MEEKER I The Barone Middle School wrestling team has been a little under weather lately but 14 members of the team wrestled in the Carl Ramunno Memorial in Steamboat Springs on March 5, returning with a third place trophy and four champions.
The young Cowboys wrestled in Oak Creek on Saturday.
“We have been sick as a team with as many as eight out at a time,” head coach Todd Morris said. “They have done extremely well the past two weeks considering all the sickness going around.”
Although the Cowboys were missing eight teammates in Steamboat Springs, nine of the 14 wrestlers brought home medals. Eagle-Gypsum won the tournament, Rifle was given second and Meeker took third.
Seventh grader Cooper Main (105) along with eighth-graders Tevin Pelloni (130), Kesston Hobbs (140) and Ridge Williams (heavyweight) all won their respective brackets.
Coach Morris said Pelloni is undefeated so far this season and Williams is giving up a lot of weight but has “proved to be a contender, winning two tough matches in the finals the last two weeks to be the champion.”
Seventh-grader Ryan Phelan (145) and eighth-graders Phil Arnold (85) and Jake Shelton (155), each advanced to the championship match but finished second.
“Phil (Arnold) won his first match of the season and he is going to be fun to watch as the year progresses,” Morris said.
Seventh-grader Tucker Ercanbrack (115), along with eighth-grader Colton Wille (100), both finished fourth in their respective weight brackets.
Chris Harris, Carter Strate, Tanner Ridgeway, Colby Clatterbaugh and Dax Sheridan all wrestled in Steamboat Springs but did not place.
“The whole team is improving each week,” Morris said.
