MELHS SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Lott’s achievements go beyond sports

Article Source Written By: Scott Marion, smarion@edwpub.net

EDWARDSVILLE – Whether it’s pinning a wrestling opponent or acing a test, Metro-East Lutheran senior Timmy Lott has shown he can accomplish plenty on his own.

But whenever a teammate or classmate needs some help, Lott is ready to lend a hand.

“We’ve always had a kind, giving family and my aunt always did her best to make sure that I had the best education possible,” said Lott, who Lives in Centreville with his aunt, Eugeni Lott. “I can do what I want as long as I have good grades. She made sure that I had manners before going out anywhere.”

Lott, who wrestles at 220 pounds for MELHS, was also a four-year starter in football. This fall, he was an offensive and defensive lineman for the Metro football team, which posted a 5-5 record and hosted a playoff game during its first season in the Illinois 8-Man Football Association.

But Lott’s contributions to his school go beyond sports.

MELHS sponsors the Serve Awards, which are nominated by faculty members and voted on every two to three weeks. There are three categories – athletics, academics and service. Lott is a multiple winner of the athletics award but has also won several times in the service category.

“The service category is the hardest one to nail down because a lot of kids do things for service organizations and we never hear about it,” MELHS coach Tim Muther said. “But Timmy has won the service award because he has helped people with different projects just out of the goodness of his heart. He’s not in Kiwanis or FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) or any organization like that, but his individual effort has been noted.”

Lott appreciates receiving the awards, but for him, it’s not about getting recognition.

It’s about doing the right thing.

“For the athletic Serve Award, it’s making sure that you do your best and try to improve with every game you play,” Lott said. “For the service award, it’s about having a serving heart and trying to do all I can for people. If somebody is moving something in the hallway, I ask if I can help them move it.

“There’s a lady who always works in concessions and whenever she’s around, I want to help do whatever she needs. It’s been four years of that and kindness accumulates.”

Doing the right thing has always been important for Lott, who attended Katie Harper Wright Elementary School in East St. Louis for six years and went to Mason-Clark Middle School in East St. Louis for sixth grade.

Looking for a better learning environment, he moved to Unity Lutheran Christian Elementary School in East St. Louis for seventh and eighth grade.

“That kind of set me on the path to Metro-East Lutheran and I love the student body here,” Lott said. “There are a lot of people that make every day a fun day to be there.”

To Muther, Lott is a natural leader, even if his leadership style is low-key.

“He’s the captain of our wrestling team and he was also a captain for the football team,” Muther said. “He’s super quiet but he’s come out of his shell.”

On a wrestling team that has only seven wrestlers — half of the 14 weight classes – Lott provides plenty of points for the Knights, but also sets an example for younger teammates.

Lott wrestled his first two years at Metro but sat out his junior year to concentrate on conditioning for football, where he was an offensive and defensive lineman.

“The good thing about wrestling is that it’s a sport that is drilled into your head, so a lot of it came back pretty quickly,” Lott said. “If I had to do it over again, I would have wrestled last season.”

After graduating from MELHS next spring, Lott will be looking for the next challenge in his life.

That challenge could be joining the Marines.

“I’m looking at the military in general, but the Marines are the ones I’m leaning toward the most,” Lott said. “I like the extreme physicality and I’m very much into being on my feet and working. It’s not sedentary and you’re always doing something.”

Beyond the Marines, Lott’s career plans could include the field of biology.

“I’m interested in working with animals or something like that,” Lott said. “That’s a part of me that just kind of came out of nowhere.”

Athletically, Lott still has some unfinished business on the wrestling mat. He has been one of Metro’s most consistent performers, with a 15-5 record heading into this week.

A Class 1A state qualifier as a sophomore in 2018, Lott hopes to end his high school career by qualifying for the state meet.

“I want to be the most fluid, active wrestler I can possibly be,” Lott said. “I want to be technically sound and physically sound.”

Reach reporter Scott Marion at smarion@edwpub.net