Behlianno's Athlete of the Week: Feb. 9

The KSKK/KVKK Behlianno’s Athlete of the week for February 9 is Jermiah Harper, of the New York Mills wrestling team.

The freshman won last weekend’s Park Region Conference Tournament at 106 pounds, defeating Osakis’ Trenton Coyer in a major decision.

Harper was one of 12 Eagles to place and among six to make it to the final.

The victory extends Harper’s winning streak to 12 and ups his record to 23-3.

Harper credits his success to a focused mind and direction from his father.

"Before a match I like to be alone for five or 10 minutes just so I can think in my head about what I need to do to win,” said Harper, whose favorite subjects in school are math and history.

The third-place finisher in the NYWA State Tournament a year ago, a moment Harper says was his best, is constantly taking mental notes of his opponents’ techniques.

That’s how Harper figures he was able to defeat Coyer so easily.

"I've beat this kid before, so I knew how he wrestled,” Harper said. “Most of it was memory of how he wrestled before and what he's going to do.”

New York Mills wrestling coach Eric Niemi is glad to have a wrestler of Harper’s ability.

“He’s one of the guys who just gets a little bit better every time he goes out on the mat,” Niemi said.

As successful as Harper has been, he wasn’t the Eagles’ representative at 106 pounds to start the season.

After the Eagles began 2011-12 0-3 in duals, though, Niemi inserted Harper into the leadoff role — 106 pounds grapples first in duals.

Immediately, Harper made a difference.

New York Mills is 13-2 since.

“He provides a big advantage (for us) when the duals begin,” Niemi said.

Harper embraces being the team’s table-setter.  

"I feel like if I win the first match for the team it gets everyone else pumped up," Harper said. “It’s a good feeling.”

The journey to Park Region Tournament title began in kindergarten, when Harper’s father, who wrestled through high school, first introduced the sport to his son.

What keeps Harper coming back to the mat is the preparation.

"[It’s] all the hard work that you have to do just to wrestle for six minutes,” said Harper, who also Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestles in Perham after the high school season is over. “All the time you put in just for the little bit of the time on the mat."

Harper and the Eagles will begin sections next week, where the team finished 8-0 during the regular season.

Harper likes his team’s chances to make it to state and believes an individual appearance is possibly on the horizon.

“Our best wrestling is yet to come,” Niemi said.