THE FRONT ROW with JIM LANDERS: NIC sophs Ballantyne, Sullivan look to continue progress on mat

Two returning sophomores are hoping to remain in the starting lineup for the North Idaho College wrestling team. 

Joe Sullivan and Parker Ballantyne will be a good yardstick for measuring the efficiency of the NIC coaching staff — how much will they improve in their second year competing for NIC if they continue to be starters.

PARKER BALLANTYNE was the starter last year at 141 pounds and plans to wrestle that same weight this year. 

Parker is from Saratoga Springs, Utah. He wrestled for Westlake High School after getting involved with the Westlake youth club when he was 10 years old. 

He joined along with his three-year-younger brother. Both boys took a liking to the sport and soon it was their main emphasis. 

Parker is sure his younger brother is going to be better than him because he constantly beat the heck out of him on a weekly basis. Younger brothers often benefit in this sport from older brother LOVE!

Parker placed fifth in state his first two years of high school, then fourth in state as a senior. 

A fifth-place finish at nationals last year was a big step up for him. He credits this to finally REALLY believing in himself and not letting the mental aspect hold him back when competing at the national tournament. 

He won his first two matches at nationals, then met the kid from Western Wyoming who had pinned him a month earlier in their first meeting. The match started out bad as the kid from Western Wyoming jumped out to a 7-0 lead with a takedown and near fall. 

This is where the believing kicked in. Parker started wrestling his match and took an 8-7 lead but lost the match in overtime 16-14. 

He met the same kid in the match for fifth-sixth place. After being pinned and beaten by this kid he pinned him in the first period to claim fifth place. 

Mental attitude cannot be underestimated in a wrestler's performance.

Parker is concentrating on improving his takedown skills, which he considers his weakest skill set. Riding he considers his strongest skill and escaping from bottom to be average. Confidently he knows his gas tank is full.

JOE SULLIVAN is the other returning sophomore that started last year at 157. 

He got started in wrestling at 6 years old when his father thought wrestling would teach him what hard work and discipline was. Joe noticed right away that wrestling practice was harder than playing football. 

He wanted to quit wrestling but that announcement made his mother, who had become a big fan, cry. That convinced Joe to keep working at wrestling.

At Maple Valley High in Washington he finished fifth as a senior, and had two second-place finishes prior to that. Maple Valley is assistant coach Cooper Thomas’s hometown, so we are not surprised that Joe is at NIC. He is taking business classes and history and would welcome a teaching career and coaching wrestling.

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

    Parker Ballantyne

    Joe Sullivan