Wantage teen locked in on dream

WANTAGE — Thirteen-year-old Daniel Wask knows just what to do.
Five-to-six times a week, sometimes after a full day of school, he ventures into the cold, dark night to diligently pursue his dreams of wrestling internationally.
His dream day begins at 4 p.m. — in Titan Gymanstics of Sparta — where he works a solid hour on arm strength. Coach Nikki Mueller has worked with Wask individually for almost 2 1/2 years. Mueller explained, gymnastics is great for wrestling by giving balance and strength.
Wask effortlessly flips, works the rings, bars, and holds himself in the “human flag” position while holding onto a vertical pole, with body stretched out like a flag. Mueller explained some of the strongest people in the world can hold the “human flag” position for a maximum of around 40 seconds. Wask is working his way up.
After finishing the hour, dad — Danny Wask — encourages his son to complete 100 free weight reps with 135 lbs.
“I'm out of shape right now, because I just ended football," Wask said.
Next, Danny chauffeurs Wask to the Randolph Climbing Center, where he rock climbs for relaxation. While there, he scales new rock climbing paths, crawls up wall ladders with only his hands, and easily rock climbs to the top of the 30 ft. ceiling several times.
Mom checks in with Wask on the phone, between lifting weights and scaling walls, to make sure he is aware of an upcoming test. Wask also is an honor roll student.
Next, he and “dad” crunch through the snow over to Buxton Athletic Training Center in Randolph, where Daniel puts into practice all his hard work during a 7:30 p.m. wrestling class. Coach Mario Mason teaches a gym full of young men: holds, moves, and intelligent methods of evading the opponent's grasp.
Danny later explained, wrestling began when flag-football coaches frequently lifted Wask up off the ground during games. He asked, “Why do you keep picking my kid up?” They were looking for a 46-pound. wrestler.
Now, thanks to his parents, Wask is surrounded by some of the greatest in strength and wrestling training. During the summer, he works with Joe Carini — six-time “N.J's Strongest Man” — and through the wrestling seasons, Jeff Buxton — famous international wrestling coach — and staff. At the time of printing, Buxton was in Buku, Azerbaijan with the U.S. National Freestyle Team.
Already, Wask has won numerous state champ and national events in three types of wrestling: Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman.
Currently, Wask prepares for competitions in: Virginia Beach and Tulsa, Okla. However, his primary goal is to qualify and represent America in the “U.S.A. Wrestling Schoolboy Pan American Team,” which will compete in Santiago, Chile, August 2017.
In addition to his goals, Wask has a heart for others; he recently raised over $2,000 for cancer research. His best friend and wrestling mentor, Coach Jared Platt, died from cancer at the young age of 27, during January of this year.
Finally, all eyes will follow this friendly, focused, soft spoken young man as he works his way through the international arena.