The Bayfield and Ignacio state qualifying wrestlers got their first glimpse of next weekend’s Colorado High School Activities Association’s state wrestling tournament brackets Sunday.
The Wolverines are sending five competitors to the 3A tournament and Ignacio has three in the 2A bracket. Bayfield’s undefeated 38-0 heavyweight, Sam Westbrook, will begin his quest to the title against Lamar’s Austin Hall (20-19). The big man is on a collision course with another 38-0 wrestler at the top of the bracket in Mullen’s Sam Deseriere.
BHS’ 126-pound Garrett Beebe (29-9) will face Conifer freshman Zander Condit (37-9) in the opening match. If Beebe wins, he’ll likely meet Fort Lupton’s Jody Sandoval II (42-1) in the second round. 132-pound Wolverine junior Jake Sandrey (40-9) will open with junior Brandon Damian (36-4) of Gilcrest’s Valley High School.
After suffering his first loss of the season over the weekend, 35-1 Ryan Nava will look improve on a silver-medal effort last year and make a run to the title in the 145-pound class beginning with Woodland Park High School freshman Cole Gray (29-15). The man who beat Nava, Centauri’s Brandon Buhr (39-9), is on the other side of the bracket, and a rematch would be for the state championship.
BHS senior Macoy Michaeli (39-7) is matched up with Conifer senior Jack Prentner (26-7) in the first match at 170 and will likely face Valley High School’s Josh Flanagan (40-4) in the second round.
Ignacio’s Stocker Robbins (20-6) will wrestle Peyton sophomore J.D. Hart (24-13) in the opening round at 132. In the stretch run of his impressive career at IHS, senior Ethan Appenzeller will start his march to the finals at 145 against Emmanuel Huerta, a freshman from Wray High School. In the 160-pound bracket, Lorenzo Peña (33-4) will open up against Sedgwick County’s Cade Rober (22-12).
The state tournaments will be held at the Pepsi Center, in Denver, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
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