Reloading Nic’S Liermann Guns For Final Season

Travis Liermann began wrestling 14 years ago. His knees ache most of the time. He can’t straighten out his arms because of balky elbow joints.

Can only mean one thing: Gotta work harder.

“We have really intense practices,” the 165-pound North Idaho College sophomore said. “But I need to start doing the extras - sprints, pushups, situps and maybe drill some more with guys in the room.

“Some of the guys are starting to do that. They see that we’re ranked No. 1 in the nation, and we need to start practicing like we’re No. 1.”

Liermann’s motivation is simple.

He was a victory away from being an NJCAA All-American last year, the first from Bonners Ferry High School.

As important, this is Liermann’s last shot. Though he’s good enough to continue wrestling at a four-year school, Liermann plans on marrying longtime girlfriend Laree Anderson this summer and he already has a job lined up.

His wrestling career is down to 2 1/2 months.

“I don’t know what I’m going to feel like when I have my last match as a competitor. I know it’ll be hard,” Liermann said. “But in the same breath, my body is starting to get beat up and break down. Last year, I didn’t have much trouble. It seems like there’s something every day, but it’s something you deal with.”

Some deal with it better than others. Liermann came to NIC as a walk-on. At best, he figured he’d redshirt last season.

“We knew he was a tough kid because we’d watched him be a two-time state champ,” NIC coach Pat Whitcomb said. “We were fortunate he wanted to stay close to home. We were hoping to redshirt him but he was too tough to keep out of the lineup.”

Since age 5, Liermann had been in Conrad Garner’s starting lineup. Garner, the head coach at Bonners Ferry High, also instructs youth wrestlers.

Liermann was one of a kind, Garner said. “He’s one of the most personable kids I’ve had come through the program. He was the team leader from his junior year on. He was like a big brother to every kid on the team.

“They called him Coach Trav because if my assistant or I wasn’t there, he was running them. He was in charge.”

It should come as no surprise that Liermann, work permitting, hopes to assist Garner next year.

First, he has a couple of months to fulfill his goals. The next step comes Friday against Lassen’s Junor Liberal, an NJCAA All-American last year.

They wrestled a couple weeks ago in Oregon with Liermann taking a 4-1 victory.

“That was a big win for me,” Liermann said. “I can compete with those types of kids. I just have to pick it up at practice and get the edge.”