As the competition stiffened on Day Two of the 2A state wrestling championships, the Bluejays stepped up to the occasion.
Holding a top five team position through two days, the Bluejays continued to validate their stature among the state’s elite with a strong second day of the weekend’s action at Ball Arena in Denver.
Six of the eight Bluejays who began the weekend’s tournament still find themselves vying for top-six podium finishes in their respective weight divisions. Headlining the Mancos efforts, a pair of juniors sit on the cusp of state titles – as Levi Martin (132 pounds) and Cole Dainty-Guilfoyle (175 pounds) braved the gauntlet through the quarterfinals and semis to make it to the final.
Martin ensured himself a third straight climb onto the podium with a pair of wins on Friday, beating John Mall’s Bernard Espinoza and Cedaredge’s Landon Martin – the latter by a 13-7 margin – to advance to his second final. In his first trip, Martin (40-4) took home the top spot during his freshman year, and now seeks an encore performance on Saturday night. Standing in his way, Trinidad’s Eddie Bowman boasts a perfect 41-0 record this season – setting up a titanic clash of two of the state’s best.
At 175, Cole Dainty-Guilfoyle continues to be on a mission, taking down two more pins on Friday, including a state semifinal victory over Nucla’s Arthur Connelly late in the third period to advance to his first state final. Dainty-Guilfoyle (39-3) will face Wray senior Caeden Bauer (42-4) with ambitions of his first state title on the line.
Mancos sent four wrestlers into the state semifinals, but senior Ayden Mathews (165 pounds) and sophomore Brandon Vannest (138 pounds) bowed out at that level. Mathews (33-8) defeated Kole Hawkins of Cedaredge with a pin in the quarterfinal, before getting outscored in his semi against Meeker’s Cade Blunt. Mathews will move over to the consolation bracket, within sight of his second state podium appearance.
Vannest (35-8), meanwhile, also moved into the final four, thanks to a pin in the final seconds over Sedgwick County’s Mario Ortiz in the round of eight. However, Dillion Buford of Crowley County edged Vannest in a thrilling semifinal, 8-6, to deny the sophomore a trip to the title match in his first state appearance. Like Mathews, Vannest now will look to rebound to land a spot on the podium.
Both senior Isaiah Martinez and junior Elliott Sam went 1-1 on Friday, with their loss in the quarterfinal backed up with a consolation bracket victory that keeps their focus firmly on their first podium finish and precious team points for the Bluejays. After falling in the semifinals, Martinez (36-8, 120 pounds) bounced back with a tight 6-5 win over Kathir Sasikumar from Swink.
Sam (29-13, 285 pounds), meanwhile, toppled Cody Nester of Dayspring Christian in the opening period of their consolation bracket match, after Sam fell in his semifinal bout. Both Martinez and Sam sit in a prime position to make a run through the consolation bracket on Saturday morning.
Freshmen Jacob Martin (144 pounds) and Colten Vannest (190 pounds) saw their first tournament come to a close on Friday, with Martin collecting his first state win in the consolation bracket before his tournament came to an end in the next round.
Dove Creek’s Tyson Beanland (26-8, 150 pounds) saw his tournament come to a close on Friday, winning his consolation opener over Sabyn Hager of Hayden, before falling in the next round.
Consolation bracket competition will take center stage on Saturday, with the battle for podium spots on the line, while Martin and Dainty-Guilfoyle will compete their championship matches on Saturday evening in Denver.
