State final: champ breaks late tie with Southwest senior

Garden County's Colton Holthus celebrates a second Class D state wrestling title that was well-earned after Southwest senior Matt VanPelt rallied from 5-0 down to catch him at 7-7 in the final period Thursday night. Holthus still prevailed, 10-7, in the 152-pound final at Omaha's CHI Health Center. More details from all Gazette-area state medalists will appear on Friday.

Diane Stamm/For The Gazette

OMAHA, Neb. — Southwest's Matt VanPelt erased a 5-0 deficit in the final period and caught Colton Holthus from Garden County, 7-7, during that final period of their Class D state title match Thursday night.

However, Holthus made an escape before scoring one final takedown as VanPelt went for his own decisive two-point move. The defending Class D champ finished his repeat with a 10-7 victory at 152 pounds.

VanPelt posted a 50-2 season record counting three state tourney wins while finishing his season on the biggest state of Omaha's CHI Health Center. He returned from injuring his knee last year.

Southwest senior Matt VanPelt (left) showed super tenacity as he caught Garden County's Colton Holthus 7-7 in the third period of their Class D 152-pound state final Thursday night.

Diane Stamm/For The Gazette

Holthus also finished with a 50-2 record.

More details such as all area state medalists will be featured on Friday's McCook Gazette sports pages.