DENVER | Grant Neal is a man of his word.
The Regis Jesuit junior vowed to keep the school’s recent tradition of state championships alive and he lived up to his promise Feb. 23 at the Pepsi Center with a 3-2 victory over Fossil Ridge’s Payton Tapia in the Class 5A 195-pound state title match.
Neal gave the Regis Jesuit program its sixth overall state title in the past seven seasons and gave the school nine all-time crowns, which ties Overland for the most among Aurora schools. He joins John Hooper (2007), Denzel Washington (2008) and John Crowley (2010, 2011, 2012) in the Raiders’ recent run of state champions.
“I wasn’t going to be that one to let us down,” Neal said. “I just had to dig deep. Those matches are about who wants it more and I wanted it real bad.”
Just four months after he had to undergo surgery for ligament damage to his ankle from football, Neal was standing at the top of the medal podium at the Pepsi Center with a satisfied smile on his face.
After two fruitless trips to the state tournament, he made the big step thanks to a combination of dedication and work with others in Regis Jesuit’s talented wrestling room, including two seasons going against Crowley, who is having an outstanding freshman season at the Colorado School of Mines.
Neal won three matches to get to the final, including a dramatic 4-3 semifinal victory over Fountain-Fort Carson’s Tracy Hancock that earned him the right to face Tapia, who beat him in the consolation bracket to deny him a top-six place at last season’s state tournament.
Fueled by that disappointment — plus Crowley’s words of “go get’em” — Neal came out fired up for the rematch and scored the opening takedown with just two seconds left in the opening period. Tapia got a point back with an escape in the second period, but Neal got one of his own at the start of the third to go up 3-1.
A stalling call on Neal with 15 seconds left made it a one-point match, but Tapia couldn’t score again.
When it was over, Neal celebrated with the “Superman” pose made famous by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and got a big hug from coach Danny Biesshaar, who just told him to “go to work.”
Neal has a chance to become the third two-time champion in Regis Jesuit history. If he can win again as a senior, he would join B.J. Sanchez, who won back-to-back titles in 1993 and 1994, and Crowley, 5A’s 160-pound state champion the past three seasons. Neal doesn’t plan to rest on his laurels.
“You have to keep on pushing; there’s always someone better than you,” Neal said. “You have to keep on pushing and have the spirit to succeed.”
The Raiders didn’t have any other places, but both senior 120-pounder Josh Redman and freshman 220-pounder Nick Elgin each won two matches and fell a victory shy of making the placing round.
Sophomore 126-pounder Donovan Ronan went 0-2 in his first state appearance.
Crowley made news of his own on the same day as Neal won the championship, as he became Mines’ first qualifier for the NCAA Championships since 2010-11.
The freshman 157-pounder placed fourth at the RMAC/Super Region IV Tournament at the Nelson Physical Activity Center in Chadron, Neb. The result put him in the field for the NCAA Division II national tournament, which runs March 8-9 in Birmingham, Ala.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
2013 CLASS 5A STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
Saturday, Feb. 23 at Pepsi Center
AURORA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
195 pounds: Grant Neal (Regis Jesuit dec. Payton Tapia (Fossil Ridge), 3-2
220 pounds: Brian Mayberry (Columbine) dec. Amer Tipura (Overland), 3-1 (OT)
