By Terry Douglass
terry.douglass@theindependent.com

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The Independent/Barrett Stinson After beating two opponents who had beaten him a combined 10 consecutive times, Grand Island Senior High's Isaiah Aguilar celebrates a Class A 112-pound championship. Aguilar defeated Patrick Rollins of Omaha Creighton Prep, 6-4, during their championship match Saturday at state wrestling in Omaha. The Independent/Barrett Stinson Valentine's Matt Spain (top) celebrates his victory over previously undefeated Hadley Cooksley of Grand Island Northwest after their Class B 285-pound championship match Saturday at state wrestling in Omaha. Spain pulled the upset with a 10-6 win over Cooksley. Click Thumbnails to View

"I'm a state champion?" he said, sounding more like a question than a statement.

"Yes you are," Grand Island coach Mike Schadwinkel responded. "Now, and forever."

Aguilar did indeed make a memory that no one can take away, upsetting Omaha Creighton Prep's Patrick Rollins 6-4 in the 112-pound championship match at the Class A state wrestling championships. The victory allowed the Islander senior to finish his career on the highest of notes.

"I can't even explain it right now it's just so awesome," Aguilar said. "Nobody in their right mind thought I would've come out on top and now, it feels so good.

"It's probably one of the best feelings that I have felt in my whole entire life. I've dreamed of this and now, it has finally happened."

While Aguilar (35-5) came into the state rated No. 3 in Class A by the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association, his road to a championship was brutally tough.

He was 0-8 in his career against semifinal opponent and No. 2-rated Tim Crocker of Kearney and 0-2 this year against top-rated Rollins, losing to him by pin last December in the East-West Duals Classic and then falling to the Creighton Prep sophomore 17-8 the previous week in the district title match at Norfolk.

"Nobody would have put a dollar on me nobody would've put a penny on me, but I knew that as long as I thought I could do it in my head, I could make it happen," Aguilar said. "I did it."

How?

"My mindset was that it was my senior year and that I didn't have anything to lose," Aguilar said.

"I wanted to go out there and throw everything I had at him. I figured that as long as I walked off that mat, knowing that I had given everything that I had, I would be satisfied."

Schadwinkel said it was a matter of Aguilar finally wrestling up to his full potential.

"It's something that could've happened a long time ago," Schadwinkel said. "Isaiah is a very good athlete. He's had the ability to do this for a long time and we just finally got him to open up and wrestle.

"I don't know if it was the end of his career or if it was the state tournament or just finally saying to himself that he was going to open up and let it all hang out, but he did it."

Grand Island finished fourth in the Class A team race with 113.5 points. The Islanders, who qualified wrestlers in all 14 weight classes, earned eight medals at the state meet, led by Aguilar's first-place finish.

Jesse Janulewicz (215) placed second, losing his championship match to Ronald Coleman of Omaha North by pin in 3:18. Other Islander medalists included Riley Allen (fourth at 140), Mathew Rice (fifth at 130), Tyler Glover (fifth at 135), Jason Brisbin (sixth at 160), Alan Taylor (sixth at 171) and Nate Westerby (sixth at 189).

"We knew that a top-five finish down here was very realistic," Schadwinkel said. "We lose three seniors, we only have one junior and the rest are sophomores and freshmen, so we do have a lot of kids coming back a lot of kids with state tournament experience. We're excited about that."

In Class B, Grand Island Northwest's Hadley Cooksley saw his state title run come to a disappointing finish with a 10-6 loss in the 285-pound championship match to Valentine's Matt Spain. Cooksley, who lost to Spain each of the last three years at state, entered the match 33-0 this season with all of his victories coming via fall.

"It's obviously a tough loss, especially since Hadley was so determined to get there and get it done," Northwest coach Brian Sybrandts said. "Hadley got a little bit behind and I think he struggled with that. He forced some things and when you force things, good things usually don't happen."

Cooksley finished his high school career with three state medals. He also set Northwest records for career victories, pins and fastest pin.

"Hadley has wrestled hard for four years and he's accomplished so many things," Sybrandts said. "Whether he won or lost that last match, I have so much respect for Hadley. He's been so much fun to coach the last four years and he's going to be very successful in whatever he tries to do."

Northwest's Jeff Mills (160) earned his second career state medal with a fourth-place finish. The Vikings' senior lost by injury default to Central City's Myles Butt in the third-place match after suffering a dislocated kneecap.

As a team, Northwest finished 14th with 47 points.

"I'm happy very happy with the performance of our kids," Sybrandts said. "We lose four of the six kids that we brought down to state next year, so we're going to have to have some others step up."

In Class C, Grand Island Central Catholic's Zachary Starostka battled back from his semifinal loss to take third place at 160. The Crusaders, who qualified seven for state, ended 30th as a team with 25 points.

"What I know about all these kids that we brought down here is that they're very young and they weren't used to these big, bright lights," GICC coach Marc Starostka said. "Next year, if everybody returns, look out. I think they're going to be doing very well."

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