The Times Athlete of the Week: Streator boys wrestling’s Aydan Radke

Forty-two ballots were cast for The Times Athlete of the Week, and after receiving 40 of those votes Streator boys wrestler and Woodland High School senior Aydan Radke won the vote for the honor on a ballot that also included runner-up Catalina Pacheco (Seneca girls wrestling), Dylan Long (Newark boys basketball) and Cooper Corder (Sandwich boys wrestling).

Weekly ballots go online Mondays and are accessible via Facebook (The Times Sports) and Twitter (@jtpedelty), with voting going through midday Wednesday.

Radke won the title at 215 pounds, going a perfect 3-0 with a first-period pin of Nazareth’s Samuel Swais for the championship at the Walther Christian Hoger/Tuomi Walther Invitational.

Here is sportswriter Brian Hoxsey’s Q&A with this week’s winner:

Do you have any nicknames?

Radke: I don’t have any nicknames currently, but in junior high my twin brother and I were called “Lil Rome” and “Big Rome”.

How old were you when you started wrestling, and what got you into the sport?

Radke: I attended one wrestling camp as a little kid, but then picked it back up as a sophomore in high school.

What do you enjoy about it?

Radke: Wrestling combines hard work and discipline with technical knowledge. To be a successful wrestler, you have to be a well-rounded athlete that takes the time to work hard at all parts of the sport.

You’re off to a strong start this season. What’s been working for you?

Radke: I think that practicing intensely has been the key to the season so far.

What goals do you have for yourself as the season continues?

Radke: I’d like to help our program grow and gain more membership, hopefully take home some more gold medals too!

What’s your favorite subject in school?

Radke: My favorite subject is mathematics. I’m currently taking calculus and enjoying it very much.

If you could sit down for dinner with 3 historical figures (dead or alive) who would they be and why for each?

Radke: Albert Einstein - He’s just one of the smartest people ever and I’d like to pick his brain on how he approaches problems. Ferdinand Magellan - I’m sure that he’d have some great stories about exploring. Plato - He’d be able to talk all about ancient Greece. He was also a wrestler so we might be able to have a match!

What’s the best Christmas present you’ve ever received?

Radke: The best Christmas present I ever received was at 10 years old when my brother and I were given an Xbox One. We grew up loving video games and playing together all the time because of it.

What’s one present you really hope to find under the tree this Christmas?

Radke: I didn’t have anything specific I wanted this time around, so maybe some books or clothes?

You and the team just scored a big victory and are going out to dinner to celebrate. Where are you going, and what are you ordering?

Radke: We’re probably going to Chix in Streator, and I’m ordering chicken tenders!

Is there something about you that people who only know you through sports might find surprising?

Radke: I put a heavy focus on school. I think that being a successful student is one of the most important things to me.

Do you have any college plans? Do they involve sports?

Radke: I’d like to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and play football there. I’m currently waiting on my decision to come back in March.