CHSAANow

Tag: Greeley Central

  • State wrestling semifinals: Hunter Willits will wrestle for a fourth title

    State wrestling Hunter Willits Pueblo County
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    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

    state wrestling 2017 Theorius Robison Pomona
    (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.

    [divider]

    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.

  • 4A & 5A wrestling: Schultz brothers aiming for repeat titles — at different schools

    State wrestling 5A Cohl Schultz Ponderosa
    Ponderosa’s Cohl Schultz. (Ryan Csaey/CHSAANow.com)

    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.”

    State wrestling 5A Trenton Schultz Mountain Vista
    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.

    [divider]

    Willits going for a fourth

    State wrestling 4A Hunter Willits Pueblo County
    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.

    [divider]

    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.

    [divider]

    Notables

    State wrestling 4A Jace Trujillo Pueblo East
    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.

  • State wrestling quarterfinals: Pueblo County’s Nava advances in tough 113-pound bracket

    State wrestling Hunter Willits Pueblo County
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    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.

    [divider]

    Willits through to the semifinals

    State wrestling 2017 Hunter Willits Pueblo County
    (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.

    [divider]

    2A & 3A notes

    State wrestling Jonathan Andreatta John Mall
    (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).
    • Kolton Dickinson of Sedgwick County/Fleming won his first-round bout in 45 seconds. Friday, he won his quarterfinal in 44. Dickison moves to the semifinals in 2A 113.
    • 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.

    [divider]

    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.

  • This week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat

    Below are this week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat.

    [divider]

    On The Mat Wrestling Rankings

    Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.

    To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.

    To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.

    [divider]

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Rocky Ford 1
    2 Meeker 2
    3 Hotchkiss 3
    4 Norwood/Nucla 4
    5 Paonia 5
    6 John Mall 7
    7 Highland 6
    8 Cedaredge –
    9 Limon 8
    10 Ignacio 9
    Dropped out
    Wray (10).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Valley 2
    2 Alamosa 1
    3 La Junta 4
    4 Jefferson 6
    5 Centauri 3
    6 Sheridan 8
    7 Platte Valley 5
    8 Fort Lupton –
    9 Bayfield –
    10 Buena Vista 7
    Dropped out
    Eaton (9), Lamar (10).
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pueblo County 1
    2 Pueblo East 2
    3 Cheyenne Mountain 5
    4 Windsor 4
    5 Greeley Central 3
    6 Pueblo West 6
    7 Mesa Ridge 7
    8 Pine Creek 10
    9 Grand Junction Central 8
    10 Discovery Canyon 9
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pomona 1
    2 Grand Junction 2
    3 Brighton 3
    4 Poudre 4
    5 Castle View 7
    6 Coronado 9
    7 Ponderosa 8
    8 Adams City 6
    9 Grandview 5
    10 Monarch 10
    Dropped out
    None.

  • This week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat

    Below are this week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat.

    [divider]

    On The Mat Wrestling Rankings

    Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.

    To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.

    To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.

    [divider]

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Rocky Ford 1
    2 Meeker 2
    3 Hotchkiss 3
    4 Norwood/Nucla 4
    5 Paonia 5
    6 Highland 6
    7 John Mall 7
    8 Limon 9
    9 Ignacio 10
    10 Wray –
    Dropped out
    Sedgwick County/Fleming (8).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Alamosa 1
    2 Valley 2
    3 Centauri 3
    4 La Junta 4
    5 Platte Valley 6
    6 Jefferson 5
    7 Buena Vista 8
    8 Sheridan 9
    9 Eaton 7
    10 Lamar 10
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pueblo County 1
    2 Pueblo East 2
    3 Greeley Central 3
    4 Windsor 4
    5 Cheyenne Mountain 5
    6 Pueblo West 6
    7 Mesa Ridge 7
    8 Grand Junction Central 8
    9 Discovery Canyon 9
    10 Pine Creek –
    Dropped out
    Canon City (10).
    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pomona 1
    2 Grand Junction 2
    3 Brighton 3
    4 Poudre 5
    5 Grandview 4
    6 Adams City 6
    7 Castle View 7
    8 Ponderosa –
    9 Coronado 8
    10 Monarch 9
    Dropped out
    Cherokee Trail (10).

  • This week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat

    Below are this week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat.

    [divider]

    On The Mat Wrestling Rankings

    Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.

    To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.

    To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.

