Washington?s Skubal ends career as runner-up

It was a great sendoff for one Washington senior at the state wrestling tournament on Saturday night.

One year after taking eighth place in the state tournament, Brad Skubal picked up a second-place finish on Saturday night in the 195-pound weight class.

In the finals, the No. 2 ranked Skubal ended up falling to Mediapolis? Steven Holloway in a 9-2 decision, who was responsible for all four of Skubal?s losses this season.

?I was happy I made it to the finals,? Skubal said. ?It was a first for me, and I started wrestling well and kept it going to the finals. I?m pretty happy with (the season), it?s a good high note to end on.?

In the championship, Skubal picked up both his points by escape, as he wrestled Holloway in both the sectional and district meets leading up to the state tournament.

?Brad always wrestles hard,? Washington head coach Brent Van Weelden said. ?He lost four matches this season and all four of them were to (Holloway), so we are definitely the second-best kid in the state, but (Brad) had a great career and a great season, and I?m extremely proud of him.?

With his high school wrestling career now at a close, it was hard for Van Weelden to put into words what he has meant to the program.

?A lot,? Van Weelden said. ?I don?t know if I can put it into words right now, but he?s meant a lot to us.?

Skubal picked up a 12-7 victory in Thursday?s first round, before picking up a win by pin fall in the quarterfinals.

He then picked up a hard-fought 4-3 decision over Creston?s Seth Maitlen in the semifinals before falling in the state championship match.

?He wrestled tough and the first match was a tough kid,? Van Weelden said. ?He got a pin in his second one and had a hard-fought battle in his semifinal match. That?s the kind of kid he is. He?s going to battle every minute and that?s what he did in all four matches.?