T.J. Shelton of Meeker (top) has a chance to become Colorado’s 19th four-time wrestling champion this weekend. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne year ago, Meeker’s T.J. Shelton had the opportunity to witness the whirlwind weekend belonging to Jesse Reed.
Reed had the spotlight shining bright upon him last February at the state wrestling tournament in Denver. The Paonia senior became the 18th individual to capture four state championships, and moments after winning, received a standing ovation while accepting his medal.
Not long after, Shelton further cemented his own bid to join the four-timers club by capturing his third consecutive crown on the very same mat. Now, headed into this weekend’s state tournament at Pepsi Center in Denver, Shelton is just four victories away from joining Reed and 17 others in cementing his name into the record books.
“I’m sure its been in the back of his mind, probably since he won it as a freshman,” Meeker coach JC Watt said. “I think anytime anyone wins state as a freshman the four-time talk certainly creeps into your head.”
Shelton brings a 38-1 record into the Class 2A 170-pound bracket. The tournament gets underway Thursday afternoon with 3A and 2A running first-round matches at 3 p.m., followed by the 5A and 4A classes at 7:15 p.m.
Quarterfinals are Friday morning, with the semifinals running at 7:15 that night. The Parade of Champions, which precedes the championship finals, is at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The previous two state tournaments have each seen a wrestler claim a fourth title. Broomfield’s Phil Downing accomplished the feat in 2014, and Reed did the same a year ago.
Since 2003, 10 wrestlers have joined the four-timers club. In 2004 and 2005, a pair of four-time champions were crowned.
That said, winning four in a row is a hurdle most do not get the chance to clear. After all, it says something that only 18 individuals have wrestled their way to the top since Montrose’s Bob Thompson first did it from 1956-59.
“There’s just so many things – injuries, grades, all kinds of stuff has to be taken into account,” Watt said. “Winning one of them is hard. Winning four of them is a monumental task.”
Meeker brings 10 state qualifiers to Denver this weekend. The Cowboys finished second to Rocky Ford a year ago by just three points.
Watt said the squad isn’t going to be consumed by how many points are accumulated during the tournament.
“We kind of look at it a little different. Each kid does their best,” Watt said. “We don’t put a lot of pressure on the kids over the team title. We just ask each kid to go out and do their best and the team score takes care of itself.”
Rocky Ford leads 2A with 12 state qualifiers headed into Pepsi Center. Hotchkiss brings 11, followed by Centauri and Meeker with 10 each. John Mall junior Jonathan Andreatta (120 pounds) and Paonia senior Bo Pipher (145) are each seeking a third state title.
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Class 5A
After finishing as the runner-up in each of the previous two state tournaments, Pomona is in a good position to come away with its first crown since 2013. The Panthers lead all 5A programs with 12 state qualifiers, followed by Adams City with 10.
Pomona has a pair of returning state champions in Tomas Gutierrez (120) and Dayton Marvel (132). Gutierrez will be pursuing a third state championship.
Class 4A
Maybe the most intriguing classification comes in 4A, where four individuals have the opportunity to claim a third state title in a row.
Discovery Canyon’s Sam Turner (138), Pueblo County’s Hunter Willitts (152), Thompson Valley’s Parker Simington (160) and Fort Morgan’s Toby McBride (285) each have two titles under their belts. Willitts is the only junior in the group.
Five wrestlers are undefeated on the season, and seven schools have at least 11 state qualifiers. Defending champion Thompson Valley qualified nine and has two returning champions; 2015 runner-up Pueblo County is bringing 12 and has four state champions in the lineup.
Greeley Central and Pueblo West qualified 13 individuals each.
Additionally, Mountain View sophomore Kaley Barker is set to become the seventh girl to compete at the state wrestling tournament. She’ll compete in the 106-pound bracket.
Class 3A
Two-time defending champion Valley taking will be taking 12 individuals to the tournament. One of those representing the Vikings though is senior Macoy Flanagan (170), who brings a 47-0 mark into the tournament. With four victories, he would tie the state record held by Bennett’s Josh Miller for the most wins in a season at 51.
