Bayfield’s 2024 Wolverine Classic was a test of conditioning and endurance. For many wrestlers, it was their first actual action of the young ’24-25 season.
Coan Naranjo, BHS’ only champion at the team’s home meet Saturday, had a simple answer for how he – and likely dozens of others – felt after all was said and done:
“Tired,” he said. “I think my first (match) was pretty bad, but then they just got better.”
Placed in Pool B of the varsity boys’ 144-pound division, Naranjo defeated Ignacio’s Dillon Brann 13-6, beat Monticello, Utah’s Ronnie Harris by 18-0 technical fall, and pinned Aztec’s Dylan Dansie. Naranjo then pinned Pool A entrant Ashton Orr of Montezuma-Cortez in one minute 17 seconds to reach the first-place bout against Farmington’s Adrian Morales. But no matter how rusty Naranjo may have felt, Morales found few opportunities to exploit as Naranjo won by 12-1 major decision to polish off a 5-0 tourney run and start to his winter.
As a whole, Bayfield piled up 91.5 points and finished fourth in the 11-team standings. Totaling 104 points, Gunnison (Class 3A’s preseason No. 7 crew) earned third, with FHS (116) and Monticello (123) atop the table.
The victorious Buckaroos may not have even been at full strength; fourth at last season’s UHSAA Class 1A State Championships, MHS also sent a squad to Moab for Grand County’s Red Rocks Invitational and won 91.5 to 78.
Ignacio tallied 70 points – many coming via Aven Bourriague’s 5-0, first-place run at 120 pounds, and Zane Pontine’s 5-0 (all wins via pin) romp at 157 – at the Classic and placed seventh.
For Bayfield, winning twice via technical fall and once in overtime, Connor Martindale ended up 4-1 for the day and second place at 120 – losing 9-5 to Bourriague in the weight’s finale. Alan Boling took third at 106 and Hunter Mars did likewise at 113, while Payson Blouin placed fourth at 132 and Reese Appenzeller ditto at 138. Justin Westbrook (165) also finished fourth, while Cade Grover came in fifth at 157 and Mason Valencia seventh at 126.
IHS’ Lincoln deKay placed second at 165 pounds, going 4-1 and losing – during Pool A action – by only a 6-2 margin to Kirtland Central’s Nathan Tom. Josh Kerrigan placed fourth at 126 and Brann came in fifth at 144.
On the girls’ side of the Classic, Ignacio scored 48 points and placed fifth, with Bayfield (40) right behind in sixth. Durango earned the team title with 88 points, Gunnison (77.5) came in second and M-CHS (77) settled for third.
Three ’Cats notched runner-up finishes, led by Madison Egger’s 4-1 (all wins via pin) work at 100 pounds. Lainee Bradley went 3-1 and took second in the combined 130/135 division, and Larissa Espinosa went 0-2 at 235 but ended up second to Pagosa Springs’ Laykyn Baxstrom.
Marlene Martinez-Perez earned third at 140 pounds but along the way pinned teammate Krysten Neil, who placed fifth.
For BHS, Leilani Ramos started ’24-25 a scorching 5-0 as she pinned all five of her opponents and grabbed first place at 100. Only Montezuma-Cortez’s Baylee Molzahn, pinned in 65 seconds, managed to survive even one minute.
Bailey Blouin went 2-2 at 125 pounds and pinned M-CHS’ Tinley Philpott in 45 seconds for third place. Anna Rhodes ended up fourth at 105, while Hannah Taylor finished sixth at 120 and Lucy Porter sixth at 140.
Leading Durango were Hana Maletich and Keelyn Reynolds, who placed first at 120 and 130/135, respectively. Maletich pinned her first four foes and then polished off a 5-0 day by defeating Gunnison’s Vika Odud 14-8, while Reynolds pinned three opponents – each in less than 25 seconds – and defeated Bradley by 10-2 major.
Marie Baker took second in the 110/115 division, going 4-1 with four pins and Aleia Fenberg placed second at 125 by going 3-1 with two pins and a tech. Lillian Fenberg finished fourth at 140, going 3-2 with two pins and a tech.
