An incredible team race and some amazing individual matches made for an exciting day in Lexington at the John Higgins Invite. B#6 Bennington outlasted B#2 Hastings to capture the team title. At the marquee weight of 106 lbs, Freshman Kael Lauridsen (#3B) made his mark once again this year with a dominating tournament over Colorado #1 Collins. Returning state champ Chavez (#1B) dropped his semifinal match to Collins, before edging state medalist Obermiller for third place. The finals matches below were just a sample of the incredible wrestling that went down today.
Final Team Scores106
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Kael Lauridsen of Bennington
- 2nd Place – Brady Collins of Wray
- 3rd Place – Quinton Chavez of Gering
- 4th Place – Tristen Obermiller of Adams Central
- 5th Place – Markus Miller of Hastings
- 6th Place – Daven Naylor of Lexington
1st Place Match
- Kael Lauridsen (Bennington) 32-0, Fr. over Brady Collins (Wray) 29-1, Fr. (MD 12-2)
3rd Place Match
- Quinton Chavez (Gering) 27-3, Jr. over Tristen Obermiller (Adams Central) 29-5, Sr. (Dec 7-6)
5th Place Match
- Markus Miller (Hastings) 26-9, So. over Daven Naylor (Lexington) 22-11, Fr. (MD 11-2)
113
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Braiden Kort of Adams Central
- 2nd Place – Landan McLaughlin of Lincoln Southwest
- 3rd Place – AJ Parrish of Bennington
- 4th Place – Ivan Lazo of Lexington
- 5th Place – Austin Munier of Sidney
- 6th Place – Brayden Schmalz of Holdrege
1st Place Match
- Braiden Kort (Adams Central) 33-3, Fr. over Landan McLaughlin (Lincoln Southwest) 27-5, So. (Dec 1-0)
3rd Place Match
- AJ Parrish (Bennington) 31-4, Fr. over Ivan Lazo (Lexington) 26-8, Jr. (Dec 2-0)
5th Place Match
- Austin Munier (Sidney) 16-8, So. over Brayden Schmalz (Holdrege) 13-10, Jr. (Fall 1:57)
120
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Drew Arnold of Beatrice
- 2nd Place – Ean Bailey of Lexington
- 3rd Place – Paul Ruff of Gering
- 4th Place – Kash Bates of Lincoln Southwest
- 5th Place – Cole Rockwell of Wray
- 6th Place – Hunter Anderson of Bennington
1st Place Match
- Drew Arnold (Beatrice) 31-1, Jr. over Ean Bailey (Lexington) 25-8, Sr. (Dec 6-0)
3rd Place Match
- Paul Ruff (Gering) 26-2, Jr. over Kash Bates (Lincoln Southwest) 21-7, Fr. (MD 12-0)
5th Place Match
- Cole Rockwell (Wray) 13-4, Sr. over Hunter Anderson (Bennington) 19-15, So. (NC)
126
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Jaylan Ruffin of North Platte
- 2nd Place – Landon Weidner of Hastings
- 3rd Place – Weston Godfrey of Norfolk
- 4th Place – Tyler Nagel of Gering
- 5th Place – Talyn Campbell of McCook
- 6th Place – Zach Rohrbough of Scott Community
1st Place Match
- Jaylan Ruffin (North Platte) 33-6, Jr. over Landon Weidner (Hastings) 26-7, Fr. (Dec 4-1)
3rd Place Match
- Weston Godfrey (Norfolk) 31-7, Jr. over Tyler Nagel (Gering) 22-10, Jr. (Fall 0:47)
5th Place Match
- Talyn Campbell (McCook) 18-13, Jr. over Zach Rohrbough (Scott Community) 15-6, So. (NC)
132
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Trevor Reinke of Beatrice
- 2nd Place – Jaxon Morrow of Lincoln Southwest
- 3rd Place – Matthew Coe of Bennington
- 4th Place – Nathaniel Murillo of Gering
- 5th Place – Aaron Dittmer of Norfolk
- 6th Place – Bryce Brown of Hastings
1st Place Match
- Trevor Reinke (Beatrice) 29-2, So. over Jaxon Morrow (Lincoln Southwest) 24-8, Sr. (Dec 3-2)
3rd Place Match
- Matthew Coe (Bennington) 27-11, Sr. over Nathaniel Murillo (Gering) 24-9, Sr. (Dec 3-2)
5th Place Match
- Aaron Dittmer (Norfolk) 31-7, Sr. over Bryce Brown (Hastings) 19-5, Sr. (M. For.)
