Meet Pascack Valley wrester and lacrosse player Nate Lewis
HILLSDALE, N.J. — At first glance, wrestling and lacrosse seemingly have nothing in common. Wrestling is a one-on-one, mano-a-mano sport that takes place in a ring. Meanwhile, lacrosse is played on a field with a ball, sticks, and goals. Wrestling and lacrosse do, in fact, have one thing in common. His name is Nate Lewis.
Nate is currently a senior at Pascack Valley High School (PVHS). During his time at PVHS, Nate has excelled in both sports. As an upperclassman, he鈥檚 also developed into a leader.
Wrestling
Nate says, 鈥淚 have been wrestling for a very long time now. I think I started in around 1st grade. Wrestling has helped make me the person I am today.鈥� Nate wrestles at 215 pounds. During his sophomore year, he wrestled in the regional tournament. In addition, the team won the league championship that same season.
Nate adds, 鈥淭he toughness that you build from wrestling is like nothing else. For about 2 hours a day, you and your drilling partner are beating up on each other. Then, you walk out of the room and do it all again tomorrow. You need to have a very strong mental fortitude to wrestle and be successful in the sport. I like the fact that the only person you can rely on is yourself. You are out there by yourself and whether you win or lose the only person responsible is you.鈥�
Lacrosse
Nate started playing lacrosse in 4th or 5th grade. He is a midfielder and attackman. He says, 鈥淭he speed of lacrosse is what interests me. I think the way a 5-point lead can go to being down by 1 in a matter of minutes is something you can鈥檛 really find in any other sport.鈥� The PVHS lacrosse team came up just short of winning the league during his sophomore year. He鈥檚 looking forward to the upcoming season, once the wrestling season is over.
Nate led the team in goals and points and was second in assists and was named 1st team all-league and honorable mention all-county. During the summer prior to high school, he played for the Under Armor All American New Jersey team.
Leading by Example
While the sports are very different, there is one trait that Nate brings with him to both sports鈥攍eadership. Nate says, 鈥淭o me, leadership means impacting the people around you in a positive way. Whether it is keeping your head down and working hard, leading by example, or teaching an underclassman something new. These are ways to be impactful with your teammates and help them.鈥�
Mom, Aline, says, 鈥淚 admire Nate鈥檚 positive attitude and his ability to flip what could be perceived as a negative situation into an opportunity to grow and learn.鈥�
Next Up for Nate
Nate has been accepted into more than 5 colleges thus far. In the coming weeks and months, he鈥檒l decide where to attend. He says, 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to have kept my grades up to A鈥檚 and B鈥檚, besides a couple of hiccups here and there where I struggled in certain classes.鈥�
Until Then
Nate loves spending time with his family, which includes brother (Casey), sister (Andrea), and mom and dad (Aline and Jeff). He is looking forward to the remainder of his senior year and graduating with his class. He鈥檒l continue being a part of the Zack Latteri Foundation. And in his down time, he says, 鈥淚 enjoy playing video games, watching Criminal Minds, and watching movies.鈥� Whether or not Nate is in season or not, he鈥檒l continue hitting the weight room. He adds, 鈥淎lthough recently I have not been lifting as much, it is something that I still love and has made a huge impact on my life.鈥�
We wish Nate good luck as he finishes his athletic and academic careers at PVHS and readies himself for the next chapter in his life.
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