Ashley, Rima lead IMS boys, girls at SJBLs 

Able to pin his first three opponents Saturday, March 8, Solomon Ashley completed a team-leading 4-0 run through the San Juan Basin League Middle School Wrestling Championships’ 95-pound ‘B’ division with a 19-1 technical-fall rout of Pagosa Springs’ Kainoa Landry. 

And with teammates Teagan Swanson (3-0 at 120/125 ‘B,’ two pins), Aiden Scott (3-0 in 130 ‘B,’ three pins), Phillip Velasquez (2-0 at 170 ‘A,’ two pins) and Zach Loudenburg (3-0 at 200 ‘A,’ two pins) also capturing first place at their respective weights, along with Kodi Mae Rima (2-0 at 130, two pins) on the tournament’s girls’ side, Ignacio posted a fifth-place score of 120 points. 

PSMS racked up a winning 369.5, and Cortez (293.5) had to settle for second. Durango Escalante totaled 259.5 and finished third, with meet-hosting Bayfield (249) coming in fourth and Durango Miller (91) sixth. 

Additionally for Ignacio, Brekan Romero went 3-1 at 115 pounds and placed second in the weight’s ‘A’ division. Wyatt Martin finished second at 130, going 2-1 and losing only to teammate Scott. Wes Nossaman went 2-1 with two pins at 105 ‘B’ and placed second. Max Growler went a third-place 1-2 at 200, Emmanuel Lucero went 1-3 and placed fourth in the 137-pound ‘A’ division, and Dawson Neil went a fourth-place 1-3 at 144 ‘A.’ His victory, a 13-2 major decision, came over teammate John Scott, who placed fifth. 

In girls’ action, Kataleya Pena went 1-1 and placed second at 94 pounds. Maddison Romero went 1-2 and placed third at 116 after winning by medical forfeit over teammate Charlie Melrose, who finished a fourth-place 0-3. Karver Brown went 0-2 but placed second in the small 72-pound division, and Addison Quintana fared likewise at 88.