After winning the 120-pound bracket at the 2023 Mat Classic tournament in February, Madisyn Erickson said she was overcome with emotion.
Erickson finished her season with the Tornados with a dominant record of 45 wins and just three losses, pinning her opponents 38 times throughout the season. The junior secured 81 takedowns and allowed just eight through the season.
“After I won the state championship, the emotion I felt didn’t feel real,” Erickson said. “It felt like all this pressure was lifted off my chest. It was an amazing feeling and I hope every finalist gets to experience a championship victory at least once.”
Due to her efforts, Erickson holds the record for most wins, pins and takedowns in a season for a Yelm girls wrestler. She’s also 82-7 in her Tornado career.
Her hard work throughout the season paid off on Feb. 18 at the Tacoma Dome when she defeated Reese Prescott of Moses Lake High School.
Leading up to the Mat Classic, Erickson’s preparation went up a notch both on and off the mat as she practiced defense and specifically escapes. She added that she kept her cardio up by running four miles a day.
“Once we entered the postseason, my preparation was studying my opponents, and doing what I needed to do to get that state title,” Erickson said. “My coaches believed in me and so did my teammates.”
Coach Amy Earley said Erickson’s path to a state championship title wasn’t easy.
“One of the tough things about Maddy is she’s in a tough weight class,” Earley said. “There’s a lot of tough girls.”
Going forward, Earley expects nothing but success for Erickson as she enters her senior campaign next season.
“I think she’s going to keep improving her craft and figuring out what she’s good at. The tough part about being a state champ is everyone is going to be watching her now,” Earley said. “Madisyn is going to have to work hard next year to keep that state title and I think she will, but she’s going to have a little bit of a target on her back.”
While Erickson is unsure of what weight class she will wrestle in next season, she does have high aspirations.
“I expect to still place in the top three at state and hopefully come out on top again,” Erickson said. “I’m curious to see how tough my competition is next year, but if I train like I did this year, I believe I can get the same result.”
Earley said Erickson brings a lot to the Yelm girls wrestling program, but two important qualities stand out the most. She said Erickson’s level of technical expertise and her love for competition are at the forefront.
“She has wrestled since she was 5 and she knows all the moves. She’s happy to show the moves, and the girls can watch her and see what it looks like when things are done properly,” Earley said. “A lot of these girls who have joined the program have never been to a wrestling match before. They’re out because they want to try something different. She sets a great example.”
Erickson served as one of the team’s captains during the 2022-23 season. Earley expects the state champion to continue to debut her strong leadership qualities next season.
“Maddy teaches these girls that if you want to have results, you have to put in the work. Not only mentally, but physically put in the work,” Earley said. “She’s also a really good teammate in the sense she helps them learn from their matches. She wants the team to win as much as herself.”
Erickson thanked her family and everyone who was by her side throughout her journey to becoming a state champion. She specifically thanked her parents Lacey and Adam Erickson for their support, as well as coaches Ben Hawk, Bryan Bartleson, Marty Plum and Earley for their guidance and belief in her.
