Terry Douglass, Central Nebraska Today
UTICA — Central City powered to the Class C, District 2 wrestling championship Saturday at Centennial High School, scoring 194 points and qualifying eight wrestlers for next week’s state meet in Omaha.
The title is the Bison’s 10th in head coach Darin Garfield’s 21 seasons and their first since 2021. Central City entered the weekend coming off a runner-up finish at the Class C state duals.
Ace Schweitzer at 106 pounds and Parker Zikmund at 157 won individual district titles for the Bison, who racked up 26 pins over the two-day meet. Braiden Varley (120), Quinn Jensen (138), Preston Burbach (190), Colbyn Peters (215) and Parker Santin (285) all placed second, while Bow Brandenburg (113) added a fourth-place finish to secure his state berth.
Doniphan-Trumbull finished second with 158.5 points, earning the program’s first district runner-up trophy. The Cardinals, who captured their first LouPlatte Conference title on Jan. 24, also qualified eight wrestlers for state.
Easton Weidner improved to 51-0 with a district title at 113 pounds, joining champions Cameron Sipp (120), Riley Bishop (126) and Owen Sawicki (144). Bentley Cusatis (second at 106), Haydan Smith (third at 132), Will Berlie (fourth at 138) and Asher McKenna (fourth at 215) rounded out the Cardinals’ qualifiers.
Wood River placed 11th with 67.5 points. Jace Martin finished second at 113 and will pursue his third straight state medal after runner-up finishes at 106 and 113 the past two seasons. Hector Bonilla added a third-place finish at 120 for the Eagles.
Fillmore Central took 12th with 56 points. Senior Chase Myers, a 2024 state qualifier, earned his return trip with a runner-up finish at 157.
Class C, District 2 at Utica
Team Standings
Central City 194, Doniphan-Trumbull 158.5, Raymond Central 127.5, Bishop Neumann 109, David City 106, Louisville 100, Lincoln Christian 93, Falls City 82, Tri County 73.5, O’Neill 68, Wood River 67.5, Fillmore Central 56, Conestoga 46, Freeman 43, Centennial 42, Palmyra 23.
State Qualifiers
106 pounds—1, Ace Schweitzer, CC, pinned Bentley Cusatis, D-T, 1:47; 3, Jackson Schroeder, BN, pinned Rylan Bergmeier, TC, 1:41.
113—1, Easton Weidner, D-T, dec. Jace Martin, WR, 9-6; 3, Sean Shultz, RC, pinned Bow Brandenburg, CC, 5:00.
120—1, Cameron Sipp, D-T, dec. Braiden Varley, CC, 4-2; 3, Hector Bonilla, WR, major dec. Cade Spahr, TC, 14-4.
126—1, Riley Bishop, D-T, major dec. Teagan Rerucha, DC, 13-1; 3, Philip Vrana, BN, dec. Aiden Wedekind, Louisville, 11-7.
132—1, Luke Farmen, LC, pinned Manny Venegas, DC, :45; 3, Haydan Smith, D-T, tech. Fall Tristan Randall, FC, 19-3.
138—1, Hayden Schmit, DC, dec. Quinn Jensen, CC, 5-0; 3, Malin Thiele, Louisville, pinned Will Berlie, D-T, 4:32.
144—1, Owen Sawicki, D-T, major dec. Devin Watkins, RC, 11-3; 3, Joe Stava, BN, pinned Derek Baker, Louisville, 3:27.
150—1, Landon Sund, BN, dec. Jaedon Welton, LC, 7-4; 3, Orion Cattrell, FC, dec. Merreck France, Louisville, 10-4.
157—1, Parker Zikmund, CC, pinned Chase Myers, FC, 2:47; 3, Tavrin VanLaningham, RC, pinned Talyn Hancock, Freeman, 1:42.
165—1, Wyatt Jelinek, RC, dec. Cole Kansteiner, Conestoga, 9-7; 3, Sebastian Lautenschlager, BN, dec. Daren Vodicka, DC, 6-5.
175—1, James Kansteiner, Conestoga, pinned Tayvor VanLaningham, RC, 1:48; 3, Sam Dodge, LC, pinned Cale Behrens, Freeman, :51.
190—1, Jesse Divis, DC, dec. Preston Burbach, CC, 4-1 (OT); 3, Nathan Monahan, Louisville, pinned Lane Johnson, Centennial, :56.
215—1, Grady Welke, O’Neill, major dec. Colbyn Peters, CC, 14-2; 3, Tysen Taylor, RC, dec. Asher McKenna, D-T, 4-1 (OT).
285—1, Brody Jakubowski, O’Neill, pinned Parker Santin, CC, 1:12; 3, Chase Simpson, FC, pinned Luis Alarcon, TC, 1:50.
