SPORTS

Team-by-team look at Fort Collins area's state wrestlers

Kevin Lytle
kevinlytle@coloradoan.com
Kyle Smart of Fossil Ridge High School tries to get out of a hold from Gunnar Anderson of Rocky Mountain during a wrestling dual earlier this season. Both Smart and Anderson will represent their schools at the state tournament this weekend.

The state wrestling tournament is here.

From Thursday through Saturday, wrestlers from every classification will compete for state titles at Pepsi Center in Denver.

Here is a team-by-team look at the local athletes who qualified.

Fort Collins

The Lambkins qualified three for state in Stephan Ikeler (120 pounds), Josh Boulton (132) and Jon Engle (285).

Ikeler (37-8), a senior, is back after making state at 113 a year ago. He went 0-2. Engle (28-13), a sophomore, is back for his second appearance at state. He went 1-2 last year. Boulton wasn’t at state a year ago and enters with a 34-12 record.

Fossil Ridge

Under first-year coach Joe Zambrano, the SaberCats have two first-time qualifiers. Will Hendrickson (22-11) is a freshman at 120 pounds and will open against Pomona’s Tomas Gutierrez, a defending state champion. Junior Kyle Smart (26-11) is also making his first state appearance.

Poudre sends 2 sets of brothers, all cousins, to state wrestling

Poudre

The Impalas have a city-best eight wrestlers qualified for state. At 113 pounds, sophomore Brody Lamb (32-10) is back for a second appearance after taking sixth at 106 last year. Freshman Job Greenwood (31-9) is qualified at 120 pounds.

At 126 pounds, senior Owen Lamb is 33-12. At 132, sophomore Jacob Greenwood (26-4) returns after winning state at 126 as a freshman. Junior David Bekkehdal (27-12) makes his first state appearance at 138.

Senior Diego Calderon (37-6) is back at 152 pounds after he went 1-2 in the same class at state a year ago. Senior Garrett McCullar (20-7) qualified at 170. At 220, sophomore Weston Mayer (33-16) qualified.

Eight Poudre High School wrestlers will compete at the state tournament in Denver this weekend. Back row, left to right: David Bekkedahl, Diego Calderon, Weston Mayer, Garret McCullar. Front row, left to right: Brody Lamb, Job Greenwood, Jacob Greenwood, Owen Lamb.

Rocky Mountain

Despite the graduations of three wrestlers who made state finals last year, the Lobos still have a strong group of five who qualified.

At 113, sophomore Josh Nira (29-5) qualified for the first time. Junior Gunnar Anderson (26-9) qualified at 138 pounds. Back for the second year in a row is senior Joseph O’Donnell (31-10). He made state at 138 last year.

Sophomore Josh Betts (26-10) makes his first state appearance, qualifying at 152 pounds. Senior Jake Hansen (32-10) is ending his high school career with a state trip after qualifying at 160.

Windsor

The Wizards qualified 12 for state in hopes of contending for a team title in 4A. At 106, freshman Will VomBaur (37-3) makes his first appearance. At 113 is another freshman in Dylan Wood (22-19). Sophomore Braden Peninger (20-5) will represent Windsor at 120.

Senior Sam Zdenek (28-5) took third at 113 last year and qualified at 126 this year. At 126, senior Matteo Ambriz (36-4) qualified. Sophomore Jeff Farris (8-13) makes his first appearance at 138. Sophomore Gerald Mack (34-6) qualified at 145 after taking second at 138 last year.

Junior Gage Trusty (29-13) qualified for the first time at 152. Senior Bryce Bloom (27-14) qualified at 160. At 182, Josh Grasmick (28-13) qualified for the first time. Also making his first appearance is sophomore Victor Bravo (32-11), who qualified at 195. After finishing sixth at 285 last year, senior Tyler Shubert (35-8) qualified at 220.

For live coverage of the state tournament, follow reporter Kevin Lytle at twitter.com/Kevin_Lytle.

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State wrestling tournament

Days: Thursday through Saturday

Schedule: Prelims begin at 7:15 Thursday. Quarterfinals begin at 12:45 p.m. Friday, and semis begin at 7:15 p.m. Friday. Third/fifth-place matches begin at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and Parade of Champions begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday

Location: Pepsi Center

Twitter updates: @Kevin_Lytle