HAYDEN GARCIA PHOTO: After Cade Blunt won his final match, finishing his senior year with a 48-1 record, he looked up towards the sky with his grandpa and Rowdy Atwood in his thoughts. Both men were great mentors to the twotime Colorado state champion, teaching him to not take anything too seriously. Once again, he added his name to the list of 67 other state champions from Meeker.
BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTO Two-time state champion Cade Blunt stands at the top of the podium this past weekend after winning his championship match.BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTO Senior Clay Crawford (left) finished third at the state tournament and made the podium.BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTO Sophomore Koy Weber (right) placed second during his second trip to the state tournament.BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTO Senior Ayden Christian (right) from Rangely High School placed fifth at the state tourna- ment in Denver.HAYDEN GARCIA PHOTO Eli Rundberg won his first match of the state tournament before turning to face an ecstatic crowd. BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTO Junior Drake Jones qualified for his first trip to the state tournament.JARED HENDERSON PHOTO Congratulations to the Meeker boys wrestling team for qualifying for the 2025 Colorado State Wrestling Tournament. (Left to right) Coach Kurt Blunt, Clay Crawford, Cade Blunt, Coach Tyrell Turner, Eli Rundberg, Head Coach Stryker Lane, Drake Jones, Coach Nate Lee and Koy Weber.Congratulations to the D51 Phoenix girls’ wrestling team, coached by MHS alumni Chad Dare, on winning the 2025 5A Colorado State Girls Wrestling Champion- ships. The Phoenix placed eight wrestlers in the top six, including Rangely High School sophomore Harleigh Prater. BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTOBOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTO Rangely High School sophomore Harleigh Prater became a two-time placer, finishing fourth for the second time.BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTO For a second year in a row, Coach Chad Dare (left), pictured with his brother Sam, head coach of Severence, was named “Coach of the Year.
BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTO MHS sophomore Ruth LeBlanc, made history, becoming the first Meeker girl to medal, finishing fourth, in Meeker’s inaugural girls wrestling season. LeBlanc was 4-2 in the state tournament and finished with a 32-13 record. Abi Amick and coach Clea Steerman are ready to set out on the mat for one of Abi’s matches. BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTOJunior Emma Ford, who wrestled at 130 for the Cowboys this season, was one of the three lady Cowboys who competed at the state tournament this past week- end in Denver. JARED HENDERSON PHOTO
Rangely’s Cameron Preciado in his stance during one of his matches. HAYDEN GARCIA PHOTORangely High School senior Aydan Christian (22-8) placed fifth in the 120-pound bracket for the Panthers and teammate Cameron Preciado (13-16), a sophomore, qualified but injury defaulted in the second round of the 113-pound brack- et. BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTO
BOBBY GUTIERREZ PHOTO Congratulations to the Meeker girls wrestling team for qualifying, competing and winning matches in their first-ever season and state wrestling tournament. Pictured are; assistant coach Adrianna Price, sophomore Ruth LeBlanc, who won four matches and placed fourth, freshman Abi Amick, won one match, head coach Barney LeBlanc, assistant coach Clea Steerman, junior Emma Ford and assistant coach Steve Gianinetti. Sophomore Aurora Stallings (not pictured), qualified but did not wrestle at state because of injury.