Nebraska state wrestling Day 2: Kael Lauridsen’s date with destiny

Bennington Badger on the doorstep of four in a row

By Nathan Charles 

Bennington senior Kael Lauridsen will have his shot at history on Saturday at the Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament when he takes the mat to become the 36th four-time champ in state history. 

Lauridsen has only spent a total of 3 minutes, 36 seconds on the mat so far in what has felt more like a coronation than a competition. After picking up two wins by first-period pin, he again made quick work of an opponent when he stacked up Wahoo’s Grady Meyer 1:06 into the match. Lauridsen has needed just one takedown in each match to eventually end the bout by pinfall. 

Thirty-seven possible back-to-back or possible champs came to Omaha – 26 of those remain. Six were defeated on Thursday; five more went down on Friday. Twenty-Five wrestlers had perfect records when the tournament started on Thursday – 23 of those remain.

Class A

Millard South could have an afternoon like no other program has ever enjoyed when Saturday’s final round opens at CHI Health Center. The Patriots had nine in the semifinals and will have nine in the final. Kiernan Meink (106 pounds), Isaac Ekdahl (113), Miles Anderson (126), Logan Glynn (138), Joel Adams (145), Josiah Aburumuh (152), Henry Reilly (160), Aiden Robertson (170) and Caeden Olin (195) have the chance to give Millard South the record for the most ever tournament champs. Omaha Central and Skutt Catholic have each had seven champs more than once. No program has ever had eight.

Skutt also has the record for most tournament points. The SkyHawks scored 256 in 2008 when they also had seven champions. Millard South has two others that are also in the medal round. The Patriots have 223.5 points and lead Norfolk by more than 100. For Millard South to possibly set another record, the Patriots will need bonus points on Saturday.

Norfolk is at 109 points and went 2-2 in the semifinals. Panthers Calvin Empkey (132) and Jackson Bos (220) are set for title matches while four others are still alive in the medal round.

Lincoln East has two finalists and went 2-4 in the semifinals. The Spartans have scored 145 team points. Senior Gabe Turman (132) can win his second in a row thanks to an 8-7 decision in the semis over Cal Price of Papillion-La Vista. Turman scored seven points in the second period. Joining him in the finals is teammate Joshua Shaner (132).

Team Standings: 1. Millard South 223.5, Norfolk 109, 3. Lincoln East 103.5, 4. Columbus 75, 5. Grand Island 70.5, 6. Papillion-La Vista 70, 7. Kearney/Omaha North 58, 9. Lincoln Southwest 56, 10. Omaha Central 54.

Class B

Skutt Catholic built on its 11.5-point lead from day one and appears to be back in control of Class B with five finalists and a 5-0 record in the semifinals. The SkyHawks qualified 12 total wrestlers to state and have lost half of those. But when five of those advance to championship matches, it can make up for half the lineup missing the medal round.

Cole Welte (106), Drew Cooper (132), Tyler Harrill (145), Riley Johnson (160) and Cade Ziola (170) each have the chance to win their first state gold medals.

Bennington went 3-1 in the semifinals and had a wrestler still alive on the consolation side of the bracket. Five others were beaten in the second round of consolations. The Badgers have slipped to third with 106 points and trail Skutt by 36.

Waverly jumped Bennington and is in second with 109 points and was 3-0 in the semifinal round. The Vikings also have two others that won in the third round of consolations and will collect a medal.

Hastings senior Braiden Kort, a three-time runner-up, is back for his fourth and final try in a championship match. Hastings teammate Landon Weidner and Cozad’s Isaac White are in the midst of perfect seasons and will wrestle Saturday for back-to-back state titles. At 138 pounds, two champs from last season, Kyler Lauridsen of Bennington and Ely Olberding of Fort Calhoun, will face off for gold in one of the marquee matchups of the day.

Team Standings: 1. Skutt Catholic 142, Waverly 109, Bennington 106, 4. Blair 80.5, 5. Hastings 65, 6. Beatrice 61, 7. Scottsbluff 54.5, 8. Cozad 51.5, 9. O’Neill 45, 10. Gering 43.

Class C

Broken Bow also built on its lead but only slightly and has the smallest margin of any class leader. The Indians are at 98 points and lead Bishop Neumann by 15. Both teams have three finalists for Saturday, but the Cavaliers have just one other wrestler alive in the medal round while the Indians have four.

