Tsirtsis Named TheMat.com Athlete of the Week

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John Fuller (TheMat.com)
02/25/2004


High school wrestler Alex Tsirtsis (Griffith, Ind.) has been named TheMat.com Athlete of the Week for the week of Feb. 17-23.    Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level. The announcement will be made each week on Wednesday.    Tsirtsis set a high school national record with his 236th win against no losses throughout his four-year career at Griffith High School with a win in the Indiana state finals on Saturday night. It was Tsirtsis' fourth state title.    Tsirtsis, who will continue his wrestling career with Iowa next year, finished 55-0 as a senior at 145 lbs. and won state titles at 119 pounds as a freshman, 130 pounds as a sophomore and 135 pounds last year.    "I set this goal back when I was 7 or 8 years old," Tsirtsis said. "Confidence is the big reason I was able to get this achievement. I've never really felt much pressure to attain it, except for maybe the first couple of matches of my freshman year. I've always had a lot of confidence in myself, and my goal is just to wrestle at 100 percent every time out."    Tsirtsis is Indiana's first undefeated four-time state champion since 1989, when Lance Ellis finished a perfect 177-0 career.    THEMAT.COM ATHLETES OF THE WEEK FOR 2004  February 17-23 - Alex Tsirtsis (Griffith, Ind.)  February 10-16 - Tyrone Lewis (El Reno, Okla.)  February 3-9 - Eric Larkin (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)  January 27-February 2 - Joe Williams (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids)  January 20-26 - Sara McMann (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)