Nick Fanthorpe was something of an afterthought earlier in his high school wrestling career.
The 112-pounder was always the third Naperville North wrestler mentioned after state champions Eric Tannenbaum and Brian Dyer. Not that it was a bad thing, because Fanthorpe was able to grow in their shadow. So much so that last February he shared the spotlight as all three won Class AA state championships with unbeaten records.
Now that Tannenbaum (Michigan) and Dyer (Indiana) have moved on to college wrestling, Fanthorpe, a junior, is the center of attention, the wrestler the Huskies depend on. It’s a role he has assumed as Naperville North has gone 21-3 in dual meets and is a top challenger to defending champion Glenbard North in this weekend’s DuPage Valley Conference meet at Glenbard East.
“It’s a little different,” said Fanthorpe, who has a 72-match winning streak. “I still look up to Eric and Brian. They accomplished a lot here and it’s nice to look at what they have done and try to get to where they have been. The second state championship is the next goal. It’s different, there is more pressure, but I try not to let it get to me.”
Fanthorpe is one of the Huskies’ captains along with classmate Andy Greenawalt and seniors Pat Parillo and Tyler Hill. If anything, he has been more concerned with leading the team than himself.
“He will go out of his way to earn bonus points when he doesn’t have to,” coach Tom Champion said. “One of the facets of his style is he is so explosive, so aggressive, that he will eventually put everybody on his back. If he thinks he has to pin somebody, he doesn’t wrestle his style. The best way to help the team out is to be himself.”
Fanthorpe has moved up from 103 where he won his state title. Wrestling bigger opponents hasn’t changed his style or his approach to wrestling. He has continued to be the aggressor, like Tannenbaum, but staying within himself, like Dyer.
“The kids are taller at 112,” said Fanthorpe, who is 5 feet 3 inches. “A lot of tall, thin kids. But there are some who are real strong.
“It’s not that big of a jump in weights. I’m working on the same stuff I did the last two years with a couple of new things for the new weight class.”
Wrestling is a full-time thing for Fanthorpe. During the off-season he works with former state champion Ed Giese, who holds the state record with 132 straight victories and had a career record of 172-5. Fanthorpe, who was seventh in the USA Wrestling Junior Championships at 105 pounds last summer, goes straight from high school wrestling to freestyle.
“The off-season is where you catch up to kids and where you improve the most,” Fanthorpe said. “It is a lot of time and effort all the way through to the end of July.”
The state series starts next weekend, and another state championship for Fanthorpe isn’t a given. The competition at 112 is intense, with Sandburg’s Brandon Precin, Mt. Carmel’s Mario Morgan and Lockport’s Jake Oster among the top contenders. Fanthorpe is confident his hard work will pay off down the stretch.
“This is what you’ve been working for all season,” he said. “If you put in the time, it will happen. This year I’m calmer, and I learned that from looking at Eric and Brian. They knew what they needed to do and were mentally getting ready. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
