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ORDER GAME PHOTOS
It has been approximately six months since I wrote my last Mat Chat. The first in my series was with Casey Randles, a former prep standout from Coeur d’ Alene (CDA). During his prep days, Randles won a total of three Idaho State titles for Sandpoint and CDA High Schools, respectively, and then went on to earn two NAIA All-American honors for Grandview University in Iowa, which included a national title his senior year. My second Mat Chat was with Jake Rosholt, one of the best prep wrestlers to ever come out of Idaho in the early 2000s. Winning three individual state titles for Sandpoint, Rosholt won practically every prep level accolade possible, including a Fargo National title in Junior Freestyle in addition to the Outstanding Wrestler Award. Rosholt continued his mat career at Oklahoma State University where he won three individual NCAA titles, four All-American honors, and anchored the Cowboys to team titles. Post college, Rosholt finished his career by competing in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world.
My next wrestler in the Mat Chat series is Ridge Lovett of Post Falls. Unquestionably, Lovett is the most decorated prep athletes to every wrestle in the Gem State. Graduating from Post Falls High School in 2019, Lovett currently competes for the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and is already taking the NCAA by storm. Along with Randles and Rosholt, Lovett had an exceptional prep career and in many respects is in a class of his own when it comes to total accomplishments. Fast forward to the present and he is fully engaged in his collegiate career with the intent to make his mark and much more.
Lovett’s wrestling career began at an early age, well before he was even able to walk. As circumstance would have it, his father was a coach at a local wrestling club when he was an infant. The wrestling room became common place for Lovett and by the time he was able to walk, learning basic skills and trying moves with the other kids in the room was his new norm. Even from an early age, it was not difficult to surmise that he had a passion for the sport and was on an upward trajectory in pursuit of excelling to the highest levels possible.
While attending Post Falls High School, Lovett practically won everything possible in the Gem State and much more. For starters, he won the competitive Rollie Lane Invitational four times, his district state qualifier four times, and the Idaho State Championships four times (5A), ending his prep career with an undefeated 169-0 record. In due course, Lovett was presented the following accolades his senior year in 2019; Idaho Wrestler of the Year, Wrestling USA Magazine All-American honors, and the Dave Schultz Excellence Award given to the top seniors in each state by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
The list is very long and will likely not be broken anytime soon. To begin with, Lovett won every age group state title possible in each of the three styles (Folkstyle, Greco, and freestyle) in addition to winning multiple Western Regional titles. What is even more impressive is the number of Fargo All-American honors Lovett earned in a four year span. To date, Lovett holds the state record of 10 medals, an achievement that is shared by seven other wrestlers across the country (Only David Kjeldgaard – Iowa, Brandon Paulson – Minn., and Cody Sanderson – Utah have more with 11). Among the ten medals earned are three Fargo titles, two being in Junior Greco and the other in 16U Greco. On top of that, Lovett made the Cadet Greco World Team in 2017 and placed 7th in the World Championships.
Currently, Lovett is a redshirt Junior and is in pursuit of earning a degree in communications and economics. Up to now, Lovett has made three trips to the NCAA Championships and recently earned his first All-American honor by reaching the finals in 2022. Academically, he is doing quite well and leading by example when it comes to being an exceptional student/athlete. Thus far, he has earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2021 and three times has made the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll list (Fall 2020/Spring 2020, ’21).
What really impresses me about Lovett is not only his academic and wrestling accolades, but his strong ability to interact with his peers, coaches, as well as the younger athletes he is coaching. During this year’s Fargo Training Camp at Meridian High School, I had the opportunity to observe Lovett in action throughout the week. Not only did he interact with wrestlers of all talent levels, he brought forth a positive energy into the camp that was contagious and impacted many. Based on Team Idaho’s recent performances at Fargo, I believe that Lovett has played a big part in the state’s success. I definitely hope that in the short term, he continues to be an integral part of Team Idaho, but more importantly, when he is finished with his competitive career, he returns back to Idaho and continuous to impact the future generations to come.
According to Idaho USA Wrestling Director, Chris Owens, “Thru my experiences of coaching Ridge, I learned he holds some unique intangibles as a wrestler. For starters, a high level wrestling IQ (knowing the situation of the bout and making good decisions under pressure). Secondly, the ability to learn from whomever is coaching him and perhaps most importantly, he loves the smell of the wrestling room. In all the times of training Ridge, whether it be the end of a high intensity 2 hour practice or the last practice of 3 time per day, I have never seen him not enjoy being in the wrestling room. It is certainly no surprise to me that he is great in the practice room and in the corner when it comes to coaching Team Idaho wrestlers in Fargo! Credit to his parents Lonnie and TaShawn, high school coach Pete Reardon and club coach Abel De Larosa for helping lay the foundation for Ridge to grow his love for wrestling!”
