DENVER | Grandview had the largest local contingent for the Class 5A boys state wrestling tournament and the Wolves devoured the competition Thursday evening at Ball Arena.
Six of the 11 qualifiers for coach Ryan Budd’s Grandview team — which has aspirations of a runner-up finish in the team standings — earned first round and quarterfinal victories in the opening session of the three-day tournament to put themselves into the 6 p.m. Friday semifinals.
One more win for any of the group of seniors Jonathan Montes Gonzales and Gunner Lopez, juniors JR Ortega, Kyle Menuez and Leland Day and sophomore Marques Lawrence put them in Saturday’s championship round, while all secured medal podium finishes at minimum by winning their first two matches.
Also moving into the semifinals from the Aurora area are Cherokee Trail teammates Cooper Mathews, Renzo Lubuguin and Youdas Aghoulies, plus Regis Jesuit’s Richard Avila and Vista PEAK Prep’s Ian Bacon, a state champion last season.
Ortega and Bacon won state championships last season, while Montes Gonzales and Mathews lost in finals.
The area is assured for a championship finalist this season at 285 pounds as Day — last season’s runner-up — meets Aghouiles in an all-Aurora semifinal.
The other 21 Aurora area qualifiers who lost on the opening day in the first round or quarterfinals — who hail from Cherokee Trail, Eaglecrest, Grandview, Overland, Rangeview, Regis Jesuit and Smoky Hill — move into the consolation side of the bracket and can still place as high as third.
Two consolation rounds will be held Friday beginning at 1:15 p.m., followed by semifinals in all classifications at 6 p.m.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2026 AURORA CLASS 5A BOYS WRESTLING SEMIFINALS
Feb. 20 at Ball Arena
113 pounds: RICHARD AVILA (REGIS JESUIT) vs. Tony Tufano (Brighton)
120 pounds: IAN BACON (VISTA PEAK PREP) vs. Kel Unrein (Fruita Monument)
126 pounds: JR ORTEGA (GRANDVIEW) vs. Zaidyn Quinonez (Pomona)
132 pounds: COOPER MATHEWS (CHEROKEE TRAIL) vs. Jimmy Hamoodi (Denver East); KYLE MENUEZ (GRANDVIEW) vs. Matthew Clifton (Legacy)
150 pounds: RENZO LUBUGUIN (CHEROKEE TRAIL) vs. Derek Barrows (Pomona)
157 pounds: JONATHAN MONTES GONZALES (GRANDVIEW) vs. Donovan Symalla (Pomona)
165 pounds: GUNNER LOPEZ (GRANDVIEW) vs. Dominic Meli (Chatfield)
215 pounds: MARQUES LAWRENCE (GRANDVIEW) vs. Eli Stevens (Northglenn)
285 pounds: LELAND DAY (GRANDVIEW) vs. YOUDAS AGHOUILES (CHEROKEE TRAIL)