State wrestling: Petrash saddles up and rides to 285-pound title
Denver – Success breeds success.
The first thing out of the mouth of newly crowned 4A heavyweight champion Justin Petrash was a shout out to the former Air Academy champion and current Air Force Academy wrestler Rip Price, who won the 220 title in 2012.
“This is what I’ve been working for four years,” Petrash said after exchanging matside hugs and back slaps from family and friends. “Rip showed us it was possible, now I did it myself.”
Petrash (37-3), a senior, pinned his first two opponents before gutting out a 1-0 decision in the semifinal to set up the meeting with Broomfield senior Austyn Harris, whom he narrowly beat in the regional final, 3-2, one week ago.
That match revealed some flaws in Petrash’s game and he got to work in correcting them.
“It showed me how sloppy I was,” Petrash said.
So he got some help from an old friend in Price, as he has the last two seasons.
“He would come down from the academy to train me,” Petrash said. “It was very helpful. I learned how to ride better (this week). He worked with me on riding.”
The work paid off in the second period against Harris. Following a scoreless first period Harris (38-7) chose to start the second period on the bottom and Petrash rode out the period on top, scoring two near-fall points in the closing seconds. In the third Petrash scored an escape and late takedown for the 5-0 decision.
“If anybody deserves it, it’s Justin,” Kadets coach Blue Anderson said. “He outworks everybody. Anything he can do to get an edge, he’ll do it. He’ll go outside of the room to find it like working with Rip if he has to.”
Anderson saw the seeds of this title planted a little over a year ago when Petrash beat a local rival for the first time in the regional meet.
“He just did everything right to win that match,” Anderson said. “I knew he had it in him at that point. Any time the match is close, we’re not worried.”
While his coach kept pointing to Petrash’s work ethic, Petrash himself kept going back to his coaches, especially Price for taking the time to mentor him despite his own busy schedule.
“It shows me that (Rip) saw I could be a state champ,” Petrash said, “and he was going to do anything possible to make me into one.”
Air Academy’s Justin Petrash celebrates his 5-0 championship win against Broomfield’s Austyn Harris during the 4A, 195 pound Colorado Wrestling State Championship finals Saturday, February 22, 2014 at the Pepsi Center. Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette
Air Academy’s Justin Petrash, back, capitalizes on a mistake by Broomfield’s Austyn Harris to send him to the mat during the 4A, 195 pound Colorado Wrestling State Championship finals Saturday, February 22, 2014 at the Pepsi Center. Petrash won the championship 5-0. Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette
Tina and Jason Petrash congratulate their son, Air Academy’s Justin Petrash, after his 5-0 championship win against Broomfield’s Austyn Harris during the 4A, 195 pound Colorado Wrestling State Championship finals Saturday, February 22, 2014 at the Pepsi Center. Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette