Kent Denver is No. 1 in 2A. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Six of the seven defending champions lead CHSAANow.com’s preseason football rankings.
The lone non-champion to head a classification’s poll is Kent Denver, which is No. 1 in Class 2A.
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 media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
The 2017 all-state baseball teams honor the best players in the sport as judged by the leagues and coaches. They 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 head coaches.
Player and coach of the year was also selected by a vote of the coaches.
[divider]
Class 5A
(Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
Player of the year: John Sorensen, Rocky Mountain
Coach of the year: Scott Bullock, Rocky Mountain
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Liam Eddy
Brighton
P/RF/3B
Senior
Matt Givin
Rock Canyon
RHP/SS/2B
Senior
Tyler Hyland
Rocky Mountain
OF/P
Senior
James Notary
Broomfield
P/INF
Senior
Casey Opitz
Heritage
C/INF
Senior
Tanner O’Tremba
Cherry Creek
OF
Junior
Caleb Sloan
Regis Jesuit
RHP
Senior
John Sorensen
Rocky Mountain
SS/P
Senior
Jordan Stubbings
Legend
3B/1B/C
Senior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Carter Akerfelds
Dakota Ridge
RHP
Senior
Jacob Arellano
Mountain Range
Senior
Tyler Carpenter
Fairview
1B/P
Senior
Drake Davis
Ralston Valley
RHP/OF
Senior
Kalen Hammer
Rocky Mountain
INF
Senior
Jacob Hilton
Heritage
RHP/INF
Senior
Jack Liffrig
Mountain Vista
LHP
Junior
Garrett Tisdall
Eaglecrest
RHP/C/3B
Senior
Jack Winkler
Chatfield
INF/P
Senior
Honorable mention:
Sean Arnold, Highlands Ranch, 1B/OF, Junior
Michael Baer, Regis Jesuit, 1B, Senior
Alex Bumpus, Coronado, CF/P, Senior
Kyle Cardona, Legend, SS/RHP, Senior
Joshua Chamberlain, Legacy, RHP/2B, Senior
Andrew Chavez, Cherry Creek, C, Senior
Riley Cornelio, Pine Creek, SS/RHP, Sophomore
Jeff Cyr, Ralston Valley, SS/RHP, Senior
Andrew Danko, Eaglecrest, SS/RHP, Junior
Colby Deaville, Legacy, SS, Senior
Moses Dokes, Denver East, Freshman
Spencer Gendreau, Rocky Mountain, 1B/OF, Senior
Mikey Griebel, Columbine, CF, Senior
Colton Hill, Rock Canyon, OF, Senior
Sam Ireland, Mountain Vista, 1B/RHP, Sophomore
Patrick Kauffmann, Denver East, Senior
Hunter Kelchner, Grand Junction Central, RHP/1B, Senior
Ryan Kirby, Grand Junction Central, INF, Sophomore
Cooper Legault, Dakota Ridge, OF/RHP, Junior
Jordan Medina, Highlands Ranch, UTIL/P, Junior
Mitch Morales, Broomfield, P/OF, Sophomore
Trey Morrill, Fruita Monument, P/OF, Junior
Conner Nantkes, Cherokee Trail, P/UTIL, Senior
Jakob Pigati, Bear Creek, CF/LF/RF, Senior
Jack Radford, Bear Creek, P, Senior
Cody Schultz, Cherry Creek, INF, Senior
Mason Speirs, Broomfield, C/C, Senior
Jose Treto, Brighton, P/SS/OF, Senior
Matt Turner, Broomfield, 1B, Senior
Jadon Uhrich, Rocky Mountain, C/INF/OF, Senior
Quincey Ulrich, ThunderRidge,
Jake Willemsen, Fairview, OF, Senior
[divider]
Class 4A
(Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)
Player of the year: Luke Ziegler, Valor Christian
Coach of the year: Steve Jones, Evergreen
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Mike Berg
Thompson Valley
C/OF/3B
Senior
Micah Bregard
Air Academy
INF/P
Junior
RJ Dabovich
Pueblo West
Senior
Noah Kuzma
Valor Christian
C
Junior
Ben Muscatello
Evergreen
P/SS/INF
Junior
JD Wadleigh
Green Mountain
RHP/OF
Junior
Judah Wilbur
Denver North
SS/2B/RHP
Senior
Cole Winn
Silver Creek
INF/P
Junior
Luke Ziegler
Valor Christian
3B/RHP
Junior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Josh Danyliw
Valor Christian
P/RF
Junior
Alan Garcia
Pueblo West
Senior
Trystan Kimmel
Thomas Jefferson
INF/RHP
Senior
Skyler Messinger
Niwot
P/INF
Senior
Dylan Norsen
Mountain View
P/INF
Senior
Joel Pierce
Valor Christian
LF/RF
Senior
Jose Robles
Denver North
RHP/C
Senior
Andrew Shaw
Summit
LHP/OF/1B
Senior
Corte Tapia
Windsor
Senior
Honorable mention:
Mason Bennett, Ponderosa,
Matt Berg, Thompson Valley, SS/2B/OF, Senior
Aaron Berkhoff, Cheyenne Mountain, 3B, Sophomore
Brody Bettis, Green Mountain, 2B, Senior
Dalton Bishop, Mesa Ridge, C/INF/SS, Senior
Nick Bowermaster, Thomas Jefferson, SS/RHP, Sophomore
LAKEWOOD — Jeffco Stadium is where it all began for Sarah Yocum, at least in the realm of track and field.
