Ten Meeker wrestlers compete at TOC

MEEKER I “You can tell when you go to a tough tournament, you see guys with black eyes and all beat up,” Meeker wrestling coach Joe Gutierrez said of the appropriately named Tournament of Champions, which the Cowboys competed in last weekend in Vernal, Utah. “They come to wrestle.”
Ten Meeker wrestlers went to wrestle and won a few matches in the competitive tournament. Freshmen Cody Pfau (103) and JR Crawford (160) each won two matches and were both one victory away from placing.
“Cody wrestled well and JR just goes and goes,” Gutierrez said of the pair.
Senior Tony Bartucco won two of four matches before being eliminated, and then won two of three exhibition matches.
“They try to get everyone four matches,” Gutierrez said of the extra matches.
Sophomore Collin Cochran moved up to 215 for the tournament, and after being eliminated in the varsity was asked by Gutierrez if he wanted an extra match at 189, but said, “I’ll finish what I started,” and won an exhibition match at 215.
Justin Hardy, Ethan Overton and Caleb Dodds also won a match, while Pat Love, Logan Piper and Mark Papez all wrestled but didn’t win.
Meeker will compete in the Rangely tournament Saturday.