RBC I On the first Saturday of their spring break, many Rio Blanco County middle school wrestlers competed in the final tournament of the regular season in Meeker and many placed.
Rangely entered nine grapplers and placed four. Meeker entered 14 wrestlers and placed four as well.
The tournament in Meeker featured 12 teams and was won by Craig Middle School. The regular season is now over, but several Rio Blanco County wrestlers will enter the regional tournament in Grand Junction this weekend and try to qualify for the middle school state tournament the following week.
Rangely had four placers, Tytus Coombs (100), CL Lucero (105), Devin Ramirez (125) and Robert Osten (150) all advance to the championship match of their respective weight classes, but all finished as runners-up.
Meeker’s Trapper McGruder (90), James Amick (135), Gabe Gonzalez (150) and Eli Hanks (170) all placed for Meeker. Gonzalez and Hanks finished as consolation champs in their brackets, while McGruder and Amick finished fourth.
“The kids wrestled well and it was nice to be able to run a good tournament, because of all of our volunteers,” Meeker head coach J.C. Watt said of his team and hosting a tournament, which had mats set up in both high school gyms.
Rangely also entered Lane Gillard, Timmy Stibe, Drew Brannon, Jordan Fiscus and Dalton Dembowski, but they did not place.
Nick Massey, Phil Arnold, Charles Curry, Brennan Ibach, Codey Follman, Trent Moomey, Luis Villalpando, Kesston Hobbs, Jared Henderson and Colby Shelton also did not place, but did win seven matches between them.