Berthoud’s Jimmy Fate (160) and Weld Central’s Dalton Robertson (182) are each chasing a third state title. Berthoud qualified 13 individuals, including defending champions Fate and Chad Ellis (195). Eaton and Platte Valley each qualified 11 and Lamar will bring 10.
The 2015 football players of the year. From left: Dylan Dixon of Eads; Keegan Wentz of Buena Vista; JoJo Domann of Pine Creek; Dylan McCaffrey of Valor Christian; Daniel Martin of Pueblo East; Kelton McCoy of Bayfield; Trey Walter of Sedgwick County. (Photos: Jack Eberhard/JacksActoinShots.com; Bill Cronin; Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com; Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com; Jeff Tucker; and Sedgwick County HS)
The 2015 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and then a vote of coaches.
The 2015 all-state softball players of the year. From left: Mountain Range’s Hunter Huser, Valor Christian’s Alexandria Kilponen, and Strasburg’s Annie Oakley. (Photos: Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com; Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com; Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com
The 2015 all-state softball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These team were created following a process where the coaches voted upon a list of nominees. Those nominees included every player who was a first-team all-league selection.
Coaches also voted specifically for player and coach of the year.
Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
Eaton beat defending 3A champion La Junta in the quarterfinals. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
AURORA — The Eaton Reds are set to party like it’s 1999.
After escaping with a 14-12 win over Cedaredge on Saturday morning at the state softball tournament, the Reds put together a solid seventh inning to take down defending Class 3A champion La Junta 8-4, putting them in their first semifinals since 1999.
And the Reds are well aware of the accomplishment.
Hanging in the dugout is the Final 4 banner from their last run into the semis and each player has “1999” written on the inside of their arms.
“That was a huge factor,” outfielder Kaci Jurgensmeier said. “This whole week we had that banner hanging on the fence during practice. Our softball program hasn’t gotten the credit it should. We’ve made it to state the last couple of years but there hasn’t been that push.”
Jurgensmeier hit a two-run double in the seventh to push the lead to 7-4 and the Red seized the opportunity to move on.
“It’s a lot of weight off the shoulders,” Reds coach Dale Hughes said. “The few years we had such an outstanding team and could quite get over that hump. To come in with a bunch of young girls with no experience, really, is a great tribute to their heart.”
The Reds will look to continue their run at the state title as they square off against Sterling in Sunday’s semifinals.
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Class 5A
Pomona took out defending 5A champion Grandview. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
(14) Pomona 9, (11) Grandview 3
Three-run innings in both the third and fourth helped propel Pomona to a 9-3 win over defending 5A champion Grandview to advance to Sunday’s semifinals.
While the run for the Panthers might seem unlikely for many, it’s not surprising to coach Jim Biddle or his team.
This run to the Final 4 is anything but unlikely to them.
“Maybe to everyone outside of Pomona,” Biddle said. “Within our team, it’s not an upset. We are on a good roll and we’re playing our best softball at the right time.”
This is the first semifinal appearance for Pomona since 2006. They face off against another team that seems to have an unlikely appearance in the semifinals in Fossil Ridge.
Biddle knows how important it is for his players to maintain their groove, so he’s emphasizing that they need to show up Saturday ready to play.
“The kids have to feel good about themselves right now,” he said. “But tomorrow morning they have to wake up and be ready to play two more softball games.”
(1) Chaparral 2, (9) Ralston Valley 0
The top seed got solo home runs from Shannon Bass and Jordan Smith in eeking out a win over Ralston Valley.
Bass was also spectacular in the circle, and didn’t allow a run.
To even make the quarterfinals, Emily Moore hit a walk-off three-run home run to beat beat Smoky Hill in extra innings during the first round.
This marks the first time the Wolverines have made the semifinals.
(4) Mountain Range 7, (5) Rocky Mountain 0:
Hunter Huser hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning that provided a spark, and Mountain Range just added on from there.
Huser finished the day 2-for-2 with two runs scored, and Rachel Colwell added an RBI triple for the Mustangs.
This is Mountain Range’s first-ever trip to the semifinals.
