State wrestling notes
Class 5A
Despite a disappointing semifinal round, Pine Creek had a strong finish to the state tournament. The Eagles placed six wrestlers in the top six for 80 team points, finishing fifth in the team standings.
Senior Chris Cos (145 pounds), junior Dakota Colonese (138) and freshman Jordan Martinez (106) all closed their season on winning notes. Cos won a thrilling, 3-2 decision to claim third place.
Colonese scored a 59-second pin to take fifth place, while Martinez won a 9-4 decision for fifth.
Senior Geoffrey Curtis (182) finished fourth, and senior Isaac Ortiz (170) and freshman Juan Rodriguez (120) both finished sixth.
Coronado senior Joe Hunt finished fourth at 285, while sophomore Ryan Strabala took sixth at 220.
Class 4A
Discovery Canyon and Mesa Ridge were tops among area teams in the 4A team race.
Mesa Ridge placed three wrestlers in the top six for 60 points and a seventh-place finish, their best team finish in school history.
Discovery Canyon placed sixth. Senior Adrian Mack avenged his first-round loss to Falcon’s Justin Barron with a 5-4 victory in the consolation bracket, then went on to earn a third-place finish. Barron took fifth with a pin in 4:28 of Pueblo South’s Mark Espinoza.
Barron’s classmate Charlie Wallace took sixth at 195.
Widefield freshman Stephen Dabelko (106) finished sixth. Air Academy junior Tyler Hanenberg (126) took sixth.
Lewis-Palmer had two placers with senior Darryan Vanderpool (fourth, 138) and junior Joey Neumann (sixth, 132) sixth. Sand Creek’s Jeremy Jaquess (160) finished his career with a fifth-place finish.
Classes 2A-3A
TCA finished with three placers — seniors Andrew Register (145, fifth place) and Zach Johns (160, fifth), and sophomore Ryan Francis (106, sixth).
Ellicott senior Fabian Hermosillo finished third, knocking off Register in the consolation semifinal.
St. Mary’s senior Miles Keane took sixth at Class 3A 285. In 2A, Calhan’s Jacob Freeland lost a 5-2 decision to Yuma’s Bryce Leifheit in the 152 third-place match.
Eva Devitt, 3, left, of Colorado Springs and Cami Kranz, 4, of Peyton play on the arena fence between workshops during the Colorado Springs Horseman’s Day Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014, at the Norris-Penrose Event Center. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)