Liberty triple-sport senior athlete Chad Troxler was named a 2025 Jim Tyack Awards winner Tuesday morning at a ceremony at Hodel’s. The award is given annually to one outstanding male and one outstanding female high school senior athlete in Kern County.
The female award winner of the 68th annual award is Aspen Hacker from Kern Valley High School.
“It’s amazing because all my hard work has paid off,” Chad said of the award. “I definitely think winning is great.”
Chad Troxler was a football lineman for four years, a varsity wrestler for four, and threw the shot put and discus for three years as a Patriot. This year he became the first Patriot to medal at the California State Wrestling Tournament, placing fifth in the heavyweight division at the tournament in February. Furthermore, he earned more than 100 varsity wrestling wins in his four-year varsity wrestling career. In his junior year Chad was named an All-Area Wrestler, a League Champion and Most Outstanding Upper-Weight Wrestler. He was a team captain and MVP for the Patriots wrestling team this year. Chad was on the varsity football team as a sophomore when LHS won its first state championship. He was named to the All-League Football Second Team as a junior and to the All-League First Team in Football as a senior. He won the Jockey Club award as a senior.
Chad, who is 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, is the son of Becky and Chad Troxler, and his grandfather is Craig Troxler. Both his father and grandfather were high school and college wrestlers. “I appreciate my father and my grandfather for everything they’ve done. They’ve been great role models for me in life and in sports,” Chad said. “The support of my coaches, my father, and grandfather got me where I needed to be.”
Chad said he was grateful to former LHS Head Football Coach Bryan Nixon, current Head Football Coach Richie Bolin, wrestling Coach Paul Garcia, Offensive Lineman Coach Eric Smith and Track Coach Rod Chronister.
Bryan Nixon said, “Chad is an amazing young man. He is very passionate about his sports and works extremely hard. He continues to work on his craft in both football and wrestling, which was very evident in his play on the football field and on the wrestling mat. We are very proud of his honor as this year’s 2025 Tyack Award winner. He represents Liberty and his family extremely well and embodies all our PRIDE core values.”
LHS Head Football Coach Richie Bolin said, “Chad Troxler has shown throughout his time at Liberty what Patriot Pride is all about. He does things the right way, and I am glad it has paid off for him. I am really excited about his future, and am fortunate to have been a part of his journey.”
His wrestling coach spoke highly of Chad, as well. “What a hard-working kid,” Coach Paul Garcia said. “Chad, like many wrestlers I coach, is hard-working, strong-minded, and gives 110 percent. Whether it’s a success ending or a lesson learned, they are humble and gracious either way. Chad showed that on the mat, on the field, in the pit, in class, and amongst his peers.”
Chad started wrestling when he was 4 years old and started playing tackle football when he was in the first grade. He plans to go to Bakersfield College in the fall and hopes to get an offer to play center for a Division I college football team. “I’m looking forward to advancing in life, but high school is definitely going to stick with me,” he said.
The Tyack Awards are named for James F. Tyack, who lettered in football, basketball, and track and field at Kern County Union High School, now Bakersfield High School, in the late 1920s. He went to Bakersfield College in the 1930s where he did all four sports again before becoming a professional baseball player and then manager. After retiring from professional baseball, Tyack returned to Bakersfield to start a family business and in 1956 worked with the Superintendent Peter Bancroft at Sunset School District to start the first all-around athlete award. In 1978 the Tyack Award was extended to include female athletes. The award was given at Sunset School until 1989, and is now presented by The Jockey Club.