MONTROSE — Montrose baseball improved to 6-3 this season with two wins over Glenwood Springs during a double-header on Saturday.
Montrose won the first game 8-1 thanks in part to a five-run fourth inning. Dustin Boone had a two-run double to spark things. He finished with three RBIs in the game.
In Game 2, Glenwood Springs scored two runs in the top of the first, but Montrose controlled things from there. The Indians led 6-2 by the end of the third, and 8-2 after four. Bobby Birawer had two RBIs, while Dylan James also drove two runs in.
Glenwood Springs is now 3-3 this season.
Montrose has now won six of seven games following an 0-2 start to its season.
The 2016-17 all-state wrestling teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created based upon results at the state meet. Coaches of the year were selected by team performance at the state meet, as well.
Wrestlers of the year were determined by a formula which took the following information into account: season record; season winning percentage; type of wins at state (pin, tech fall, major decision); strength of a weight classification’s bracket; and multiple championships.
Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
Aspen’s Kennidy Quist is the 3A girls swimmer of the year. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The 2017 all-state girls swimming teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created based upon results at the state meet.
Swimmers of the year were selected based upon the number of team points they produced at the state meet. This means that they received the full amount of team points from individual events they swam in, as well as one-fourth of the total points earned by the team in relays they swam in.
Finally, in order to be considered for swimmer of the year, athletes must first have made the all-state team by winning in a championship.
Divers of the year were selected by finish at the state meet, as were coaches of the year.
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Class 5A
Swimmers of the year: Kylee Alons, Fossil Ridge; Zoe Bartel, Fossil Ridge
And the other 15 teams remaining on the bracket should be ready to take shelter for a 32-minute storm.
Pueblo West began its 4A state title defense on Saturday with a 100-49 win over Glenwood Springs, advancing to Wednesday’s Sweet 16.
For a team that came into the state tournament as the No. 7 seed, it looks like the Cyclones might still be the team to beat in 2017.
“It was big for us,” senior guard David Simental said. “We wanted to come out and play hard. We’ve had some lapses in the past couple of years, losing in the first.”
But the Cyclones (22-2 overall) had no intention of dropping out early this year. They also had no intention easing into a rhythm on Saturday. Simental attacked the basket early, scoring 11 of Pueblo West’s first 17 points.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Defensively, the Cyclones attacked the Demons (14-11) with a 2-2-1 press that forced turnovers resulting in early baskets. Many of those coming at the hands of Simental who scored a game-high 32 points.
“David was horrible today and shot way below his season percentages. I’m very upset at him right now,” Cyclones coach Bobby Tyler joked after the game. “We ride David’s back. As much as I would love to take all the credit in the world for a state championship last year, you don’t state championships without kids like David.”
His offensive output backed the Demons into a corner and it soon became evident that they weren’t going to recover. But that didn’t stop a team that started two juniors and three sophomores from trying.
A.J. Crowley led the Demons with 21 points and Angel Garcia added 10. But the most important thing that they took away from the game is playoff experience and a painful loss to the 4A champs is a good way for them to fuel a run for next season.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
“They’re go-getters and they’re always hungry,” Demons coach Cory Hitchcock said. “They’ll take this personally and they know they could’ve played better.”
But the Cyclones were not going to be deterred. Their only two losses in the regular season came to Rampart and Pueblo South. The Rams are the 15 seed in the 5A tournament and the Colts ended up No. 2 in the 4A tournament. Their body of work didn’t make Pueblo West feel like the No. 7 seed coming into the tournament.
“We felt like we were No. 1,” Simental said. “The new rankings and things change that, but we feel like we’re still No. 1.”
Regardless of where they ended up, they knew that they had to win five games in order to complete another championship run.
They’ll do it the old fashioned way: one game at a time.
“We’re not too worried about it, we’re just focused on the next game,” Simental said. “Whether we’re the team to beat or not, we just want to win the next game.”
That next game will be on Wednesday. And if the Cyclones advance to the 4A Great next weekend, they could have a chance for retribution against Pueblo South, who beat them 67-64 on Feb. 10.
