Two middle school wrestlers return from action at nationals

Last Friday and Saturday, sixth grade student Roedy Farrell and eighth grade student Logan Cole competed at the Heartland National Duals in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Farrell said his interest in wrestling stemmed from his dad, Will, who is a volunteer coach for the middle school wrestling program. Farrell noted his dad wrestled, which sparked his own interest in the sport and saw him hitting the mat at six years old. The boy further noted even when he loses a match he has a smile on his face.

Cole's mom, Kelly, attended nationals for the first time this year, and said it was amazing to see the level of competition, and to watch the boys step up and answer the call.

Farrell's mom, Shawna, watched the action online but kept in contact with the Coles by phone through the event.

This year was Farrell's first competing at a national level, and he said the experience was "mind-blowing," as they would have up to 31 mats. During competition, he said, teams were called to the various mats to wrestle; he was among those on Wyoming Elementary Team Brown.

Farrell's first match was against a member of a Texas team, whom he pinned quickly. The second match saw him against a Nebraska wrestler, and though the match lasted all three periods Farrell came out on top.

His next match pitted him against a wrestler from the Kansas team. During the action, Farrell said he hurt his elbow and eventually lost by a pin.

In the second day of competition, his opponent in the first match - another from Kansas - "basically pinned himself," Farrell said, after going way to high and making it easy to reach up, grab his head and take him down.

Farrell's next match saw him go all three periods against a Iowa wrestler and come up with a win. His final match of the two-day tourney had him against a Texas wrestler. Farrell noted he was doing well and was up by points, but his opponent tripped him up, which shocked him a bit and allowed the Iowa boy to run a move and pin him.

Though Farrell wrestled six matches, his record for the event was 5-2, as one of his opponents, from a Pennsylvania team, forfeited in the first day of competition.

The trip to nationals was the second in as many years for Cole, who saw action last year at the Lee Pamulak Amateur Athletic Union Middle School National Duals in Des Moines.

Cole, who wrestled for the Wyoming Brown Middle School team, won his first match by pin in the second period, against a Kansas wrestler. In his second, he lost by a pin in the third period, to a member of a Minnesota team. He pointed out the team was the best they brought.

In the third match, which had him against a North Dakota wrestler, Cole wrestled all three periods and won by points. He would follow a similar pattern in his fourth match, going against a Nebraska wrestler all three periods and coming out on top.

Though "dead tired" by the time his fifth match - against Pennsylvania - Cole still came out ahead on points after three periods

In the second day, Cole said the teams were put in brackets, and his was wrestling in the Platinum division. Cole continued his streak, taking the day's first match against a member of the Kansas team by points in three periods. The trend continued for his second match against an Illinois boy, though his third, against a member of the Minnesota team, would see his second loss.

However, Cole proudly pointed out his team wound up placing second in the Platinum bracket and 10th in the nation.

Outside of the competition, the boys had fun hanging out with friends and swimming, but both noted with a laugh that some of the best times were when they were eating. Looking ahead to the coming year, both will pursue a return to competition at the national level.