Thomas Lewis has developed into a leader for the Muskogee High School wrestling program.

Lewis started the 2022-23 season strong with a preseason championship at the Bixby Open in November. In the 165-pound weight class, he defeated Bixby’s Judah Ashley and Sand Springs’ Peyton Callis to reach the championship round where he ousted Cleveland’s Luke Johnson in a fall at 2:32.

“Thomas has stepped into a leadership role on our team,” said Muskogee head coach Chetan Munsell during the preseason. “He leads on and off the mat. Thomas has won the Bixby Open in the preseason and looks to take that momentum into the regular season for us. He is also interested in Sports Medicine and has taken classes at ICTC.”

Lewis has developed a unique style that sets him apart from his opponents. Unlike many wrestlers who model their game after a specific professional athlete, he focuses on what feels right to him.

One of Lewis’ favorite drills to do in training is the shark bait, which helps him to build his physical strength and endurance.

“My drive and determination, and my physical strength have improved the most throughout my high school career,” Lewis said. “I feel my season could’ve been better up to this point. I’ll work to fix that further on, but as a team I’d say we are doing alright considering most of the people on our team are new to the sport.”

Lewis enjoys any time that he can spend in the gym.

“What I love most about being a student-athlete at my school is being able to go into the gym just about anytime throughout the school day and how supportive all my teachers are. In my free time, I work out and watch a lot of anime.”