Name: Josh Stenger

Grade: Sophomore

Sport(s) participating in: Wrestling

Places from the 2015 season: First place at regionals, first place at sectionals, second place at the FVC, sixth place at granite city tournament, third place at the Sycamore Invitational, and placed top eight at IHSA State

Question: How long have you been wrestling?

Answer: “I have been wrestling for six years. I just finished my sixth season.”

Question: Who/what got you to start wrestling?

Answer: “I started wrestling because my brother did it and I always looked up to him. I remember watching him wrestle when I was little and just thinking it was really cool and something I would want to try.”

Question: What is your training like (How many days a week for how many hours)?

Answer: “I train every day and the hours vary. During the season I train about two and a half hours a day and during the off season I train about two to three hours depending on the day.”

Question: Why do you wrestle?

Answer: “I wrestle because it’s something that I love to do and I think it’s fun. Also it’s something I am good at and it keeps me in shape.”

Question: How does it feel when you are preparing for a meet?

Answer: “Preparing for a meet is like any other practice. I work hard so that when the time comes to the meet I won’t have second thoughts about anything and won’t have nerves or worries.”

Question: What is your biggest accomplishment in your sport?

Answer: “The biggest accomplishment I’ve had in this sport was winning my first regional and sectional title in high school and placing at a national tournament.”

Question: What is your biggest challenge?

Answer: “My biggest challenge in this sport is staying motivate to be better. It’s too easy to just give up and say I don’t have to practice today or I can do it later. So my biggest challenge would be staying motivated and wanting to train to get better even when I really don’t want to.”

Question: What is the best advice you have ever received?

Answer: “The best advice I’ve been given in this sport is to let go of the nerves, forget about everything else and to wrestle the way I do, and not to be worried or discouraged” by who I’m wrestling no matter what they’ve done because anybody can beat anybody.”

Question: Who is your role model/hero?

Answer: “My role model would have to be my brother. He always works really hard with everything he does weather it’s school or wrestling he puts a lot of hard work and always encourages me to try my hardest and be the best I can be.”

Question: How do you plan on training for the next season?

Answer: “I have already started training for next season by training for freestyle and Greco state coming up. Also I am training for Fargo nationals. I plan on lifting, running, and practicing everyday to improve for next year.”

Question: Were you surprised that you won athlete of the buffalo wild wings athlete of the month? Why?

Answer: “I was really surprised that I won athlete of the month. When I looked at the list of previous kids who won it. There was a Woodstock North kid in it every time and there was a Woodstock North kid competing against me so I thought for sure he was going to win but at the same time I had a lot of support from friends and family who I knew were voting for me.”