BILLINGS — Makael Aguayo admits he's a night owl who struggles to fall asleep — and social media isn't helping.
"TikTok and Instagram, for sure. Makes it hard to go to sleep at night, just sitting there scrolling on my phone," Aguayo said with a big smile.
But scrolling through his accolades is enough to keep anybody awake.
In February, the Billings West wrestler became a four-time individual state champion, joining only 43 others in Montana history to achieve the feat. He closed his high school career on a 103-match winning streak and is the only wrestler in Montana history to pair four individual titles with four straight team championships.
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"A lot of friends and all my buddies … teachers, telling me congratulations. It was really cool," he recalled of his following week in school.
A USA Wrestling All-American, Aguayo recently signed with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits — a program whose coaches made a strong impression.
"Their coaches are so cool. They were probably top of the coaches that I've met," Aguayo said.
He'll also have a familiar face on campus. Former West teammate Drake Rhodes is now at South Dakota State after transferring from Iowa. Off the mat, Aguayo plans to major in business with an eye toward someday owning one, though he's keeping his options open.
"I still haven't figured out a specific thing that I want to do and business is kind of broad. So, I think being in those classes will kind of help me figure it out," he said.
June will bring a heavy workout month on campus in Brookings, S.D. — maybe enough to help him fall asleep a little quicker.
The Midland Roundtable athlete of the year awards banquet is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.
