CHSAANow

Category: History

  • 2A girls basketball: Marx powers No. 10 Limon over No. 8 Wray for state crown

    COLORADO SPRINGS — Winning a state title means at time, fear has to go out the window. On the very first possession of the third quarter, junior Trista Marx picked up her third foul for Limon.

    The logical move was to take her out. Considering she had scored 19 of the Badgers’ 30 first-half points, she was a crucial part of Limon’s championship chances. But she stayed on the floor and the gamble paid off.

    Limon beat Wray 63-50 to claim the Class 2A girls basketball title. Marx finished with a game-high 27 points.

    This is the sixth girls basketball title for the Badgers (16-3 overall) and the first since 2007.

    “We had eight seniors graduate last year and they didn’t get this chance,” coach Bart O’Dwyer. “It’s really special to have these kids do what they did. They believed in themselves and they really came through.”

    It was a bit of a shaky start as the Eagles caused some havoc in their 2-2-1 press. They forced seven Limon turnovers in the first quarter and built a 10-6 lead.

    Limon Wray girls basketball
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

    “I think it was just nerves and being in a bigger gym,” Marx said. “We’ve had trouble with presses before but our new press break helped settle us down. After a little bit we figured it out.”

    That’s when Marx got going. She scored all but four of Limon’s points in the first quarter and once the Badgers got the ball into their half-court set, she was seemingly unstoppable.

    She helped the Badgers build a 10-point lead at halftime before picking up her third foul. Sending her to the bench was never an option unless absolutely necessary.

    “I don’t worry about three fouls,” O’Dwyer said. “I’ll play them in the first half with two and if they get a third I’ll take them out. With three fouls, that’s how we’ve played that all year long. I’ve told these girls they have to learn how to play with fouls.”

    She scored just five points in the third quarter but dominated the glass, pulling down five rebounds, three of which were offensive. She pulled down 10 boards to end the game with a championship double-double.

    She couldn’t allow herself to be as aggressive as she was in the first half because of her foul count. It’s exactly what O’Dwyer is talking about when he says that she has to learn how to play with them.

    “I have to back off a little bit,” Marx said. “I still try and play hard and  if I get my fourth, it is what it is.”

    While her offensive numbers were impressive, it was the overall team defense for Limon that changed the feel of the game late in the first quarter. Wray had trouble getting open looks and knocked down just 18 percent of their shots in the first half  and 22 percent for the entire game.

    Taby Jones and Karly Godsey usually combine for around 30 points per game, but were kept in check through the first three quarters of the game. Jones scored 14 before committing her fifth foul in the fourth quarter and receiving a well-deserved ovation from the Eagles fanbase in attendance.

    Limon Wray girls basketball
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)
    Limon Wray girls basketball
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

  • 2A boys basketball: Wray tops Limon in overtime to claim first state title

    COLORADO SPRINGS — Junior Arambula made one bold declaration to his coach and his teammates. He was going to have to be dragged out of the Broadmoor World Arena if he didn’t have a state championship trophy in his hands.

    Luckily, he gets to walk out on his own. And he’ll be carrying history with him. Arambula was all heart and emotion and his 13 points helped Wray beat Limon 56-50 to claim the Class 2A boys basketball title, the first in the school’s history.

    “This is only my third year (playing basketball),” Arambula said. “I came over from wrestling after my freshman year. Anytime I step on this court, or any court, I carry it with me that the only way you’re going to beat us is if you drag every one of out of here, whether we’re broken, bleeding or dead.”

    They were nearly dead in the water.

    The Badgers (16-2) jumped out to a 34-24 lead heading into halftime as Tory Tacha broke out for 11 points, the most of all players in the first half. As the Eagles (16-0) made their way to the locker room, they felt a mixture of disappointment and anger with their play in the first half.

    “When we went to the locker room, we were all pretty mad,” Bryant Schoenthal said. “Our heads were down.”

    Limon Wray boys basketball
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

    By the time they took the floor to start the second half. They clamped down defensively and allowed just one Limon basket in the third quarter and took a 37-36 lead heading into the fourth.

