State Wrestling 2022: Finals

Champions were crowned on Saturday at the wrestling state championships in Omaha.

OMAHA, Neb. (KLKN) – Champions were crowned on Saturday at the wrestling state championships in Omaha.

At 120, the Spartans’ Gabriel Turman defeated Lincoln Southwest’s Hunter Jacobsen by major decision after losing in the state tournament last year.

“It’s a great accomplishment that I’ve [wanted] since I watched my brothers win in South Dakota,” Turman said. “I feel accomplished.”

Turman’s teammate Keith Smith took the mat at 132 pounds facing Omaha Burke’s Julio Reyes. Smith defeated Reyes by pin fall in the third period.

“I knew I was going to go out there and dominate,” Smith said. “I just had my mindset, so I mean, there was no other choice.”

This year, the NSAA held the first-ever sanctioned girls wrestling championship. At 107, Yutan freshman phenom Aubrie Pehrson became the first girl to ever win a state title in Nebraska after defeating Weeping Water’s Raelyn Wilson by pin fall in only 49 seconds.

“I’m really proud of myself,” Pehrson said. “I went out there and I knew what I had to do and I just tried my best and I’m really happy.”

In Class C, Cross County’s Cameron Graham won his second state title against Grand Island Central Catholic’s Ben Alberts at 160 by fall. The future Husker wrestler says he was motivated by Cross County’s loss in the Class D1 football championship against Howells-Dodge.

“I just feel amazing,” Graham said. “I wanted to get that one back. I lost the state football [championship] with all my football teammates and friends. And that feeling was was horrible. I didn’t want to feel that again with wrestling.