FORT MORGAN | In their final tune-up before regional state-qualifying, the Vista PEAK wrestling team came away with sixth-place at Saturday’s Colorado 7 Championship meet at Fort Morgan High School.
Coach David Benedict’s Bison had no champions from the tournament featuring eight teams, but had seven wrestlers place in the top four and earned 49 points to edge Skyview (47) for sixth.
Sophomore Dilan Esparza (106 pounds) and junior Marcus Guerra (132 pounds) both reached championship matches, accounting for a combined 32 points, but both lost with titles on the line.
Guerra, who has the team’s best record at 26-6 and is ranked No. 12 in Class 4A at 132 pounds by On The Mat, needed just one win to make the league championship match, where he was pinned late in the second period by Fort Lupton’s Jordan Torrez.
Esparza also needed just one win to reach the final at 106 pounds, where was outpointed 10-3 by Fort Lupton’s Ruben Rodriguez, who is ranked No. 7 in 3A. Esparza is now 21-11 on the season.
Tony Lozano (113 pounds), Seth Abeyta (120 pounds), Trenton Thompson (138 pounds) and Jayden Smith (170 pounds) all went down to defeat in third-place matches at their respective weights.
Duy Nguyen lost both of his matches at 126 pounds, but finished in third place with only three wrestlers entered.
Vista PEAK now looks ahead to the 4A Region 3 tournament Feb. 13-14 at Windsor High School.
The Bison have only had one state qualifier in program history, graduated Junior Casillas, who placed fifth in 4A at 120 pounds last season at the Pepsi Center.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2015 COLORADO 7 LEAGUE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Team scores: 1. Fort Lupton 153 points; 2. Fort Morgan 142; 3. Elizabeth 116; 4. Weld Central 91.5; 5. Alameda 61.5; 6. VISTA PEAK 49; 7. Skyview 47; 8. Englewood 7
Full Colorado 7 championship, third-place match results, here.
Aurora championship matches
106 pounds: Ruben Rodriguez (Fort Lupton) dec. DILAN ESPARZA (VISTA PEAK), 10-3
132 pounds: Jordan Torrez (Fort Lupton) pinned MARCUS GUERRA (VISTA PEAK), 3:53
Aurora third-place matches
113 pounds: Dominic Baca (Alameda) pinned TONY LOZANO (VISTA PEAK), 4:43
120 pounds: Cody Davis (Skyview) dec. SETH ABEYTA (VISTA PEAK), 14-10
138 pounds: Sterling Sharpe (Fort Morgan) maj. dec. TRENTON THOMPSON (VISTA PEAK), 16-7
170 pounds: Zak McMillon (Alameda) pinned JAYDEN SMITH (VISTA PEAK), 4:42
