DENVER – While Friday’s action at Ball Arena in Denver saw the state title aspirations for the envoy of Southwest Colorado come to a halt, the vision of podium finishes is still alive and well for five Bluejays and Bulldogs.
Four Mancos athletes, along with Dove Creek freshman Teagan Larimore, stayed alive in their respective fields, while several athletes made their curtain call for the end of their season.
Two former state champions, Mancos’ Cole Dainty-Guilfoyle and Levi Martin, weren’t able to add one more title to their trophy cases, as each dropped matches in their championship brackets. Both athletes, however, remain in the mix for a top-six finish, as Martin rebounded with a 9-2 win over Ignacio’s Zane Pontine in the consolation bracket, while Dainty-Guilfoyle survived a 7-6 contest with Holly’s Cael Nordyke to advance.
Junior Brandon Vannest edged West Grand’s Joe Probst to keep his tournament alive in the consolation opener after falling in the quarters, while sophomore Jacob Martin also moved on in the consolation bracket with a quick pin of North Fork’s Peyton Armstrong after he fell in the quarterfinals.
Seniors Elliott Sam and Dillon Eichner fell in both of their matches on Friday to bring the end to fantastic careers for the Jays, while sophomore Colten Vannest and freshman Teagen Mestes also dropped out of the running for their podium pursuit with Friday defeats.
After dropping his state opener, Dove Creek’s Teagan Larimore kept his dream of a podium finish alive with back-to-back wins on Friday, picking up a pin before beating Olathe’s Trevor Piatt, 5-2, in the second consolation round.
Teammates Frankey Montoya and Cael Beanland bowed out of the tournament in their action on Friday, as Montoya picked up his first state win with a pin of Calhan’s Josh Brecko, before falling in his third match.
Montezuma-Cortez also saw their tournament come to a close, but not without victories for each of their three representatives. Bodie Stiegelmeyer and Hunter Goodall both collected Friday pins, but along with DJ Vreeken, the Panthers couldn’t get past the second consolation round, wrapping up memorable careers for Goodall and Vreeken.
Action at Ball Arena closes out on Saturday, Feb. 17, with the consolation bracket action culminating in athletes looking to take home honors as one of six medalists in their respective weight divisions.
