GREAT FALLS — Montana is a hotbed of wrestling talent, and it helps the sport when some of the most successful grapplers in the state are so willing to pass on their skills, techniques and wisdom to the next generation.
That’s how four-time state champion Parker Filius of Havre honed his craft as a Blue Pony before heading to Purdue where he finished his collegiate career as an All-American.
And now he's returning the favor as the guest clinician at the Electric City Wrestling Camp hosted by the programs at Great Falls High and Great Falls CMR.
"It's just so much fun remembering when I was growing up and going to camps and seeing people that went out and wrestled in college and learned from them," Fiius said. "I remember always looking up to those people, going to the Zadick camps and hanging out with those guys. Getting to learn from them was just such a huge part of my development as an athlete."
Filius spent two days working with wrestlers from fifth grade through high school, showing them some of the fundamentals and high-level techniques that propelled him to one of the most decorated careers in Montana history.
He was asked to attend the camp by CMR coach Aaron Jensen and jumped at the chance.
"It's the first year I've done this one. Aaron's a good family friend, and I just haven't been able to get up here," Filius said. "During college, I was a little busy training, so it's just nice to be closer to home and be able to come and help out with these things."
Filius graduated from Purdue in 2023 and moved to Sheridan, Wyoming, where he works as a project engineer for Dick Anderson Construction. He married wife Ellie in August and is enjoying life after competition. He helps out with the girls program at Sheridan High School and mentors young wrestlers in Wyoming.
But it's always a treat to get back to Montana and give back. And he hopes the athletes at the Great Falls camp were able to learn something and enjoy his process driven approach.
"It's not always about results, but if you're very process oriented and you like to learn and you're doing something that you enjoy doing, you're going to get really good at it," Filius said. "So, I'd encourage everybody, no matter what you what you like to do, just, focus on learning and getting better at it. Not as much on the result. And your results will be a lot better if you're process oriented."
