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The Summit High wrestling team is rolling through the season with several competitors eyeing a run at the state tournament.
The team finished 12th of 19 at an Evergreen tournament on Saturday, the season's toughest next to states and regionals, and several of the wrestlers had solid individual results.
Stetson Fowler finished in second in the 160-pound division, losing to last year's state champion. Tyler Blackford took fourth; Nick Whitrock, 106 pounds, finished fifth; and Jesus Casillas, a heavyweight, finished sixth after forfeiting his last two matches because he had already wrestled a maximum of five opponents.
“Everybody wrestled really well,” said head coach Pete Baker. “We went through the first round and basically everybody won their first-round match, which was awesome. All in all, that's the hardest meet we go to because it's all really tough Denver schools — 4A and 5A schools with really solid wresting programs.”
One of the best moments from the meet was a front flip by Whitrock out of a single-leg.
“That was definitely a highlight for us. Stetson showed him the move on Friday and he did it Saturday. Besides that, it was all nut-and-bolts wresting — just go out there and grind it out,” Baker said.
Co-captain Fowler, who took things to the next level last season by finishing second at regionals, leads the team. He's a shoe-in for the state tournament this year.
“We had a slow start to the season,” Fowler said. “We had a lot of kids who didn't know if they were going to do it or not, but we've had a great turnout and everyone has been working really hard.”
Fowler also got off to a slower start personally than he had hoped, losing two early matches, but he's definitely found his groove at this point in the season, his coaches said. He's been working on cardio, which has improved since the start of the season .
“I wanted to go undefeated. I'm already short of that goal, so personally I'm just pushing toward that state championship that I want,” Fowler said. “As far as the team goes, I just want to see everybody do what they're doing — and they're doing great.”
At regionals, the top four wrestlers in each weight class qualify for the state tournament. Co-captain Jonathon Ramirez has a good shot, along with sophomore Whitrock, Bryan Daniels and Casillas.
The team is aided this year by the addition of assistant coach Ben Miller, who came in to help as a heavyweight specialist.
“I think the team is doing real well,” Baker said. “It's the same core of athletes that was here last year with a couple new freshman — some really competent wrestlers, last-year freshman who are really starting to figure it out.”
For Baker, who is also relatively new to the program, stepping in last season to help save it, there are some lofty goals and he expects strong work ethic out of his athletes.
“My goals for the team — and I set them at the beginning of the season — are to send four guys to state. We took two last year. Another goal is to place at one of the tournaments, which we haven't done yet,” Baker said.
The wrestling team travels to Battle Mountain today for a tri-meet with Clear Creek. The coach expects a victory.
The team finished 12th of 19 at an Evergreen tournament on Saturday, the season's toughest next to states and regionals, and several of the wrestlers had solid individual results.
Stetson Fowler finished in second in the 160-pound division, losing to last year's state champion. Tyler Blackford took fourth; Nick Whitrock, 106 pounds, finished fifth; and Jesus Casillas, a heavyweight, finished sixth after forfeiting his last two matches because he had already wrestled a maximum of five opponents.
“Everybody wrestled really well,” said head coach Pete Baker. “We went through the first round and basically everybody won their first-round match, which was awesome. All in all, that's the hardest meet we go to because it's all really tough Denver schools — 4A and 5A schools with really solid wresting programs.”
One of the best moments from the meet was a front flip by Whitrock out of a single-leg.
“That was definitely a highlight for us. Stetson showed him the move on Friday and he did it Saturday. Besides that, it was all nut-and-bolts wresting — just go out there and grind it out,” Baker said.
Co-captain Fowler, who took things to the next level last season by finishing second at regionals, leads the team. He's a shoe-in for the state tournament this year.
“We had a slow start to the season,” Fowler said. “We had a lot of kids who didn't know if they were going to do it or not, but we've had a great turnout and everyone has been working really hard.”
Fowler also got off to a slower start personally than he had hoped, losing two early matches, but he's definitely found his groove at this point in the season, his coaches said. He's been working on cardio, which has improved since the start of the season .
“I wanted to go undefeated. I'm already short of that goal, so personally I'm just pushing toward that state championship that I want,” Fowler said. “As far as the team goes, I just want to see everybody do what they're doing — and they're doing great.”
At regionals, the top four wrestlers in each weight class qualify for the state tournament. Co-captain Jonathon Ramirez has a good shot, along with sophomore Whitrock, Bryan Daniels and Casillas.
The team is aided this year by the addition of assistant coach Ben Miller, who came in to help as a heavyweight specialist.
“I think the team is doing real well,” Baker said. “It's the same core of athletes that was here last year with a couple new freshman — some really competent wrestlers, last-year freshman who are really starting to figure it out.”
For Baker, who is also relatively new to the program, stepping in last season to help save it, there are some lofty goals and he expects strong work ethic out of his athletes.
“My goals for the team — and I set them at the beginning of the season — are to send four guys to state. We took two last year. Another goal is to place at one of the tournaments, which we haven't done yet,” Baker said.
The wrestling team travels to Battle Mountain today for a tri-meet with Clear Creek. The coach expects a victory.
