The South Loup Bobcats wrestling squad continued to build experience and confidence on the mat with back-to-back tournament appearances at the Twin Loup Invitational and the Anselmo-Merna Coyote Invitational, highlighted by multiple podium finishes and strong individual performances.

At the Twin Loup Invitational, Josiah Coleman anchored the Bobcats’ effort with a third-place finish at 120 pounds in a deep bracket. Coleman opened the tournament with a first-round bye before running into Dylan Furstenau of Neligh/Oakdale, where he suffered a 12-2 major decision loss. From there, Coleman put together one of the strongest runs of the day, responding with four straight victories. He earned a 15-4 major decision over Kolten Clay of Ansley/Litchfield, then scored a technical fall over teammate Noah Hiatt at 3:14. Coleman continued his surge with a pin of Ora Chaffin of Burwell at 4:09 before closing the tournament by avenging his earlier loss, pinning Furstenau at 4:03 to secure third place. The victory was made even sweeter as it was also Coleman’s 100th career win.

Hiatt also competed at 120 pounds and received byes through the first two rounds. He faced Kason Palser of Ravenna in round three and fell by technical fall, before matching up with Coleman later in the bracket.

Ryan Lords turned in a balanced showing at 150 pounds, opening his day with a pin of Alex Gibson of Overton at 4:37. After a loss by fall to Cooper Arehart of Neligh/Oakdale, Lords responded with a gritty 12-8 decision over Joe King of Ravenna. His tournament concluded with a loss by fall to Emmet Grint of Twin Loup.

At 165 pounds, Jacob King demonstrated resilience in a competitive bracket. He pinned Ashton Lambert of Sandhills Valley at 3:02 in round one, then dropped a bout to John Zwingman of Elgin/Pope John. King rebounded immediately, earning a 45-second pin against Kegan Corbin of Ansley/Litchfield before falling to Zachary Wiebelhaus of North Central in round four.

Ben Linden competed at 132 pounds and opened with a bye before dropping matches by fall to Travin Schauda of Twin Loup and Bode Koinzan of Neligh/ Oakdale. Blake Robertson wrestled at 175 pounds, receiving a first-round bye before facing Preston Krause of Burwell and Jeter Clark of North Platte, falling by pin in both contests.

The following day at the Anselmo-Merna Coyote Invitational on Dec. 13, Coleman again delivered a strong performance, this time finishing second at 120 pounds. After a bye, he controlled his quarterfinal match with a 9-1 major decision over Mason Hemmingson of Fullerton, then advanced to the championship bout with a pin of Holden Beel of Ainsworth at 3:36. In the finals, Coleman battled throughout the match before falling by decision to Tate Wood of Fullerton, earning a runner-up finish.

Hiatt also returned to the mat at 120 pounds in Anselmo-Merna, receiving a first-round bye before suffering a first-period pin to Wood and a technical fall loss to Kevin Lopez of Grand Island.

Jacob King moved up to 157 pounds and placed fourth. After a bye, he dropped his opening match to Sam Titus of Ainsworth but responded with an impressive 14-9 decision over Tom Connell of Hyannis. King’s tournament ended with a loss by fall to Tucker Smith of Fullerton in the final round.

Blake Robertson added another placemaking effort for South Loup, finishing fourth at 175 pounds. After a loss to Easton McMillin of Ainsworth, Robertson rebounded with a pin of Francisco Garcia of Grand Island at 2:40 before falling to McMillin again in the final round.

Paxton Bierman competed at 165 pounds but was forced to medically forfeit both of his matches.

Across both tournaments, the Bobcats showed continued growth and resilience, with Coleman’s consistent podium finishes leading the way as South Loup continues to develop through the heart of the season.