Wadsworth Grizzly senior wrestler, Jaxon Joy, competed in the Suburban League Championship meet on January 27, 2024, and was the 150 weight class champion. This is only the beginning of his postseason run.
Joy has been a spotlight name in the Wadsworth wrestling world ever since his freshman year. His love for wrestling started at the young age of four and has continued to grow ever since.
“I’ve always enjoyed doing it,” Joy said. “I’m also a competitive person so once I started to be a little successful I really started to love it.”
Joy has many accolades as a young wrestler and was ranked, as of December 28, 2023, seventh in the nation in the 150 weight class. Every year so far of Joy’s High School career, he has advanced to the state dual finals. His freshman year, Joy experienced his first loss on the big stage.
“Jax lost a heartbreaker in the State Final his freshman year, which turned out to be a true blessing in disguise,” said Jason Joy, Jaxon’s father.
The years following this loss motivated Joy to work even harder. Joy participates in a lot of lifting and cardio in both the off-season and regular season. He also drives up to Western Reserve Academy once a week to wrestle their coach, who was an all-American in college. Pressure going into his second state championship attempt seemed as though not an issue for Joy.
“I look at pressure as a privilege,” Joy said. “I’m genuinely grateful for the people that want to see me lose, and my competition because that is what keeps me wanting to work harder when I’m training. But when it comes time to compete I don’t feel any pressure at all. I know that I have worked as hard as I can and am confident because of it.”
His work has paid off, as Joy is a two-time state champion and is working towards a third and final state appearance.
Aside from his wrestling career, Joy has a 4.0 GPA and takes both Advanced Placement and College Credit Plus courses.
Due to Joy’s work in both the classroom and on the wrestling mat, he has been able to earn a scholarship to Cornell University to continue his wrestling career and academics. Joy has big aspirations for his college career after he is done with his four years of wrestling for Cornell.
“I want to win an NCAA title for Cornell, and then after that, my goal is to win the Olympics,” said Joy.
Jaxon Joy has had many supporters and influential people alongside him throughout his wrestling career. One that specifically made a special impact among all others is his father, Jason Joy.
“I have had the best seat in the house,” said Jason Joy. “I have had the privilege of being with him for his entire career of 13+ years.”
Jason Joy has done countless things to help advance his son’s wrestling career and not only does he assist Jaxon Joy, but his teammates as well.
“He has sacrificed a lot for not just me, but a bunch of my teammates,” Jaxon Joy said. “He built a wrestling room above our garage so that me and my teammates had everything we needed. Seeing how he always thought of how to help others out and not just me, really inspires me to be selfless just like him.”
After Jaxon Joy moves on from Wadsworth wrestling and onto Cornell University, the program will look back on the elite skills Jaxon Joy possessed. Jason Joy describes his son’s legacy as one of hard work, dedication, and the desire to get better each day. Aside from wrestling though, Joy will be remembered for the kind of person he was off the mat.
“I hope that when people think of me they think that I was a good person,” Jaxon Joy said. “I would rather the kids look up to me as a person rather than just a wrestler. So hopefully I’ve been able to be a good example for them.”
On days that he isn’t perfecting his art of wrestling, Joy enjoys going to church, and other school sporting events, and playing video games with his friends. Even though Jaxon Joy is a big name in the high school wrestling world, he does not let it consume his whole high school experience.
Jaxon Joy will graduate high school being a seven-time All-American and possibly a three-time state champion, leaving his mark on a very competitive wrestling program.