    Camden Smithburg scored at will in the fourth quarter to Limon take a two-point edge late in the game. He finished with a game-high 18 points. A timely steal and bucket pulled the Eagles even at 45, sending both teams to overtime, which gave Wray a shot of energy heading into the additional four minutes.

    “We have so much trust in each other,” coach Karson Kuntz said. “Our team chemistry is real. We talk about real energy versus fake energy. We have real team chemistry and these kids genuinely love each other.”

    They put that trust and that love in each other on display in overtime, grabbing a quick lead and never looking back.

    They were solid from the free throw line all night, going 12-for-14, the two missed shots coming when they were up six with less than 10 seconds left on the clock.

    That effort gives this team the honor of doing something that has never been done in the school’s history.

    “I’m so proud of them,” Kuntz said. “This has been a five-year journey. The seniors were in eighth grade when I moved to Wray. We won a junior high championship – also the first in school history – and we knew this could be something special.”

    It was special just in the way the boys fought for it. Arambula boldly told his teammates that he wasn’t leaving the World Arena without a championship. Minutes later, he had trophy in arms.

    And as he carried it out, he could only think of one thing:

    “It’s heavy,” he said.

    Wray Limon boys basketball
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)
    Wray Limon boys basketball
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

  • 3A girls basketball: Platte Valley battles to state title win over Lutheran

    COLORADO SPRINGS — The fifth girls basketball title for Platte Valley is a family thing.

    Three sets of siblings and some of their closest friends battled through a tough fourth quarter, getting the ultimate reward at the end. Seventeen years after last hoisting the trophy, Platte Valley beat Lutheran 51-44 to claim the Class 3A girls basketball championship.

    And in the strangest of years, the championship game was the first time during the entire playoff run that the Broncos (16-1 overall) played an opponent that didn’t come out of the Patriot League.

    “We were kind of hoping that we’d see someone different that we hadn’t played yet,” coach Tonya Schissler said. “It felt like our district tournament getting through the state tournament. These girls did a great job playing as a team. That’s what got us through it.”

    Platte Valley Lutheran girls basketball
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

    That team is made up of two of her daughters as well as two other sets of siblings. But even considering the girls that aren’t related, this team has felt like a family for a really long time.

    “It’s so fun, we’ve all played together for so long,” Bree Bunting said. “We’re so familiar with each other and it’s so much fun to see our hard from when we were really young to now pay off.”

    The trust in each other was the primary factor, however. The Broncos jumped out to a 9-1 lead to start the game, but Lutheran’s Stephanie Schultz erased in the blink of an eye. The two teams battled into halftime where Platte Valley held a three-point lead.

    The Lions (15-2) started knocking down big shots in the third quarter and Raelyn Kelty scored seven of her 11 points in that quarter, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave them a 34-32 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

    But the Broncos weren’t phased. They knew they had the mental toughness to keep the momentum from fully swinging back to the Lions.

    Cora Schissler scored eight of her game-high 15 points in the fourth as the Broncos pulled ahead and refused to let go of the lead.

    “They came out strong in that third quarter,” Schissler said. “We came right back out and knew that this was the last game of our season no matter what. We had to give it our all.”

    That’s exactly what they did. There was a brief moment of panic when Bree Bunting fouled out, but even as she watched from the bench, she knew the game was in capable hands. It all goes back to that family trust.

    “It was tough,” Bunting said. “But I was so glad my team was able to carry it out and they played hard and did such a great job.”

    The last time the Broncos won a girls basketball title was 2004 when they beat Lamar 85-77. This also completes a one-loss season for the Broncos. They fell to Vanguard back on Jan. 30. The Coursers were the No. 1 seed heading into the 3A tournament but lost to Lutheran in the semifinals.

    Platte Valley Lutheran girls basketball
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)
    Platte Valley Lutheran girls basketball
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

  • 4A hockey: Battle Mountain tops Crested Butte to claim program’s first state title

    LOVELAND — Heading into the third period, Battle Mountain goalie Logan Gremmer knew there was no room for error. His team trailed by one. He had already let the puck into the net four times. A fifth would spell doom.

