By Matt Browning

Ryan Beavers of Republic County was chosen as the Hog Wild Performer of the Month for February. Beavers has been one of the top wrestlers in Class 3-1A at the 190 class this season.

“Since I didn’t wrestle my junior year, I really didn’t know how I would compare to ranked wrestlers,” Beavers said. “So far, I’ve had a good season but I have a lot of technique work to do before regionals.”

This season has been filled with medals and trophies for Beavers, as he has won five tournaments (Harvard, NE, Hesston, Beloit, Hillsboro, Republic County and Tri-County, NE) and recorded 17 pins.

“Having not wrestled last year creates some pressure as I have never wrestled at the state level,” Beavers said. “Regardless, I plan to put forth my best effort.”

Trying to balance between individual accolades and team success can be tricky for Beavers, but he is trying to place as high as he can in the postseason to help his team.

“I would say there are two parts to a successful season, team and individual,” Beavers said. “As a team we’re striving to place higher at state than ever before. As an individual, I would base success on wrestling the best, and feeling like I’ve given 110 percent effort against my competition.”

After he graduates, Beavers plans on attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to pursue an engineering degree.