Building for Glory
Cardinal Wrestling Eyes State Championships with Strong Roster
New Additions
By: Taylon Bennett
As the leaves turn brown and the fall season fades, winter comes into full view. To some, that means cooler temperatures and hot chocolate, to others; it's wrestling season. This year’s squad is looking great and hoping to improve from last year. Boasting an abundance of incoming transfer students, returning state qualifiers, and two state champions coming back for their final season, it’s hard to pinpoint just how far these Cardinals will fly, but all of them have the same destination in mind. The State Tournament.
“We’re ranked 8th right now in class C. We want to qualify for state duals and place in the top three for the duals, and we want to be in the top three at state,” said head coach Mr. Andrew Smith. “There’s a lot of kids who have been growing themselves, wrestling in the summer, and getting better every day.”
Returning wrestlers who have competed in Omaha consist of junior Haydan Smith (126) and seniors Dakota Gibson (138), Ty Breckner (285), and Zayden Delgado (150). With some taking it all the way and others falling short, both have given these men positive inspiration and motivation to go that much further in the 2024-25 season.
Under the guidance of 6th-year head coach Smith, the Cardinals have all the confidence in the world.
Senior Gibson states, “I feel like we have the best coach in class C, he works hard for us and does everything he can to make us better.”
And with Smith being so highly praised, that attracts other coaches trying to better hone their skills. The Cards brought on two new coaches this season, two-time state champion Landon Weidner, as well as Hastings College alumni Shaun Van Der Torre. It’s safe to say DT is meeting a lot of new faces.
Senior Aaron Long (165) says “I like the idea of everybody wanting to be a part of DT’s success. All the young guys coming in make for a strong base for the future of the wrestling program.”
From grades 7-12, the team has added ten new wrestlers, taking their numbers from fourteen in the 2023-24 season to twenty-three this season. With nearly half of the transfers competing at the middle school level, the future of the DT wrestling program is bright.
“Having two state champions is huge. It says a lot about our program,” said Smith. “You come here, you work hard, you do things right, good things can happen.”