HOUSTON – Since stepping off the podium inside the Berry Center a year ago with a bronze medal draped around her neck, Madison Canales has not stopped working.
Foster wrestling coach Scott Kimball jokes with the sophomore that he is going to “steal her shoes so she can’t practice and get off the mat” because of the amount of work she puts in.
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All that work. The hours of practice, the hard work and dedication to the sport paid off for Canales on Saturday evening.
Five minutes into her title match, Canales, who was laying underneath Frisco’s Belen Rios pushed herself up to her knees, spun around and pinned Rios to the mat. After 30 seconds of having her pinned down, Canales heard the sound she had waited for for a year – the smack of the referees' right hand on the mat.
Madison Canales was officially a State Champion.
“I’ve been envisioning this moment for so long,” Canales, who was wearing Arizona State socks during her title match, said. “I’ve worked so hard for it. It was so cool to live out my dream.”
VYPE🎥: Heart of a Champion@Fosterwrestling sophomore @the_madicanales won her first-ever #UILState wrestling crown on Saturday with a pin. Relive the victory! #vypecampus
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) February 20, 2022
🎥: @jokoch09
(@lcisdathletics @LamarCISD @FosterHSNews @WrestlingTexas @UIL_AD @KPRC2RandyMc) pic.twitter.com/bQFeVOjHfi
FEATURE - CHIP ON HER SHOULDER: Grit, Fight Define Foster's Canales
After securing the first state title of her career at Foster, then ran and jumped into Kimball’s arms. The two embraced with Kimball patting her on the back.
“Great kid. Phenomenal work ethic,” Kimball said. “She deserves it more than any kid we’ve had.”
As Kimball sat Canales back down to the ground, the crowd around her parted and she made a b-line for her mother Kristin standing in the first row leaning over the rail. The two embraced with tears of joy flowing down their cheeks.
“I was like ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe it’,” Canales said about what she told her mother in the moment.
Kristin added: “I’m just so proud of her. She’s worked so hard for this. She goes to club. She’s dedicated to this sport. I knew she could do it.”
VYPE 🎥: All the emotion of a Champion!! @Fosterwrestling Madison Canales embraces her coach and then runs over and embraces her mother Kristyn after winning her first-ever title. #UILState @lcisdathletics @LamarCISD @FosterHSNews @coach_mcdowell @UIL_AD @KPRC2RandyMc @HTownHSS pic.twitter.com/4EvGb24xmp
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) February 20, 2022
With the win, Canales finishes her sophomore season with an overall record of 41-0 and the Class 5A-128-pound state champion.
At a school like Foster, which has a rich history in wrestling, Canales can now officially etch her name into the record books.
“I love being at Foster,” Canales said. “We have a really good history with wrestling and it’s just amazing to be among such great wrestlers and people.”