Kearney High Invite:
The Kearney Bearcats scored 226.5 points and won their home tournament with 8 champions, 2 runner-ups, and 3 third place finishers. Lincoln Southwest finished as the team runner-up with 139 points thanks to 1 champions, 3 runner-ups, 2 third place finishers and 5 fourth place finishers. The 106 and 113 finals saw freshmen earn wins over higher ranked opponents as Brayden Smith won 3-0 #4 Eliceo Ramirez, and Maxx Mayfield won 14-5 over #2 Carter Kucera. Lincoln Southwest freshman Chayton Koch used 2 major decisions and 2 falls to take first at 126. In the 132 finals, Connor Laux jumped out to a 5-0 lead over Nick James and looked to extend his lead, but James absorbed an attack from Laux and redirected the motion into a lateral drop, and eventually earned the fall. 182 was the deepest weight of the tournament and Lincoln Southwest’s #3 ranked Justin Shaw placed 2nd, while unranked Jayden Songster got a fall over 170A #4 Zach Baldwin to finish 3rd. At 220, Colton Wolfe (#1 at 195) utilized 4 falls to take home the championship including a fall over 220A #1 Connor Clanton. #3 Lee Herrington scored a 6-4 win over top ranked and returning state finalist Cyrus Marshall. Phillip Moomey (120) Tyson Cepel (138), Teontae Wilson (145), Trey Grube (160) Sean Jackson (220) were Kearney’s five other individual champions. Carson Zwingman was the other champion for Columbus and returning state champion Braiden Ruffin of scored bonus points in all 4 of his matches while winning the title at 170.
Grain Valley Invite:
In Missouri, Omaha Burke finished in 3rd place, 28 points behind the first place team. Jason Welch (132), James Burks (152), and Nathan Lenz (170) finished as runner-ups while Aeneas Renfrow finished 3rd at 120 just a few days after his 5-month old daughter passed away from SIDS. She passed away the morning of December 1st, but Renfrow still competed in Burke’s dual that evening against Omaha Central.
Fremont Invitational:
Millard West won the Fremont Invitational with 217 points to 2nd place Norfolk by a 19 point margin. The Wildcats had 5 champions and 4 runner-ups, while Norfolk had 3 champions, 2 runner-ups and 3 third place finishers to edge host Fremont for 3rd place by a single point. Fremont accrued 3 third place finishers, 4 runner-ups, and 1 champion. In the 113 finals, #4 Cole Zebley won 6-4 over 120A #3 at Cody Fielder. Jack Huffman, previously #1 at 126, had 3 falls and won the title at 120 title. #5 Cody Carlson surrended the first takedown, but controlled the rest of the match for a 9-2 over Camden Russell (previously #1 at 120) in the finals at 126. Norfolk’s 3 champions were Blake McDonald (145), Alex Thompson (182) and MJ Montgomery who won 5-2 in the 285 finals over #3 Alex Dukart. Millard West’s 3 other champions were Levi May (132), Ben Holman (138), and Derek Bithell (285). Isaiah Alford of Lincoln High won the title at 170.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton Invitational:
Millard South outscored tournament host Sergeant Bluff-Luton by 114.5 points via 7 champions, 2 runner-ups and 2 fourth place finishers. Papillion- La Vista finished 3rd as a team behind 2 champions, 2 third place finishers and 2 fourth place finishers. The first 4 weight classes were swept by both teams as Blake Jackson (106), Nolan Niemiec (113), Reid Dasher (120) and Creighton Baughman (126) won titles. The Patriots added champions Zac Charity (138), Connor Olin (152), Braden Trimble (170), Rajan Ellebb (195) and Brooke Krinklaw (220) who are all ranked in their respective weight classes
Blair and York Invitationals:
Darlondo Hill and Josh Jansa both went 8-0 on the weekend dominating their way to titles at Blair on Friday and York on Saturday. Also of Omaha Westside, De’Andre Hill won the 138 bracket at Blair. Jesus Cisneros of Northstar won the 170 Blair title with a fall and technical fall. Dajour Willis of Ralston was the 220 champ, and Kainan Bowyer finished runner up to 285B #4 Corey Harper of Blair. Returning state champion DJ Coleman won the 160 title at York and Lincoln Southeast had back to back champions with returning state medalists Adam Kinnaman (126) and Chance Fry (132).
Lincoln Pius X Duals:
Norris has zero returning state qualifiers, but that wasn’t an issue as they swept the duals at Pius. They won by a 4-point margin over Pius and by 7 points over Lincoln Northeast. In battles of ranked wrestlers, 285A #2 Robbie Farber won 4-2 over 285A #6 Mar’San Castaneda, and 160A #3 Josh Guerra won 8-6 over 160B #2 Jacob Pinkerton.
Vern Ekfelt Invitational:
Bellevue East’s depth overcame Papillion- La Vista South’s firepower earning them the team title by a 30-point margin . The Chieftains placed a wrestler in the top 4 of 13 weight classes including 7 third place finishers and 2 champions: Jakody Rezac (132), and Gabriel Jeffrey (182). The Titan’s saw Gabe Durden (106), Caleb Connor (120), Maison Clark (138), Josh Benak (145), Conner Willey (160) win titles. Creighton Prep swept the two upper weights with Jack Hasz (220) and Garrett Rollag (285) retaining undefeated records on the season. Javone Malone of Omaha Benson won the 195 title with 5 first period period pins with only one of the matches lasting more than a minute. Omaha North added champions Jason Hurd (113) and Dae`Kwon Seavers (126), while South Sioux City’s lone champion was Tyson Merchant at 170.
Notable Matches:
106- #6 Brayden Smith won 5-1 over #4 Eliceo Ramirez
113- #5 Maxx Mayfield won 14-5 over #2 Carter Kucera
126- #5 Cody Carlson won 9-2 over 120A #1 Camden Russell
132- #1 Nick James won by fall in 2:48 over 132B #4 Connor Laux 132- #3 Chance Fry won by fall in 4:54 over 132C #3 Monte Mumm
152- #6 Carson Zwingman won 11-3 over 152A #4 Connor Burney
160- #1 DJ Coleman won 5-3 over 160B #3 Damian Green
160- #3 Josh Guerra won 8-6 over 160B #2 Jacob Pinkerton
182- #4 at 170A Zach Baldwin of Columbus won Damen Pape won 7-5 over 170A #4
182- Unranked Jayden Songster won by fall in 2:46 over #4 Zach Baldwin
182- #4 Zach Baldwin won 6-4 over #2 Leo Palomo
182- #1 Darlondo Hill won by fall in 0:35 over 182B #6 Patrick Ondrak
285- Unranked MJ Montgomery won 5-2 over #3 Alex Dukart