Best athlete in state?
McKay's Gonzalez has blossomed into a star in three sports
May 22, 2009
At the state wrestling tournament in February, a colleague asked me if I thought Tony Gonzalez was the best athlete in the state.
I couldn't come up with anyone else quite like the 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior from McKay High School.
I could quote you all of his athletic accomplish-ments — the state record in the 400 relay, the six state placings in the 100 and 200 meters, the nearly 4,000 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns or so, or the two runner-up spots in state wrestling — but that would be the sportswriter in me.
But there is another side to the story.
Gonzalez, who has a knack for making good defenses look slow and ill-prepared, has signed a letter of intent to play running back at Western Oregon University.
And for a kid who has struggled academically to be headed to a four-year university shows you what athletics have done for him.
Sports have given Gonzalez the chance to grow in life.
When he was a freshman and for part of his sophomore year, Gonzalez was in such a shell that every time I interviewed him, the most I could get out of him was one or two words.
Now some of his coaches wish he wasn't quite so talkative.
He has described his philosophy on running with the football as, "You got to run like you robbed something and the cops are chasing you." He also has said other things that I can never quote in this newspaper (I did keep the mp3 files).
Sprague wrestling coach Kary Hadden has described Gonzalez as an "old school" three-sport athlete.
Wrestling has become more specialized in this day and age. The top wrestlers, such as Sprague's R.J. Pena and Brandon Griffin, regularly train and compete in the sport year-round.
Gonzalez picks up the sport for a few months a year and he gets a late start because of football.
His state wrestling championship match losses were to four-time state champion Alec Ortiz, and Sprague's Griffin, another potential four-time state champion.
That's impressive.
The only thing missing from his high school athletic resume is a state championship. Gonzalez has been close many times.
His last chance comes this weekend at the Class 6A track and field championships at Hayward Field in Eugene.
He was hurt part of this season, but he has the No. 2 mark in the 100 and the Royal Scots' 400 meter relay team is No. 2.
That means he's got a good shot.
Whether he does or not, I think I can answer the question posted in my opening paragraph.
Yes, Gonzalez is the best athlete in the state.
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6701
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