling home of the Illini later that night, the high school junior couldn't help but wonder whether he might be back on the same mat someday in a UI uniform.

"I was hoping so," Berger said. "I knew the (Illinois) coaches were watching."

Berger need wonder no more. Earlier this month, Illini head coach Mark Johnson offered the two-time state champion a partial scholarship. On Monday, Berger returned a signed national letter of intent to Johnson's office.

An A student who also was accepted to Northwestern, Berger said his choice between two schools with lofty academic reputations came down to wrestling. In Illinois, he is joining a program that has finished in the top nine at the NCAA Championships three of the past four years.

"I just kept telling myself I wanted to be better in wrestling, and I needed workout partners that would push me – and beat up on me at first – in practice," the Bulldog senior said. "I knew the (wrestling) room was going to be much tougher at Illinois than at Northwestern."

"Probably the biggest thing with Ryan," Mahomet-Seymour coach Rob Porter said, "is he wants to be the very best athlete he can be. He has very high aspirations for college, and he felt Illinois was the place to go to meet those aspirations."

Berger, who plans to major in biology, becomes the second M-S wrestler in as many years to sign with the UI. His former Bulldog teammate, heavyweight John Lockhart, redshirted last season. Turns out Johnson wasn't the only one on the UI campus recruiting Berger.

"He wanted me to go to Illinois," Berger said of Lockhart. "He had a lot of good things to say, how he really liked it there and the guys were really tight and they had a lot of fun."

Although it's likely Berger also will redshirt his first year, Johnson said that's not set in stone. The UI coach is sure Berger is capable of handling any athletic or academic challenge that's thrown at him in college.

"He's very hard-working, a great student, very well liked," Johnson said. "And he's a great wrestler on top of that. You don't want want to pass up that type of talent and behavior.

"I think he's going to be good at the college level because he's good in all areas – good on top, good on his feet, has a great work ethic."

Berger finished his prep career with a 164-15 record, winning 86 of 89 matches the past two years. In his 44 victories as a senior, the 135-pounder yielded no points other than on escapes.

Berger is 1 of 3 wrestlers in Illinois prep history to win state titles in both Class A and AA. He captured a Class A crown as a junior while wrestling at 125 pounds. This year, with M-S a Class AA school, Berger again placed first.

Berger's likely weight class in college is 141, although his growth pattern suggests he might start out as high as 149 if he redshirts next season. A 103-pounder when he started his prep career, Berger moved up at least one weight class every season at M-S.

Each step up in weight was not a misstep. Berger was a a four-time state qualifier who never placed lower than third.

With Porter, who just completed his ninth season at M-S, Berger ranks second to none among wrestlers he's coached.

"I may have had other wrestlers who were stronger or faster," Porter said. "But as far as the complete wrestler, he's the best I've ever coached. He brought the whole package – strength, technique, mat smartness, the work ethic."

Others in fold

Berger is 1 of 3 prep wrestlers to have signed with the UI so far this spring, joining 185-pounder Nick Curby of LaGrange Lyons and 125-pounder Paris Fotos of East Moline. Curby placed fifth in the AA state meet this year.

Johnson's recruiting class also includes 152-pound state champion Matt Lackey of Moline, who committed last fall.