Neff’s success on the mat

Matthew Neff, La Porte Wrestling senior, is stating his case of why he should be at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the wrestling State Finals.

Neff has been a varsity starter for the La Porte wrestling program since his sophomore and he has many accolades including qualifying for Semi-State twice, winning Regional and  Sectional, being an Academic All-State Honorable Mention, and most recently a DAC champion.

Neff started his wrestling career at Boston Middle School under head coach Jeremy Swank. This is where he found a passion for the sport and racked up many wins. He eventually took his talents to the high school level. 

“I feel my greatest accomplishment as an athlete is just seeing where I am now compared to what I was like in middle school when I started,” Neff said.

Athletes are made in the offseason, and this reigns true for this senior wrestler. Neff competed individually in many minor tournaments like the Penn Freestyle Rumble Classic, Al Perky  Classics and the Battle of the Baugo. He also competed in large tournaments such as the ISWA Folkstyle State Championship, ISWA Freestyle Championship, and the AAU Scholastic Duals. Neff competed in these tournaments on top of going to summer workouts and practices. 

“Matt’s work ethic is something I would like to make contagious at LPHS. He takes every day and makes it a challenge. Matt will overcome that challenge with hard work, blood, sweat, and tears,” Louis Kuzdas, head wrestling coach, said.

Not only is Neff a dominant wrestler, but he is also a leader off the mat for fellow teammates. 

“The way he works. He works harder than anyone else in the room. He pushes everyone else to work on and to be their best self,” Trae Anderson, wrestler, said.

After high school, Neff plans to go into the medical field and study to become a nurse and attain a bachelor’s degree so he can become a flight nurse. During this, he plans on continuing his wrestling career at the collegiate level.

 LPHS is fortunate to have Slicers that are as committed and determined as Matt Neff.