• Video Below: See Saturday's state wrestling highlights
• Photo Showcase: Nebraska state wrestling finals, Feb. 18
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Thomas Gilman was choking up, Eric Coufal thought he finished with a popped-out shoulder and Andrew Riedy was ready to reflect.
“Three people getting their fourth titles, it was a lot of work for each of us,” Riedy said.
Each received a standing ovation Saturday at CenturyLink Center — in less than a half-hour — after increasing the number of four-time wrestling champions to 19 in the 84 years of state meets.
Unlike a year ago, there were no boos for Omaha Skutt's Gilman following his 21-6 win at Class B 132 pounds over Seward's Joseph Hayek. The Iowa recruit was one of two champions for the SkyHawks, who reclaimed the Class B title. It was their 14th in 15 seasons.
“I looked up in the stands and saw my school, my classmates and my family,'' Gilman said. “It almost got me.”
He and Riedy each were wearing two gold medals by meet's end. Riedy was one of two champions for Grand Island, which won Class A for the fourth consecutive year, and tied Millard South (2005 to 2008) and Columbus (1979 to 1982) for the longest reigns in the state's largest class since 1960.
“Four and four,'' said Riedy, who recorded a 15-0 technical fall against Millard North's Devon Rupp at 138 pounds. “It's so much better having it happen along with the team.”
Coufal had the closest call while becoming only the third undefeated among the 19 four-time kings. The 132-pounder from Howells, a Nebraska recruit, completed a 168-0 career but needed a third-period reversal for a 4-2 win over a 2011 champion, Isaac Elge of Nebraska Christian.
“My shoulder popped out (in the second period). I'm not sure it's totally in now,'' Coufal said. “Give it to Elge. He came after me.
“I felt the excitement and the nerves while I was wrestling.”
Earlier in the finals, which drew an announced paid crowd of 10,631, the longest standing ovation saluted retiring Kearney head coach Tom McCann and longtime assistant Dennis Miller. McCann, then Miller, placed pairs of blue wrestling shoes on the mat — a wrestler's signal that he had fought his last time.
There won't be another four-time champion until 2014 at the earliest. Omaha Burke's Aaron Fletcher assured that when he defeated the only junior this year with two titles — Hunter Bamford of Kearney — 6-5 for the Class A 113 title.
Four sophomores won their second titles: JaVaughn Perkins of Omaha North (152) in Class A and Brett Velasquez of Bennington (113), Colton Adams of Scottsbluff (126) and Will Schany of Blair (170) in Class B.
Grand Island's other champion was Dante Rodriguez, who got a late pin of Burke's Brent Curtis at 106.
The Islanders already had the team title clinched over Burke, which had its best finish at state since winning in 2001, and they ended with a 184-145 advantage on the Bulldogs.
Burke's other winner was returning champion Jacob Wilcoxen at 120. As it turned out, the absence of returning champion Justice Bridgeford — a junior who was arrested a week ago on suspicion of multiple offenses — didn't affect the order of finish.
“He let us down,'' Fletcher said, “but he's still our brother and we love him.”
Skutt took back the Class B title from Central City, which finished as runner-up. The SkyHawks ended with a 133-104 lead on Central City as Grant Randall defeated the Bison's Jake Brown at 160.
Valentine had two champions — Bart Miller at 113 and Marcus Nelson at 145 — as the Badgers won Class C 134-126 over Madison, which had Blake Eisenmann at 138 as its only champion.
Valentine's title was its first since capturing Class B in 1975.
Amherst amassed a Class D-record 187.5 points and champions in Tanner Taubenheim at 138 and Wyatt Schake at 160. Runner-up Pender tied the Class D record with five champions, including the first four weight classes — sophomores Mark Dunn at 106, Benny Oliver at 113 and Jacob Sebade at 120 and junior Garrett Bowder at 126. Cory Sebade finished undefeated at 152.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1041, stu.pospisil@owh.com
twitter.com/stuOWH
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• Video: Saturday's state wrestling highlights:
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