The Plainview Pirate boys wrestling team qualified seven wrestlers for the NSAA State Championships at their district tournament in Shelby on Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. 10. With 24 teams competing at the Class D District 2 Invite, the Pirates had a tremendous showing out of their 13 wrestlers that competed. With seven qualifying for state, the Pirates were able to score 140.0 team points, good enough to earn them second place as a team.
At the end of a long two days of wrestling, seven Pirates were able to place inside the top four
of their weight class to keep their season alive. Those wrestlers (and their weight class) are as follows: Guy Wortman (106), Beau Johnson (106), Colt Kromarek (120), Landon Hansen (126), John Leija (150); Hayven Stewart (215), and Xander Albin (285).
Those seven Plainview wrestlers will continue their season from Thursday, Feb. 15 through Saturday, Feb. 17 at the CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha at the NSAA State Wrestling Championships. Their journey at state will begin on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. with their next match to follow the conclusion of the first round.
Individual Pirate results from the Class D District 2 Wrestling Invite are as follows: 106: Guy Wortman won by fall over Trembly of Franklin; lost to Jensen of Burwell by tech fall; defeated Lanz of Wisner-Pilger by decision; won by major decision over Trambly of Franklin. Wortman placed third to qualify for the State Championships. 106: Beau Johnson won by fall over Tremayne of Bancroft- Rosalie; defeated Kocian of East Butler by major decision; lost to Jensen of Burwell by decision.
Johnson placed second to qualify for the State Championships and scored 19.0 team points. 113: Zach Frahm won by sudden victory over Patrick of Burwell; lost by decision to Wadsworth of Central Valley; lost by decision to Hodges of Burwell. Frahm scored 4.0 team points. 120: Colt Kromarek won by fall over Kumm of Howells-Dodge; defeated Carlson of Winside by fall; won by fall over Horner of Loomis; defeated Holley of Central Valley by fall.
Kromarek placed first to qualify for the State Championships and scored 28.0 team points. 126: Landon Hansen won by fall over Cargill of Central Valley; defeated Freeman of Loomis by decision; won by decision over Dawe of Burwell; lost to Haussermann of Franklin by decision. Hansen placed second to qualify for the State Championships and scored 18.0 team points.
126: Owen Dobler lost to Stritt of Southwest by fall; lost to Masters of Wilcox-Hildreth by major decision. 132: Hunter Meyer lost to Carraher of Franklin by fall; won by decision over Wheeler of Nebraska Christian; lost to Eickmeier of Shelby-Rising City by fall. Meyer scored 2.0 team points.
150: John Leija won by fall over Pleskac of SRC; lost in sudden victory to Twohig of Franklin; defeated Knueven of Harvard by decision; won by decision over Straka of Central Valley; won by fall over Smith of Twin Loup; defeated Twohig of Franklin by fall. Leija placed third to qualify for the State Championships and scored 18.0 team points.
157: Jaegar Frahm lost to Dolezal of Bancroft-Rosalie; defeated Heskett of Southwest by major decision; lost to Fowler of Ansley-Litchfield by fall. Frahm scored 3.0 team points. 175: Wyatt Doerr won by decision over Silva of SRC; lost to Nelson of Wisner-Pilger by fall; lost to Meyer of Loomis by decision. Doerr scored 4.0 team points.
190: Grayson Petersen lost to Fredrickson of Kenesaw by fall; won by fall over Johnson of Wilcox-Hildreth; lost by fall to Klement of East Butler. Petersen scored 4.0 team points. 215: Hayven Stewart won by fall over Gomez of Bancroft-Rosalie; defeated Kenny of Loomis by fall; won by fall over Hodges of Burwell; lost to Fjell of SRC by fall. Stewart placed second to qualify for the State Championships and scored 22.0 team points.
285: Xander Albin won by fall over Wu of Nebraska Christian; won by decision over Cash of Ansley-Litchfield; lost to Vrbka of SRC by decision. Albin placed second to qualify for the State Championships and scored 18.0 team points.
John Leija won his 100th match at the District competition, flanked by Coaches Caden Alexander, Chad Schumacher, Dean Boyer and Mark Wragge.
Xander Albin (left) at District wrestling - photos courtesy Juleen Johnson