Certainly a few schools would have been interested in a student-athlete capable enough to motivate a football team on both sides of the pigskin, as well as assert himself on a wrestling mat – all despite being one of the smaller individuals in uniform.
However, Adams State University has something other teams do not to draw in Keaton Pickering: His brother, Dylan.
That made Keaton Pickering’s decision to sign with the Grizzlies on Wednesday an easy one.
“Our only year together was my freshman year – his senior year – and that was during COVID, so we never really got the chance to do anything (athletically) together,” the younger Pickering said.
A three-time Class 3A State Championships qualifier, Pickering compiled a 101-32 varsity record despite having his rookie year abbreviated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Competing in the shortened 2020-21 campaign at 106 pounds, he very nearly made it to the relocated State Championships in Pueblo, but placed second at the previous weekend’s regional when basically only champions advanced.
Dylan Pickering, who just finished his redshirt sophomore season at Adams State, won the regional title at 145 pounds and concluded his Wolverine Wrestling days placing third inside Southwest Motors Event Center.
The elder Pickering recently wrapped up his 2023-24 competition slate placing sixth at the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open, held Feb. 18 at Colorado School of Mines.
Even more recently Adams State’s season essentially ended after a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Super Region VI Tournament, hosted by Colorado State University Pueblo. Three of Jason Ramstetter’s wrestlers, however, did qualify for the NCAA Division II Men’s Wrestling National Championships March 15-16.
Redshirt sophomore Aaden Valdez (a Pueblo East) will vie at 165 pounds, fellow redshirt soph Angel Flores (Colorado Springs, Colorado/Coronado) at 141, and true sophomore Isaiah Gamez (La Junta, Colorado/La Junta) at 125 inside Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas, near Wichita.
Keaton Pickering may keep tabs on Gamez’s progress, as he will likely begin his Grizzlies career as Gamez’s understudy in the 125-pound division. And that seems to suit Pickering just fine.
“It’s one-of-a-kind, that level of coaching there. They’re top-notch, for sure,” he said. “Their staff, their wrestlers, my brother – all of them. Like, it just all felt right to me. And being close, it’ll be affordable.”
