Arlington High School wrestlers Kolton Gilmore and Braxton Soll made their NSAA State Wrestling Championship debuts Thursday and Friday at the CHI Health Center.
“Big,” Gilmore said, using choice words to describe the arena and the crowd. “Loud. Obnoxious.”
The two Eagles combined to go 2-4 in Omaha with coach Doug Hart's senior producing a 2-2 Class C mark. The 165-pounder finished just one win shy of a state medal in his first and only trip to the tournament.
Gilmore squeaked past Falls City's Kadyn Strecker to start Thursday, opening the third period from the bottom position and scoring an escape for a 1-0 win.
Next, though, state finalist Wyatt Tramp of Crofton/Bloomfield pinned him with 12 seconds left.
Facing elimination Friday morning, all Gilmore needed to break a 3-3 tie with Chadron's Zane Cullers was an escape.
“Ball of fury,” Hart said from the corner of the mat. “Don't stop until you're out.”
Cullers rode out the time, though, forcing overtime. Gilmore had 2 minutes to escape, but couldn't.
He wasn't deterred either.
“With the earlier takedown, I knew I could do something on my feet in overtime,” the 165-pound senior said. “I would have liked to score in the third period, but, not being able to, I knew I could do something on my feet.”
Gilmore had noticed how Cullers' feet weren't particularly active earlier on during the match.
“It was easy to get to angles and work different shots,” he said.
The AHS standout scored the takedown and won, 5-3, moving into the heartbreak round Friday night in a full building — a loud and obnoxious one. Gilmore scored a reversal to tie the bout against Battle Creek's Casey Schnebel late, but, this time, it was the Brave who earned the sudden-victory takedown in overtime.
The loss ended the Eagle's season with a 35-10 record. Tearful afterward, he said he'll always remember practicing with his teammates and enjoying meet days together.
Soll, meanwhile, was 0-2 during his first state experience. The freshman lost Thursday's opener to Ashton Kuchar of Battle Creek, who pinned him in 1:47.
A day later, the Eagle wrestled Draydin Gossman of Pierce and was pinned in 56 seconds. He was visibly frustrated and disappointed with the results — not happy just to be in Omaha.
“It's a big accomplishment to come down here as a freshman,” Hart said before describing what he thinks is in the AHS standout's future. “Our goal is to get him on the medal stand if not on the top. I told him, 'Let this be the fuel to our fire to get back to work this spring and summer and fall.' Whatever sports he's in, whether its wrestling and football or whatever, work hard to get on the medal stand and accomplish the goal that he wants to accomplish.”
Soll finished his debut season 25-10 overall.
NSAA STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
CLASS C
Thursday-Saturday at CHI Health Center, Omaha
Top-10 team standings: Battle Creek 127, Broken Bow 98, O'Neill 86.5, Crofton/Bloomfield 81, Minden 80, St. Paul 72, Hartington Cedar Catholic 71, David City 67, Wilber-Clatonia 62, Central City 58. Also: 47, Arlington, 3.
Arlington Results
(Weight: wrestler, tournament record (overall record))
126 pounds: Braxton Soll, 0-2 (25-10)
165: Kolton Gilmore, 2-2 (35-10)
