MEEKER | Monday, Jan. 18 came and went without wrestling practice in Meeker; the entire team had entered quarantine the day before.
The following Monday dawned a new day; it still wasn’t a full wrestling room, but the kids were there and ready to practice.
This year’s returning seniors are Colby Clatterbagh at 195 lbs and Dax Sheridan at 182 pounds, both returning state qualifiers and Clatterbaugh placed second last year at 182 pounds.
“We are really looking forward to the season,” said head coach JC Watt.
This year coaching alongside Coach Watt are Carl Padilla. Tyrell Turner, Kurt Blunt, Trevor Grant, Justin Grant, and new to the team Stryker Lane.
This year only duals, tris, and quads are allowed by CHSAA, between each competition the gym will be emptied of spectators and competitors and cleaned.
The team first travels to Rifle on Friday, January 29 for a quad against Rifle, Delta, and Eagle Valley. Each wrestler will only be allowed 20 matches throughout the regular season and each competition is very important for rankings as they go into regionals. Regionals, with location to be determined, will have 112 competitors from the 14 weights. State level competition, which will no longer be held at the Pepsi Center, will see two competitors per weight from each of the regions. For regions that are most difficult, some kids, who were ranked last year and made it to state last year, will not make it this year.
Meeker will stream all home matches on the NFHS network. You can find the link in the basketball article in this week’s newspaper and follow the instructions on how to sign up.
Saturday the team travels to Paonia, for another quad against Paonia, Mancos and Coal Ridge. These duals will be broadcasted on the NFHS Network and are set to begin at 1 p.m.
The first home dual is Feb. 5 against Hotchkiss and Norwood.
By TIFFANY JEHOREK – Special to the Herald Times
