Sidney wrestlers make their mark in national competition

A Sidney quartet made their marks on the national wrestling ranks last week, competing in the AAU (Ameture Athletic Union) Scholastic Duals in Florida.

The five-day event, also known as the Disney Duals, featured nearly 2,300 wrestlers on 133 teams. Competing for Sidney as part of the Nebraska National Dual Team were Derek Robb, Tristan Ahrendt, Trey Arellano and Kaden Vowers.

Three of the four, Robb, Ahrendt and Vowers, earned All-American status based on their performances, while Arellano still finished third in his bracket. Vowers received a silver medal for his performance, while Robb and Ahrendt were first in their brackets.

Wrestlers competed in four different divisions with teams representing 20 districts. Competition took place across 30 mats at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. Divisions included District All-Star Division, Developmental Division, and Community 1 and 2 Divisions. Wrestlers qualified by competing in an AAU tournament about a month after the Nebraska state high school tournament.

When speaking with the Sun-Telegraph on the way home from the tournament the young competitors, without exception, listed the desire to get better at their sport as one of the reasons for participating.

"Mat time and getting better is what it's all about," said Robb, who last year won his third straight high school title. He went 11-2 at the duals, and said through wrestling so many new opponents he found areas where he feels he can improve.

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