ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 13, 1997 TAG: 9702130018
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
TYPE: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER
Inspiration comes in many forms. It has no rules. Athletes of all sports search for something to drive them. Something to inspire them. Something that will keep them motivated and help push them to the next level.
For Christiansburg's Jamie Harris, it's gotta be the shoes
But we're not talking a nice pair of Nikes or Reeboks. We're talking about wrestling shoes. A pair that got so worn out Harris had to wrap tape around the toe to keep them on his feet. A pair he wore for nearly five years, until they couldn't possibly make it through another match.
But they didn't need too.
The shoes were a gift from Timmy Nininger when Harris was in the seventh grade, just beginning his wrestling career. Nininger, a 103-pounder for Christiansburg High's team that year, would come to be one of only two state wrestling champions the school had produced.
Now it has produced three.
"I always came up and watched Timmy wrestle," Harris said. "His parents knew me and knew I was always there to watch him. I wore those shoes he gave me until this year. I looked up to him. He called me last year right before states just to wish me luck."
Harris became the third Demon with a state title to his name, capturing the crown last season at 112 pounds. With the state championship achieved, he retired the shoes he had worn for so many years. Not retired was his internal drive to succeed.
Spurred by the arrival of coach Kevin Dresser from Grundy High, a perennial state Group AA power in wrestling, Harris is back in the state tournament, this time at 103 pounds.
"Wrestling is so different from team sports because you don't have anyone to blame but yourself if you don't win," Harris said. "You have to have so much desire and discipline. And knowing how hard you've worked makes it so rewarding in the end."
Harris made quick work of his opponents in the early rounds of the Region III tournament Saturday, scoring his first two pins in times of 1 minute, 19 seconds and 1:06. He won the championship with a 13-2 major decision, but isn't satisfied yet.
"My goals for state are to try to pin everyone and not get scored on other than an escape," Harris said. "I'll have to wrestle the best of the my life. It's not going to be easy, but I think it's possible,"
Harris admits he was nearly burned out on the sport he loves after last season's championship run, but was rejuvenated by Dresser.
"He's brought a whole new attitude here," Harris said. "I looked up to Grundy a whole lot and wanted to have a coach like them. Then we got their coach and that was great. You can only dream of that."
Harris has wrestled for nearly nine years. As such, Dresser hasn't had to teach him many new moves. Instead, the coach has helped him find new ways of getting into the positions. He said Dresser has taught him the "nooks and crannies" of different wrestling situations, and has helped him improve his technique.
That's something Harris now wants to pass on. He has taken freshman 119-pounder Ronnie Crist under his wing, and the two have built a strong bond this past year, both on and off the wrestling mat.
"I'm not going to get to wrestle with him but this one year," Harris said. "But I'll definitely have to keep in touch these next three years and see how he's doing."
Perhaps Harris may even spawn the next state champion for Christiansburg with the passing down of some inspirational shoes.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM STAFF. Jamie Harris became the third Demon withby CNBa state title to his name, capturing the crown last season at 112
pounds. color.