Former central Nebraska wrestling greats unite for Northwest Tri-City Elite Camp

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – Grand Island Northwest has hosted wrestling summer time camps over the past a number of years, however by no means with as a lot star energy for his or her featured counselors as Wednesday’s, which was tabbed the inaugural Tri-Metropolis Elite Camp.

Northern Colorado wrestling teammates Damen Pape and Dyson Kunz, every from Hastings and Central Metropolis, respectively, in addition to Navy’s Grady Griess of Northwest are all former two-time NSAA State champions. Two-time State finalist and Northwest alum Collin Quandt additionally helped run the camp.

“It’s quite a lot of enjoyable simply attending to see all the children that look as much as me,” Griess stated. “I simply bear in mind being their age and looking out as much as all the great wrestlers that I used to look at coming to duals on this health club and it’s been quite a lot of enjoyable thus far simply to offer again.

“It offers me a superb feeling as a result of I didn’t actually count on too many individuals to be right here, but it surely was quite a lot of enjoyable seeing all the group come collectively, get collectively and be taught some strikes and get higher within the offseason.”

Kunz holds the Class C document for many profession pins with 158. Griess is the Vikings faculty record-holder for pins in a single season. Between Griess, Kunz and Pape, there are solely 29 profession highschool losses.

“That’s my favourite factor about wrestling, is simply having the ability to give again as a result of I do know that I used to go to camps like this on a regular basis once I was a youthful wrestler and these had been a few of my favourite occasions,” Kunz stated. “With the ability to give again to a group that’s given a lot to me, they’ve given me so many alternatives to do the game that I really like, it means the world to me.”

All 4 returned to central Nebraska to assist run the two-day Elite Camp.

“It’s very particular, particularly for [Northwest’s coach] to carry us all collectively,” Pape stated. “Been round Collin, Grady, Dyson my entire life, so it’s simply good that we will all group up and provides again to little children and children in highschool now. Summer season wrestling is large. It’s the place you’ll make the largest jumps as a wrestler.

”It’s superior, particularly in the event that they’re right here smiling, having enjoyable. I used to be asking a few of the children on the finish in the event that they had been having enjoyable and (they stated), ‘In fact, after all.’ So, that places a smile on my face. The most important half is having enjoyable, so simply ensuring that they’re having enjoyable places a smile on my face, that’s for certain.”

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