Named a coach for the 59th annual CHSCA All-State Games' wrestling spectacle, 4A Durango's John Gurule won't be the only southwesterner seen mat-side inside Adams State University's Plachy Hall next Friday.
For in addition to his Demons Patrick Cunnion and Matthew Lavengood, the extended Four Corners' contingent will count Bayfield's Colter McMenimen when grappling gets going in Alamosa at 2 p.m. on June 12.
The now-graduated senior Wolverine, before leaving the Pine River Valley to become a Cornell (Iowa) College football student-athlete, will be one of 25 statewide stars-and one of an even dozen from Class 3A-plying their powerful trade for one last time as preps.
As of Wednesday's deadline McMenimen's opponent was not yet known, but BHS head coach and father Todd McMenimen wagered it could be a fairly familiar face.
"I'm not sure," he said via phone, "but if I had to guess I might say Joseph Prieto of (Broomfield) Holy Family, being he's the only one I saw on the list that's really wrestled 145's. And that's the same kid Colter lost to in the semis at state his sophomore year."
Prieto finished second at the 2015 Class 3A state championships, while McMenimen was fourth.
Fort Lupton's Dakota Macy would have made for an interesting foe, but Bayfield's boss doubted the matchup would materialize.
"Dakota-the kid Colter beat for third his sophomore year-he was at 126's," Todd McMenimen said. "But he's stayed down there the last couple seasons, so he'd be quite a bit smaller."
Macy finished his FLHS career fifth at the weight back in February inside Denver's Pepsi Center, having been bumped into the last placing match by BHS' now-junior Ryan Nava, the eventual fourth-place finisher.
Also coaching will be Fort Lupton's Tom Galicia, 3A Kersey Platte Valley's John Pfleiderer and 5A Northglenn's Brian Hufford.
Also slated to wrestle at Adams State will be 2A Dove Creek's Chance Randolph (fourth place at 138 pounds at State) and 3A Alamosa's Tel Kelley (third at 132).
