It’s a wrestling week in Nebraska high school sports and the latest Nannen Physical Therapy Athletes of the Week are Washington County wrestlers.
Gage Nixon, Kolton Gilmore and Ali Wheeler all punched their tickets during the weekend’s district events.
Gage Nixon, Fort Calhoun wrestling: In his final opportunity to do so, the Pioneers senior qualified for the state tournament with a fourth-place finish at Grand Island Northwest. He leads two freshmen into the state tourney for FCHS. Special recognition goes to those two ninth-graders — Merritt and Presley Olberding — as well as Colby Bentley, who put together a 26-point basketball game last week.
Kolton Gilmore, Arlington wrestling: Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a wrestler who’s improved more across four years of high school wrestling. The Eagle earned a state wrestling berth Saturday — his first — in Albion. He was his weight class’ runner-up. Special recognition goes to the first-ever female state qualifiers in school history — Kelise Krivohlavek and Brooklyn Ruskamp — as well as basketball player Emme Timm, who put her name atop the school record books for steals in a season.
Ali Wheeler, Blair wrestling: The junior Bear earned her first state wrestling tournament qualification Friday in York, going unbeaten to claim a district title. She is the first BHS girl to hit 30 wins in a season and is 31-5 overall, and an absolute contender at 115 pounds. Special mention goes to her fellow district champs, Tyson Brown and Atticus Dick, as well as Addie Sullivan, who notched back-to-back 17-point basketball games.
Thanks for reading. Good luck to all of the wrestlers competing in Omaha this Thursday through Saturday.
