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The junior wrestler and team captain won the Central League Tournament with three consecutive pins at 114 pounds, finished second at the PIAA District 1 North tournament, then placed second at the PIAA Southeast Regional tournament as the No. 9 seed, defeating the top seed in the quarterfinals and the No. 4 seed in the semifinals. He won a match at the PIAA state tournament to finish 31-11 (with 16 pins) on the season. Radnor wrestling head coach Justin Schellenger said, “Jayden may have a laid-back demeanor but is fiercely competitive and laser-focused on his training. He has been the hardest worker inside our room and in the off-season. As a junior captain he led by example daily and shows immense care for his teammates while also pushing them to be their best.”
Q: What do you think was your best match of the season, and what was the biggest key to your success that day?
A: My best match of the season was my semifinal match at Regionals, beating Chase Sigle (of Downingtown West) 12-10 to punch my ticket to Hershey.
Q: What do you consider your biggest strength on the mat and what you are working on most currently?
A: I would say biggest strength is my toughness and speed in neutral. I’m currently working to get better at tilts from the top position.
Q: What is your favorite memory of the PIAA state tournament?
A: My favorite memory from that weekend was walking on the floor at the Giant Center for the first time and soaking in the moment because I finally made it to States.
Q: You won a match at States, defeating Remy Trach of Nazareth 5-4 in three overtimes on an ultimate tiebreaker. Tell us a little about the match and your key(s) to victory that day.
A: My key to success to make the state quarterfinals was overcoming adversity after a very questionable call at the end of the third period to send the match into OT. I shook it off and battled through three overtimes. It was awesome beating a Nazareth kid because of how prestigious their wrestling program is.
Q: Tell us a little about your start in wrestling. What originally sparked your interest in wrestling?
A: I got cut from the basketball team in middle school and didn’t just want to sit around the house so I decided to go out for the wrestling team. I’ve been wrestling year-round the past two years and put in the work to catch up to the other guys. It’s my work ethic that helped me excel this season.
Q: Who have been your most influential wrestling mentors, and what was the most important thing you learned from each of them?
A: I really have to give a shout out to Akahi Heywood who graduated from Radnor last year and took sixth place at Regionals. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today, so thanks Kai! I’ve been practicing with him every day for two straight years, and he molded me into the wrestler I am today.
Also Coach (Jordan) Fink. There have been so many things he’s helped me with through the years, whether it was school, personal life, or wrestling. It’s really too many things to list but I always know I can count on him to have my back in life. Coach Schell (Schellenger) has really pushed me the past three years to reach my fullest potential and I don’t think I’d have as much success in this sport if it wasn’t for him pushing me to succeed, so thanks Coach Schell! And I’d like to give a special shoutout to Chase Dilella, Kyle Tomczak, Evan Kim and Coach Rob (Christy).
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-match preparation the day of a match.
A: Stance and motion, music, hand-fighting…a wrestling warmup as old as time to get locked in!
Q: What is your favorite academic course at Radnor? What do you think you would like to major in at college?
A: My favorite class this year is chemistry with Mrs. LaMon. I’m thinking about going to college for business but haven’t made up my mind yet.
Fun facts – Jayden Lee
Favorite TV show: Spongebob & Monk.
Favorite movie: The Karate Kid.
Favorite athlete: Thomas Gilman.
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Times Like This by Meek Mill.
Favorite team: Penn State.
Favorite place to visit: “I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii.”
Favorite pre-meet meal: Dots Pretzels.
Person I most admire, and why: “My mom, she’s the best support system I could ask for. Thanks mom for always being there!”
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
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