Joe Stafford Heading to Air Force

[vaultmd]

From today's Sacramento Bee:

http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/125814.html

Del Oro's Stafford headed to Air Force
By John Parker - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Late winter and early spring are anxious times for high school seniors awaiting word on which colleges have accepted them.

But not for Joe Stafford.

The Del Oro senior wrestler already knows where he's going. And though he wasn't "accepted," that's just a matter of semantics. And Stafford is pleased with his destination.

The soft-spoken Loomis resident received his appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colo., three weeks ago.

"I was so excited," Stafford said. "It's (enjoyable) to look back at all that hard work and know I have everything I wanted."

To receive appointment to Air Force, potential cadets must go through a long, involved application process. Stafford had to write two essays and receive recommendations from two Del Oro teachers and a local politician in addition to securing a nomination from Rep. John Doolittle, R-Roseville.

"I had a few really late nights trying to get it all ready to go," Stafford said between matches in Saturday's Sac-Joaquin Section Division II Championships.

"They don't just look at academics or just at athletics. They look at the whole person."

Stafford won the Division II championship at 154 pounds with a dominant 17-3 victory over Nevada Union's Brett Shauffler. Stafford advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters tournament Friday and Saturday at Stockton Arena. With a top-two finish there, Stafford would qualify for the state championships.

Though he will wrestle for Air Force, Stafford said his ultimate goal is to graduate, attend flight school and become a fighter pilot.

"If you're there, it's the Air Force first," Stafford said of his college priorities.

That dream of being a fighter pilot was born when he was just 5 years old and given a flying lesson for Christmas. He says from that day on he has loved flight.

"It's not just about the stuff you see in movies," Stafford said. "It's something I've always shot for."

That's not to say he won't continue to love the sport in which he has competed for 10 years. In addition to being one of the best wrestlers at his weight in the area, Stafford has foresight.

He identified two key athletic factors that made Air Force attractive: The Falcons' coach is Joel Sharrat, a former college national champion and alumnus of the wrestling-made University of Iowa; and Colorado Springs is home to the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Stafford said that trying to balance his wrestling with a rigorous course schedule will be tough, but it's a challenge he's eager to meet.

"It'll be very difficult, but it's all about perseverance," Stafford said. "I know I can succeed."

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- It doesn't say anything about pole vaulting, but the Stafford's place is where my pit is and both Joe and his brother Jessie are vaulters.

[bvpv07]

Good for him!