Two earn spot on medal podium

OMAHA - The Randolph Cardinal and Lady Cardinal wrestling teams competed last week in the Class D Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament at the CHI Health Center Arena.

The girls took center stage Feb. 18-19 with the boys taking the mats Feb. 20-22.

Gracie Wortman competed for the Lady Cardinals at 125 pounds and wrestled four matches in Omaha, winning her first, dropping her second, winning her third and bowing out of the tournament in the third round of the consolation bracket on the afternoon of Feb. 19.

Yutan won the first-ever Class B Nebraska Girls Individual Wrestling Championships fairly handily over Columbus Lakeview. Yutan posted 130 points while the Lady Vikings put up 97. Conestoga was third with 79, Johnson County Central was next.

Wortman opened the tournament with a 21-12 major decision over Kyra Roberts of Bridgeport landing her in the quarterfinals against Dakota Gress from High Plains Community.

Gress got a pin in the final seconds to send Wortman to the consolation bracket on Wednesday.

Wortman defeated Aubree Bules of Minden, 10-6. Bules opened the match with a takedown with just one second left on the clock in the fi rst period.

The wrestlers started the second session in the neutral position and Bules again took Wortman down to go up 6-0 when Wortman began a huge comeback.

She got away from Bules with 37 seconds left in the second then opened the final two minutes on the bottom.

Wortman got away just nine seconds into the third then took Bules down a minute later to get within a single point, 6-5.

Back-to-back nearfalls of two points with 44 seconds left and three points with 10 seconds remaining sealed the bout for the Lady Cardinal.

Sidney Brown of Overton then pinned Wortman just one match short of the medal rounds. Brown would go on the place sixth.

Wortman scored four team points in her matches at state for the Lady Cards.

The wrestling Redbirds earned a couple of medals down in Omaha.

Bentley Reimers at 106 and Gavin Wortman at 175 each brought home the sixth-place hardware.

Randolph Coach Mark Lech hauled five wrestlers to the state tournament and all five scored points for the Cards, led by the two medalists.

Burwell won the Class D State Championship with 114 points followed by Central Valley with 100. Shelby-Rising City was third with 94.5, Plainview was fourth with 83 and Aquinas Catholic was fifth with 72.

Randolph ended up 20th with 29 points. Reimers opened his first-ever state tournament match with a pin over Ryan Ragsdale of Hemingford to advance to the quarterfinals where he was defeated by Mason Hemmingsen of Fullerton, bouncing Reimers to the consolation bracket.

Back-to-back wins by a couple of decisions put him in the medals where he was defeated by Kason Palser of Ravenna in the consolation semifinals then dropped the fifth-place bout to Hemmingsen by a heartbreaking, 3-0 sudden victory. Hemmingsen won by a major decision earlier in the tournament.

Wortman lost his opening match of his 2025 state tournament, then battled all the way back to the consolation semifinals before tasting defeat again.

After losing 11-7 in round one, he defeated Jacob Hanvey of Creighton, 7-2 then used a couple of pins over David Bryner of Wauneta-Palisade and Logan Nelson of Wisner-Pilger to arrive in the consolation semis.

The Cardinal lost to JD Adam of Meridian to wind up in the fifth-place match where Wortman was defeated by Jordan Timmerman of Guardian Angels Central Catholic.

Cole Jensen at 132, John Leija at 150 and Gage Jensen at 165 also wrestled for Randolph in Omaha.

Cole Jensen went 1-2 and scored a couple of points for the Cards. Leija went 2-2 and scored five team points and Gage Jensen went 1-2 and scored three team points.

NEBRASKA INDIVIDUAL GIRLS CLASS B WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP Class B Team Results: 1. Yutan 130; 2. Columbus Lakeview 97; 3. Conestoga 79; 4.Johnson County Central 75; 5. Battle Creek 70; 5. Crofton-Bloomfield 70; 7. Palmyra 62.5; 8. Southwest 62; 9. Fort Calhoun 53; 10. Minden 52; 10. West Holt 52; 66. Randolph 4.

Randolph Individual Results: 125 - Gracie Wortman (31-12) Scored 4 Points; Defeated Kyra Robbins (Bridgeport) by major decision, 21-12; Was defeated by Dakota Gress (High Plains Community) by fall, 5:53; Defeated Aubree Bules (Minden) by decision, 10-6; Was defeated by Sydnie Brown (Overton) by fall, 0:40.

NEBRASKA INDIVIDUAL BOYS CLASS D WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP Class D Team Results: 1. Burwell 114; 2. Central Valley 100; 3. Shelby-Rising City 94.5; 4. Plainview 83; 5. Aquinas Catholic 72; 6. Southern 58; 7. Neligh-Oakdale 54.5; 8. High Plains Community 53.5; 9. Palmer 44; 9. Sandy Creek 44; 20. Randolph 29.

Randolph Individual Results: 106 - Bentley Reimers 6th (37-11) Scored 9 points; Defeated Ryan Ragsdale (Hemingford) by fall, 5:51; Was defeated by Mason Hemmingson (Fullerton) by major decision, 13-0; Defeated Jaxson Bowers (Thayer Central) by decision, 10-6; Defeated Drake Sova (East Butler) by decision, 13-6; Was defeated by Kason Palser (Ravenna) by fall, 2:52; Was defeated by Mason Hemmindson (Fullerton) by sudden victory 1, 3-0.

132 - Cole Jensen (36-18) Scored 2 points; Defeated Hudson Deeds (North Platte St. Patrick’s) by decision, 8-7; Was defeated by Dawson Mason (South Loup) by decision, 3-0; Was defeated by Connor Rempe (Sandy Creek) by major decision, 12-0.

150 - John Leija (39-15) Scored 5 points; Defeated Logan Lindsley (Shelby-Rising City) by decision, 8-1; Was defeated by Gage Friesen (High Plains Community) by technical fall 1.5, 18-3 5:17; Defeated Brody Flynn (Nebraska Christian) by fall, 2:08; Was defeated by Max Egr (Yutan) by decision, 11-7.

165 - Gage Jensen (46-8) Scored 3 points; Was defeated by Landyn Veik (Elgin Public/Pope John) by fall, 5:08; Defeated Samuel Hare (Hitchcock County) by fall, 1:59; Was defeated by Jett Vrbka (Shelby-Rising City) by fall, 2:41.

175 - Gavin Wortman 6th (39-17) Scored 10 points; Was defeated by Cody Holmgren (Crawford) by decision, 11-7; Defeated Jacob Hanvey (Creighton) by decision, 7-2; Defeated David Bryner (Wauneta-Palisade) by fall, 4:11; Defeated Logan Nelson (Wisner-Pilger) by fall, 5:00; Was defeated by JD Adam (Meridian) by decision, 10-3; Was defeated by Jordan Timmerman (Guardian Angels Central Catholic) by fall, 4:57.