At the 2026 NSAA Class B and C Boys State Wrestling Championships in Omaha last week, two Johnson County Central wrestlers earned medals, while two Auburn seniors wrestled their final matches in Auburn singlets at the highest stage.
JCC’s Caden McDonald made his first state appearance in the Class C 106 pound bracket. After losing his first match to Eli Thompson of Yutan, McDonald wrestled his way back through the other side of the bracket, winning three in a row before his rematch with Thompson in the consolation semifinals. McDonald lost again, and went on to lose his 5th and 6th place match against Bentley Cusatis of Doniphan-Trumbull. This ended his run at state, but got him on the medal stand nonetheless, and McDonald finished his season with a sixth place medal and a record of 39-9.
At 113 pounds, JCC junior Erik Prado returned to the state tournament with a vengeance. Winning his first and second matches with first-period pins, Prado advanced to the finals with a 5-0 decision in the semis. Jace Martin of Wood River was Prado’s final opponent, and after a full, six-minute match, Prado came out the winner with a 4-2 decision. With a gold medal, Prado finished his season with a record of 47-1.
