With the calendar about to turn the page to February – and with it, the arrival of the postseason – a potential girls state preview was the story over the weekend.

The Chatfield Lady War Horse Invitational saw some of the state’s top teams descend upon Chatfield High School. Four of Class 5A’s top-five teams in the most recent On the Mat rankings were in the mix, along with three of 4A’s top five.

Ultimately it was Pomona’s depth that lifted the third-ranked Panthers to 120 points and the team crown. Brighton (94 points), Chatfield (93), Loveland (88.5) and No. 1 Central of Grand Junction (79) rounded out the top five.

Pomona’s Justice Gutierrez (100) and Timberly Martinez (140) claimed first, and the Panthers had five individuals place in the top four.
The event also saw its share of upsets, as eight top-ranked wrestlers finished either second or third. That included Pomona’s Alora Martinez at 125 pounds.

Doherty’s Katey Valdez was handed her first loss of the season at 105 pounds, with 4A’s No. 2 Emma Faczak of Bennett earning the victory by pinfall. Pomona’s Timberly Martinez defeated Strasburg’s Vivienne Gitke via a 12-2 major decision in a matchup of No. 1 wrestlers at 140 pounds.

Other top-ranked individuals to win included Chatfield’s Ryen Hickey at 145, Brighton’s Matilda Hruby (155), Loveland’s Annabella Gerrard (170) and Poudre’s Mariah Gonzales (235).

Regional tournaments will take place next weekend, with the state tournament following over Valentine’s Day weekend. Here is a glance at the past week:

Girls

Gator Girls
Pueblo Central, the No. 1 team in 4A, rolled to the team title at the Gators Girls tournament at Standley Lake High School.

Isabella Mares (120) was the lone individual champion, but the team had all 12 wrestlers place to finish with 160 points. Standley Lake was second at 124.5, followed by Fort Lupton at 99.

In one of the top matches of the night between ranked opponents, Standley Lake’s Soledad Luchman – ranked second in 5A – won 18-5 via a medical forfeit of 4A’s No. 2 Valencia Bentrott of Evergreen.

2nd Annual Les Mattocks Invitational
La Junta and Roosevelt each captured two weight classes, but the Tigers were able to edge Roosevelt by half a point to win the Les Mattocks Invitational.

Yliani Garcia (100) and Isabella Ortiz (120) were first for La Junta, which finished with 110.5 points. Roosevelt had 110, paced by Ava Vigil (105) and Savannah Rollins (170).

Boys

2025 Duff Seaney Invitational
The top event of the weekend took place at Canon City, with 2A’s North Fork sending five into the finals to win the Duff Seaney Invite.
Braeden Flores (150 pounds) was the lone individual winner for North Fork, but the team had nine place overall to hold off Falcon by 14 points. Canon City was third, followed by Pueblo Central.

The tournament featured a number of ranked wrestlers and a handful of upsets. At 113 pounds, 2A’s No. 2 Anthony Franco of Rocky Ford held off top-ranked AJ Jaramillo of Dolores Huerta Prep 11-10. In a matchup of No. 1 individuals, 4A Mountain View’s Isaiah Harrison pinned 3A’s Jordan Gamez of La Junta in four minutes, 35 seconds. Sand Creek’s Daniel Evans, ranked second in 4A, earned a win by technical fall over 2A’s top-ranked Derrick Sievertsen of North Fork.

Other top-ranked wrestlers to win included 2A Fowler’s Traven Sharon at 126; 4A Sand Creek’s Brandon Dean at 157; and 4A Canon City’s Jack Doughty at 190.

Mile High Classic

4A No. 9 Thompson Valley placed all 14 of its wrestlers to win the Mile High Classic at Thomas Jefferson, topping No. 2 Roosevelt, 3A’s No. 7 Fort Lupton and Palisade.

Garet Hendrickson (175) was the only Eagle to win his bracket. Roosevelt’s Malakii Martin (138), Thomas Dunn (165) and Michael Garcia (190) finished first, but top-ranked Chris LaLonde was edged in a tiebreaker 5-2 to 3A’s No. 2 Isaiah Gallegos of Jefferson.

Bear Creek’s David Estrada, ranked first in 4A at 150, won his bracket.