By Shelby Siegfried
for the Register
“I like to think of my faith life like my athletic career. Sometimes you need two-a-days, sometimes your body needs rest, but you practice every day.”
Amongst the roaring crowd, shrilling referee whistles, and sweat-drenched competitors, an unexpected moment of devotion unfolded at the Nebraska State High School Wrestling Championship.
Atop the podium, amidst jubilant cheers, stood Trent Moudry, a senior from Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo. His hand tightly grasped his rosary, as his name reverberated through the arena as the Class C 190-pound State Champion, with an astounding 41-1 record.
Moudry’s heart swelled with a torrent of emotions.
“I was definitely overwhelmed and beyond grateful for the support of all of my family and friends,” he said. But the moment was bittersweet for Moudry, whose father, CB, passed away in November 2022. CB was his son’s biggest supporter, whether it was coaching baseball, football, or wrestling or cheering him on loudly from the stands. He never missed a game or activity.
“The first person I thought of when I won was my dad, and it hurt a lot,” Moudry admitted. “But my dad gave me a simple mentality; his words were ‘go hard, give it your best, and have a little fun.’”
Moudry said losing his father changed his perspective and strengthened his faith.
“Losing someone you’re close to puts death in a whole new perspective. It’s right around the corner. That’s partly why I carry my rosary on me. I always stay strapped with my weapon, the rosary.”
For Moudry, holding the rosary aloft on the podium was an act of devotion to God. He explained, “When I held the rosary on the stand, it was for the Glory of God. I was praying with God about wrestling, and I said, ‘If I win, naturally, I’ll receive some type of glory. But God, You need the glory because You are the reason I am here.’”
The rosary holds a profound significance in Moudry’s life, serving as a source of solace and spiritual strength.
“I pray the rosary daily. It’s been a huge source of healing and comfort,” he revealed. “Every day isn’t easy to pray the rosary, but that’s the same with practice. The rosary, for me, is like wrestling practice. You have to show up every day, no matter what, and it changes you. Daily practice changes you for the better, daily prayer changes you for the better.”
Moudry added that he and classmate, Jack Wyllie, happily refer to themselves as “Momma’s Boys” because of their shared love of Mary.
“She’s always there, wanting to take care of us. I love the rosary and recommend it to everyone.”
Faith has been Moudry’s guiding light through adversity.
“My faith gave me hope. Plain and simple, if I didn’t have my faith, I probably would have given up on sports because I wouldn’t have been able to bear all the pain and stress that comes with sports,” Moudry said. “I like to think of my faith life like my athletic career. Sometimes you need two-a-days, sometimes your body needs rest, but you practice every day.”
Moudry’s passion for wrestling blossomed at a young age through his father and close friends. As neighbors and friends, Jerry Bryce and his family have shared a deep bond with the Moudry family for over two decades.
“CB and I were best friends,” Bryce said. “Our kids were the same age, and we started coaching them together when they were just 5 years old. We traveled all over for wrestling tournaments and had a lot of fun together. CB really loved his family and spending time with his sons. Trent’s dedication to the sport, fueled by his father’s enthusiasm, grew stronger with each passing year,” Bryce explained. “Wrestling was a special bond between Trent and his dad; they were a team.”
Bryce marveled at Moudry’s unwavering faith, which has only grown stronger over time.
“Trent’s heart is filled with love and devotion to God,” he shared. “Even in the darkest moments, like when his father was nearing the end, Trent led us all in prayer with the maturity of someone beyond his years. The entire Moudry family has tremendous faith that has been a guiding light through their toughest trials.”
Moudry’s willingness to challenge himself is evident in his decision to give up his cell phone for Lent.
“He’s not afraid to embrace difficult challenges, he’s truly inspiring.” Bryce noted with admiration.
As a friend and mentor, Bryce always supported Moudry in his journey, especially in wrestling.
“I could never replace his dad, but I wanted to be there for him,” Bryce said. “We had a routine of checking in, discussing his weight, injuries, and upcoming matches. Witnessing Trent’s dedication, we all longed for that state championship moment he had worked tirelessly towards for 12 years.”
When it came time for the state championship, Moudry said perseverance in his faith kept him going during the final stretch of wrestling.
“Going into state wrestling, I looked to the crucifix for strength,” he said. “The fact that Jesus was scourged, had a crown of thorns and fell three times but still kept walking to be crucified all out of love for me, it gave me the strength to keep pushing in that third period and all three days of weighing in. Wrestling has helped me so much in my faith life because of discipline.”
Moudry said cutting weight was not easy, but helped him develop discipline.
“I lost 30 pounds to wrestle, and each time I said no to junk food, I offered that up. That discipline has helped me say no to sin.” Moudry added with a laugh, “If you want to grow in your faith, I highly recommend wrestling.”
Moudry hopes his devotion will inspire other student athletes to put God first.
“Sports come to an end for all of us, but faith is forever,” he said. “Jesus delights in you doing sports for Him, just don’t put them as your god. God is God, not sports. If we put in as much time, energy, and effort into our faith life as we do our sports we would be so much happier.”
Not only a state champion wrestler, Moudry also excelled in football at Bishop Neumann High School. His talent drew opportunities to compete in either sport after graduation at many colleges, including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but for Moudry, sports isn’t the top priority.
“I plan to attend St. Gregory the Great Seminary this fall,” Moudry said. “I really just love the faith, plain and simple. I’ve been praying about it a lot and I think God is calling me to the seminary and I’m super excited to see what’s to come. I’ve learned if I put my will in His hands it’s going to be a lot better than if I tried to do it. If God is saying this is my vocation. I’m all for it. I am a sinner who keeps trying to love God. He’s loved me too much for me to not love and follow Him.”
