DENVER — Pomona’s boys wrestling team has been so dominant over the last two decades the Panthers are now chasing down their own records.
In 2023, Pomona set the all-time team point total with 278.5 in winning the Class 5A team title. When all was said and done Saturday night at Ball Arena, Pomona won its 8th straight team title setting a new bar with 303.5 team points.
“That’s insane. We showed up today,” Pomona senior Derek Barrows said of breaking the 300-point barrier. “And then 9-for-9 in the finals. I don’t think that’s ever been done before. We made history in three different ways tonight.”
Pomona going 9-for-9 in championship bouts also chattered the previous record of seven individual state titles set by Holly in 1972.
“We have the top score plastered on our whiteboard back at the shop (Pomona practice facility). We knew having nine in the finals we would just need to win four or five and we would break the record,” Pomona senior Emmerson Claeys said. “That is what we are going to do tonight.”
The third historic note was Pomona joining Ponderosa with the most consecutive wrestling team state titles in Colorado history with eight straight team titles. Ponderosa’s run was from 2003 to 2010.
Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Public Schools
Pomona coach Sam Federico is pretty confident he just coached the best collective boys wrestling team ever to come out of Colorado.
“I think so. I think they kind of proved it tonight,” Federico said. “We brought 14 guys down here and lost six total matches in three days. One fifth, two thirds and nine first placers is pretty unbelievable.”
The Panthers bringing nine wrestlers to the championship bouts Saturday was the same amount Pomona had in the finals three years ago where it set the point record while winning five individual crowns.
Pomona had 240.5 points at the end of the night Friday with sophomore Lincoln Valdez (106), junior Logan Dellow (120), freshman Donovan Symalla, along with seniors Angel Serrano (138), Barrows (150), Emmitt Munson (165), Kalob Ybarra (175), Claeys (190) and Maddux Najera (215) all advancing to Saturday’s championship bouts.
Sophomore Colby Payne (113, 5th place), along with seniors Zaidyn Quinonez (126, 3rd place) and Kyden Silz (132, 3rd place) were able to work their way through the consolation brackets Saturday morning to add to the Panthers’ glaring team point total. Pomona had 263 points heading into the championship bouts.
The title bouts started at 190 pounds, Claeys had a dominating 18-0 tech fall to get things started.
“Being 190 I never start any tournaments or anything,” Claeys said admitting he was a little nervous being the first match of the night. “It’s my senior year and this was the year to win it. It feels amazing.”
Claeys, Najera and Dellow became first-time state champions, along with sophomore Lincoln Valdez defending his 106-pound title the Panthers broke the team record with its first four wrestlers.
“This is the best line-up we’ve had ever,” Claeys said. “We’ve done a lot of stuff in one night.”
Dellow’s at 120 pounds put Pomona at 181.5 points.
(Dan Mohrmann/ColoradoPreps.com)
“To be honest, I had now idea I was going to be the one to break it,” Dellow said of his 7-0 victory over Fruita-Monument’s Kel Unrein. “I figured it might be the next match. That was something. I’ve never been so excited in my life or so happy.”
Pomona kept it rolling with Serrano becoming a two-time state champion at 138. Symalla handled the pressure as a freshman taking a 1-0 victory. Barrows became a three-time state champion. Munson captured his second straight individual title and Ybarra finished the night off in style winning his third individual championship.
“It means everything to me,” Valdez said about being apart of the historic season. “These upperclassmen have watched me grow up since I was a kid. It’s more of a family than a team. To help them make this dream happen is important to me.”
Pomona will graduate a ton of talent, but the Panthers definitely have an eye on more history winning a 9th straight team title next season.
“It doesn’t matter who graduates or who stays,” Valdez said of Pomona going for a record 9th consecutive team title next year. “This team is always going to be great.”
Since 2000, Pomona had captured 13 5A state team titles. The Panthers only trail the Wray Eagles with the most boys wrestling state team championships. Wray has 16 boys wrestling state titles.
“We have a great coaching staff and a great community behind us as you can see here,” Federico said.
While Pomona was perfect on the night, Grandview managed a runner-up team finish with 176 points. The Wolves night was highlighted by JR Ortega. The junior was named the 5A boys wrestler of the tournament with three pins and a tech fall in winning the 126-pound weight class and claiming his second state title.
Cherokee Trail junior Cooper Mathews and Ponderosa senior Michael Lopez also became two-time state champions.
Class 5A boys wrestling champions
| WEIGHT CLASS | CHAMPION | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
| 106 | Lincoln Valdez | Pomona |
| 113 | Tony Tufano | Brighton |
| 120 | Logan Dellow | Pomona |
| 126 | JR Ortega | Grandview |
| 132 | Cooper Mathews | Cherokee Trail |
| 138 | Angel Serrano | Pomona |
| 144 | Michael Lopez | Ponderosa |
| 150 | Derek Barrows | Pomona |
| 157 | Donovan Symalla | Pomona |
| 165 | Emmitt Munson | Pomona |
| 175 | Kalob Ybarra | Pomona |
| 190 | Emmerson Claeys | Pomona |
| 215 | Maddux Najera | Pomona |
| 285 | Alexander Rose | Legend |
Top 10 teams
| PLACE | TEAM | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pomona | 303.5 |
| 2 | Grandview | 176 |
| 3 | Ponderosa | 106 |
| 4 | Brighton | 105 |
| 5 | Cherokee Trail | 91 |
| 6 | Chatfield | 75.5 |
| 7 | Pine Creek | 57 |
| 8 | Rocky Mountain | 51.5 |
| 9 | Northglenn | 44 |
| 10 | Loveland | 43.5 |
