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ORDER GAME PHOTOS
Up to now, I have written a combined sixteen articles between my HIDDEN GEMS and TIER ONE series. So far, I have focused on the cream of the crop, which includes nationally ranked seniors Kolter Burton and Mack Mauger, each from the talent rich area of Eastern Idaho. Up next in my HIDDEN GEMS series also hails from Eastern Idaho and is among the top returning seniors in the state and country. Growing up in the sparse suburban city of Idaho Falls, Thunder Ridge Senior Talen Eck is definitely in the company of Idaho’s elite and has made a big impact to the wrestling scene over the last few years.
Before I continue on about Talen’s journey, I have to put into perspective the talent that is being produced in this combined rural, urban, and farming region of Eastern Idaho. Per the United States Census in 2020, the Gem State of Idaho ranked 38th of the 50 United States for total population, which as of 2023 is nearing two million. What’s more, the largest population center throughout is the Boise metropolitan area with approximately 795 thousand residence (42%), a region of the state that consists of multiple cities in six counties. Contrary, Eastern Idaho is a less populated region, yet since 2021 has produced 57 of the 135 (42%) Fargo and Folkstyle All-Americans in the 16U/Junior divisions, which is a very notable statistic.
Talen’s journey in the sport of wrestling began at the early age of five. Motivated to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father (each wrestling alumni at Declo High School), Talen wasted no time entering the circle and from the get-go enjoyed everything to do with wrestling and gravitated to the tough challenges it presented. His early passion for wrestling was evident and demonstrated on the mat as he placed in the top three in both Freestyle and Greco at the Kids National Championships, earning All-American honors in the process.
Unfortunately, not too longer after the start of his second-grade year, Talen experienced a major setback to his wrestling hopes and was placed on a different trajectory than initially planned. To come to the point, according to his mother (Mandi), Talen initially broke his arm while playing with his sister around November of that year. Consequently, he broke it again, but in the opposite direction while competing in his first match back to wrestling approximately four months later. This time, instead of the bone fusing together as before, it began to grow back crooked. What’s more, this break caused some serious nerve damage in his arm and without a doubt was a game changer type of injury. Any hope of getting back on the mat anytime soon was not going to happen. Under these circumstances, the recovery process this time required a very slow and longer than normal timeframe to heal.
The silver lining in this unfortunate situation was that Talen had a very strong support system from family and friends during his long downtime. For a vast majority, an injury of this type would deter the average from every getting back on the mat again. This was not the case for Talen. By circumstance, he just happened to be good friends with Kaden Ramos, one of the best wrestlers in the Idaho Falls area and state (Kaden is a Junior Greco National Champion, four-time high school state placer, and currently competes for Life University in Marietta, GA). Prior to his injury, Talen and Kaden trained hard together and competed at all the major tournaments. Being a few years older and more experienced, Kaden was a big influence on Talen and through all his downtime kept him motivated to return back to the mat someday.
Nearly four years later and now in the sixth grade, Talen had a clean bill of health and was more than ready to get back on the mat with his middle school program, as well as returning to his local club with Coach Jacob Eck. Wasting no time, Talen regrouped and re-entered the wrestling circle with the same passion and drive he had prior to his injury. Without a doubt, he put his nose to the grindstone, got to work, and never looked back. According to Jacob Eck, “Talen’s love for wrestling is unmatched. Being away from the sport dealing with injuries and coming back and diving in head first says a lot about who he is on and off the mat. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Talen attacks everything head first and will not let anything stop him from reaching his goals.”
When Talen entered the high school ranks at Thunder Ridge High School in the fall of 2020, he was very motivated to exceed the achievements of his good friend, Kaden. The fact that Thunder Ridge was a new school (established in 2018), Kaden Ramos was in position to set a strong precedence for future wrestlers to aspire to or even surpass. With four state medals to his credit and a state title his sophomore season, the precedence was very high, but Talen was more than ready for the challenge (Note – Ramos earned his first state medal while attending Hillcrest H.S. in Idaho Falls). Out the gate, Talen had a very successful freshman year by winning the Districts and then becoming the school’s first freshman 5A state champion.
Being a full-time wrestler, Talen competed in the post season through the summer leading up to his sophomore year and placed third in both styles at the 16U state championships and followed with a championship title in the Junior Greco Division at the Western Regionals (placed 3rd in Junior FS). Always moving forward and striving to win championships, Talen continued his training regimen for the remainder of the year in preparation for the next prep season.
Back on track, Talen began his sophomore season on a positive note by reaching the finals at the competitive Rollie Lane Invitational, but lost a tough match against Bishop Kelly’s Matthew Martino, rated among the top freshman in the state and country. This loss only motivated Talen to work even harder and not let failure prevent him from achieving his goals. When discussing Talen’s potential with Thunder Ridge Head Coach, Jody Webb, he stated that when it comes to Talen and his overall mindset in wrestling and life, the quote from Olympic Champion, Dan Gable comes to mind, “If you’re afraid to fail, you’ll never succeed.” Well, there is no doubt that Talen faces each challenge head on, even in the midst of potential failure. This is evident with his eagerness to put his talents on the line against the best competition in the country.
