Cowboys prepared for regional tournament

MEEKER I The Cowboy wrestling team was humbled last Friday in Paonia when the No. 1 ranked defending state champion Paonia Eagles skunked the Cowboys in a dual meet. Meeker (currently ranked No. 10 by On the Mat Rankings) came back to win five dual meets at home, one week before the state-qualifying regional tournament to be held this weekend in Grand Junction.
The dual meet in Paonia was wrestled under a single light following a basketball game, in what head wrestling coach J.C. Watt described as an “intense” atmosphere.
“It was a good learning experience, putting our kids in a more competitive environment,” Watt said of the 71-0 loss in Paonia.
Watt said Meeker freshmen Devon Pontine (152) and T.J. Shelton (160) both lost in overtime and junior J.C. Henderson (132) lost 6-7. Shelton and Henderson will enter the regional tournament as the No. 2 seeds in their respective weights, along with sophomores Tristin Pelloni (113), and Anthony Watt (138) and junior Aaron Cochran (126). Pontine and senior J.R. Crawford (170) are both seeded No. 3 in their brackets.
The Cowboys wrestled and defeated Battle Mountain (62-12), Glenwood Springs (47-24), Hayden (42-21), Rangely (48-0) and Soroco (no score available, three matches were wrestled) last Saturday in front of a hometown crowd.
Several forfeits were awarded throughout the day since no team filled all 14 weights. The Cowboys will enter 12 wrestlers into the regional tournament, which will be wrestled in Grand Junction High School’s historic gymnasium this weekend, where the top four placer winners in each weight will qualify for the Colorado State Wrestling Championship held in the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver the following week.
Meeker will also be represented by senior Lathrop Hughes (182), junior Calvin Shepherd (106), sophomore Kylloe Goedert (120) and freshmen Dillan Frantz (145) and Noah Overton (220).
“Everybody has a good chance of qualifying,” Watt said.