Pelloni takes fifth at state tourney

MEEKER I Barone Middle School seventh-grader Tristin Pelloni finished fifth at the Colorado State Middle School wrestling tournament last weekend in Denver. A total of nine BMS wrestlers qualified for the state tournament but only six made the trip and Pelloni was the only placer for the Cowboys.
“If you were a middle school wrestler and qualified, you could be considered one of the best in the state,” head coach Lee Overton said of the competition. “It was definitely a tough tournament.”
Overton said one of the highlights was Pelloni defeating longtime nemesis, Heath Peters of Rangely.
“Tristin was 0-3 against Peters this season and he pinned him to get into the medal round,” Overton said. “Tristin beat him when it counted and it was a cool way for him to end the season.”
Pelloni was joined by classmates Zane Pfau, Austin Purcell and Jake Phelan and eighth-grader Qynton Larson.
“Zane won four matches in a huge (32-man) bracket and was one away from placing,” Overton said.
T.J. Shelton, the only BMS sixth-grader to qualify for the state tourney, also won a match.
“He’s only 11 years old and he hung with the older kids,” Overton said.
BMS eighth-graders J.C. Henderson, Dylan Mobley and Willis Begaye all qualified but did not compete in the state tournament.
“I was very impressed with our team this year,” Overton said. “We won the Meeker and Hayden tournaments, finished second in the big Soroco tournament and qualified nine for the state tournament. It looked like everyone was having fun, that was the goal, and hopefully the seventh-graders will tell their buddies.”