BY JIM THOMAS

For the past several years, the four area high schools have been well represented at the State High School Wrestling Championships. This year is certainly no exception as 25 wrestlers will be heading to Denver. Six of those — all from Montezuma-Cortez High School — will be competing in the Class 4A tourney and 19 from Dolores, Dolores County and Mancos will be competing in Class 2A.

The State High School Wrestling Championships, sponsored by the Colorado High School Activities Association, will be held this Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 17-19.

The 2000 championships will be held for the first time in the new Pepsi Center in Denver. In year’s past it has been held in McNichol’s Sports Arena which was knocked down for the expansion of Mile High Stadium.

The tournament features a 10-mat format with two classes wrestling on five mats each day. Classes 2A and 3A start the action Thursday afternoon, Feb. 17, followed by 4A and 5A that evening. The 10 mats remain on the floor for all but the final session in which four mats will be used.

Qualifying for Cortez are Lyle Benally (112 pounds), Tyler Gray (119), Jared Carver (125), Joey Wynes (152), Cole Allison (160), and Shawn Randolph (189).

Dolores qualifiers include Quintin Seevers (103), Shawn Everett (125), Justin Peters (152), Kevin Everett (160), Derek Thompson (215), and Stephen Snyder (275).

Dolores County are Kyle Riddell (103), Nick Montgomery (112), Casey Spitzer (119), Randy Curtis (130), Jade Husky (135), Chess Johnson (145), Quincy Wood (152), and Bill Ransom (275).

Mancos qualifiers include Daniel Wilson (112), Kelly Mitchell (119), Scott Koppenhafer (130), Mike Montoya (135), and Phillip Wilson (160).

MCHS head coach Mike Allison said when his team finished with the first round at Regionals on Friday, Feb. 11, 12 of the 14 members were either in semifinals or in consolation wrestle backs at Grand Junction High School.

"Early on I felt we won the matches we were supposed to win in the first round," he said. "In the third round of consolations were still had wrestlers who were in good position to place. And in the championship semifinals we were doing well. I still had 12 out of 13 kids still competing for a berth at State. But in the semifinals of consolation, we lose four matches and then we drop four bouts for fifth and sixth (only top four placers advance to State). I already had three in the finals and these seven would have given us 10. But it didn’t quite come out the way I was hoping it would. But, hey, that’s what this athletic thing is all about."

As it turned out, Benally took fourth, Gray second, Carver fourth, Wynes second, Allison first, and Randolph fourth. Nic Martinez (135), Dan O’Neal (189), and Judd Yench (275) all took fifth but will not make the trip to the Big Show.

Each tournament is different, but at Regionals it seems like there are always some disappointments. Evan Frost (275) qualified for State last year but is not going. Martinez certainly had a good shot at going but could not rebound fast enough from his sickness and an injury. Richard Yake, 103, also had a chance but is not going this year. Yench just missed out losing in double overtime the match he needed to have won.

In the team standings, Moffat County won with 240.5 points, Central of Grand Junction 199, Rifle 172.5, Montrose 159.5, Florence 155, Cortez 142, Palisade 130.5, Delta 92, Steamboat Springs 15, and Summit 3.

In the Class 2A Regionals at Palisade High School, Nucla won its second title with 243.5 points. Dolores County came in second with 149. Mancos finished in fourth and Dolores fifth, only a half-point behind the Blue Jays.

However, when it comes to appearances at state, Justin Peters shines above everyone.

The lanky Dolores senior dominated the 152-pound division. On the way to earning a state berth for the fourth time, he was 3-for-3 in the regional, winning every match by pinfall.

One of only three No. 1 seeds to have a first round match, Peters knocked off Soroco's Cody Samuelson, then Dolores County's Quincy Wood in the semifinals in just over four minutes to advance to the championship round.

He needed a bit longer to sweep away Jeremy Spor of Norwood, but after gaining a 6-2 lead, Peters ended the match at the 3:41 mark.