Cleveland, Chipps land on the medal state

Being on the mat is a mental game, a balance of quick decisions and occasional regrets.

Ava Cleveland, a junior, said the most difficult match she competed in at the 2026 State Girls Wrestling Championships was the one she lost - a 6-3 overtime loss to Abby Negley of Cozad.

"It didn't physically feel different from other matches. I needed to mentally recover from that and keep wrestling," the junior said.

Cleveland rebounded with a win over Ashlyn Dailey of Cedar Catholic and survived the dreaded heartbreak round, where she pinned Aurora's Caly Settles. In the third-place match, she pinned Yut...