It was a busy Thursday for Washington County high school sports teams.
Student-athletes from Arlington, Blair and Fort Calhoun all began NSAA State Wrestling Championships competition in Omaha, while basketball teams from the county finished up subdistricts and a few regular season schedules. Blair competed at state cheer, too.
Information from the days' events is below. Continue coming back here at enterprisepub.com/sports on Friday and Saturday for continued coverage of the state wrestling tournament.
2 county wrestlers advance to semis
Washington County wrestlers Tyson Brown and Atticus Dick are semifinalists after Thursday's start to the NSAA State Wrestling Championships at the CHI Health Center in Omaha.
The Blair seniors guaranteed themselves Class B medals with 2-0 Thursdays. Brown, a 138-pound wrestler, won back-to-back 7-3 decisions against Sebastian Herrera of Lexington and Plattsmouth's Logan Wooten.
Dick, meanwhile, earned a pin during the first round of his 150-pound bracket, stopping Omaha Gross' Henry Nosbisch in 2:40. Then, in the quarterfinals, he held off Plattsmouth's Brenden Ging, 8-7.
“We're happy to get through the two that we got through and then Tannon gave the No. 1 guy in the state all he could handle,” Bears coach Erich Warner said.
Tannon Bellamy fell short in the 106-pound quarterfinals against Omaha Skutt's Ben Ziola, 9-4, but won his first match of the tournament against Gering's Jude Connelly by 14-4 major decision.
BHS' Blaise Baughman went 1-1, too, securing a first-round, 12-3 major decision win against Plattsmouth's Logan Betts. Unbeaten Drew Moser of Waverly, however, topped him by pin in the quarterfinals.
Bellamy and Baughman start consolation matches 9 a.m. Friday back at the CHI Health Center.
“I have complete faith in them that they've got what they need to make it back through, and get to Friday night and win that match and get into the medal rounds,” Warner said. “We're excited four all four of our guys.”
Bellamy and Baughman hope to join Brown and Dick when the third-round consolation and semifinals matches begin 6:30 p.m. Friday in Omaha.
Fort Calhoun's Merritt and Presley Olberding, and Gage Nixon, will all compete during the 9 a.m. Friday session, too. Merritt Olberding picked up the Pioneers' lone win in Class B Thursday, besting Ralston's Lando Luglisi by first-period pin. The 106-pounder next lost to Brayton Holding of Douglas County West by pin.
Presley Olberding and Nixon, meanwhile, dropped their first matches. Olberding lost by sudden victory in overtime at 113 pounds, while Nixon was pinned at 132.
In Class C boys matches, Arlington's Kolton Gilmore and Braxton Soll combined to go 1-2. Gilmore won his opener at 165 pounds by 1-0 decision before a quarterfinals loss to unbeaten Crofton/Bloomfield wrestler Wyatt Tramp.
Soll, meanwhile, lost his first-round match by pin.
Both Eagles will competed during the 9 a.m. Friday session, too.
On the girls' side, two Blair and two Arlington wrestlers competed Thursday. Ali Wheeler of BHS and AHS' Kelise Krivohlavek started 1-1, winning their opening matches before each dropped their second. Krivohlavek pinned Ariana Blume of Valentine first before a quarterfinals loss to Jordyn Campbell of Yutan.
Arlington's Brooklyn Ruskamp, meanwhile, lost her first match of the tournament to 39-1 Madelynn Bohnet of South Sioux City. She was pinned in 1:07, but will compete again Friday as will Krivohlavek.
Wheeler started with a pin of Omaha Westview's Kaniya Watkins before a loss to Omaha North's Chelsey Robinson.
Savanah Roan, however, lost her first round matchup against unbeaten Regan Rosseter of Omaha Westside. The BHS senior made it to the third period against the top-seeded Warrior, but was pinned in 4:17. She'll look to extend her season Friday morning alongside Wheeler.
Eagles win subdistrict title
The Arlington girls basketball team bested Fort Calhoun for the third time this season Thursday.
The Eagles topped the Pioneers 45-32 during the Class C1-4 Subdistrict Final, improving to 21-4 and advancing onto the district finals round. With one more win, they'll qualify for the state tournament.
Fort Calhoun, meanwhile, ended their season 16-8 overall with the 13-point loss. The game was the last for senior contributors Bria Bench and Maddy Tinkham.
The Blair girls and boys basketball teams hosted Crete in regular season games Thursday, too. The BHS girls won 61-47 to close the regular season, while the boys lost 49-34 to the No. 1 team in Class B to cap their regular season as well.
Coach Matt Ashcoff's girls start subdistrict play Monday in South Sioux City, but a start time had not yet been made official. Coach Whitwer's boys, meanwhile, start postseason play next Wednesday.
Blair cheer takes 3rd
The Blair cheer squad earned third in Class B non-tumbling Thursday during the Nebraska State Cheer & Dance Championships in Grand Island. The event continues Friday and Saturday with cheer and dance teams from Arlington, Fort Calhoun and BHS still to compete.
For the full story and additional photos from state wrestling, make sure to check out next Tuesday's edition of the Washington County Pilot-Tribune. Coverage will appear online at enterprisepub.com/sports that same day.
