Even with the weather-related cancellation of the Pioneers' home tournament Saturday, Fort Calhoun High School wrestler Ali Dill had a busy week at home.
Two days before icy conditions thwarted tourney plans, the 140-pounder competed in three matches during a Thursday night triangular between FCHS, Ralston and Arlington. She won all three, including two across the varsity duals.
“I thought two varsity matches was entirely off the table, but that ended up not being true,” Dill said after the fact. “Very happy I got to wrestle three times, though.”
While the Pioneer was successful individually, the Rams and Eagles won their duals with coach Lilly Gossman's teams 48-24 and 48-27, respectively.
Against Ralston, Calhoun went 2-4 in contested matches with both Annaleigh McLaughlin and Dill earning pins. McLaughlin's took just 33 seconds at 120 pounds.
The Pioneers then secured three more match victories against Arlington. Freshman Beckah Gossman started off with a 31-second pin at 155 pounds before Emma Ochoa-Gomez pulled off a second-period pin of the Eagles' Mya Kitt in the 100-pound weight class.
Dill, though, wrestled for 6 minutes in her third match of the day, besting AHS' Jaydin Allen by decision, 12-5. The FCHS wrestler said her opponent was more aggressive at the start before she met the challenge.
“As I went, I kind of broke away a few times,” Dill said. “And then when I went back in, I tried to get more aggressive and that seemed to really help me.”
The Pioneer explained, too, how she wrestled at a higher weight against Ralston and Arlington than she wanted to. Now, though, she sees the benefit in doing just that.
“It kind of showed me that I can't just muscle around girls that are in my weight class,” the grappler explained. “I actually need to use my techniques and things like that.”
Unfortunately, weather prevented the display of more muscle and technique Saturday when Coach Gossman's team was originally set to host its tournament. Fort Calhoun next competes Saturday at Pierce.