    [divider]

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Rocky Ford 1
    2 Meeker 2
    3 Hotchkiss 3
    4 Norwood/Nucla 4
    5 Paonia 5
    6 Highland 6
    7 John Mall 7
    8 Sedgwick County/Fleming 8
    9 Limon 9
    10 Ignacio 10
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Alamosa 1
    2 Valley 2
    3 Centauri 3
    4 La Junta 4
    5 Jefferson 5
    6 Platte Valley 6
    7 Eaton 7
    8 Buena Vista 8
    9 Sheridan 9
    10 Lamar 10
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pueblo County 1
    2 Pueblo East 2
    3 Greeley Central 3
    4 Windsor 4
    5 Cheyenne Mountain 5
    6 Pueblo West 6
    7 Mesa Ridge 7
    8 Grand Junction Central 8
    9 Discovery Canyon 9
    10 Canon City 10
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pomona 1
    2 Grand Junction 2
    3 Brighton 5
    4 Grandview 3
    5 Poudre 4
    6 Adams City 6
    7 Castle View 7
    8 Coronado 8
    9 Monarch 10
    10 Cherokee Trail 9
    Dropped out
    None.

  • This week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat

    Below are this week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat.

    [divider]

    On The Mat Wrestling Rankings

    Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.

    To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.

    To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.

    [divider]

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Rocky Ford 1
    2 Meeker 2
    3 Hotchkiss 3
    4 Norwood/Nucla 4
    5 Paonia 5
    6 Highland 6
    7 John Mall 7
    8 Sedgwick County/Fleming 9
    9 Limon 10
    10 Ignacio 8
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Alamosa 1
    2 Valley 2
    3 Centauri 3
    4 La Junta 4
    5 Jefferson 5
    6 Platte Valley 7
    7 Eaton 9
    8 Buena Vista –
    9 Sheridan –
    10 Lamar 10
    Dropped out
    Brush (6), Fort Lupton (8).
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pueblo County 1
    2 Pueblo East 2
    3 Greeley Central 3
    4 Windsor 4
    5 Cheyenne Mountain 5
    6 Pueblo West 6
    7 Mesa Ridge 7
    8 Grand Junction Central –
    9 Discovery Canyon 8
    10 Canon City 10
    Dropped out
    Pine Creek (9).
    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pomona 1
    2 Grand Junction 2
    3 Grandview 3
    4 Poudre 4
    5 Brighton 5
    6 Adams City 9
    7 Castle View 6
    8 Coronado 7
    9 Cherokee Trail 8
    10 Monarch 10
    Dropped out
    None.

  • Jeffco continues to lead in Adapted Athletics program growth

    Jeffco’s Bryan Wickoren, far right, organized the first Colorado High School Adapted Basketball Tournament on Thursday at Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    LAKEWOOD — Jeffco Public Schools’ Adapted Athletics program made to quantum leap Thursday hosting the inaugural Colorado High School Adapted Basketball Tournament.

    A total of 21 schools — 31 teams — took part in the tournament. Teams from school districts in Aurora, Boulder, Brighton, Denver, Colorado Springs, Frederick, Greeley, Littleton, Longmont and Jeffco gathered at Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood first state-wide basketball tournament of its kind in Colorado for students with special needs.

    “We had a great response,” said event organizer Bryan Wickoren, Adapted Physical Education Coordinator for Jeffco Public Schools. “It’s a great representation of schools from the eastern side of the state. It’s a start.”

    The event got such a great response that 10 schools were on a waiting list for the tournament. Wickoren, who is a part of the Department of Education adapted team advisory counsel, presented his idea last fall of having a state basketball tournament that Jeffco would host.

    Wickoren said there is already talk about adding a state-wide soccer tournament in the fall, along with state-wide track and field meet next spring to serve students with special needs.

    Sand Creek senior D’Shawn Schwartz, left, served as a coach for the Adapted Basketball tournament. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “I’m extremely proud,” Wickoren said of the growth of Adapted Athletics. “Eight years ago we had five schools doing a couple of athletic events. Now we are doing something every month in Jeffco. We are just building and growing. We have a solid foundation and base. We’ll keep going.”

    Bringing in schools from outside Jeffco has been a goal for Wickoren.

    “We want to offer this to more than just Jeffco schools,” said Wickoren, who added he hopes in the future Adapted Athletics will be sanctioned by the Colorado High School Activities Association like it is in Minnesota.

    Bonnie Mendenhall, Adapted PE teacher for middle and high schools in Falcon School District 49 in Colorado Springs, jumped at the chance to get her students involved in Thursday’s basketball tournament. Sand Creek brought two teams to compete.