    On the other side of the ice, he got the help he needed. Jensen Rawlings tied the game then Hunter Davis scored the game winner in overtime. A 5-4 win gave Battle Mountain the Class 4A state hockey title and the first hockey championship in school history.

    After celebrating with his teammates and receiving the state championship trophy, he made his way to the locker room as his emotions were getting the better of him.

    “I’m doing as well as anyone can be doing,” he said.

    He wasn’t lying. He was between the pipes on March 9 when Crested Butte beat the Huskies 5-1. It was one of just two losses on the year for Battle Mountain and it was a painful memory that they had to bring up Thursday morning before making their way to the Budweiser Events Center.

    “We brought it up this morning and talked about it briefly,” coach Derek Byron said. “We knew what we had to do to get it done today. We made some adjustment and we had to play strong.”

    The Titans got a good bounce as Matthew Solanik fired the puck from the blue line and it snuck by Gremmer. Wyatt Horn and Tyler Knox scored before the first period edge to give the Huskies a 2-1 lead.

    Then a goal fest broke out in the second half. The Titans scored two power play goals to regain the lead before each team added another. Heading into the third period, the Titans held on to that one-goal lead, putting every bit of pressure on Gremmer heading into the third.

    “I was nervous, but I knew it was shut down hockey,” he said.

    And that’s what he did for the rest of the night. Gremmer faced 12 shots between the third period and overtime and turned them all away. He watched as Rawlings scored on a goal that was fired from near the blue line and bounced off the glove of Crested Butt goalie TJ Wonnacott.

    Neither team could break the 4-4 tie at that point and they went into overtime, a sudden death scenario where someone was going to claim their first hockey championship.

    The suspense didn’t last long as Davis scored the game winner just over two minutes into the overtime period.

    “We just did what we had to do,” Davis said. “We know what we practice and we just went and played how we always play.”

    The Huskies had previously played in two state championship games, losing one to Cheyenne Mountain in 2002 and one to Regis Jesuit in 2008.

    “We wanted it so bad,” Davis said. “We’ve never had a hockey championship at Battle Mountain and we really wanted to beat Crested Butte after they beat us 5-1.”

    They got their redemption. And because of it, the Huskies are state hockey champions for the first time.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • 5A hockey: Valor Christian edges Fort Collins for second straight title

    LOVELAND — This time, it wasn’t going to take five overtimes. Valor Christian found a more efficient way to get around Sam Simon and because of that, the Eagles are hockey champions once again.

    Ryan Kayser scored twice, but it was Jameson Charles with a laser that got by Simon with 2:36 remaining in the third period to give Valor a 4-3 win over Fort Collins in the Class 5A hockey state championship game.

    “I’m proud of these guys,” coach George Gwozdecky said. “Anytime you can win your last game of the season, it’s a heck of an accomplishment. Considering they’re defending a championship, that’s even tougher to do.”

    Defending the title put a lot of pressure on the Eagles. Heading in, they were aware of the capabilities of Simon. They were fortunate a year ago that one goal did the trick, but at no point did they think that’d be the case in this rematch at the Budweiser Events Center.

    “One hundred percent,” Kayser said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be just one. It was going to take four, five, six. We wanted to do whatever it took.”

    Neither team found a scoring foothold in the first period and it was Aidan Beck breaking the scoreless tie, tipping the puck by Jace Ruth early in the second.

    “That top line of theirs is really dynamic,” Gwozdecky said. “If we were going to give ourselves a chance, we had to shut them down and we didn’t do a very good job of that.”

    But they were able to keep pace. The Eagles scored back to back goals as Kayser got his first and Pahos put the Eagles up 2-1 before Beck netted his second to tie the game after two periods.

    A power play goal from Kayser put the Eagles back on top before Dennis White pulled the Lambkins even once again.

    After an apparent goal got waved off, the Eagles moved with a bit more urgency and that’s when Charles fired a laser that got by Simon, sending the Valor fans into a frenzy.

    “I thought mine was going to get called off, so I didn’t get too excited,” he said. “Our momentum was getting that goal back that we lost.”

    They got it back and they didn’t give it up.

