Posted by By Georgia Schultz, Co-Editor in Chief
As the school year comes to a close, most seniors are finding it more and more difficult to focus on classes. Sports, homework, attendance; it all seems irrelevant as the graduating class begins the transition into the world. But Aidan Ifkovits is no ordinary senior. Both a track and field as well as football star, Aidan has worked harder than most to achieve his dreams of going pro; and as the college acceptance letters roll in, the student-athlete finds himself in a power 5 school over a thousand miles from home.
“I started participating in competitive sports in 5th grade,” Aidan Ifkovits said with a smile, recounting the unseriousness of childhood athletics that permeated through his youth. Between track and field, basketball, and football, Aidan was always busy with something or another, and that drive to stay busy only increased as he got to his high school years. Everyday, the senior was training, lifting in the wellness center, or something else that could really push him to excel. To Aidan, being the best became a lifestyle.
“I knew I was half decent from sophomore year, that maybe I had a potential future in it…” says Aidan about his main events shot put, weight throw, discus and hammer. “But I was still stuck on football.”
Aidan, playing two years on varsity football, quickly became a key member to the team, earning the Section 9 All Star title, and was nominated to the State Team.
“After my junior year, I really focused on [track and field though]. I started realizing this was something I could do,” Ifkovits recalls.
By senior year, Aidan is now ranked first in the nation for hammer, a deserved and unbelievable accomplishment for an athlete in the small town of New Paltz. But that is only one of many achievements in the trophy case that is Aidan Ifkovits’ high school sports career. Junior year, Aidan landed 4th in the state weight throw, and second for hammer. Sophomore year he was first in the state in the class of 2024 for discus, and fourth in his class nationally.
He has continued to break school records and crush his opponents for years during his time at New Paltz, and now Aidan is ready to take his determination and will to win over to The University of Tennessee, where he will compete as a Division I athlete in the hammer and weight throw. All his time training and competing is finally paying off.
Aidan recounts the hours dedicated to his sport; the effort, the concentration, often putting a social life on hold to improve. Not every athlete has what it takes to really go DI in a school like Tennessee, but then again, Aidan isn’t every high school athlete.
“It gives me structure, and brings me a lot of happiness,” Aidan says. “It gets in the way of some things but it’s okay because I enjoy doing it. I love the grind and the joy it brings me when I hit that big mark.”
He emphasizes the importance of determination, to really excel it has to be more than just a hobby. Every day is a chance to improve, it is all about the mindset you have for yourself; the expectations you carry and the goals you set. But just as much, you have to love what you are doing, or it’s all pointless.
“I always think to myself that I almost don’t deserve to be where I am today because I haven’t worked hard enough for it, but it’s the opposite;” explains Aidan. “My whole week is filled with practices, lifting, whatever It may be. I just enjoy that process.”
But at the end of the day, loving what you do and practicing is not enough. Aidan remembers the hours spent communicating with college coaches, reaching out, visiting schools. It was a tiresome yet worth it effort that will reap years of amazing memories as he plays the sports he loves at a collegiate level.
“Last fall I took a few official visits, whether it be driving a few hours or them flying me out. There they showed me around, brought me to a game, met with counselors and advisors…It was a fun experience,” says Ifkovits. “I like to say they kind of put on a show for you. It was really cool, going to parts of the country I hadn’t been before, and just meeting a lot of really good athletes you see on tv that you’d never think you could meet one day, or compete alongside.”
It was as if the world was opening up for Aidan. All the years of dreaming were becoming a reality–he could really go to a power 5 school, and play with athletes he had worshiped all his life.
“After that it was kind of a waiting game, talking about the right decision for me and for them. Then I would call the coach, and tell them I’m committing to the University of Tennessee”.
As impossible and far off it might seem, Aidan wanted to reinstate that with dedication, and a strong will to push yourself to be the best, anybody can accomplish their dream. Whether it be playing your sport at a professional level, discovering something unknown to the world, or any other goal you might set, the only real boundaries are those you give yourself.
“Be consistent.” Aidan recommends to anyone hoping to turn their dreams of going pro into a reality.” It doesn’t have to consume your whole life, but it is a big priority.”
Aidan Ifkovits, against the odds of a small town, has turned limited opportunities into something amazing. Through dedication, hard work, and a mindset to be the best, he has pushed himself to break records, and place at a national level. His accomplishments should be an inspiration to all athletes working hard to play in college, or pursue any dreams they might have.
“Everyone is exceptional at something,” finishes Aidan. “Just work hard, and find what it is that you love.”
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