The sensational Faith Christian sprinter and hurdler will have fond memories of a stadium that has become hallowed ground for Colorado track.
“I actually ran my first high school race ever here,” the Baylor University recruit said. “I ran the 100-meter hurdles. I was playing soccer at the time too and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I came out and I finished my first race and my coach said, ‘Congratulations, you just qualified for state.’ One of my teammates was like, ‘You just set the school record!’”
What followed for Yocum was eight state championships in 3A — four in a row in the 300 hurdles, three in the 100 hurdles and one in the 400-meter dash — in what added up to be one of the greatest careers in Colorado history.
On Sunday, the final day of the 2017 state track meet, she simply was putting the finishing touches on that career with titles No. 7 and No. 8 in the 100 hurdles (14.36) and 400 (56.92). She also claimed the 300 hurdle crown on Saturday in a time of 43.95 seconds.
“This was my last race of high school, so obviously I wanted to finish it with a title,” she said of the 400. “I had never earned a title outside of the hurdles. I just want to enjoy this. I am really thankful for the girls I got to do it with.”
Yocum was the runner-up in the 200-meter dash as well, finishing in 25.26 seconds. She capped off an illustrious four years with 16 individual state medals, four every year in the 200, 400, 100 hurdles, and 300 hurdles. Junior teammate Payton Walter (15.27) finished second in the 100 hurdles.
Yocum has a way of standing out, but at a meet with all five classifications competing on the same days at the same venue, Yocum’s victories weren’t the only highlights on Sunday.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Isaac Green and his fellow Monarch Coyotes performed historically well in the distance events again. A day after Green, Charlie Perry and Zach Litoff swept the top three places in the 5A 3,200, with Green and Litoff teaming with William Dixon and Sean Gazarik to win the 3,200 relay for the second straight year, Green (4:21.98), Perry (4:22.44) and Litoff (4:22.70) swept the top places in the 1,600 in the same order.
Oh, and Cayce Reese also medaled for Monarch, placing eighth in 4:25.31.
In a dramatic 800 final, Denver East’s Hayelom Fitsum appeared poised to claim the crown with a lead throughout. But, a stumble and fall a few strides from the finish line allowed Green to sweep the distance events with a winning time of 1:52.92. Fitsum got up for sixth place in 1:56.43. Litoff placed fifth.
Monarch made a serious run at their first team title in boys track and field after winning 5A cross country in the fall as Monarch junior Cole Rowan (16-00) and sophomore Max Manson (15-01) finished first and second in pole vault. Nico Heineke also placed 4th in discus. The Coyotes tallied 101 points, but came up just short in the final standings to Fountain-Fort Carson (106).
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Fountain rode their usual firepower in sprints and jumps — Donovan Williams first in 100 and 200, Jequan Hogan first in triple jump and high jump, third in long jump and fifth in 110 hurdles, Jalen Lyon second in 400 and fourth in 200, Jason Farrell third in 300 hurdles — to their 18th state championship in boys track and field.
The Trojans won the title in dramatic fashion, clinching on the final event of the meet, with a second-place finish in the 4×400-meter relay.
