AURORA | Though its numbers have shrunk since the beginning of the season, the Eaglecrest girls wrestling team still has one of the largest contingents headed for Saturday’s girls state wrestling tournament.
Coach Sparky Adair’s Raptors — who had as many as 12 girls out for the team at the beginning of the season — has a trio of wrestlers set to compete in the second annual girls tournament, which begins at 9:30 a.m. at Thornton High School.
Junior Emily Llamas, senior Isiana Carr-Coleman and freshman Victoria Knoll persevered through a season of injury and attrition to the team and aim to make their mark at the state tournament.
Llamas already did that last season when she finished 4-1 overall and placed third in the 101-pound weight class. This season, she is in the 100 pound bracket along with Knoll and eight other wrestlers.
Carr-Coleman is in her first year wrestling and is part of a 14-wrestler 105-pound bracket.
Hinkley also has three wrestlers entered in the state tournament in Destiny Schriner Garcia (111), Fatima Prieto (185) and Eva West (215).
Schriner Garcia finished 1-10 as part of the Thunderbirds’ boys varsity roster, while Prieto was 1-6 and West 9-9.
Vista PEAK has two entrants in sophomore Elisa Abeyta (111) and freshman Daniela Aguirre (136), while Rangeview (junior Kylee Tafoya at 147 pounds) and Smoky Hill (freshman Conner Sargent at 147 pounds) also represent Aurora. All have wrestled a mixed schedule this season.
While roughly 200 female wrestlers were registered this season according to Adair, 118 are entered in the state tournament and divided between 10 weight classes. The 111- and 136-pound brackets are completely filled with 16 wrestlers.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2ND COLORADO GIRLS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
Feb. 3, 2018, at Thornton High School
Aurora participants — Eaglecrest: Isiana Carr-Coleman (105 pounds), Emily Llamas (100 pounds), Victoria Knoll (100 pounds); Hinkley: Destiny Schriner Garcia (111 pounds), Fatima Prieto (185 pounds), Eva West (215 pounds); Rangeview: Kylee Tafoya (147 pounds); Smoky Hill: Conner Sargent (147 pounds); Vista PEAK: Elisa Abeyta (111 pounds), Daniela Aguirre (136 pounds)