Graduated Bayfield wrestler Colter McMenimen is presented to fans inside Adams State University's Plachy Hall after winning the 152-pound match during the 59th Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State Games' Blue-Red dual last Friday. McMenimen won an 11-3 major decision over Fort Lupton's Zechariah Garcia, but was part of the Red Team, which came up short in a 33-14 loss to Blue.

PHOTOS BY JOEL PRIEST

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Graduated Bayfield wrestler Colter McMenimen is presented to fans inside Adams State University's Plachy Hall after winning the 152-pound match during the 59th Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State Games' Blue-Red dual last Friday. McMenimen won an 11-3 major decision over Fort Lupton's Zechariah Garcia, but was part of the Red Team, which came up short in a 33-14 loss to Blue.

PHOTOS BY JOEL PRIEST

McMenimen works against Garcia last Friday.

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McMenimen works against Garcia last Friday.

McMenimen (right) stands with fellow La Plata County grapplers Matthew Lavengood (left) and Patrick Cunnion of Durango after all three were victorious individually at last Friday's 59th Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State Games' Blue-Red dual inside Adams State University's Plachy Hall. The pair of Demons were on the winning Blue Team, which defeated the Red 33-14.

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McMenimen (right) stands with fellow La Plata County grapplers Matthew Lavengood (left) and Patrick Cunnion of Durango after all three were victorious individually at last Friday's 59th Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State Games' Blue-Red dual inside Adams State University's Plachy Hall. The pair of Demons were on the winning Blue Team, which defeated the Red 33-14.

McMenimen, pausing from warmups prior to the All-State Games' Blue-Red wrestling dual at Adams State University, bumps a volleyball left out by the All-State spikers, including BHS' Kirstie Hillyer, during their preceding practice last Friday afternoon. Both McMenimen and Hillyer would leave the great event in Alamosa victorious one last time as Wolverines in their respective sports.

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McMenimen, pausing from warmups prior to the All-State Games' Blue-Red wrestling dual at Adams State University, bumps a volleyball left out by the All-State spikers, including BHS' Kirstie Hillyer, during their preceding practice last Friday afternoon. Both McMenimen and Hillyer would leave the great event in Alamosa victorious one last time as Wolverines in their respective sports.

ALAMOSA - Leading up to last Friday's unique action, motivation wasn't a problem for Colter McMenimen.

"I was just trying to get redemption-losing my last match at State-you know?" he said. "Other than that I was just having fun, and representing my town, family and all that was a big part of it too."

Accumulated off-season rust, despite his recent Bayfield Baseball regimen, was the concern.

"Yesterday going into the practice I was a little worried!" he recalled, seated inside Adams State University's Plachy Hall and still working for his wind after stepping off a wrestling mat for his last time as a high school athlete. "Fundamentally.I thought I'd just be awful!" he noted. "But we got wrestling and I picked it up all right, and felt all right going into today-knew my conditioning would be horrible, but felt alright."

"To the extent he could; he was pretty gassed, pretty tired," said his father and BHS Head Coach Todd McMenimen. "But the good thing was Zach was just as tired as he was!"

More limited than usual by a well-braced right knee, 3A Fort Lupton's Zechariah Garcia was prime prey in Alamosa for the graduated 3A Wolverine. McMenimen won an 11-3 verdict benefiting the Red Team at the 59th Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State Games' Red-Blue dual.

McMenimen built a 5-0 lead during first round of the 152-pound match. McMenimen had wrestled at 145 during the 2014-15 season, Garcia at 152. Then the BHS grappler never relented in registering the four-point major decision.

"Before the match the coach was saying, 'You're all out of shape, so go hard in the first period, get enough of a lead that you can just hang on the rest of the match,'" he explained. "That's what I was going for!"

"It was good," Todd McMenimen said. "He came treating it like we've treated summer wrestling for four years: have fun, relax and wrestle. And that's what he did; it was good to finish his high-school career with a win!"

But the Reds as a whole unfortunately did not take the team title.

Helped by a 5-4 win by 4A Durango's Matthew Lavengood over 5A Northglenn's Rocky Nava, Jr., at 130, and a third-period pin by DHS' Patrick Cunnion over 5A Aurora Central's Juan Fraire at 195, the Blues-coached by DHS' John Gurule and FLHS' Tom Galicia-rolled to a 33-14 victory.

"As the couple days have gone on I've been able to talk to everybody else, but it's good to see.that competition down where you are too," Colter McMenimen said of interacting with fellow La Plata County representatives in the Games' setting. "It's easier to talk with people you know."