Nebraska state wrestling - 12 area competitors come home with medals in morning session Saturday

OMAHA - The final day of the 2020 NSAA State Wrestling championships took place Saturday. Things got going at 8:30 a.m. with consolation semifinal matches to determine who wrestles for 3rd and 5th place.

Here's a rundown of how the area wrestlers fared in consolation semis and the 3rd and 5th place medal matches:

B 120:

Beatrice's Drew Arnold, who lost a 2-1 heartbreaker in semifinals Friday night, came back with a vengeance Saturday morning, pinning No. 8 Malachi Bordovsky of Wahoo in 22 seconds. For third place, Arnold pinned No. 7 Jim McKee of Ralston in the first period. Arnold takes home his third state medal as a junior, and third is the highest he’s ever finished at state.

 

B 160:

Norris' Tyler Nelson fell in a 7-2 decision against No. 4 Connor Drahota of Omaha Skutt. Nelson wrestled for fifth place against No. 5 Sam Moore of Central City. Moore won the match via medical forfeit, so Nelson comes home in 6th in his senior season, ending the year with a 36-10 record.

B 170:

Beatrice’s Brody Nelson dropped a 5-2 decision against No. 5 Brock Skinner of Ogallala. Nelson wrestled for 5th against fourth-ranked Brett Tinker of Pierce. Tinker won the bout 5-3. Nelson claims the 6th place medal, his first at state, and ends the season at 38-14.

B 220:

Norris’ Dylan Meyer won his consolation semi match 5-4 against over fifth-ranked Austin Rollman of Columbus Lakeview on Friday evening. Meyer, who medaled 5th last season, wrestled for third against No. 6 Brayan Rodriguez of York, and won the match 3-2. Meyer, who medaled 5th last season, end his junior year with a 50-5 record.

C 138:

Wilber-Clatonia sophomore Colby Homolka got a hard-earned, 7-5 decision over Seth Fairbanks of Bishop Neumann. Homolka wrestled for 3rd place against third-ranked Cameron Graham of Cross County/Osceola. Graham defeated Homolka in a 1-0 stalemate. Homolka comes home with a fourth place medal - his first career state medal.

 

C 160:

Fillmore Central’s Gavin Hinrichs was pinned in the second period by third-ranked Dylan Jones of Louisville. Hinrichs wrestled for 5th place against Dylan Marchand of Bergan, and won the match 6-2. Hinrichs caps an impressive senior season with his first career medal and a 51-13 record.

C 195:

HTRS’ Aiden Worthey earns a 3-1 victory over #4 Hunter Thonen of Conestoga. Worthey will wrestle for third place against third-ranked Logan Booth of Logan View. Booth won the match 2-1 in a hard fought scrap. Worthey ends an impressive sophomore campaign with a 25-6 record.

 

C 285:

Wilber-Clatonia’s Eric Escobar was pinned by Eli Simonsen of Archbishop Bergan. Escobar went for 5th against Owen Schram of Aquinas-David City, and Schram got a pin in the second period. Escobar comes home 6th in his senior season with a 39-12 record.

D 145:

Thayer Central’s Dom Stewart got a pin in the first period over third-ranked Matt Vanpelt of Southwest. In his second straight appearance at state, Stewart wrestled against fifth-ranked Cooper Coons of Twin Loup for 3rd place. Coons won the match 7-5, so Stewart claims the 4th place medal in his second straight trip to state.

 

D 160:

Thayer Central’s Jackson Feulner moved onto the third place match with an 8-4 win over top-ranked Derek Gibson of Maxwell. Feulner, back at state for a second straight year, faced Jarrett Parsons of High Plains for third, and dropped the match in a 4-2 decision. Feulner comes home 4th, and ends the season at 27-6.

 

D 195:

Meridian’s Wyatt Haverluck continued his stellar week on Saturday morning. He pinned No. 5 James Hargett of Southern Valley. The senior wrestled for 3rd against No. 3 Ty Kvanvig of Mullen, and got a first period pin to claim the bronze medal. Haverluck ends his senior year at 29-8.

 

D 220:

Southern’s Braden Klover fell via pin against No. 1 ranked Carter Throener of Howells-Dodge. Klover, in his first year at state, wrestled for 5th place against Andrew Burnett of Anselmo-Merna. Klover won the 5th place match with a 16-9 decision, becoming the first Raider wrestler to medal at state since 2001. Klover ends the season at 37-12.

Beatrice's Trevor Reinke (B132) and Fairbury's Seth Firmanik (B195) are the only two area competitors still to go. They wrestle in the finals, which start on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @Tommy_NCN.