Helias' Loethen signs with No. Illinois

Ty Loethen of Helias (seated center) signs a letter of intent Wednesday morning to wrestle at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. Also seated are his parents Angela and Ryan Loethen. Standing (from left) are Helias assistant coach Tyler Brown, head coach Travis Reinsch and assistant coach Jeff Pickering.
Ty Loethen of Helias (seated center) signs a letter of intent Wednesday morning to wrestle at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. Also seated are his parents Angela and Ryan Loethen. Standing (from left) are Helias assistant coach Tyler Brown, head coach Travis Reinsch and assistant coach Jeff Pickering.

Ty Loethen has known for a long time what he wanted to do.

"It was the first grade," Loethen said. "It was the first week I started wrestling. I knew I wanted to do this, I wanted to go to the Olympics."

The Helias senior will take in the next step in his career after signing a letter of intent Wednesday morning to wrestle at Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Ill.

Loethen is the first Helias wrestler to sign a letter of intent with an NCAA Division I program.