Barely 15 seconds apart, Ignacio’s final two wrestlers, juniors Zane Pontine and Lincoln deKay, finished their final matches Saturday evening at the Ignacio-hosted 2025 Butch Melton Memorial Invitational. Both came out victorious, clinching IHS’ only individual titles. As a team, the Bobcats earned 67 points, finishing seventh out of 17 teams.
Locking up a 5-0 day at 157 pounds, Pontine methodically pinned his first four foes inside IHS Gymnasium before defeating Dolores’ River Wickstrom with a 15-0 technical fall. On the adjacent mat at 165, deKay also went 5-for-5, ending with a 12-2 major decision over Kirtland Central’s Nathan Tom and being named the meet’s Upper Weight Outstanding Wrestler (weight classes 150 pounds and above). Finishing 3-2 on the day, Joshua Kerrigan pinned three opponents and placed fifth at 126 pounds.
“We’re just working toward regionals right now and I’m working as hard as I can with my wrestling partner,” Pontine said, referring to deKay. “And I … think I’m pretty ready; just need to get a little bit better conditioning and a little bit better technique and I’m there.”
Before the final round, lifelong Bobcat and former Butch Melton-motivated wrestler Rocky Cundiff was inducted into IHS Coaches’ Hall of Fame for his contributions in wrestling, track-and-field and volleyball, plus a six-year stint as athletic director. Coincidentally, his name was put on the wall directly next to Melton’s.
“One of my original mentors … he coached me in second grade,” said Cundiff, who was presented to the crowd by Ross Melton. “That’s pretty awesome to be next to Mr. Melton; I still don’t know if I deserve it, to be honest with you. It was a real honor to see people I’ve worked with, played with, wrestled with, coached with … that helped me become who I was as a coach. But you can’t put it all in words.”
Including Lower Weight Outstanding Wrestler (under 150 pounds) Ethan Hice (4-0, first at 132), Cedaredge piled up 314.5 points and easily captured first place, while Mancos snatched second away from Bayfield, 108.5 to 108. New Mexico’s Kirtland Central (102.5) and Bloomfield (87) filled out the standings’ top five.
IHS GIRLS TAKE EIGHTH: On the girls’ side of the tournament, Ignacio tallied 35 points and placed eighth. Atop the standings was Bloomfield (193.5), with Gallup, New Mexico, scoring a second-place 113 and KCHS a third-place 106.
Krysten Neil led the way for IHS; she went 3-1 with three pins at 135 pounds and placed second. At 235, Larissa Espinosa needed to wrestle just once but lost by pin to Bloomfield’s Caylee Miller and thus finished second. At 100 pounds, Madison Egger ended up 2-2 and in fifth place after pinning Monte Vista’s Elena Baumgardner.
