The state’s powerhouse programs did well again at the Nebraska State Boys Wrestling Championships at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Feb. 19 through 21. The teams that were back-to-back champs included Creighton Prep in Class A, Omaha Skutt in Class B, Battle Creek in Class C for a three-peat and Plainview in Class D. Although Gretna’s team did not win this year, there were still many impressive individual performances.
As a team, the Gretna boys finished in 18th place, and though it’s a long way from the top, head coach Tristan Towey still recognizes it as a step forward.
“We had the most state medalists since 2018, and so we definitely improved,” Towey said. “Caysen Schotfeld was our only medalist last season, and this season we had three.”
Gretna’s weight-class medalists included freshmen Jackson Grebe and Gage Rupiper, who placed sixth and fifth respectively, and junior Jaden Peters, the team’s top finisher in fourth place. Additionally, senior Brody Sliva finished just one win shy of a medal, and sophomore Bryce Lawler qualified for state
In the B175 weight class, Peters competed in a total of five matches against five different wrestlers. He won his first match against York’s Max Erickson, then beat Konrad Kuzelka of Fairbury via technical fall in the quarterfinals, clinching a medal placement.
“I got him down on his back twice, which was a key moment,” Peters said. “That’s what got me the tech fall.”
Peters then lost in the semifinals to Nikolas Rotella of Skutt, who would go on to place first. In the consolation semifinals, Peters won against Zane Thomsen of Hastings, and, lastly, lost to Grady Meyer of Wahoo by one point in the third-place match, securing fourth place.
“I’ve gone back-and-forth with that kid (Thomsen) from Hastings, and this time I was able to get the win in overtime,” Peters said. “It was definitely my toughest win, but I was able to get a snapdown and take him down, which was a big part of my win.”
This specific win was actually a bit of revenge for Peters, who fell to Thomsen in what is known as the “heartbreak round” at the state competition last year. In this round, the winner is guaranteed a medal, and the loser is eliminated. This season, Gretna suffered another heartbreak, as senior Brody Sliva lost to Owen Jacobsen of Aurora. While it was an undoubtedly tough loss, especially for a senior, making it that far was an accomplishment in itself for Sliva.
“Honestly, if Brody had told me at the beginning of the season that he would be in that position in general, I would’ve been surprised,” Towey said. “So he wrestled better than I thought he would.”
For Peters, he somewhat used that same heartbreak round experience as fuel this year.
“That sucked last year, being eliminated from placing, and so just winning against him (Thomsen) alone was an improvement,” Peters said. “And then obviously placing fourth after not placing last year was huge.”
Peters also improved as a wrestler, both on and off the mat, this year as he continued his role as a leader on the team.
“He’s been our biggest leader since freshman year,” Towey said. “As soon as the season got over, he was already at our middle school’s coaching, running practices. He’s one of the best leaders at this school.”
Wrestling is a highly physically demanding sport, one that can take its toll on the body, especially when practicing five days a week.
“I really just tried to focus on encouraging the guys when practice gets tough,” Peters said. “But also, it’s important to find that balance between encouragement and calling people out or reminding them to work hard when they need to.”
For freshman wrestlers like Grebe and Rupiper, who Peters helped develop this season, this is merely the beginning of their careers. For Peters, he has one last shot at reaching the top.
“I definitely met one of my goals by medaling this year,” Peters said. “But my goal for next year is to win the whole thing, and I think I can do it.”
As for Gretna Boys Wrestling as a whole, this season was yet another chapter in a story of team chemistry and unity.
“Our team motto this season was Rise As One, and the idea behind it was that everyone is together,” Towey said. “We just became a really tight-knit group, and I think that led to a lot of success and improvement.”
