3A Wrestling Week 8 Recap and Week 9 Preview
By Tyler Buhr
Week 8 Recap
2026 Duff Seaney Invite – Canon City
This tournament delivered a strong showing from Fort Lupton, powered by Josiah Gonzales (138), who continues to look like one of the most polished upper‑lightweights in the state. Add in podium finishes from Martinez and Buschman, and Fort Lupton put together one of its most complete team efforts of the season.
Gunnison matched that energy with four placers and a title from Zach Benson (144), who remains undefeated and in full command of his bracket. With Benson and Casebolt leading the way, Gunnison showed both top‑end talent and consistency.
Delta and La Junta each produced multiple placers, with Delta’s Alex McKenna (215) and La Junta’s Santos Nunez (150) delivering high‑value finals appearances. Both teams continue to show the kind of depth that keeps them competitive in any field.
Holy Family had a solid trio of placers, highlighted by Adam Moore (157), while Lamar added a key fourth‑place finish from Aiden Perez (190).
| Team | Score | Placers | Champions |
| Fort Lupton | 141.0 | 4 | 1 |
| Gunnison | 113.5 | 4 | 1 |
| Delta | 97.0 | 3 | 0 |
| La Junta | 97.0 | 3 | 0 |
| Holy Family | 91.5 | 3 | 0 |
| Lamar | 77.5 | 2 | 0 |
| Berthoud | 48.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Woodland Park | 32.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Manitou Springs | 19.0 | 0 | 0 |
Fort Lupton
Lorenzo Arellano — 126 — (Consolation) Josiah Gonzales — 138 — 1st Dominick Martinez — 165 — 4th Donavon Buschman — 190 — 3rd Harold McClain — 285 — 6th
Gunnison
Zayne Benson — 106 — 2nd Cody Casebolt — 132 — 2nd Julian Patrick — 138 — 6th Zach Benson — 144 — 1st
Delta
Trever Sukle — 132 — 5th Trenton Sukle — 157 — 6th Alex McKenna — 215 — 3rd
La Junta
Joseph Gamez — 113 — 6th Jordan Gamez — 126 — 3rd Santos Nunez — 150 — 2nd Josia Martinez — 175 — 5th
Holy Family
Tyler McCracken — 113 — 4th Lorenzo Trujillo — 126 — 5th Adam Moore — 157 — 5th
Lamar
Charly Garcia — 113 — (Consolation) Zackery Hainer — 138 — (Consolation) Aiden Perez — 190 — 4th
Berthoud
Myer Dekruif — 150 — (Consolation)
Patriot League Tournament
This tournament showcased the depth and firepower of Fort Morgan, who rolled to the team title behind two champions — Melendez (106) and Zannou (285) — and an incredible ten total placers. Their consistency across all 14 weights continues to make them one of the most complete lineups in the state.
Eaton delivered the most dominant individual performance of the event, crowning four champions: Smith (113), Hawkins (120), Wickam (132), and Pettinger (165). Their top‑end talent kept them firmly in the team race.
Valley and Platte Valley both produced balanced, high‑value performances. Valley’s titles from Manriquez (138) and Corral (150) anchored a six‑placer effort, while Platte Valley got a championship from Contreras (157) and strong podium finishes throughout the middle and upper weights.
Resurrection Christian added a title from Josh Stockton (175) and several key placers, while University, Weld Central, Brush, Strasburg, Sterling, and Estes Park each contributed standout individuals — highlighted by Ritchie Bruno (Brush, 190) and Juan Fernandez (Strasburg, 215).
| Team | Score | Placers | Champions |
| Fort Morgan | 226.0 | 10 | 2 |
| Eaton | 182.0 | 7 | 4 |
| Platte Valley | 137.0 | 6 | 1 |
| Valley | 135.5 | 6 | 2 |
| University | 107.5 | 5 | 0 |
| Resurrection Christian | 99.0 | 5 | 1 |
| Weld Central | 72.0 | 5 | 0 |
| Brush | 61.0 | 3 | 1 |
| Strasburg | 51.0 | 2 | 1 |
| Sterling | 18.5 | 2 | 0 |
| Estes Park | 26.5 | 1 | 0 |
Fort Morgan
Alexis Melendez — 106 — 1st Ulysses Montes — 113 — 3rd Jacob Molina — 120 — 3rd Cristofer Juan — 126 — 4th Conner Derry — 132 — 4th Darius Masias — 138 — 3rd Maverick Glenn — 144 — 3rd Dominic Marquez — 150 — 4th Marcellus Masias — 157 — 3rd Ben Fritzler — 165 — 4th Quintin Aleman — 175 — 3rd Jack Wirth — 215 — 5th Mael Zannou — 285 — 1st
Eaton
Isaac Rulla — 106 — 6th Braxton Smith — 113 — 1st Blake Hawkins — 120 — 1st Louden Kindsfater — 126 — 3rd Parker Wickam — 132 — 1st Ethan Deal — 138 — 2nd Haydn Lebsack — 150 — 3rd Paxton Pettinger — 165 — 1st
Platte Valley
Andrew Cockroft — 120 — 6th Logan Vannest — 144 — 2nd Jermey Vanderploeg — 150 — 5th Miguel Contreras — 157 — 1st Baudillio Modesto — 175 — 2nd Jason Harrison — 190 — 3rd Oscar Reinhart — 215 — 3rd Joseph Mack — 285 — 3rd
Valley
Xavier Garcia — 113 — 2nd Colton Dudley — 126 — 2nd Trenton Mestas — 132 — 2nd Diego Manriquez — 138 — 1st Carlos Corral — 150 — 1st Rocky Hoffschneider — 165 — 2nd
University
Xavier Gonzales — 106 — 4th Ayden Arellano — 120 — 2nd Kameron Fuller — 157 — 4th Beau Gentry — 175 — 5th Deshaun Salazar — 215 — 2nd Isaac Juarez — 285 — 4th
Resurrection Christian
Max Lozano — 126 — 6th Greyson Browning — 132 — 6th Javier Garcia Martinez — 144 — 5th Carter Gillespie — 150 — 2nd Jasper Gustafson — 138 — 4th Josh Stockton — 175 — 1st
Weld Central
Cooper Howell — 126 — 5th Tayven Rupple — 138 — 6th Ryan Hale — 144 — 4th William Ellerman — 165 — 5th Braden Schellenberg — 175 — 6th Wyatt Gerkin — 190 — 4th Bryen Stalcup — 215 — 6th
Brush
Yahir Ortiz Fajardo — 106 — 5th Eian Blake — 113 — 5th Ritchie Bruno — 190 — 1st
Strasburg
Reagan Rosier — 138 — 5th Adan Fernandez‑Navarro — 190 — 6th Juan Fernandez — 215 — 1st
Sterling
Garrett Mills — 120 — 5th Braydon Evans — 157 — 6th Sullivan Fernandez — 285 — 2nd
Estes Park
Matthew Lopez — 132 — 5th Fabian Rojas — 190 — 5th
Week 9 Preview
Richard Urano Eaton Tournament
Teams: Eaton, Estes Park, Fort Morgan, University, Valley
Tri-Peaks League Tournament
Teams: Florence, La Junta, Lamar, Manitou Springs, Salida, Woodland Park
Meeker Duals
Teams: Basalt, Delta, Grand Valley, Moffat County, Steamboat Springs
MileHigh Prep Report 