Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Trajan Johnson takes first at the 2018 Nebraska USA Wrestling Championships.
The Kimball Wrestling Club attended the 2018 Nebraska USA Wrestling State Championship matches. The young wrestlers are pictured above with their coaches.
He might be little and silly but he is also your new 2018 Nebraska USA Wrestling State Champion from Kimball, Trajan Johnson!
Johnson won the trip to State with a fourth place district placing in Bridgeport a few weeks ago. Johnson wrestled in the Prek-K 49-50 pound 8-man bracket. "I love wrestling because there are so many people who help me," said Trajan.
Johnson wrestled three matches at State in Grand Island this past weekend, first going head to head with Dallas Gaston from Norris Wrestling Club and Johnson pinned him in 1:38. The second match of the day was against Ryder DeWitt from Midwest Destroyers and Johnson won that by a technical fall 16-0. Johnson then pinned Braysen Miller from Twin River Titans in 1:31 earning himself the Gold Medal.
"The best part of state was getting to play laser tag with everyone (Kimball folks)," added Trajan. "We all are a big family, we do everything together, we go eat together and swim, we go early or stay late just to cheer each other on," said Tiffany Johnson, Trajan's mother.
Both Trajan and Tiffany are beyond thankful for all of the volunteer coaches who put so much time and effort into wrestling and to teach these young kids."Without them this is not possible," added Tiffany.
"We work hard at practice and its all about fun," said Trajan.
Other wrestlers that made the trip to state with the Johnson's were Angus Moeller, who lived in Kimball earlier in the year but moved to North Platte, Moeller still wrestled for Kimball.,wrestling in the Prek-K 30-34 pounds and also brought home the gold. With three kids in his bracket Moeller won by a decision over Kai Sargent from Mid-West Destroyers 13-7. Then he pinned Cooper Wood from Lincoln Warriors in just a short 13 seconds.
Christian Soto wrestled in the Prek-K 47 pound bracket and brought home the silver. He was in an 8-man bracket. He won by a 7-4 decision over Chase Rocoe from Iron Hawk wrestling. Then won over Gage Hegy from Logan View Youth wrestling by an 8-5 decision. Fell by pin to Paxton Terry from Nebraska Boyz wrestling. Then won by a 10-6 decision over Cole Shannon from Schuyler wrestling.
Kaysn Snyder wrestled in the Prek-K 57-59 pound bracket and earned seventh place. He was in an 8-man bracket. He lost to Merrick Miller from Wayne Youth wrestling by pin in :58. He then lost to Jamar Dorsey from Westside Wrestling Club by a major decision 18-9. Then he pinned Jaxon Walz from Little Hammer wrestling in :28.
Britton Culek wrestled in the first-second grade 50 pound bracket. Culek was in a really tough bracket of 32 kids. He then pinned Kamden Gossard from Lincoln Squires in just a short nine seconds. Then won by a 12-2 major decision over Andrew Walters from NC Wolfpack. Culek lost the next match by a 17-1 technical fall to James Wells from Norfolk Jr. wrestling.
Another wrestler from Kimball, Hunter Lonsdale, wrestled in the third-fourth 105 pound bracket. There were 13 kids in his bracket. He lost his first match to Colton Tucker from Lincoln Jr. Hawks in :13. He then lost to Konner Yonkers from Midwest Destroyers by pin in 17 seconds.
The Kimball wrestling coaches are Bob Culek, Dillon Snyder, Tim Saunders, Darrin Lonsdale, Jim McGinnis, Tyson Culek, and Trendon Hinton.
Congratulations to all of the Kimball wrestlers!