The Yuma High School boys wrestlers gave it all they had in a difficult Class 2A Region 1 Tournament, last weekend in Akron.
The Outlaws qualified two for this week’s Class 2A State Tournament in Ball Arena, while scoring 61 points to place 10th in the 16-school field.
“The team showed a lot of heart winning some matches that we hadn’t won all year, so that was great,” coach Presley Papachek said. “We would have loved to get everyone downtown but for the amount of experience this team had I think we wrestled very well.”
Not surprisingly, Wray won the team title with 213.5 points, but the Eagles were challenged by a Sedgwick County/Fleming team that came in a close second with 205.5 points. Burlington was third with 181.5.
The Outlaws were led by Trey Stegman as the senior placed third at 157 pounds, earning his third state berth.
He opened regional Friday with a pin of Clear Creek’s Nathan Renteria, then followed that up with a 40-second pin of Highland’s Clayton Nelson in the quarterfinals.
Stegman ran into Burlington’s Angel Vela in Saturday’s semifinals, losing a 14-8 decision. However, he rebounded from that loss with a pin of Dayspring Christian’s Joseph Noce to reach the third-place match, where he won by fall (4:01) over Fowler’s Weston Johnson to punch his ticket to state.
Daden Beauprez survived the dramatic challenge-back match to earn his first trip to state, after coming up just short last season as a freshman. The sophomore won by fall over Wray’s Evan Vigil in the quarterfinals. He went up against Byers’ Kaiden Powell in the semifinals on Saturday, losing a 9-3 decision. He came back to win a consolation match by fall over Riley Thomas of Wiggins, but then lost an 8-3 decision to Jackson Polk of Dayspring Christian in the third-place match.
Beauprez had not wrestled the fifth-place match winner, Bryce Kinnie of Sedgwick County/Fleming, so he had to survive a challenge-back match for the weight’s fourth and final berth to state. He took care of business by pinning Kinnie in 2:57 for a state berth.
“Daden should have never been there, but it was great to see him have poise and punch his ticket downtown,” Papachek said.
Deacon Brown fought through a shoulder injury to nearly make it to state at 215. The senior lost his quarterfinal, dropping into the consolation bracket. He won his first consolation match with a pin of Byer’s Bryce Brewer. However, he lost in overtime in his next match, dropping him into the fifth-place match against Kale Volkman of Sedgwick County/Fleming, which he won with a 6-0 decision.
Brown qualified for a challenge match against Donovan Juarez of Highland for the weight’s fourth state berth but could not continue.
Augi Montes de Oca made a run at 120 pounds. He lost his quarterfinal, then got a bye before winning his consolation third round match against Limon’s Tyson Gordon with a fall in 3:10. However, he then lost his consolation semifinal match and was pinned again in the fifth-place match.
Esteban Gonzalez earned one win at 113 pounds, Blake Stivers one win at 126, and Tyson Hansen one win at 165. Cooper Blach competed at 106, Ethan Nadow at 132, Dallas Brunk at 138, and Garret Patterson at 285.
GIRLS WRESTLING
Yuma High School’s girls wrestlers gave it a run at the CHSAA Girls North Metro Region 1 Tournament, last weekend in Fort Lupton.
The Outlaws qualified three for this week’s state tournament at Ball Arena in Denver, finishing ninth in the 26-school field with 70 points. Pomona won the team title with 173, while Mead was second with 169 with Brighton a close third with 166.
“It was good, but I was hoping for one or two more, but there’s next year for girls who didn’t qualify,” coach Brandon Newton said, noting some were dealing with illness at regional.
Chloe Smith led the way by placing third at 105 pounds. The junior won her first two matches Friday, both by fall, including a pin in 1 minute, 21 seconds over Fort Morgan’s Keily Molina Deleon in the quarterfinals.
She ran into Brighton’s Isabella Smouse in the semifinals on Saturday, getting pinned in the third period. However, she recovered to get a win by fall over Mead’s Morgan McDonald to reach the third-place match, where she won wby fall in 2:09 over Skyview’s Arianna Alvarado, earning another berth to state.
Gese Sanchez and Taelynn Robinson both survived to earn the fourth state spot at their weights, 170 and 100 respectively.
Sanchez had a bye, then won by fall in the quarterfinals over Daisy Gonzalez Ordonez of Fort Morgan in the quarterfinals. She was quickly pinned in her semifinal by Brighton’s Matilda Hruby. She came back with a 32-second pin over Fort Lupton’s Gizell Adame, but then lost by fall in her third-place match to Shayla Martinez of Broomfield. However, she had earned her state berth as the fourth placer as Adame won the fifth-place match and could not challenge Sanchez.
It was the same route for Robinson. She had a bye then won by fall in her quarterfinal over Yaida Rodriguez of Fort Lupton.. The freshman was quickly pinned in the semifinals on Saturday, but came back with a win by fall in the consolation semifinals over Skyview’s Jovanna Castro. Robinson was quickly pinned in the third-place match by Jefferson’s Alicia Soto, but avoided a challenge match as Rodriguez placed fifth.
Camila Sanchez went 2-2 at 110, both wins coming via pin. Peyton Hynson earned one win at 115, and Danika Dischner one win at 190. Kenya Arvizo competed at 120, and Kaydence Hansen at 125.