Thus far, so good.
That’s the replace on Matt Maldonado, who was a freshman kicker final season for Wisconsin-Whitewater. I reported on Matt for our “Recruiting throughout a pandemic” undertaking story that we printed the final day of 2021.
Maldonado, a 2021 Yorkville graduate with one thing of a rags-to-riches story, had taken a leap of religion a couple of weeks earlier.
4 days after finishing a profitable freshman season for the NCAA Division III powerhouse, Maldonado entered the switch portal. He believes he has what it takes to kick on the Division I stage and needs to show it.
He'll get that probability after committing March 18 to a most popular walk-on provide from Murray State, a Soccer Championship Subdivision faculty in western Kentucky that competes within the Ohio Valley Convention however might be transferring to the Missouri Valley in 2023.
“I really feel competitors breeds success,” Maldonado stated. “I used to be one in every of eight kickers at Whitewater attempting out for the kicking jobs after I went there.”
Earlier than the season ended, Maldonado had received all three, dealing with discipline objective and point-after kicks, kickoffs and punts for the Warhawks (13-1), who got here up one wanting reaching the D-III nationwide championship recreation.
It was fairly a calendar yr for Maldonado, who had performed soccer by way of his sophomore yr in highschool earlier than switching to soccer.
As a junior, Maldonado was behind senior Cole Riebe, who later accepted a most popular walk-on provide at Toledo.
Maldonado began in his senior season, which was pushed again to the spring by the Illinois Excessive College Affiliation as a result of pandemic and shortened to 6 video games.
His solely roster provides have been from D-III colleges, which don’t provide athletic scholarships.
That’s necessary to Maldonado, who needs to assist his dad and mom financially since he has three youthful sisters who additionally need go to school.
It’s arduous to not pull for a younger man like Maldonado, who doesn’t draw back from competitors.
Murray State (6-5) counts returnees in all-conference senior Aaron Baum, who dealt with fields targets and PAT kicks final season; redshirt junior Lewis Halton, who dealt with punts; and redshirt sophomore Zaden Webber, who took care of kickoffs.
“The coaches informed me will probably be an equal enjoying discipline and will probably be as much as me and the opposite guys,” stated Maldonado, who additionally had a Division II provide from Minnesota State Moorhead. “Whoever they really feel can do the job finest will play.
“I didn’t switch to sit down again. My major focus is discipline objective and kickoffs, however the objective for me is to win any of the roles.”
Maldonado initially thought the method would go faster and he would have a proposal in time to begin the spring semester at his new faculty.
As an alternative, he’s taking lessons at Waubonsee Group Faculty that may switch with the programs he took at Wisconsin-Whitewater. He works out on his personal.
The 6-foot-2 Maldonado, who performed at 170 kilos in highschool, stated he's now “pushing 200, which I hope will me enhance my distance much more.”
Curiosity picked up after he had a robust exhibiting in late January in Dallas at a camp performed by nationally identified teacher Jamie Kohl for switch kickers and uncommitted highschool seniors.
“It was my first time in a airplane since I used to be 4,” Maldonado stated.
He ranked second among the many 120 kickers after the primary day and was amongst 12 finalists who superior to the second day, which was streamed reside on YouTube.
He completed seventh for the weekend.
Coaches from Georgia State, West Virginia and North Dakota State have been amongst a handful of colleges that contacted him after the camp, however when no provides popped up with the curiosity, he agreed to the provide from Murray State coach Dean Hood.
“Morehead felt a bit of too distant from residence and people winters up north are so chilly,” Maldonado stated. “Kentucky was 20 levels hotter than right here in Illinois after I visited, and the hotter it's, the higher it's for kicking.”
Hood’s background additionally helped sway him.
The Racers’ head coach will probably be in his third yr at Murray State. It was preceded by eight years as head coach at Ohio Valley rival Kentucky State, adopted by three seasons as particular groups coordinator/outdoors linebackers coach at Kentucky.
“It was actually good listening to that,” Maldonado stated. “Having a head coach with that particular groups background, I’m fairly certain he'll place an emphasis on it.”
And Maldonado hopes to work his solution to a task once more.
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