But there’s no looking ahead for the state champs. If they’re going to repeat, they’re going to make their opponents weather the storm one game at a time.
Pueblo County won four individual state gold medals out of eight opportunities, and scored 225 points – which is believed to be the most in the history of any Class 4A state championship wrestling team.
“This means a lot for our school, our community and our kids,” said Pueblo County coach Eddie Soto, who has been the boss of the Hornet program since 2010. “This was the culmination of all the work everybody has put into our program.”
This was the Hornets second-consecutive state title and they easily defeated runner-up Greeley Central (123.5 points). Wiggins holds the highest point total record of 232 points when it captured 2A state glory in 1999.
“That 232-point record was pretty remarkable and we knew it was going to be tough to beat that total, especially in 4A,” said Soto, who was chosen the Class 4A coach of the year.
Pueblo County entered the finals with 205 points – 1.5 points more than it scored when it won state a year ago.
“Other coaches told me you got the first one and the hard one is the second one,” Soto said. “But, with this group of guys, it seemed like it was inevitable. They all do the right things and when the guys do the right things, good things happen. We had some close matches tonight we would have liked to win, but this was just awesome.”
The Hornets also had Josiah Nava (113 pounds), Nathan Bonham (120), Justin Davis (138) and Dante Garcia (182) each take second place.
Of Pueblo County’s eight state finalists – The Willits, Davis and Rincon are seniors.
Pueblo County took 11 wrestlers to the state tourney out of 14 weights and 10 of them placed.
“This is just awesome and amazing to be a part of this program,” said Brendon Garcia, who beat Discovery Canyon’s Patrick Allis in the finals.
Garcia, a sophomore, has now won back-to-back state titles. He captured the 106-pound crown last year while competing in the Class 3A ranks for Dolores Huerta.
The Hornet wrestling team has now delivered the only boys state crowns to Pueblo County High School, which opened its doors in 1953.
This is the sixth wrestling team state championship in Pueblo history. The others are Pueblo South (1997, 2004 and 2005, all in 4A) and Pueblo Central (1993, 5A).
The Hornets point total wasn’t the only Pueblo history they made. Hunter Willits became the first Steel City wrestler to win four state wrestling titles in a row, and he and his brother, Grant are only three-time wrestling state champs in the Pueblo record books. The Willits brothers are going to wrestle at Oregon State next year. Hunter was named Class 4A Outstanding Wrestler.
Grant snared an 8-0 major decision over Cheyenne Mountain’s Mike McFadden in the finals.
“I’m happy with three titles baby,” Grant said. “Nothing is better than this moment.”
In 2015, Grant, who was competing at 113 pounds was on the cusp of making Pueblo prep history. Grant and Hunter were trying to become the first wrestlers in Pueblo prep history to win back-to-back state championships in their freshman and sophomore seasons.
As freshmen, Grant won 4A state at 106 pounds and Hunter was tops at 132 pounds, and they also became the only twins from Pueblo to win state.
That back-to-back Willits plan, however was derailed in unexpected fashion.
The morning of Feb. 20, 2015 at the Class 4A state tourney, Grant failed to make weight and was disqualified for the final two days of the tournament.
Grant, with a 3-pound weight allowance, could weigh up to 116 pounds and he weighed in at 116.1 pounds on four different scales at the Pepsi Center.
“That fourth title is hitting me hard right now,” Grant said. “I would give anything to go back and weigh in again. I know my brother really wanted to win four state titles with me, but things happen. We got our second team title in a row and nothing can take this moment away.”
Rick Willits, the twins’ father and assistant coach for the Hornets, won a Class AAA state championship at 132 pounds in 1980 while competing for Pueblo East. The elder Willits then went on to win an NAIA national championship at 150 pounds at Adams State College in 1985.
The most intriguing finals match was Davis against Windsor’s Chris Sandoval, who three-time state finalist for Pueblo County and a state champ as a sophomore. Sandoval was able to get the best of Davis in the finals, winning 8-5.
Tension spilled over after the match, and the bad blood could be detected in Sandoval’s post-match interview.
“They didn’t leave me on the best of terms,” Sandoval said about his exit from the school. “I’m kind of glad this happened because this Windsor team is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time.”
