At the Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament in Omaha on Saturday, 21 wrestlers from the panhandle participate in the walk of the parade of champions. 896 wrestlers started the journey on Thursday and 112 wrestled for the gold.

The action started at weight 106 with Juan Delacruz from Scottsbluff vs. Brian Peska of Omaha Skutt Catholic.  Brian Peska won the state championship.  Drew  Gilliland from Mitchell placed 5th at Class-C 106 pound weight class.  CJ Sidrow from Morrill placed 6th in Class-D 106 pound weight class.  Joseph Flores-Ybarra from Scottsbluff placed 4th in the 120 pound weight class in Class-B.

Keegan Hessler of Scottsbluff weight 113 would face JT. Sloboth of Omaha Skutt Catholic, Hessler would upset Sloboth to win the Class B 113 State Championship for Scottsbluff.

At 132 pound weight class Colton Adams from Scottsbluff was going for gold and Nebraska State Wrestling history, Adams was matched up against Clay Trejo of Cozad.  Colton Adams won his third straight title, his victory capped a history-making performance in the tournament by winning 53 matches in a season which is an Nebraska all-class state record.  Adams’ lone loss of the season came in the semifinals of a national tournament in Ohio back in December. That setback was against Joey Dance, who is considered to be the nation’s top wrestler. Adams finished third in that tournament, which is regarded as the toughest in the nation.  With the win Colton Adams joined Tyler Nation as the only two wrestlers in Scottsbluff history with three state titles. Nation won his third title last year.

Joey Johnson from Hay Springs placed 6th at Class-D 132 pound weight class. Tyler Smith from Alliance placed 6th at Class-B 138 pound weight class.  Brandon Nichols from Bridgeport placed 4th at Class-C 138 pound weight class.  Sabian Harsh from Scottsblff placed 3rd at Class-B 145 pound weight class.  Willy Cogdill from Chadron placed 6th at Class-B 152 pound weight class.

Tyson Dowler from Alliance was going for gold in  the 152 pound weight class against Logan Hunke of Cozad, Dowler would capture the state championship and complete an undefeated 29-0 season.

Colby Riesen from Chadron was going for gold in the 160 pound weight class against Nick Null of Plattsmouth, Null was the #1 wrestler at 160 in class-B, while Riesen was #3.  Riesen won by pin, to complete an 40-3 season and be Chadron’s first champion in several years.

Dawson Johnson from Alliance placed 4th at Class-B 160 pound weight class.  Allen Denton from Bayard placed 6th at Class-D 160 pound weight class.  Chance Bila from Chadron placed 6th at Class-B 170 pound weight class.  Brendan Swanson from Mitchell placed 5th at Class-C 170 pound weight class.  Braydon Wiedeman from Mitchell placed 5th at Class-C 182 pound weight class.  Tanner Willey from Bayard placed 5th at Class-D 195 pound weight class.  Stevin Horrocks from Hay Springs placed 3rd at Class-D 220 pound weight class.

Scottsbluff got runner-up as a team in Class-B and finished with 119 points, while Omaha Skutt Catholic once again won the team title for Class-B.  Alliance finished in 5th place, while Chadron got 13th.  In Class-C Mitchell came in 15th place, while Bayard got 13th place in Class-D.