They are now tied with Denver East for the second-most titles in boys track and field of any school in Colorado history, only trailing Fort Collins (20). The Trojans also won the 400-meter relay and placed second in the 800 relay. They were eighth in the 3,200 relay and Iosua Maika was fifth in the shot put. Fountain-Fort Carson has conquered 5A three of the past four years as a result.
Vista Ridge, a school that opened its doors in 2008, won their second state championship in boys track and field by claiming 4A. They also won in 2013. The Wolves were too tough to match this season as a group with relays that were fantastic, finishing first in the 400 relay (42.16), the 800 relay (1:29.14) and the 1,600 relay (3:19.92). They also scored a bundle of points in the field events.
The Lady Wolves of Vista Ridge also had a strong showing, winning the 800-meter sprint medley relay in 1:48.39 on Saturday. Alexis Dubiel was the discus champion as well.
Other highlights included:
Class 5A
Grandview won a girls track title for the first time with 120 points. The team crown never seemed in doubt after such a strong first day of competition. The Wolves won the 800 relay (1:41.12), the sprint medley relay (1:46.57) and the 1,600 relay (3:55). Freshman Lily Williams was runner-up in the 400, Kylee Harr won high jump (5-8), basketball star Michaela Onyenwere was 2nd in 100 and 3rd in 200, Brie Oakley shattered the Colorado record in the 3,200 (10:09), and the Wolves corralled plenty of other points in multiple events.
Rocky Mountain junior Gabriella McDonald swept the throws with marks of 42-3 in shot put and 154-3 in discus (new 5A state meet record).
Fort Collins senior Audra Koopman (Penn State recruit) defended her long jump crown by going 19 feet, one half inch.
Fellow Fort Collins senior Lauren Gregory (University of Arkansas) won a 5A double in the 800 (2:10.94) and 1,600 (4:50.77), overtaking Grandview standout Brie Oakley (4:51.01) by a slim margin in a fantastic race. Gregory finished her illustrious career with one title in the 800, one in the 1,600, two in the 3,200, and three in cross country.
Highlands Ranch (3:23.13) finished first in an entertaining 1,600 relay.
Rock Canyon junior Emily Sloan (13.58) blew away the field in the 100 hurdles while defending her championship from last year.
Rampart senior Xavier Bishop-falu (14.25) claimed the 110 hurdles crown.
For the second consecutive season, Denver East’s Arria Minor won the 100 (11.53), the 200 (23.57) and the 400 (53.30). She is already one of the premier sprinters in state history.
Hinkley senior Darrien Wells (47.62) won back-to-back titles in the 400. He was also runner-up in 100 and 200.
Fruita Monument senior Gunner Rigsby (22-10.50) claimed long jump.
Monarch freshman Mia Manson (12-6) won the pole vault. She has been the top freshman in America this spring in the event.
Cherokee Trail girls (Jaiden Paris, Taylor Watson, Chian Deloach, Sydnee Larkin) won the 400 relay in 47.48. Larkin (36-10.50) won back-to-back state titles in triple jump as well, holding off Loveland’s Tatum Rembao (36-8.25), a Creighton University basketball recruit.
Class 4A
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Air Academy won their first-ever state championship in 4A girls track. Senior Maria Mettler conquered the 800 and 3,200, while also finishing as the runner-up to Mountain View’s Lauren Offerman in the 1,600. Junior Olivia Whitaker won the 100 and was second in the 200.
Air Academy senior Nik Chapee also won the 200 (21.65) and 400 (47.90). Harrison freshman Tyrese Van Horne (47.95) was runner-up in the 400 in a time that ranks second out of all freshmen in America at the moment.
Niwot’s Alexis Carroll (long jump and triple jump champion) and Mary Gillett (200 and 400 champion, second in 100 and long jump) were fantastic for the Cougars, helping Niwot finish second as a team in 4A.
Valor Christian sophomore Anna Hall was the hurdle queen, topping all competitors in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. She is a budding phenom nationally as a heptathlete, also finishing second in high jump (5-6). Valor’s Chase McLean won pole vault as well.
Silver Creek junior Rylee Anderson is three-for-three in high jump crowns as she cleared 5 feet, 8 inches.
Palisade senior Zaccre Kenward (48-9.50) dominated the triple jump.
Palmer Ridge’s Jeremy Meadows (4:15) ran away in the 1,600, while Silver Creek’s James Lee (1:54) did the same in the 800. Lee’s teammate, Brock Knechtel, tossed further than anyone in the discus throw (176-4).
