DENVER | Overland senior Amer Tipura kept rolling and the Trailblazers finished sixth out of 20 teams at Saturday’s Kennedy Commander Invitational.
Ranked No. 2 in Class 5A at 220 pounds by On The Mat, Tipura kept his undefeated season intact and won the tournament championship with a 6-1 decision of Montbello’s Jerrel Nettles, who is ranked No. 14.
With a runner-up finish by senior Javier Alonso at 182 pounds and a third-place result from junior Jaseri Dixon, coach Bert Dalton’s Overland team racked up 86 points to finish sixth in the 28th annual tournament at Kennedy High School. Aurora Central, with Dan Valdez securing the only place, captured 42 points to come in 11th.
Tipura won his first two matches by pin and with a 3-0 mark on the day improved to 32-0 overall. The only wrestler ranked in front of him, Columbine’s Brian Mayberry, is also undefeated.
Alonso recorded pins in his first three matches to get to the championship match. He ended up on the short end of a 3-2 decision to Bennett’s Kory Hudson, the No. 4-ranked wrestling in 3A, with the title on the line. Alonso’s 3-1 performance puts him at 28-6 on the season.
Dixon lost a tough 3-2 decision to Bennett’s Corby Wyett — ranked No. 3 in 3A — in his first match, but pinned his final four opponents, including Englewood’s Damasjae Currington, to place third for the Trailblazers.
In just limited action this season, Dixon is 12-2.
The lone placer for Aurora Central coach Conrad Parra was Valdez, the No. 12-ranked 132-pounder in 5A, who finished fourth after a 4-1 day.
Valdez — whose lone loss came to Alameda’s Seth Rosales in the second round — recorded third first-period pins and was too much for Niwot’s Joey Lambert in the consolation semifinals with a 13-4 major decision.
Rosales ended up third as Valdez (23-5) couldn’t wrestle the third-place match due to reaching the match limit of five.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
2013 KENNEDY COMMANDER INVITE
Team scores: 1. Chaparral 203 points; 2. Bennett 156.5; 3. Legend 138; 4. Westminster 102.5; 5. Niwot 90.5; 6. OVERLAND 86; 7. Lincoln 77; 8. Cherry Creek 46.5; 9. Chaparral B 46; 10. Sierra 43; 11. AURORA CENTRAL 42; T12. Montbello 37.5; T12. Denver North 37.5; 14. Columbine 32; 15. Kennedy 26; 16. Skyview 20; 17. George Washington 16; 18. Boulder 13; 19. Englewood 12; 20. Alameda 8
AURORA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
182 pounds: Kory Hudson (Bennett) dec. Javier Alonso (Overland), 3-2
220 pounds: Amer Tipura (Overland) dec. Jerrel Nettles (Montbello), 6-1
AURORA THIRD-PLACE MATCHES
132 pounds: Seth Rosales (Alameda) won by match rule over Dan Valdez (Aurora Central)
285 pounds: Jaseri Dixon (Overland) pinned Damasjae Currington (Englewood), 2:39
