IHS 13th at Rocky Mountain Invite

Totaling 42.5 points, the Ignacio Bobcats wrestled their way to a 13th-place finish at Pagosa Springs’ competitive 2023 Rocky Mountain Invitational Saturday, Jan. 7.

Senior Keaton McCoy led the way with his fourth-place result at 150 pounds. Making his much-awaited season debut, he finished a hard 2-2 after losing by second-period pin to Monticello, Utah, senior Javlin Robison – last winter a UHSAA Class 1A State Champion – and then by second-period pin to 4A Durango’s No. 3-ranked Chris McGrath in the third-place bout.

Losing only to 3A PSHS’ No. 3-ranked Luke Tressler in the quarterfinals, freshman Zane Pontine ended up posting a 4-1 mark and earning fifth place at 132 after pinning 2A Monte Vista’s Chevy Kincannon early in the third two-minute period. Kendrick Nossaman went 3-2 at 165 and snagged seventh place by pinning 2A Del Norte’s Ulices Maez 1:46 into the first period.

In the lowest weights, IHS struggled; Aven Bourriague went 0-2 at 106, Joshua Kerrigan fared likewise at 113 and Dillon Brann ditto at 120. Competing at 138 pounds, Lincoln deKay went 1-2 with a technical-fall victory in his first match, but Asher Gallegos finished 0-2 at 144, with one loss courtesy Monticello’s Zachary Thayn (a UHSAA State Runner-up in 2022).

Working towards a possible sixth straight New Mexico Activities Association Class 4A State Championship, Aztec ruled the RMI with 219 points, while 4A rival Bloomfield, N.M., came in second with 192. La Jara, Colo.-based 3A Centauri (178), PSHS (168.5) and MVHS (136) rounded out the standings’ top five.