By Bob Hamar
bob.hamar@theindependent.com

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Independent/Barrett Stinson Grand Island Central Catholicıs Justis Stolz (right) works to gain control of Cody Brandt of Centura during their 112-pound semifinal match Saturday at C-3 district wrestling in St. Paul. Stolz went on to defeat Brandt by technical fall, 17-1, in the second round. Independent/Barrett Stinson Grand Island Central Catholicıs Dale Curran celebrates his 130-pound semifinal win via pin over Jared Krueger of Red Cloud Saturday morning at C-3 district wrestling in St. Paul. Click Thumbnails to View

The last one came way back in 1983. The Crusaders hadn't won a district title for 25 years.

That streak came to a screeching halt Saturday at the Class C, District 3 meet at St. Paul High School. The Crusaders, under first-year head coach Marc Starostka, advanced seven wrestlers to next week's state meet in Omaha, won three individual titles and walked away with a district championship trophy.

"I wrote a goal down the first day of practice," Starostka said. "I said I want to qualify six guys and get at least second at districts and we did one better on each."

GICC won the team title with 146 points. Wood River was second with 132 and St. Paul third with 114.

The Crusaders got individual titles from Justis Stolz at 112, Jason Osterbuhr at 152 and Zach Starostka at 160.

Stolz got the championship round started in style with an 18-3 technical fall over Fillmore Central's Tristian Webster.

"He was very focused," Starostka said of Stolz. "All these kids were for all six rounds Friday and Saturday. They just kept building and they never quit."

Osterbuhr earned an 8-6 overtime victory over Wilber-Clatonia's Jason Mammen. Osterbuhr trailed Mammen 6-4 late in the third period, but got a reversal with less than 5 seconds remaining to tie it up.

Osterbuhr, who had lost to Mammen twice this season, then got a takedown 52 seconds into the overtime period to get the victory.

Zach Starostka got a take down with 37 seconds left to take a 6-5 lead over Gibbon's Josh Arrants.

"We had some blood time (with 20 seconds left) and I walked over to him and said, 'Can you ride him?"' coach Starostka said. "He says, 'I can ride him Dad.'"

Zach Starostka did just that as he held on for the win.

The Crusaders' Dale Curran was second at 130, losing by pin to St. Paul's Brandon Starkey in the championship match. GICC's Weston Walton beat Wood River's Jensen McTavish 9-1 in the consolation final at 125 and Zach Schroder pinned Cross County's Spencer Sebek in 52 seconds in the consolation finals at 285.

Central Catholic's Bryce Walker finished fourth at 145 after being pinned by Gibbon's Gilbert Van Matre in the consolation finals at 145.

"Weston had kind of a set back in the semis," Marc Starostka said. "It wasn't a bad thing. He came back full force and obviously he helped us get some points.

"Dale had a tough one. He's gone 0-2 with the guy, but he walked off the mat with his head high and that's what counts the most."

Marc Starostka said the other five wrestlers who didn't make it to state still had a big role in the team's success.

"They all contributed to this team," Starostka said. "All season long, they were individuals until this Monday. I said, 'Now you guys have to become a team.'"

Wood River advanced five to the state meet, including individual champions Garrett Lambrecht (103) and Kevin Harders (140).

Wood River coach Darin Waddington who was named Class C, District 3 coach of the year by his fellow coaches said the Eagles could have wrestled better.

"We had a decent meet," Waddington said. "We didn't wrestle our best. We've been wrestling real well all year, but we didn't wrestle our best here. We came in maybe expecting to qualify seven or more, so we were a couple short.

"We knew we had a shot at winning the thing, but I knew it was going to take seven and we got five."

Harders, one of just three seniors on the Wood River team, got the 99th win of his career in the district final when he defeated Fillmore Central's Stanley Taylor 6-2.

"That was a big, big match because he's ranked sixth and the kid from Fillmore Central is ranked third," Waddington said. "For him to come out and win 6-2, I was very proud of him.

"He's a senior. I don't know if I've ever coached a harder working kid in my career."

Other area champions were: Hastings St. Cecilia's Austin Wilson (119) and Joseph Tickle (125), Kenesaw-Shelton's Matthew Duffy (171), St. Paul's Jordan Heusinkvelt (215) and Doniphan-Trumbull's Sam Nelson (285).