Perfect freshman
Dominik Serrano’s wrestling career couldn’t have started better.
The Windsor freshman capped his season with a state championship at 120 pounds over Pueblo County’s Nathan Bonham (2-0). Serrano finished the season with a 50-0 record.
“This is the best feeling in the world, coming from middle school to this,” Serrano said.
Niwot breaks title drought
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The last time Niwot High School won an individual wrestling gold medal was 1993.
Senior Tommy Stager changed that narrative Saturday night.
Stager claimed a 14-4 major decision over Mesa Ridge’s Elijah Valdez in the 145-pound finals.
“I’m very excited about this,” Stager said. “I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t have some butterflies, and everything worked out for me.”
Niwot coach Bobby Matthews had nothing but praise for Stager, who is going to attend the Air Force Academy next year.
“He didn’t change,” Matthews said. “That’s who he has been all year and I’m so happy for a kid who works that hard. I can’t be more proud of a kid like that.”
Wilson ends in glory
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
On Saturday night, Glenwood Springs wrestler Myles Wilson did what he has been doing the past two years – win.
Wilson, a senior, scored a 10-0 win over Pueblo County’s Dante Garcia. This was Wilson’s second state title in a row – he won at 170 pounds as a junior – and his record the last two seasons was 99-0. His sophomore year, Wilson posted a 45-1 record and he took second at state at 152 pounds and as a freshman he had a 45-4 mark and placed fifth at 138 pounds.
Over his career, he owns 189 victories, a state record. His 51 this season tied the state record.
“This feels great to get this second one done and especially to be undefeated for two years,” Wilson said. “I had never wrestled him (Garcia) before and my plan was to score as many points as I could and I kept attacking.”
Following his victory, Wilson ran along the side of the mat and did two backflips.
“I kind of thought about doing that and in the moment I just did it,” he said.
Wilson is going on to wrestle and the University of Iowa next year.
Another freshman winner for Pueblo East
From 1959-2015, Pueblo East High School’s wrestling program never had a freshman win a state title.
The Eagles have now had two in the last two years.
Heavyweight Andy Garcia collected his championship Saturday with a 9-5 win over Sand Creek junior Alefosio Saipaia. Jace Trujillo made history at Pueblo East in 2016 when he became the school’s first freshman state winner when he took the title at 113 pounds.
DENVER — Hunter Willits will wrestle for a fourth-consecutive state championship on Saturday.
The Pueblo County senior won his semifinal match at the state wrestling tournament in the Class 4A 152-pound bracket against Cheyenne Mountain’s Luke White. Willits won by a 10-3 decision.
Willits will face Nathan Morris of Longmont in Saturday night’s final for a chance to become Colorado’s 20th four-time state wrestling champion. Morris beat Mead’s Caleb Mendez 4-3 in the semifinals.
Willits won 4A 132 as a freshman, 138 as a sophomore, and 152 last year.
To reach the semifinals, he pinned Grand Junction Central’s Shaun Stepisnik in the first round on Thursday, and Greeley Central’s Justus Strand in the quarterfinals earlier Friday.
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Notables
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
A great match in 5A 132 pitted two returning champions against one another in the semifinals. Pomona’s Theorius Robison beat Arvada West’s Dayton Marvel 9-3 to reach the final.
The 138 pound final in 4A will be something. It will match returning champion Chris Sandoval of Windsor against fellow returning champion Justin Davis of Pueblo County. Davis is also unbeaten.
Likewise, the 5A 182 final will be electric. Pueblo County’s Dante Garcia won a tiebreak to move to the 4A 182 final. He will face Glenwood Springs’ Myles Wilson. Both are returning champions.
The star-studded 3A 285 bracket lived up to its hype in the semifinals. Sheridan’s Ricky Ayala outlasted Bayfield’s Sam Westbrook 5-4 in the ultimate tiebreaker. Ayala will face Delta’s Logan Church in the final. Church knocked off the top seed in the quarterfinals.
In the 5A 170 pound semifinals, Grand Junction Central’s Erminio Barrera upset top-seeded and returning champion Garrett Niel of Pine Creek.
