MEEKER I Winning a high school team state championship has created a lot of excitement in the Meeker wrestling program.
The middle school season was just completed and the youth programs in the northwest corner of the state have started. More than 90 youth wrestlers are in the Meeker Community Wrestling Club this year and almost 50 of them wrestled in Craig on Saturday.
“With 92 wrestlers in the wrestling room, it’s tough to see if our kids are picking up technique,” head coach Carl Padilla said. “But watching these kids wrestle the last two weeks in Rangely and Craig, they have proven they are working hard and getting it.”
Meeker wrestlers were entered into 52 brackets in the Ninth Annual Bad Dogs Classic in Craig and 35 of them placed in the top four.
Champions were Brig Williams, Kyler and Kaden Ridgeway, Tucker Chinn, Reed and Ty Geodert, Kaden Franklin, Dax Sheridan and Colby Clatterbaugh.
Runners-up were Carson Blunt, Hoyt Garcia, Finley Deming, Ben Houser, Judd Harvey and Zagar Brown.
Consolation champs were Dexter Chinn, Eli Rundberg, Levi Petrocco, Snowdon Williams, Adrianna Price, Clay Randall, Brendan Clatterbaugh and Parker Pontine.
Petrocco double-bracketed and also finished fourth, as did Connor Rose, Dathan Dade, Wil Schwartz, Bow Muxlow, Dillon Hobbs, Dayton Ridgeway, Levi Caufield, Tanner Goodwin, Hayden Shults, Russell McGruder and Rowdy Rosendahl.
Keenan McGruder, Col Williams, Peter Houser, Owen Etchart, Alaric O’Dell, Aiden Buckler, Dublin Price, Falen Gilbert, Amy Jo Rosendahl, Jasmine Long, Isabelle Gilbert, Cooper Michels, Damon Dade, Liam Deming and Dagon Dade all wrestled in Craig but did not place.
“I’m really proud of how all the kids are wrestling,” Coach Padilla said.
The Meeker Community Wrestling Club will wrestle in Hayden this Saturday.