Canon City senior Aaron McCoy (10.66) won the 100, while Thompson Valley’s Charlie Brunner (14.74) won the 110 hurdles.
Montrose senior Ian Meek was first in the 3,200 (9:23), second in the 1,600 (4:18), and ran on a winning 3,200 relay (7:58).
Pueblo South’s Jeremy Cody (6-9) was wildly impressive in winning high jump. Pueblo West’s Frank Nash the same in long jump (23-6.25).
Class 3A
The Classical Academy kept a proud tradition in track going, easily winning 3A girls with 101.5 points. Junior Erika Willis shattered the 3A state meet record, previously held by sister Andrea, in the pole vault with a mark of 12 feet, 5 inches. The record was 11-6 from 2014. Freshman sister Kristina Willis placed fifth and TCA won the 1,600 relay in 4:00.97. The Titans topped 4A last season and now have 10 state championships in girls track, only one less than Mullen with a state record 11.
Lutheran junior Maya Evans, one of the top long jumpers in the nation with a personal best of 20 feet, 10 inches, didn’t disappoint with 3A titles in the long jump, 100, 200, and 400 relay (48.95, 3A state meet record). Madi Bottin, Riley Darnell and Nyah Streib also ran on that relay. Evans is now a five-time state champion in individual events.
Lutheran boys also fared well, keeping a four-year team title streak alive with a dominant 104-point tally. They also won 3A in 2016 and 2015 and 2A in 2014. Adam Dawson (203-1 in discus) and Jacob Dack (51-6.50 in shot put) were individual champions for Lutheran. Several relays finished runner-up.
Sterling’s Austin Chavez (6-5, also fourth place in pole vault) and Jayson Frank (6-3) finished first and second in the 3A high jump as teammates Victor Zimmerman (second), Brady Krier (third) placed high in pole vault as well. Kylie Chavez was the triple jump champion (36-11.50).
Aspen senior Sunday Abarca broke his own 3A state meet record in the 400 with a time of 48.12, bettering his 48.54. He also won the 200 in 21.39 and was second (10.80) to Sierra’s Dante Thomas (10.71) in the 100.
Eaton senior Tarynn Sieg, a Colorado State recruit, not only broke her own 3A state meet record in shot put (45-5.50) but also won discus (143-4, nearly a record).
Peak to Peak broke the 3A state record in the 3,200 relay (9:12.44) with sophomores Tiana Bradfield, Quinn McConnell and Anna Shults, along with senior Rachael Metzler. Shults also finished first in the 3,200 (11:15) and the 1,600 (5:00.71). McConnell was second in the 800 and 1,600 and Bradfield was fourth in the 800 and third in the 1,600. Metzler finished sixth in the 1,600 as well.
Salida senior Taryn Ceglowski set a new standard in 3A in the 800 with a time of 2:09.19, bettering the previous record of 2:11.24 by Emily LaValley of The Classical Academy in 2010.
Tanner Norman of TCA won the 1,600 (4:16.85) and 3,200 (9:14, 3A state meet record). He signed with Iowa State University. Norman’s brother Mason, a freshman, placed fifth in the 3,200 in 9:45.
Faith Christian freshman Cole Sprout was the runner-up in the 1,600 (4:22) and 3,200 (9:28). He was also second at the 3A state cross country meet in the fall.
Class 2A
Paonia girls (110 points) joined The Classical Academy (3A champs from 2006-2010) and Mullen (4A champs from 1997-2003) as the only girls track and field programs in state history to win five championships in a row. Brianna Van Vleet defended her long jump crown successfully and Sophia Anderson and Mckenna Palmer finished first and second in triple jump. Anderson and Emily Pieper finished first and second in the 200.
Cedaredge boys (97 points) went back-to-back as a team, planting the seeds of a potential dynasty of their own. They ran away from everyone in the 800 and 3,200 relays and boasted depth that no team could counter.
Telluride junior Soleil Gaylord claimed the 1,600 (5:16) and 3,200 (11:25) crowns in back-to-back years. Sophomore teammate Maya Ordonez was runner-up in the 1,600. Gaylord was also second in the 800. Gaylord and Ordonez helped lead the 3,200 relay to a title as well.
Hayden freshman Hannah Wilkie (2:18.58) won the 800.
