Thursday, November 15, 2018

SPECIAL SEASON BREWING ON THE MAT

By DILLON SULLIVAN

“I constantly push myself to do better than I did yesterday,” expressed Tom Maddox.  A senior at Washingtonville High School, Tom is one of the most accomplished athletes to grace the halls of WHS.  Some may even claim that he is one of the best athletes to ever come out of Washingtonville. This season, Tom has a chance to do something very special, something he has been working for his whole life: the chance to be a state champion. 

“My goal for this season is nothing short of a state title,” declared Maddox, a three time all-section wrestler. “Also, [I want] to get my 100th career win and, of course, be a great teammate who constantly pushes and supports my teammates to get better every day, so we can be one of the most improved teams in the section.”  Last season, Tom was one of the most dominant wrestlers in the section.  He had 21 pins, 4 tech falls and 4 majors.  For those unfamiliar with the sport, a pin is when a wrestler puts an opponent on his back ending the match early, while a tech fall is when a wrestler wins by 15 points.  A major is when one wins by 8 points.

DILLON SULLIVAN FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY
One of the biggest parts of Tom’s success is his self motivation and unmatched work ethic.  Each morning he reads a Bible verse to prepare himself for the day: “The pain that you’ve been feeling, can’t compare to the joy that is coming.” Along with that, Tom sets reminders on his phone to show up on his lock screen at different points in the day to constantly remind him of his goals and what he needs to do in order to accomplish them. 

Brandon Bobe, Washingtonville’s most recent section champion, voices, “Honestly, Tom is one of the very few people I’ve seen with a high level work ethic...” Having graduated in the class of 2017, Bobe was teammates with Tom for the 2016-17 season. “...I’ve personally seen him grow from a little kid into one of the best wrestlers in New York State, and it’s all because of his drive and work ethic.”

Behind every successful person is a support system. Tom’s biggest support system are his coaches and parents, but especially his parents.  Maddox claimed, “Without my Mom and Dad I don’t think I could do it.  They buy me the right things to eat, help me meal plan, as well as drive me around the country for national tournaments, and they help me find ways to get better.” 

Tom also has two coaches that he especially looks up to, one being Coach Lee, the head coach of the Washingtonville Varsity Wrestling team, “Coach Lee has shown me the mental side of wrestling, how to push myself, and he has always been a great role model to look up to. He has given me the ‘dominate all’ mindset,” voices Maddox.  The other is Coach Ricky Scott, the coach of Tom’s club wrestling team based out of Newburgh.  “My club coach Ricky Scott is a great influence in my life, as well as one who will help me with the process of getting ready to compete at a D1 school next year,” revealed Maddox.  With Tom’s talent and attitude in wrestling, it is very fortunate he has found such great mentors and supporters.

So far, all of Tom’s hard work has paid off.  This past week he committed to wrestle at the University of Buffalo, making him the first ever Division 1 wrestler to come out of Washingtonville.  “Honestly, it gives me more confidence and motivation to do better heading into this season,”  explained Maddox, “...it has taken a lot of stress off my mind and given me time to strictly focus on the business I need to take care of on the mat this season.” UB has given Tom scholarship incentives, with the state championship being the grand prize,  giving him just another reason to accomplish his mission.

Even with all that Tom has accomplished so far, he is far from finished. His motivation to become a state champion is unmatched, and it shows no signs of slowing down.  With all that said, good luck to Tom and the rest of the Varsity Wrestling team this season!

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