THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Coeur d'Alene High senior Garrett Boyce thrives under pressure.

Whether that's stopping a shot on the soccer field for the Viking varsity program.

Or staring down a perfect game in bowling - he lives for that kind of stuff.

BOYCE RECENTLY threw a 716 series in the Coeur d'Alene youth bowling league at the Sunset Bowling Center.

"I was just throwing really well that day," Boyce said. "It was a good day and I was just on point."

His previous high series - a combination of three games - was 700.

He got into the sport with the encouragement of his father, Jimmie, who bowls in adult leagues in the area.

"It's just something me and my dad can do a lot," Boyce said. "It's a father-son thing that we do, and he's always there for most of my bowling tournaments."

His high game that day was a 256, with his highest score topping out at 280.

"I think it's a lot of mental stuff," Boyce said. "When you start throwing strikes, you start to get nervous and are trying to throw a strike every time."

His father Jimmie coaches him, but the two don't bowl together too often due to their busy schedules.

"He's at every tournament I go to," Boyce said. "But I'll usually go and practice by myself or with friends."

Boyce is was a two-year starter at goalkeeper for Coeur d'Alene High, which finished 12-3 this past season after being upset in the opening round of the 5A Region 1 tournament.

"There's definitely a balance between both sports," Boyce said. "You've got to be mentally strong to do both. You just need to focus and make your shots with bowling, and with soccer you've got to stay focused on where the ball is at all times."

Of the two sports, Boyce added that he likes soccer a little more, but enjoys playing both.

"With bowling, it's mostly about you and what you can do," Boyce said. "But with soccer, you're out with a team. And in some bowling tournaments, I enjoy being out there helping my team be successful."

Boyce, a 3.0 student, said he will likely move onto North Idaho College after graduation, majoring in either sports medicine or computer sciences.

AT THE end of the season, you want your top athletes at their best.

Some members of the Post Falls High wrestling team got a chance to face the best of the best in the state during the first Idaho All-Star Dual over the weekend at Centennial High in Boise.

Drake Foster, T.J. Wolf, Alius De La Rosa, Seth McLeod and Justin Farnsworth were selected to take part in the event. They didn't disappoint either, as all five earned wins.

"It was really cool to be a part of," Post Falls coach Pete Reardon said. "(Boise State assistant coach) Chris Owens and Pat Owens (Kuna High wrestling coach) worked real hard with the state to get it passed through. They're hoping to make it an annual event and where the kids really want to be a part of it."

Teams were made up of the top two wrestlers in each weight in all four state classifications, through rankings posted on idahowrestlingnews.com. From there, wrestlers were put on separate teams.

"They did a really nice job with it, gave the kids a plaque, singlet and warm-ups to keep," Reardon said. "It was really cool to be a part of and our guys knew how special it was to be part of an event like that."

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.