Introducing our WXXV Student Athlete of the Week, St. Martin’s Makenzie Rocco!

If you think your schedule is busy, take a look at the schedule of this tri-sport athlete from St. Martin high school. Once her day at school is complete, Makenzie Rocco laces up the running shoes for cross country, heads back indoors for wrestling practice, and then finally ends her day at Hunter MMA learning jiu-jitsu. 

The dojo was her first home in the sports world, training for belts since she was 10 years old. Not only does it fuel her competitive side, but she enjoys the mentorship as well.

“My favorite part is learning and being able to teach younger kids to be better and how to defend themselves in the future in the world,” Rocco said.

Her jiu-jitsu journey doesn’t just stay at Hunter MMA, but she’s also received gold medals in Baton Rouge and the world competition in Fort Worth. Obviously very successful in the sport, the same skills and determination led her to the wrestling mat a few years later. Representing St. Martin and South Sip Wrestling Blub, Rocco is proud to show off her strength although she’s not the biggest.

“I think it’s good for really short girls and tiny girls to show that they’re not just little tiny people,” Rocco said. “They can be underdogs and a lot stronger than you think.”

If you take her strength and stamina and put her on a trail, you’ve got a really good cross country runner too! Throughout her time on the Yellow Jacket team, Rocco has learned to pace herself mentally and physically. 

“I like being able to learn how to pace myself, learn how to stay in shape, and it helps me with my cardio for wrestling and all my other sports, so I thought this would be a good sport for me to do well in all my other sports. I fell in love with it my first year and I’ve been doing it ever since,” said Rocco.

Participating in three sports, running 5K’s for fun on the weekend while also being a Girl Scout is no easy task. Rocco has learned many lessons in the process and is mature beyond her years.

“I put a lot of work into everything that I do,” Rocco said. “I’ve learned that there are some things you can push through even if you don’t want to, but you do need to listen to your body. You need to have a positive mind and a good mindset to keep on going.”

Throughout the many practices, meets, competitions, and duals, Rocco says what ultimately keeps her sane through it all is her faith and bible studies on campus.

“I’m thankful that I can go to Bible studies here and go to church and learn about God and know that He’s by my side no matter what. I am actually able to know that I am loved a lot more than I think, said Rocco.”

Rocco is loved and boy does she love her sports. Although she’s currently working on many goals, all eyes are set on this weekend as she competes in the cross country State Championship. Good luck to Makenzie and the rest of the Yellow Jacket team!