Nebraska State wrestling: a significant weekend for coaches, wrestlers, and their families. The qualifying athletes anticipated this day for months and the same goes for senior Bobby Fryer. Fryer is down on the wrestling mats for the three eventful days of the meet, but does not compete.

For the third straight year, Fryer has traveled to Nebraska State Wrestling with Eagle Communications, a North Platte radio broadcasting company. Besides the athletes, Fryer is the only high school student in Nebraska who is allowed on the floor of the meet where all the action is occurring.

He first learned of this opportunity through North Platte High School Journalism adviser Lori Larson. An official from Eagle Communications contacted Larson while in search of a temporary assistant and Fryer opted in. “He contacted Ms. Larson asking for some help with State Wrestling, and I volunteered to go,” Fryer said. Since then, Eagle has continued to reach out to Fryer because he was such a good help.
While accompanying Eagle to State Wrestling, he runs between the mats to obtain 15 to 30 second audio clips (sound bites) in order to get the wrestlers thoughts about what went down in their match.

Eagle then uses these recordings as fillers during a typical radio show to update listeners about matches. Fryer said they received recordings and quotes and chimed in through ESPN radio, especially during key [wrestling] matches. “I felt really accomplished because whenever it was our time on the radio we [Eagle Communications] were prepared with a sound bite from a coach or wrestler,” said Fryer.

At this year’s State meet, on Feb. 14 through 16, had Fryer even more eager and prepared. “I enjoy it very much, it definitely keeps me on my toes.” Being in the middle of the action can be nerve-racking for Fryer because he has to watch which wrestlers are on deck and prepare himself to speak to them immediately afterwards. Whenever he stumbles during an interview he just tells himself to “go back over what I said and bring it back to the conversation,” said Fryer.

Although being in the middle of the fast paced atmosphere, he does enjoy talking to the athletes because it gets him out of his comfort zone. Overall, even though he’s been to state before, he was particularly enthusiastic for this year. “There are new faces every year, and it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

Fryer believes this opportunity has the potential to be fundamental for his future. “Over the last three years, this has helped build a base from some job experience within broadcasting,” he said. Fryer is considering an occupation in journalism. “If I decided to go work at a reporting job, I would already have some connections.” Being involved in the community and his state in this way has opened his eyes to different types of careers within journalism. Besides photojournalism and print journalism, Fryer says he enjoys being a part of news and radio journalism as well.