Moving up a weight class as a senior, Marist’s Ricky Ericksen is working quickly this winter to vanquish ghosts from his past, with one loss remaining seared in his memory.
Ericksen, an Ohio recruit, has even learned to find the positive from last season’s setback to Mount Carmel’s Colin Kelly, a two-time state champion, in the Class 3A final at 175 pounds.
“It wasn’t a close match, but being there and taking part in the Grand March really helped me set my goals even higher,” Ericksen said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to be a state champion.”
That was the fuel for Ericksen’s fire Friday night.
Competing at 190 pounds, he overpowered Mount Carmel sophomore Kenny Seggerson with a fall in the first period as the RedHawks rolled to 43-26 victory in a nonconference dual meet.
Marist (18-4) won the last five matches to offset the Caravan’s dominance in the lower weights.
Senior Seth Mendoza, a three-time defending state champion and a Missouri recruit, posted a win by technical fall over freshman Jonathan Fields at 138 pounds for Mount Carmel (6-2).
The Caravan led 21-9 after that match.
But Ericksen, who’s also a standout middle linebacker in football, improved his record to 22-6 by scoring two quick takedowns before securing the pin in a mere 46 seconds.
“The whole plan was just to go out there right away on the attack, not let him get anything going and put points on the board,” Ericksen said. “I really like to push the pace and break guys down.”
A three-time state qualifier, Ericksen finished with a 31-11 record last winter. All of his losses this season are against nationally ranked wrestlers.
“He has wrestled a heck of a slate this year,” Marist coach Brendan Heffernan said. “He got over a big mental hurdle last year at the state tournament. He has learned how to score a lot more points.
“When he goes out there to score points, he can beat anybody.”
Marist senior Donavon Allen, who finished third at 138 last season, shares a knowing bond with Ericksen about the conflicted emotions of coming up just short of individual title dreams.
“We feed off of each other, the energy in practice, and that’s how we get better,” Allen said. “He leads the team in every aspect, academically and athletically. He’s a good person.
“He sets the tone for the team, in practice and matches.”
Ericksen’s combination of strength, balance, footwork and power is the foundation of his style.
His tenancy and confidence remain sky high, even amid the highly competitive decisions he has lost on the national stage.
“It can be hard sometimes when you lose, especially in really tight, one or two-point matches,” Ericksen said. ”I try hard not to stay down on myself, just keep moving onto the next match.”
The defeats have been typically more illuminating than his string of one-sided victories.
The quest, however, remains unchanged.
“I’ve been able to go up against different guys and have different matchups I don’t normally see,” Ericksen said. ”The losses help me figure out things I might not have been able without having wrestled them.”
At the encouragement of his father, Ericksen picked up the sport at age 5. He hasn’t looked back.
Every match is its own narrative. And he has the opportunity to write his own story.
“I just love how tough it is and the fact that it doesn’t just make you a better wrestler, it makes you a better person,” he said. “I think I was born competitive, but it has really amped up over time.
“I just really hate losing.”
Ericksen is ranked No. 1 at 190 in Class 3A by Illinois Matmen. Marist is the top-rated team.
And those ghosts. So far, they’ve been vanquished.
“I feel very confident in the way I have wrestled this year — that I’m capable,” he said. “It’s a huge boost of my confidence, knowing I can go up against the best guys in the country.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
