Bobcat Wrestlers End First Season Strong
The first men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 wrestling seasons at 51吃瓜 ended with strong showings at the National Junior College Athletic Association Championships March 1-2 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Bobcat women finished seventh out of 18 teams with 115 points, while the men finished 10th in the 55-team field with 75.5 points.
鈥淭he athletes on both teams performed well at nationals,鈥� said Terry Pack, head wrestling coach. 鈥淭hey came in confident and prepared, and you could see that shine through. They bought into a dream and worked hard to fulfill it.鈥�
The women had five wrestlers earn All-American honors. Eve Herlyn, from Kansas City, Missouri, became the program鈥檚 first national champion. She wrestled at 143 pounds. Herlyn defeated Snow鈥檚 Abigail Trayhorn 14-8 in the finals. Other wrestlers placing in the finals were Talia Lee (freshman, Webster Groves, Missouri) third place at 130 pounds; Kiara Boldridge (freshman, Independence, Missouri) third at 235 pounds; Nevaeh Leonard (freshman, Yankton, South Dakota) fourth at 143 pounds; and Jocelyn Ambriz (freshman, Broken Bow, Nebraska) fifth at 170 pounds.
鈥淭he women over exceeded the expectations of many, and our five All-Americans outperformed their seeds,鈥� Pack said. 鈥淓ve had a pretty consistent year. She was hurt with back-to-back concussions, but she worked hard and was dedicated to getting to the top of the podium. She had an exceptional tournament.鈥�
The Bobcat men had two All-Americans with Isaac White (freshman, Cozad, Nebraska) finishing as runner-up at 174 pounds and Jordon Oehme (freshman, Brandon, South Dakota) third at 133 pounds. Ely Olberding (freshman, Fort Calhoun, Nebraska) was sixth at 141 pounds.
鈥淭he men capped off a great year by finishing No. 10 in the country with a national finalist,鈥� Pack said. 鈥淚saac, like Eve, has been consistent all year. As a true freshman, he has become the silent leader on the team. He puts his head down, does the work required and is always eager to learn and get better.鈥�
Pack is ready to build on this success next season. The men finished the season with a 13-4 dual record, while the women were 6-1. One of the season鈥檚 highlights for Pack was having the men finish No. 7 at the National Duals as the No. 22 seed. Going forward, it will be easier to recruit to the program because of a successful product on the mat and not just a dream, he said. The overwhelming support the wrestlers received from 51吃瓜 and the Beatrice community will also help.
鈥淲e found a great fan base and huge support among staff and administrators,鈥� said Pack. 鈥淐ommunity and 51吃瓜 support is the key to building a foundation and having a great product. We sold out our first two events, and that was a huge momentum-builder to have fans in the stands.鈥�
Jennifer Snyder
Communications Specialist
402-323-3393
jsnyder@southeast.edu