Pueblo County’s Grant Willits will wrestle for a third state championship. He beat Pueblo East’s Aaden Valdez 10-6 in the 4A 132 semifinal. Willits will face Cheyenne Mountain’s Mike McFadden, who beat Grand Junction Central’s Andrew Bench 4-2 in overtime.
Rocky Ford’s Jacob Rodriguez pinned his way to the 2A 106 final. The two-time returning champion beat Landen Mayberry of Hotchkiss in 1:01. He also pinned his opponents in the first round (14 seconds) and quarterfinals (45 seconds). Rodriguez will face John Mall’s Chris McKenna.
Greeley Central’s Josh Nira knocked off previously unbeaten Jace Trujillo of Pueblo East in the 4A 113 semifinals with a 10-4 decision. Trujillo was also a returning champion. Nira will face Pueblo County’s Josiah Nava in the final.
John Mall’s Jonathan Andreatta will wrestle for a third state title after beating Meeker’s Tannen Kennedy in the 2A 126 semifinals with a 4-0 decision.
Isaiah Delacerda of Alamosa, a two-time champion, beat La Junta’s Isaiah Gamez in the 3A 113 semis.
Also aiming for a third state title is Fort Lupton’s Jody Sandoval, and he will get a shot at it after his win in the 3A 126 semifinals.
Grand Junction’s Josiah Rider tore his way through the 145 bracket in 5A, getting his third pin of the tournament in the semifinals. Rider will face Ponderosa’s Parker Benekas in the final.
Returning champion Aaron Trujillo picked up his third pin of the bracket in the 3A 145 semis, winning in 58 seconds. He will face Centauri’s Brandon Buhr, who pinned his opponent in 37 seconds.
Rocky Ford’s Dillon Jaramillo reached the 2A 113 final when he pinned Sedgwick County/Fleming’s Kolton Dickinson with just two seconds remaining in the match.
Cody Venem of Rocky Ford beat Hotchkiss’ Cody Hall in overtime, 5-3, to reach the 2A 132 final.
Mesa Ridge’s Elijah Valdez moved to the 4A 145 final with a 4-1 tiebreak win over Mountain View’s Erik Contreras. In the championship match, he will face Niwot’s Tommy Stager, who is trying to become his school’s first champion since 1993.
Hayden’s Christian Carson won in overtime to advance to the 2A 195 final, where he will meet John Mall’s Jason Murphy.
Three Unified wrestling matches were held as exhibitions prior to the semifinals.
One of the officials at the state wrestling tournament is Mikael Smith, the Nucla grad who won four state titles from 2002-05.
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Team races
2A: Meeker heads the pack with 127 points. John Mall (120) and Rocky Ford (118.5) are close behind.
3A: Valley leads with 85.5 points. Alamosa and Jefferson (75) are tied for second, and Centauri (73) sits in third.
4A: Pueblo County is way out in front with 183 points. Cheyenne Mountain (88) is second, with Pueblo East (80) and Greeley Central (74.5) close behind them.
5A: Pomona sits in first place with 148.5 points. Grand Junction is in second with 103.5. Brighton (81.5), Poudre (78), Coronado (74.5) and Cherokee Trail (72) have also amassed a lot of points.
DENVER — Trent Shultz used to be protective of his little brother. Because that’s the way things are supposed to work.
But since Cohl put on 40 pounds, he’s no longer had to worry about that.
Trent, a senior at Mountain Vista, is searching for his second Class 5A state wrestling championship. Cohl is looking to match that accomplish. He’s just a sophomore, but he attends Ponderosa rather than Mountain Vista.
But there are no hard feelings. No sense of competition between the two. They wrestle at different weight classes – Tent at 195 and Cohl at 220 – so rather than having to one-up each other, they get to stand behind one another in support.
“It’s pretty cool,” Cohl said. “I get to see him warming up and I get to see him wrestle and it’s all awesome.”
Trent Schultz. (Ryan Csaey/CHSAANow.com)
Trent has been at Mountain Vista since he started high school. Cohl was looking for something a little different in terms of social interaction and traveling for wrestling. So Ponderosa was the best fit.