(7) Fossil Ridge 1, (2) Brighton 0
The SaberCats made a return trip to the semifinals with a lone run in the third inning.
Maria Ostapovich scored the game’s only run after reaching on an error.
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Class 4A
Mountain View beat cross-town rival Thompson Valley in the quarterfinals. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
(4) Mountain View 14, (12) Thompson Valley 8
Down 7-2 to Thompson Valley, it was important for Mountain View not to panic. Coach Randy Felton knew that his team was going to play tight against the Eagles and it although he was nervous, he knew he had to set the tone for his players.
It worked as the Mountain Lions fought back to take the game 14-8, advancing to the 4A semifinals for the first time since 2008.
“I was nervous,” Felton said. “With this being the state games and those guys our cross-town rivals and we had a tough hitting (McKenna) McVay for two years now. But with what these guys have shown, we have an offense that can strike in any inning.”
That inning Saturday was the fifth as the Mountain Lions scored 10 runs to take a commanding lead. And although they have the upmost respect for the Eagles, taking down a cross-town rival in the hunt for a state title can add an element of fun to a tournament.
“It’s a little fun,” Felton said. “It sucks that one of them has to go home and one of them gets to move on. We have respect for TV and we have some really good games against them.”
(2) Erie 8, (10) Silver Creek 3
Erie jumped out to an immediate lead and was able to cruise to a 8-3 victory over Silver Creek putting them into Sunday’s semifinals.
Sheyann Ludwig hit a two-run home run for the Raptors in the seventh inning to try and chip away at the lead, but it was too little too late.
The Tigers get an anticipated semifinals rematch with Valor Christian. The Eagles topped Erie as they took home the 2014 state title.
(1) Wheat Ridge 1, (8) Falcon 0
The No. 1-ranked Farmers move to the semifinals after a tight 1-0 battle with Falcon in the quarters. It was a day of close calls for Wheat Ridge as they needed three runs in the bottom of the sixth to squeeze by No. 16 Vista Ridge Saturday morning.
(3) Valor Christian 6, (11) Frederick 2
The offense was clicking on all cylinders for the Eagles today as they looked impressive in their defense of the 4A state championship. A Maddie Mitchell home rum helped them take down Frederick 6-2, punching them a ticket to Sunday’s semifinals.
The Eagles beat Pueblo South 10-0 earlier in the day.
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Class 3A
(1) Strasburg 7, (9) The Academy 2
Jacee Dinius hit a solo home run to help the top seed return to the semifinals.
Annie Oakley had two RBIs as part of a three-run second inning that helped to break the game open.
(5) Brush 11, (4) Rocky Ford 10
In the biggest offensive shootout of the first day at the state softball tournament, Brush advanced to the 3A semifinals with a 11-10 win over Rocky Ford.
The Beetdiggers scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 11-9 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Ashley Jaramillo hit a solo home run to cut the lead to one, but the Meloneers couldn’t close the gap.
It is the first Final 4 appearance for Brush in program history.
(3) Sterling 12, (6) Lamar 5
The top-seeded Tigers wasted no time in their hunt for the 3A state championship. They scored eight runs in the first three innings of their quarterfinal game against Lamar en route to a 12-5 win.
The offensive output was just too much for the Savages to overcome, even though they showed the ability to score runs earlier in the day as they beat Faith Christian 10-3.
Chaparral: The No. 1 seed in 5A softball’s state tournament. More photos. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
AURORA — The state softball brackets were released on Monday, with Chaparral, Wheat Ridge and Strasburg each garnering top seeds in their respective classifications.
Play begins on Friday at the Aurora Sports Park, and completes with semifinals and championship games on Saturday. Tickets are available on TicketLeap.
Chaparral (18-3) went unbeaten in winning Class 5A’s Region 8 last weekend. Included was a dramatic 13-12 win in eight innings over Pomona, which also qualified out of Region 8.
The Wolverines have won 13 of their past 14 games.
Other top seeds in 5A include No. 2 Brighton, No. 3 Broomfield, No. 4 Mountain Range and No. 5 Rocky Mountain. Grandview, the defending champion, is No. 11.
