River Country State Wrestling Recap Classes B and C

OMAHA, NE – On Friday, Classes B & C started off their 2021 NSAA State Wrestling Individual Championship tournaments. River Country had 25 wrestlers qualified for the Class B & C tournaments.

 

CLASS B

 

PLATTSMOUTH

Junior Cael Nieslen (113) lost round 1 to Sophomore Davenn Naylor via major decision 12-4. Nieslen won round 2 via pinfall over sophomore Justin Barbee via pinfall at 2:39. The Blue Devil faced sophomore Owen Bargen and won via sudden victory 4-2 in the third round. Cael will face Gerring freshman Jordan Shirley to start Saturday.

Senior Dominic Cherek (132) lost his first-round match against sophomore AJ Parrish via technical fall at 5:27 18-3. Cherek then won via pinfall at 1:54 against junior Evan Smith. Cherek then lost via decision in the last round of day 1 via decision 10-4 against top seed Reece Jaqua.

Junior Josh Adkins (152) would lose his opening round match against thr #3 seed Cameron Zink via an 8-2 decision. Adkins would then win his second round against Auburn junior Brad Hall in a 13-4 major decision victory. Adkins then became a quick victim via pinfall against senior Tate Felber at the 39 second mark to end his 2021 state tournament.

Junior Josh Colgrove entered the 2021 state tournament as the #3 seed in his 160-weight class bracket. The junior would win his first-round matchup against junior Riley Eickmeier via fall at the 3-minute mark. Colgrove would be pushed to his limits in his second-round matchup against senior Alex Banuelos, barely edging out the victory in an ultimate tiebreaker 6-2. Colgorve will face #2 seed Michael Kruntorad, the junior from Pierce, in the semifinal matchup to start day 2.

Cameron Aughenbaugh (170) would start his junior season state tournament with a bang, picking up a quick round 1 victory via pinfall against sophomore Brandon Cavender. The Blue Devil would then lose via pinfall in round 2, at the 3:44 mark, to top seeded junior Jacob Awiszus. Aughenbaugh would then win via a 4-1 decision against freshman Max Denson, ending his first day. Cameron will face sophomore Nolan Hill from Seward to start Saturday.

Junior Nick Horst (182) would lose his opening round via major decision to #4 seeded Kaleb Pohl 9-1. Horst would then be eliminated from the tournament by an 11-6 decision whilst facing junior Jay Ballard.

 

NEBRASKA CITY

Sophomore Baylor Poston (145) lost his first-round bout against senior Asa Johnson via an 11-4 decision. Poston then go to dominate sophomore Griffin Lausterer via technical fall at the 4:23 mark 18-3. Poston would then be eliminated via an 8-3 decision via junior Caden Corcoran.

Senior Lee Hobbs (152) would fall in his opening round to #4 seed senior Noah Talmadge via a quick pinfall at the 1:15 mark. The Pioneer senior would then commit a monkey-see-monkey-do, wining via pinfall at the 1:12 mark against sophomore Sean Stara. Hobbs would then fall victim to another pinfall against Sophomore Diego Maganda at the 2:45 mark to end his tournament.

Senior Chance Sjulin (160) would win his round 1 match against senior Jarrett Koch via a sudden victory in a tight 3-1 fashion. Sjulin would then fall to top seeded, and undefeated, senior Kobe Lyons via a 7-0 decision. Sjulin would then be eliminated after a valiant effort lost in the third round against Freshman Mason Vilwok 7-5 to end his high school wrestling career.

Mikah Ruiz (220) would start his junior season state tournament ranked at the #4 seed. Ruiz would win his opening round via major decision, 13-3, against senior Colton Donason. Ruiz would then nearly copy his performance against senior Gabe Gaskil, wining again via major decision in a 14-3 fashion in the second round. Ruiz will face top seed Alec Langan, a senior from McCook, to start day 2.

Gavin Bailey (285), the lone River Country heavyweight to qualify for the state tournament in class B, would lose his opening round against senior Jason Uden in an 1-0 decision that was due to a second-round 1:29 escape. Bailey would then go on to win via pinfall in his next match against sophomore Kadence Velde at the 2:31 mark. Gavin would then be eliminated via pinfall at the 2:04 mark while facing junior Neil Hartman in the last round of day 1.

 

FALLS CITY

Freshman Wyatt Olberling (126) lost his opening round to Senior Paul Ruff via major decision 12-0. Olberling was then eliminated via a 14-4 major decision against sophomore Elijah Johnson.

