OMAHA -- For the first time in four years, Wayne has a state wrestling finalist.
Garrett Schultz got a takedown on the edge of the mat in the final seconds of overtime Friday night to win an exciting 3-1 decision over Scottsbluff's Christopher Gamino to earn a spot in Saturday's Walk of Champions at the State Wrestling Championships at the CHI Center.
Wayne will also have a medalist in the girls division as well, as sophomore Nyla Bolles bounced back from a semifinal loss to earn a third-place medal at 130 pounds.
For Schultz, the match was a hard-fought battle that needed an extra period to determine a winner.
Schultz scored an escape early in the second period, then gave up the lead late in the third period when he was whistled for a second stalling call.
In the overtime, the two wrestles scrambled toward the far end of the circle when Schultz was able to scramble and end up on top of Gamino. There was a hesitation before the ref signaled the takedown, but when it was confirmed, the Wayn senior celebrated, jumping into the arms of coach Levi Povahl in celebration.
Schultz (40-5) will wrestle Waverly senior Hunter Jacobsen (24-1) in Saturday's championship finals. He is Wayne's first finalist since Mike Leatherdale won the Class B 285-pound title in 2020.
Bolles had a tall order in Friday's semifinal matchup with Regan Rosseter of Omaha Westside, regarded by many as the top girls wrestler in the state regardless of weight class. She proved that assessment rather quickly, pinning Bolles in 78 seconds to send her to Saturday's consolation semifinals.
The Blue Devil sophomore shook off the loss quickly on Saturday morning, pinning Savannah Roan of Blair in the consolation semifinals, then hung on for a 2-0 win over Micah McGillivray of Stanton to finish her season 39-11 and a consolation champion.
