DENVER – Inspired in part by heavyweight Elliot Sam’s successful romp through the consolation rounds, and later Levi Martin’s loss in the 132-pounders’ grand finale, Mancos junior Cole Dainty-Guilfoyle wanted to put forth something special Saturday as Southwest Colorado’s last hope of bringing home the ultimate prize from the 2023 CHSAA state wrestling championships.
“Yeah, that just made me try even harder,” Dainty-Guilfoyle said. “I was really going in doing it for Levi, because I know how bad he’d wanted it. And I was so stoked. It was my first time being in the finals.”
Pit against Wray senior Caeden Bauer, 42-4 entering the 175-pounders’ bout and looking to add to the powerhouse Eagles’ slim lead over Meeker in Class 2A’s team standings, Dainty-Guilfoyle gave Bauer a battle worthy of a state championship and roared triumphantly as the referee slapped the mat – signaling a pin 48 seconds into the third period.
MHS’ conqueror put the career-making achievement inside Ball Arena in a group context.
“To qualify eight and place six is just amazing,” Dainty-Guilfoyle (40-3) said. “I’ve put in a lot of work this season, but I couldn’t have done it without my best friend and brother Ayden (Mathews), a senior. And also (MHS assistant) coach (and former two-time state champion at Montezuma-Cortez) Cole Allison.”
Led by Dainty-Guilfoyle’s 4-0 title run, Martin’s 3-1 runner-up result and Sam’s 5-1 third-place showing, Mancos – guided by first-year head coach Ty Penning, a 2009 Durango graduate – racked up 119.5 points and finished behind only Wray (183) and Meeker (169.5) in the Mile High City. Brandon Vannest went 4-1 and took third at 138, Isaiah Martinez went 4-2 and took fifth at 120, and Mathews went a sixth-place 2-3 at 165.
“Overall, I think we went out and just surprised a lot of people. Last year, we weren’t even top-five,” Dainty-Guilfoyle said. “So … I’m going to be in the weight room as much as possible, and just try to get stronger and faster – perfect my game.”
Pinned in 0:36 by Trinidad’s Eddie Bowman (42-0) in the finals, Martin ended his junior season 40-5. Also a junior, Sam finished 32-13. Sophomore Vannest finished 37-8, while Martinez and Mathews concluded their senior season standing, respectively, 38-9 and 33-10.
Also representing the 2A San Juan Basin League, Ignacio totaled four points in sharing 39th place with Holyoke, Walden North Park and Peyton, though neither qualifying Bobcat made his way to the podium.
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. Freshman Lincoln deKay (19-18) also notched one victory – a 10-8 sudden-victory result over Ty Michael of County Line – in his three bouts at 138.
SJBLer Tyson Beanland (26-8), a junior at Dove Creek, went 1-2 at 150 pounds – earning 43rd-place DCHS’ three points.
In Class 3A, Bayfield managed 15 points, tying Rifle and Parachute Grand Valley for 33rd place.
Going 2-3 for his three days in Denver, junior Keaton Pickering (34-11) led the Wolverines with a sixth-place finish at 120 pounds. An unlucky 2-2 at 165, sole senior Deegan Barnes (36-10) just missed standing on the podium, while junior heavyweight Jordan Cundiff (21-15) ended up a non-placing 1-2 and freshman Zayden Cundiff (25-17) went 0-2 at 138.
Piling up 128 points, Eaton won the 3A team title, beating out Severance (109.5) and Brush (103.5).
One of 4A Durango’s two state qualifiers, sophomore standout Ryan Dugan (56-6) went 4-2 at the championships and placed fifth at 113 pounds via a 12-3 major decision over Johnstown Roosevelt’s Cade Liniger on Day 3. 132-pounder Riley Belt (49-13) did not place at his weight, but the junior didn’t depart empty-handed as he logged one win – a consolation-round pin of Thornton Riverdale Ridge’s Ariel Villalobos – in three tries.
All told, Pueblo East (154 points) held off Windsor (145) atop the 4A team standings, with Loveland Thompson Valley (117), Pueblo County (104) and Roosevelt (101) rounding out the top five.
In the single-classification CHSAA Girls’ Wrestling State Championship, running concurrent with the boys’ tournament, Ignacio’s Faye Hackett (25-5) went 1-2 at 130 pounds. Though unable to place as a senior, she still earned IHS four team points – which tied 2A Walsenburg John Mall for 55th place in the standings.
Fellow SJBLer Rylie McCabe (19-15), a Nucla senior, went 0-2 at 125. Bayfield senior Grace Patton (11-9) and IHS freshman Larissa Espinosa both went 0-2 at 190, but Durango freshman Hana Maletich (32-14) was a podium near-miss after going 2-2 at 110. Her work produced five team points, helping DHS tie 3A Lamar for 53rd.
5A Littleton Chatfield captured first place with 133 points, bettering 4A Colorado Springs Discovery Canyon’s 128. 5A Arvada Pomona (116), 4A Loveland (88) and 5A Grand Junction Central (80) filled out the top five of 67 scoring squads.
