By Marisa Dawson, Senior photos courtesy of Ann Bouaphakeo

Bennington High School Boys Wrestling celebrated a memorable Senior Night on Thursday, January 29, as the Badgers hosted Lincoln Southwest High School for duals. The evening honored the program’s graduating seniors while delivering strong performances at both the varsity and junior varsity levels.

Varsity Dual: Bennington 52, Lincoln Southwest 23

The varsity Badgers dominated much of the match, securing multiple pins and technical falls to claim a convincing 29-point victory. Highlights included several quick pins and dominant technical falls from key wrestlers:

– 120 lbs: Colton Archer (Bennington) pinned Brooks Clifford (Lincoln Southwest) in 3:17.

– 126 lbs: Elijah McCrery (Bennington) pinned Grant Lavene (Lincoln Southwest) in 1:04.

– 132 lbs: Evan Warner (Bennington) pinned Zac Snow (Lincoln Southwest) in 1:57 — a highlight for the senior returning from injury, as noted by Coach Pokorny.

– 138 lbs: Brodee Scobee (Bennington) pinned Hudson Davis (Lincoln Southwest) in 0:46.

– 144 lbs: Brayden Kreikemeier (Bennington) won by technical fall 18-0 over Owen Dostal (Lincoln Southwest) in 2:54.

– 150 lbs: Knox Naughton (Bennington) won by technical fall 19-3 over Cruz Lockhart (Lincoln Southwest) in 5:10.

– 190 lbs: Ty Bouaphakeo (Bennington) pinned Evan Adkins (Lincoln Southwest) in 0:39.

– 215 lbs: Ty Thomsen (Bennington) pinned Dominic Crowner (Lincoln Southwest) in 2:19.

Other notable varsity results included Mason Mostek winning by forfeit at 285 lbs and strong efforts from seniors Dominic Gillett and Kellen Mann in close decisions at 165 and 175 lbs.

JV Dual: Bennington Wins via Tiebreaker (18-18 Tie)

The junior varsity match was a back-and-forth battle that ended in an 18-18 tie, with Bennington claiming the victory on the tiebreaker (first points: 18.0 to 0.0). Several wrestlers delivered standout performances with pins:

– 113 lbs: Elijah Sukraw (Bennington) pinned Liam Reed (Lincoln Southwest) in 0:47.

– 132 lbs: Jake Crawford (Bennington) pinned Everett Marsh (Lincoln Southwest) in 2:00.

– 150 lbs: Camden Wright (Lincoln Southwest) pinned Trey Almond (Bennington) in 1:12.

– 165 lbs: TJ Walters (Lincoln Southwest) pinned Raiden Downie (Bennington) in 2:45.

– 190 lbs: Preston Sheets (Bennington) pinned Braxson Witt (Lincoln Southwest) in 0:50.

– 190 lbs (second bout): Artur Machuta (Lincoln Southwest) pinned Lane Kulhanek (Bennington) in 0:49.

The JV squad showed great competitiveness and depth, with quick pins from Sukraw, Crawford, and Sheets helping keep the match close and ultimately tipping the tiebreaker in Bennington’s favor.

Senior Night Recognition

The evening included a special Senior Night ceremony, where the graduating seniors were escorted onto the mat and recognized for their achievements, dedication to the program, and future plans after graduation. Many of these seniors contributed directly to the varsity victory, with Archer, Warner, Kreikemeier, and Thomsen earning pins or technical falls in their matches.

Head Coach Alan Pokorny shared his pride in the senior class and the team’s overall effort.

“We have six seniors graduating this year,” Pokorny said. “The thing that stands out the most to me is the time that these guys put into the sport. Not just during the season but in the off-season. They would work out with us and on days off would carpool to work out at one of the clubs in Omaha.” He added an impressive fact that three of the seniors are competing for the first time at the varsity level for districts and state. Pokorny said, “They put in their time and kept working. That is rare in this time where kids want results right away. These guys did the right thing, waited for their time, and are reaping the benefits now.”

Additionally, Pokorny highlighted his pride for this year’s graduating seniors: “One of the things I am most proud of is that this group of seniors came into high school relatively unknown in the wrestling world and are leaving with a team that may rank as one of the best teams in our history.”

On the dual itself, Pokorny added, “I felt that we wrestled better than Tuesday. Lincoln Southwest was a little better than we expected and gave us some good things to work on. The highlight of the dual was senior Evan Warner dominating and pinning one of their best wrestlers. It was Evan’s first match back after his injury.”

Seniors recognized include:

• Colton Archer (pictured with parents Crystal & Kevin Archer)

• Evan Warner (pictured with parents Heather & David Warner)

• Brayden Kreikemeier (pictured with parents Tisa & Cory Kreikemeier)

• Dominic Gillett (pictured with parents Trisha & Jeramiah Gillett)

• Kellen Mann (pictured with parents Jessie Reinke & Donald Mann)

• Ty Thomsen (pictured with parents Nikki & Scott Thomsen)

The strong showings at both levels boost Bennington’s momentum as the season builds toward districts and state competition. Congratulations to the seniors and the entire Badgers wrestling program on a successful and meaningful night!