138
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Kaden Wren of Scott Community
- 2nd Place – Nate Rocheleau of Gering
- 3rd Place – Cameron Kort of Adams Central
- 4th Place – Brecken Loftin of Cozad
- 5th Place – Santana Morin of North Platte
- 6th Place – Corben Libich of Gothenburg
1st Place Match
- Kaden Wren (Scott Community) 23-0, Sr. over Nate Rocheleau (Gering) 32-4, Jr. (Dec 8-6)
3rd Place Match
- Cameron Kort (Adams Central) 33-6, Sr. over Brecken Loftin (Cozad) 21-11, Sr. (Fall 1:37)
5th Place Match
- Santana Morin (North Platte) 9-17, Jr. over Corben Libich (Gothenburg) 19-14, Sr. (NC)
145
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Justus McDaniel of Scott Community
- 2nd Place – Brady Fago of Lexington
- 3rd Place – Treven Melroy of Holdrege
- 4th Place – Colby Puck of Bennington
- 5th Place – Tate Felber of McCook
- 6th Place – Blake Vaughn of North Platte
1st Place Match
- Justus McDaniel (Scott Community) 18-0, Sr. over Brady Fago (Lexington) 28-4, Sr. (Dec 8-2)
3rd Place Match
- Treven Melroy (Holdrege) 23-7, Sr. over Colby Puck (Bennington) 27-9, Sr. (NC)
5th Place Match
- Tate Felber (McCook) 11-4, Jr. over Blake Vaughn (North Platte) 3-3, . (NC)
152
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Tyler Collins of Wray
- 2nd Place – Mason Brumbaugh of Hastings
- 3rd Place – Joshua Licking of Norfolk
- 4th Place – Noah Kliesen of Scott Community
- 5th Place – Forfeit Forfeit of Unattached
- 6th Place – Jarrett Koch of Beatrice
- 6th Place – Landon Towne of McCook
1st Place Match
- Tyler Collins (Wray) 10-0, Jr. over Mason Brumbaugh (Hastings) 10-2, Sr. (Dec 5-0)
3rd Place Match
- Joshua Licking (Norfolk) 32-1, Jr. over Noah Kliesen (Scott Community) 20-3, Sr. (Dec 6-5)
5th Place Match
- Jarrett Koch (Beatrice) 25-11, Jr. over Landon Towne (McCook) 22-10, Sr. (DFF)
160
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Izaak Hunsley of Hastings
- 2nd Place – Brayden Splater of Norfolk
- 3rd Place – Emmanuel Huerta of Wray
- 4th Place – Torrance Keehn of Beatrice
- 5th Place – Alex Anthony of McCook
- 6th Place – Jacob Awiszus of Gering
1st Place Match
- Izaak Hunsley (Hastings) 33-3, Sr. over Brayden Splater (Norfolk) 30-6, Sr. (Dec 5-3)
3rd Place Match
- Emmanuel Huerta (Wray) 28-4, Sr. over Torrance Keehn (Beatrice) 12-7, So. (Fall 2:01)
5th Place Match
- Alex Anthony (McCook) 19-14, Fr. over Jacob Awiszus (Gering) 29-10, So. (M. For.)
