Before the start of the annual Casey Turner Memorial youth wrestling tournament last Saturday, Meeker coach Carl Padilla spoke of the camaraderie wrestling creates and introduced the referees as examples of giving back to the sport. Meeker’s Tyler Ilgen was a four-time state qualifier and lost in the state finals to Paonia’s Trevor Smith, who was in Meeker to referee next to his friend, along with meeker state runner-up Jacob Pelloni, Fowler state champion Brandon Grasmick who is now a program director for ERBM, former state qualifier Nick Smith, Barone Middle School coach Todd Morris and Meeker High School wrestler Kesston Hobbs.
Bobby Gutierrez Photo