Team Champions: The Best Wrestler
On Sunday, December 8, the 3rd Annual Takedown the Tumor Youth Wrestling Tournament was held at Papillion La Vista High School. With over 450 young wrestlers competing for giant trophies and custom medals, they were also helping raise funds for childhood brain cancer research. The tournament supports the Team Jack Foundation, and with this year’s $65,000 raised, the three-year total has now reached an impressive $217,000! Team champions and runners-up were also awarded trophies, with The Best Wrestler winning the team championship, and Nebraska Wrestling Academy finishing in second.
In addition to wrestling in the tournament, the young athletes were given the opportunity to fundraise for Team Jack and earn Takedown the Tumor gear for different levels reached. A special thank you goes out to the parents of our fundraisers for allowing their children to fundraise for Team Jack and to the many donors that contributed. Several of the fundraisers were wrestling and fundraising in memory of friends or siblings that have passed from childhood brain cancer. This special connection was touching to see, and helped raise $20,490!
Miles Ostronic and his friend Jimmy Moran.
The top fundraiser was Miles Ostronic from Westside Wrestling Club. He was able to raise $6,525 for childhood brain cancer research, and he had great motivation both to wrestle and to fundraise. Miles said, “I’m wrestling for my best friend, Jimmy, that died of brain cancer. It definitely helps to remember him more. I want to make him proud.”
To check out our list of wrestlers that fundraised and their amounts raised, click here.
Some of the highlights of the day were:
– Over 450 wrestlers, which was double the amount from the 2023 tournament.
– Wrestlers that fundraised for Team Jack combined to raise $20,490 for research.
– Great participation from clubs in the metro area and beyond! Below is a list of the clubs that registered more than 10 wrestlers.
50 – The Best Wrestler
37 – Gretna Youth Wrestling
37 – Nebraska Wrestling Academy
32 – Impact Wrestling
30 – Powerhouse Wrestling Club
25 – Sherman Challengers
24 – Nebraska Boyz Wrestling
23 – Millard South
21 – Westside Wrestling Club
14 – JR Titans
13 – MWC Wrestling Academy
12 – Falls City Wrestling Club
12 – WWC Predator Wrestling
10 – 2TG Hastings
We were thrilled with the increased number of wrestlers this year, and the overall support from the wrestling clubs, families, sponsors, volunteers, and committee. We could not host this event without help, and we are truly grateful to all who lent a hand in any way. For next year, we are discussing new ideas to fine tune the Takedown and make it even better.
Thank you to our sponsors, volunteers, OMAWA-Omaha Metro Area Wrestling Association, Nebraska USA Wrestling, and the Josh and Marie Akerson Family for continuing to help facilitate this event.
About Team Jack Foundation
The Team Jack Foundation’s mission is to raise research funds and awareness for childhood brain cancer. The disease affects nearly 5,000 children each year and is the leading cancer cause of death in children. Each year less than four percent of U.S. federal funding is solely dedicated to childhood cancer research, with even less spent on child brain cancer research. The Team Jack Foundation has raised over $13.7 million for pediatric brain cancer research and has invested in twenty research projects nationally. One area of focus for the Foundation is the development of a childhood brain tumor program in Omaha, Nebraska. Team Jack has committed $6.5 million toward the program at UNMC and Children’s Nebraska that funds clinical and laboratory research, pain management in cancer, and education. The Foundation will continue working with world renowned researchers, directly, to develop relevant and impactful research initiatives. Learn more at https://teamjackfoundation.org/.