By Derrick Smith

The work that an athlete must put in depends on how successful they want to be. If they want to be the best they can be, they must be willing to do more work and make more sacrifices than others. Jaxon Kolzow says that you must keep pushing yourself to reach your goals. “It has taken a lot for me to get where I am today,” Jaxon said. “There has been a lot of hard work and not giving up. Sometimes, when things get tough, giving up is the easy way out. But if you keep working at it, you will be able to break through.”

Kolzow is a senior at Salina Central High School, where he is a member of the football and baseball teams. On the gridiron, you will find him playing safety, while on the baseball field he plays shortstop.

Throughout his career, Jaxon has made some great memories and had a lot of accomplishments that he enjoys looking back on. But he says that there is one special victory that stands out as his favorite. “The highlight of my career was beating South during my sophomore year,” he said. “That was one of the most fun games that I have been a part of. It was a really great win, and I was glad to be able to share it with my teammates.”

Kolzow has had numerous people throughout his life that have impacted him and helped him become the player and person that he is today. “The biggest influences on my life have been my parents,” he said. “I see how hard they work for me and my sister to be able to provide everything we need. I would not be the person or athlete that I am today without them. Also, I think it’s important to know that my friends help me through everything and couldn’t ask for any better people to be around.”

As a student, Jaxon has sat through a lot of classes but says that there are two teachers that he considers his favorite. “I have two favorite teachers,” he said. “Ms. Werth is a teacher that has taught me a lot through high school and Mrs. Wentzel was my kindergarten teacher that always checks up on me.”