Sports Writer
MONTROSE -- Thirteen state qualifiers, six regional champs and a fourth consecutive Class 3A Western Regional team title.
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“We finally got our team set and I think we’re about where we need to be,” Olathe High’s head coach Harvey Starbuck said. “The kids wrestled real well.”
“We had a lot of guys wrestle real tough,” OHS’ regional champ Kyle Martinez said. “They’re starting to know what’s at stake and and starting to push for what they want to achieve.”
Olathe easily won with 271.5 points, followed by Gunnison (194), Buena Vista (163), Middle Park (145.5), Hotchkiss (124.5), Cedaredge (109.5), Coal Ridge (94), Salida (63), Classical Academy (62), Lake County (39) and Pinnacle (6).
For Olathe, Bryson Gray (119) and Martinez (189) each won their third regional titles while Jaime Goza won his second.
Since the regional champs will wrestle a fourth-place finisher in the first round of state, Martinez saw his victory as a step in the right direction
“The way I look at it is it puts me in a better position to win state,” Martinez said. “If you would have told me three years ago that I would have been a three-timer, I would have been pretty excited. This year, I’d rather have somebody tell that I’m a state champion and actually be a state champion.”
In the 189-pound championship match, Buena Vista’s Jake Fickle grabbed an early 4-1 lead, but Martinez responded a pair of reversals and eventually pinned Fickle with a half nelson.
Gray was in control all weekend as he won his third title. Gray won by a pin, a technical fall and a 15-4 major decision against Classical Academy’s Jerad Burch in the finals.
Goza had to rally to win his second title. With only 10 seconds left in the third period, Goza escaped from Gunnison’s Josh Roper to tie the championship match and send it into overtime.
In the extra period, Goza finished a double leg to win, 6-4.
Olathe’s other champions include Jose Medina (103), Lyle Vannest (140) and Chris Diaz (160).
“I don’t know how to describe it; it’s like being on top of the world,” Vannest said. “It feels great to be a regional champ, but it’s just one step to getting over the hill.”
Gunnison’s Colton Garcia got within two points of Vannest in the championship match with a reversal in the third period. Vannest, however, responded with a reversal of his own and then put Garcia on his back to win, 9-2.
Medina’s championship match against Hotchkiss’ Leo Elizaldi was tied at three most of the third period. Medina kept getting to his feet and on his third attempt he was finally able to escape and win the match, 4-3.
Diaz won his championship match against Gunnison’s Justin Grosse by pin. Grosse had a slight 2-1 lead and tried to throw him, but Diaz stopped Grosse mid-arch and stuck him.
OHS freshman Casey Bollinger (112), Cody Burch (145) and Wes Yarnell (152) also made it to the championships, but finished second.
Bollinger used a pair of takedowns and near fall to beat Buena Vista’s Adam Masbruck in the semifinals, 7-5, but lost to Hotchkiss’ Alex Quinonez in the finals, 12-2.
Yarnell got to the finals with a pair of pins, but then got pinned by Gunnison’s Dustin Cadwell.
Burch reversed Coal Ridge’s Josh Alsop to his back to help him win the semifinal bout, 13-6, but got pinned by Buena Vista’s Zack Farber in the finals.
Dane Axtell (135), Marvin Rivera (171), Tyler Hawk (285) and freshman Curtis McCormick (130) also qualified to wrestle at the Pepsi Center next week for Olathe.
Axtell trailed 5-1 in his third-place match against Buena Vista’s Josh Saar. Saar tried to extend the lead with a tilt, but Axtell reversed the attempt to get within two points. Then, with under 30 seconds left in the match, Axtell put Saar on his back with a chicken wing and held him there until the final buzzer, winning 6-5.
Rivera got pinned by the eventual champion, Gunnison’s Eric Lee, in the semifinals. Rivera, however, found his way into the Pepsi Center through the back door, pinning Cedaredge’s Jason Anderson and Salida’s Rich Cahill to take third.
McCormick also qualified through the back door. In the consolation-semifinals, McCormick got in on a shot and tripped Buena Vista’s Weston Arnold to his back to help him win, 7-2. McCormick finished fourth behind Cedaredge’s Garret Marquardt.
Seb Wollert was the only Pirate who didn’t qualify for state. The freshman finished the season with six varsity wins.
Other regional champs include Coal Ridge’s Keenan Grumly (130), Gunnison’s Levi Tredway (135) and Salida’s two heavy weights, Mike Mazzucca (215) and Scott Wilkins (285).
Now, the thirteen Pirates will have a chance to add their names to Olathe’s wall of fame in its wrestling room.
mize that deer in the headlights’ syndrome,” Starbuck said.
Gunnison had nine qualifiers, Buena Vista had eight, Middle Park had seven, followed by Hothckiss with six, Salida and Coal Ridge each had four, Cedaredge had three and Classical Academy had two wrestlers qualify.
The state championships begin Thursday.
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