Burlington senior Ellie Berry swept the throws, winning shot put (40-11.75) and discus (133-5).
Shane Finegan won the 200 (22.53) and 400 (50.17) for Wiggins, and anchored the winning 1,600 relay in 3:30.44 with Tyler Hein, Teggan Freauff and Connor Kaufman. Finegan also anchored the winning 400 relay with the same group, except for Fukumaru Ogawa in place of Kaufman.
Meeker girls won the 400, sprint medley and 1,600 relays.
Soroco junior Ben Kelley swept the distance trio of 800 (1:54.75, bettering his own state meet record), 1,600 (4:22) and 3,200 (9:47). Sophomore teammate Grant Redmond (6-6) conquered high jump.
Hotchkiss sophomore Kaiya Firor claimed first in the 300 hurdles and 400.
Highland freshman Remington Ross won the girls 100 (12.28).
Class 1A
Heritage Christian boys (105 points) have been a recent powerhouse and nothing they did this weekend changed that. They conquered 1A for the second year in a row and the fourth time in five seasons. Josh Damir won the 300 hurdles and Seth Bruxvoort and Isaiah Bowsher placed first and second in the 3,200. The 800 relay of Jojo Bork, Jaden Johnson, Damir and Josiah Bowsher shattered the 1A state meet record of 1:33.25 with a time of 1:33.08.
Heather Graham of Genoa-Hugo (40-5) won the shot put with a great throw.
Shining Mountain junior Emma Schaefer claimed the 1,600 (5:32) and 3,200 crowns (12:24).
Erik Enriquez-Acosta, a senior from Idalia, won the 400 (50.05) and 800 (2:00.87). He finished first or second all four years at state in the two-lapper. His teammate, senior Alex Weyerman (9-8), claimed the girls pole vault crown.
Lake City swept the boys (8:39) and girls (10:49) 3,200 relays.
The Springfield girls claimed their first state championship in any girls sport with 73.5 points. They won both the sprint medley relay (1:54.59 with Julia Mondragon, Ally Loflin, Audrey Rau, and Tatelyn Lasley) and 800 relay (1:49.81 with Mondragon, Lasley, Rau, and Kylie Parks). Springfield has a youthful group that could make another run next season.
DeBeque junior Jentry Largent doubled up on crowns in the 100 and 200, while also anchoring a 400 relay that shattered the 1A record with a time of 51.41.
Prairie senior Emily Kaiser was tremendous in the long jump (first) and triple jump (34-8.50, 1A state meet record).
Bowman Ellis, a senior for Springfield, won the 100 (11.34) and 200 (22.94).
Kiowa senior Melanie Deering ran away with titles in the 400 (59.23) and 800 (2:22).
Pawnee teammates Drew Ellis (20-5) and Bryce Schnug (19-9) swept gold and silver in long jump.
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.
DENVER – Rocky Ford is back on top the Colorado wrestling world.
After entering Saturday sitting third in the race for the Class 2A team title, the Meloneers put together an emphatic performance that began in the fifth- and third-place matches and rolled all the way through the finals at Pepsi Center – running away with the state championship.
The team title is the second in three years for Rocky Ford, which won in 2015 and finished runner-up a year ago, just a single point behind Meeker – one of the two teams that had an edge over the Meloneers after day two of the three-day tournament.
It also marked the 12th wrestling championship in program history, now more than any other school among all classifications.
“That was an outstanding day. You couldn’t finish the day any better than they did,” coach Mike Jurney said. “They’ve been focused on that goal after losing by one point last year. Our theme all year was ‘Do more’, and they did today.”
Jacob Rodriguez. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Headlining Rocky Ford’s championship run was senior Jacob Rodriguez, who kicked the opening finals match off with a win by pin in the 106-pound weight class. Rodriguez, the No. 1 seed, pinned Chris McKenna of John Mall in 3:49, his longest-lasting duel in the state tournament by far.
Rodriguez had blazed through Thursday’s and Friday’s matches, posting wins by pin in 0:14, 0:45 and 1:01 – competing for only a collective two minutes before Saturday’s final. The individual title was his third-straight, all at 106 throughout his high-school career (finished third as a freshman in 2014).
“It feels pretty great knowing that I’m the second three-time state champ in Rocky Ford (history), and having everyone’s support – even the people watching at home,” Rodriguez said. “It took the rest that I had to try to force (McKenna’s) other shoulder down to get that fall for my team.”