Even if they aren’t at the same school, they got to share an accomplishment a year ago by standing at the top of the podium at Pepsi Center. And they get to lean on each other when looking to get better and reach that mountain top again.
“It’s big,” Trent said. “It’s weird to say, but he probably has more experience wrestling than both our coaches. He sees things other people don’t. He sees things I don’t see and my coaches don’t see.”
And it’s paying off early. Trent advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals with a fall over Arapahoe’s Gannon Gosselin in 38 seconds.
Cohl had similar success, pinning Doherty’s Siandre Agaali’I in 59 seconds.
If their success continues to play out this way, they’ll stand tall once again as champions. Brothers united, even if under different banners.
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Willits going for a fourth
Hunter Willits. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Pueblo County senior Hunter Willits is aiming to become the 20th four-time state champion in Colorado high school wrestling history.
On Thursday, he opened his quest in the 4A 152-pound division with a pin of Grand Junction Central’s Shaun Stepisnik in 1:20.
Willits will face Justus Strand of Greeley Central in the quarterfinals on Friday.
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Pin stats
Cherokee Trail’s Max Gonzales won his match in 14 seconds, making it the fastest pin of the evening session.
Prairie View’s Noah Romero took his opponent in the 5A 138 division down in 17 seconds.
Glenwood Springs’ Myles Wilson, a returning champ in the 4A 182-pound bracket, pinned his first-round opponent in 18 seconds. That was the fastest pin of the 4A prelims.
Pueblo West’s Weston Junt won his match in 19 seconds.
Grand Junction’s Josiah Rider, a returning champ in 5A 145, pinned his foe in 30 seconds.
In the 4A tournament, there were 55 total pins, 10 of which came in a minute or fewer.
The 5A field had 51 pins, of which 15 came in less than a minute.
Brighton and Pueblo East each had six pins as a team.
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Notables
Pueblo East’s Jace Trujillo. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The loaded 113-pound bracket in 4A features three returning champions. Each of the three won in the first round via a pin. They are Pueblo County’s Josiah Nava (who won 4A’s 106-pound title in 2015); Windsor’s Will Vombaur (4A 106 title last season); and Jace Trujillo of Pueblo East (the defending 4A 113 champ). Nava and Vombaur will face one another in the second round. Trujillo is on the opposite side of the bracket.
Grant Willits, Hunter’s twin brother who wrestles at 4A 132 for Pueblo County, won his first match as he tries to become a three-time champion.
Poudre’s Jacob Greenwood, also seeking to become a three-time champ, pinned his first-round opponent in 3:47. He wrestles in 5A’s 138 division.
Brighton leads the 5A team race after the first day with 31 points. Defending champion Pomona is second with 28.5 points, followed by Poudre (26), Grand Junction (25.5) and Coronado (18).
Reigning champion Pueblo County is on top of the 4A team leaderboard with 36 points. Pueblo East sits in second with 29, Greeley Central (27.5) is third, Cheyenne Mountain (25) is fourth, and Windsor (20.5) rounds out the top five.
DENVER — Pueblo County’s Josiah Nava won a huge quarterfinal match during the state wrestling tournament on Friday, edging Windsor sophomore Will Vombaur.
It was a match that easily could have been contested in the finals, or at least the semifinals. But, as it was, the two met up in Friday’s quarterfinals in the Class 4A 113-pound bracket.
Nava, who won the 4A 106 title in 2015, beat a fellow returning champion in Vombaur, who won 4A’s 106 title last season. He advances to face Shane Coffey of Canon City in Friday evening’s semifinals.
The 113-pound bracket in 4A is one of the toughest in the entire tournament. In addition to Nava and Vombaur is Pueblo East sophomore Jace Trujillo, the reigning champion in the bracket.
Trujillo pinned Air Academy’s James Benson in 58 seconds in his quarterfinal match.
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Willits through to the semifinals
(Katie Pickrell/CHSAANow.com)
Hunter Willits, who is seeking to become CHSAA’s 20th four-time state champion, beat Greeley Central’s Justus Strand in the quarterfinals.
Willits pinned Strand in 1:47. He will face Cheyenne Mountain senior Luke White in the semifinals later Friday.
