KEARNEY, Neb. - More than a thousand wrestlers from over five states packed the Kearney SportsPlex on Monday to celebrate UNK's recent national championship title, and to also participate in a camp to hone their own skills.

Governor Jim Pillen and other local legislators joined in on the celebration of Nebraska athletics.

Pillen said UNK's special season was no accident and that the national champs showed the country how talented and hardworking Nebraskans can be. He said something similar about the new Kearney SportsPlex.

"Really impressive, it's awesome. Congratulations to Kearney," said Pillen after visiting the SportsPlex for the first time. "My favorite saying about Nebraska is it's the people and when people come together to get things accomplished and they don't worry about who gets credit, anything can happen. Kearney's a beautiful example of that," Pillen added.

The over 1,000 wrestlers of various ages participated in both skills and friendly competitions guided by UNK wrestlers and staff as a way to share some of their championship knowledge.

Two current Nebraska Senators not only wrestle with difficult decisions daily, they each have over 30 years of experience in the sport at the high school level.

Dan McKeon of District 41 has ref wrestling for over 30 years and he says Monday's event showed those from out of state just how connected the Nebraska wrestling community is.

"I wanted to be able to recognize those finalists and to bring the governor out and just recognizing the sport of wrestling and especially this new complex here in Kearney is just amazing," said McKeon. 

Former Adams Central wrestling coach and current District 33 Senator Dan Lonowski says Kearney is becoming more and more of a sports town and he believes the region is perfect for embracing a growing youth wrestling population.

"It's the fastest growing sport in America, girls wrestling, and just to be part of it and to watch it and to appreciate the people that have made that work, it's special," said Lonowski. 

The Nebraska Blue and Gold team camp goes through Wednesday and will feature an appearance from Olympic gold medalist Amit Elor. 

A national title and a state of the art complex aren't just victories for Kearney, it's a testament to the growing sports community in the region.