    It’s the second straight championship win for Valor as they beat Fort Collins 1-0 in the final CHSAA unclassified championship game a year ago.

    That game took five overtimes before Pahos broke the scoreless tie.

    The Eagles were able to put 40 shots on the net through the course of the game, far fewer than the 80-plus they put on Simon last year. But this year just yielded better results.

    To their credit, the Lambkins were more efficient offensively than they were a year ago as they put 19 shots on net, getting three of them past Ruth.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • 3A girls swimming & diving: Evergreen wins third-straight state championship

    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

    THORNTON — Evergreen overcame many obstacles to claim its third-straight Class 3A girls swimming and diving state championship Tuesday at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center.

    The Cougars took second place in each of the last two races en route to 360 points. Aspen finished in second place (273), followed by Glenwood Springs (254) and Holy Family (219.5).

    “It has been a crazy season, but it has been incredibly rewarding,” said Evergreen head coach Liz Hudd, now in her 21st season. “We had a way smaller team. We had girls that came back from illness, came back from not being able to swim because they couldn’t get into the water … and they brought it in the end.

    “The girls just did their job,” she explained. “Some of them had best swims, some of them didn’t. But they just were resilient, and consistent and they did an amazing job. I have to hand it to them. They really picked it up at the end, and that’s when we were able to pull away with it.”

    It marked the fifth-ever girls swim and dive state championship for Evergreen, which also won 4A titles in 2014 and 2015.

    “It’s my first! It’s super-exciting!” said freshman Finley Anderson, who finished second in the 100 backstroke and fourth in the 100 butterfly.

    “It was different from anything else that I’ve done. But it was an experience that I will never forget. It was so fun being in here and racing and being a part of such an amazing team. There was definitely some pressure to win a third, but it made me go faster; it made us push each other.”

    Evergreen wasn’t the only big winner Tuesday.

    (Paul Soriano)

    Berthoud’s Jamie Dellwardt captured a pair of state championships on the day.

    She blazed to a title in the 200 freestyle. The senior recorded a time of 1:54.51 to finish ahead of Jolie Kim of Kent Denver (1:55.93), last year’s champion in the event, and Tuva Siegel of Denver North (1:58.28).

    Dellwardt earned her second state championship with the top time in the 100 backstroke (56.91). Anderson finished second (57.31) while Holy Family’s Abigail Philipsen placed third (58.28).

    Discovery Canyon junior Victoria Sanders began the day with a state championship in diving. Her score of 479.35 gave her the win over Holy Family’s Mary Kate Cavanaugh (432.30) and Libby Claassen of Glenwood Springs (420.70) and marked the third-straight diving state championship for Discovery Canyon. Rachel Alexander won the event in 2019 and 2020.

    Aspen won the first relay event, the 200 medley. The Skiers (Lilly Huggard, Emily Kinney, Kayla Tehrani and Bennett Jones) swam to a mark of 1:49.76 to easily outpace Evergreen (1.51.76) and Glenwood Springs (1:51.92).

    Caitlin Crysel of St. Mary’s Academy, cruised to an easy victory in the 200 Individual Medley. The freshman posted a time of 2:06.62 to finish ahead of Bennett Jones of Aspen (2:10.06) and Pueblo County’s Kandi Liberato (2:14.04).

    Kalie Linden of St. Mary’s Academy was the top athlete in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.52. Discovery Canyon’s Eden Nolan finished second in 24.85, followed by Tehrani (25.01).

    Tehrani then flew to a victory in the 100 butterfly with a time of 57.37 to edge Crysel (57.46) and Caitlin Beery of Thomas Jefferson (58.18).

    In the 100 freestyle, Siegel won the state championship with a time of 53.35. Linden finished second (54.42) and Gunnison’s Ashlynd Harris placed third (54.74).

    (Paul Soriano)

    Kim improved on her second-place finish in the 200 freestyle with a state championship in the 500 freestyle. Kim, a senior, posted a time of 5:08.76 to win the event for the second-consecutive year. Beery finished second with a time of 5:09.46, while Amelie Ogilby of Glenwood Springs finished third (5:09.47).

