DENVER – Under the 2026 CHSAA Class 2A State Wrestling Championships format, Aven Bourriague ended up with more time on his hands than he knew, or even wanted to know what to do with.
After fans filling Ball Arena Saturday evening glimpsed Ignacio’s senior 113-pounder entering the venue during the all-classification Parade of Champions, they had to wait quite a bit longer to see if the first of two finals-qualifying Bobcats could collect the ultimate prize.
The aforementioned POC got underway just after 4 p.m., but Bourriague didn’t get to step onto Rocky Ford’s mad melon-adorned mat until 5:48 – by which point he had almost exhausted all ways he knew to remain patient.
“I was so nervous,” he admitted afterward. “I was pacing back and forth … just trying to soak in all of the moment, because I’ve only got one of these. One time.”
Bourriague’s teammate Lincoln deKay was also up for a state title at 165. deKay got the job done, becoming Ignacio’s first state champion since 2011. Bourriague came up short in the final, ending his fantastic high school career as a runner-up at state.
One time for his mind, but his second time in ‘the show,’ Bourriague was ready, but Buford more so to go. The Charger senior set the tone early and quickly built up a 7-0 lead through the first two-minute period. Bourriague began the second period in the top position, but couldn’t make any headway on the scoreboard and went into the third still behind by seven points.
Squaring off against Buford in the upright, neutral position, Bourriague later avoided being blanked by earning an escape point. But despite conceding nothing more to Buford, neither could Bourriague gain any additional traction in what ended up being an emotional, career-ending 7-1 loss.
“I’m always doubting myself, don’t think I’m good enough to wrestle with them, don’t think I’m good enough to be here,” Bourriague said. “But … at that moment, like, I realized I do belong here. This work has paid off, and it was a really good moment.”
It was a bittersweet junior season in 2024-2025 for Bourriague because he didn’t wrestle after being injured. He saw this season as his last ride, and he finished his senior year 44-7 after Buford improved to 37-2.
“All of us (seniors) know we’re not going to be wrestling later on, so we said, ‘Let’s just make the most out of this!,’” Bourriague said. ‘“Let’s not whine about practice, not whine about the workouts; let’s do this and go as hard as we can.’ It obviously paid off to have Lincoln (deKay) win state which is amazing, and I’m so happy for him.”
Senior Zane Pontine capped his own career earlier in the day, pinning down fifth place at 157 pounds by pinning Burlington junior Scout Humrich 17 ticks into the third period. Going 4-2 at the Championships, Pontine finished 41-11 overall and Humrich 35-8.
Fighting against not only opponents but a left collarbone injury from the previous weekend’s regional in Cedaredge, senior Joshua Kerrigan (29-19) was 0-2 at 126 pounds, but received a proper appreciative hug from final foe Triston Esquivel, a Burlington junior who eliminated Kerrigan early on Day 2 via 11-3 major decision.
Finally, senior Dillon Brann (21-23) went 1-2 at 144, notching a 22-10 major on Day 1 against Fowler freshman Taten Phillips in the weight’s first consolation round before he was then pinned early on Day 2 by Swink senior Kyler Lagregen.
Happily blowing kisses to the crowd on Saturday before leaving a mat for the last time, senior Larissa Espinosa became the developing IHS girls’ program’s first three-time state placer, thanks to her pin 10 seconds into the second period of Yuma senior Danika Dischner in the CHSAA Girls Class 4A State Championships 235-pound division.
That gave Espinosa (19-4 overall) not only third place, but her fourth consecutive win following an 8-4 quarterfinals loss to Las Animas freshman Elizabeth Gallegos, but later a 3-1 victory over Woodland Park senior Cheyenne Becker in the consolation semis.
Senior Krysten Neil ended up 3-2 at state and in fourth place at 135 after losing 7-5 on Saturday to Lamar senior Addy Krug. Initially defeated, via pin, by Cañon City senior star Kate Doughty (coached by, among others, former Ignacio athletic director Leo Garand) in the semifinals, Neil (31-8) then beat consolation-semi foe McKayla Singer of Gunnison by 11-3 major.
Junior Lainee Bradley (18-8) went 2-2 at 125 pounds, but after pinning Severance’s Nevaeh Odegaard in the second consolation round, lost via third-period pin to Walsenburg senior Ivey McAlhany. Finally, freshman Ireland Cates (4-20) went 0-2 at 140 after being pinned on Thursday by Florence senior Alyee Johnson in 1:44, then defeated via 15-0 technical fall by Burlington freshman Sayler Wall.
All told, Ignacio earned 43 points and finished in 17th place. Only Alamosa (T-12th, 51 points) ranked higher among teams hailing from south of both Interstate 70 and U.S. 50.
