Cowboy wrestlers host and win tournament, head to regionals

MEEKER I Currently ranked No. 3 in 2A by On the Mat Rankings, the Meeker High School wrestling team was the host for the annual Meeker dual meet tournament, where they won five duals to win the team title.
The MHS Cowboys will wrestle at Colorado Mesa University in the Region 1 tournament starting Friday at 1 p.m., and continuing at 9 a.m. Saturday.

“There was a lot of wrestling and it ran smoothly,” Meeker head coach J.C. Watt said of his team’s final action of the regular season. “There was a big crowd again, which the kids like.”
Meeker defeated Basalt (66-12), Coal Ridge (66-9), Rangely (72-3) and Steamboat Springs (66-12), to face Glenwood Springs for the team title.
The Glenwood Springs Demons defeated Rifle, Battle Mountain and Grand Valley before losing 48-25 to the Cowboys.
Meeker won 28 of 39 matches wrestled, 26 of them by pin fall. Cowboys Sheridan Harvey (113), Tristin Pelloni (120), Kylloe Goedert (126), Anthony Watt (145), Chase Rule (160), T.J. Shelton (170) and Devon Pontine won all of their matches. Harvey, Watt, Shelton and Pontine pinned all of their opponents. Watt and Shelton each recorded four pins.
Hunter Garcia (138), Casey Turner (152), Caleb Bradford (195) and Tyler Ilgen (285), each lost one match. Jacob Pelloni won a match at 106 and Nick Burri is now in the lineup at 132.
The Region 1 tournament is arguably the toughest 2A region in the state with the two-time defending state champion Paonia Eagles, currently ranked No. 1 and Norwood (No. 2), entered in a tournament where the top four placers in each weight qualify for the 2015 Colorado State Wrestling Championships.
“They all have a chance to qualify,” coach Watt said. “This is the first time all year everybody is healthy, so I’m really excited. The kids have put in a lot of hard work and now it is time to start making some withdrawals.”