Mancos qualifies 10 to state tournament

Mancos qualifies 10 to state tournament

Feb. 13, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

Wrestling is certainly a major sport around Southwestern Colorado. Because of that fact, it comes as no surprise that the four area high schools will be well represented this Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 15-17, at the Colorado High School Wrestling Championships in Denver.

Leading the way is Mancos. The Class 2A team finished right behind Hayden (181.5 points to MHS’ 167.5) at regionals this past Saturday, Feb. 10, at Palisade High School. Qualifying for state for the Blue Jays are: 103-pound Vince Bazile, 112 Anthony Mestas, 119 Daniel Wilson, 130 Jeremiah Muniz, 135 Scott Koppenhafer, 140 Mike Montoya, 145 Kelly Mitchell, 151 Jakob Tallent, 160 Philip Wilson, and heavyweight Kevin Schlemmer.

"Right now our team is on fire," MHS head coach Travis Bryant remarked. "I think we can do something at state. We are wrestling well right now. We got all but one of our wrestlers through."

Dolores comes in next with five qualifiers. The Bears are: 140 Shawn Everett, 171 Casey Garvin, 189 Colter Dunagan, and heavyweight Derek Thompson.

"Of course you would like to qualify 100 percent of your team, but I’m pleased with who made it. They wrestled well (at regionals) when they had to."

Dolores County also has five qualifiers: 103 Kyle Riddell, 112 Matt Beanland, 119 Casey Spitzer, 125 Trinity Cressler, and 130 Randy Curtis. Cressler actually came through the back door. He finished fifth but earned a wrestleback and beat the Norwood grappler with an 18-5 decision. But Kyle Krafka, wrestling as a heavyweight, just missed qualifying after getting a wrestleback.

"I thought we wrestled well. We took only seven and five of them qualified," DCHS head coach Shane Baughman noted.

Following Hayden and Mancos in the team standings were Nucla 148, West Grand 103, Dolores County 92, Norwood 90, Soroco 75, Dolores 72, and North Park 41.

The Blue Jays’ Koppenhafer continued his undefeated season with a victory in the 135-pound weight class, while Anthony Mestas (112), Jeremiah Muniz (130) and Mike Montoya (140) all won their respective classes. Koppenhafer, who was runner-up last year in the 130-pound weight class, fended off Anton Fredrickson of Hayden for the win. Fredrickson was also a state champion last year, and the match was close the whole way. Koppenhafer took a 1-0 decision, the lone point earned with an escape early in the match.

Dolores County's Kyle Riddel (103) and Casey Spitzer (119) also won individual titles, as did Dolores' Derek Thompson (275). Thompson is undefeated heading into state.

Montezuma-Cortez, which will compete in Class 4A, had four qualifiers from regionals at Grand Junction over the weekend. The Panthers who will be making the trip are: 119 Tyler Gray, 145 Nic Martinez, 171 Cole Allison, and heavyweight Elias Lehi. Just missing a trip to state was Jared Carver, who finished fourth last year and qualified the year before.

Mike Allison, MCHS head coach, was not available for comment on Monday morning because he was attending a meeting in Farmington.

On Saturday at the Class 4A West Regional wrestling tournament at Grand Junction High School, the Moffat County Bulldogs scored the wins they needed to win the title. The Bulldogs won five individual championships and qualified 13 wrestlers for this week's state tournament, winning with a team score of 274 points. Rifle maintained its second-place standing by winning one championship at 112 pounds when Justin Hampton outscored Moffat County's Cory Hixson 3-2. The Bears advanced 11 wrestlers to the state tournament. Montrose placed third with 195.5 points and the Palisade Bulldogs were fourth with 183.