From the moment Addison Tracy stepped off the Class 3A 140-pound championship mat as the runner-up last season at Mat Classic, he envisioned this ladder to a title: third place in 2007, second place in 2008 and first place in 2009.
“Going three, two, one,” the Bonney Lake senior said, “that’s been the plan since last year.”
Tracy, ranked No. 1 among all the state’s competitors in the 145-pound weight class by Washington Wrestling Report, is well on his way to finishing his plan.
At the South Puget Sound League 3A sub-regional last weekend, Tracy dominated his competition. He recorded pins of 52, 37 and 59 seconds in the first three rounds of the tournament before defeating Enumclaw’s Jacob Jokela, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, 9-1 in the final.
Tracy will carry his 33-0 record into the 3A Region II tournament on Saturday as the unrivaled favorite to win another individual title. Bonney Lake coach Tony Clarke says Tracy is on the path to claiming the state championship.
“He’s got a good shot at doing it,” Clarke said. “Addison stacks up well against everyone we’ve seen this year. If he stays focused and stays healthy, he’s got a good shot at winning state.”
Not bad for someone who only wrestles during the high school season.
Tracy competed at a national tournament two years ago, but since then, he has spent his offseasons working various jobs to earn money and in the gym. He’s received some of the best weightlifting training in the world from John Thrush, who coached U.S. Olympic weightlifter and Bonney Lake resident Melanie Roach.
“Addison is the kind of guy who spends his summers running and lifting weights and you don’t know anything about it,” Clarke said. “He just does his work and when the season comes, he’s totally in shape and ready to go. You don’t need to watch him to make sure he’s working.”
That kind of attitude has earned Tracy, one of three Bonney Lake captains, the respect of his teammates. At a recent practice, Clarke was preparing the mats in the wrestling room when the Panthers met near the weight room. Tracy told his teammates they needed to run laps and every one of the wrestlers took off in a sprint.
“Addison has always been a leader in the way he’s worked,” Clarke said. “But he’s become more of a vocal leader this season. He’s about as close to a coach as a kid can be.”
By Clarke’s count, Tracy has had one close match this season. He edged Kentwood’s Cody Quinn, ranked No. 3 in the state at 140 pounds, 6-5 at the Pacific Coast Championships in early January.
Tracy’s biggest competition at state will likely come from East Valley of Spokane junior Chris Tripplet, who placed second at 145 pounds last season. Tracy is no stranger to facing stiff competition at state.
He lost to Michael Mangrum, a three-time state champion, in the 2007 semifinals and fell to two-time champion Derek Garcia in the 2008 final.
On Saturday, Tracy will compete for a regional crown, but the ultimate destination is atop the podium at Mat Classic XXI.
“The goal,” he said, “is to win state.”
Begin the countdown: 3 … 2 … 1.
No comments:
Post a Comment