Sharpening their skills for the Feb. 11-12 Class 2A-Region 1 Championships in Buena Vista, Mancos wrestlers made the most of their matches at the San Juan Basin League Championships on Feb. 3.
Victorious in 10 of 13 actual bouts in Norwood, Mancos emerged as the circuit’s wrestling kings as 182-pounder Lane Greenlee ended the action with a pin of Dolores’ Gabriel Allred with only three seconds remaining in their title bout.
Also going 2-0 at the meet and earning SJBL champion status for MHS included Ayden Mathews, who outpointed NHS’ Brayden Magallon 13-7 in the finale at 160, and Dillon Eichner, tops at 106 with a 41-second pin of NHS’ Aiden Walton.
Defending 113-pound state champion Levi Martin needed to go just once at 126, and he constructed a 5-0 lead through one period before pinning Ignacio’s Asher Gallegos 1:21 into the second. Jays Isaiah Martinez (113) and Trevor Paquin (120) stepped onto the hosting Mavericks’ mat as unopposed, and thus default champs at their respective weights, but 138-pounder Ethan Ostberg lost by 16-0 technical fall in his final-round test against Norwood’s Jarret Sinks and ended the night with a 1-1 mark.
And 170-pounder Cole Dainty-Guilfoyle went 1-1, pinned 58 seconds into the second period by IHS’ Tyler Barnes after a mutually scoreless first. Pinned in the third period of his semifinal test against Nucla’s J.W. Nasland, Brandon Vannest saved a 1-1 mark and third place at 132 pounds via a 1:47 pin of Dove Creek’s Dustin Glover.
In addition to Allred, earning SJBL runner-up distinction for DHS was 152-pounder Braden Schmittel, who pinned IHS’ Kendrick Nossaman in 36 seconds but was later pinned 12 ticks into the second period by Norwood’s Gage Owen.
Competing in girls’ 118-pound action, Valentina Tarini pinned Ignacio’s Audrey Roderick twice in 26 seconds or fewer.
Placing highest for DCHS – other than unopposed 195-pound victor Gage Buffington – was 182-pounder Franky Montoya, 1-1 after pinning Nucla’s Hunter Rowe 1:13 into the second period of their third-place clash. Crowd favorite Jaydon Bailey ended up fourth at 106 after a tight 6-4 loss to Ignacio’s Cayle McCoy, but enjoyed a third-period, exhibition-match pin of Nasland – after Norwood’s Joshua Alexander was unable to face Nasland in the 132-pound finale.
