In the heart of the boy’s wrestling season, junior Landon Wigington has been a key member of the team, wrestling as the primary varsity starter for the 138 pound weight class. With his dedication and relentless drive to improve, his outstanding work ethic has helped him become one of the hardest workers on the roster. Whether it’s during grueling practices, or under the spotlight in matches, he brings focus and determination to every moment. As the season progresses, Wigington continues to lead by example, proving that success on the mat starts with commitment and heart.
Coming off of winter break, the season is roughly halfway through. With renewed energy and focus, Wigington hopes to finish the season strong, and push to qualify for the state tournament.
“Some personal goals for me are placing at districts, and then going on to qualify for state,” Wigington said. “With qualifying, I obviously hope to place at state as well.”
Wigington talked about how he balances the physical and mental demands of wrestling with school and other commitments.
“I try to stay in the right mental place when it comes to tournaments, and make sure my body is ready to go by rehabbing after practice, using our facilities here at Westside,” Wigington said. “By rehabbing, I feel better physically and that gives me more trust in my body’s capabilities.”
Wigington also talked about what advice he would give himself if he could talk to his younger self.
“I would tell myself to take club wrestling more seriously, and train harder during the offseason,” Wigington said. “Wrestling is more of a mental challenge than physical, so I would also tell him to just continue to work hard and the results will show. Motivation is the most important thing to being a successful athlete, and losing that will make everything harder.”
So far this season, Wigington has over 15 wins, and over seven pins. He also has won two matches by tech. As he aims to improve his record, he hopes to increase his personal momentum to help him qualify for state. The most important part of the season is near the end of it, which is metros.
As a freshman, Wigington worked hard to adjust to the challenges of high school wrestling. His JV coach, Darlondo Hill, played a big role in his growth, focusing on fundamentals and building his confidence. Now, as a junior, he looks back on that year as a turning point and credits Hill for helping him improve and become the wrestler that he is now.
Hill describes how Wigington grew and developed on JV.
“He came in hungry as a freshman, he was one of those kids always asking questions, and always working hard,” Hill said. “He worked extremely hard, not only in practices but also out of season, doing club and just exercising during the offseason And you can see that it paid off for him, with his toughness, and his performance on the mat.”
Hill also talked about the work ethic that Wigington brought to practices and meets as a freshman.
“He was always giving it his all, and always working during practices and matches. Sometimes with freshmen you had to worry about making sure they were always on task, but he wasn’t one of those kids,” Hill said. “He was always working, always grinding, and I think that’s what helped him turn into the wrestler that he is now.”
Coach Hill was asked was to describe Wigington in three words.
“Hardworker, gritty, and determined,” Hill said. “Like I said, he’s one of the hardest workers in the room. He is always trying to improve, and does everything he can to win a match.”
Wigington has proven to be a key wrestler for the team, and not only does he push himself to be better, he has continuously proven himself to be a leader, pushing others to continue to work hard and improve themselves. As he enters the final stretch of the season, he hopes to make the final push for state, and it starts with the Metro meet at Bellevue East. Districts meet in February.
This is the most critical time of the season for wrestlers, where months of preparation and dedication are put to the test. For Wigington, the stakes could not be higher, and he is determined to make a push to qualify for state, and finish on the podium.