Four qualify, three log at least one win
Making new Ignacio Wrestling history while concluding her all-too-short prep career, senior Faye Hackett logged one victory in three tries at the 2023 CHSAA Girls’ Wrestling State Championship, Feb. 16-18 inside Ball Arena.
Unlucky in her two bouts at the same event last winter, Hackett handled business right off the bat in Denver and pinned Colorado Springs-based 4A Mesa Ridge sophomore Nevaeh Nomura 1 minute, 33 seconds into the opening two-minute period. 4A Broomfield junior Samantha White, however, then pinned Hackett in an elapsed 2:51 of their quarterfinal, and Hackett’s run at 130 pounds then ended early as 4A Denver North sophomore Neveah Torres notched a pin 26 ticks into the second period.
Coincidentally, White (14-9 overall) ultimately defeated Torres (22-15) by 15-3 major decision in the fifth-place bout.
19-10 when a junior, Hackett finished the ’22-23 campaign an outstanding 25-5 – earning all four of IHS’ team points, which tied 2A Walsenburg John Mall for 55th place in the single-classification standings. 5A Littleton Chatfield captured first with 133, barely bettering 4A Colorado Springs Discovery Canyon’s 128, with 5A Arvada Pomona (116), 4A Loveland (88) and 5A Grand Junction Central (80) filling out the top five of 67 scoring squads.
Also qualifying for the 2A-level Lady ’Cats, freshman Larissa Espinosa (8-14) competed at 190 pounds. Dealt a tough first-round draw in 5A Centennial Eaglecrest senior Blythe Cayko, Espinosa went 0-2 after losing to the eventual State Champion (who ended up 25-2) by pin in 40 seconds, and then in consolation-round action to 4A Aurora Vista PEAK Prep junior Taryn Holloway. Holloway, however, had to work from first to last whistle in winning 12-9.
Her survival was brief; 5A Fort Collins Poudre soph Ezry Bonomo eliminated her in the next round via first-period pin.
In the 2023 CHSAA Class 2A Boys’ State Championship standings, Ignacio totaled four points in sharing 39th place with Holyoke, Walden North Park and Peyton.
Finishing his first season 15-14 overall, freshman 106-pounder Aven Bourriague went 1-2 with a first-period, consolation-round pin of Cedaredge’s Devin Saenz. He’d then be eliminated by Pueblo-based Dolores Huerta Prep sophomore A.J. Jaramillo, who stuck Bourriague 1:33 into the second two-minute period. Powering through to the third Mile High City night, Fowler junior Waitley Sharon (43-2) ultimately won the State Championship, 3-2 over Wray freshman Austin Collins (29-1).
Relegated to the bracket’s left side by Ordway-based Crowley County freshman Derreck Buford in the winners’ quarterfinals, Jaramillo (31-5) responded most emphatically. Including his defeat of Bourriague, he strung together four consecutive consolation-round victories – capped by a second-period pin of, ironically, Buford (32-10) in the third-place test.
IHS freshman Lincoln deKay (19-18) also notched one victory – a 10-8 sudden-victory result over County Line’s Ty Michael – in his three bouts at 138. Initially dropped into the consolation rounds by a Day 1 loss to CCHS senior Dillon Buford, who prevailed by pin in 1:45, deKay was eliminated on Day 2 by Merino senior Tyler Frank, who earned a pin in an elapsed 3:51.
Avenging his younger brother – while personally earning his third State title – WHS’ Brady Collins polished off a 48-0 senior season pinning Buford (31-5) 1:09 into the grand finale’s third period. Frank (29-11), meanwhile, fell 5-3 to Monte Vista senior DeAngelo Archuleta (26-9) in the fifth-place clash.
Piling up 183 points, Wray won the team title after outlasting Meeker (169.5). Representing well the San Juan Basin League, Mancos (119.5) came in third – junior Cole Dainty-Guilfoyle won the 175-pounders’ crown, and classmate Levi Martin was second at 132 – with Buena Vista (91) and Rocky Ford (87) rounding out the top five of 45 teams managing at least a point.