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2A & 3A notes
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Meeker heads the 2A team race with 72 points, with Rocky Ford (70.5) sitting in second. John Mall (60) and Hotchkiss (52) are also in contention.
The 3A team race is tight, with Alamosa heading the way with 49 points, and Valley just behind with 48.5. Jefferson (39), Centauri (37), La Junta (35), Sheridan (35), Lamar (33) and Platte Valley (32) are all close.
Delta’s Logan Church upset Mullen’s Sam Deseriere, the top seed in 3A 285 pounds, via an ultimate tiebreaker, 3-2. Deseriere had been undefeated this season, and was the reigning champion in the classification.
Elsewhere in the 3A 285 bracket, which is loaded, returning champion Ricky Ayala of Sheridan and unbeaten Sam Westbrook of Bayfield both advanced out of the quarterfinals and will meet in the semifinals.
Casey Turner of Meeker upset the top seed in the 2A 170 bracket, pinning Diego Reyes of Rocky Ford. Turner, though, is the defending champion in the division. He finished second at his regional, and thus could not be seeded in the top four of the bracket.
Rocky Ford’s Jacob Rodriguez had a 14-second pin in the first round of the 2A 106 division on Thursday. Friday, he did more of the same, pinning Wray’s Cole Rockwell in 45 seconds. Rodriguez is on a quest for his third state title.
John Mall’s Jonathan Andreatta escaped an upset in the 2A 126 quarterfinals. He led Wiggins’ Cameron Holm 4-3 late in the third period, and held on for a 5-3 win. Andreatta is a two-time champion.
Two other two-time returning champions advanced to the semifinals: Alamosa’s Isaiah Delacerda (3A 126) and Fort Lupton’s Jody Sandoval (3A 132).
Centauri’s Joe Chavez advanced to the 3A 120 semis by pinning Platte Valley’s Varrion Ciddio in 34 seconds.
Highland freshman Logan Lewis earned a hard-fought place in the 2A 106 semifinals. He beat Holly’s Austin Crum, 10-8, in sudden victory.
Sky Carlson of Soroco, a former basketball player, is into the semifinals in 2A 195 following two consecutive pins. Friday morning, he pinned Crowley County’s Tristan Laver in 1:45.
Del Norte’s Natalie Benavides, the lone girls to qualify for the state tournament this season, was eliminated in the 2A 138 consolation bracket by Crowley County’s Jarod Bauer.
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4A & 5A notes
Defending champion Pueblo County leads the 4A race with 89 points. Cheyenne Mountain and Pueblo East are tied for second with 65.
Pomona, the reigning 5A team champ, leads that race with 85.5 points. Brighton (61.5 is second), and Grand Junction (59.5) is third.
The semifinal in 5A 132 should be a great one. It will match returning champions after both won in the quarterfinals: Arvada West’s Dayton Marvel vs. Pomona’s Theorius Robison.
Pueblo County’s Grant Willits, who has won two previous state championships, pinned Greeley Central’s Zeke Alirez in 2:23 to reach the 4A 132 semifinals.
Poudre’s Jacob Greenwood, another two-time champion, pinned ThunderRidge’s David Opheim in 5A 138 to advance.
Three of the four quarterfinals in 4A’s 120 division ended in pins. Advancing were Pueblo County’s Nathan Bonham, Canon City’s James Ruona and Windsor’s Dominick Serrano. Pueblo East’s Andrew Lucero also won via a major decision, 9-0.
Erie’s Ernie Quintana beat Discovery Canyon’s Jared Turner in sudden victory to reach the 4A 138 semifinals.
As he tries to become the first individual champion from Niwot since 1993, senior Tommy Stager had a quick pin in the 4A 145 quarters. Stager beat Pueblo South’s Elias Espinoza in 59 seconds.
Glenwood Springs’ Myles Wilson remain unbeaten, and he did it quickly in the quarterfinals. The senior, also a returning champion, beat Vista PEAK’s Jayden Smith in 43 seconds. He had an 18-second pin in the first round.
Cheyenne Mountain’s Deonte Bridges pinned Dominic Knost of Lewis-Palmer in 33 seconds.
