MEEKER | The Meeker High School boys wrestling team competed in the regional tournament last weekend, bringing 11 wrestlers and finishing third overall out of 15 teams. The Cowboys finished with a team score of 135 points.
Three Meeker wrestlers won individual regional titles: Cade Blunt, Clay Crawford, and Koy Weber. They were followed by Eli Rundberg and Drake Jones, who placed third, Holton Harvey in fifth, Cooper Maupin in sixth, and Johnny Rust in seventh.
“We had an excellent regional tournament. Everyone wrestled the best they have all year,” Meeker head coach Stryker Lane said.
Five Cowboys secured their spots for the Colorado Wrestling State Championships this upcoming weekend. Freshman Eli Rundberg (113) and junior Drake Jones (165) will make their first appearances at state. Sophomore Koy Weber (126) is heading back for the second time, while seniors Clay Crawford (138) and Cade Blunt (175) will make their fourth trip.
“We qualified five, and the rest gained valuable experience to build on for the future,” Lane said. “Three for three with three pins in the finals capped off an outstanding weekend.”
Blunt, the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the 175 pound weight class in Class 2A, took first place, pinning his opponent in the finals. He will return to state for the fourth time in his career as he seeks his second state championship.
“The main thing I’ve changed is getting better on my feet and improving my attitude toward wrestling,” Blunt said. “As state gets closer, we try to take our minds off wrestling as much as possible. It helps us relax and wrestle better.”
Crawford, currently ranked No. 3 in the 138 pound weight class in Class 2A, also pinned his opponent in the finals to secure his regional title. He reflected on his mindset going into regionals and his goals for the upcoming state tournament.
“I had a great mindset this weekend—just to go out there and wrestle my match,” Crawford said. “My goal for this weekend is to continue dominating with a strong and positive mindset. I plan to be pictured at the top of the podium.”
Weber, who won his finals match by pin, is making his second trip to the state tournament. Currently Weber is ranked No. 6 in the 126 pound weight class in 2A. He shared his thoughts on winning regionals as a sophomore and how this year’s trip to state feels different from last year’s.
“It feels awesome to win regionals as a sophomore again! Our whole team has put in a lot of work and it was nice to see it play out this past weekend. I am super excited for state because I know I can compete with and beat the top ranked kids,”
The Meeker Cowboys will depart for the state tournament on Wednesday afternoon, with competition beginning Thursday and running through Saturday evening.
