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Bison state wrestlers conquer obstacles to Omaha mats
McCOOK, Neb. — One McCook state qualifier chugs chocolate milk and chats endlessly between big wins while the other can be seen taking a nice long nap.
Whatever the method, their combined 40-3 season record shows Ambie Custard and Makayla Pate are ready for today’s Nebraska Girls State Wrestling Meet.
“I love wrestling. I love Nebraska wrestling and any college wrestling,” Southwest transfer Custard declared. “I just got done watching the Super Bowl. Go Chiefs!”
“She’s very energetic and has a very positive attitude about our team,” Pate added. “I’m excited and ready to have some fun.”
Smiles filled the girls’ practice Tuesday with — of course — no smiles allowed among the three Bison boys’ state qualifiers.
Yet all agreed there’s been some bitter-sweet to this journey into the CHI Health Center today where their matches began at 1 p.m.
Take Pate as a perfect example. She returns to the site where her historic state final ended abruptly and painfully with a second-period shoulder injury.
Don’t let her naps or 22-1 record suggest anything has been easy this season.
“I was a little scared. I had to prove myself all over again,” she admitted. “Plus I did everything I needed to recover in just a few months. But when I got back (to wrestling), my shoulder was so sore. I didn’t work it enough and I really stressed it.”
Meanwhile, Custard didn’t complete the transfer process from Southwest to McCook quite quickly enough.
A penalty was enforced which suspended this peanut butter lover for 90 days beginning the school year.
“It was kind of pain sitting out the first half of this season, knowing girls were ahead of me,” she said.
Custard did not wrestle a match until January. She still worked on mats at both school and in her home where they roll out their own wrestling mat.
“My little sister wrestles for the junior high, and she’s been kicking butt,” Ambie said. “Now I’m feeling good. I feel like I’m getting better while others are at the end of their seasons.”
Pate brings that same, fearless approach into 170-pound matches at state. She pinned her first three opponents last year en route to that Saturday state final.
Custard was one win from state for the Roughriders last year.
Any wise advice?
“Don’t let the bigness get to you. You look at all the seats and think it’s state semifinals!” Makayla said. “They’re gonna be filled. It can be overwhelming. But just don’t be overwhelmed.”
The McCook Bison boys will be featured more in Friday’s Gazette including results from these first-round matches followed by quarterfinals tonight.
Senior Alex Anthony makes his fourth Class B state tourney where the 170-pounder aims for a third medal. Anthony (20-5) handled nagging injuries and earned second at the B-4 district.
“You always have doubts when injured,” he said. “But I know if I worked hard like every year, I’d get here.”