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Five Star Performer: Blake Fruchtl
During last weekend's state tournament three wrestlers were added to the growing list of four time state champions. Those are Andrew Reidy of Grand Island, Howell's Eric Coufal and Thomas Gilman from Omaha Skutt.
If Grand Island Northwest's Blake Fruchtl remained with the Grand Island Senior High wrestling team last season. this year's group could have been four. In this week's Aurora Cooperative five star performer News 5's Kyle Thomas talks with Fruchtl about a new beginning at a different school. He sat out last year but came back, and showed how much wrestling means to him. Northwest's Blake Fruchtl is part of a select few who can who can say they have three state titles. "It's been a lifetime goal of mine I've always wanted to be a state champ, let alone a three time state champ," said Fruchtl. But the bigger story is a what if. What if the 145 pounder wouldn't have been dismissed from Grand Island Senior High wrestling team last year. Would Fruchtl be the 20th four time Nebraska state Champ? No one will ever know but the now Viking remembers what it was like last year watching from the stands. "It was pretty emotional. I mean, I was with my girlfriend and she knew that it was hard for me. I would see people that are out there wrestling thinking, gosh, I should be out there. I mean, it was really tough," Fructl said. After wondering if he would even wrestle this season Fruchtl realized how much the sport actually meant to him and how much wrestling affected his life. "Wrestling is what keeps me motivated what keeps me going. I mean, for wrestling I stay out of trouble. Obviously keep my grades up I mean, everything. I base my life around wrestling and when I lost it it was a I guess I didn't know what I had until it was gone," Fructl said. Now with wrestling back in his life Fruchtl is back on the right path and he and his family are happy to see him succeed again at the highest level. |
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