Chase Whelan has his priorities straight.
"Don't get me wrong, my athletics are extremely important to me as well as the extracurricular activities I do," said Whelan. "When it comes down to it, my academics, my school, my school work comes before everything else."
You could understand if he mixed something up every now and then. Whelan is a three-sport star. Currently he is wrestling. The West Middlsex standout has earned four varsity letters on the mat and was named team captain this season.
"Seventy percent of it is mental and the other thirty, you know, is well, obviously, you have to have some physical ability with it but you never know what they're going to do coming out in the match against you," said Whelan. "You really have to get mentally prepared for it. When you're thinking about a move you're trying to think two moves ahead of the next guy."
When Whelan isn't pinning someone on the mat, he's usually hitting the books. He's ranked sixth in his class with a 3.9 grade point average. He also excels on the stage. He's president of the Drama Club and has scored multiple lead roles in school plays and musicals. Chase is National Honor Society vice president, Spanish Club vice president, and Drama Club president. He is a member of Student Council, Art Club, Students for Charity, S.A.D.D.
"There is a competitive drive with that just like anything else. You go out auditioning for a role," said Whelan. "You go out and prepare yourself for what you need to do to get where you want to be just like you go out and prepare for a big wrestling match or a big cross country meet."
For his preparation and his execution, too, Chase Whelan is our Student Athlete of the Week.
