Student Athlete of the Week: Eric Falcon

The first two years of Eric Falcon's Niwot High School wrestling career didn't go according to plan. Beset by the COVID-19 pandemic and a leg injury, he was unable to dedicate his complete focus to the sport until his junior season.

Success began to follow and now as a senior, the 165-pound Falcon has cemented himself as one of Niwot's top wrestlers. Two of his best meets this season resulted in second-place finishes at the Wheat Ridge Invitational on Dec. 10, and at the Alameda Wrestling Tournament on Jan. 14.

"I pinned the first two kids and they were both pretty tough," Falcon said of his performance at Alameda High School. "They were stronger than me, but I managed to pull it off. It was a cool experience."

Falcon's approach on the mat has largely been dictated by his frequent height advantage. Striking too soon can be risky, and he also must ensure his opponents can't capitalize on a defenseless position. For Falcon, cautionary aggressiveness isn't a non sequitur.

"It's hard for me to shoot on people, so I keep my distance and if I see an opportunity, I go for it," Falcon said. "Whatever is open, I take it."

A shoulder injury has slowed Falcon down in recent matches, however. He lost his first match in a dual meet at Berthoud High School on Jan. 20 and opted to rest the next day during a tournament at Northglenn High School. Falcon said it was frustrating to see his momentum slowed by an injury, but he hopes to return for a dual meet at Riverdale Ridge High School on Jan. 26.

Falcon's goals for the remainder of his final high school season include winning a tournament and placing at regionals.

After that, he plans on reviving his love for kickboxing.

"Before I joined wrestling, I was starting kickboxing at Easton (Training Center in Longmont), and I pretty much fell in love with it," Falcon said. "Probably after wrestling, I'm going to go back in there and try to improve in kickboxing."