Growing up in rural Nebraska, attending a small country school, there was little opportunity for competing in extra-curricular activities. With some help from his uncles, who introduced him to Federation Wrestling, Travis discovered his love for the sport.
Once he reached high school, his freshman year started off slow but ended with a winning record. His sophomore year, with a renewed determination he ended his season with a 30-7 record and a 3rd place win at the state competition, defeating the previous year’s state champion for this title. This same year, 1991, Travis also received “Most Improved Wrestler” recognition from his coaches. With the taste of victory lingering, the 1992 season began with Travis being determined to bring home a state title. All of his hard work paid off during his junior year, with a record of 31-5 and a state championship. In 1993, as a senior, Travis had a goal of repeating his success of the previous year and bringing home another state title for the Longhorns. Following his 100th career win at the final round of the state tournament, Travis became Rushville’s first two-time state champion and the second wrestler from Rushville High School to have won 100 matches.
Travis also was a major contributor in team points that won Rushville two consecutive State Team titles his sophomore and junior year, and a Third Place team title his senior year. Head Coach Ward Wacker said “In the 25 years that I have coached, Travis was probably the most physical of the bunch.”