Broken Bow finalists include Colton Kelley (132), Connor Wells (182) and Cal Wells (220). Neumann wrestlers with a shot at gold are Aaron Ohnoutka (126), Cade Lierman (132) and Trent Moudry (195).

Fillmore Central is third with 72 points but just one in the finals and four others in the medal round.

Four Class C wrestlers who won championships last year are in line to go back-to-back. Four who came in unbeaten are in finals matches. Unfortunately, one of those wrestlers fits both categories and the other seven are in different weight classes.

Team Standings: 1. Broken Bow 98, 2. Neumann 83, 3. Fillmore Central 72, 4. Pierce 60.5, 5. Battle Creek 56, 6. Valentine 51, 7. Crofton-Bloomfield/Ord 47, 9. Wilber-Clatonia 46, 10. Central City/David City/Raymond Central 41.

Class D

Aquinas Catholic has a commanding lead on the rest of the field and appears it will win back-to-back team titles for the second time in school history. The Monarchs went 4-2 in the semifinal round and have four others in the medal round. Grady Romshek (106) and Jakob Kavan (138) are looking to make up for state finals losses last season. Kavan has been a runner-up in each of the past two seasons. Joining that duo in gold medal matches are Zander Kavan (126) and Kelby Coufal (145).

Aquinas led Mulled by 25.5 after day one but Elkhorn Valley has supplanted the Broncos in second place in the standings. Regardless, the Falcons are 39 points back of the Monarchs and have just two finalists plus four others in the medal round.

Elkhorn Valley leads Anselmo-Merna by 17.5, Neligh-Oakdale is 27.5 back from second and Sutherland is 32.5 away from second place.

Class D had five wrestlers with hopes for winning another title but just two of those remain after Southern Valley’s Braxton Hammond and Mullen’s Eli Paxton lost in the semifinals. Hemmingford’s Creel Weber was another back-to-back hopeful, he lost in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

The headliner in Class D for Saturday will be unbeaten Aiden Kuester of Neligh-Oakdale facing unbeaten Gunner Mumford of Thayer Central for the 170 title. Kuester was a 2021 champ who took fourth last year. He’s amassed a 43-0 record while Mumford has 49 wins and no losses.

Team Standings: 1. Aquinas Catholic 123.5, 2. Elkhorn Valley 84.5, 3. Anselmo-Merna 67, 4. Neligh-Oakdale 57, 5. Sutherland 52, 6. High Plains/Mullen 50, 8. Hitchcock County/Howells-Dodge/Plainview 49.

Girls

South Sioux City took its three-point lead from day one and expanded it to a margin that looks insurmountable for Saturday’s consolations and championship matches.

Three semifinalists, Madelynn Bohnet (105), Yohaly Quinones (155) and Melissa De la Torre (235), each won their matches and will look to top last year’s gold medal haul. The Cardinals won the first girls state championship with two winners and six total medals. Jackie Zamora (190) was defeated in the semis but will make it four South Sioux medalists overall.

Grand Island, third after day one and six points back of second place, vaulted into potential runner-up position thanks to five wins on Friday. Unfortunately, the Islanders were 5-9 overall and have just three wrestlers left for Saturday. Two can finish as high as third while senior Bythany Espino will face De la Torre for heavyweight gold.

Yutan rose from a tie for sixth into third place all on the work of three wrestlers. Aubrie Pehrson (120) and Alexis Pehrson (125) will compete for championships while Jordyn Campbell (130) had two pinfall wins and made the medal round.

Westside, which was in second at 47 points, added just 13 more when the Warriors went 1-4 in the semifinals. Junior Regan Rosseter scored a third-period pin and will wrestle for gold at 130.

Eight of the 10 girls who came to Omaha as reigning champs remain alive for two in a row. Westside’s Zoey Barber was denied her chance due to a 2-1 loss to Addeline Grasser of Papillion-La Vista.

Seven of the eight girls who qualified for state unbeaten have the chance to become undefeated state champs. Louisville’s Payton Thiele lost 5-1 in the quarterfinals for her first loss of the year but recovered with twin wins on Friday.

The main event for Saturday’s title round looks like 190 pounds where reigning champ Claire Paasch of West Point-Beemer faces 38-0 Makena Schramm of Fairbury.

Team Scores: 1. South Sioux City 93, 2. Grand Island 63, 3. Yutan 61, 4. Westside 60, 5. Papillion-La Vista 59, 6. Millard South 46, 7. Battle Creek/ Crofton 45, 9. Lexington/Scribner-Snyder 37.