To conclude, Ridge Lovett has had a stellar academic and wrestling career thus far. At this point, he has two more years eligibility at Nebraska and desires to win an NCAA title and much more. His achievements speak volumes, but according to Ridge, “this is just the beginning, I have much more to achieve.” In my humble opinion, I believe Ridge is a Gem among Gems and to date has impacted many in his midst and will continue to do so moving forward. More recently, I had the distinct opportunity to have a one-on-one interview with Ridge. See Q&A below.
Q&A WITH RIDGE LOVETT
How did you first get involved in the sport of wrestling?
LOVETT – My dad was coaching our club when I was really small, so I was in the room before I could even walk. Once I could do moves and stay in a stance I started going with the other kids.
Who has been your biggest influence in the sport?
LOVETT – My dad has been my biggest influence because he’s always been there for me. He showed me the way to live my life and pursue my goals, and introduced me to the sport.
Is there an Olympian or collegiate level wrestlers or someone outside of the sport of wrestling that you want to aspire to be someday?
LOVETT – Jordan Burroughs (JB). He is a professional in everything he does. The way he handles his life with his kids, his wife, and his wrestling is super cool.
What life lessons have you learned in wrestling that applies in your day-to-day life?
LOVETT – Working hard and pushing through. Things might be tough, but if you grind it out, you’ll be alright.
What advice would you give a young wrestler wanting to be successful in the sport of wrestling?
LOVETT – Have fun with it. Fall in love with the process and fall in love with competition.
Outside the sport of wrestling, what other goals do you have in life?
LOVETT – I want to have a positive impact on the people that I meet.
The Number of Idaho wrestlers experiencing success on the national level is increasing annually. Where do you see wrestling in Idaho in the next ten years?
LOVETT – I see us becoming a wrestling state sending blue chip recruits to top ten schools.
What has been your experience at the University of Nebraska, both academically and with the wrestling program?
LOVETT – Second to none! The academics and academic support we get at Nebraska is amazing, and the wrestling side of it is even better. I love my coaches and teammates.
DESRIBE WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS OF THE NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT?
LOVETT – A little nerve wracking, everything happened really fast.
Having earned your first collegiate level All-American honor, what are your goals for the remainder of your eligibility at Nebraska and beyond?
LOVETT – To win 2 national titles, win 2 hodge trophies, make world and Olympic teams, and win medals at those tourneys.
HIGH SCHOOL – COLLEGE – ACADEMIC ACCOLADES
COLLEGE: University of Nebraska – Lincoln (NCAA Division I)
CLASS: Redshirt Junior
WEIGHT GROUP: 149
ACADEMIC MAJOR: Communications and Economics
COLLEGE ACCOLADES
- NCAA Division I All-American (Finalist), 2022
- 3x NCAA Qualifier, 2020, ’21, ‘22
- Big Ten Championships – 4th Place, 2022
- Big Ten Championships – 2nd Place, 2021
- Big Ten Championships – 7th Place, 2020
- NWCA Honorable Mention All-American, 2020
- Academic All-Big Ten, 2021
- Nebraska’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, 2021, ‘22
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2020/Spring 2020, ’21)
HIGH SCHOOL: Post Falls, Idaho (Class of 2019)
HIGH SCHOOL ACCOLADES
- 4x Idaho State Champion (5A)
- 4x District I & II Champion, 2016 – ‘19
- 169-0 High School record
- Idaho Wrestler of the Year, 2019
- Dave Schultz Excellence Award Recipient, 2019
- WUSA Magazine H.S. All-American, 2019
- 4x Rollie Lane Invitational Champion, 2016 – ‘19
FREESTYLE/GRECO-ROMAN ACCOLADES
- Junior Fargo Greco-Roman Champion/All-American, 2019
- Junior Fargo Freestyle All-American – 2nd Place, 2019
- Junior Fargo Freestyle All-American – 2nd Place, 2018
- Junior Fargo Greco-Roman Champion/All-American, 2018
- Cadet World Greco-Roman Championships – 7th Place, 2017
- Junior Fargo Freestyle All-American – 5th Place, 2017
- Junior Fargo Greco-Roman All-American – 3rd Place, 2017
- 16U Fargo Freestyle All-American – 2nd Place, 2016
- 16U Fargo Greco-Roman Champion/All-American, 2016
- 16U Fargo Freestyle All-American – 2nd Place, 2015
- 16U Fargo Greco-Roman All-American – 5th Place, 2015
- Junior State Freestyle Champion, 2017, ’18, ‘19
- Junior State Greco-Roman, 2017, ’18, ‘19
- Junior State Folkstyle Champion, 2018
- USA Western States Junior Freestyle Champion, 2018
- USA Western States Junior Greco-Roman Champion, 2018
- USA Western States Junior Folkstyle Champion, 2018
- Cadet World Greco-Roman Championships – 7th Place, 2017
- Western Regional Cadet Freestyle Champion, 2017
- Cadet Greco-Roman State Champion, 2015
- Cadet Freestyle State Champion, 2015
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