Senior 145-pounder Hunter Gilmore signed his national letter of intent Thursday as a 181-7 high school wrestler and three-time state medalist.
While he still has “unfinished business” this month as an Arlington Eagle, the standout said he's proud to have a future as a Chadron State College Eagle.
“I like the challenge, honestly,” Gilmore said after signing the necessary paperwork in front of his family, coaches and peers. “I like everything about this sport, so I just want to keep going.”
The standout wrestler would have made more college visits had it not been for coronavirus, but he was convinced by his trip to western Nebraska that he'd found the right destination.
“Chadron, when I went there, I had a smile on my face the whole time,” Gilmore said. “I just fell in love with it.”
The Eagle said he's ready for the college grind, which will include workouts before and after class. He wants to earn All-American honors and one day become an NCAA champion, which would be the zenith of a career he started as a 5 year old when a current teammate got him started.
“Josh (Miller) got me into it,” Gilmore said. “He was like, 'You should come to wrestling practice.' And I was like, 'No.'”
But the Class C No. 1 145-pounder finished second in his first tournament and was well on his way to high school success. The only thing he hasn't accomplished is a state title. He started his final championship chase Saturday during the subdistrict tournament in North Bend.
“I'm going to worry about that first,” Gilmore said. “But, after that, it's all about college.”
