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Bison coach was pleased with how team handled B-1 at home
McCOOK, Neb. — Some home cookin’ and no bus travel definitely helped fire up the McCook Bison for Saturday’s B-1 district meet.
Facing several Omaha or Lincoln foes, McCook qualified five into the Class B state championships while being all-so-close to making it seven of nine in this pressure-packed tournament.
“Our kids wrestled really well throughout the day,” coach Nick Umscheid said after the Bison went beyond his pre-meet forecast of perhaps four qualifiers.
“That (four) was my minimum number,” he also stated.
McCook scored five resounding wins to punch tickets into Omaha’s CHI Health Center where state matches begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
Campbell clobbered three 144-pound opponents by 16-1, 15-0 and 1:24 pin to reach a team-best 43 wins (43-6) this season.
His 11-2 finals loss to Omaha Skutt’s Tyler Harrill (35-3) could potentially be avenged in Omaha this weekend.
“Tristan hadn’t wrestled that kid (Harrill) since junior high, but he got a real good feel of him on Saturday,” Umscheid remarked during his post-meet radio interview. “He’ll be better prepared if they go into a match at state.”
Sophomore heavyweight Spencer Steinbeck is second with 28 wins (28-13) and he powered his way into the B-1 finals round.
S.S. sank Seward’s Cooper Fern in just 58 seconds then clinched state with a 6-2 semifinal win over Elkhorn North’s Spencer Schenarts.
Powerful Owen Rowell of Auburn took the title, but he’s only lost twice through 43 matches this season.
Rowell pinned Steinbeck at the 1:22 mark.
“Spencer looked really good out there,” Umscheid still confirmed.
Junior Quentin Terry earned a second Class B state trip when he pinned Omaha Skutt 215-pounder Aedan Underwood a second time on Saturday.
The first match didn’t make it through one period (1:51); that rematch went just 23 seconds into their third period (4:23).
Terry added a :40 pin of Lincoln Northwest’s Rowan Springer.
“Quentin did what needed to out there,” the coach proclaimed. “We’re really happy with Quentin’s performance on Saturday.”
Perhaps no Bison were happier than first-time state qualifiers Jack Siegfried at 132 pounds and freshman Tyce Hammerlun at 120.
Siegfried “pitched a shutout” during his most pressure-packed match. He blanked Lincoln Northwest’s Aden Langreher, 6-0, for his state tournament spot.
Despite just 12 wins this season, Siegfried also took down 27-match winner Ryan Hayes from Aubrn in an 8-4 decision earlier on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Hammerlun’s 20th win of his first McCook High season was a memorable 11-7 thriller over 21-16 Jackson Maybee from Lincoln Northwest.
Hammerlun shoo koff an opening pin suffered against 29-10 Garrett Keiser of Lexington.
He promptly recovered for a 19-4 tech fall over Elkhorn’s Cooper Sutton to set up the qualifier showdown.
“Tyce is a dangerous wrestler. As long as he keeps moving, good things usually happy for him,” Umschied observed.
McCook sophomore Gabe Roberts (29-16) and sophomore Tate Schafer are two Bison who fell in that B-1 “heartbreaker” round.
“Gabe is the hardest worker in our practice room,” Umscheid concluded. “He made a huge jump from last year and had a great season. He beat some very good wrestlers.”
Teams: 1. Omaha Skutt 268, 2. Lexington 145, 3. Elkhorn North 125, 4. Ralston 115, 5. Lincoln Christian 97, 6. Elkhorn 81.5, 7. McCook 79.5, 8. Seward 74, 9. Auburn 67, 10. Omaha Concordia 28, 11. Lincoln Northwest 15.
113: Ethan Boner was pinned by C Welte, Skutt, in :55; pinned by T. Rasgorshek, SEW, in 2:23.
150: Tate Schafer scored four points. He was pinned by C. Jackson, SEW (40-17), in 1:53; pinned E. Attiogbe, RAL, in 3:22; pinned by K. McNeal, ELKNO, in 2:30.
157: Jackson Blomstedt scored three points. He was pinned by A. Cortijo, RAL, in 1:54; pinned R. Jasper, LINNW, in 4:43; and lost 10-4 to O. Hall, AUB.
190: Gabe Roberts (29-16) scored six points. He pinned C. Evans, ELKNO, in 4:58; was pinned by C. Ziola, Skutt, in 1:40; lost 7-4 to O. Hall, AUB (15-27).