JEFF FIELDER Editor
CHADRON – Quinn Bailey, a junior, is Nspire Today!’s Male Athlete of the Month for March. He recently captured a second straight Nebraska state wrestling championship, winning the 157-pound weight class and ending the season with a 47-0 record. Last year he was the state champion at 152 pounds and finished the season with a 44-2 record. His freshman year, he placed fifth at state at 145 and put together a 48-6 mark. This season he broke the single season takedown record (227), single season pin record (31), and career takedown record (463). He’s just the third student in school history to finish a wrestling season unbeaten. Bailey is also a standout in football, starring at running back and linebacker. He finished this last season with 1,997-yards rushing, a single-season record. He also set a record for most rushing yards in a career – he has over 3,400 yards so far. On defense last fall, he collected 72 tackles. He’s also involved in track, competing in the 300 hurdles, 400, 100, triple jump, and long jump. He’s competed at state each of the last two years in relays. Academically, he has a 4.0 GPA. Outside of school, he’s involved in the youth group at Chadron Christian Church. After high school, he plans to attend college and compete in a sport while earning a degree in finance and economics. After that, he said he would like to return to Chadron to work with his dad, who’s an Edward Jones financial advisor. His parents are Kerry and Crystal Bailey.
Q: Describe how it felt to win a second straight state championship?
BAILEY: “It felt awesome. It was definitely a blessing. After losing [at state] my freshman year, that hurt pretty bad, so my goal from then on was to try to win as many state titles as I could.”
Q: What was the road like to repeating as a state champ?
BAILEY: “I had a lot of good, tough matches again. It was pretty much like last year in that I worked hard in the wrestling room and the weight room, and I kept believing in myself. There were challenges along the way, but I had strong faith.”
Q: Which meant more to you this season – winning another state title or finishing the season unbeaten?
BAILEY: “Winning the state title. I’m glad I was able to come through at the end. Being undefeated doesn’t really mean anything if you lose your last match.”
You can read the entire story in the March 2024 issue of Nspire Today! magazine. A one-year subscription (12 issues) is only $20. You may sign up for a subscription by sending $20 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363, or you may pay with a credit card by calling 308-220-8907.
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