Facing someone on the wrestling mat or breaking school records in running is Madi Mikels’ way of letting go and connecting with others. The decorated three-sport athlete believes hard work with intent goes a long way and must be ongoing to be the best version of herself.
Mikels has two main goals for the school year: achieve a high SAT score and improve her athletic performance. The junior at Portage High School multitasks wrestling, cross country, track and field, academics, and life. Mikels has been on varsity teams since freshman year, been to state for multiple sports, achieved All-American status in wrestling and set a 18 minutes, 46 seconds record in cross country. Despite her athletic accomplishments, she believes she has more to prove.
“I feel like last year, I underperformed a lot,” Mikels said. “I worked so hard, that shouldn't happen. This year I want to make a name for myself and do the things I know I can do and train for.”
Mickels began wrestling in middle school. Girls’ wrestling wasn’t popular at that time, so she had to wrestle on the co-ed team. The lack of space for the girls persisted into high school. They utilized the wrestling mats before the boys practiced or practiced on the sidelines. The addition of a girls’ wrestling room this year has been beneficial, but Mikels can thrive in the most unlikely of places to establish her place. She hopes to pass this confidence onto her teammates.
Being a team player who is present beyond herself comes naturally to Mikels. She was chosen to be a captain, for the first time in cross country and for the second time in wrestling, by her coaches and teammates for her reliability and hard work. Mikels is consistently present as a leader, especially for the newer girls on the wrestling team. Giving back to her teammates as a seasoned participant is important to her.
“With me being in the room with all these girls who are newer, it's giving them a look and a feel of who they're going to wrestle and teaching them new stuff,” Mikels said. “If there wasn't anybody who knew what they were doing other than the coaches, they would be practicing with the girls who are their level. With me being there, I can show them a lot more and get them ready for what they're going to do outside the practice room.”
Getting involved in the Portage community is made possible for Mikels through sports and clubs. The cross country team hosts camps for younger kids, with this year’s taking place at Woodland Park. The wrestling team brings in middle schoolers to watch practices. Mikels is also a part of the Health Occupations Students of America club. HOSA exposes students to the medical field in the classroom and workplace, allowing them to also gain clinical experiences at a hospital.
Giving to others while leaving space for oneself isn’t easy, but Mikels finds a way to strike a balance. She prides herself on her focus and ability to multitask, being able to juggle three sports and academics. Underperforming is not a punch of discouragement to Mikels, who utilizes the distasteful experience to improve and show her capabilities. Her father inspires her to reach her goals and pushes her to not give up on herself. Mikels hopes to continue using her drive to prove herself inwardly and outwardly.
“I work really hard and I'm always so focused on doing the best thing possible,” Mikels said. “I don't let things get in my way. If I’m underperforming, that makes me want to work harder and show the people that I'm not who I just showed.”