The Meloneers continued to roll in the ensuing 113 match as sophomore Dillon Jaramillo won by 3-2 decision over Sergio Campos of Hotchkiss. Also bringing home an individual title for Rocky Ford was senior Cody Venem, who defeated top-ranked Marshall Ross of John Mall by 9-3 decision at 132.
Andreatta reclaims top spot on podium
Jonathan Andreatta. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
There’s one match that will always haunt John Mall’s Jonathan Andreatta. It now stings a little less, however, thanks to his performance on Saturday.
After winning state titles his freshman (106 in 2014) and sophomore (113 in 2015) seasons, Andreatta’s vision for the prestigious four-peat was abruptly derailed last year when he lost in the 120 finals to Quinton Montague of Centauri, which now wrestles in 3A.
His response? A revenge tour.
Andreatta rattled off 37 wins since that last defeat here a year ago, completing an undefeated run to reestablishing himself as a state champion (126) for his third-career title.
“It drove me every single day,” Andreatta said. “I kept that second-place medal, and it was hung up in the wrestling room. Whenever it got tough, I stared right at it. It was ‘don’t quit, otherwise this is going to happen again’.”
Gaede also caps undefeated season
Limon junior Kaleb Gaede’s undefeated season came down to the wire as he found himself tied 4-4 with Norwood/Nucla’s Ethan Barnes with only seconds remaining.
He then flipped his opponent with only a second to spare, winning by pin in 5:59 to finish 37-0 overall and the 220 champion.
“It feels phenomenal. There’s no feeling that can beat this,” Gaede said. “I could care less about wins and losses. It’s whatever makes you better for this tournament. Undefeated doesn’t mean much. But that title means everything.”
2A individual champions
Peyton senior Britton Holmes repeated as state champion with a 5-3 decision over Ignacio’s Ethan Appenzeller at 145. That’s back-to-back titles now for Holmes, who won at 138 in 2016.
Norwood/Nucla boasted three individual champions in senior Hayden Harris, who won at 152 by 4-3 decision; junior Aidan Dabal, whose pin in 3:09 claimed 160; and senior Trenton Armintrout at 170 by 1-0 decision.
John Mall had two champions as freshman Wesley Vanmatre won 120 by 6-3 decision and senior Jason Murphy claimed 195 by 3-2 decision.
Lyons junior Keegan Bean had a 7-5 victory at 182. Meeker senior Sheridan Harvey won 138 by 4-2, and Paonia senior Trver Smith closed the tournament out with a 4-3 decision win at 285.
DENVER — Meeker’s Casey Turner by no means took the easy route, but he’s landed himself in the Class 2A state wrestling finals in the 170-pound division.
“I came here to win and I’m getting there,” Turner said.
Turner has been nursing a shoulder injury that began in football season, suffering a dislocated shoulder a number of times. But he fought through the injury for a second place finish in Regional 1 and the two-seed before making his way to the finals by virtue of a pin of Merino’s Jon Ramey in the semifinals.
“It’s frustrating when you’re trying to run a move and your shoulder comes out and you can’t use it and it hurts like hell,” Turner said. “But, you know, you get through that.”
His opponent in the championship match is a familiar face: Trenton Armintrout.
Turner lost the regional match to Armintrout by forfeit, due to the same shoulder injury. He also lost to Armintrout in the 2017 Screaming Eagle tournament — this time by injury default.
“When you wrestle a guy a ton of times, he definitely figures out how to exploit you,” Turner said. “That’s a lot of my forfeits — it’s just trying to keep it good and keep it healthy for the state tournament and I think I’ve done a good job and I’m ready to roll here.”
Now, in the state tournament, Turner is ready to go. As Armintrout pinned his man, Turner looked on from an adjacent mat just before his match. Turner turned around from spectator to wrestler and had his own opponent pinned in 1:29.
“I’ve wrestled him before quite a bit, so I know he’s good,” Turner said. “I know it’s going to come down to the finals, and I’m ready for it.”
Turner sits at 17-3 heading into the finals.
(Katie Pickrell/CHSAANow.com)
In the 2016 state wrestling tournament, Turner won the 2A 152-pound class with a pin of Norwood/Nucla’s Hayden Harris. Meeker won the team title over Rocky Ford 143 to 142.
A repeat is definitely on Turner’s mind.
