Matthew Lavengood’s championship and Hunter Hall’s third-place finish paced the Durango High School wrestling team at the Panther Invitational on Saturday at Delta.
Lavengood, voted the most outstanding wrestler in the smaller classes, swept to a 3-0 record and a title at 120 pounds, continuing a strong start to the season after he qualified for state a year ago.
“He’s wrestling outstanding,” DHS head coach John Gurule said. “He’s probably the most focused kid I have in the room right now, and he’s on a mission, going after a state title.”
Hall marched to a solid 4-1 showing at 126 pounds.
“Hunter is really starting to find his wrestling game,” Gurule said.
Cole Gustavson went 1-2 to finish fourth at 132 pounds, while Devon Pound (113 pounds) and Joe Crawford (145) went 2-2 to claim fifth place in their respective weight classes. The rest of the roster was unable to come away with a victory, and team results for the eight-team event weren’t immediately available.
“We started to learn how to wrestle this weekend, and we’re starting to turn the corner on things,” Gurule said.
DHS now will turn its attention to the always-competitive Warrior Classic on Saturday in Grand Junction, which should provide its stiffest test yet.
“We’re excited to get to Grand Junction,” the first-year head coach said.
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