HELENA — Seth Jensen is “just a gritty guy who loves to battle” according to Helena Capital wrestling head coach Jeff Mahana.
Those are good qualities to have when you are chasing a state wrestling title, and even better qualities to have when you’re trying to do it a 205 pounds, which is what Jensen is attempting this weekend in Billings.
“It’s my 13th year wrestling,” said Jensen. “Never though about quitting. Loved it ever since. I think I was born to do it.”
“Seth is one of the biggest guys in his weight,” added Mahana. “Physically when you look at him compared to the other guys, he just physically, he has a bigger frame than a lot of them. But he’s good on his feet, he’s really quick. He’s got a good takedown and he’s really aggressive. As the periods go on he gets stronger and stronger.”
He’ll need that endurance and speed in the tournmanent, but that’s not news to Jensen.
“I’ve been wrestling so long I just tell myself to stay calm and relax before my match and during it,” said Jensen. “But as long as you stay clam and relaxed, you can control your pace and tempo and the other wrestler.”
That kind of mindset and self-reliance is what drew Jensen to the sport and makes him a force on the mat.
“I love how it’s one-on-one. If you lose, it’s not anyone else’s fault. It’s just yours,” he said. “If you lose, you have a reason to work harder. The pressure is on you, not the whole team.”
“He’s a leader,” said Mahana. “He’s a worker in the room. He was voted captain this year, so he’s done a great job of trying to be, not only the leader by example, but trying to be more vocal and inspire his teammates around him. It really models the behavior we want our guys to have.”