Junior Thomas Fields (195) would lose his first-round match against junior Wyatt Fanning via pinfall at the 3:19 mark. Fields would then go on to dominate his second-round opponent, junior Bo Edmond, winning via a 12-1 major decision. Fields would then be eliminated in the third round via a 3:59 pinfall against top seeded senior Austen Smith.

 

AUBURN

Junior Brad Hall would lose round 1 against Diego Maganda via major decision 15-4. He would then be eliminated by Plattsmouth junior Josh Adkins via major decision 13-4 in the second round.

 

CLASS C

 

CONESTOGA

Senior Braden Ruffner (120) started off his final state tournament losing in an extremely close 9-8 decision against sophomore Ashton Johnson. Johnson would pull a 6-point run to come back from an 8-3 deficit. Ruffner would then take out his anger by eliminating top seed sophomore Joseph Yates via a 9-2 decision. Ruffner would then be eliminated, losing to junior Gavin Dozier in the third round via a 5-2 decision.

Junior Keegan Chini (126) won his first-round match against sophomore Ian Hughes via a 3:21 pinfall. Chini would then lose via pinfall at the 3:22 mark against #3 seeded senior Konner Schluckebier. The junior cougar would then win against junior Dalton Anderson in an 11-7 decision to end his opening day. Chini is set to face off against Battle Creek junior Boston Reeves to start day 2.

Top seeded senior Cameron Williams (132) won his opening round via a 5:46 pinfall against sophomore Brendan Boyce. Williams then would win via a sudden victory against senior Ryan Payne 9-7. The senior Cougar is set to face against #4 seed Ty Rainforth from O’Neil, who has only lost 1 match this season, in one of the best day 2 offerings in the entire tournament.

Sophomore Carter Plowman (138) would lose his opening round against the top seeded junior, Dylan Ancheta, in an extremely close 4-2 decision. Plowman would then face off against Hayden Kluthe, a sophomore, in another extremely close match winning this time in an 8-7 decision, after being down by 7 at the 1:27 mark in the second round. Carter would then be eliminated in the third round via pinfall against senior Seth Fairbanks at the 2:35 mark.

 

SYRACUSE

Junior Jace Goebel (120) would start off his 2021 tournament by losing via major decision to the #2 seed, senior Dru Mueller, via a 13-4 major decision. Goebel would then win via injury against junior Clayton Wedemeyer in the second round. The junior Rocket would then defeat sophomore Ashton Johnson via a 6-4 decision to advance to day 2. Jace is set to face off against Fort Calhoun sophomore, and #4 seed, Lance Olberding.

Junior Owen Wander (170) fell quickly in the opening round via a 45 second mark pinfall to sophomore Ryan Gabriel. Wander would then shutout sophomore Garret Buschkamp in a 6-0 decision before falling to junior Christophe Sodoris via a 9-4 decision to end his junior campaign.

#4 seeded senior Burton Brandt (195) came into the 2021 state tournament like a wrecking ball. Brandt won in quick fashion against senior Tanner Mrkvicka with a 34 second pinfall and followed it up with a 2:22 pinfall against freshman Hunter Oborny. Brandt is set to face off against junior Logan Booth from Logan View to start off the semifinals in class C.

Senior Zach Burr (285) started his 2021 tournament in the heavies with a quick pinfall of junior Steven Fullerton in 35 seconds. Burr would then lose two straight. First, via pinfall, against #3 seed Carson Fehlhafer at the 4:39 mark. The second, via a 4-2 decision, against sophomore Daven Whitley.

 

HTRS

Junior Aiden Worthey (195) started off the tournament slated against #3 seed, senior Riley Gallaway. Worthey would lose to the senior in an 8-2 decision. Aiden would then win via a 3-1 decision against junior Kase Thompson before being eliminated by freshman Hunter Oborny in a third round 4-3 decision.

Junior Isaac Bittner (220) forfeited his first two rounds due to medial reasons.

 

PALMYRA

Junior Derek Dowding (152), the lone qualifier for the Palmyra Panthers, would lose via technical fall in the opening round against the #3 seed Christophe Feldner 17-1 at the 4:23 mark. Dowding would pick up his only victory in the tournament against senior Carson Thompson via a 5:17 pinfall before losing to senior Tyron Calleroz in a 10-5 decision.

 

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