STATE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TOURNAMENTS: Ready for the whistle ... Post Falls senior Seguine eyes fourth straight title, Division I move

By JASON ELLIOTT 

Sports writer 

Post Falls High senior Rider Seguine isn’t afraid. 

Not of the work. 

Or where that leads him. 

All he really needs to do is believe that he’ll find a way. 

His love with the sport of wrestling started while watching his cousins, Braxton Mason and Bradley Mason, compete for the Trojans. 

“I’ve done this since I was a little kid,” Seguine said. “Both Braxton and Bradley really got me into it and I’ve stuck with it ever since. I’ve had great coaches that have helped me out since I was a little kid and I’ve just continued to work at it.” 

But seeing Braxton advance to the state finals in 2018 really drove it home for him. 

“He faced Roddy Romero (of Post Falls) in the finals as a junior,” Seguine said. “And I’ve been here for it ever since. Watching him, I really felt that I needed to be there someday.” 

Seguine, who enters the state 6A wrestling tournament 160-16, is looking to become the first four-time state champion at Post Falls, and third overall. The last was Ridge Lovett, currently wrestling at Nebraska, who capped a 169-0 career with his fourth in 2019. Alius De La Rosa won his fourth in 2016.

Wrestling at 138 pounds this season, Seguine is 45-4.

State in all classifications is Friday and Saturday at the ICCU Dome in Pocatello.

“Ridge’s senior year, he bumped up a weight in his final state tournament and I was there for that one too,” Seguine said. “It was a great environment watching him go for his fourth straight against a kid that was also competed for his fourth. It was a great thing to watch, and it drove me a lot to wrestling. It really showed me that if he wasn’t afraid of the competition, then why should I? It really helped me grow my love for the sport of wrestling watching him put it all out there.” 

Seguine won his previous state titles at 98, 106 and 120 pounds.

During his junior year, Seguine broke his left hand during the Tri-State Invitational at North Idaho College and missed almost two months. He returned on Feb. 1, 2024 against Coeur d’Alene. 

“That was a big injury for me,” Seguine said. “I wasn’t able to do much. I was just happy to make it back in time for the state tournament and everything else. It was great.” 

While he’s had some other injuries, they haven’t been to the extent where they kept him out of the lineup. 

“I’ve been pushing through the best I can right now,” Seguine said. “I’ve had to work through some injuries this year and continue to push myself. I’ve just had to tell my body that it’s going to be all right. It’s just a short-term thing, it’s only a little bit longer and keep pushing.” 

“It’s awesome to see him growing and getting better each day,” said Post Falls coach Jeremy Zender, who was an assistant for Post Falls before taking over this season for Pete Reardon, who is taking a one-year sabbatical. “He’s becoming a better leader and we can see him realizing what he needs to do to reach the goal of where he wants to be. Throughout time and experience, most wrestlers begin to figure things out, and he’s done that.” 

Seguine is seeded second in the 6A 138-pound bracket at state. Sean Hall of Thunder Ridge in Idaho Falls is the top seed. The two competed in the Tiger-Grizz Invitational in Idaho Falls in January at Skyline High, but never met at the tourney. Hall, who is 34-2, won the bracket, while Seguine lost in his semifinal and finished third. 

“I’m looking forward to that match at state,” Seguine said. “He’s been seeded above me and ranked above me all year. I’m just ready to get at it this week.” 

Because of his involvement with wrestling, Seguine's hobbies are limited to outdoor sports during the spring when time allows. 

“I enjoy fishing and hanging out with my friends,” Seguine said. “Really anything outdoors. I’m not much of a homebody and really enjoy spending time outside with my friends and family. I really don’t hunt because winter’s have mainly consisted of wrestling and doing a lot of stuff with friends.” 

Two of Seguine's teammates, Trey Smith (175 pounds) and Seth Martin (190), are also the top seeds in their respective weights at state this week. 

“Trey has had a really good season and Seth is 49-0,” Seguine said. “That’s a big thing and not easy to do. We went to Wisconsin and faced some really tough competition there.” 

Seguine added that seeing the success of Lovett has kept him on the right path as far as competing at the Division I level. 

“It definitely helps seeing Ridge and knowing that it’s not that big of a step,” Seguine said. “It’s big to go to college and everything like that, but it’s more realistic for me knowing that he grew up here, trained in this school with the same coaches. He went on to college and was in the national finals. So why can’t I?” 

Post Falls is seeking its first team title since 2020, when the Trojans won their third straight title, and fifth in six years.

Since then, Post Falls finished third in 2021, third in 2022, second in 2023 and second last year.

“It would be great,” Seguine said. “We haven’t won one since I’ve been on the team, and I think it would be amazing to do it with my friends and have all the freshmen, sophomores and juniors see that it’s doable. It’s all about perseverance.” 

After state, Seguine has recruiting visits scheduled with Cal Poly, Cal-State Bakersfield, Long Island University and Buffalo, as well as Northern Illinois and Tarleton State, which is in the process of moving up to the Division I level. 

Zender, who previously coached at North Idaho College, added that Seguine's love of the sport will help him translate to the next level. 

“Sometimes, kids are good athletes and wrestle for whatever reasons,” Zender said. “Their parents push them to get started in it, and they just want to finish it. But Rider just loves to be on the wrestling mat. To be successful at that next level, you’ve got to love to compete and love wrestling. And he has those two things, and I feel that can push him through there.” 

And once Seguine gets started, his motor never turns off. 

“Everyone likes to take breaks after state, but that’s really not for me,” Seguine said. “I’ve always enjoyed wrestling and think of it more as a hobby than a job, or something I have to do. I just enjoy getting in there and working during each match and practice. No, it’s not fun when you’re getting beat up. But knowing that you’re getting better each day helps a lot.”