Loading your audio article
The freshman 126-pounder finished first at both the National Preps tourney at Lehigh University and at the PA Prep States tournament. At National Preps, O’Neill got two third period takedowns in both the semifinal (an 8-0 win) and championship final (a 4-0 victory). Ranked in the top seven in the United States at 126 pounds, O’Neill has had a stellar season, posting a 49-4 record (including 22 falls) and finishing second at Powerade tournament, and placing third at the Walsh Ironman, Beast of East and Escape the Rock tourneys. As an eighth-grader, O’Neill finished second at National Preps and PA Prep States. Malvern Prep wrestling head coach Nathan Lautar said, “Matt is one of the smartest wrestlers I’ve ever coached – he studies the sport like no other.”
Q: Matt, what is your favorite memory of the recent National Preps tournament? What was your toughest match of the tourney?
A: My favorite memory was when I got the takedown in the third period of the finals against Vincent Anello of Blair Academy – I knew I won the match (then). It was my toughest match of the tournament.
Q: What do you think was the key to your first-place finish?
A: I think the key was just being mentally straight. I knew I had worked the whole season for this moment.
Q: You’ve had quite an impressive season — what do you think has been your best match this season?
A: The National Prep finals, because it was just such an important match to me. I have been saying since the season started that I want to be a national prep champion. After every loss, I would think it was a learning step towards winning National Preps, so when National Preps came around, I needed to wrestle my best and find ways to win – that’s what I did in the finals.
Q: What do you consider your biggest strength on the mat and what you are working on most currently?
A: My biggest strength is my mat wrestling, especially my top wrestling. My biggest weakness is on my feet – I need to get better at hand fighting and taking shots.
Q: What is your strongest memory of last year’s National Preps, and what do you feel was the most important thing you learned at that tournament?
A: Making the National Preps finals as an 8th-grader brought me a great memory, and when I lost in the final my teammates were super supportive and reassured me that I have plenty of years ahead of me. The most important thing I learned was that I needed to do more, I needed to get better on my feet.
Q: Who have been your most influential wrestling mentors, and what was the most important thing you learned from each of them?
A: My biggest mentors are my coaches and wrestling partners. While I really like to pick up things other wrestlers are doing, and if I like something they do, I incorporate it, my coaches and (Malvern) teammates have taught me a lot. My (Malvern) coaches have pushed me to keep getting better, and reassure me that I can beat anyone if I wrestle well. My partners have taught me moves and motions that I would never have been able to come up with on my own, and always push me to become better.
Q: You’ve attended Malvern Prep since 6th grade. What originally attracted you to Malvern Prep?
A: What drew me to Malvern Prep were the coaches and community. At Malvern we are such a close team, and Malvern is a really good school with a beautiful campus. My favorite part of Malvern, though, is my teammates. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to bring a national prep title home to. They were just so happy for me and throughout the progress of the tournament kept telling me that I was going to win and nobody could hang with me.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-match preparation the day of a match.
A: Before wrestling I like to get a hard drill in, with electrolytes and some source of carbs and energy. Before the match I like to slap myself to get the blood going.
Q: What is your favorite academic course at Malvern Prep? Is there a particular career field that interests you at the present time?
A: My favorite courses are social entrepreneurship and business ethics. My favorite teacher at Malvern Prep is Mr. Z. I don’t know yet what I want to do when I am older but it probably will probably be something in business.
Fun facts – Matt O’Neill
Favorite book: Percy Jackson.
Favorite author: J.K. Rowling.
Favorite TV show: Stranger Things.
Favorite movie: “Any movie with Adam Sandler in it.”
Favorite athlete: Saquon Barkley.
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Dreams and Nightmares by Meek Mill.
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles.
Favorite place to visit: “Universal in Florida.”
Person I most admire, and why: “I admire my parents because of the unconditional love they give my siblings and me, and because of the (good) positions they put my siblings and me in.”
Siblings: older brother Nick, younger sister Scarlett.
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
To view a gallery of the previous Main Line Boys Athletes of the Week, click here
