Idaho is a state that seems to come up in discussion every now and again. The state has certainly produced some great wrestlers. North Idaho has for a long time & continues to provide the state's one and only collegiate opportunity. Boise State had a very good team at one time. Both Idaho & Idaho State had respectable programs as well. As to Idaho's four timers, most of them did continue wrestling beyond high school.
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| Monte Lish |
The state of Idaho didn't waste much time in producing their first four time state champion or their first to do it undefeated. The first state tournament was held in 1963 & by 1967 Monte Lish of Marsh Valley at 76-0 stood atop the award stand with his fourth title.
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| Chris Owens |
Also going undefeated during his high school career, Chris Owens at 123-0 won his four Idaho state titles for Idaho Falls between 85'-88'. I believe he may have wrestled in the NJCAA early on in his collegiate career but I know he finished up at Oklahoma State. A two time NCAA Division I All American, Owens placed 3rd in 1990 & 2nd in 1992.
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| Brett Lawrence |
A four time Idaho State champion from 93'-96' for Sandpoint, Brett Lawrence competed collegiately for Minnesota. A two time NCAA qualifier he was an All American his senior season of 2001 placing 8th.
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| Jared Lawrence |
Brother of Brett, Jared Lawrence also won four state titles for Sandpoint (95'-98') before going on to compete for Minnesota. A four time NCAA All American, Lawrence took back to back 6th place finishes in his freshman & sophomore seasons of 2000 & 2001. He then won the NCAA title as a junior in 2002, finishing as the NCAA runner-up in 2003. He was also a four time BIG 10 finalist, winning titles his sophomore and senior seasons.
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| Vance Beeson |
The late Vance Beeson was a four time Idaho State champ for Eagle from 02'-05'. Competing collegiately for Clackamas he was 4th at the 2008 NJCAA tournament.
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| Hayden Tuma |
A four time Idaho state champion for Centennial from 11'-14' to my understanding Hayden Tuma skipped the collegiate route to head straight into concentrating on his international career.
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| Alius Delarosa |
A four time Idaho State champion for Post Falls from 13'-16', I don't believe Alius Delarosa wrestled in college.
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| Mark Bittick |
Mark Bittick who won his four Idaho state titles for Middleton from 68'-71', competed collegiately for Boise State. He won the BIG SKY conference title in 1975.
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| Cordell Anderson |
Winning four titles for Preston from 77'-80', Cordell Anderson competed collegiately for Utah State. he was a two time All American taking back to back 6th place finishes in 1985 & 1986.
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| Jeff McKinlay |
This one remains a bit of a mystery. Jeff McKinlay won four Idaho State titles for Sugar-Salem from 90'-93'. I think he may have competed for Ricks College which is now known as Brigham Young-Idaho.
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| Tony Price |
To my knowledge Tony Price who won four Idaho State titles for Sugar-Salem from 94'-97' did not wrestle in college.
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| Clint Wolfley |
Winning four Idaho state titles for Snake River, Clint Wolfley competed collegiately for Boise State.
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| Jeremy Ensley |
During high school Jeremy Ensley won four Idaho titles for Homedale from 03'-06'. He began his collegiate career at Northwest Community College where he finished 5th in the NJCAA in 2007, making the NJCAA finals in 2008. He finished up his career at Colorado-Mesa.
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| Shawn Jones |
We often talk about brothers in the sport of wrestling as well as fathers and sons, how about a cousin? Cousin to Clint Wolfley, Shawn Jones won his four Idaho State titles for Snake River from 03'-06'. Collegiately he competed for both Boise State & Arizona State.
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| V.J. Giulio |
Winning four Idaho State titles for American Falls from 08'-11', V.J. Giulio began his collegiate career at North Idaho. Taking 3rd place All American honors at the 2013 NJCAA tournament, he was crowned NJCAA champion in 2014. He then continued his career at St Cloud State where he took back to back 5th place finishes at the Regional tournament.
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| Treyton Nilsson |
I know that Treyton Nilsson a four time Idaho State champ for Snake River (12'-15') signed with Chadron State, but I'm not sure if he ever competed there or not.
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| Sammy Eckhart |
Winning four Idaho State titles for Fruitland between 14'-17', Sammy Eckhart began his collegiate career at Northeast Junior College where he was a NJCAA qualifier. He finished up at Eastern Oregon.