    In one of the most exciting races of the day, St. Mary’s Academy edged Aspen in the 200 freestyle relay. The Pirates (Crysel, Ella Yearsley, Charlotte Gaudet and Linden) earned a time of 1:40.73 to win the state championship, while the Skiers touched in 1:40.79

    Isabella Kuzbek of Manitou Springs was the top-seed in the 100 breaststroke heading into the meet, and she did not disappoint. The senior captured her first state championship with a time of 1:07.36. Alyssa Cook of Evergreen finished second in 1:07.95, followed by Jillian Carlson of Delta (1:08.10), last year’s champion in the event.

    D’Evelyn capped the evening with a stunning win in the 400 freestyle relay. Sammy Skrzekut, Kati Livingood, Ayla Pierce and Ava Anderson teamed up to post a time of 3:42.91. Evergreen’s Anderson, Kileigh Ackerman, Cook and Taylor Jacobson finished second in 3:43.06, followed by Glenwood Springs (Amy Madsen, Ogilby, Ellie MacPherson and Kylee Smith) in 3:44.21.

    [divider]

    2021 3A Girls Swimming and Diving State Champions

    • Diving: Victoria Sanders, Discovery Canyon
    • 200 Medley Relay: Aspen
    • 200 Freestyle: Jamie Dellwardt, Berthoud
    • 200 Individual Medley: Caitlin Crysel, St. Mary’s Academy
    • 50 Freestyle: Kalie Linden, St. Mary’s Academy
    • 100 Butterfly: Kayla Tehrani, Aspen
    • 100 Freestyle: Tuva Siegel, Denver North
    • 500 Freestyle: Jolie Kim, Kent Denver
    • 200 Freestyle Relay: St. Mary’s Academy
    • 100 Backstroke: Jamie Dellwardt, Berthoud
    • 100 Breaststroke: Isabella Kuzbek, Manitou Springs
    • 400 Freestyle Relay: D’Evelyn
    • Team: Evergreen
    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

  • 4A boys wrestling: Cheyenne Mountain claims first team title

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    PUEBLO — Of the 101 team state championships that Cheyenne Mountain now lays claim to, boys wrestling is a new one.

    Never before had the school put together a solid enough season on the mat that a wrestling championship trophy was heading to the display case.

    Volleyball? Several. Baseball? Multiple. Football? One very legendary run back in 1963.

    Perhaps Cheyenne Mountain’s first wrestling title will carry as much folklore around Colorado Springs as that football championship. Uncertainty was the word of the 2021 season as the COVID-19 pandemic raised questions over whether or not a season could even happen.

    Once it got off and running, Cheyenne Mountain quickly established itself as a top team in the state. The team entered the season as the No. 3 team in the rankings. But when all was said and done, it stood at the top of the podium.

    En route to the team championship, it won two individual titles with Nico Gagliardi taking the 195-pound title with a pin over Montrose’s Raul Martinez. Jake Boley took the 220-pound championship when he pinned Broomfield’s Morgen Watt.

    Nicholas Grizales (126) and Jesse Boley (285) each reached their championship matches, but couldn’t capture titles. Still, their road to the finals played a crucial role in Cheyenne Mountain capturing the team title.

    Soren Herzog (182) took third, Raife Manjarrez (145) took fourth and Chase Johnsonn (132) took fifth. But even without individual medals, they still get to go home champions after their efforts helped bring the team point total to 123.5.

    Pueblo County narrowly too second as a team as Richard Palomar took third in the 152-pound bracket to break a 100-100 tie with Pueblo East.

    Elsewhere in the classification, five wrestlers entered the tournament as defending state champions and three of them claimed a second title.

    Loveland junior Kobi Johnson won his second title and will have a chance to go for three in a row as a senior next year. He beat Mesa Ridge’s Frankie Gallegos by a 14-5 major decision to claim his title.

    Pueblo East sophomore Weston Dalton was hoping to win a second title to keep his hopes for four alive, but Loveland’s Cody Thompson got a 11-4 decision to win the state title in 138. With Dalton’s loss, the class of 2023 will be the first class to not produce a potential four-time state champion since 2013. Woodland Park junior Brady Hankin won his third title Friday night, so the class of 2022 already has a shot to get a four-timer.

