ANDREW MUCKIN

On Jan. 5, Tunkhannock Area’s Andrew Muckin finished in first place at the Wyoming Valley Conference Championship wrestling tournament held at Lake-Lehman. He defeated Pittston Area’s John Minich with a 9-8 decision in the final match of the 195-pound weight class to take home the gold medal.

For his accomplishment, Muckin has been named the Wyoming County Press Examiner’s Athlete of the Week.

Class, age, hometown…Senior, 18, Lake Winola.

Family…Gary, father; Margaret, mother; Brian, 14, brother.

Other sports I play… Football.

Athlete I admire… Ray Lewis, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens.

Favorite Movie… “Warrior.”

Favorite Food… Steak.

One word to describe me… Determined.

Three people I’d like to have dinner with… actor Tom Hardy; UFC fighter Randy Couture; my girlfriend Gabby Alguire.

Post-graduation plans… “I’m currently looking at attending either Dickinson College or Susquehanna University and playing football.”

Superstitions or rituals… “I make sure I get a good sweat going before each match and then I like to take a few minutes to relax and get mentally prepared.”

After missing last season with an injury, how does it feel to come back and make an impact early on in the season? “It feels nice. I broke my elbow in our last football game of the year last year, and I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to get the rust off coming into the season.”

Your final match at the tournament with Pittston’s Minich was close, how did you end up finishing it?  “I was up by four pretty late in the match and went to take him down, but he caught me and got me on my back to go up 8-7. He was pretty tough on top and I was getting tired, but I was able to get to my feet and get the reverse to win.”

How is the Tiger team dynamic this season? “The team dynamic is great. We have a ton of freshmen this year, and the older kids are setting a good example for the young guys.”

After Tunkhannock went two straight seasons without winning a conference meet, how does it feel to come out and start 2-0 on the season? “It’s been great. The morale in the wrestling room is high, and it just feels good to be able to come out and win.”

What is your main goal for your senior season with the Tigers? “I want to win as many matches as possible and advance to regionals. I’m going to wrestle hard and see where it takes me.”