    “We’ve always wanted to get involved in unified sport, but we just didn’t have anything going on in the Springs,” Mendenhall said. “Talking to Bryan (Wickoren) he told me all about it. We decided to come up. This is our first time and our two teams we have are really excited.”

    Schools from across the state took part in the Adapted Basketball Tournament. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Sand Creek also brought up a familiar face to Colorado prep basketball fans. Senior D’Shawn Schwartz, one of the top basketball recruits in the state that has committed to play at the University of Colorado next school year, was on hand as a coach for the Scorpions.

    “This is my first time,” Schwartz said about helping with Adapted Athletics. “We had one practice and then came out here. It’s pretty fun. It’s cool.”

    A couple of teachers at Sand Creek told Schwartz about the tournament and he decided to be apart of it. Schwartz has helped lead the Scorpions to a 13-1 record this season averaging more than 26 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game.

    “It’s different, but it feels good to get away from competition,” Schwartz said about being a coach on the basketball court instead of facing a box-and-one defense. “I can just come out here and be loose.”

    Arvada and Standley Lake high schools had members of its basketball teams on hand too as referees and scorers for games. Jeffco will hold its Adapted Athletics Basketball Day for Jeffco schools Friday, Jan. 20.

    “We want to keep more kids involved in sports. It’s a win-win for everybody,” Mendenhall said. “They see the other kids in sports and it gives them the opportunity to be in sports. It gives them great self-esteem. They can be a part of a team.”

    At the end of the day Thursday, Gateway lifted the first-place trophy.

    Gateway was crowned the first-place champions in the first Colorado High School Adapted Basketball Tournament. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • This week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat

    Below are this week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat.

    [divider]

    On The Mat Wrestling Rankings

    Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.

    To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.

    To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.

    [divider]

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Rocky Ford 1
    2 Meeker 2
    3 Hotchkiss 3
    4 Norwood/Nucla 4
    5 Paonia 5
    6 Highland 6
    7 John Mall 7
    8 Ignacio 8
    9 Sedgwick County/Fleming 9
    10 Limon 10
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Alamosa 1
    2 Valley 2
    3 Centauri 3
    4 La Junta 4
    5 Jefferson 5
    6 Brush 6
    7 Platte Valley 7
    8 Fort Lupton 8
    9 Eaton –
    10 Lamar 10
    Dropped out
    Bayfield (9).
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pueblo County 1
    2 Pueblo East 2
    3 Greeley Central 3
    4 Windsor 4
    5 Cheyenne Mountain 5
    6 Pueblo West 6
    7 Mesa Ridge 8
    8 Discovery Canyon 9
    9 Pine Creek 10
    10 Canon City –
    Dropped out
    Grand Junction Central (7).
    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pomona 1
    2 Grand Junction 2
    3 Grandview 3
    4 Poudre 4
    5 Brighton 5
    6 Castle View 6
    7 Coronado 7
    8 Cherokee Trail 8
    9 Adams City 9
    10 Monarch 10
    Dropped out
    None.

  • This week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat

    Below are this week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat.

    [divider]

    On The Mat Wrestling Rankings

    Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.

    To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.

    To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.

    [divider]

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Rocky Ford 1
    2 Meeker 2
    3 Hotchkiss 3
    4 Norwood/Nucla 4
    5 Paonia 5
    6 Highland 9
    7 John Mall –
    8 Ignacio 8
    9 Sedgwick County/Fleming 6
    10 Limon –
    Dropped out
    Cedaredge (7), Peyton (10).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Alamosa 1
    2 Valley 3
    3 Centauri 2
    4 La Junta 4
    5 Jefferson 5
    6 Brush 10
    7 Platte Valley –
    8 Fort Lupton 9
    9 Bayfield –
    10 Lamar –
    Dropped out
    Delta (6), Eagle Valley (7), Sheridan (8).
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pueblo County 1
    2 Pueblo East 5
    3 Greeley Central 2
    4 Windsor 4
    5 Cheyenne Mountain 3
    6 Pueblo West 7
    7 Grand Junction Central 6
    8 Mesa Ridge 9
    9 Discovery Canyon 8
    10 Pine Creek 10
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pomona 1
    2 Grand Junction 2
    3 Grandview 4
    4 Poudre 3
    5 Brighton 5
    6 Castle View 8
    7 Coronado 9
    8 Cherokee Trail –
    9 Adams City 10
    10 Monarch 6
    Dropped out
    Ponderosa (7).