The Jeffco and Front Range League each has five qualifiers to the 5A tournament. The Centennial qualified three, the Continental two and the EMAC one.
Wheat Ridge is the top seed in the 4A bracket. More photos. (Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)
Wheat Ridge maintained the No. 1 spot from regional seeding in 4A. The Farmers (16-5) are riding a seven-game winning streak. They qualified out of Region 1.
Also seeded highly in 4A are No. 2 Erie, No. 3 Valor Christian, No. 4 Mountain View and No. 5 Air Academy. Valor Christian is the defending champion.
The Pikes Peak Athletic Conference and Tri-Valley league each had four qualifiers to the 4A tournament. The Northern had three, Jeffco and South-Central had two, and Denver Prep had one.
Ralston Valley is the top overall seed in 5A softball’s regional field. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
The regional brackets for softball were released on Sunday, and Strasburg, Wheat Ridge, and Ralston Valley head the fields in each classification.
Play begins Saturday in classes 3A, 4A and 5A. Each regional format will narrow their fields for their respective state tournaments, which are slated for Oct. 23-24 in Aurora.
Strasburg softball is the No. 1 seed in the 3A softball regionals. (Kelly Thornburg/MVPSportsPics.com)
Strasburg heads the Class 3A field. The team went unbeaten (19-0-0) during the regular season, and has spent recent weeks atop CHSAANow.com’s ranking in the classification. Defending champion La Junta (14-3-1) garnered the No. 2 seed.
Also hosting regionals in 3A are No. 3 Sterling, No. 5 The Academy, No. 6 Cedaredge and No. 9 Burlington. The 3A regional field is comprised of 18 teams. A total of 12 will advance to the state tournament next week.
In 4A, Wheat Ridge (14-5-0) is the top seed. The Farmers have a number of impressive wins this season. Defending champion Valor Christian (17-1-0) is the No. 4 seed.
Wheat Ridge is the top seed in 4A. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
Other teams hosting regionals in 4A include No. 2 Frederick, No. 3 Erie, No. 5 Mountain View, No. 6 Pueblo West, No. 7 Air Academy and No. 8 Silver Creek.
Ralston Valley softball is the new No. 1 team in 5A. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
Ralston Valley is the new No. 1 team in the Class 5A softball rankings this week.
The Mustangs (15-2-0) received five of the 10 first-place votes to take over CHSAANow.com’s poll.
Loveland jumped up to No. 2, and Chaparral also moved up, to No. 3. Mountain Range is fourth, and former No. 1 Legend is fifth.
The 5A ranking added Cherokee Trail (No. 7) and Legacy (No. 9).
Meanwhile, Valor Christian (4A) and Strasburg (3A) both retained their respective No. 1 spots.
The 4A ranking added Windsor (No. 7) and Pueblo West (No. 9).
In 3A, Faith Christian was the lone newcomer at No. 10.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Rock Canyon 14, Liberty 11, Rocky Mountain 11, ThunderRidge 10, Douglas County 7, Prairie View 6, Fossil Ridge 5, Grandview 5, Cherry Creek 4, Chatfield 3, Fort Collins 3, Grand Junction Central 1, Mountain Vista 1.
Dropped out
Douglas County (6), ThunderRidge (7).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Valor Christian (5)
15-1-0
82
1
2-0-0
2
Erie (3)
15-2-0
79
2
3-0-0
3
Frederick
13-3-1
65
3
1-1-0
4
Wheat Ridge (1)
12-5-0
59
4
3-0-0
5
Mountain View
14-3-0
42
5
2-0-0
6
Air Academy
11-3-1
37
6
2-0-0
7
Windsor
11-6-0
23
–
2-0-0
8
John F. Kennedy
16-2-0
20
8
3-0-0
9
Pueblo West
11-4-1
18
–
3-0-0
10
Berthoud
10-7-0
16
7
1-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Elizabeth 13, Discovery Canyon 12, Vista Ridge 8, Pueblo Central 7, Silver Creek 6, Delta 5, Woodland Park 2, Falcon 1.
