DENVER – The mission was not only to win a state championship but to do so in dominating fashion.
Well, the Pueblo East Eagles boys wrestling team succeeded on both fronts Saturday night at Ball Arena.
The Eagles crowned state champions in Julian Espinoza (126 pounds), Deven Lopez (132 pounds) and Niko Fernandez (138 pounds) and placed a school-best 10 wrestlers to capture the Class 4A team title with 192.5 points. Roosevelt was a distant second with 131 points.
“I know my guys because I watch them every day,” East head coach Tyler Lundquist said. “They performed just how I knew they would. They are an amazing group of kids; probably a one-of-a-kind group and they did what they are supposed to do.”
“I’m not surprised. We took care of business.”
This is East’s fourth state wrestling championship joining the ones the Eagles captured in 2019, 2022, and 2023. Those also came under the guidance of coach Pat Laughlin. This is Lundquist’s second year as the mat boss for East and his eighth with the program.
“This is one of those things when you’re in the battle you are just focused on the next match,” Lundquist said. “I haven’t really let everything set in yet. This is really just about continuing the East wrestling legacy. That was my main goal when I took the (head coaching) position. I didn’t want to change anything too much. I just wanted to make sure things continued and these guys can thrive and prosper because we have great wrestlers.”
A year ago, East finished second in the 4A team race to Mead.
The senior Espinoza (45-9) captured his first state title with a 1-0 decision over Durango’s Ryan Dugan (31-5).
“I feel amazing,” said Espinoza, whose second period escape was the difference in the match. “I’m so happy. This has been my dream for the longest time. Everyday this season, I pictured getting my hand raised at the end of the season right on that mat. We also knew that if we put in the work and believed in ourselves, we could win state as a team and that’s what we did.”
The sophomore Lopez claimed the Eagles second title of the night – and the second of his career – when he muscled past Palisade’s Kadin Milford (40-5), 9-4. Lopez won state as a freshman at 126 pounds.
Fernandez (43-1) made it a state title hat trick for the Eagles as he edged Roosevelt freshman Malaki Martin (50-3), by a 7-2 verdict. Fernandez was second at 132s last year.
At 113 pounds, East’s Pocky Amaro (39-4) saw his chance to repeat as the 113-pound state champ come up short when he was upended by Severance’s Drake Vombaur (42-5), 4-1. Vombaur is now a two-time state champ as he won at 106 pounds a year ago.
East’s 157-pounder Justus, Freeman, (43-6) came up short in the finals when he was pinned by Sand Creek’s Brandon Dean (42-2).
In a featured 4A match, 175 pounders – Mead’s Leister Bowling (22-3) and Pueblo Central’s Genaro Pino (53-3) locked up in the finals.
Bowling was a 4A state champ at 175 pounds last year and Pino was the 165-pound state winner.
Bowling snared a 2-1 decision in double overtime in the final prep match of his career. Bowling is headed to wrestle for the storied University of Iowa program in the fall.
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Class 4A boys
WEIGHT CLASS | CHAMPION | SCHOOL |
---|---|---|
106 | Tristan Pino | Sand Creek |
113 | Drake Vombaur | Severance |
120 | Isaiah Harrison | Mountain View |
126 | Julian Espinoza | Pueblo East |
132 | Deven Lopez | Pueblo East |
138 | Niko Fernandez | Pueblo East |
144 | Chris LaLonde | Roosevelt |
150 | Adrian Czyszczon | Windsor |
157 | Brandon Dean | Sand Creek |
165 | Robert Kendall | Windsor |
175 | Leister Bowling | Mead |
190 | Jack Doughty | Canon City |
215 | Evan Perez | Windsor |
285 | Elias Timms | Mesa Ridge |
Top 10 teams
PLACE | TEAM | SCORE |
---|---|---|
1 | Pueblo East | 192.5 |
2 | Roosevelt | 131 |
3 | Windsor | 130.5 |
4 | Sand Creek | 110 |
5 | Mead | 104.5 |
6 | Thompson Valley | 85.5 |
7 | Air Academy | 81.5 |
8 | Palisade | 80 |
9 | Canon City | 74.5 |
10 | Falcon | 66.5 |