Pine Creek captures Metro wrestling championship as Martinez makes it a three-peat
As expected, Pine Creek dominated the 12th Annual Colorado Springs Metro Wrestling Championship.
The Eagles ran away with the event that features teams across the city and from all classifications, scoring 276 points. Fountain-Fort Carson was second at 196 on Saturday at Doherty.
The Eagles, ranked No. 2 in 5A In Tim Yount’s On the Mat Rankings, took home six individual titles.
Pine Creek junior Geordan Martinez became the 11th 3-time champion with a 15-0 technical fall over Woodland Park senior Cameron Arias at 132. The 5A top-ranked Martinez took down Arias just 4 seconds into the match and kept him on the mat the rest of the period. A takedown opening the second period made it 9-0, leading to two 3-point near falls to end the match.
Martinez’s joined his older brother, Gabrian, and cousin, Ethan, as three-time champions of this event.
“They always push me” Martinez said. “They want the best for me and for what they’ve done for me, following in their footsteps is pretty good.”
Martinez (26-0) pinned his first four opponents in a total of 2 minutes, 57 seconds With a year left in his high school career. Martinez is poised to become the first four-time champion of the event.
Fountain-Fort Carson senior Josh Schoenberger joined Martinez as the 12th three-time champion of this tournament with a 15-0 technical fall over Peyton senior Wade Tope (2A No. 5) in the 182 final. Schoenberger, 31-0 and ranked No. 1 in 5A, won all four of his matches by technical fall and needed only a period and a half to top Tope.
“It means a lot to a personal goal.” Schoenberger said of winning a third time. “It’s a pretty cool experience for me right now. It’s definitely not an easy tournament. You come here not always expecting to place, so I feel pretty good.”
Schoenberger’s younger brother, sophomore Jacob, and senior teammate Seth Wilson also made the finals for the Trojans. Schoenberger lost a 5-4 decision to 5A No. 5 Coronado senior Justin West. Wilson, 5A No. 2, lost an 8-6 decision in overtime to Discovery Canyon 4A No. 4 sophomore Adrian Mack at 170 after a disputed stalling call on Wilson tied the scored with 2 seconds remaining in regulation.
The 113 final featured a pair of defending state champions in a rematch of last year’s final. Discovery Canyon junior AJ Rees got the better of his best friend, Coronado junior Adrian Cordova (5A No. 3 at 120), with a 6-2 decision. Rees (4A No. 1) fell behind 2-0 in the first period, but scored a double leg takedown on the edge of the mat in the second period and closed out the victory with a nearly identical move late in the third. Rees won last year’s matchup with a 5-2 decision.
“People look forward to seeing us wrestle each other,” Rees said. “Everyone else’s pleasure is our pain. It’s tough wrestling your best friend, but when you’re on the mat no one is your friend.”
Rees and Josh Schoenberger earned Oustanding Wrestlers honors for the lightweight and heavyweight groups respectively.
The 152 final Falcon junior Cody Soulka (4A No. 9) and Palmer Ridge senior Jeremy Rajkowski (4A No. 10) excited the crowd with a back-and-forth 14-12 decision for Soulka. Soulka scored an escape with 20 seconds remaining to tie it at 10. A mad scramble ensued with a takedown and two near fall points for Soulka followed by a reversal by Rajkowski with seconds remaining, but Soulka held on.
“All I was thinking (after the escape) was I need to get the takedown before it goes to overtime,” Soulka said.
Soulka’s brother, Kyle (junior No. 12) lost a 7-3 decision 4A No. 5 Mesa Ridge senior Devante Johnson in the 160 final. The two finalists for the Falcons, who finished seventh as a team, was further evidence of the resurgance of the program under first year coach Claude Robinson, the fourth Falcon coach in the past five years.
“It feels pretty good,” Kyle Soulka said despite the loss. “Not a lot of people expected much out of us at this tournament. We surprised a lot of people.”
Palmer Ridge’s Jeremy Rajkowski, bottom, fights off a pin by Falcon’s Cody Soulka during the 152-pound finals of the Colorado Springs Metro Wrestling Championships Saturday at Doherty High School. Soulka won a seesaw match 14-12. Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, THE GAZETTE
Discovery Canyon’s A.J. Rees, left, battles Coronado’s Adrian Cordova in during the 113-pound finals of the Colorado Springs Metro Wrestling Championships Saturday at Doherty High School. Rees won 6-2. Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, THE GAZETTE
Palmer Ridge’s Tyler Thalhammer, left, battle Coronado’s Devin House during the 126-pound finals of the Colorado Springs Metro Wrestling Championships Saturdayat Doherty High School. House won 6-5. Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, THE GAZETTE