THE FRONT ROW with JIM LANDERS: NIC wrestling features the 'pacemaker' and the 'flying squirrel'

Two freshmen on this year's NIC wrestling team are homegrown talent. 

Colton Tucker, the 157-pounder, wrestled for Coeur d'Alene High School last year. He placed third in state his junior year for the Vikings, then topped that performance with a first-place finish as a senior. 

Colton is a product of the local Buzzsaw Wrestling Club, which coach Jeff Moffat has run for many years. 

Starting at 5 years old, Colton stuck with wrestling all the way through high school. Jacob Tucker, Colton's older brother by seven years who also wrestled for the Vikings, is who Colton credits with getting him started in wrestling.

Freshman Seth Martin, at 184 pounds, came to NIC from Post Falls High School. A perfect 53-0 record his senior year, capped by a pin in the state finals, made him a highly sought-after recruit. He had little choice but to join the Cardinals. 

Seth credits Mike Booth, who introduced him to wrestling through the Real Life kids program in Post Falls, for shaping his early career. Interestingly, Mike Booth is cousin with Derek Booth, the head coach at NIC. See, I told you he had no choice.

WRESTLING IS a unique sport in that many champions agree that 70% of success depends on mental attitude and the rest is in your head. 

You must compete with no regard for your opponent's ability and possess complete confidence that you will win. 

For Colton Tucker, this mindset crystallized during his junior year of high school. He realized he could set a relentless, fast pace in his matches and triumph by wearing his opponents out, both physically and mentally. His unwavering confidence and aggressive tempo continue to define his standout performances on the mat. 

We will henceforth refer to Colton as the “pacemaker.”

The junior year of high school for Seth Martin was also the year he began to believe in himself and his abilities. Wrestling free; let it fly unorthodox style of wrestling is what Seth thought made him his opponents’ worse nightmare. Hence, we will call him the flying squirrel.

This weekend, the NIC wrestling team, ranked 11th in the NJCAA, plays host to fifth-ranked Clackamas tonight at 7. NIC hosts the Cardinal Duals on Saturday, then competes in the Spokane Open on Sunday at The Podium.

The Pacemaker better be at full speed, and the Flying Squirrel had better be soaring high for these marquee matchups. 

Jim Landers is a longtime NIC wrestling supporter. Contact Jim at [email protected]