Senior breaks Palmer wrestling program record

PALMER — During his freshman year, Levi Farris’ dad Trent told him, with about 30 wins a season he could break a school record. While that might seem like a stretch for a ninth grader, it’s his reality as a senior.

Farris recently set the Palmer High School wrestling program record for career wins. The Moose standout now boasts a career mark of 124-31, and he still has two weeks left in his senor season. Earlier this month, Farris passed former Palmer standout Nick Stahler, who held the prior mark with 121 wins. Early in the year, Farris had been third on the school’s all-time list behind Stahler and Chris Andersen, who earned 117 career wins and three state titles.

“Freshman year, I wasn’t really worried about it,” Farris said after earning his 124th win on Palmer High’s senior night dual against Eagle River Thursday night. “Junior year, I had a lot of wins and started thinking about it.”

Farris finished 31-9 as a freshman, 36-7 as a sophomore and 33-8 as a junior. This season he is 24-7. Farris, who won a state championship as a sophomore, was a runner-up in state last year. He finished fourth in state as a freshman.

Farris said the record is even more special considering the Palmer wrestling program’s tradition of producing championship-caliber athletes. He said he also hopes to join the list of Palmer grapplers who have become an All-American at the high school or club level. Farris was one win away in a national tournament from becoming an All-American last year.

“It gives me something to aim for,” Farris said. “I did break a record, but I have to keep pushing to be an All-American.”

Farris said he’ll also be working toward finishing as high as possible in the upcoming region and state tournaments, in a top-heavy 171-pound class.

“Hopefully I’ll have a good region and state tournament,” Farris said.

Farris started wrestling in the fifth grade, joining his older brother Austin, who capped his senior season in 2017, on the mat. Farris also stood out on the Palmer High football team, but said if he does decide to pursue athletics in college, it would be in wrestling.

“I dedicated more time to wrestling because of that,” Farris said. “I was more successful in wrestling.”

Farris said it’s the drive and commitment that draws him to the mat.

“The dedication you have to have,” Farris said. “You have to be 100 percent about it, otherwise you can’t be successful. That’s what I like.”

Farris is a Mat-Su Career and Technical High School student with a 4.0 grade point average. He has multiple options beyond high school, including the chance to wrestle at Colorado School of Mines. Farris also has a full academic scholarship waiting for him if he decides to study at UAA. Farris has been part of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program, which is affiliated with the University of Alaska system, since he was in the fifth grade.

“I’ll see where I’m at after the season,” Farris said. “I do love the sport. But a full ride to college is a full ride to college.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.