Showing improvement each week, the Dolores High School wrestling team took nine wrestlers to the Screaming Eagle Invitational in Paonia on Jan. 20 and saw five earn spots on the podium.
Senior Austin Hackney won four of five matches in the 120-pound bracket and finished third overall. His only loss came to Meeker’s Jacob Pelloni in the semifinals.
Also on the podium for the Bears was Baylon Noyes, who won two of four matches in the 113-pound division and finished fifth overall. Also with a fifth-place finish was Zander Eichner, who won his opening match at 120 pounds, then forfeited two matches due to injury.
David Schmittel won one of his four matches at 170 pounds and finished sixth overall. Bryan Escarcega finished sixth in the heavyweight division despite losing all three of his matches.
Other wrestlers competing for Dolores included Cameron Chavez, Chance Wilber, and Cael Schmittel, who all finished 0-2.
Dolores finished ninth in the team standings, and Paonia finished first in the 21-team tournament. Next up for Dolores will be a trip to the Butch Melton Invite, on Jan. 27 in Ignacio.