    Seniors Vance Vombaur (Windsor) and Isaias Estrada (Thomas Jefferson) defended their titles to become two-time champions.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • 5A boys wrestling: Pomona captures third-straight championship

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    PUEBLO — Down 12 points heading into the placing matches on Saturday night, Pomona roared back to win yet another state wrestling championship.

    The Panthers had 12 wrestlers place, including four individual champions, as they won a third-straight Class 5A championship, and eighth overall.

    Winning titles for Pomona were:

    • Jakob Romero, at 120 pounds
    • Elijah Olguin, at 126 pounds
    • Daniel Cardenas, at 145 pounds
    • Franklin Cruz, at 220 pounds

    Also placing were:

    • Mark Cardenas, fifth at 106 pounds
    • Jeramiah Steele, third at 113
    • Josiah Parsons, third at 132
    • Gage Bernall, third at 160
    • Jacob Judd, third at 170
    • Roman Cruz, sixth at 182
    • Justin Cullen, fifth at 195
    • Jose Rosales, fifth at heavyweight

    Heading into the final round of the event, Pomona trailed Ponderosa’s 155 points to their 143. But the Panthers’ depth quickly helped them close the gap.

    Wrestling two weight classes at a time in the final session, Pomona shrunk the lead to 155-150 after two weight classes. After four, they jumped into the lead at 157-155.

    They never trailed again.

    A key match came in the 120-pound bracket when Pomona’s Romero beat Ponderosa’s Jett Strickenberger 7-5 thanks to a late takedown. His win, coupled with the fifth-place finish by Cullen at 195, expanded the lead to 163-155.

    They two teams also had a head-to-head championship matchup in 126, where Pomona’s Elijah Olguin beat Ponderosa’s Jacob Bostelman with a 3-0 decision.

    Pomona, which ended with 180 team points, has now finished either first or second at the tournament in each of the past seven years.

    Ponderosa ended up having 10 wrestlers place, and finished the event with 159 team points, which earned them the runner-up trophy.

    The night was headlined by Monarch’s Vince Cornella becoming the 29th four-time champion, as he won the 138-pound division.

    Pomona’s Daniel Cardenas positioned himself to potentially join that club next season with his third state championship. Cardenas, a junior, won the 145-pound division with a 13-3 major decision against Ponderosa’s Jaron Mahler.

    It was a night for multiple-time champions.

    Three others also won a third championship: Regis Jesuit senior Antonio Segura, who captured 152 pounds; Pomona senior Franklin Cruz, who won at 220 pounds; and Brighton senior Kenny Sailas, who won at 113.

    Additionally, Columbine teammates Jack Forbes and Zach Schraeder are now two-time champions. Forbes won his second title at 195, while Schraeder won at heavyweight.

    In terms of the team race, Monarch (65 points), Chaparral (53) and Brighton (52.5) also finished among the top-5.

  • 2A boys wrestling: Centauri wins tight battle for the team title

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    PUEBLO — Moments after Centauri narrowly wrapped up the team title, Eyan Chavez put an exclamation point on the night for the Falcons.

    Tied 0-0 after three periods in the final match of the Class 2A boys wrestling state tournament, Chavez, a junior, earned a 2-0 sudden victory win against Peyton’s Clint Brown to win a championship in the 145-pound division.

    Minutes later, Chavez and Centauri were posing with the gold trophy as they earned the program’s third title and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.

    The title was only locked up after the second-to-last match of the event.

    Heading into the placing matches, Centauri led the team race with 92 points. Cedaredge and Wray were just behind at 84, and Buena Vista also in the hunt with 81.5.

    Things only tightened as the placing matches continued, wrestling two weights at a time. Through the first six weights of the final session, Centauri and Cedaredge were deadlocked with 95 points apiece. Buena Vista sat in third with 87.5 points, and Wray was fourth with 84.

    Through eight weights, Centauri inched ahead of Cedaredge at 97-95. Through 10, the lead expanded to 100-95. Through 12 weights, the team race stayed the same.

