Creighton Prep wrestling is looking to capture its first state title this week. The Junior Jays finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in class A and took the A1 district title with a 269-point performance, finishing 78 points above second-place Grand Island. The Junior Jays had wrestlers qualify for state in 13 out of the 14 weight classes, with 10 of those 13 taking a district crown in their weight class.

For the Junior Jays to win their first state championship, they’ll need a strong performance from the sophomore class. They’ve been the driving force behind the state championship push. 7 of Prep’s qualifiers are sophomores, including 4 of the district champions.

Sophomores Cole Caniglia and Kobi Streeter claimed a district title in the 113 and 120 lb weight classes, respectively. Caniglia is coming off a runner-up finish in last year’s state tournament. His 32-4 record is second in the 113 lb class behind Omaha Bryan’s Khy`Ree Thomas-Calloway, who sits undefeated at 44-0. Streeter enters his first state tournament with a 28-7 record after taking down Grand Island’s Rudy Rodriguez by decision in the district final.

The other two sophomore district champions are JT Smith and Michael Novero. Smith took the 175 lb weight class over Grand Island’s Andrew Pittman by technical fall. Smith enters with a 27-4 record and looks to claim an individual state title after last year’s runner-up finish. Novero took down Ryan Boehle of Grand Island by decision to claim the 215 lb weight class.

Three other sophomores qualified for state by placing in the top four at the district tournament. Kieran Akerson placed second in the 132-lb weight class, and his 27-8 record is third in the class. Similar to Akerson, Myles Sanchez placed second in the 138-lb class with a 30-12 record. Trey Magness took bronze in the 144-lb class with a 19-21 record.

The Junior Jays will also need a boost from their freshman to finally get over the hump. Cruzer Dominguez and Kam Green Jr are Prep’s freshman duo that has dominated throughout the season. Dominguez and Green Jr took gold at the Metro tournament and the district tournament. Dominguez enters with a 24-4 record in the 106 lb class, ranking second behind Omaha Bryan’s Mohamed Mohamed, who sits at 46-1. Green Jr has a 33-9 record, good for third in the 126 lb class.

Rounding out the Junior Jays’ state competitors are four veteran upperclassmen.

Adonis Bonar II has been one of the most dominant wrestlers in the state for the past two years. The California Baptist commit enters the state tournament 35-2, second behind Grand Island’s Hudson Oliver, who Bonar II took down in the district final—the senior looks to cap his career with his second consecutive state title in the 190 lb class.

Bodi Knudsen and Joe Novero took the 150 and 157 lb classes, respectively, at the district tournament. Knudsen enters the state tournament with a 23-16 record while Novero enters 29-14. Knudsen claimed a district title by taking down Westside’s Gable Jernigan by fall, while Novero claimed his by taking down Grand Island’s Kaden Harder by decision.

Roberto Macias-Sidzyik is the Junior Jays’ final state qualifier. Macias-Sidzyik enters with a 25-9 record after falling to Omaha North’s Tyson Terry in the 285 lb weight class. Macias-Sidzyik looks to improve on his sixth-place finish in last year’s state tournament.

Winning the Metro Conference Tournament and the A1 District Tournament means that the Junior Jays have won two of their three major Nebraskan tournaments. All that’s left is the elusive state title. With a strong sophomore class, veteran leaders, and a freshman duo, the Junior Jays are in a prime position to capture their first state title, which would mark their most successful season of all time.

The state tournament takes place this Thursday through Saturday downtown at the CHI Health Center. Wrestling starts at 9:00 AM each morning and goes into the afternoon and evening. Tickets can be purchased on NSAA’s website through Ticketmaster. The individual state championships will be streamed on PBS this Saturday starting at 3:00 PM.