The girls from the Western Slope took Ball Arena by storm Saturday night and came away with a Class 5A title at the CHSAA state wrestling tournament.
The Phoenix, a composite team for District 51 based out of Grand Junction Central, sent 12 girls to the tournament — tied with 4A Pueblo Central for the most — and that depth paid off.
The Phoenix didn’t win an individual title, but they wrestled well enough over the three-day tournament to out-point second-place Loveland and give Greeley Central its first team state title since 2002. The Phoenix finished as runners-up to Pomona at last year’s tournament.
“We brought all of the kids together and we make it work,” coach Chad Dare said. “The kids work really hard and we have a great coaching staff. We have girls who are willing to work really hard and get better at wrestling.”
The Phoenix placed two girls in the finals, but neither came away with gold. At 155 pounds, Brighton’s Matilda Hruby overpowered Shylee Tuzon and stuck her 22 seconds into the third period. At 170 pounds, Thompson Valley’s Anabell Gerrard — wrestling for the combined team at Loveland High — overwhelmed the Phoenix’s Claris McCoy, pinning her in 1:34.
The 5A division was filled with drama Saturday night.
At 145 pounds, senior Dakota Hull became Westminster’s first girls wrestling champion.
“This is just an unbelievable feeling,” she said through tears after pinning Chatfield’s Ryen Hickey in the first period. Both girls entered the bout undefeated.
At 115 pounds, Prairie View sophomore Jaydin Cuevas completed a perfect 43-0 season with a second-period technical fall over Adam City’s Phoebe Gutierrez. Her 16-0 victory was just as dominating as her season.
The top-ranked wrestler in the entire tournament, Doherty senior Katey Valdez, pinned her way to her second state championship, taking down Chatfield’s Lola Gonzales in 4:35 to finish her senior season as the Class 5A girls 105-pound champion at 40-1. Valdez celebrated her title with a backflip.
“I do it all of the time in practice, but this was my first time doing at a meet,” said Valdez. “I couldn’t wait to do it.”
The only wrestler to beat Valdez this season was Bennett freshman Emma Faczak, who stuck Valdez in the second period at a meet in January. Faczak won a state title of her own by defeating Cañon City’s Piper Montoya, 8-1, in the Class 4A girls final.
Pomona finished with two champions.
Sophomore Justice Gutierrez (100 pounds) pinned all four of her opponents in less than 60 seconds, including a 59-second pin of Widefield’s Vivienne Arellano in Saturday night’s final. That’s title No. 2 for Gutierrez, who’s halfway to joining the four-timers club.
“I didn’t feel that nervous,” Gutierrez said. “I’ve wrestled on bigger stages.”
Her teammate, junior 140-pounder Timberly Martinez, is one win away from a four-peat as well in Class 5A. Martinez stuck Sophia Flores of Discovery Canyon in the second period to claim her third state wrestling gold.