Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Top of Rockies competition rocks

135 weight class loaded with four state champions

By Scott Stocker, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 19, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

Text size  
Candace Workman, a 103-pounder from Uintah High School in Vernal, Utah, wrestles LeRoy Delgard of Centaurus at the Top of the Rockies tournament. Workman won 11-9.

Photo by Linda McConnell / Special To The Rocky

Candace Workman, a 103-pounder from Uintah High School in Vernal, Utah, wrestles LeRoy Delgard of Centaurus at the Top of the Rockies tournament. Workman won 11-9.

More Wrestling

More stories »

Talk about brutal.

That might be the best way to describe the 135-pound weight class at the Top of the Rockies wrestling tournament at Centaurus High School.

In that classification for the 33-school tournament, considered the toughest in the state by several coaches and wrestlers, are four state champions and 15 ranked among the top-10 individuals by On the Mat.

For that matter, the entire tournament could be considered brutal. There are 29 wrestlers from the three classifications ranked No. 1 and 20 ranked No. 2.

Of the four champion 135- pounders, only Pueblo South's Jeremy Aguero had what could be considered a tough first- round match. He faced Ponderosa's Austin Gabel, ranked No. 4 in Class 5A, and earned a 5-1 victory. He pinned Brighton's Luke Case in 5:38 in the second round.

Pomona's Nick Jones, Fort Lupton's Saul Guerrero and Greeley Central's Scott Schaeffer pinned their first-round opponents. And considering none had trouble in the second round, they could face each other in the semifinals today.

After two rounds, Alamosa leads with 601/2 points, Ponderosa is second with 521/2, and Broomfield and Roosevelt are tied for third at 511/2.

"This is one of the toughest tournaments that I've been in in my life," said Aguero, the 119- pound champ in Class 4A last year who is 10-1 and coming off an early-season injury. "(Gabel) was a real tough kid. He made it difficult for me to do my stuff."

Guerrero, who is seeking his third championship in 4A, pinned Brent Bodkin of Adams City in 50 seconds in the first round and won by a technical fall (17-0) against Travis Stickney of Conifer in the second.

Schaeffer pinned Anthony Delgado of Centaurus in 3:29, then pinned Sean Mahaney of Alamosa in 3:50. Jones pinned Jarron Cito of Roosevelt in 1:32 and earned a 19-2 technical fall victory against Justin McCarrell of Cheyenne Central.

Guerrero (20-0) and Jones (22-2) are on the top half of the bracket, Aguero and Schaeffer (18-2) on the bottom.

"Coming into the tournament, I knew there was a chance for a couple state champions, but four - this bracket is loaded," said Guerrero, who won state at 119 pounds as a sophomore and 130 last season.

Jones, who won state last year at 119, is from 5A, with the other three from 4A. "This is definitely a tournament that you prepare for, as almost all the top guys are here," Jones said.

"This is really fun and I like the competition here," Schaffer said. "I like how the officials were able to spread it out and at least give the four of us a chance to reach the semifinals. . . . I think the tougher competition gives all of us a chance to pick it up."

Also advancing was Candace Workman, of Uintah High in Vernal, Utah, who beat LeRoy Delgard of Centaurus 11-9 in a 103- pound match to reach the quarterfinals. The sixth-place finisher at the Utah state tournament is the only girl at the event and improved to 31-8.

Wrestling continues at 8:30 a.m. today with the championship matches scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

stockers@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5275