He didn’t receive the elevated takedown slam then-senior teammate John Foutz received – in full view of dumbfounded Pepsi Center fans witnessing the unusual celebration – last winter after winning the Class 3A 220-pound grand finale.
But to current Bayfield senior Dylan Pickering, receiving something of a fireman’s carry atop head coach Todd McMenimen’s right shoulder was just about the perfect way to not only step off Pueblo’s Southwest Motors Events Center’s mat at the 2021 State Wrestling Championships but also exit his high school wrestling career.
“It was different compared to all the other years,” Pickering said earlier this week of the COVID-shortened 2021 slate, “but I was super happy that we even had a wrestling season. And that meant a lot because he was my head wrestling coach and he was there my first-ever match. It was awesome for him to want to carry me off.”
Hoisted high by the Wolverines’ boss following a 6-4 win over Sterling senior Riley Bornhoft in the third-place bout of Class 3A’s 145-pound bracket, Pickering concluded his senior year standing 16-3 overall and 103-42 for his time in a BHS singlet.
And when the Colorado High School Activities Association recently released its All-State teams, Pickering (who’d also reached State in 2020 at 138 but did not place) was one of 28 grapplers named to the Class 3A honorable mention list.
Presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps based upon state results, such recognition was afforded the 14 third-place and 14 fourth-place individuals. The 14 runners-up were named Second Team All-State, while the victors (such as Pagosa Springs senior 160-pounder Cameron Lucero) received First Team salutes.
Also recognized from the Four Corners, Mancos freshman Levi Martin earned First Team All-State in Class 2A in the wake of capturing the top prize at 113 pounds, while Mancos freshman Dillon Eichner received Honorable Mention at 106.
Class 3A Second Team All-State went to Pagosa Springs senior 145-pounder Dylan Tressler and 220-pound junior Skyler Hill, while senior Erik Wyman (120), senior Brae Bergdolt (152) and junior Wil Aucoin (182) received Honorable Mention nods after their respective contributions all helped the Pirates and head coach Dan Janowsky bag the classification’s team title.
Montezuma-Cortez senior Anthony Abeyta was also an Honorable Mention All-3A recipient, having lost 4-2 to Bergdolt with third place at stake.
