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The 2025 Middle School State Wrestling Tournament concluded Saturday evening, March 22. The Ignacio Bobcat girls and boys wrestling teams, which has been the largest middle school team taken to State, represented Ignacio Middle School and the community extremely well!
In the Girls Division, first year qualifier Kodi Mae Rima led the Bobcats with a sixth-place finish at 130 lbs., making her the first State placing Middle Schooler for Ignacio Middle School. First-year qualifiers Kataleya Peña (94 lbs.) and Addison Quintana (88 lbs.), battled hard in each of their brackets, but came up a little short to podium. The three girls represent the largest number of girls middle school wrestling state qualifiers Ignacio has ever had.
A very special thank you to Ignacio coaches, Peña and Silva for their amazing efforts, travel, and time commitment to the young athletes this season.
Photo Credit: courtesy Esther Rima
Photo Credit: courtesy Esther Rima
Photo Credit: courtesy Esther Rima
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Mid-schooler climbs State podium

Thursday - April 3, 2025 by Joel Priest | Special to the Drum

Representing the largest Ignacio Middle School wrestling team yet taken to Rocky Mountain Nationals’ Colorado State Elementary & Middle School Championships, Kodi Mae Rima not only led the young Lady ’Cats but was the only one of six total qualifiers to earn a podium finish after two days’ worth of work and wait in Denver. 

Concluding competition Saturday evening, March 22, inside the National Western Complex Events Center, Rima finished her run at 130 pounds with a loss via pin to Gunnison’s McKayla Singer in the fifth-place bout. But even with a 13-4 major decision going against her in consolation-semifinal action – against Aurora Spencer of Steel City (Pueblo) Reloaded Wrestling Club – as well, Rima still ended up 3-3 overall including a forfeit victory, then first-period pins over Melina Gutierrez Loya (Greeley United) and Adrianna Smith (Windsor) moving her into the winners’ semis. 

Rima’s fellow first-year State qualifier Kataleya Peña finished 0-2 at 94 pounds, falling by pin to Severance’s Quinly Vondy and Heaton (Pueblo) Middle’s Ava Manzanares, and fellow State rookie Addison Quintana ended up 0-2 at 88 after being pinned by Boltz (Fort Collins) Middle’s Shaina Hyatt and Wiggins’ Mia Fierros. 

In the team standings, Ignacio earned 11 points and finished in 56th place out of 81 squads scoring at least one point. Atop the table, Windsor amassed 92.5 points to defeat runner-up Greeley United (84) and third place Las Animas (78). 

On the boys’ side of things, 130-pounder Wyatt Martin lost by pin to Platte Valley (Kersey) Middle’s Christopher Johnson and then was eliminated via pin by Cedaredge’s Braxton Lorimor. Fellow first-time qualifier Phillip Velasquez lost by pin to unattached entrant Jeremiah Kalcevic, then stayed alive at 165 by picking up a forfeit before losing via pin to University (Greeley) Middle’s Rhett Shoemaker. 

Finally, 200-pounder Zackariah Loudenburg began his State run receiving a bye into the weight’s Round-of-16, then picked up a no-show forfeit win, but then encountered trouble in the quarterfinals and lost via pin to Widefield WC’s Chase Sullivan. Needing to win to remain in the hunt, it just wasn’t to be as Cortez’s Jakobe Begay built up a double-digit points lead before recording a pin. 

IMS’ boys were credited with two team points, landing the trio in a five-way tie for 133rd place in the boys’ standings. Claiming first place was Windsor (173 points), with Johnstown-based Roosevelt Middle (146) and Severance (139) settling for second and third. 

Win or lose, however, IMS coaches Alex Peña and Brandon Silva’s shared efforts and commitments to their wrestlers paid off; the State contingent, proudly representing its community, is believed to be Ignacio’s largest yet and certainly bodes well for future growth of the program. 

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