170
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Brady Robb of Sidney
- 2nd Place – Brody Nelson of Beatrice
- 3rd Place – Austin Miller of Norfolk
- 4th Place – Jackson Phelps of Hastings
- 5th Place – Caleb Vandegrift of Scott Community
- 6th Place – Oaklyn Smith of Adams Central
1st Place Match
- Brady Robb (Sidney) 25-4, Jr. over Brody Nelson (Beatrice) 20-7, Jr. (Fall 1:36)
3rd Place Match
- Austin Miller (Norfolk) 29-8, So. over Jackson Phelps (Hastings) 17-12, Jr. (Dec 9-4)
5th Place Match
- Caleb Vandegrift (Scott Community) 15-9, Sr. over Oaklyn Smith (Adams Central) 22-15, So. (NC)
182
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Damen Pape of Hastings
- 2nd Place – Gavyn Brauer of North Platte
- 3rd Place – Luke MacDonald of Bennington
- 4th Place – Cale Goodman of Scott Community
- 5th Place – Deegan Nelson of Beatrice
- 6th Place – Hunter Mangelsen of Norfolk
1st Place Match
- Damen Pape (Hastings) 36-0, Sr. over Gavyn Brauer (North Platte) 24-8, Jr. (MD 14-0)
3rd Place Match
- Luke MacDonald (Bennington) 26-5, So. over Cale Goodman (Scott Community) 16-6, Sr. (Dec 7-4)
5th Place Match
- Deegan Nelson (Beatrice) 3-2, Fr. over Hunter Mangelsen (Norfolk) 12-12, Jr. (Dec 4-2)
195
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Imanol Munoz of Holdrege
- 2nd Place – Brock Ostdiek of Beatrice
- 3rd Place – Hunter Thompson of Bennington
- 4th Place – Hunter Ahrendt of Sidney
- 5th Place – Laikon Ames of Norfolk
- 6th Place – Ismael Ayala of Lexington
1st Place Match
- Imanol Munoz (Holdrege) 24-4, Sr. over Brock Ostdiek (Beatrice) 21-12, So. (Dec 11-8)
3rd Place Match
- Hunter Thompson (Bennington) 20-9, So. over Hunter Ahrendt (Sidney) 12-15, Jr. (Dec 7-1)
5th Place Match
- Laikon Ames (Norfolk) 32-6, Sr. over Ismael Ayala (Lexington) 11-15, So. (Fall 0:31)
220
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Garett Menke of Bennington
- 2nd Place – Jose Molina of Wray
- 3rd Place – Cade Stott of Cozad
- 4th Place – Jacob Deckert of Adams Central
- 5th Place – Brayden Heffner of Norfolk
- 6th Place – Trent Weak of Holdrege
1st Place Match
- Garett Menke (Bennington) 35-0, Sr. over Jose Molina (Wray) 24-6, Jr. (Fall 1:34)
3rd Place Match
- Cade Stott (Cozad) 26-9, Sr. over Jacob Deckert (Adams Central) 25-4, So. (M. For.)
5th Place Match
- Brayden Heffner (Norfolk) 22-10, So. over Trent Weak (Holdrege) 18-12, Sr. (NC)
285
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place – Gabriel Bowers of Scott Community
- 2nd Place – Hayden Hofrock of Sidney
- 3rd Place – Josh Callejas of Hastings
- 4th Place – Reid Steinbeck of McCook
- 5th Place – Jake Jensen of Norfolk
- 6th Place – Tyler Pavelka of Adams Central
1st Place Match
- Gabriel Bowers (Scott Community) 16-6, Jr. over Hayden Hofrock (Sidney) 26-3, Sr. (Dec 6-4)
3rd Place Match
- Josh Callejas (Hastings) 16-9, Sr. over Reid Steinbeck (McCook) 19-10, Jr. (Fall 0:43)
5th Place Match
- Jake Jensen (Norfolk) 25-8, Sr. over Tyler Pavelka (Adams Central) 24-15, So. (Dec 1-0)