THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: A decision NIC’s Gregerson easily wrestled with

Things could have completely gone down a different road for North Idaho College sophomore Hunter Gregerson.

After graduation from University High in Spokane, his future appeared to be on a football field in South Dakota.

A few text messages later, his mind was made up.

GREGERSON ENDED up coming to NIC to wrestle in 2018, opting to turn down NAIA Dakota-Wesleyan, who wanted him to play linebacker on the football team.

“One of the old coaches, Keri (Stanley), kept bugging me about coming to wrestle,” Gregerson said. “Because I’d won Tri-State and he knew my coaches in high school, he’d text me every day until I decided to come here instead and wrestle.”

Gregerson beat Joey Gutierrez of Hermiston (Ore.) for the 2017 title at 195 pounds at Tri-State.

“I just decided right before the signing period ended to come here instead,” Gregerson said. “Once the (high school) wrestling season got over with, I didn’t think I’d want to wrestle again. But then I missed wrestling. Once I got the opportunity, I decided to come here. Coeur d’Alene, it’s a good area. Also, with a junior college, the class sizes are a little smaller, and I like that kind of stuff.”

If it wasn’t for wrestling, Gregerson’s path would have continued in football.

“It was the best thing for me to come to NIC,” Gregerson said. “But if I wasn’t wrestling, I’d probably be somewhere playing football.”

Gregerson was an all-state pick as a senior as a linebacker and running back.

“Sometimes when I watch football on TV, I miss it a little bit,” Gregerson said. “But once wrestling season gets here, I’m focused on wrestling.”

Gregerson finished eighth at nationals in 2019, earning All-American honors at 197 pounds. He’s the lone returning All-American for NIC from nationals last year.

Gregerson, who dropped to 184 this year, and the Cardinals look to qualify for nationals Sunday at the West District Championships in Coos Bay, Ore.

“It’s a lot of going into the tournament with the mindset that everyone is beatable,” Gregerson said. “The fact that if you’re willing to give it your all for those three to four matches it takes to be an All-American, you can beat a lot of kids. A lot of people, by that time, they just want their season to be done and over with. If you can get past that barrier, you can beat a lot of kids that aren’t as excited as you.”

Gregerson was third at 197 in the West District Championships at NIC in 2019. Gregerson was ranked fifth at 184 in the nation in the NJCAA individual rankings released in early February.

“Hunter has been a great leader for us,” first-year NIC coach Mike Sebaaly said. “He comes in every day and works hard, and really busts his butt. He’s a good example of hard work paying off. He’s stepped up to the plate and wrestled the toughest guys on the other team all season. We’ve had to move him around between 184 and 197. I’m really excited to see the end of his career here in the next couple of weeks, and helping him move onto the next level.”

Gregerson didn’t start wrestling until his seventh-grade year.

“My dad talked about wrestling when he was in high school, but he was a football guy,” Gregerson said. “I kind of fell in love with it and started to wrestle year-round, and it kind of became my main sport.”

And while he’s received some interest about continuing to wrestle next year, Gregerson is unsure if he will quite yet.

“I’ve been talking to some schools, but not that intense right now,” Gregerson said. “I might go wrestle on, or might finish here and go start a career.”

GREGERSON HAS led by example throughout his sophomore season with his sense of humor, according to Sebaaly.

“I feel like I try to look at the lighter side of things,” Gregerson said. “Even in serious situations, I can still joke around. But when it’s time to get serious, I’m all business. I always try to get my breathing right before the match. I’ll keep telling myself that I’m the best in the country and nobody can beat me.”

“There’s definitely a maturity process that he’s gone through,” Sebaaly said. “He’s grown up, and it’s good to see him being responsible with his school, showing up on time and holding others on the team accountable and doing things that he’s not necessarily good at. He’s not the best runner, but he’ll always run hard at practice or continue to work hard. He’ll do the little things, and if things aren’t going well, he’ll come in the next day and keep working to get better. He’s been a great leader and great in helping us set up a culture of doing the right thing.”

In the fall, in an effort to take advantage of the unique surroundings on campus, the wrestling team practiced on the beach near NIC one afternoon in early October.

“It was nice not to be in the wrestling room so early in the season,” Gregerson said. “We could enjoy the sun and weather at the beach while it’s good to be out there. It was really nice to not have to be inside the hot wrestling room for a change.”

“He’s got a great sense of humor,” Sebaaly said. “I enjoy being around, and coaching these kids. Hunter always has some great sarcastic comments. He’s always able to lighten the mood at the right time. He keeps it loose, but he’s focused and know what it takes to be successful. He was on the awards stand as an All-American last year, and this year, he’s dropped a weight class and done the things to get better and keep the focus on winning another national championship.”

NIC enters the West District Championships on Sunday at Southwestern Oregon Community College as the third-ranked team in the nation. The top three individuals in each weight class, as well as some wild cards, advance to the NJCAA Championship March 6-7 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

“We expect to get 10 through to nationals,” Gregerson said. “We’re expecting to get 10 All-Americans, and really don’t expect anything less at nationals. Coach Mike is really good about holding us accountable as athletes. He’ll always make sure you’re doing the right thing, whether you’re the superstar or the third-string guy. He’ll hold you to the same standard he holds everyone else.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.