Moving forward from his loss at Rollie, Talen continued to work even harder for the remainder of the regular season and in the end it all paid off as he won his second District title and finished with a strong performance at state by becoming his schools first two-time State Champion. Mirroring what he had achieved the year prior in the post season, Talen placed in the top three in both styles at the Idaho Junior State and Western Regionals. At this point, earning a prep level All-American honor had not come to fruition, but without hesitation, Talen continued his extensive training regimen and prepped for his junior season.
Talen entered his junior season with the goal of winning a third state title and much more. Early on in the season, he met a roadblock at Rollie as he battled in one of the toughest weight groups in the tournament at 120s. This weight featured several state and national level wrestlers, such as Kolter Burton and Matthew Martino to name a couple. Finishing in fifth place, Talen regrouped and continued to battle through the regular season with the same focus as in the beginning. Despite winning his third District title, he fell just short of winning a school record third state title when he lost a nail biter in the finals to Nampa’s multiple State Champion and All-American Dedrick Navarro by decision, 3-2 (Note – Navarro is now attending Northwestern University).
Once again, Talen took his shortcomings, learned from it, and went back to work in preparation for the Freestyle and Greco circuit. Repeating his performance from 2022, he fared well by placing in both styles at the Idaho State tournament and not too long after achieved one of his longtime goals of earning a prep All-American honor by reaching the championship finals at the USAW Folkstyle Nationals. He then competed at the Fargo Nationals with Team Idaho, but came within one match of earning another All-American honor. Losing in the blood rounds is never easy, but Talen responded well by reaching the championship finals at the Preseason Nationals, beating several nationally ranked kids in the process to earn his second prep All-American honor.
Not only is Talen a leader on the mat, he is also an exceptional student and a great example to his peers. To date, Talen maintains a 3.9 GPA (weighted), has been a member of the Honors Society, and is a student counselor with the HOPE squad.
“Talen has been a leader in our room since he walked in as a Freshman. He has never avoided a challenge or a tough match!”
Jody Webb, Head Coach – Thunder Ridge H.S.
As we enter the 2023-’24 season, Talen is among the top tier wrestlers in the state and more than ready to finish his prep career on top. Having already won two state titles and three medals overall, he is in position to challenge for a school record third title and fourth medal. Talen’s hard work and commitment to achieving the highest level possible, both on the mat and in the classroom is commendable. I wish him the best of luck moving forward and encourage him to continue his pursuit of winning a national title. What he has been able to overcome in the past as well as conquering the tough obstacles that came his way is inspiring and now a big influence on the next generation entering the circle.
More recently, I had the opportunity to interview Talen and discuss wrestling, academics, life, goals, and his outlook in the world. Below is my Q&A. Enjoy!
Q&A INTERVIEW WITH THUNDER RIDGE’S TALEN ECK
HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN THE SPORT OF WRESTLING?
ECK – My Grandpa and my dad both wrestled in High School. My parents signed me up when I was 4 or 5 because I had a lot of energy and needed to get it out.
WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN THE SPORT?
ECK – My biggest influence of the sport is my best friend, Kaden Ramos. We’ve wrestled together since the beginning. He’s older than me, so he was able to compete at all these big tournaments before me. I would watch him wrestle and do well. I had always hoped that I could be as good as him one day.
HEADING INTO YOUR SENIOR SEASON, WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT- AND LONG-TERM GOALS AT
THUNDER RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL?
ECK – My main goal for my senior year is to be undefeated. My short-term goals are just to be consistent. Not only in wrestling, but also in training, mindset and diet. My long-term goals are to win: Rollie Lane, Tiger/Grizz, Sierra Nevada, and another State title.
HAVING HAD SOME GREAT SUCCESS AT THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER, DESCRIBE YOUR
TRAINING ROUTINE AND YOUR OUTLOOK IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
ECK – My training routine varies. I travel to a variety of different locations from Pocatello to Idaho Falls. I have Club practices at least 2x a week, try to hit Best on Best practices, and will Start High School 5x a week. I lift and workout at my local gym or school 4x week. I do Mindset training daily. I try to take a few days to rest and relax, because it’s important. In terms of the future. It’s hard to know what lies ahead sometimes. However, my two goals are to be a National Champion, and to land a job in engineering or being an artist.
DESCRIBE YOUR ACADEMIC AND WRESTLING EXPERIENCE AT THUNDER RIDGE HIGH
SCHOOL.
