Class D: Cougars, Tigers roll early in Omaha

The Central Valley Cougars started the first session of the NSAA State Wrestling Championships sitting in the top three in Class D

On Thursday morning at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Central Valley amassed forty team points to finish the morning sitting in third. Plainview was anchored atop the leaderboard with 44.5 points. Burwell was second with 41.5.

Of the Cougars’ eight state qualifiers, Lincoln Nekoliczak, William Pokorny, and Grady Kelley all finished the morning undefeated.

Nekoliczak secured his spot in the semifinals with a tech fall over Scotty Archer of Sutherland. Pokorny advanced to Friday night’s semifinals with a last-second pin against Dominick Laraga of Shelton, and Kelly beat Chase Thomas of Neligh-Oakdale 9-2.

Others winning on Thursday in the first round included Dallas Wadsworth at 106, Landon Shoemaker at 138, Luke Shoemaker at 150, and Jairo Lazos at 165. All four Cougars later were beat in the quarterfinals and will compete in Friday morning’s consolation rounds.

Also in the area, two Palmer wrestlers—Cookie Guzman and Gatlin Reimers—advanced to the semifinals with a pair of wins each on Thursday morning. Guzman pinned Garden County’s Cable Larson—the defending state champion at 113-pounds—and Reimers notched a 17-5 major decision over Luke Shoemaker of Central Valley in the quarterfinals.

Emmerson Earl was the Tigers’ third wrestler in Omaha. The Tiger lost his first match when he was pinned by Luke Harper of Sutherland in the second period.

Class C wrestlers—including those from St. Paul and Centura—took to the mats at the CHI Health Center on Thursday afternoon. Consolation rounds from Class D will begin Friday morning, with the semifinal rounds to be Friday at 6:00 p.m.