As iron sharpens iron, so one wrestler sharpens another.

That was the idea behind Discovery Canyon hosting five top-10 teams in a duals tournament Saturday as the final tuneup before regionals and state. The Thunder, ranked No. 2 in Class 4A in Tim Yount’s On the Mat Rankings, won duals against Broomfield (No. 3), Pueblo Central (No. 7) and Montrose (No. 10) as well as 3A No. 1 Alamosa. Defending state champion and top-ranked Windsor was undefeated on the day and beat the Thunder 40-27.

The string of top-flight competition was key in building confidence for some, getting back in shape for others and gaining insight for everyone – especially considering Windsor will be their main competition at regionals in two weeks.

For senior 132-pounder Robert Martinez, back on the mat for the first time in two weeks after an intestinal virus, the timing was good for a one-day tuneup with only one other dual scheduled before regionals. Eighth-ranked Martinez made the most of it with 7-6 decision over No. 13 Keegan Harmon of Montrose and an 8-6 overtime win over No. 3 Zach Mahaney of Alamosa. He lost a 19-2 technical fall to Windsor’s Vince Hooley.

“I feel like we only go to tough tournaments for a reason – to wrestle better,” Martinez said. “This tournament is a preview of what state will be like for us. The timing is good.”

Junior Steve Turner faced an even tougher task at 120 with three top-six opponents; No. 2 Sonny Espinoza of Pueblo Central, No. 5 Kole Kelley of Alamosa and Montrose’s No. 6 Jeremiah Banuelos. Top-ranked Turner was up to the challenge, beating all three, as well as Windsor’s Jacob Meisner, whom he pinned in 1:07.

In the 1 vs. 2 matchup with Espinoza, Turner went up 7-0 after two periods, but had to fight off a near fall by Espinoza in the third to earn an impressive 9-3 decision.

“There was no way I was going to let myself lose,” Turner said. “I knew I was stronger and I was going to pull through.”

Turner has turned heads after starting the season ranked eighth at 126.

“I’ve been working really hard,” Turner said. “I’ve done a lot of extra work. You can’t do what everyone else is doing, you’ve go to do a little extra.”

Senior No. 14 Timmy Call had the toughest draw of the day, getting four opponents ranked in the top four at 138, and he dropped all four matches before bouncing back with a 3-minute, 55-second pin of Pueblo Central’s Kenneth Maisel. But the rough day was not a lost day.

“It’s really important to go out and wrestle with really good guys,” Call said. “It’s good for me to be up against the best of the best. We did some good things and there are some things to improve on (for regionals). I have to say, right before regionals … it gives me good experience.”

Junior AJ Rees (No. 1, 113), senior Garrett Adams (No 5. 160) and sophomore Adrian Mack (No. 5, 170) continued to lead the way for the Thunder, winning all of their matches. Rees scored two pins (one in 1:13 against No. 3 Neff Malouff of Alamosa) and a technical fall, but missed out on wrestling Windsor’s No. 2 Joel Salomon, who forfeited, presumably for seeding purposes at regionals. Mack picked up three pins and a technical fall.

“We wrestle a tough schedule and this another one of those tough tournaments,” Adams said. “It will help us in regionals when you have to grind it out.”