“That’s definitely on the backs of everybody’s mind, pushing everybody a little bit harder,” Turner said.
This season, Turner won the Tournament of Champions and the Vern Rose Memorial, and was second at the Screaming Eagle. Turner took care to make sure he was healthy at the right time.
“Football I had a little injury and it was holding me up, so it won’t technically get fixed until surgery,” Turner said. “I was just trying not to make it worse.”
Turner opened the tournament with a 58-second pin of McClave’s Jaime Ibarra. He moved to the quarterfinals earlier Friday, where he pinned Rocky Ford’s Diego Reyes in 2:40. Turner’s third pin of the tournament came against Ramey in the semifinals.
Turner, a multisport athlete at Meeker, was selected first team all-state football as a linebacker/running back last fall.
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.
[divider]
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.
Jonathan Andreatta, right. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
DENVER — Jonathan Andreatta’s quest for redemption took all of 50 seconds to get underway.
After failing to capture his third state title last season, the John Mall senior was all business in the first round of the Class 2A state wrestling tournament. He beat Cheyenne Wells’ Jade Cozart in less than a minute to advance to the second round, which will begin on Friday.
“I just wanted to get out there and get the pin,” Andreatta said. “I wanted to get rested up for tomorrow.”
He’s coming off a disappointing loss to Quenton Montague in last year’s 120-final. He hasn’t competed at Pepsi Center since that loss, and walking around the catacombs did bring back some tough memories of that defeat.
“Walking through these halls, I’ve had some recurring nightmares,” he said. “That kind of sucked, but I’ve practically forgotten about that and I’m ready for this year.”
And he has shown that on the mat. Andreatta’s loss in that state title match is his last loss in high school competition.
When looking to get back to that top spot on the podium, he came into the 2016-17 season tackling only the obstacle directly in front of him.
“I’m just focused on the quarterfinals,” he said. “I’m just taking it one match at a time. It’s just another day.”
He’ll be back on the mat Friday at 9:30 a.m., taking on Cameron Holmes from Wiggins. Holmes advanced with a 15-4 major decision over Chris Lovato from Hotchkiss.
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Pin stats
Paonia’s Trevor Smith had the fastest pin of the 2A/3A prelims — it took him 10 seconds to win his first-round match in the 2A 285-pound bracket.
Rocky Ford’s Jacob Rodriguez had the first match of the day at 2A 106 pounds, and he made it a short one. The senior, a two-time champion, pinned Rye’s Zachary Ruiz in 14 seconds.
Rodriguez’s teammate, Carlos Magdaleno, pinned his opponent in 15 seconds at 160 pounds.
One other wrestler, Trenton Armintrout of Norwood/Nucla, had a pin in less than 20 seconds. He won his first-round match in 19 seconds.
Trinidad’s Jesus Diaz had the fastest pin in 3A’s first round, winning in 27 seconds.
There were a total of 100 pins in during the 2A/3A prelims, including 27 that happened in less than a minute.
Meeker and Paonia each had seven pins as a team.
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Notables
Natalie Benavides. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Natalie Benavides of Del Norte, the lone female qualifier at the state tournament this season, was pinned in her first-round match by Meeker’s Sheridan Harvey. She moves to Friday’s consolation round. Benavides is the eighth girl to ever qualify for the state tournament.
Platte Valley leads the 3A team race after the prelims with 21 points. Defending champion Valley is in second with 19.5, following by Jefferson (19). La Junta and Sheridan are tied in fourth with 16 points.
Rocky Ford is out front in the 2A standings, leading with 37.5 points. Meeker (30) is second, followed by Paonia (28), John Mall (26) and Fowler (20).
Alamosa’s Isaiah Delacerda, wrestling in 3A’s 113-pound division, began his quest for a third title with a pin of Fort Lupton’s Derrian Jaramillo in 1:35.
Fort Lupton’s Jody Sandoval II pinned Eaton’s Jackson Contreras in 33 seconds at 3A 126. Sandoval is a two-time champion.
The 285-pound bracket in 3A figures to be highly competitive. Among the field: Mullen’s Sam Deseriere, a returning champion who is unbeaten; Sheridan’s Ricky Ayala, another returning champion; and Bayfield’s Sam Westbrook, another unbeaten. All three won their first-round matches.
Each of the 11 returning champions and four unbeaten wrestlers in 2A and 3A won their first-round matches.
