By Cole Erquiaga Posted May 30, 2012
Jace Billingsley has been playing sports all his life. He has participated in football, wrestling, baseball, and countless other sports in his past years.
Billingsley started playing sports at a young age contributing to Buckaroo wrestling, football, and T-ball. His motivation to play sports came from personal interest, the challenge it gives him, and also his family’s legacy with sports. Billingsley remembers going up to the high school to watch the wrestlers, football players, basketball players, and every other athlete at Lowry practice or play in games. They became his role models.
This year Billingsley won a team and individual state championship in wrestling, he led the football team to the State Semifinals and helped the baseball team return to the playoffs. Some of his individual accolades include Player of the Year for football and All-League in baseball Second Team All-State and Academic All-State. The first become a four-time individual state champion in wrestling, along with the most career wins in Nevada. However, football is his favorite sport because “it’s fun and intense.”
He said his most challenging sport is wrestling because of conditioning, the willpower it takes to stay motivated, and when you’re on the mat it’s all up to you. When he plays sports he says he can take all the lessons from athletics and put them into his own life to help him make good decisions and stay on track. Some advice Billingsley has for all the younger athletes out there: “No matter what you’re going to do, do it to the best of your ability as hard as you can every time so that way when it’s all said and done you will have no regrets.”
“I’ll miss all the teammates who always gave 100% for the team and all the coaches who taught me a lot, not only about sports but also about life.” ‘
After his last go-around of high school sports this year Billingsley’s plans are to play college football at Eastern Oregon University.
