March 3, 2023
LANCASTER, Texas -- Continuing the academic and athletic excellence trend in Lancaster ISD, Lancaster High School boasts a new athletic achievement. Senior Jaden Machado is the 2023 UIL Wrestling state champion after winning the 138-pound weight class in February. This historic win makes Jaden the first wrestling state champion in Lancaster High School history.
“It is indescribable to be the first person from LHS to achieve this feat,” said Machado. “I feel pretty great, though. I worked hard, trained, and practiced, so it feels amazing for my preparation to lead to a gold medal.”
Machado joined Lancaster ISD as a seventh grader and has been on the LHS Varsity Wrestling team for four years. He is an excellent representation of a student-athlete with a 4.0 grade-point average. As a Lancaster Early College High School student, Machado will graduate with an associate's degree and a high school diploma in May. In addition to bringing home the gold, he’s also a four-time state qualifier, three-time state placer, two-time regional champion, and a two-time district champion.
Reflecting on his journey to victory, Machado says at one point, he lacked confidence when heading into his matches.
“But this year, I meditated and repeated mantras, so I was mentally ready to face my competitors.”
For the first tournaments of this season, Sands says Machado was coming in second place. So the two developed a plan to improve his performance and place him first.
“Once the plan was locked down, Jaden won his first tournament and didn’t lose any matches for the rest of the year,” Sands expressed.
Machado says the new approach this season was vital to his winning streak now that he has a state championship and gold medal. In addition, he has his eyes set on becoming a wrestling all-American. But for now, he’ll continue to train, work on bodybuilding, and perfect his technique as he finishes his senior year of high school. He has committed to PennWest Edinboro University and will continue his wrestling career.
The saying goes, ‘the journey is more important than the destination.’ But this time, the journey and the destination were extraordinary, and I could not be more proud of Jaden,” said Sands.
Machado says any aspiring wrestler aiming for the gold should practice and continue to work hard. Coach Sands shared similar sentiments, adding that Machado’s win has already positively impacted the wrestling team’s mentality.
“Jaden is a tone-setter, and he’s already inspired the team with his work ethic. He set a great example of what must be done to win at all levels. As a result, we will see more champions in the future.”
To celebrate Machado’s historic accomplishment, the Lancaster ISD Athletics Department hosted a special pizza party for the champion. He will also participate in a signing day ceremony on March 3 and be recognized by the Athletics Department during the Spring Game on May 17, 2023.
