Coppell High School sophomore Madison Hartzell’s interest in wrestling sparked near the end of eighth grade. She then joined the program as a freshman on the JV team in the 145-pound class. Now competing at varsity level in the 140-pound class, Hartzell continues to develop her skills while balancing the demands of the sport and high school life.
What inspired you to start wrestling?
What inspired me was when the girls team came to Coppell Middle School West and did wrestling demos. They made it seem really fun and I was looking for a new sport to get into.
What is your most memorable meet experience?
The most memorable moment during a meet is seeing everyone on your team take a win or loss. Some wrestling moves are very memorable. Putting all your effort onto the mat and seeing what you can do is enough of a thing to remember.
How do you balance schoolwork and wrestling?
I balance schoolwork and wrestling by having a schedule for myself. After practice, I give myself a break then I look to see if I have anything due and get that done.
What is the biggest challenge with being a sophomore on varsity?
The biggest challenge is trying to keep up with people in higher grades, whether it be in practice or a meet. You can’t let that get to you though, you just have to learn from the experience that they have.
What impact has wrestling had on you?
Wrestling has impacted me physically and cognitively. My body has grown muscle since I have started that I never even thought about wanting. I am confident about more things, and I started to not care about others opinions when it has nothing to do with me. I will push myself to do harder things then I ever have so I can just show myself I am capable.
What is one moment you realized you had really improved?
There is not one moment in particular, but seeing change in the skills used in a practice or meet lets me know I have improved. As well as seeing gradual change in your body from continuous work.
What is something wrestling taught you that sticks with you outside of the sport?
Wrestling has taught me to not be easy on myself. You need to have the right mindset on and off the mat.
Describe a challenge you’ve faced during a match.
A challenge I have faced is having enough conditioning. I can get really tired in the last period of the match, but you have to train on that and push through. You have to have the right mindset to keep you going.
What advice would you give to younger wrestlers?
Some advice that I would give is that nothing is going to be handed to you and to put as much work in as you can, people can tell when you put you all into it, so don’t be the person who brings the team down. There is always more to learn so do not become cocky. There will always be someone better than you, and that is just most competition to train your best for.
What does being on the wrestling team mean to you?
It gives you a community of support because everyone wants to see not only them but the whole team to win. It gives you passion and something to look forward to see progress along one’s personal growth. Some of your teammates will end up being your best friends which is something to be grateful for.
Where do you want wrestling to take you in the future?
In the future, I am hoping to grow in my skill, and hopefully make it to state in the next three years I am here. I also want to continue to build the team we have.
Follow Chloe (@chl03sm1th_) and @SidekickSports on X.