    Then, finally, as the 145- and 152-pound divisions wrapped up and the tournament concluded, the picture was finally clear: Centauri had won the title, The final margin? 104 points to Cedaredge’s 99.

    Chavez was the lone individual title for Centauri, but the Falcons had seven wresters place. Included: Riley Valdez (2nd, 106); Jordan Martin (2nd, 152); Erik Mestas (2nd, 160); Mario Vigil (3rd, 113); Zach Buhr (5th, 170); and Byron Shawcroft (5th, 182).

    The tournament also featured a number of standout individual performances.

    The 132-pound match was a monster battle between two two-time champions: Rye senior Michael Atencio and Lyons senior Oran Huff. Huff took a tough 3-2 decision.

    Huff won 126 as a junior and sophomore, after he finished fourth place in that weight as a freshman.

    Cedaredge’s Lane Hunsberger, a junior, won the 120-pound championship in sudden victory, beating returning champion Brady Collins of Wray 5-3. Collins, a sophomore, won the 106-pound title last season.

    Meeker senior Colby Clatterbaugh beat two returning champions in the 195-pound bracket to claim the title. Clatterbaugh beat previously unbeaten Fabian Lopez of Sedgwick County/Fleming in the semifinals with an 8-4 decision, and pinned Adam Schulz of Crowley County in 3:49.

    Wray senior Tyler Collins won his second championship in defending his championship at 152. Collins got a 7-1 decision over Centauri’s Martin.

    Wray finished third as a team with 95 points. Buena Vista (89.5) took fourth, and John Mall (69) was fifth.

  • 3A boys wrestling: Pagosa Springs claims first state championship

    (Dan Mohrman/CHSAANow.com)

    PUEBLO — For the first time in school history, Pagosa Springs is a team state wrestling champion.

    The Pirates put together a solid Class 3A state tournament performance across the board, ending the night with one state champion and three additional top-three placers. They finished with 110.5 points. After clinching a share of last year’s team title, Eaton finished second with 84.5 points.

    They got their first state champion of the night when Cameron Lucero finished off an undefeated season, beating Fort Morgan’s Cael Langford in a 9-6 decision to claim the 160-pound title. The win gives Lucero his third state championship and it gives him a win in his final match as a high school wrestler.

    After falling in the semifinals, Erik Wyman battled back to get a third-place finish after pinning Elizabeth’s Andrew Kramer.

    Dylan Tressler had a chance to give the Pirates two gold medalists on the night, but ran into two-time state champion, Zane Rankin. The Lamar senior is no stranger to the big stage as he had previously won to wrestling titles and was also named the 2A football player of the year last fall.

    Even with Tressler’s second-place finish, the Pirates had plenty to celebrate. They get to go home with their first team trophy in the sport and they got to watch head coach Dan Janowsky get honored for his 20-plus years of service to high school wrestling. He has been coaching the Pirates for 40 years, the last 31 as head coach.

    And while the Pirates left the Southwest Motors Event Center as the ultimate winner, there were plenty of other notable achievements from the 3A wrestling tournament, some of which will have an impact for next season.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Woodland Park’s Brady Hankin needed a 5-3 sudden victory to advance to the 138-pound championship match. Hankin, a junior, is going for his third state title and with Jefferson’s Angelo Lozado getting beat in the 126-pound semifinal, Hankin will be one of two wrestlers to have a shot at a fourth state championship next year as Pomona junior Daniel Cardenas will be going for his third title on Saturday.

    Hankin cruised to his second state title last year, beating La Junta’s Isaiah Gamez with an 11-6 decision in the championship match. He became just the third state wrestling champion in school history when he won the 106-pound title as a freshman in 2019.

    Should he win a state title next year, he would be the first wrestler from Woodland Park to be a four-time state champion.

    Valley’s Isaiah Rios won the 152-pound title to also claim his third state championship.

    Platte Valley’s Jeremiah Garcia beat Pagosa Springs’ Skyler Hill to claim the 220-pound title. This comes 24 hours after his sister Navea Garcia won the 161-pound girls championship, making the Garcias the first brother/sister combo to claim state wrestling titles in the same year.