State Wrestling Night One Class 5A/4A prelims

Pueblo County’s Brendan Garcia opened the evening with a first round pin at 113 pound weight class, he’s seeking state title number four. Aaden Valdez of Pueblo East would settle for one, he lost in the finals last year but he’s back at 138 pounds with a venegeance, “You know I’ve really grown from the summer and used last year’s loss as a stepping stone. It runs through my head that there’s someone out there that could beat me and I’m just trying to push through it,” says Valdez.

Discovery Canyon’s Patrick Allis wins by pin at 126 pounds, he’s a reigning state champ. At 132 pounds Angel Flores of Coronado pinned his opponent while battling a cold, “I feel like it’s a lot harder, it kinda hurts my throat, but I just gotta push through it. It’s my last state tournament so I’ve gotta finish strong,” says Flores.

In Class 5A, Fountain Fort Carson’s Taylor Vasquez hulked out to win by pin at 126 pounds, don’t make him mad, “Uh no, it really depends on the other kid. Kid kept grabbing my headgear so. Nah I didn’t like that. If I get angry I wrestle better,” says Vasquez.

At 138 pound weight class Ben Bancroft of Rampart wins his first round match up thanks to a lesson he learned at state last year, “Wrestling afraid to lose rather than to win. This year wrestling to win I’m definitely bringing it to them, doing a lot better,” says Bancroft.