DENVER – Winning four consecutive state championships is an achievement every prep wrestler dreams of accomplishing. On Saturday night at Ball Arena, Fowler senior Trevan Sharon embraced that moment.
Sharon became the second wrestler from Fowler to join the state record books, pinning Meeker’s Koy Weber in three minutes, 52 seconds, to win the Class 2A 126-pound crown. He was still receiving congratulations from everyone who crossed his path – from officials to opposing wrestlers alike – as he made his way to meet reporters.
“Wrestling is so much an individual sport, but (also) a team sport,” a calm and collected Sharon said. “Even though it may be people not even on your team. It just goes to show, no matter where you’re from, you can put some wrestling shoes on and get after it.”
Cedaredge captured its first boys state championship, winning two individual titles to edge Western Slope rival North Fork by 3.5 points.
Sharon was the individual story of the night. The senior didn’t feel any pressure to go out and win, stating his identity isn’t in being a wrestler, but rather a Christian. That said, he was still having a hard time wrapping his head around the moment.
“If somebody was going to tell me I was going to be able to do this, I don’t think I would have believed them,” said Sharon, who finished his senior season 38-2. “There’s been some divine intervention along the way for sure. It’s surreal to be able to live in this moment.”
Sharon was leading 5-0 late in the second period when he flipped the Meeker sophomore and secured the fall.
He becomes the 35th member of the four-timers club, and the 33rd on the boys side. He’s also the first individual from Fowler to accomplish the feat since Brent Van Hee did it from 1983-86. They both took a similar path, moving up a weight class each year to win a new title.
“It’s the same year after year, but it’s different,” he said. “It’s the same hill to climb, but sometimes you’re in a different vehicle. You just have to figure how to get back on top.”
Sharon will head to the University of Wyoming in the fall, where he will both wrestle and compete in rodeo. The senior rides saddle bronc horses, which he called his first love.
Van Hee’s father, Tom, helped do some coaching as Sharon was coming up in the sport. Kay Van Hee, Brent’s mother, was there Saturday night to lead a group of girls finalists in the Parade of Champions.
“We’ve got some tradition there,” Sharon said. “It’s pretty cool to get to follow in (Brent’s) footsteps and do it again.”
Bruins get the job done
Three times over the previous six seasons, Cedaredge saw its hopes of a team championship come up just short. That included finishing five points shy of Meeker a year ago.
So for the Bruins to turn the tables Saturday night, winning both of its finals matches to pull ahead of North Fork and take its first title, made it that much sweeter.
“We came into it with one goal, and that was to bring back gold,” said junior Jared Roberts, who got the ball rolling by winning the 106-pound title. “That’s all we’ve been thinking about since last year. It’s just been burning. We knew that this team could do it.”
Cedaredge placed eight individuals overall to finish with 141.5 points. North Fork had seven placers and ended the tournament at 138. Wray was third at 126 points.
Cedaredge trailed North Fork in the team standings by 2.5 points coming into Saturday night. Roberts rolled past top-seeded Nathan Gonzales of Sedgwick County/Fleming with a 9-2 decision at 106 pounds.
From there, sophomore Cash Martinez received the chance to put last year’s loss in the finals to rest for good. Martinez (39-7) trailed Swink’s Thomas Valdez by three points late in the first period, but a takedown and pin in the second period gave the Bruins much-needed bonus points.
“I wanted the win before I got the pin,” Martinez said. “But I felt it right there. I just went for it.
“I think if I would have won it last year it might have helped out and got us a little closer to taking it,” he added. “Taking it this year with the pin just makes it better.”
Schmidt’s ending a perfect one
After finishing as the runner-up two years in a row, Merino’s Coen Schmidt went out a champion.
The senior finished his state run with a 4-3 decision over Highland’s Tyler Varra to cap a perfect 50-0 season.
“The record is awesome,” Schmidt said. “But what I was really looking forward to was that state title at the end of the year. I’m just glad I got it.”
Schmidt lost in the 126-pound title match a year ago to Wray’s Austin Collins, who captured his second title Saturday night at 132. Varra had won two matches by technical fall and scored a pinfall in the semis Friday night, and matched Schmidt throughout the title bout. An escape in the third period gave Schmidt the lead, and he held off Varra’s attempts down the stretch to finish on top.
“It was tough, a lot of adrenaline out there,” Schmidt said. “It made me look pretty tired, but I was just glad I was able to stick it out.”
Wray senior Tavery Chappell also closed out his season with a perfect record, winning the 215 title with a first-period pin to finish 43-0.
Twice as nice
A trio of 2A wrestlers captured a second consecutive state title Saturday night. Wray junior Austin Collins scored this third pin of the tournament in the 132-pound final, one year after winning at 126.
Holly senior Tripp DuVall notched an 11-2 major decision at 165 pounds to claim his second title. Meeker’s Cade Blunt did the same at 175, rolling to a 17-1 technical fall to finish his senior season 45-1.
A handful of seniors closed out their prep careers with their first state title, including Dolores Huerta Prep’s AJ Jaramillo (113 pounds); Sedgwick County/Fleming’s Scotty Engle (144); Center’s Aaron Valadez (150); North Fork’s Charlie Miller (157), a first for the boys program; Highland’s Ira Sittner (190); and Las Animas’ Cody Netherton (285).
(Dan Mohrmann/ColoradoPreps.com)
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Class 2A boys
| WEIGHT CLASS | CHAMPION | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
| 106 | Jared Roberts | Cedaredge |
| 113 | AJ Jaramillo | Dolores Huerta |
| 120 | Cash Martinez | Cedaredge |
| 126 | Traven Sharon | Fowler |
| 132 | Austin Collins | Wray |
| 138 | Coen Schmidt | Merino |
| 144 | Scotty Engle | Sedgwick County/Fleming |
| 150 | Aaron Valadez | Center |
| 157 | Charlie Miller | North Fork |
| 165 | Tripp DuVall | Holly |
| 175 | Cade Blunt | Meeker |
| 190 | Ira Sittner | Highland |
| 215 | Tavery Chappell | Wray |
| 285 | Cody Netherton | Las Animas |
Top 10 teams
| PLACE | TEAM | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedaredge | 141.5 |
| 2 | North Fork | 138 |
| 3 | Wray | 126 |
| 4 | Rocky Ford | 110.5 |
| 5 | Highland | 102.5 |
| 6 | Sedgwick County/Fleming | 89 |
| 7 | Center | 80.5 |
| 8 | Meeker | 77.5 |
| 9 | Monte Vista | 68 |
| 10 | Burlington | 50 |
