THE FRONT ROW with JIM LANDERS: Returning All-Americans Block, Tucker look to return NIC wrestling to the top

This column is an attempt to introduce the public to the North Idaho College wrestling team.

NIC has a very proud history of being the best junior college wrestling program in all of America. The current coaches and wrestlers are making good progress toward returning to being the best in the country.

Wrestlers know that he who works hardest and smartest becomes the best. Nothing about this journey is easy.

DYLAN BLOCK from Great Falls, Mont., returns this year for his sophomore season, hoping to be the starter at 174 pounds. 

His wrestling career started when he was 4 years old because his parents needed an outlet for his endless energy. Wrestling was a good fit for Dylan and he was able to become a starter for Great Falls High School his sophomore year. This culminated in making the Montana state finals and finishing second in the state. 

His junior year he finished third in the state tournament. His senior year Dylan again made it to the state finals, but again settled for second place.

Competing for NIC last year, Dylan placed fourth at the national tournament and therefore achieved All-American honors. All-American in wrestling means you finished in the top eight in the country. 

This is no small task. 

This year his goal is national champion. To accomplish this he is focusing on specific tasks at each practice. Besides improving his skill level he plans to be in better shape by doing lots of biking and spending time on the versa climber.

Winning a national title at junior college will be the ticket to a Division 1 scholarship that he wants in order to continue his criminal justice education that he is taking at NIC. He likes the outdoors and would welcome the opportunity of becoming a game warden.

COLTON TUCKER is a Coeur d' Alene High School product, I am proud to report, and the pride of Jeff and Kelly Moffat as he also achieved All-American status last year for NIC by achieving a sixth-place finish at the national tournament.

Colton is a product of the Buzzsaw kids program of Coeur d' Alene and started when he was 5 years old. His older brother beating him up helped him place third as a junior and win an Idaho state title as a senior. It will be interesting to watch his younger brother Chance Tucker progress as he starts his junior year at Coeur d' Alene High School.

Colton's goal is to also be a national champion for NIC. He feels his shape is not limiting him in achieving this goal but like his teammate, Dylan, he is going to concentrate on specific technique at each practice. Colton is not sure what he is going to do next year. 

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

    Colton Tucker