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| Lex Case |
Winning four Idaho State titles for North Fremont from 97'-00', I don't believe that Lex Case ever wrestled in college.
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| Jordan Johns |
A four time Idaho State champion for Aberdeen from 00'-03', I don't believe that Jordan Johns ever wrestled in college.
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| Raymond Evans |
Raymond Evans was a four time Idaho State champion for New Plymouth from 09'-12'. In college he started off at Clackamas before finishing up his career at Grand View.
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| Jared Johnshoy |
A four time Idaho State champion for Melba from 10'-13', Jared Johnshoy started off his collegiate career for Boise State. Forced to find a new home with the discontinuation of Bronco wrestling, he finished up at Colorado Mesa.
A four time Idaho State champion for Kuna from 11'-14', Michael Cook is yet another Idaho standout who was forced to find a new home due to the discontinuation of wrestling at Boise State. He wrestled his last seasons as Maryville.
A four time Idaho State champion for Columbia from 11'-14', I don't believe Tristian Jarboe wrestled in college.
Levi Perry won his four Idaho State titles from 13'-16' for Kuna. Collegiately he began his career at North Idaho where he was 3rd at the NJCAA's in 2017 before making the NJCAA finals in 2018. He then chose to be part of the new dynasty at Corban becoming their best wrestler to date with a 6th place finish at the 2021 NAIA's. With as weird as the eligibility rules have been via COVID-19, I'm not 100% sure that his career is over. He may have one more year left.
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As to others that I know are still competing in college?
Ridge Lovett of Post Falls is currently at Nebraska. An NCAA DI runner-up last season.
Jonathon Fagen of Fruitland was wrestling at Cornell, but I believe he'll be at Arizona State this upcoming season.
Sawyer Hobbs of South Fremont wrestled two seasons at Western Wyoming & is now at Utah Valley.
Joe Rice of New Plymouth is at Missouri Valley
Ezekial Williamson of Jerome is at St Cloud State
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Boise State came up 5 times in this discussion. I'm sure if we took a look at all of the state champs from Idaho as well as other top dawgs who never won a state title, Boise State would come up a lot. It was a great home for Idaho studs looking for a DI opportunity close to home.
North Idaho doesn't get enough credit for being the phenomenal NJCAA program that it is. Not only providing opportunities for Idaho kids to wrestle in college but for kids from an area that isn't well represented with collegiate opportunity at all.
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| Michael Cook |
A four time Idaho State champion for Kuna from 11'-14', Michael Cook is yet another Idaho standout who was forced to find a new home due to the discontinuation of wrestling at Boise State. He wrestled his last seasons as Maryville.
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| Tristian Jarboe |
A four time Idaho State champion for Columbia from 11'-14', I don't believe Tristian Jarboe wrestled in college.
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| Levi Perry |
Levi Perry won his four Idaho State titles from 13'-16' for Kuna. Collegiately he began his career at North Idaho where he was 3rd at the NJCAA's in 2017 before making the NJCAA finals in 2018. He then chose to be part of the new dynasty at Corban becoming their best wrestler to date with a 6th place finish at the 2021 NAIA's. With as weird as the eligibility rules have been via COVID-19, I'm not 100% sure that his career is over. He may have one more year left.
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As to others that I know are still competing in college?
Ridge Lovett of Post Falls is currently at Nebraska. An NCAA DI runner-up last season.
Jonathon Fagen of Fruitland was wrestling at Cornell, but I believe he'll be at Arizona State this upcoming season.
Sawyer Hobbs of South Fremont wrestled two seasons at Western Wyoming & is now at Utah Valley.
Joe Rice of New Plymouth is at Missouri Valley
Ezekial Williamson of Jerome is at St Cloud State
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Boise State came up 5 times in this discussion. I'm sure if we took a look at all of the state champs from Idaho as well as other top dawgs who never won a state title, Boise State would come up a lot. It was a great home for Idaho studs looking for a DI opportunity close to home.
North Idaho doesn't get enough credit for being the phenomenal NJCAA program that it is. Not only providing opportunities for Idaho kids to wrestle in college but for kids from an area that isn't well represented with collegiate opportunity at all.
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