ECK – I go to one of the best schools in the state, in terms of academics. I am blessed with excellent teachers, administrators and resources at my school, that makes learning an engaging and fun experience. With athletics, I am blessed with a large wrestling room and mint condition training facilities. My wrestling experience at Thunder Ridge has been nothing short of a blast. The bonds I’ve made and teammates that I have had the privilege of training with, are the best part of wrestling at Thunder Ridge.
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE ACADEMIC GOALS AT THUNDER RIDGE AND BEYOND?
ECK – I plan to graduate from Thunder Ridge after the 2nd Trimester after my high school wrestling career is concluded. Up next is college. I haven’t yet made any real goals for college yet, but once I see what it is like, then we will see.
DO YOU HAVE AMBITIONS OF COMPETING IN COLLEGE OR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION?
ECK – I have BIG ambitions of competing in college and maybe even in international competitions. I like to think more about college, since that level focuses on folkstyle; my favorite style of wrestling.
IS THERE AN OLYMPIAN, COLLEGIATE LEVEL WRESTLER, COACH OR SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF
THE SPORT OF WRESTLING THAT YOU WANT TO ASPIRE TO BE SOMEDAY?
ECK – My biggest wrestling role model of all time, is Jordan Burroughs. He stands out to me, mainly because of his undying determination to be better than the rest. Jordan Burroughs didn’t have a good start going into his wrestling career, but he took what he had and made the best of what he had. He didn’t always win, but he always had the attitude of a winner.
WHAT LIFE LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED IN WRESTLING THAT APPLIES IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY
LIFE?
ECK – I have learned hard work is always rewarded in the end. I learned that even if you aren’t the strongest, the quickest, or the most talented in the room, your hard work will find a way to get past all of it. I learned that anyone is capable of winning and beating the better opponent. Finally, I learned how to turn negative events into a positive force that can drive me into greatness. I wish everyone can learn what I have learned from wrestling.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A YOUNG WRESTLER WANTING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE
SPORT OF WRESTLING OR IN LIFE?
ECK – I would only tell them that the only way to win is to stand out from the others, and to stand out from everybody else. You will need to figure out what that is for yourself.
WHAT OTHER GOALS DO YOU HAVE IN LIFE?
ECK – I want to become an engineer as my main career. I want a good, steady job and maybe invent something new for the world. I want to take my art somewhere in life. Maybe invent my own style or unique portrait. My main goal, is to help and/or inspire others, maybe leave a legacy.
DO YOU HAVE A SAYING, MOTTO OR PHILOSOPHY THAT YOU LIVE BY?
ECK – It would be too hard to narrow this down to just one.
ONCE YOU ARE DONE COMPETING, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO STAY INVOLVED WITH
WRESTLING?
ECK – I will always advocate for the sport, but I don’t see myself as being a good coach. I don’t have much patience for kids. However, maybe in the far future, my kids may want to wrestle. In that case, I will help them.
OUTSIDE THE SPORT OF WRESTLING, WHAT HOBBIES AND FAMILY FUNCTIONS DO YOU ENJOY
MOST?
ECK – I like any activity that is considered extra-curricular. Some of my favorites are table-tennis, spike-ball, bowling, cornhole, snowboarding, and anything swimming related. Even though, I’m not good at all these things, I still have fun. My favorite hobby is art, preferably, sketching. Whenever I’m bored at home or school, I take a pencil in hand and just let my mind do the work.
TALEN’S ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC PROFILE
SCHOOL: Thunder Ridge H.S., Idaho Falls, ID
WRESTLING CLUB: JET WC
PROJECTED WEIGHT: 120 – 132
GRADE: 12 (Class of 2024)
ACADEMIC ACCOLADES
- GPA: 3.9 (weighted)/3.76 (unweighted)
- National Honors Society
- HOPE Squad (Student Counselor)
WRESTLING ACCOLADES
- USAW Preseason Nationals ALL-AMERICAN (Jr.), 2023
- USA Folkstyle Nationals – ALL-AMERICAN (Jr.), 2023
- Idaho State Championships – 2nd Place (5A), 2023
- IHSAA District V-VI Champion (5A), 2023
- USA Wrestling Western Regionals – 3rd Place (Jr. FS), 2022
- USA Wrestling Western Regionals – 2nd Place (Jr. GR), 2022
- Idaho Junior Freestyle State – 3rd Place, 2022
- Idaho Junior Greco State – 2nd Place, 2022
- Idaho State Championships – 5A Champion, 2022
- IHSAA District V-VI Champion (5A), 2022
- Rollie Lane Invitational – 2nd Place, 2022
- Western Regional Championships – Champion (Jr. GR), 2021
- Western Regional Championships – 3rd Place (Jr. FS), 2021
- Idaho 16U Freestyle State – 3rd Place, 2021
- Idaho 16U Greco State – 3rd Place, 2021
- Idaho State Championships – 5A Champion, 2021
- IHSAA District V-VI Champion (5A), 2021
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