Athlete of the Week: Whitney's Alex Maday takes home gold at Sierra Nevada Classic

The Whitney High wrestling team competed at the Sierra Nevada Classic in Reno last week where Anthony Berg and Alex Maday both received gold medals for the Wildcats. Maday is a sophomore who also competed on the team last season as a freshman where she qualified for the California Interscholastic Federation State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield. Now, as a sophomore, Maday is already 17-3 and defeated Gianna Sedlacek in the 138-pound weight class in the first-place match on Dec. 29. Gold Country Media asked Maday some questions and her answers follow. What is the best part about wrestling at Whitney High School? Maday: "I'd say the best part about wrestling at Whitney High School is the team aspect. I go to a lot of post-season tour tournaments but I don't always have a full team with me like I do during high school season. I've gotten really close with all of them, both the guys and the girls on the team. They make practices and tournaments so much more fun and motivate me to do better." How long have you been wrestling competitively and who/what is your biggest motivation? Maday: "I started really wrestling last year, my freshman year. I had a few weeks of previous experience from middle school but never competed. I started getting competitive and wrestling at a higher level after state last year, when I went to postseason tournaments like Reno Worlds, Freestyle State, and Fargo. I would say my biggest motivation is just wanting to get better and having big goals for myself." Did any family members play sports and if so, who and at what levels? Maday: "Both of my parents played sports throughout high school. My mom was a soccer player and my dad was a football, basketball and baseball player. He also went to college on a Division I football scholarship." You made it to state last season as a freshman. How have you used that as motivation to get back there again and improve upon last year's result? Maday: "After making it to state, I went 3-2 and fell just short of placing. That loss hurt but it also motivated me to make sure it didn't happen again. Instead of getting discouraged, I used it as a way to get better. Since then, I've been training constantly and trying to improve. That way, if I make it to state again, I'll win enough matches to place." You recently won the gold medal at the Sierra Nevada Classic. What are some of your biggest strengths in wrestling and what are some aspects you still need to work on? Maday: "I would say some of my biggest assets in wrestling are my aggression and strength. I've also improved a lot of my techniques, such as shooting. I still definitely need to work on confidence, especially when I'm wrestling tougher girls, as well as when I'm trying to hit certain moves. On top of that, I need more experience since I haven't been wrestling as long as many other girls I compete against." Have you ever been involved in other sports? Maday: "I've been involved in a lot of sports besides wrestling. Growing up I played soccer, basketball, football, martial arts and lacrosse. I recently quit soccer to focus more on wrestling. I also plan on doing track later this year." Do you have a favorite professional athlete? If so, who and why? Maday: "My favorite professional athlete is probably Tamyra Mensah-Stock. She is a huge inspiration and someone I really look up to." What is/has been your favorite class in school and why? Maday: "My favorite class in school has been sports medicine. We learn about topics such as sports psychology, first aid and treatment, injuries, kinesiology and nutrition. I find all of it very interesting and it's also helped me with sports." Who is your favorite musical artist/band? Maday: "My favorite musical artist is Brent Faiyaz or Daniel Caesar." Favorite restaurant and favorite food? Maday: "My favorite restaurant is PK Sushi and my favorite food is also sushi or Greek food." Outside of school and wrestling, what do you like to do in your free time? Maday: "Outside of school and wrestling, I enjoy going to the gym, hanging out with friends and walking my dogs." Is there a particular job you'd like to have someday? Maday: "I'm not sure yet exactly what I want to do when I'm older but doing something in the medical field sounds really appealing." If you had a piece of advice for other local athletes, what would you tell them? Maday: "One piece of advice I would give is to keep working hard and stay disciplined. You don't always have to be motivated or want to practice but showing up anyways is how you get better."