Wrestlers start new season with tourney title

HOWELLS - To say the Cedar Catholic wrestling team had a successful opening weekend of the 2024-25 season would be a bit understated.

The Trojans wrestled to a first-place tie with Tekamah-Herman with 148.5 team points. This is the highest finish the Cedar team has ever finished at such a large invitational as 20 teams compete in the annual event.

West Point-Beemer was third with 121 and Archbishop Bergan was fourth at 76.5 points, 2.5 points ahead of fifth place, Howells-Dodge.

Cedar Catholic crowned five individual champions and a couple of wrestlers placed second.

Overall, 10 Trojan wrestlers scored in the meet. The five champions were Grady Lammers at 113 pounds, Maverick Heine at 138, Bodie Hochstein at 144, Easton Hochstein at 150 and Brady Hochstein at 175.

Heine defeated Josue Munoz of Homer in the title match. Munoz was a state medalist last year.

Easton Hochstein defeated Howells-Dodge’s Dylan Brichacek in the finals. Brichacek is a two-time state finalist.

Despite earning second-place honors, Cedar’s Braeden Klinschmit was undefeated on the day. Since he and teammate Bodie Hochstein were both wrestling at 144, Hochstein had to compete as a member of the Cedar JV team. The school forfeited the finals match between Kleinschmit and Hochstein.

Hunter Kuchta wrestled at 157 and also took home a silver medal.

Castin Pinkelman at 190 placed fourth, Ty Opfer and Kyptin Collier both finished fifth. Collier at 215 pounds and Opfer at 157 behind Kuchta.

HOWELLS-DODGE INVITATIONAL 

Boys Team Results: 1. Cedar Catholic 148.5; 1. Tekamah-Herman 148.5; 3. West Point-Beemer 121.0; 4. Archbishop Bergan 76.5; 5. Howells-Dodge 74.0; 6. Homer 64.5; 7. Elm Creek 61.5; 8. Wisner-Pilger 61.0; 9. Summerland 52; 10. Stanton 51; 11. Wakefield 33.5; 12. Clarkson-Leigh 28.0; 13. Ponca 24.5; 14.

Oakland-Craig 20.5; 15. Cedar Bluffs 20.0; 16. Bancroft-Rosalie 13.0; 17. Elgin Public/Pope John 11.0; 18. Lyons-Decatur Northeast 8.0; 19. Archangels Catholic 2.0; 20. Scribner-Snyder 0.

Individual Results: 106- 1. Kamden Robinson (EC); 2. Layton Schroeder (WPB); 3. Baldwin Garcia (WF); 4. Brayden Parsons (CB).

113- 1. Grady Lammers (CC); 2. Ryan Roche (T-H); 3. Axton Lantz (W-P); 4. Davis Barrios (WP-B).

120- 1. Blayne Williams (T-H); 2. Evan Wolf (AB); 3. Chase Schwartz (STA); 4. Wyatt Miserez (WP-B).

126- 1. Blane Stutzman (H-D); 2. Tanner Renner (WP-B); 3. Landon Bonneau (B-R); 4. Luke Kester (SUM).

132- 1. Manny Figueroa (WP-B); 2. Brody Throener (H-D); 3. Ryan Hodges (EC); 4. Neil Pagels (T-H).

138- 1. Maverick Heine (CC); 2.Josue Munoz (HOM); 3. Isaac Mendoza (SUM); 4. Steven Mast (SUM); 13. Kody Bartling (CC).

144- 1. Bodie Hochstein (CC); 2. Braeden Kleinschmit (CC); 3. Austin Mendoza (SUM); 4. Gerardo Flores (WP-B).

150- 1. Easton Hochstein (CC); 2. Dylan Brichacek (H-D); 3. Ethan Kester (SUM); 4. Walker Ott (W-P); 12. Josiah Christensen (CC).

157- 1. Austin Pelster (HOM); 2. Hunter Kuchta (CC); 3. Domingo Centino (WAK); 4. Konner Bourek (H-D); 5. Ty Opfer (CC).

165- 1. Josh Mace (AB); 2. Keegan Poppe (W-P); 3. Jayden Reed (STA); 4. Alex Braniff (T-H); 12. Brody Kleinschmit (CC).

175- 1. Brady Hochstein (CC); 2. Mason McKie (STA); 3. Hayden Meisenbach (T-H).

190- 1. Gabe Stock (T-H); 2. Trent Dunn (HOM); 3. Charlie Watkins (PON); 4. Castin Pinkelman (CC).

215- 1. Cole Booth (T-H); 2. Omar Garcia (WP-B); 3. Jason Shaver (SUM); 4. Jaden Venegas (LDNE); 5. Kyptin Collier (CC).