Nic Stoltenberg
Class of 2020 | Skutt Catholic High School
Recent Skutt Catholic High School graduate Nic Stoltenberg was destined to be a wrestler. He was hooked from the age of five after watching his older cousin wrestle at a tournament. “After we left the tournament I constantly just wanted to wrestle everyone and everything,” he said. “Wrestling became a part of my life from the first time I watched it.” His passion for wrestling paid off, as he became a three-time Nebraska state champion (2018 at 126 lbs., 2019 at 138 lbs., and 2020 at 152 lbs.).
Wrestling is a part of his family as well. “Three of my cousins won a combined six NSAA state titles. This always pushed me to be as good as them. My family always gave me their support in everything I chose to do, and I am very thankful for them.” This family support was even more important during Stoltenberg’s sophomore year when he cut his weight from 145 to 132 and then again down to 126. “Losing that much weight was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do, but knowing I had my family, coaches, and teammates support gave me the drive to keep moving forward.”
The Skutt wrestling team was home to Stoltenberg. “My team was more than just a team, we were a family. We helped each other grow not just as athletes but as people.” Skutt wrestling Coach Mitch Waite said Stoltenberg is “a once in a generation type athlete. His mental toughness and his discipline continually improve. He was a student of the sport who displayed many strong attributes from his freshman year to his senior year and grew into not only a good athlete, but an even better person.”
Even when he’s with his friends, Stoltenberg is competitive whether they are playing spike ball or corn hole. “I love being outdoors and staying busy.” He also enjoys camping with his family. “We usually take our camper and find new places to go every year.”
Stoltenberg sets high goals for himself and pushes himself to reach them. He plans to wrestle throughout his four years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but he won’t stop there. “It’s always been a dream of mine to wrestle at the NCAA tournament and bring home some hardware. After college I plan on coaching and following the sport of wresting til the day I die.”
