Newport
On Friday, the Newport High senior confirmed his intent to spend the next four years as a member of the wrestling program at Minot State University in north-central North Dakota.
Sharron had his mind set on going to the best school that offered him the combined opportunity to continue his wrestling career and begin his studies in sports training. He takes to the Great Plains a solid New Hampshire high school competition resume that included winning his 160-pound weight class at both the NHIAA Division III state meet and the NHIAA Meet of Champions last winter. Sharron also won the D-III crown at 152 pounds as a junior.
“There were other schools that were interested in me, but this was the best fit,” Sharron said on Friday after completing his Minot paperwork.
Sharron’s 126-28 record in his four years at Newport included 66 pins. He went 34-2 with 15 pins as a senior. Only Stephan Nix has won more matches in the history of wrestling at Newport.
“He’s one of the best this school has ever had,” Newport coach Cole Boone said.
Sharron landed at Minot after posting his profile on a recruiting website; he is receiving some financial aid.
Minot State University is an NCAA Division II school located in the city of Minot, N.D. (population 48,000), and has an enrollment of fewer than 4,000 students. It’s a dozen miles south of Minot Air Force Base, and the Canadian border is less than an hour away.
Minot State’s website reports that it is the third-largest university in the state. It is part of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
And the wrestling program is in need of some help, having gone just 4-16 this past season.
Sharron has made the trip to Minot, met the coaches and said he has been told there is a chance he could wrestle his first year.
“The coach (Evan Forde) told me that he wants to increase the roster from the 34 it is now to around 40,” Sharron said.
To Forde’s credit, he isn’t afraid to pull in talent from around the country. Last winter’s roster included athletes from at more than a dozen states, including Lancaster, N.H.’s Liam Hayden, the 2016 NHIAA D-III state champ at 120 pounds as a senior.
Sharron seemed unfazed with the notion of spending so much time away from Newport. One of the reasons is that his wrestling skills already have taken him to many distant trips, including a two-week stay in Ukraine.
“He can handle it,” said his father, Richard, who wrestled in his youth days in Wyoming.
Watching his brother, Zakk, wrestle while in high school in Michigan got Tyler’s juices going.
“I got the bug,” he said.
Sharron was born with three holes in his heart, requiring open-heart surgery before he was a year old. Some of the medication he took along the way has affected his hearing, requiring hearing aids for some classroom work.
Regardless, the 17-year-old carries a 3.30 grade-point average. While his prime purpose for heading to North Dakota is wrestling, he thinks he might give football a try. He displayed a penchant for kicking during his gridiron days with the Tigers.
“I think I’ll try to walk on as a kicker,” he said. “Why not? I’m going to be right there.”
Both Boone and Newport athletic director Jeff Miller said the reason Sharron has had such success as a high school wrestler is his dogged determination to stay in shape.
“You know he can go five, six minutes in a match, and that’s a long time,” Boone said.
“His conditioning is one of his strengths. “He’s also very technical. He really knows the sport.”
Added Miller: “He never takes a day off. He’s serious about his wrestling, and he’s serious about his classes. I’ve never seen anybody work as hard as he does. And he’s a good guy.”
North Dakota’s a long way from Sharron’s home. Those who know him best are confident he’ll do well.
“We’ll miss him,” Richard Sharron said. “But you know what? He’s going to make it. This is his dream.”
Correction
Zakk Sharron, the older brother of Newport High wrestler Tyler Sharron, competed in the sport as a high schooler in Michigan. The state where Zakk Sharron competed was incorrectly reported in an earlier version of this story.