Couple of gripping careers to end
The list of Jon Millard’s wrestling accomplishments is impressive.
But for all his individual successes in an individual sport, the Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) senior’s greatest satisfaction comes from celebrating the accomplishments of his team.
Millard, last year’s State 2A 160-pound champion, will try to repeat, at 171 pounds, at Mat Classic XVIII this weekend in Tacoma. During his four-year career, he’s been a member of two of the Eagles’ four team titlists.
Lakeside, with 10 state qualifiers, is in the running for a fifth title since 1997.
“Compared to the individual honor,” Millard said, “I know last year it was a lot more enjoyable to celebrate together. When we knew we had won state for sure, everyone went crazy about it.”
Millard and fellow senior Levi Jones are ranked among the program’s all-time top 10 wrestlers and are making their fourth straight state appearances. Millard placed third as a sophomore before winning last year. Jones, who has committed to wrestle at Boise State, was seventh in state as a freshman and has placed second the last two seasons.
Should they end their careers as individual champions, said Levi’s dad and Lakeside coach Scott Jones, they’ll be tied for fourth on the list, behind only three-time champion Kris Matthews, two-time winner Matt Westenfelder and Michael Bell.
Whatever happens this weekend in the Tacoma Dome, it will bring to an end a superb career for Millard. He plans to give up wrestling and will attend Whitworth with an eye toward an aeronautical engineering career.
A second-team, two-way All-Great Northern League lineman, he will play football.
But wrestling remains his favorite sport which, he said, confuses people when he insists he does not want to pursue college wrestling after devoting 14 years to the sport.
“I’m ready to move on,” said Millard, “Hopefully, at the end of this year I’ll be satisfied with what I’ve accomplished and what wrestling has provided in my life. As a whole, it has made me a better person and made me what I am.”
In return, Millard has made Lakeside a better team. He has won 129 matches, is 35-4 and has but seven losses over the past two seasons combined.
“As far as attitude, he’s as good as we’ve ever had,” Scott Jones said. “When it comes to overall skills, he’s definitely among the top four. And he would have our record for career victories if not for Levi.”
Millard began wrestling as a 5-year-old in the Lakeside kids program and is reaping the rewards of his experience.
His high school career began with plenty of losses. But a district championship finish qualified him to state, and he contributed a pin toward the Eagles’ state championship points total.
“It was not overwhelming,” said Millard of that first state experience. “It was good for me to see it. Then I knew what to expect.”
The next year he won five of six matches, losing in the quarterfinals.
“I was supposed to make the finals, but ended up losing a match I shouldn’t have,” Millard said.
He beat Newport’s Jared Skiles for third place.
In 2005, Millard won three matches by pin en route to the state championship performance.
“He had some close matches last year,” said Jones. “At this point he’s been absolutely dominating. It’s too bad it is ending.”
His only losses this year have come in the Tri-State Tournament in Coeur d’Alene and at a tournament in Utah. One of those, he noted, came in overtime to the cousin of career unbeaten Iowa State wrestling star and Olympic gold medalist Cael Sanderson.
But when pressed about the possibility of winning a second straight state title, Millard changes the subject to team success.
“My freshman year we won and my junior year we won,” Millard said. “If we win again, it will be three of four years. Contributing to those team titles, I think, is a big deal for the seniors. It’s a pretty good accomplishment.”