MEEKER | Last week, the Meeker High School boys wrestling team opened a busy stretch with a strong showing at home, hosting Glenwood Springs High School and Coal Ridge High School in a Thursday night triangular on Jan. 15.
The Cowboys began the evening by defending their home mat against Glenwood Springs, earning a convincing 59–17 victory. The Demons struck first with wins at 106 and 113 pounds, but Meeker quickly seized control and never gave the momentum back.
“I think we were excited to finally get to wrestle in front of our home crowd,” head coach Stryker Lane said. “I was impressed with how aggressive we were being in our matches.”
Cody Richardson put the Cowboys on the board at 120 pounds with a forfeit victory, and Corbin Grant followed at 126 with a pin of Diego Ostorga to give Meeker the lead. From there, the Cowboys rolled through the heart of the lineup. Koy Weber (132) recorded a first-period pin, while Kael Overton (138) added a technical fall to extend the advantage. Holton Harvey (144) picked up a forfeit, and Cooper Maupin (150) continued the surge with a fall.
“It is always important to take the fight to your opponent and have them reacting to you,” Lane said. “That’s true in individual matches and in the dual.”
Jaxen Mills (157) and Orion Musser (165) both earned forfeit wins, and Drake Jones capped the stretch with a pin at 175. Jonah Christensen added another fall at 215 to help seal the win. Glenwood Springs received a forfeit at heavyweight, and the teams recorded a double forfeit at 190.
Lane also pointed to the effort of Jackson Steele, who moved up a weight to help the lineup.
“I was very happy with Jackson Steele,” Lane said. “He bumped up to 113 to get matches even though he is a small 106. That showed a lot of heart.”
Meeker then closed the night with another dominant performance, rolling past Coal Ridge 66–11. The Cowboys jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, recording pins in eight of their victories.
Richardson set the tone at 120 pounds with a first-period pin of Brody Evans, followed by falls from Grant (126) and Weber (132). Overton needed just 25 seconds to secure a pin at 138, and Harvey added another fall at 144 as Meeker built a commanding advantage. Maupin (150), Mills (157) and Musser (165) continued the run with pins of their own. Jones (175) and Christensen (190) both picked up forfeit victories, while Dylan Rundberg added a first-period pin at 106. Coal Ridge’s lone contested win came at 113 pounds, where Lucas Schoon earned a technical fall over Steele, and the Titans also received a forfeit at heavyweight.
The Cowboys carried that momentum into the weekend at North Fork’s Fight at the Fork tournament in Hotchkiss, where Meeker finished second overall with 178.5 team points.
Eli Rundberg led the way with a runner-up finish at 120 pounds, while Overton also placed second at 138. Holton Harvey added a third-place finish at 144, and Mills (157), Jones (175) and Christensen (190) each placed fourth. Musser finished fifth at 165, while Weber (132) and Richardson (120) rounded out Meeker’s scoring with sixth-place finishes.
“I think what’s been working for me this season is staying consistent with my preparation,” Overton said. “I’ve been focusing on conditioning, sticking to my game plan, and trusting my training when I’m on the mat.”
Overton said the tournament reflected progress made throughout the year.
“This tournament showed me that I’ve made solid progress since the beginning of the season,” he said. “I’m wrestling with more confidence and composure, and I’m doing a better job of finishing matches.”
Overton added that his mindset shifts depending on the format.
“In a dual, my focus is on scoring team points and setting the tone for the lineup,” he said. “In a deep tournament, it’s about pacing myself, staying disciplined and being consistent match to match.”
Rundberg said setting the tone early is important in tournament settings.
“It’s important to set the tone early in the day so everybody gets hyped up and wrestles with confidence,” Rundberg said. “Just go out there and wrestle, have fun, do what you gotta do and get it done.”
Jones, a veteran leader in the upper weights, said preparation and consistency are key as the postseason approaches.
“With overnight tournaments, you have to be more serious with how you prepare,” Jones said. “What you eat and how much sleep you get really affects how you wrestle. With regionals coming up, we need to be focused on refining what we’re already good at.”
Lane echoed that sentiment as the season moves into its final stretch.
“We’re just continuing to focus on improvement,” he said. “We’re running out of opportunities, so it’s about fine-tuning and competing consistently near the upper end of our abilities.”
The Cowboys will return home Wednesday, Jan. 21, to host Delta in another dual beginning at 6 p.m., before heading on the road for a two-day tournament Jan. 23–24. Best of luck to the team this week as they continue their strong season and as always go Cowboys!
Cooper Maupin controls his Coal Ridge opponent in a cradle during a home dual at Meeker High School, helping the Cowboys rack up bonus points and maintain momentum throughout the match. JARED HENDERSON PHOTO