Trib HSSN athletes of the week: Jefferson-Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale, California’s Bailey Vig

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | 8:45 PM

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Gavin Teasdale

School: Jefferson-Morgan

Sport: Wrestling

Class: Senior

Claim to fame: On Saturday, Jefferson-Morgan senior Gavin Teasdale became only the 28th wrestler to win four WPIAL Class 2A individual championships. He can now add to his impressive resume by winning his fourth titles at the Southwest Regionals this weekend at IUP and at the PIAA Class 2A championship in three weeks in Hershey. Teasdale, a Penn State recruit, made headlines over the holidays when he lost for the first time in his decorated career.

How did it feel to become only the 28th wrestler in WPIAL 2A history to win four district championships?

It felt good leaving on a good note. I worked hard for it.

Now you have the Southwest Regionals this week and the PIAA championships in a couple of weeks. You have won those events your first three years as well. Are you confident of more success going into those events?

I go into every tournament with the same attitude; I'm just going to go out and wrestle hard.

You lost for the first time in your career at the Powerade tournament in December. What did you learn from that and are you over it or does it still sting?

A loss does not matter. I just have to get better from it.

You originally committed to wrestle at Iowa, then you changed your mind and now you are headed to Penn State. What led to the change of heart and was it a tough decision in the end?

I made my decision a little too early. I feel that Penn State is the best fit for me. I was feeling it for a while before it became public.

How did you get interested in wrestling and at what age did you begin?

I started at age 10. I went to a school practice and then joined a club. I had some catching up to do. I have liked it ever since.

Are you a pro wrestling fan and if so, who are some of your favorites?

No, I don't really watch that stuff now, but I used to.

Have you watched any of the Winter Olympics and if so, what are some of your favorite events?

Some. It's entertaining. I've watched the skiing events.

Bailey Vig

School: California

Sport: Basketball

Class: Senior

Claim to fame: Last week, Bailey Vig was a model of consistency. She ended the regular season on Monday by scoring 24 points in a nine-point victory over Albert Gallatin. Then she ended the week on Saturday by pumping in 23 points in a first-round triumph over Washington, 50-40, in the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. Vig passed the 1,000-point milestone earlier this year and trails only Tammy Lincoski by 176 points on the California girls basketball all-time scoring list.

You started off the playoffs with a big night against a good Washington team. What do you have to say about your performance?

Going into Round 1 my team and I were ready to perform our best considering our next loss would be our last loss. We wanted to make sure we kept playing. Being that I am senior, I felt a great sense of responsibility to lead the team. With the help of my teammates we successfully accomplished our goal to reach the next round of the playoffs.

California finished 14-7 overall and one game behind co-champs Serra Catholic and Greensburg Central Catholic in Section 3-2A. Were you surprised the Trojans were placed in the 8-9 game when the brackets came out?

No we were not surprised with our seeding. There are many good teams in 2A. We knew if we didn't win the section, that we would be anywhere from a 7-10 seed.

Your team now plays top-seed Vincentian Academy in the quarterfinals, a round in which the Trojans have now been able to advance from in your career. Hope would it feel to pull off the upset Thursday and reach the Final Four?

It would be a really huge accomplishment because no one is really expecting us to win considering that Vincentian is the No. 1 seed. Our goal has always been to advance to the WPIAL finals and to do it my senior year would really mean a lot.

You are considered a leader on the court, but off as well. Do you consider yourself a natural when it comes to leadership, or is this something you've had to work on?

I am in a lot of leadership roles in school such as National Honor Society, Student Council and Interact Club. Those positions have helped me develop my skills to use on the basketball court.

You eclipsed 1,000 points in your career earlier this season and are the second-leading scorer in California girls basketball history. What do those accomplishments mean to you?

I wasn't really expecting to do as well as I did in my high school career. However, those doubts never stopped me from working hard in the offseason to achieve the goal. It felt great to have all my hard work throughout the years pay off.

What do you love to do outside of basketball that you wish you had more time for?

I have always had limited free time with the honors classes that I take, working and basketball. So I haven't really thought about that.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Can you rank your top five breakfast foods?

1. Toast and eggs. 2. Oatmeal. 3. Coco Puffs. 4. Waffles. 5. Fruity Pebbles.

Don Rebel is a TribLive High School Sports Network broadcaster and staff writer. Reach him at drebel@tribweb.com.

Tags: California, Jefferson-Morgan