Grand Junction’s Josiah Rider continued his torrid pace in the 5A 145 bracket. He won his match in 52 seconds, a day after a 30-second pin in the prelims.
Mountain Vista’s Trent Schultz had a 42-second pin in the 5A 195 quarterfinals. He had a 38-second pin in the prelims. His brother, Cohl, of Ponderosa, also advanced in 5A 220.
Prairie View’s Brendon Woolsey won an ultimate tiebreaker over Grandview’s Robert Woods in 5A 195 to reach the semifinals.
Pomona’s Brandon Micale had the fastest pin of the quarterfinals, taking Smoky Hill’s Ryan Campbell down in 23 seconds.
It’s an event unlike any other in Colorado high school sports. This week, 896 wrestlers will convene at Pepsi Center with each one looking for individual glory at the 2017 state wrestling tournament.
Their individual wins will also play a factor in determining four overall team champions. But in the midst of those 896 competitors vying for solo titles and the four teams that will emerge with state championship trophies, there are plenty of storylines worth watching at Pepsi Center.
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Class 2A
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Rocky Ford leads the field with 14 state qualifiers and looks to make a run at the 2A team title. Jacob Rodriguez will look to get his third individual title as he came away with wins at 106 pounds in 2015 and 2016. He once again competes at that weight class and is 33-4 on the season.
Two undefeated wrestlers will take the mat for 2A this week. Jonathan Andreatta (126) of John Mall and Limon’s Kaleb Gaede (220) will look to end their seasons with an unblemished record.
The 2A class is the only one that saw a girl qualify for the state tournament. Del Norte’s Natalie Benavides will be the lone representative for a group of competitors that has only grown in recent years. This is the ninth year in a row that a girl has qualified for the state tournament and Benavides is the eighth girl to reach the tournament.
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Class 3A
(Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The race for the team title in 3A might be one of the most fun to watch during the tournament. Kevin Shaffer and Tim Yount broke down the team race in Tuesday’s preview, with Yount thinking that the race will be between Valley and Alamosa.
Seven returning state champions are in the field in 3A with Alamosa’s Isaiah De La Cerda and Fort Lupton’s Jody Sandoval each going for their third.
A unique showdown could be looming in the 285 final as Mullen’s Deseriere and Bayfield’s Sam Westbrooke are both undefeated on the season. If the two meet in the championship bracket it will be in the final. Deseriere beat Westbrooke in a 10-5 decision in the second round of state last year.
They provide the only scenario where not all the undefeated wrestlers in the class can leave Pepsi Center without a loss.
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Class 4A
Hunter Willits. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The 4A brackets might contain most of the intriguing stories of the week. All eyes will be on Pueblo County’s Hunter Wilits as he tries to become the 20th wrestler in state history to win a fourth state championship. His brother Grant is aiming to come away with his third.
The 113 bracket could see a showdown of two returning state champions as sophomores Jace Trujillo (Pueblo East) and Will Vombaur (Windsor) are each looking to become two-time champions. Trujillo won the 113-pound title last year while Vombaur came away with the 106 crown.
There was also some shakeup in the 285 bracket on Tuesday as Montrose’s Sam Distel had to withdraw from the tournament due to an injury. The bracket was redrawn and with Distel, the top seed, out of the competition, it’s really anyone’s title to claim.
Glenwood Springs’ Myles Wilson is also looking to finish off a remarkable two-year run. Wilson won state at 170 last year, going undefeated on the season. He remains undefeated this season and if he comes away with a win at 182, it will conclude one of the more memorable two-year spans in wrestling history.
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Class 5A
The 5A brackets have eight returning state champions looking to repeat. Only Poudre’s Jacob Greenwood is a two-time champ looking to claim his third title.
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Brighton leads the field with 12 qualifiers and will look to hold off a very talented Pomona team that is looking for its third title in five years.
If Castle View’s Malik Heinselman and Tate Samuelson can win their respective state championships at 106 and 170, they will enter their senior seasons next year with a chance to complete two-straight undefeated seasons.
These stories and plenty of others will be told out over the next several days.
