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Bison senior hopes to complete his comeback
McCOOK, Neb. — Too bad corona virus couldn’t become a wrestler only to see Landon Towne throw it around like some feisty St. Patrick’s Day leprechaun.
Or give it a broken vaulting pole and watch corona plummet into one big splat! wiped off planet earth.
Instead, the stupid sickness hovers just out of reach while currently halting all McCook Bison spring sports.
When track and field season does hopefully re-start, Bison fans can count on many great sights like:
Landon Towne running full speed into his final high school sports opportunity!
“He sure is vaulting,” coach Tom Sughroue proclaimed during the good old days of sports activity last week.
L.T. understood the joy from sports victory and began sharing it even before his McCook High career began.
Most remember 2015 as the undefeated middle school wrestler faced Cambridge’s Brady Lewis, who was dealing with down’s syndrome.
The Lincoln Journal-Star even took notice along with about 150 area wrestling fans:
“The fans stood, cheered, smiled and misted up when Lewis had his hand raised by the ref for his first junior high win and, later, accepted the first-place medal.
“I still get chills thinking about how great that was for Brady,” Cambridge coach Jason Benson said. “Landon Towne is a very special kid himself for helping get this going.”
Landon downplayed that moment recently, perhaps because the McCook High senior has learned so much since.
He was undefeated again to start his junior wrestling season after helping McCook High’s football team finish another 10-win state playoff season.
Suddenly — during just another December match — Landon faced his own painful battle with real adversity.
“I stepped the wrong way and felt a whole lot of pain,” Towne recalled. “I’d never even been injured before. I thought maybe I’d be out a week...not season ending.”
His first state tournament hopes were gone as well as the entire 2019 spring sports season.
Landon was certainly expecting for a return trip to Omaha Burke Stadium after qualifying in 2018 Class B pole vault.
Instead, it was several months of hoisting himself on crutches and daily rehab sessions.
Landon didn’t offer much drama about his return during 2019-20. He gradually worked into his final Bison football season where linebacker L.T. delivered 22 solo tackles, 14 assists and forced one fumble.
Wrestling brought even more success as Landon won the GNAC 152-pound championship and perhaps an even more impressive Southern Valley Invitational title.
Landon defeated four wrestlers who brought winning records into that S.V. tourney.
The success continued with several high places leading to his ultimate goal of reaching February’s Class B state wrestling championships.
“I’m just thankful for the opportunity,” he remarked a few days before state. “It’s down to winning four matches. I’m thinking ‘why can’t I be a champion?’”
A 40-win state medalist Ashton Schweitzer from Pierce ended Towne’s title hopes, 4-2.
Landon rebounded to score one dominant state win, 9-1, but eventual consolation champ Peyton Walling of Wahoo wrecked Towne’s remaining state medal hopes.
However, the finale had no effect on how coach Nick Umscheid viewed the four-year Bison wrestler.
Landon has been a great wrestler for us over the years and a great ambassador for our sport,” Umscheid said. “He has given us some great memories.”
Now Towne awaits one more opportunity to make a final impact on Class B pole vault. All Nebraska spring sports practices have been halted through March 30 because of the dreaded COVID-19.
Yet no matter what happens, Towne knows his Bison career can lead to success beyond high school.
“Wrestling and sports has taught me just about everything,” he said. “Having the ability to overcome adversity. How to work hard and know you can always work harder.”
Towne will graduate in May, likely attend a technical college and continue pursuing goals long after corona virus.
“Make the most of the chance,” he concluded.